Pink Peep Toes and Peonies

Blurb Wedding Album

2009-12-31T10:23:00.003-06:00

For Christmas I utilized our wedding pictures, using them to make as many gifts as I could. My favorite gift was the wedding album I made on Blurb. I highly recommend using Blurb to make a cost effective but good quality album. While very time consuming, the software is very easy to use and I'm so happy with how my book came out! You can view our wedding album here: http://www.blurb.com/books/1045118.

Merry Christmas from the Doyle's!

2009-12-15T11:55:00.000-06:00

Ok I admit it, I went the personalized Christmas card route this year; obviously I need to use our wedding pictures in every possible way this year! Check out this beauty (I designed it on tinyprints.com)...

Our Wedding ReCap: The Ceremony Part 1

2009-12-10T08:06:00.012-06:00

I have a TON of pictures from the ceremony, so I will post them in two batches. But everythin was perfect- gorgoeous weather and venue. Here are some pics....

Our Wedding ReCap: The Studly Groomsmen

2009-12-09T08:07:00.006-06:00

Ryan's groomsmen consisted of friends from college, my brother, and his cousin... most of them actually bonded on the bachelor party at Vegas and seemed to have a great time at the wedding. Here are some pictures of the studly groomsmen (btw, don't you love the tuxes with the black vest and tie? No colored vests for this bride):

Our Wedding ReCap: My Beautiful Bridesmaids

2009-12-04T08:03:00.006-06:00

My bridesmaids helped make my entire getting married experience even better- from showers, to bachelorette parties, to wedding dress fittings, to looking at a million pairs of pink shoes, they were there through it all! Thank you girls, I love you all. Here are just a few pictures of my beautiful bridesmaids:

Our Wedding ReCap: Getting Ready- The Boys

2009-12-03T09:58:00.006-06:00

Ok, I FAIL again for not updating this more often.... but here are some pictures of my husband and the groomsmen getting ready. He's pretty handsome if I do say so myself.

Bonus Post

2009-11-23T21:13:00.002-06:00

Since I suck at updating posts recently, here's a bonus post. I was doing some online browsing, and found this lovely black dress at Anthropologie. If I got married again, I might have to get this for my bridesmaid dresses. I kinda love it..so cute, right?

Our Wedding ReCap: Getting Ready

2009-11-23T20:57:00.007-06:00

Wow I've done a bad job updating wedding re-cap photos. Truth is, I've been busy working on a secret project/ Christmas gift. Anyways, here are some shots of us girls getting ready:

Our Wedding Re-Cap: The Dress

2009-11-13T09:28:00.007-06:00

Everyone knows I had some last minute alteration issues with my dress, but once I found my saving grace seemtress at Tysons Galleria, the dress came together perfectly. Here are some pictures of THE dress. Oh, and also my pink shoes :)

Our Wedding Re-Cap: The Venue

2009-11-11T08:18:00.005-06:00

I'm going to start our wedding re-cap by posting pictures of our venue, The Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, MD. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about the mansion- not only is the mansion and the grounds beautiful, but the staff was amazing. Everyone was so accomodating, and since all they do is run events, they had the event planning side down. The night ran so smoothly and I was able to actually enjoy myself. Here are some pictures of the outside of the mansion.

Wedding Fireworks

2009-11-05T21:20:00.002-06:00

I haven't seen ALL of the professional wedding photos, but I've seen some of them. They are amazing and I can't wait to see all 1,000 pictures. Yes 1,000. Here is a good one, and no we didn't really have fireworks....re-caps coming VERY soon.

Wedding Pics- Coming So Soon!!

2009-11-05T08:54:00.004-06:00

I just found out our professional wedding pictures will be ready today or tomorrow- AHHH!! I'm so excited, I hope they turned out great. Once I get them, I'm ready to post a series of wedding re-caps!

On another note, I really want a tuxedo-inspired jacket like one these. I mean, Rachel Zoe recommends that all girls must have one for the fall, so I kind of HAVE to buy one, right?

I just found out our professional wedding pictures will be ready today or tomorrow- AHHH!! I'm so excited, I hope they turned out great.

Bridesmaid Gifts

2009-11-03T12:48:00.008-06:00

I realized I never posted what I ended up getting my lovely bridesmaids. I was very happy with my gifts, and I think they were too.

Each got a tote bag with their initial on it from the Loyalty and Blood etsy shop.

(so mad I didn't get myself one of these)

Inside the tote bag I put the "bridesmaid survival kits" that I made.

I wish I took pictures of the finished product...but here are the empty bags.
Inside I put advil, gum, mints, bobby pins, stain remover wipes, hair ties, lip gloss, etc.

Then I got them a necklace (in silver) with their initial and a dark pink stone.
I got these online from Sonya Renee. I'd highly recommend shopping here. Her jewlery is so pretty, great quality, and she'll give you a discount if you say it's for your bridal party.

And their earrings I got from a seller off Etsy.

Halloween Drinks

2009-10-30T08:37:00.003-05:00

Until I get our professional wedding pics, I will continue to post random things here :) Like these Halloween drinks I found on the Martha Stewart website that I'm going to make for a little party we are having this weekend. Leave it to Martha to come up with cute ideas for any occasion. Now, if only I can find black vodka...

Random Thought of the Day

2009-10-29T08:50:00.004-05:00

Now let me first say that I love Jcrew and am generally impressed by their merchandising BUT am very baffled by all the sock pictures they have in their catalog and online store. I'm down for a new trend, but do people really want to wear hot pink socks with a skirt? Am I the only one?

Can't Believe It's All Over!

