Update!

We're tying the knot, getting hitched, getting married, and so on and so forth! But wait, you say, that's not a surprise at all! That's old news!

Well, I got a call back from my pastor today (left him a message yesterday). And our date is officially on the books. It's concrete! It's our day! No on else can take it! We have a day!

This is all very exciting and starting to feel realllll!

I know we're a year & a halfish out, but in my area things book up real real fast! In fact, our reception venue (hopefully, we love it) said that for a May 2011 wedding, we can't book in later than December 2009. I think it's because we're so close to Chicago where people pay big bucks for some big places. A lot of folks look outside Chi Town to save money.

In fact, I've been researching photographers and basing them around our list of wants and $1500 budget. I found a really nice affordable photographer and emailed them, saying our wedding is May 2011, but we're not looking to book until this May 2010, and asking if I could see a price list anyway. They were very nice, but turns out they're all ready booked through March 2011. Better get on it!

Either way! I'm excited! TB keeps getting on me to book the place we want for the reception, but I'm super hesitant. This place is absolutely perfect, and I know we'd never change out minds, but it's a scary thought to put so much money down when I'm unemployed. Granted, their rates aren't too bad by industry standards, but I'm worried about the idea if I don't get a full time job soon?

Regardless, our date is concrete at the church. Life is good!

Submerged Love: Part Two

So update! I still love submerged flowers! Haha just kidding, that's not really an update.

But continuing on, last time I gave you all some tips on your own submerged flowers. I have some more tips, especially helpful I think, if you're going the DIY route.

The following is all from this post on the Mocha Rose Blog (all images from there as well). Check it out. All credit it due there. I'm just sharing because I find her post extremely helpful!

First, what exactly is a submerged arrangement?
As the name suggests, it is a flower that is literally underwater and it is showcased in glassware and often accented with crystals and candles.

What types of flowers can be used in submerged centerpieces?
The short answer is: Any! However, some flowers work much better than others. My favorite flowers to use are orchids, roses, hydrangeas, calla lilies and tulips. Orchids work beautifully to fill the space in a tall vase. Roses always seem to magnify about ten times their size underwater and it is a very unique effect. Hydrangeas fill out the space in a short wide vase and even look beautiful when placed in a vase that is a bit too small in diameter. Calla lilies and tulips are perhaps my favorites because they can be twisted, curved and intertwined every which way to create a piece of floral art.

There are only a few flowers that I do not like to use and they are flowers with lots of pollen or those with delicate, paper thin petals. The pollen filled flowers like lilies can cloud the water (though with lilies, you can carefully remove the pollen). Paper thin petals like those of anemones can close up under the pressure of the water.

Can I use silk flowers since no one would be touching them?
Everyone seems to think that if they are underwater, no one would know the difference. As a flower lover, I believe that the reason that you choose this sort of arrangement is because you want to magnify the natural beauty of a bloom. If you are magnifying a silk flower, you are only magnifying the flaws of the impostor. (Yes, that is my official opinion of silk flowers.) Do you want frayed edged, dyed fabric and shiny plastic stems to be put under a magnifying glass at your wedding? There is nothing that even comes close to the beauty of a real flower.

Will the flowers die before the end of the night?
Absolutely not!!! Flowers love water. In fact, if you take them out of the water at the end of the night, they'll be as perky as ever. I've done tests in my studio and I've had submerged arrangements last up to four days. The water will go bad before the flowers do. After a day or two, the water may start to cloud (even quicker if the arrangement is in sunlight or a very warm room.) If you want to keep the arrangements for more than two days, I'd recommend completely changing the water and bleaching the stones to eliminate all bacteria. I'd imagine that these arrangements would last a week or more with the proper treatment.

