Martha Stewart Craft Night: Recap

Tonight, Becca of Birthday Girl Blog, Judith of Paper Sweet and my friend, Alice, came over to play with the crafty things I got in the mail from House Party last week.

After viewing a tutorial on how to use the paper punches to make birthday cards, we set to work. And here's how we did (and we didn't follow Martha's instructions to a tee) -- we were pretty pleased with our results:

{Applying metallic foil to transfer with boning knife}

 {Judith's awesome card above, and a box I made}

 

{All of our creations! Check out Alice's fabric & paper gift box in the foreground.}

Inspiration #40: Bows!

I've been obsessing over bows lately. I recently bought a silver metallic bow headband at J. Crew (on sale for $9), a metallic pleather metallic bow purse at Payless (thank you for the 50% off, Oprah --only $9) and a white bow button-up top at H&M (only $12 with a 50% off coupon). How's that for going bow-crazy on a dime?

Here's what else has caught my fancy although they are well beyond my budget:

{Giorgio Armani-White & Black Pinstriped Bow-Tie Dress-’09 Fashion Fall/Winter Forecast}

 

{Ted Baker Bow Detail Leather Tote}

 

{Anthropologie Alcee Dress}

{Nanette Lepore Lovin' You Pumps}

Meet the ladies behind IdeaL

{Above is a mock-up of a design they did for me using my own vintage white milk glass vase.}

Here are a couple ladies you should meet: Imogene and Luzelle of IdeaL {floral art and design} based in the East Bay. I've met with them a few times to see if they're a good fit for our wedding floral design, and I sure do like 'em...and their pricing is affordable since they are still building their portfolio -- as I am with Va de Vie Events. I asked them to share a little about themselves:

1. How did you get started? How did you meet?

We are cousins! We grew up together...and are best friends too! We both have always had a creative itch....we helped with friends'/families' weddings and parties, and even did my own wedding (Luzelle). After a couple years we realized that we should just start our company and go for it! We always had it in the back of our minds but never really did anything about it. One day I asked Imo if she wanted to start the business...when she said,"yeah!" Then we took off from there! We were official in May 2009! Yay!

2. What's your favorite moment in a wedding?

Watching the couple do their first dance...you see so much love and emotion between the newlyweds! A lot of times it is so sweet it makes you melt!

3. What's your inspiration?

Our inspiration is the client's personality and the style that she/he describes....it's so much fun to explore different ideas and pick at the clients' brains! So our inspiration truly differs every time.

4. What should brides look for when selecting a floral designer?

Brides should make sure they are working with someone who is personable and easy to deal with. We think that it's important that you have a good connection with your florist, as well as with every other vendor you decide on. You want to work with someone who can suggest different ideas but and also cater to the style that you want. You also have to feel like you trust your florist. Flowers are an important aspect of a wedding and will set the tone of the event so you want to make sure they know what they are doing. We also believe it is important to work within a client's ideal budget. We understand the value of money and if there is something that a client truly has to have, we do our best to make that happen by helping them choose other options that will allow them to.

5. What's your favorite flower?

We really love dahlias and peonies! They are fun and can bring a lot of life to an arrangement. We also love how romantic they are.

My $10,000 Wedding Has a New Look!

{My fiance and I returned to Healdsburg, where we met, for wine-tasting today. Here I am with Munch.}

Upon recommendation by Style Unveiled San Francisco, I decided to go with Rainy Day Design to refresh the look of my blog, "My $10,000 Wedding." I'm most excited about the easy-to-navigate sidebars and navigation bar at top -- featuring links that pull up all the "Inspiration" and "Budget" posts. 

A former classmate and fellow wedding vendor, Judith of Paper Sweet, also nudged me to finally start a Facebook page for "My $10,000 Wedding." I'd love to see you become a fan here. 

Thanks so much for all your support to date! And please do let me know if you think I can do anything to improve the layout of the blog. Cheers!

Etsy Loves Grooms

Being the budget bride that I am, I've been hopping on the contest bandwagon to cut costs on some major things, such as photography and save-the-dates. Our latest triumph was winning Soiree Design's giveaway from a cigar company. Eventually, my fiance and I came out on top with nearly 90 votes! (My friend, Evan, teased me that I'll end up on Oprah as the "girl who won her whole life!") Thanks to everyone who voted. Now that I've secured cigars for my honey, what else would work for a groom's gift?