2009-10-26T14:04:00.003-05:00

We just got back from our honeymoon, and it was amazing- the weather, the beaches, everything was perfect!! However, being back in cold Chicago is not fun at all...and I think I'm going through withdrawl from not having my daily beachside frozen drink (do you think they serve pina coladas in bars around Chicago...at lunch time)?

I'm really getting sad because I can't believe the wedding/honeymoon is over- WHERE has the past year gone?! I'm trying to find things to keep me busy now- like organizing/decorating our house and making a scrap book for our wedding pictures (which we should be receiving soon BTW). I'm sure other brides experience this post wedding let down...or is it just me?

Wedding Planning Payoff

2009-10-09T16:31:00.004-05:00

I think until I get my professional pictures back, I will just post some random pictures from our wedding weekend. I have so many pictures to share, but I wanted to wait until I get the good pictures so it does everything justice :) My thoughts of today are to point out the obvious: wedding planning is stressful....very stressful. However, seeing all of my handmade products at the wedding gave me such a sense of pride, that it was totally worth it. All those months of crafting and planning paid off when it all came together that night....yes it was just one night, but it was one that I will never forget. I remember at one point after finding out that my florist couldn't get anemone flowers that I wished we just eloped. I can say now that I am so happy with how our wedding turned out- anemones or not- and I'd go through all the planning and stress again if I could relive our wedding day :)

Picture from our amazing rehearsal dinner thrown by Ryan's parents.

Photo Booth Pics

2009-10-07T20:22:00.001-05:00

Here's another teaser picture.... one of us in the photo booth :) Our homemade photo booth worked great BTW and was a huge hit. More pics to come....

Best.Night.Ever

2009-10-05T20:42:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was hands down the best day of my life. The day was so amazing I can't even explain it. Everything was beautiful- the weather, the flowers, the candy bar, the photo booth, everything. I could go on and on but for now just wanted to post one little treat-- Ryan and I with the unicorn vest. Best. Night. Ever. Thank you for everyone who helped make this happen and run so smoothly, it was everything I imagined and more. More pics, details, and funny stories to come.

T Minus 1 Day and Counting

2009-10-03T10:02:00.005-05:00

This is it, the day before the wedding. It seems like I've been living and breathing wedding planning for the past year and I'm so excited for tomorrow. This week has been crazy but worth it; all my craft projects are done and handed off, I've met with all the vendors, finalized the details, and now all that's left is to sit back, relax, and enjoy everything! After the wedding I'm not sure what will happen to this blog, but I do know I will post a lot of re-cap photos of the wedding to share all my projects in action. Welp, I'm signing off now... this being my last post I'll write as a single lady.

All Our Bags Are Packed

2009-09-27T21:21:00.003-05:00

So next week at this time I will be married and enjoying our wedding reception....crazy! We leave tomorrow morning for MD to start our week of wedding appointments and prep. I'm so glad I've finished MOST of my craft projects and can focus on nailing down some of the last minute stuff this week. I don't have a lot to say right now, but figured it was worth a post to document the ONE WEEK MARK!!!

Last Day at Work Before the Wedding!

2009-09-25T09:24:00.010-05:00

I've haven't posted for a few days, but come on, today is my last day at work for a week and a half!! I would highly suggest to anyone who can to take the whole week off before the wedding-- I basically have been hoarding my vacation days and haven't taken any days off in like a year so I could save up and take it all now. Anyways, when I got into work, my cube was decorated and my name plate had already been updated with my new last name- so cute. Here are some pictures:

A trail leading up to my cube

A change name plate and lovely pink decor

See my new pink name plate??

Trash the Dress

2009-09-21T08:21:00.005-05:00

My parents may kill me for even letting this idea cross my mind, but I think the "Trash the Dress" photo shoots are the coolest thing. Up until the wedding, brides do everything they can to protect their dress and keep it in pristine condition....so how fun would it be to put it on after the wedding and roll around in some paint and go swimming in a lake?! Let's be honest, the dress is just going to hang in the closest. If I have a daughter, guranteed she won't want to wear my dress-- so- why not trash the dress? Maybe I'll come back to this idea in 2 WEEKS after our wedding :)

More Pink Shoes

2009-09-17T19:27:00.002-05:00

I've been sick for the last two days, which I totally do NOT have time for right now, but luckily today I was able to get some anti-biotics which I hope clears this sinus infection up! I guess better to be sick now than in 2 WEEKS at our wedding. On another note, I bought my third pair of pink shoes this week, because I still can't decide which ones to wear. Here's another choice:

Time is Ticking

2009-09-15T08:40:00.004-05:00

Ok there are 2.5 weeks left until our wedding and my goal is to finish everything a week before- yikes! I ran a half marathon on Sunday which basically made me worthless all day afterwards. So now I have TWO WEEKENDS left to get it all done. I know I can do it, but it's going to be tough. Yesterday I printed and cut all my programs (thank you Kinkos). At this stage, it was way easier to pay $24 to have them printed and cut so I didn't have to do it myself. I have found that assembling them is taking WAY longer than I thought (but they are super cute so I guess that's the trade off). My favorite page of the program is "The Timeline". Here's a sneak peak:

Hair Trial

2009-09-11T08:19:00.004-05:00

I had my hair trial last weekend and despite my nervousness of going to a salon I had never been to before, I was really happy with how it turned out. I'm going for the low/side bun look. My only concern is that it won't stay in all night, but I'd rather it be loose than super tight-helmet head. Here are some pictures from the trial:

I LOVE my Twigs & Honey hair flower.

