If There Were More Hours In a Day...

I would have time to read a book... or many books! I can handle the wedding planning, but with moving house too, there hasn't been time for new books! These are on my 'read-me-soon' list:

I've read Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea and can't wait to get my hands on his latest book. I'm just waiting for it to come out in paperback!

65 Red Roses

Truly amazing, inspirational people are few and far between. Today I simply want to pay tribute to one such individual. Eva fought long and hard and brought her fight to the world through her blog. I felt honoured to have been able to share in her experiences through her blog, and I now feel saddened for the loss her friends and family are experiencing.

If you were touched by Eva's journey, or know someone fighting CF, you can make a donation to the Vancouver chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cfvancouver.ca

On the Same Page

I just had a great coffee date with two friends who can completely relate to my desire to have a laid-back, budget and eco-friendly wedding. It's so refreshing to have my opinions understood and reflected rather than having to explain my decisions and the thought that went into them. I love my friends!

M.I.A.

Nothing to say today except that I got up at 5am drove to our new home (3 or so hours), unloaded the van, drove a little further, interviewed for a job, got hired for a job, drove back to our current home, took the dog for a run, ran errands, made dinner, packed, loaded the van, and still have to do an hour or two worth of work and address wedding invitations. Oh, and repeat most of this tomorrow! I'll try to be back with wedding blogging on Friday ~ wish me luck!

To-Do List Update

Okay, the month is coming to an end and there's about 2 and a half months until the wedding. So, here's the updated to-do list. Not bad, but I can't wait to have it all sorted!

To do:

• Finish centerpieces (wash jars, buy bird seed, make candle holders--partially done)
• Invitations (mail them--partially done)
• Decide on groomsmen gifts
• Dress and suit alterations
• Decide on groomsmens attire
• Create seating chart--partially done
• Favours--almost done!
• Book dog kennel/adventure camp
• Make playlists--partially done!
• Make photobooth backdrop
• Stock up on supplies for photobooth--partially delegated to my mom!
• Make sign and paper for photobooth/guestbook
• Buy shoes and underwear for wedding day
• Hair and makeup
• Order a wedding band for me
• Marriage license and meet with officiant
• Liquor license
• Write ceremony script--partially done
• Make a floor plan/seating plan--partially done
• Make wedding photo list for photographers--partially done

Frustrations

I am not a patient person. I could try to pretend to be, but I'm a realist, so that's not even possible. Adam is definitely a thousand times more patient than I am (a testament to this is the evening we spent babysitting our friend's baby... our differing levels of patience were made very clear!). Anyhow, this brings me to my latest frustration. I ordered envelopes A MONTH AGO and they still haven't arrived. I can't mail out our invitations without them, and with 2 and a half months until the wedding, that's more than a little bit of an issue. Maybe save the dates would have been a good idea... too late now!

Cabin Sneak Peak

As you know we decided to relocate and we're being crazy adventurous and doing this before the wedding. Well, here is your sneak peak of our new cabin in the woods!

Consider this the 'before' picture of our bright blue kitchen...

I can't wait to paint these sad, grey walls a nice earthy colour!

Shoe Solution

Well, I looked in a couple shoe stores for the perfect pair of shoes but with no success. Then, I revisited the idea of wearing a pair of white flip flops a friend gave me last summer. They're perfectly clean and new because I saved them with the intention of wearing them for the wedding. Then somewhere along the line I changed my mind and was set on a coloured pair of shoes. Well, I tried the flip flops on again today and they are so comfortable that I just don't want to risk a new pair of shoes! So it's settled! I may see about dressing them up with a little DIY-ed fabric flower or something.

My Birthday Gift to Myself

Is a day off from blogging. Have a lovely Saturday everyone! I will be enjoying a potluck picnic in my yard with my wonderful friends and family!

Shoe Inspiration

I'm excited to start shoe shopping now that Spring is here. I've decided I want yellow or green shoes, or generally any shoe that looks light and spring-ish! I like the idea of a wedge (like the one above), or maybe a thong (like the one below).

I'm also considering a thong type sandal with a tiny bit of a heel, but not too much (or my dress will look too short!). Something like this maybe:

Last, but not least, I love the look of ballet flats. These ones are super sweet:

All of these shoes were found on Zappos, but I will be on the lookout for something along these lines at our local shoe stores. I'm pretty confident I can find what I'm looking for and keep it under $30. Wish me luck!

Budget Breakdown

It's hard to find people who are willing to share exactly how much they spent on their wedding and where all that money went. My favourite wedding blog, 2000 Dollar Wedding, was the first place I saw a couple willing to share every small detail of their budget. But if you look hard enough and long enough, you will find more and more 'budget' brides willing to share the costly details. I think this is great inspiration for other brides so I'm sharing my wedding budget as it stands so far.

