Happy Friday ladies and gentleman! I know that 1 guy is reading this (hey Zach!) and we're all about being inclusive here.
Today is your last chance to enter the Threads Remembered Giveaway I posted about on Monday. You can win a pillow made out of your grandmother's handkerchief, mom's wedding dress, dad's button down shirt, or whatever else you can dream up. My Aunt Teresa and my cousin Sarah started the company, and I immediately thought of you all when they told me about it. I think these would make great keepsakes and really amazing ring bearer's pillows. Check out Monday's post for details on how to enter, you have until tonight at midnight to get your entries in. I'll randomly select a winner and announce the lucky person on Monday!
Best of luck and have a lovely weekend, I hope it's pretty where you are!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Quilting
Tomorrow is the last day to enter the Threads Remembered giveaway! Find out all about it here. I'm glad I'm using a random number generator to choose a winner, if I had to choose on my own I would be a basket case, there are so many good ideas in the comment section!
Quilting and blanket making is a big thing in my family.
My MeeMaw used to make blankets out of old double knit fabric. She was ahead of her time with the upcycling! The blankets were not the prettiest things to look at but they are so warm; I have one she made me on my bed. When Ryan and I had just started dating, there was a vicious ice storm and almost everyone in my hometown lost power. He was in his last semester of grad school at the time, so he lived in Cape and had an apartment. My sister Alli and I, my grandma and Ryan all stayed at my parent's house for 3 days because my parents luckily had power and none of use did! That's when my mom found out that the only blanket Ryan really owned was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fleece throw. So in the 3 days we were iced in, mom and grandma made him a double-knit blanket with flannel on the back. So warm! (Also during that ice storm, I really started falling for him. He got along so well with my family and he was just...amazing. He dug my car out of 3 inches of ice after dropping me off at my job at 5:30 a.m. Hello, keeper anyone?)
My mom now makes double knit blankets just like her mom did, and her best friend Suzanna always comes over to help us tie them. Tying a quilt is when you connect and secure all 3 layers of the quilt-the top, which is the part with the design, the batting, and the backing. We use my MeeMaw's old quilt frame to do. Then Suzanna takes the quilt home and does the binding by hand.
My grandma has won prizes for her quilts. She has been quilting with a ladies group at her church for years and they donate the money they make to the church. I remember sitting in mass with my grade school and opening a new hymnal to see a note that said it was donated by the quilting ladies and being so proud. Her quilts are more works of art than blankets, in that you can't throw them in the washer when they get dirty like you can the double-knit blankets.
I would love to be able to make a quilt for Ryan and I, but I like the more non-traditional quilt styles. I checked out Flickr, and I'd love to do something along these lines:
I wish I could do the hand-quilting, but it is so time consuming that I have a really hard time even fathoming it. Paying to have a group hand quilt is very pricey for obvious reasons, so whatever quilt I end up doing will be machine quilted. I think that simple straight lines fit what I have in my head the best.
Sidenote: My mom says I fixate really badly on stuff I want, and I think she's right. Like with wedding dress shopping, I knew exactly what I wanted and that's what I ended up with. I get a very specific image of what I want and the problems come when I deviate from this!
I like this too, it would be perfect if the lines were vertical. I know that fabric isn't as long as I would need it to be, so some of the strips would have to be made up of 2 different fabrics.
I might attempt a baby-sized quilt for practice first. My mom's going to help me, I'll probably need all the help I can get!
Any projects you're looking forward to starting as soon as you take a big chunk out of that wedding to-do list?
Quilting and blanket making is a big thing in my family.
My MeeMaw used to make blankets out of old double knit fabric. She was ahead of her time with the upcycling! The blankets were not the prettiest things to look at but they are so warm; I have one she made me on my bed. When Ryan and I had just started dating, there was a vicious ice storm and almost everyone in my hometown lost power. He was in his last semester of grad school at the time, so he lived in Cape and had an apartment. My sister Alli and I, my grandma and Ryan all stayed at my parent's house for 3 days because my parents luckily had power and none of use did! That's when my mom found out that the only blanket Ryan really owned was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fleece throw. So in the 3 days we were iced in, mom and grandma made him a double-knit blanket with flannel on the back. So warm! (Also during that ice storm, I really started falling for him. He got along so well with my family and he was just...amazing. He dug my car out of 3 inches of ice after dropping me off at my job at 5:30 a.m. Hello, keeper anyone?)