Move Over Martha, Here Comes Grace

2009-09-09T19:50:00.005-05:00

For my bridal shower, my sister-in-law, Grace, made me one of the most special and amazing gifts I've ever received. She handmade a recipe book that contains a recipe from each guest who came to the shower. These pictures really don't do it justice...the book is so amazing and something I will keep forever. She also made the super cute bridal bingo cards (apparently my brother created a macro in Excel to randomly generate bingo squares- which when Grace told me this, someone said "I don't think anyone has ever talked aboutExcel macros at a bridal shower before" ). Grace, you're the best!

Outside of the book

One of the inside divider pages

Bridal Bingo Card

Bridal Shower = Success

2009-09-08T08:35:00.009-05:00

I had a very busy but successful weekend back on the east coast. We found someone to fix my dress (crisis averted), got my hair trial (success) and make up trial (fail), finished a bunch of craft projects, and had an amazing shower. Here are some pictures from the shower thrown by my sister and sister-in-law (and mom). They did such an amazing job, everything was so cute. Martha Stewart would be proud:

Eating my decorated mini cake

Posing after a successful shower

Pink pom-pom centerpieces and "guess the spice game"

Pictures of me eating...hey, I love food!

Decorated mini cakes (I think mine should've won, but oh well)

Just wait until tomorrow when I post some of the amazing items my sister in law made.

MakeUp Inspiration Embarassment

2009-09-03T15:54:00.004-05:00

I go for my hair and make-up trial this weekend and I'm trying to determine how lame/embarassing it is that my main makeup look inspiration comes from The Hills. I'm sorry, but LC has some good make-up! I'm going for a smoky eye/ lots of lashes look but minimal other make-up....so naturally I think of LC (and also Carrie Underwood). We will see how this turns out-- I don't wear much make-up in general, so I want to keep it pretty natural. Maybe I'll take some before and after photos this weekend and post them :)

MISSION: Rescue Wedding Dress

2009-09-02T08:37:00.007-05:00

My stress level is constantly elevating.... picture this, it's one month and one week until our wedding and I go in for a dress fitting to find my alterations have been botched. My dress had to be taken in a lot, so now it's tight in some areas and still too big in others. And the bustle looks ridiculous, sticking out about 4 feet. When I tell the seamtress that the bustle just does not look right, she says there was nothing else she could do except "cut the train off the dress". I didn't really know what to say so I left and cried the whole way home. Tuesday night I decided I needed to rescue my dress immediately from the evil seamtress. Thank god Jess and Brandon came to the rescue and drove me all the way out to the suburbs to rescue my dress. We stormed in the store and snatched it away (ok fine, in reality it wasn't that dramatic; I really just walked in and asked nicely to take my dress home). Now I have it at home and am taking it to MD with me this weekend to get it altered there. I'm keeping my fingers crossed someone can fix it or I might have a serious problem! But I feel like all brides have some issue within the month before their wedding, so I'm just trying to stay calm and PRAY that it will work out!

On another note, this is NOT my dress, but I'm in love with it. I love the ruffley layers- so beautiful.

Final Program Covers

2009-08-31T13:04:00.006-05:00

This weekend I reached the point where I just want the wedding to be here...now! I'm getting a little tired of devoting my weekends to crafting/wedding planning. However, that being said, I think I made a lot of progress this weekend. I finalized my program cover designs and printed and cut them (basically there are 3 different black/white patterned covers). Next I'll have my family help me mount and assemble them :) As for the inside-- still TBD.

Mustaches for Girls

2009-08-28T08:26:00.002-05:00

I stopped by Urban Outfitters last night and found a lovely package of "Mustaches for Girls". How perfect are these for my mustache on a stick- now the ladies can have a more feminine style. And there's even one for every day of the week. Oh, the things you can buy.

Twigs and Honey Hair Flower Arrival

2009-08-27T20:22:00.006-05:00

I already posted a picture of the hair flower I ordered from Twigs and Honey, but I got it in the mail today and it looks even cuter in person, so I had to take some pictures. I'm really excited because my hair trial is in a week so now I can take this with me to see how it looks!

It came in this box (yes this is me taking a picture of a plain box)

With this cute tissue paper

And here she is...I love the feathers I added

Just Married Sign

2009-08-25T21:10:00.004-05:00

We may have a sweet getaway car because my dad just may restore vintage cars...but I don't want to give this part totally away, so you'll just have to wait and see :) I do know that I def. need a Just Married sign to put on the car. I found a template via Martha Stewart that all you need to do is print and cut. The question is- why do I feel guilty about using a pre-made template? I feel bad I'm not making this myself....but I need to get over this as I'm quickly learning that time is ticking and I need to check some things off the list ASAP!!

Mustache Craze

2009-08-24T20:01:00.004-05:00

When did people started becoming obsessed with mustaches? And even more, when did this trend insert itself into weddings? I've seen so many pictures of the bride and groom with fake mustaches. I don't think I can go that far, but I admit, I appreciate a good 'stache. This is why I'm making a mustache-on-a-stick prop for our photobooth. My inspiration is the wood mustache picture above, but instead I'm going to make a cheaper version consisting of laminated card stock-- at this point, every penny counts!

New Guestbook Idea

2009-08-20T13:18:00.004-05:00

Seriously when did I become so indecisive? First I was going to do a cool patterned guest book. Then I was going to make a photo guest book. Then I came across some lovely ideas from Martha Stewart Weddings (obvi). NOW I'm going to do a combination of these three pictures (involving colored pieces of papers where guests can write us a note instead of a formal guestbook):

Smitten Boutique

2009-08-19T13:02:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited, tonight Jess and I going to Smitten Boutique, a locally owned wedding boutique in Chicago. The store looks so cute, I can hardly wait! What will we find? What will we buy? I hope to come home with even more ideas for ridiculous craft projects to take on :)

Using Products Not Intended for Weddings

2009-08-18T10:04:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I took the day off from work to get a root canal, which was lovely. You know you need a vacation when you look forward to the day off even though it entails getting a root canal! But it went fine and now I'm just searching for soft food that I can actually eat.

