DIY Series - Contest Winner

I apologize for the delayed response on the winner of the DIY Series items! According to random.org the winner is number 2, who is Maranda. She said, "These are Great! I love lavender. I'm using lavender and purple with silver and white accents. These would be perfect! I like the buttons. Not something you see everyday. I wish I could be crafty! It would save on so many details!" So Maranda, send me an email so I can make sure you get all the items.

There is a new DIY Series in the works, so stay tuned!

Just Because...

{Via Frolic}

Simple Centerpieces

Big or small, recession or no recession, we all have budgets for our weddings. There are lots of ways to minimize cost without cutting some of your favorite elements of the day, one of which is flowers. You don't have to have tall centerpieces, or even designs that are overflowing with beautiful blooms. There is always the option of using candles, but if you need to cut costs and still want to use flowers, why not use several small bunches?

Collections of wildflowers and unique stems in recycled mason jars or bud vases can (if you ask me) be just as endearing as any other option. Here are some inspirational examples I found from around the blogosphere, just click on the images to see their source.

Tugboat Printshop

I am completely and totally in awe of how beautiful these invitations are, from the amazingly talented artists at Tugboat Printshop. I've actually seen Tugboat at Renegade before but I never realized that they also commission wedding invitations. The fact that these are hand drawn and hand carved out of wood is nothing short of incredible. I am just going to stop talking and let you watch it all unfold (literally).
I really just can't get over the fact that these are hand carved out of wood! Works of art, indeed. You can find more pictures on Tugboat Printshop's flickr site, as well as their etsy store.

The Speidi Wedding

So I got an email from Michael this morning, turns out he was the DJ at Spencer & Heidi's wedding this weekend. As much as it pains me to give them anymore publicity, I couldn't resist showing you some of these beautiful photos that Noa took. You should really go read her post, it is a hilarious account of the night.
And I also couldn't resist this picture - love the level of concentration. Now we can all say we knew him "when." Have you downloaded his soul mix yet? Because if you haven't, you should.

The B List

I am sure you've heard all about it by now, but I was lucky enough to attend The B List get together this weekend in New York. Vané and Anne put an incredible amount of work into gathering everyone together and making sure the event was a success. A huge thank you to both of them! It was so fun to meet everyone and have an open discussion.

The attendees were as follows (not in order of this picture, because I am lazy):
Kristina from 100 Layer Cake
Liene from Blue Orchid Designs™
Vané from Brooklyn Bride
Ami + Rebekah from Elizabeth Anne Designs
Anne from From “I Will” to “I Do”
Jen from Green Wedding Shoes
Luzel from iDiY
Nole from Oh So Beautiful Paper
Emily from Once Wed Blog
Anne from Perfect Bound
Kelly from Santa Barbara Wedding Chic
Janice from The Bridal Wishlist
Janie from The Bride’s Cafe
Courtney from The Little White Book
Amanda from Vintage Glam Weddings
Bee from Weddingbee
Christy from What Junebug Loves!
Maria from {ritzy bee blog}
In the morning we had a great conversation about all things blog related, which was extremely informative - we could have talked for several more hours! Then we were able to meet some great local vendors (more on that later in the week) and afterwards Michele Preli (the editor of Brides.com) was nice enough to invite us to her house for drinks hosted by Swirl Events.
The meeting took place at Galapagos Art Space, with flowers provided by Seaport Flowers and Sterling making sure that none of us went hungry. Jenny Ebert was nice enough to come to the venue and snap all these pictures, beautifully documenting the day. There is now a B-List blog, where you can go to keep up with all of us and read more about all that went down. Erica from Thoughtful Day created the adorable logo - so cute!

Simple and Pretty

I would have gladly used any of these cake designs, they are all so simple but strikingly pretty. I used that word over and over again when describing what we wanted our cake - "simple." And I really enjoy that the top four cakes are all monochromatic. That isn't a term that you usually think of when considering wedding cakes, but there is something to be said for an all white cake! You can find more pictures and the sources for each of the cakes from Real Simple.

DIY Series: More Button Projects

Last but certainly not least, there are a lots of other ideas for amazing button projects floating around the internet. This first one though, is my favorite by a landslide. Those are candy buttons which you can make in any color imaginable. Bake it Pretty has provided a complete tutorial along with free labels you can download and put onto the top of the packages! These would be some of the cutest favors I can possibly imagine.
And of course, Martha Stewart has an array of adorable button inspired projects. You can go here to see more and also read some of the tutorials they have posted for button cuff links, boutonnieres and more.
Then there are these amazing button bouquets and boutonnieres, which you can find in abundance on etsy. I can't even imagine the level of work that goes into creating each of these.
So, there you have it. I hope you all enjoyed the series! Keep the feedback coming, its the only way that I know whether or not the idea was well received and/or if you would like to see some more DIY projects on varying themes. If you have a minute to take this short survey, it would be much appreciated. Have a wonderful weekend!

DIY Series

We've reached the end of the first DIY Series, I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I liked creating all of the projects. But more than that - I hope it was useful! Even if you've left comments or sent me an email (thank you for that!) filling out this short survey would be a huge help. I want to make sure all of this is as useful as possible so know that any feedback is taken to heart. You can find the survey here. I promise it will only take a few quick seconds to fill out and it is completely anonymous.