I LOVE this from Droplet Studio on etsy.com:



or YougNeek's vintage mini-lighter:

Inspiration #39: Corsages

maid of honor corsage
Originally uploaded by Floral Design by Jacqueline Ahne

I plan to do some of my floral arrangements myself but I do want help with my own bouquet and the flowers for our wedding party. In particular, I've been exploring corsages as a lower cost alternative to bridesmaid bouquets as they are generally anywhere from $15-30 a pop.

{Silk flower peacock feather corsage on etsy.com by ekaminsk}

{from Cross Pollination Floral Blog, photo by Jennifer Lindberg}

{"Green with Envy" Corsage on etsy.com by Ardesign}

Martha Has Arrived...at last!

I've been on HouseParty.com for a couple years now and they are pretty selective on who gets to host their sponsored parties.

You can imagine my excitement when I learned I was among 1,000 women across the nation selected to host a Martha Stewart House Party.

I just received via UPS, 8 lbs worth of Martha's good things, including 3 bottles of beautiful glitter in tourmaline, peridot and florentine, paper punches as seen on Martha Stewart Crafts, embellishments and bundles of paper and boxes for cards and gifts. To top it off, I have 100 pages of brochures with 2 coupons for 50% off of Martha Stewart Craft products until the end of the year. All this for free in exchange for hosting a party with my crafty girl friends. Wowza!

Our projects, as directed, by Martha, are to revamp an old ornament, create a greeting card and decorate a gift box. I can't wait! This will be a good primer for how to create some of the handmade elements we plan for our wedding, especially in refreshing old things into "good things" once again.

I heart our photographers: Davina + Daniel

Aren't urban e-sessions fantastique? I'm tickled by the use of balloons, shadows and reflection. {All photos by Davina + Daniel of Montreal, Quebec; they also just won 1st place for the Wedding Photojournalist Association's "Bride" category -- check it out in this month's BRIDES magazine.}

Inspiration #38: Font Play

I am a typography nerd. Yes, I admit it. I subscribe to "i love typography" and this page from a new design book published by Chronicle Books caught my eye. Can you imagine playing with the dates of your wedding in this fashion? Totally fun.

{from alphabeasties as seen on GrainEdit}

Style Unveiled SF: Launches Vendor Directory

Style Unveiled San Francisco announced the launch of its Vendor Directory today and I'm excited that my fiance, Fred Boette, aka Guitar Fred, is featured as a Founding Member of Style Unveiled SF! Check out Style Unveiled SF for more Bay Area vendors to help you plan your wedding in style.

Cutest Photo Booth Design...Ever.

{Apartment Therapy Los Angeles}

My friend, Samantha, passed along this must-steal photo booth design by Sasha Souza as seen on Apartment Therapy Los Angeles. Click here to see how Sasha did it.

DIY Keepsake: Recipe for a Good Marriage

{From MyWeddingFavors.com}

I've been researching fun ways for our guests to leave well wishes for us: wish trees, guests books, murals, photo mats, and more. Then, I reached into memories of my early childhood. Remember making salt-dough Christmas ornaments? Yeah, you know those ones you rolled out like cookies, baked and painted? I was then inspired to make a long-lasting recipe card so guests can tell us their recipe for a good marriage. It's a nice fit since food/throwing dinner parties is one of my passions.

I envision making these ahead of time and shaping and painting them as if they're index cards. We'll leave Sharpies in a variety of colors so that guests can easily write and share their love notes to us. It'll be a nice keepsake for us every Christmas!

Here's the recipe for the salt-dough ornament (from GiftIdeaCenter.com):

Classic Salt Dough Ornament Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Mix salt and flour.
2. Add in half the water, then gradually add the remaining water.
3. Knead until the dough is smooth, this can take up to 10 minutes.
4. For flat dough ornaments roll out the dough on baking paper
Or be creative and make odd shapes and wreaths (takes longer to bake)

Create:
Use cookie cutters, cut-out templates, or just use your hands.
Dust dough with flour and begin to add details to the ornaments with a toothpick, popsicle stick, and knife.

Don't Forget:
Use a straw to make a hole so you can hang the ornament.