My mom now makes double knit blankets just like her mom did, and her best friend Suzanna always comes over to help us tie them. Tying a quilt is when you connect and secure all 3 layers of the quilt-the top, which is the part with the design, the batting, and the backing. We use my MeeMaw's old quilt frame to do. Then Suzanna takes the quilt home and does the binding by hand.
My grandma has won prizes for her quilts. She has been quilting with a ladies group at her church for years and they donate the money they make to the church. I remember sitting in mass with my grade school and opening a new hymnal to see a note that said it was donated by the quilting ladies and being so proud. Her quilts are more works of art than blankets, in that you can't throw them in the washer when they get dirty like you can the double-knit blankets.
I would love to be able to make a quilt for Ryan and I, but I like the more non-traditional quilt styles. I checked out Flickr, and I'd love to do something along these lines:
I wish I could do the hand-quilting, but it is so time consuming that I have a really hard time even fathoming it. Paying to have a group hand quilt is very pricey for obvious reasons, so whatever quilt I end up doing will be machine quilted. I think that simple straight lines fit what I have in my head the best.
Sidenote: My mom says I fixate really badly on stuff I want, and I think she's right. Like with wedding dress shopping, I knew exactly what I wanted and that's what I ended up with. I get a very specific image of what I want and the problems come when I deviate from this!
I like this too, it would be perfect if the lines were vertical. I know that fabric isn't as long as I would need it to be, so some of the strips would have to be made up of 2 different fabrics.
I might attempt a baby-sized quilt for practice first. My mom's going to help me, I'll probably need all the help I can get!
Any projects you're looking forward to starting as soon as you take a big chunk out of that wedding to-do list?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Misc.
Have you guys entered the giveaway I'm hosting right now? I am so, so excited about it, and kind of peeved that Ryan and I aren't having a ring bearer...or I would enter it myself! Also, my aunt sent me the link to their look book, check it out here.
So I've been up to quite a bit lately, I just haven't bothered to tell you all about it! I'm chalking it up to spring fever...I'm so restless...I want the wedding to come tomorrow but then I don't at the same time (that would be quite the all nighter!).
The bouquets are all sewn and put together, they just need finishing touches to cover up the not-particularly-attractive bouquet holders and the stems.
I started working on the table overlays, realized how crooked they looked, set them aside, realized I might be being slightly OCD about that and then never started on them again. I keep meaning to show them to Ryan and see what he thinks but the whole we-live-in-separate-cities thing keeps getting in the way.
I've started on the bridesmaid's tote bags, and I can't wait to post about them! I am really excited about the fabric I ended up with.
Basically, these are all projects I've started and lost steam on and need to finish. Finishing something would make my month, so I need to just do it.
Do you have a tendency to start things and then not finish them? Any half-finished projects on your list?
So I've been up to quite a bit lately, I just haven't bothered to tell you all about it! I'm chalking it up to spring fever...I'm so restless...I want the wedding to come tomorrow but then I don't at the same time (that would be quite the all nighter!).
The bouquets are all sewn and put together, they just need finishing touches to cover up the not-particularly-attractive bouquet holders and the stems.
I started working on the table overlays, realized how crooked they looked, set them aside, realized I might be being slightly OCD about that and then never started on them again. I keep meaning to show them to Ryan and see what he thinks but the whole we-live-in-separate-cities thing keeps getting in the way.
I've started on the bridesmaid's tote bags, and I can't wait to post about them! I am really excited about the fabric I ended up with.
Basically, these are all projects I've started and lost steam on and need to finish. Finishing something would make my month, so I need to just do it.