Anyways, this weekend I bought some cute wedding items and did some crafting. I got a cute desktop file from The Container Store, which I will use to hold cards we get as gifts:

I'm also in search of this pencil cup to put next to the guest book, but alas it seems to be on back order everywhere:

The point here is... you never know where you can find cute things to use in your wedding. I'm sure the desktop file was not designed to be used to hold wedding cards, but I think it's perfect. Also, I'm finding the non- wedding items are a lot cheaper! A real picture of the signage I created to tie to the file is coming soon!

Table Numbers

2009-08-14T09:30:00.005-05:00

I've been trying to decide what to do for our table numbers and have always liked the idea of using some sort of large number. I found some silver ones at Anthropologie, but at $24 a pop, that would be an expensive idea for 15 tables! However today I found this great idea at With This Ring! I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but I could buy these kraft numbers for $3/number and either leave them plain or de-copage them with a patterned paper. It won't take that long to decopage 15 numbers, right?!

Program Cover Drafts

2009-08-13T10:47:00.005-05:00

As with everything else, I'm sure I'll design a million drafts, but here's my first stab at our program covers. I'm thinking of printing the inside sheets each on a separate piece of paper and binding with a ribbon in the corner. I'm just not sure if everything is becoming to matchy-matchy....but I could do the cover in a couple of colors?

Bachelorette Weekend

2009-08-11T08:06:00.004-05:00

I am finally recovered from an amazing bachelorette weekend in Chicago! All my bridesmaids were able to come and we had SO MUCH fun! I also got some sweet gifts including a "Future Trophy Wife" pink tank top. Thank you girls for an awesome weekend :) Now it's back to reality and last minute details with 2 MONTHS UNTIL THE WEDDING!!

Favor Boxes with Labels: Done!

2009-08-04T20:18:00.007-05:00

This weekend we put all our custom labels onto the chinese take out boxes that we will put out by the candy bar and will double as our favors. Here are some pictures of the process:

The take out boxes came in a much large box than I expected!

There are a lot of them :)

Here's a bunch after putting the labels on

Here's an upclose, but blurry shot

I think they turned out great :)

Bridal Hair Fascinator

2009-08-03T08:22:00.002-05:00

I ordered my flower hair clip this weekend from Twigs and Honey (like picture above except I customized it and added some feathers)! I'm very excited for it to get here so I can take it to my next fitting and see how it looks with my dress :)

Stop It Anthropologie

2009-07-30T19:49:00.004-05:00

Thank god we have internet again...it was down for a few days and wow it was like living in the dark ages! Anyways, my obsession with Anthropologie is back (not that it ever went away) when I stopped by after work to "just look" around. They honestly have the best visual merchandising of any retailer I've ever seen. Shopping there really is an "experience"; there is so much to see. It really is bad news; I literally wanted to buy the whole store, but alas I cannot afford it. I did get a cute dress though for my bridal shower (middle picture)!

FINAL Favor Box Labels

2009-07-28T12:40:00.003-05:00

After many designs, I finalized the labels we will use for our favor boxes (actually chinese takeout boxes). I designed these puppies and found someone on etsy.com to print them for me (will save SO MUCH time). I'm pretty excited about them and now just need to recruit someone to help apply them to the boxes!

Photobooth Fabric

2009-07-22T20:55:00.003-05:00

How cute are these patterned fabrics in these homemade photobooth? We are actually building the booth itself, but I'm still looking into having a fun pattern in the background....something black and white- maybe a fun damask or tile print?!

I Need a Vacay

2009-07-21T19:32:00.004-05:00

We booked our honeymoon flights last night! I don't think I've taken a full week vacation since I started work and I REALLY could use it. I blame my consultant days when I was told "well yes you have 5 weeks vacation but you're not supposed to use it". So I couldn't be more excited for a week of relaxing on the beach! We picked Aruba to avoid the hurricane belt (fingers crossed) and my one requirement was that we had to stay in a SUPER nice hotel. After some research, we picked the Hyatt- which looks beautiful! Can't wait until October!

Super Cute Bridal Shower Invitations

2009-07-20T21:20:00.003-05:00

So my sister-in-law, sister, and mom designed and created these amazing invitations for my east coast bridal shower (yes, I'm having mid-west AND east coast showers). I got mine today in the mail and was so excited to finally see them! They turned out so great, I think people are going to be pumped to come to the shower (at least I hope) :)

Homemade Photobooth

2009-07-16T19:03:00.005-05:00

I've been feeling very fortunate lately to have such amazing family and friends willing to help me with wedding stuff. From planning showers to decorating peeps to taking our engagement photos to ordering JMU colored M&M's for the welcome bags, I'm so thankful for everyone who has contributed to our wedding which is sure to be amazing.

The most recent project my brother and Dad have been working on is our "homemade" photobooth. My brother is working on some software that takes and prints photobooth style pictures while my Dad is building an actual booth. Here are some pictures of the process so far:

After this is built, I'm thinking of putting some printed fabric as a backdrop and then making a photobooth sign....more to come!

Bridal Jewelry- Check

2009-07-14T19:37:00.005-05:00

I finally think I finalized my bridal jewelry. I posted the earrings I bought a while ago from Sonya Renee, but I posted them again above. To go along with the earrings I'd been looking for a simple necklace that was short and had a large pearl. I came across Erin Gallagher.com which had tons of styles that you can customize online. After some research, I realized her studio was in Chicago! I went there to check it out and I was blown away by all the options I had- you can basically design anything you want for a variety of price points. What I ended up going with is the necklace above (sorry for the bad pic)- simple satellite chain with a large pearl. They also made it a custom size since I have an abnormally small neck :) Now I just need to decide on the other accessories I need!