I should add that I use a wonderful web site to keep track of all the spending, payments, etc. It's called Wedding Wire. I also use it to track what I have left to do and to create mock seating plans. It's a pretty handy (and free!) site.

So, here is the budget breakdown:

Accommodation for us & the dog: $600 (this is a big added expense due to our decision to move before the wedding!)

Bar Service: $515

Catering: $1800

Cake: $0 (homemade by the groom's mom!)

Decorations: $370

DJ: Free (we have very talented friends!)

Dress and accessories: $510

Flowers: $90

Groom's suit and accessories: $300

Gifts and Favours: $265

Hair and makeup: Free (hair stylist is a gift from one of my MOH's and makeup will be done by a very talented cousin of mine!)

Invitations: $60

Officiant: $225

Photographers: $952

Rehearsal Dinner: Hmmm... this needs to be figured out. We're planning on pizza at Adam's parent's vacation rental condo... but we definitely haven't budgeted for the actual pizza part of that plan!

Rings: $530

Sound Equipment: $95

Venue Rental Fees: $800

For a grand total of approximately $7,112!

I'll admit, I originally wanted to keep it to $5000. But that would have involved doing away with a few traditional wedding practices that my fiancé wanted us to partake in. So, we compromised and I'm still pretty happy with how the budget turned out!

Mother of the Bride's Dress

 

 

One of the great things about bridesmaid dresses is that you can usually wear them again. Now, I know that's a very cliché thing for a bride to say when picking out bridesmaid dresses, but unless they are completely bizarre and outlandish, it's pretty much true. I was a maid of honour in a wedding this past summer and in my case, it's not me that gets to wear my bridesmaid dress again, but rather my mom! My mom was fretting over what to wear to my wedding when we decided she should try on the dress I wore in my best friend's wedding. Low and behold, it looks fantastic on her! Given that we're the same complexion and a similar build, it fit pretty perfectly! She might just borrow the shoes I wore too! How's that for a budget and eco-friendly choice?

The White Chocolate Mocha

As part of my plan to fit into my dress (and generally be a healthier me) I have had to make sacrifices. I mentioned the oatmeal before, but this one's the kicker. I finally looked into the calorie count of my favourite coffee indulgence - the white chocolate mocha. Not surprisingly, it takes up a pretty 'grande' portion of my daily allotted calories (I don't actually count them everyday, but I have a general knowledge of how good or bad certain things are, calorie-wise). So, in an attempt to eventually cut out coffee altogether, I also looked at my alternatives. It turns out the best coffee beverage for my calorie count is a non-fat mocha (regular, not white chocolate) skip the whipped cream. Lucky for me, this is an alternative I don't mind too much! Next step - lose the coffee altogether!

*I should note that regular brewed coffee is probably a much healthier alternative, but I hate the taste. My coffee must contain chocolate or flavoured creamer, or I simply won't drink it. Hello, my name is coffee snob!

Writing Our Ceremony

We live in British Columbia, Canada. In our province there are certain parts of a wedding ceremony script that are required to make the ceremony legal. Luckily, there are only a few and they are generally very short. This leaves us a ton of room to create a wedding ceremony that truly reflects how we feel about the commitment we are making. I've been looking for inspiration to get the ball rolling and here are a few ideas I stumbled upon:

• The 'I love you because....' vows over at A $10,000 Wedding
• This 'wrist-binding' ceremony posted about over at $2000 Dollar Wedding
• A reading of Union by Robert Fulghum over at My Twin Cities Wedding

What do you think? Any other unique ideas you want to share?

Spring Cleaning Madness

If your closet looks like this, and you live in Victoria, this post is for you!

It's that time of year - Spring is practically already here and it's time to refresh, rejuvenate and clean out those closets! I'm asking all my lovely lady friends to go through their clothes, shoes, purses and accessories and sort out what they no longer need or what no longer fits! Anytime between now and the end of March, I will pick up these donations and they will all go to Sandy Merriman House.

Sandy Merriman House, as operated by the Cool Aid Society, provides 25 shelter beds for women, meals, basic needs, crisis intervention, counseling, referrals, medication and general support. It is also open throughout the day for drop-in services. It serves 3,768 meals annually and provides services to 4,117 drop-in clients.

Although I am not affiliated with Sandy Merriman House, my mother is an employee and sees the need of these women first hand. Donations are always needed and always appreciated.

All types of clothing is appreciated. Dress/work clothing is kept at the shelter and lent out to women so they have clothing to wear to job interviews and meetings with potential landlords. When there is enough available, this clothing may be given to the women as well. Winter clothing is always in need, so if you have extra mitts, scarves or hats, don't worry that it's Spring now, they will still be accepted.