Are any of you using or planning to use this color palette? If so, just leave a comment on this post by midnight (CST) on Wednesday, April 29th for a chance to win the ring bearer pillow, the extra fabric I used to create it, the fabric covered buttons and the favor boxes (if you want to use them as templates).

There is one more post coming up that showcases other button projects from the web, so you can get a few extra ideas from that as well. I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

DIY Series: Favor Boxes

Last up in the DIY series, favor boxes. I came up with three different ideas so that you have several to choose from. And remember, these can all be customized to any color palette and type of fabric that you have in mind. There are no limits! We'll start off with the button & fabric wrap. For this box you will need:

Button & Fabric Favor Box:

• Strip of Fabric - Aprox 1" wide
• Button
• Small White Box
  
• Scissors
• Glue Dots

Measure your fabric so that it can start in the center of the box, like in the picture below, and wrap around the bottom so that it ends just past the button you've placed in the center of the box. Secure the end with the button to the box with (what else?) a glue dot!
Then cut a small slit in the end of the fabric, so that you can fasten it to the button just like you do a shirt. I left the edges of the fabric raw (you can make them a little more frayed by pulling at loose threads) because I think its cute, but of course you could finish it however you like. There is no stitching or sewing needed for this one, its pretty quick and simple.
Next up is the ribbon and button box (I know you love my oh-so-original names). You'll need to have:

Ribbon & Button Box

• Cotton Ribbon - I found this particular ribbon at the Container Store
• Small Favor Box
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue Dots!

So first (really, you can say it along with me at this point) turn the box upside down and put a glue dot on the end of the ribbon. I even took a picture of one for you, since I've been talking about them so much.
Glue the ribbon to the bottom of the box and wrap it three times, so that you have three little rows of ribbon. Glue the end to the bottom of the box just like you did the other side.
Then cut another piece of ribbon and wrap it underneath the top three one full time, so that you end with the ribbon on top of the first row.
Glue a button to the first and last rows, then wrap some thread in between them just like you did for the fabric pouch invitation. Done!
I didn't take pictures of the process for the last favor box because its pretty much like the second invitation. Just glue a strip of fabric to the box and then wrap some thread around it, adding in the buttons as you go.
And there you have it! Three easy ideas for favor boxes that you can fill with a variety of little goodies. You could also use the same techniques on bags, just adjusting for size and shape.

DIY Series - Covered Buttons

If you have some extra fabric scraps from all your DIY projects, why not make some covered buttons? You could use them for ring bearer pillows, boutonnieres (you'll understand what I mean on Friday) or even make them into tacks and use them to pin up your escort cards onto a framed board. I got the idea for this from the ever creative Jessica at How About Orange, who made tacks with her fabric (and took much better pictures of the process!) All you will need is:

Fabric Covered Buttons

• Scraps of Fabric
• Button Cover Kit - I used the 20 (1/2")
• Scissors
• A Quarter

Start by tracing a quarter on onto the back of your fabric so that you have some circles you can cut out and use for the buttons. They don't have to be perfect circles (I would know, I must have slept through the day in Kindergarten where they taught us to cut).
When you have enough circles cut out, put one into the little round holder that comes with the kit.
Then place the top of the button into the hole, on top of the fabric:
Push the back onto the top (you might need to use something besides your fingers to make sure it snaps in there) and then push from the back to release your new button! Honestly, the part that takes the most time is cutting out the circles. After that you're good to go.

DIY Series: Ring Bearer Pillow

I am definitely no expert on ring bearer pillows, but I thought a simple design (with some buttons incorporated, naturally) could be a cute addition to this color palette. Here is what you'll need to get started:

Ring Bearer Pillow

• Fabric
• Matching Thread
• Sewing Machine or Needle
• Ribbon
• Four (or more) buttons
• Stuffing or Pillow Form

I opted for some stuffing because it is generally less expensive and I like being able to adjust the level of thickness. But pillow forms can definitely make things more uniform, I am sure there are pro's and con's to either choice. For a (roughly) 9" pillow, cut two pieces of fabric into 10" squares:
Flip the pieces of fabric so that the wrong sides are each facing out and the right sides are facing inward, towards each other. That sounded really complicated for some reason, but I assure you that it isn't! I also realized that it will make your life much easier if you sew the little buttons on now, before you assemble the pillow. Just allot for the fact that the pillow won't be flat when you're finished, so place the buttons at least 3/4 - 1" away from the corner. I put three in one corner and one button in another (there aren't pictures because I am a fool and blindly sewed them on once the pillow was finished - learn from my mistakes). Just make sure that the button side is facing inward for the next step.
Then, just start sewing. You can also definitely do this by hand but I am lazy and happen to have a sewing machine, so I went with that option.
Make sure to leave at least a 1" gap in the stitches, so that you can fill the pillow up with stuffing and also so you can flip it right side out. Just start grabbing fabric and pulling it through the hole, then stuff away!
Close the hole with a few hand stitches, and you're almost finished. For the ribbon, I just sewed the center of the ribbon to the pillow and then tied it into a bow. You can also put a button in the center (a covered one would be cute - stay tuned for a tutorial) and create a tuft.
You can easily adapt this for any color scheme - I made a similar pillow for our wedding out of green damask fabric. On Friday I will open up a contest for a chance to win this pillow, as well as the extra fabric and part of tomorrow's project. Stay tuned!