Baking: Time varies based on thickness of ornament
Temperature: 325 degrees
Time: 1 1/2 hours - or until dry

Decorate: Let cool before you begin
Paint with acrylic paints
Glue on beads, buttons, or any fun accessory

Preservation: Making them last a long time
Coat with acrylic varnish when everything is dry

*** Color Variation Notes from our Visitors***
- Substitute coffee for water - great for gingerbread people - Thanks, Shelly
- Add food coloring to make dough a unique color - white, blue, red, etc...

Circles and Poppies

Circles and Poppies
Originally uploaded by studiocake

I'm loving this clean, modern cake design! The circles remind me of mid-modern century ranch homes in Phoenix (http://www.erwinhouse.com/2007/10/04/block-heads-unite/).

Inspiration: Unique photo booth ideas

{from Dolci & Odille's Custom Photo Backdrops}

Our photographers, Davina + Daniel, offered to set up a photo booth for us as long as we provided the backdrop.

Now we've been trying to decide on that! He loves pulp fiction/vintage film noir and science fiction, so we thought we could paint a book cover on muslin. Another idea is musically driven, so painting bars could also work (see below). Or, the easiest option may be to buy fancy gift wrap or wall decals (that can peel off afterwards).

Here are some inspirational photos:

{Originally posted on Alkemie.blogspot.com}

{Musical note decals on Etsy.com}

{West Warwick Public Library}


{Apartment Therapy New York}


{Originally posted on Alkemie.blogspot.com; an Etsy damask magnetic board}

Below, IKEA's Cecilia fabric for $5.99/yard

Going Stamp-Crazy

{Visit Craft Pudding on Etsy.com}

This week marks the 12-month countdown. I started planning like crazy and even booked our venue within 3 weeks of our engagement last April, so I've been on cruise control. Now, I'm starting to realize that things will only pick up faster from here on out!

Lollipop Events and Design just sent us the final proof of our Save-the-Dates and so I'm preparing the surprise we're enclosing with each announcement. Let's just say the packaging for this surprise is a medium weight craft paper and on the outside, I want to either stamp the outside with something that represents me and my fiance's young-at-heart spirit and title it Vera + Fred. Our STD's feature a bird motif. My search eventually evolved into a cutesy boy meets girl look -- Craft Pudding's stamps of the boy and girl are my favorite. Let me know what you think:

{lovesprouts.etsy.com}

Offbeat Wedding Entertainment

{Photo from Funny Wedding Ideas.com}

Last night, I read a Craigslist ad posted by a couple looking for a comedian to perform stand-up at their wedding reception (I guess their best man might not cut it in the humor department). That got me thinking about offbeat wedding entertainment. I've thrown dinner parties before where I hired a fire dancing troupe, tarot card reader and a Brazilian funk band. Fine for a rockin' dinner party, but is it proper for a wedding fete?

All depends on you and your fiance, of course! If you'd follow the beat of your own drum, why not entertain the idea of a sketch artist, acrobat, etc, at your wedding reception?

Here are a few ideas:

{Photo of Unpopable}

• Balloon Artist: You've got the standard hot dog making balloon artist, but what about a balloon bass playing one? Check out Unpopable.

• Comedian: This one is tricky. Let's hope your family and friends have a good sense of humor, or you might run the risk of offending someone. But then again there's usually one or two people in the crowd who don't have a funny bone. When looking for a comedian, I'd suggest seeing him/her live, or asking to see their routine on their MySpace Comedy Channel page (or personal website) to see if their kind of humor jives with yours.

• Dancers: There's a lot of opportunity here to showcase your heritage or family traditions here including: the intoxicating rhythms of Brazilian Carnaval, the colorful Mexican folklorico dance, the fluid undulation of Chinese dragons, or even country line (or square) dancing!! Or you can definitely hire poi (aka fire) dancers!
  

• Aerial Acrobats: Think Cirque du Soleil. These acrobats can perform amazing aerial stunts on circus apparatus. The twirling, dancing, and flirting on aerial silk, hammock, hoop, static trapeze, Spanish web, bungee, and swing makes any event a memorable one.

{Photo of Cirque du Soleil from UK Lite Structures}

• Sketch Artist: This is an alternative to the highly popular photo booth. Your guests will enjoy a highly personalized favor -- a portrait or caricature. Here's one of my fiance by Dax Tran Caffee at NoRestfortheWicked.com:

• Other: If you've got an offbeat venue, it might inherently offer your reception entertainment. For example, the local zoo may provide a critter encounter (a zookeeper will bring out a friendly owl or porcupine for an up-close meeting) or if you choose a dinner theater venue, you can watch a Cirque du Soleil-esque performance.
  