If you'd like to make further contributions, you can also donate such items as toiletries, makeup, hair and body products, and of course, cash. Cheques can be made to Sandy Merriman House and you can choose to deliver them yourself, or I will pass them on for you.

Thank you for all your help & happy closet cleaning!

My Big Bridal Mistake

In preparation for the wedding day (and the million photographs that will go with it) I'm trying to eat healthier. This is mostly because I made the big mistake all brides are warned about and told not to do. I bought a dress that doesn't fit. I love my dress and fully planned to have the necessary alterations done to make it fit, but in the back of my mind I'm hoping I can lose a little weight to make those alterations less drastic. It hasn't been a completely unrealistic goal. I have given up my fair share of sweets that I love so much and I've incorporated some healthier habits into my diet, whether I truly like them or not.

The picture above is the perfect example. Breakfast is everything I love about my healthy new eating habits and everything I hate about them too. I hate oatmeal. I hate the taste, the texture, everything. But I'll eat it because it's good for me and filling too! As for my breakfast smoothies - yum! Today's smoothie is banana, strawberry, raspberry and orange. Absolutely delicious! I think the tang of the orange juice adds a little extra kick.

Of course I also realize that healthy eating alone will not make me miraculously lose weight. I've also been periodically going to Bikram Yoga (hot yoga where you literally sweat off extra weight), exercising at home on my elliptical (although I just sold it because we're moving and can't take it with us - so sad), riding my bike and walking more often. So far I've lost 7 pounds! Not too shabby!

Busy as a Bee

Yesterday was such a busy day! We found and bought the gifts for the groomsmen, decided on what the groomsmen will wear, found and ordered my wedding band, ran a bunch of errands and received the bridesmaids' gifts in the mail! All that running around means I didn't get a chance to sit down and think of something interesting to write for you today - so rest assured, I'll be back tomorrow. For now, think happy, productive thoughts and accomplish some of the things on your to-do list!

Comparisons

I saw an ad for a new tv show where brides compare their own wedding to weddings planned by other brides. There's some sort of judging that happens and I think the 'winner' gets a free honeymoon or something. I really didn't like the idea of brides judging other brides based on their own notions of what they like or dislike. A wedding is full of personal choices, and what works for one person may not work for another.

Then I realized I do this all the time. Not with weddings necessarily, but with myself or choices I make in my life. I constantly compare myself to other women, and compare my life choices to theirs. I am envious of all the exciting and wonderful things my friends are doing with their lives and it makes me question what I'm doing. Each day it seems more and more that I'm headed down the path of wedding, house, baby, family, etc. This isn't a bad thing (I want all of those things), but it lacks the excitement of travel, internships, international volunteer work, conferences, etc that I always hoped would be part of my life at this point in my life. I have friends that have surveyed primates in the jungles of Indonesia, friends that are finishing their MAs and going on to do their PhDs, friends that are joining the Peace Corps, friends that are doing international internships, and then I look at myself and I don't see any of these exciting things.

This makes me wonder. Should I take action to make more exciting things happen in my life? Or, should I stop comparing myself to others and enjoy the things that come my way? Or a little of both?

Wedding Etiquette Says....

 A good host always has an open bar. {Begin rant:} Well, tough luck wedding etiquette, I think that's a load of you-know-what. Most bar service companies offer either an open bar, a cash bar or a toonie bar (where guests pay $2 per drink and you foot the bill for the rest). Quite frankly, I'm not willing to pay for people to get overly drunk, messy and annoying at my wedding so an open bar, or toonie bar are out of the question. This is a celebration and I do want my guests to have a good time; however, I believe this can be done with limited or no alcohol. If a particular guest feels alcohol is needed for them to enjoy themselves, then by all means they can foot the bill for their thirst quenching habit.

This is only one of the many services or traditions that wedding etiquette attempts to demand from couples getting married. Don't let wedding etiquette make you feel guilty for a decision that is ultimately personal. It is your wedding and your choice! {End rant!}

Seating Chart Savvy

Our seating chart is a work in progress. It started with a vision and has been a work in progress ever since. The vision was a cork board with strands of twine draped across it. I envisioned plantable paper hearts hanging from the twine by vintage clothespins. Well, some of this worked out and some of it not so much.

I got a corkboard through our local freecycle network, however, it's a bit smaller than we needed. So, instead of having one heart per person, I decided it would work better to have one heart per couple or family, since they will be seated at the same table anyhow. Problem one solved.