Do you have a tendency to start things and then not finish them? Any half-finished projects on your list?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Kick-*ss Giveaway
Good morning friends! Yesterday I told you I have an amazing giveaway, so here goes!
Threads Remembered is a company that my Aunt Teresa (my aunt who threw me that beautiful shower 2 weeks ago) and my cousin Sarah are starting. Threads Remembered is a service that turns old clothing into keepsakes in the form of pillows.
Now Ryan and I aren't having a ring bearer, but I think that these would make the most perfect ring bearer pillows. I know that all over blog land, women are trying to infuse elements of loved ones into their wedding, and this is just a brilliant way to do it. You could have a pillow made out of your mom or grandma's wedding dress, or out of your dad's button down shirt, or your great grandmother's handkerchief...the possibilities are endless. So whenever Aunt Teresa and Sarah mentioned this company they were starting, I instantly thought of you lovely readers! Enough talk, here are some examples of pillows they've made:
This is a scarf that was turned into a pillow.
My aunt said that the pillow in the upper right hand corner was a very old handkerchief.
This was a bridesmaid's dress turned into a pillow....this one is my favorite, what they did with the buttons is so clever!
My aunt made pillows out of my grandpa's shirts that looked just like this.
Even if you're already married, a keepsake like this would be great around the house...I'm thinking reading nook.
Keep in mind that these pictures are only suggestions, let your imagination run wild. I'd love to see one made out of ties.
So, my aunt and my cousin are offering to give away a pillow valued from $45-$55 to you lovely ladies (and gents?). Just to give you an example of price, the button up shirt pillow costs $50, the dress pillow runs $60 and the scarf or handkerchief pillow is $45.
You can view the full look book here (it takes just a second to load).
Here's how to enter:
--Leave me a comment and tell me what kind a pillow you would have made if you win!
--For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway and post a comment with the link telling me what kind of a pillow you would like to have made
--Tweet about Threads Remembered and the giveaway for another entry (let me know you tweeted...Twitter scares the crap out of me, but Pugs and I tweet for our other blog and she's easing me into it!)
You have until Friday at midnight (central time) to enter, and I'll assign numbers to entries and pick a winner with that random number thing.
Good luck, and if you have any questions let me know! You can contact Threads Remembered at teresa@threadsremembered.com or sarah@threadsremembered.com
Threads Remembered is a company that my Aunt Teresa (my aunt who threw me that beautiful shower 2 weeks ago) and my cousin Sarah are starting. Threads Remembered is a service that turns old clothing into keepsakes in the form of pillows.Now Ryan and I aren't having a ring bearer, but I think that these would make the most perfect ring bearer pillows. I know that all over blog land, women are trying to infuse elements of loved ones into their wedding, and this is just a brilliant way to do it. You could have a pillow made out of your mom or grandma's wedding dress, or out of your dad's button down shirt, or your great grandmother's handkerchief...the possibilities are endless. So whenever Aunt Teresa and Sarah mentioned this company they were starting, I instantly thought of you lovely readers! Enough talk, here are some examples of pillows they've made:
This is a scarf that was turned into a pillow.
My aunt said that the pillow in the upper right hand corner was a very old handkerchief.
This was a bridesmaid's dress turned into a pillow....this one is my favorite, what they did with the buttons is so clever!
My aunt made pillows out of my grandpa's shirts that looked just like this.Even if you're already married, a keepsake like this would be great around the house...I'm thinking reading nook.
Keep in mind that these pictures are only suggestions, let your imagination run wild. I'd love to see one made out of ties.
So, my aunt and my cousin are offering to give away a pillow valued from $45-$55 to you lovely ladies (and gents?). Just to give you an example of price, the button up shirt pillow costs $50, the dress pillow runs $60 and the scarf or handkerchief pillow is $45.
You can view the full look book here (it takes just a second to load).
Here's how to enter:
--Leave me a comment and tell me what kind a pillow you would have made if you win!
--For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway and post a comment with the link telling me what kind of a pillow you would like to have made
--Tweet about Threads Remembered and the giveaway for another entry (let me know you tweeted...Twitter scares the crap out of me, but Pugs and I tweet for our other blog and she's easing me into it!)