Good News and Bad News

2009-07-13T21:43:00.003-05:00

Well I have good news and bad news....

Bad news first: I have no fun pictures to post today.

Good news: MY WEDDING DRESS IS IN!!! Actually to clarify, my wedding dress is in Tyson's Corner, VA and is currently being shipped to Chicago. I've had a recurring nightmare where my dress arrives stained and damaged- so let's keep our fingers crossed that it arrives in one piece... AND is too big for me :) I would post a picture of my dress, but this one image I don't want to share (I mean I gotta keep some elements of surprise, right)?

Other than that exciting news, I spent most of the weekend printing and cutting our accommodation/directions enclosure cards for our invitations...which let me tell you was great fun. It was one of those things that you think will be super easy and not time consuming, until every other card smudges in the printer. But I got it done. Drinking some wine while doing it though definitely made it more enjoyable :)

I'll get back to posting fun pictures tomorrow!

Engagement Pictures- Check!

2009-07-10T09:31:00.006-05:00

Ok, I've been dying to post these pictures from our engagement photo shoot for a few days now. My friend from work took them and I can't believe how great they turned out. After a lot of wedding blog research I had a vision of what I wanted these pictures to look like and they turned out to be EXACTLY what I wanted. I love them and can't stop looking at them! I plan to print some of these out and put them in frames by our guestbook. How cute are they?! There are a bunch more, but these are some of my favorites.

RSVP's- Check!

2009-07-09T13:25:00.003-05:00

I won't keep you in suspense any longer, here are the RSVP cards. I love the cow and crab pictures :) Now all I need to do is print all the enclosures, figure out how many stamps we need, and hand address everything- no big deal.

Invitations- Check

2009-07-08T19:17:00.004-05:00

I am sooo excited today- I am just checking things off the list left and right. Today I got my invitations in the mail and they look amazing! My friend, who owns www.UnitOneNine.com, helped me and I couldn't be more happy with how they turned out. They are exactly what I wanted and I think people are going to be excited to receive these puppies in the mail. Check 'em out:

Front of invitation

Back of invitation

I'll keep you in suspense and wait until tomorrow to post pictures of the RSVP's...

Wedding Signage

2009-07-06T21:07:00.006-05:00

Welp it's time to kick things into high gear- this weekend marked the 3 month count down until our wedding! Pretty much not a day goes by that I do not do something wedding related. This weekend I played around a lot with the label and signage designs to use throughout the wedding (like labels for the favors, signs for the candy bar, regular bar, menus, programs, etc) and finally created something I'm very happy with. The examples above are what the regular bar and candy signs will look like (sorry for the horrible pictures of these). The other elements will have a similar design but I'll mix up the colors.

These weren't too hard to create. This is what I did:

1- Downloaded a placecard template on Martha Stewart's website, cropped out a single frame, and changed the border and fills in Corel Draw.

2- Downloaded a tile print frame I found on iDIY and broke the graphic into sections so I could edit the colors. Then I set up the page and repeated the tile graphic so it created a background, imported the frame, added some text and ta-DA, we have wedding signage!

The plan is to will these signs and put them in white frames and place throughout our venue...more pictures to come once things have been printed and assembled!

Candy Bar Progression: The Display

2009-07-02T09:39:00.004-05:00

Through extensive research, my brother has determined the following are keys to a visually pleasing candy bar: 1) uniform shape of the jars 2) tiers that the jars sit on to create varying heights, and 3) jar placement.

We opted for cylinder shaped apothecary jars (found at Marshalls)! Here are some pictures of the mock up, sans candy.

Candy Bar Progression: Formal Peeps 2

2009-07-01T21:04:00.007-05:00

The next step in the candy bar- turning the peeps into "formal peeps" by dipping them into white and milk chocolate and decorating them. Here are step-by-step pictures of this process. How CUTE did they turn out? I think B&G should open a candy shop!

Line up the peeps

Dip 'em in chocolate
Decorate 'em
Finished peeps with tuxes
Finished peeps with tuxes & wedding dresses

Candy Bar Progression- Formal Peeps

2009-06-29T08:44:00.006-05:00

Wow, things have been crazy! I know I have been MIA for a couple weeks, but now I'm back. With 3 months to go, a lot of wedding projects are underway- like the candy bar. My brother and sister in law, B&G, have made excellent progress on the candy bar.

STEP 1: Purchase bulk pink peeps to test their freshness (result= peeps were quite fresh).

Personal Style Revealed

2009-06-08T15:25:00.005-05:00

One things I've learned by planning our wedding that I didn't think I would is that I'm starting to understand more about my personal style. I honestly thought I knew and that I was a very modern girl...but I've realized I'm usually drawn to vintage items with a modern twist. I love patterns and damask- a vintage design but done in a more modern way. Another thing I'm drawn to is calligraphy swirls like in the invitations above. There's something about this design I like- it's simple but makes a statement at the same time. Who knew I'd learn so much about myself during this process?!

Gotta Have My Candy

2009-06-05T08:42:00.004-05:00

It's bad when life becomes too busy to blog! I apologize for the lack of posts this week, things have been super crazy (AND I just realized our wedding is less than 4 months away- yikes)! Anyways, this post is devoted to my sweet tooth and love of sugar. From day one when planning our wedding, it became clear we needed to have some sort of dessert or candy bar. We've thrown a lot of ideas around, but are sticking with the standard candy bar...and the best part, my brother and sister in law have generously offered to sponsor it! I am fully confident my brother (fellow sugar lover) will select quality candy and my sister in law (Mrs. Crafty) will present it beautifully! Thank you B and G! Can't wait!