Next, I attempted to make my own plantable seed paper. While it's not the most difficult DIY task I've attempted, it was a bit too fussy and time consuming for my liking. It was hard to make the paper thin enough to cut easily and it takes a really long time to dry. Giving up my kitchen table to a bunch of drying paper for a week was not part of my vision. Instead, I settled for handmade paper that I upcycled from various craft projects I had on hand and no longer needed to keep. Problem two solved.

Now for the vintage clothespins. I tried to get free clothespins through our local freecycle, but apparently nobody was willing to part with their beloved clothespins (which is good, it means they're using them instead of a dryer - cheers for eco-friendliness!). Instead I opted for purchasing new ones, however, I chose to go with bamboo since it is a wood that can replenish relatively quickly. Problem three solved.

So, the picture above is still a work in progress. In the end the hearts will overlap slightly in order to fit them all on the board. But overall, I like it!

Serious Dilemma

 

This bride's birthday is coming up quick and I'm facing a very, very serious dilemma. Adam offered to take me shopping (and to do it whilst not looking bored!) for new work clothes. I need new work clothes desperately. However, I also want a Roomba. I want a Roomba so bad I can taste it (I imagine it tastes like dog hair and dust). If I got a Roomba, I would name it Roberto. So what should I do? Clothes or Roomba? Roomba or Clothes? 

To-Do or Not To-Do

The question I'm facing a lot these days is whether to do another DIY project that I think would be lovely, or to eliminate it and give myself the gift of one less thing on my to-do list. This is another one of those things! This lovely little frame is meant as decoration for the table that will host the seating chart. I think it's lovely and simple, and something we would probably keep to decorate our home with afterwards. However, I would need to scour thrift shops for the perfect frame and come up with the numbers as well. It can be done, but do I have the time?

Who am I kidding - of course I have the time! I remember the days of university, finishing papers within a half hour of leaving for a Mexican vacation. If I had time for that, I have time for this! Wish me luck in my hunt for a thrift store frame!

Ribbon Wall

 

I'm in love with walls of flowing, multi-coloured ribbon. I hadn't planned on having any decorations at our ceremony (seriously - none!) but now I'm kind of tempted to create a ribbon backdrop. I think it might be a bit pricey, although I should look into the cost of ribbon before I rule it out altogether. It might also be time consuming considering we're also moving, looking for new jobs and doing the rest of the wedding tasks. Even with those reasons not to take on another project, I keep coming back to it. I'm in love!

Wheaty Goodness

This blog is full of pretty, good ideas, but this one's my favourite! I love the look of wheat in wedding decor, centerpieces, bouquets even!

Back to the To-Do List

It's been two weeks since I posted a list of what I've done for the wedding, and what I still need to do. Here's the updated to-do list and the progress made in the last two weeks:

To do:

• Finish centerpieces (wash jars, buy bird seed, make candle holders--partially done)
• Invitations (finish stamping them, buy or make envelopes, mail them!)
• Order bridesmaid gifts
• Decide on groomsmen gifts
• Dress and suit alterations
• Decide on groomsmens attire
• Create seating chart--partially done
• Favours--almost done!
• Book dog kennel/adventure camp
• Book music equipment rentals
• Make playlists
• Make photobooth backdrop
• Stock up on supplies for photobooth
• Make sign and paper for photobooth/guestbook
• Buy shoes and underwear for wedding day
• Hair and makeup
• Order a wedding band for me
• Marriage license and meet with officiant
• Liquor license
• Write ceremony script--partially done
• Make a floor plan/seating plan
• Make wedding photo list for photographers

I was actually hoping to see a bit more progress than that. But I guess that's not bad for two weeks work!

Table Number Ideas

I had originally planned to do simple tent card table numbers on card stock, printed off at home. They'll still look nice, but without the added stress of an elaborate DIY project.

Now I'm on the fence. I saw these tin can table numbers over at 100 Layer Cake and they're so pretty! I love that they'd be made out of something that would be recycled anyhow, and you can customize the inside colour (you could spraypaint instead of using paper to avoid catching the paper on fire if you're using real candles inside).

Is it worth adding yet another DIY project to the list? Or should I minimize my stress and stick to the simple paper tent cards?

Good News!

 
You might remember my post a little while ago about the frustrations we've been having with wedding favours. Well, as it turns out, we've found someone who could make us mini bird nests for a really affordable price! Success!! (The ones we're getting are like the one on the right in the photo).

DIY Inspiration

 

I finished reading The Birth House (excellent read, by the way) and need a new book to peruse. Although this isn't the type of book I would curl up with for hours, it's a must read anyhow! As soon as the library opens I'm running over there to pick up The DIY Bride: 40 Fun Projects for Your Ultimate One-of-a-Kind Wedding. And if you haven't already, check out the author's web site and blog: DIY Bride.