You have until Friday at midnight (central time) to enter, and I'll assign numbers to entries and pick a winner with that random number thing.
Good luck, and if you have any questions let me know! You can contact Threads Remembered at teresa@threadsremembered.com or sarah@threadsremembered.com
Monday, February 22, 2010
Just another Manic Monday....
Hey guys, I hope you all had a kick-*ss weekend!
2 things: I spoke to a DJ today. He was unfortunately booked for our wedding date, but he was nice enough to recommend several other St. Louis DJ's and send me a link to everything you need to know when hiring a DJ. I thought some of you lovely ladies (and gents?) might be interested, you can find the article here.
2nd thing: I have an amazing giveaway coming up this week. It's something I've never seen before in the wedding blogosphere, and I think you all are going to love it. So put your giveaway pants on and get ready!
It's much, much better than a mystery lunch!
2 things: I spoke to a DJ today. He was unfortunately booked for our wedding date, but he was nice enough to recommend several other St. Louis DJ's and send me a link to everything you need to know when hiring a DJ. I thought some of you lovely ladies (and gents?) might be interested, you can find the article here.
2nd thing: I have an amazing giveaway coming up this week. It's something I've never seen before in the wedding blogosphere, and I think you all are going to love it. So put your giveaway pants on and get ready!
It's much, much better than a mystery lunch!
Friday, February 19, 2010
The First Dance
Ryan and I haven't decided on a first dance song. He wants the song to have a history behind it for us, while I basically want to evoke the Beauty and the Beast ballroom scene (skip to 1:20):
I LOVED Beauty and the Beast-still do. I don't want the song or the ballroom, but just the feeling, I guess.
(Side note: My sister and I had the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack on cassette tape, and we'd pop it into our Fischer Price tape deck and act out the movie when we were little. I was such an *sshole of a kid that every single time we played this game, I made her be the 3 girls who liked Gaston while I was Belle. I couldn't let poor Allison be Belle once, how awful is that?!)
Anyway, I love Michael Buble's "Everything," but Ryan thinks its so so.
Ryan is pulling for the Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melodies," but I think its so so.
I kind of want the song to sum up our relationship (that sounds unbelievably cheesy when I type it out, but hey, that's what I want), and Unchained Melodies doesn't really do it for me.
I LOVE "Then" by Brad Paisley (I'm from Southeast Missouri, the country part comes out sometimes) but Ryan cannot abide country, and I can't find a non-countrified version of the song.
And if we're going to do a song with lots of history for us, then "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz definitely has the most history for us, but it doesn't seem particularly danceable.
To blow all of this criteria I just mentioned out of the water, I love "Sway" by Dean Martin, though we would have to do a bit of choreography. But it would be bad*ss.
What are you doing for your first dance? Any ideas for Ryan and I?
I LOVED Beauty and the Beast-still do. I don't want the song or the ballroom, but just the feeling, I guess.
(Side note: My sister and I had the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack on cassette tape, and we'd pop it into our Fischer Price tape deck and act out the movie when we were little. I was such an *sshole of a kid that every single time we played this game, I made her be the 3 girls who liked Gaston while I was Belle. I couldn't let poor Allison be Belle once, how awful is that?!)
Anyway, I love Michael Buble's "Everything," but Ryan thinks its so so.
Ryan is pulling for the Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melodies," but I think its so so.
I kind of want the song to sum up our relationship (that sounds unbelievably cheesy when I type it out, but hey, that's what I want), and Unchained Melodies doesn't really do it for me.
I LOVE "Then" by Brad Paisley (I'm from Southeast Missouri, the country part comes out sometimes) but Ryan cannot abide country, and I can't find a non-countrified version of the song.
And if we're going to do a song with lots of history for us, then "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz definitely has the most history for us, but it doesn't seem particularly danceable.
To blow all of this criteria I just mentioned out of the water, I love "Sway" by Dean Martin, though we would have to do a bit of choreography. But it would be bad*ss.