Pony Tailed Bride

2009-06-02T20:47:00.003-05:00

If you know me, then you know I pretty much always wear my hair in a pony tail. So I was very pleased to find this picture of a pony tailed bride! On my wedding day, I think I'll opt for something different than my every day stand-by, but I love how the pony looks!

DIY Custom Labels

2009-06-01T21:24:00.009-05:00

Admittedly I have attempted a couple DIY wedding projects at this point that have failed- in a major way. But finally I've created something that will work and is pretty cute if I do say so myself. I created these designs and once I decide which one I like best, I'll print it on labels for our mini favor boxes and potentially will modify them for our out of town welcome boxes. I think I'm into the first label the most...but I still can't decide.

Custom Cake Toppers

2009-05-29T08:44:00.004-05:00

How adorable are these custom cake toppers (of course found on etsy.com). You just mail the seller a picture and she will make you a cake topper that looks like the couple. How CUTE is that? So do I go for flowers on top of the cake or a custom topper?!

Art Deco Boutinnerre Option

2009-05-28T08:59:00.004-05:00

I honestly can't believe the incredible stuff you can find on Etsy.com, like this boutinnerre. Maybe this one has a few too many feathers/pearls, but with a few modifications, it's fabulous AND it's a little cheaper and way cooler than a boutinnerre of fresh flowers.

After Party Dress

2009-05-27T20:18:00.005-05:00

Oh how I love Etsy.com. How about this little dress for the post reception partayyy? I love it and think I might have to buy it. I even want to buy it in another color to wear as a guest to weddings- how cute is it?!

No Time for Wedding Stuff

2009-05-26T14:44:00.003-05:00

Welp I haven't had much time for wedding stuff this weekend- my brother and sister in law have been in town. We ran a 10 mile race on Saturday (go us!) and have been touring Chicago!

We did however do one wedding related task- we started investigating the cost of renting a cotton candy machine and popcorn cart for the wedding- so more on that later! I'm not going for a carnival theme, but who can resist cotton candy or fresh popcorn?!

Cute Shower Dress

2009-05-22T10:53:00.002-05:00

I love this new dress from J.Crew...maybe I should get it for my bridal shower?? Everyone needs to buy something new and cute for their shower, right?! And if I wasn't tall and wore heels, I'd totally get these peep toes.

Bathroom Decor

2009-05-21T20:56:00.004-05:00

I can't remember where I saw this idea, but I am going to purchase similar tubs from The Macbeth Collection (in a black damask print) and fill with items like mouthwash, mints, hairspray, etc to put in the bathrooms at our venue. Some might think it's silly to decorate the bathroom, but I think it's a nice little touch!

Invitation Inspiration

2009-05-20T21:05:00.006-05:00

I don't think I've shared the inspiration design behind my invitations. After searching high and low for invitations I liked, I found these on Sonia Davis. I like how the damask pattern is done in an interesting way and not just a linear border and I also love the scroll frame on the bottom. The invitations are currently being created by my amazing neighbor, so more to come on this!

Ribbon Tied Programs

2009-05-19T09:43:00.004-05:00

I'm starting to really be obsessed with paper and stationary products. I saw these super cute programs on Oh So Beautiful Paper and am loving the ribbon tied in the corner! I think I might incorporate this aspect into my programs. You know, another DIY project I have yet to start :)

In Search of One Pearl Necklace

2009-05-18T20:48:00.002-05:00

So I can't remember where I found this picture of this necklace, but I want it. It would go perfectly with the earrings I already bought and the pearl is big enough to be seen, but won't take the focus away from my dress. WHERE can I find you necklace???

I Love Flower Balls

2009-05-15T12:06:00.007-05:00

Ok get your head out of the gutter, I'm talking about flowers that are arranged in a tight, compact ball. I finally decided that I am doing my centerpieces composed of flowers in this way, and I also love them either tied to the ceremony chairs or from shepard hooks. You can even use carnations, which still look great arranged in this way, but is a lot more cost effective. Stay tuned for some pictures of my sample centerpieces!

Can't Afford a Calligrapher, NBD

2009-05-14T10:23:00.004-05:00

As much as I'd love to get a caligrapher to address our envelopes, I just don't think that is within our budget. However, I found this idea on Style Me Pretty- you can buy custom stamps at this fabulous Etsy Shop and use them for your return address. In my book, this is a pretty great idea to at least get the feel of a caligrapher! There are a variety of font styles too.

Yes, JCrew Again

2009-05-13T08:14:00.005-05:00

Oh Jcrew purses, I love you. I'm in love with the white one for myself and the black one for my bridesmaids...however on top of the other gifts I've already purchased, I don't think I can afford these right now at $105 a pop. Maybe Jcrew will give me a special deal for promoting them?

Accidental Wedding Find

2009-05-12T08:54:00.003-05:00

So I stopped by the Jcrew outlet this weekend and stumbled upon these two very cute hair accessories. The white flower pin might actually work for my wedding- I was so happy to find this because it's a lot smaller than the other pieces I've been looking at (not to mention it was on sale for $5), so it doesn't look like it's taking over my whole head. I also snagged this black headband with a black organza flower. How cute is that?! Am I brave enough to wear it to work? I'm a Jcrew girl, but did not expect to find these kinds of accessories at the outlet!

Pink Shoes, Check!