Goal: Size 10 by 10/10/10

{Photo from WeddingDates.com}

Two weeks ago, I made a new commitment to myself: Get to size 10 by 10/10/10 (our wedding day).

I decided to jump-start my health and make being healthy in an integrated way (mind-body-spirit) a part of my life, not an add-on. It's convenient to make the "due date" our wedding date. And ultimately, I want to live life to the fullest with my husband-to-be and our children. Practicing a fit lifestyle every day starting now will allow us to do it.

It didn't start off easy:

• Day 1 (9/21/09): Bootcamp with 74 others at 5:30 in the morning (I am not a morning person). After 40 minutes of intense jumping jacks, sprints and relays, I got so dizzy I had to lay down or faint! Nonetheless, my friend and I walked half the lake (1.5 miles) afterwards.
• Day 2 (9/22/09): I decided to walk my dog, Munch, around the lake (3 miles). I had believed for the longest time that I needed to lose at least 10 lbs. to even run, but that day I told myself I could jog if I wanted to. And I did! I've never run without stopping until that day.
  

Ever since then, I've jogged every day -- even Munch is having trouble keeping up. Woo-hoo!

To motivate myself, I wrote out what I'd have to give up to reach my fitness goal. I vowed to give up:

1. Being too hard on myself (this one is tough because I tend to be a perfectionist)
   
2. Carnitas (oh, Trader Joe's $3.99 carnitas are my cryptonite!)
3. Feeling bloated (yes, I can't wait to give this one up!)
   
4. My "big" clothes (Crossroads Trading Company, here I come to trade in)
   
5. 1-2 hours every day (to exercise and cook instead of watching TV right after work)
6. Believing that I will fail after 2 weeks (so far, so good)
   
7. Believing that jogging the lake or beach with Munch isn't fun (so not true!)
8. Resistance to changing the status quo
   

Week 2 is coming to an end. I have yet to buy a scale, but I'm gauging my success so far by the way I feel and how my clothes fit. To date, I'm definitely feeling less pressure on the waistband and I'm feeling confident that my resistance to change is lessening.

If you have any stories or tips to share, please let me know! Thanks!

Our Musically Romantic Wedding...a sneak peek

{Photo of She & Him as featured on listentoliliana.com}

I just got Round 2 of our save-the-date designs from Lollipop Events & Design (LED) and I'm floating on cloud nine because they are looking so darn luscious! (I won custom Save the Date design through their online contest in August). It took a couple phone consults to narrow down the look and feel (from mid-modern century to bluegrass/art noveau).

We used a snippet of a She & Him song as an intro to our event details (above is a photo from our inspiration board). Lollipop took the initiative to label the front of our Save the Dates "A Musically Romantic Wedding." Since my fiance is a classical/Spanish guitarist, the STD is going to mimic a guitar, complete with a diecut for the guitar sound hole and f-holes.

Because of the back and forth, I was happy that LED provided 4 design options for the front cover and 2 for the inside flap. Design elements I requested as must-haves included the use of the Rosewood font, orange and peacock blue colors, and an art noveau floral motif. I suggested birds as a nice-to-have. LED went a step further and included musical notes/bars as a design option. Very cute. I can't wait to share the final and printed design!

{Photo of JL Stiles}

Onward to actual music. Our wedding reception venue is STRICT on amplified music since it's situated in a residential neighborhood in the sleepy, seaside town of Sausalito. Therefore, we can only have acoustic music. Nonetheless, we're not discouraged from having a bluegrass slant to our festivities. We've just confirmed our friends, J.L. Stiles (solo guitar) and Quinn DeVeaux (with the Blue Beat Review), are going to be performing. My checklist of to-dos is shrinking fast.

A Lovely Illustrated Invite by Molly McCoy

I used to volunteer for a nonprofit arts organization and found a designer named Molly McCoy 6 years ago to create a poster for an upcoming opera performance. I fell in love with Molly's artistry immediately.

We've stayed in touch over the years, and even worked on a design for a gala invite for my previous employer. Molly just wrapped up this design. As you can see, pictures are worth a thousand words. All of the illustrations are drawn from things at the wedding site. The invitations were offset printed in dark gray and she hand-painted accents with inks and water colors. What a memorable invitation!

Click here to see the full-size version>>