What are you doing for your first dance? Any ideas for Ryan and I?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Bridesmaids Updates
A few days ago my maid of honor Mary's dress came in from J Crew. She ordered the Clementine, and it was a 20% your order of $150 or more sale, so we didn't have to pay full price. It looked really nice on her, it's a great dress.
My other maid of honor, Allison, ordered her J Crew dress over Christmas when it was on sale for $100. My mom scored a brand new J Crew aqua dress off Ebay for $20, so Alli will have her choice of dresses.
The other 3 bridesmaid's ordered this dress from David's Bridal
It's style 83259 and we're getting it in Ruby. It looks kind of shapeless in this picture, but we're pairing it with a sash in Ruby which really makes the dress. The dress was $100 and the sash was $15, so it turned out to be right where I wanted it in terms of price. I wish I could've given the girls a choice, but David's Bridal only had 2-3 dresses in Ruby that weren't cotton, and I didn't think the cotton looked very formal. Of the 2-3 Ruby dresses in satin (the only other fabric option), this was by far the best choice. I wish I could've given the bridesmaid's more of a choice when it came to dresses, but after the mess with J Crew (offering aqua dresses in 4 styles that have the exact same silhouette which might not be flattering on everyone), this is what ended up working out the best. I shopped around Macy's and Nordstroms and the like for red dresses, but with spring coming on, the pickings were slim. I had not idea that trying to give the bridesmaid's a choice would be so difficult! Anyway, the dresses are taken care of, so that's done (whew!).
Now everyone's asking me what color shoes to buy...I'm thinking silver? I don't know, I'm going to leave it up to them.
Also, round one of dress alterations were completed yesterday! I went to the bridal salon after I got off work with my mom and tried it on. It fits like a dream, and it is gorgeous! It was bizarre to be in a dress that fit me so perfectly. The hem is perfect and it lets my shoes peek out just a little bit. The shop had to add 2 points to the bustle to make it lay right and add a hook and eye closure, and then they're going to steam it and it will be done! My mom and I were blown away with the impeccable work the seamstress did. I'll post pics after round 2.
Are your bridesmaid's dresses taken care of? How did you alterations turn out?
My other maid of honor, Allison, ordered her J Crew dress over Christmas when it was on sale for $100. My mom scored a brand new J Crew aqua dress off Ebay for $20, so Alli will have her choice of dresses.
The other 3 bridesmaid's ordered this dress from David's Bridal
It's style 83259 and we're getting it in Ruby. It looks kind of shapeless in this picture, but we're pairing it with a sash in Ruby which really makes the dress. The dress was $100 and the sash was $15, so it turned out to be right where I wanted it in terms of price. I wish I could've given the girls a choice, but David's Bridal only had 2-3 dresses in Ruby that weren't cotton, and I didn't think the cotton looked very formal. Of the 2-3 Ruby dresses in satin (the only other fabric option), this was by far the best choice. I wish I could've given the bridesmaid's more of a choice when it came to dresses, but after the mess with J Crew (offering aqua dresses in 4 styles that have the exact same silhouette which might not be flattering on everyone), this is what ended up working out the best. I shopped around Macy's and Nordstroms and the like for red dresses, but with spring coming on, the pickings were slim. I had not idea that trying to give the bridesmaid's a choice would be so difficult! Anyway, the dresses are taken care of, so that's done (whew!).
Now everyone's asking me what color shoes to buy...I'm thinking silver? I don't know, I'm going to leave it up to them.
Also, round one of dress alterations were completed yesterday! I went to the bridal salon after I got off work with my mom and tried it on. It fits like a dream, and it is gorgeous! It was bizarre to be in a dress that fit me so perfectly. The hem is perfect and it lets my shoes peek out just a little bit. The shop had to add 2 points to the bustle to make it lay right and add a hook and eye closure, and then they're going to steam it and it will be done! My mom and I were blown away with the impeccable work the seamstress did. I'll post pics after round 2.
Are your bridesmaid's dresses taken care of? How did you alterations turn out?
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