2009-05-09T19:16:00.006-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I've been searching high and low for the perfect pair of pink peep toe flats. I didn't realize how hard it would be to find these until I really started looking. However, I can finally end my search! I found this lovely pair at DSW..... they are pink, they are flat, and they have ruffles. They only negative is they are NOT peep toes. Regardless, I love these shoes so unless I stumble upon another pair, these are IT!! The best part? They were under $50!

Move Over Pink, Here Comes Yellow

2009-05-08T08:44:00.003-05:00

I think if we were getting married in the summer, I would totally use yellow and white as my colors. It's fun, it's cheery, it's timeless. I really love these invitations and programs I found. Not sure if the programs match my wedding theme, but I may have to use them as inspiration. Love them.

Button Favor Boxes

2009-05-07T12:01:00.000-05:00

I found these favor boxes on With This Ring and I am just a little bit obsessed with them. How cute is the button? I am considering modifying my favor box idea :)

Anemone Bouquet

2009-05-06T08:24:00.004-05:00

I talked with another florist this weekend (who I loved and we are signing with- yay)! Since peonies are not in season in the fall, we decided that to go with my black/white and pink theme, we would use some anemone flowers. I'm thinking my bouquet will be mostly anemones and maybe some other white flowers mixed in and the bridesmaid would be anemones mixed with dark pink flowers. I think this against the black dresses will look awesome!! I'm super excited; lots of decisions are finally being made!

Polka Dot Cake

2009-05-05T09:14:00.005-05:00

This weekend I went to a couple of bakeries trying to decide on my wedding cake (where we got fed too many cake samples). The wedding cake is the one area I swore I didn't care about and wanted to make as affordable as possible. Of course, this changed somewhat once I started looking at cakes. However I think we finally found someone to do an affordable, beautiful cake. I'm thinking of doing some black polka dots, like the cake to the right. Now I just need to decide on my invitations...ASAP!

Blue Ribbon Designs

2009-05-04T08:47:00.003-05:00

I have lots of updates due to my fun filled wedding packed weekend, which I will share later, but for now, I had to share these awesome designs from Blue Ribbon. I love these SO much and am thinking about modeling my invitations after them. How great are they...and Blue Ribbon's website is filled with more great ideas!

For the Love of Pink

2009-05-01T08:33:00.008-05:00

This weekend I'm heading back to the east coast for our tasting and to also meet with another potential florist and baker. I hope to make my decisions about these two things by the end of the weekend! Before I leave, here are some pink things I am loving today:

Love this top from Jcrew. I actually have it in white, but I really like it in pink!

This dress from Anthropologie is awesome....but I can't allow myself to go look at it for fear I may end up buying everything- in.the.entire.store.

I really like these invitations from Papeterie. Especially the pink one on the right.

My Love Affair with Patterns

2009-04-30T10:56:00.001-05:00

Last night I had a wedding breakthrough! I think it’s evident through my blog that I have a love for patterned items and materials and one I particularly love is Damask. My original wedding inspiration involved a picture I saw in The Knot of this amazing wedding with black, white, pink, and damask and I keep going back to it (see image to the left).

I am thinking of making damask table runners (or really my mom will make them—hopefully) and using this pattern in addition to my black, white, pink, purple theme. I think this will really make the tables pop and allow me to possibly use less flowers in a centerpiece. Etsy also has some amazing damask table runners for sale: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24124087

I’m really excited about this idea. My friend Jess calls it “modern but vintage” and I couldn’t agree more. There are so many items you can buy in damask, it will be easy to incorporate into the wedding!

Another Craft Project: Tissue Paper Flowers

2009-04-29T12:34:00.004-05:00

Do you think these carnations look real? Because they are in fact made of tissue paper! I stumbled across this picture in one of my wedding blogs, and I think I need to try and make them. For how- to directions, click here. My current list of craft projects is getting a little out of control.... our condo might turn into a Michaels this summer!

Patterned Guest Books

2009-04-28T08:28:00.008-05:00

Last night I found these awesome guest books on Etsy Weddings. I really dig anything patterned. If I don't end up making my guest book with our potential engagement photos, I just might have to purchase one of these lovely numbers!

High Impact, Low Cost Centerpieces

2009-04-27T08:56:00.005-05:00

The search for centerpieces is still on in a major way. The most recent idea is 3 tall cylinders with pink/purple submerged flowers with a floating candle on top. There's something about groups of 3 that I really like. I think these centerpieces would be high impact, low cost...or as my mom says, more bang for the buck.

Fun Favors

2009-04-24T15:08:00.003-05:00

Wow I've been busy today, but I had to share that I found this amazing favor idea and template on Style Me Pretty. I am kinda in love with them, they are super cute, super cheap and easy. This weekend I think I will make some trials to see how it goes. Can't go wrong with a graphic tile print box! Thank you Style Me Pretty!

My Mini Crush

2009-04-23T11:16:00.005-05:00

So I will admit that I didn't know much about flowers until I started wedding planning. However, as of last night, I developed a mini crush on hypericum berries. I love them and think they are the perfect accent in a bouquet, floral centerpiece, or even a boutonniere. I really like the green berry boutonniere above...it doesn't really go with the colors for my wedding, but I think it's a great less feminine option for the boys.

The Centerpiece Search Continues

2009-04-22T08:56:00.007-05:00

I am still in search of the perfect, affordable centerpiece. While I am all for making them myself, if I go this route, it would need to be something simple and easy that I could do the week before the wedding without losing my mind. I am still talking with florists and one of the most recent ideas we've come up with is one short, round silver vase with pink/purple flowers. You'd think this wouldn't be too expensive...but you'd be surprised! Anyways I think these three pictures are my inspiration- all are simple but cute. How great are the little pink berries in the second picture?

Super Cute Jewelry

2009-04-21T08:09:00.006-05:00

Last night I got the sample bridesmaid gift I ordered for myself (you know, to make sure I like it)... and it is SUPER CUTE! I don't want to give it away, but thanks to one of my favorite wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty, I found out about these websites: Penelope Poet and Sonya Renee which both have some awesome jewelry. I'm thinking about getting these earrings for myself to wear on the wedding. Along with several other items...just for fun :)

And I'm Back

2009-04-20T08:49:00.005-05:00

I basically took this weekend off from thinking about wedding stuff...and it was actually really nice! We had a friend in town so we went to a Cubs game and did all your standard Chicago activities (I also ran 7.5 miles...go me). ANYWAYS, now I'm back and already thinking about a craft project for this weekend! I saw the idea for putting the bride and groom's initials on the door and I love it. However I probably won't do anything with flowers but instead buy wooden initials from somewhere like Michaels and then paint them. How cute will a "T" and "R" look on the door of Ceresville Mansion?

Flats Galore

2009-04-17T09:24:00.011-05:00

Being 5'9'', I couldn't have been more excited when cute flats became popular and easy to find. There are so many cute styles out there that make this tall girl swoon. Now I'm embarking on the task of finding the perfect pink, peep toe FLAT. So far I actually bought one pair from DSW (see pink pair below) but they are not nearly as cute in person as they are in the picture. I've found a ton of other cute flats, but not in PINK. I SO wish these yellow pair below came in pink. The search continues!

Pink Drink

2009-04-15T21:04:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is going to be chaotic for me, so I thought I'd write Thursday's post a day early.

I really think we need a signature pink drink. But what should the drink be? Ideas?

Pom Pom Flowers

2009-04-15T08:36:00.004-05:00

So I was shopping this weekend at one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie (obvi), and they had a clothing display sitting on a table surrounded by vases containing a bunch of fake pom pom flowers. I thought it was so cute and was thinking I could possibly make something similar to decorate at the wedding- maybe where the guest book/escort cards are. I found these super cute yarn pom pom's on Vintage Glam Weddings. I smell a craft project coming to life!

Adding to My List of "Wants": Engagement Pics

2009-04-14T08:19:00.000-05:00

I've decided I really want to get professional engagement photos done. This is mostly for four main reasons. 1) We don't have that many really GOOD photos of Ryan and I. 2) We aren't getting married in Chicago and I'd love to have some professional pictures in the city we live in. 3) I can use them as decor for our wedding- framed photos and what not. Oh and 4) to get super cute photos like the ones above!

Obviously the problem with this is I'm guessing it's not cheap and I keep adding on to my lists of "wants".... but I'm thinking maybe we can find a student photographer to do it for a little less? I'll keep you posted on what I find out. I'm thinking this summer is the best time to get the photos done- hopefully by then I will be tan and closer to my wedding fitness goal :)

To Veil or Not to Veil

2009-04-13T08:39:00.000-05:00

I've been back and forth with the idea of a veil. I mean I know you're supposed to wear one when you get married but I've tried them on and they seem so heavy and uncomfortable. Then I saw pictures of birdcage veils and developed a major crush; I think they are so cute! I'm thinking of buying one to see what it looks like on. After the ceremony you could take off the veil part and just leave the flower. Love it!

I hope I don't lose my job, because I want to buy....

2009-04-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

This is not at all wedding related, but man do I love Marc Jacobs. Clearly I cannot afford this bag right now (or maybe ever), but I sure do love it. I firmly believe if you are going to spend a lot of money on something, there are 2 items that are clearly worth it since you wear/use them every day: 1) Jeans and 2) Purses. Oh and also maybe sunglasses :)

Centerpiece Debacle

2009-04-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

I've been searching high and low for original/affordable centerpiece ideas. My original idea was 3 vases of varying heights filled with different colored flowers. Turns out this is quite expensive when you have 15+ tables.

My new idea is something I found on the amazing Martha Stewart Weddings. Think of this concept but with dark pink/dark purple/ possibly silver bulbs. Thoughts?

Bridesmaid Dress Decision

2009-04-08T20:14:00.000-05:00

While I had a crush on the Jim Hjelm bridesmaid dress I mentioned last week, it really was not as cute in person as it was in the picture. So after trying on a ton of dresses (thank you to my sister, Amy) we finally decided on the dress (see picture to the left but in black).

I think this will look awesome on everyone and I'm hoping the girls can wear it again. I also found a great bridesmaid gift today that I'm going to order for myself...you know to make sure I like it. I'd post a link but in case my bridesmaids are reading, I need to keep some element of surprise :)

Git 'Er Done

2009-04-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

I do not like to procrastinate. Being late makes me nervous. I like to research all angles of things before I make a decision and I'm fairly indecisive. So why am I telling you this? Well this explains the theme so far for our wedding….I’m slightly obsessive-compulsive about getting things done but I also need to look at a million pictures and samples before I decide. I also am planning the wedding from half way across the country, so when I go to my parents to do wedding stuff, my weekends are jam packed with decision after decision! So let’s say it’s been somewhat of a struggle :) However, here’s what I can check off my list so far:

- Venue- Done and done
- Officiant- Done and done
- Photographer- Done and done
- My dress- Done and done
- Hotel Accommodations/Guest Transportation- Done and done
- Invitation Designs- Done and done
- DJ- Done and done
- Bridesmaid dresses- ALMOST done
- Flowers- In process
- Cake- In process

I guess I have the major stuff done…but now it’s time for the details, in other words, the best part! Also, the picture above is of the outdoor area of our venue. Love it. Keep your fingers crossed for an outdoor ceremony!