How do you keep the flowers from floating to the top?
Well, we can't give away all of our secrets, can we? I will say that if you simply try to stick the flowers into a few rocks, they will most definitely float to the top. Flowers float and some more so than others. Roses, hydrangea and lilac can be tricky.
It seems simple, right? Can't I make my own submerged centerpieces for my wedding?
I wouldn't wish this on any bride for her wedding day! Submerged arrangements must be constructed on site and often at the last minute. Most of the cost of submerged arrangements (see next question) is in labor and for a good reason. They are not easy and are often quite messy to set up. There is also an issue of transportation. Vases and stones can get quite bulky and heavy and if you don't have access to a van, you will probably spend a good part of your wedding day loading, transporting and unloading the materials.
How much does a submerged arrangement cost?
Here at Mocha Rose, our submerged arrangements range in price from $29-250. They are generally an affordable option as your flower cost is kept at a minimum of 1-3 stems. Most of the cost of these arrangements is in labor because they often take additional staff available due to last minute set up. Our typical arrangements will be priced in the following manner: floral cost + vase rental + stone rental + votive rental + floating candles + labor + pick up. However, if you were trying to make these centerpieces on your own, you'd be purchasing the vases and stones and will most likely ending up spending about the same or more than having us do the arrangements.

Of course, if you are using five calla lilies (expensive) as opposed to a single rose (affordable) there will be a huge price difference. A florist can guide you in which flower will work best with your colors, look and budget. It's what we do ;)

Will my guests like the arrangements?
As a florist, I get to hear a lot of feedback from my brides, the guests and the staff at the reception site. One of the most common reactions is "Wow. I haven't seen anything like that before!" or "That is the most unique centerpiece I have ever seen!"

All I can say is that I receive more comments about these centerpieces than any other type I do. People love them.

Am I limited to flowers?
No! I love to experiment. Below is a submerged arrangement of fresh whole and cut limes. If you are using fresh fruit, I'd recommend waiting to the last minute or the water may cloud. We also use another secret (I'm not telling!) to keep the fruit from browning.

If you have something in mind, it never hurts to bring it up to your florist. I'm willing to experiment with anything which is why I know that a peacock feather does in fact look beautiful under water.

Is there any way to bring submerged centerpieces to the next level?
Absolutely! We have a few vases that allow us to create a submerged arrangement and build an arrangement on top of that vase like the beautiful pink and red orchids below.

We know that you like calla lilies and tulips, but are there any other flowers that work very well in submerged centerpieces
I love the look of cymbidium orchids when they are under water. They are such a beautiful flower. They are on the expensive side, but they sure do make a statement.
Bubbles or no bubbles?
There is a big debate on the issue of what kind of water to use in submerged arrangements. Some people use distilled water so the water is crystal clear. Some use tap water and when they do, there are natural air bubbles that will cling to the petals and stems. Some will even add San Pellegrino to the water to increase the bubbles that will attach to the flowers.

My stance on bubbles: I like them! I think that they add dimension to the arrangement and look pretty neat. I use regular old tap water most of the time, but will add a bit of San Pellegrino when I want a little more pizzazz. I personally think distilled water looks flat. (And why bother with the additional expense?)

Gladiolas are a more affordable alternative to the look of cymbidium orchids.

Have any other tips to share about submerged flowers?

DIY: Magazine Bowl

So, this is not [really] wedding related (NWR), but I'm sure some crafty, kitschy bride out there could make this wedding related some how. And if they can't? Well, it's time consuming, but really frigging cool. Withour futher adu, the magazine bowl! It's easy, just time consuming!
Gather your materials! Some old magazines, glue, mod podge (or other decoupage glue), a foam brush for mod podging (not pictured) clear spray sealer (optional), and a bone folder (optional).
Step 1) Tear out all the pages from your magazine. Hello reduce, reuse, recycle!
Step 2) Fold the pages diagonally.
I find that later it works easier if I use my bone folder after I fold, to make the creases better. It flattens out the magazine quite nicely!
Step 3) Glue the little flap down.
Do this over and over and over again until you have a whole lot of little magazine folds!
Step 4) Glue your magazine folds together, end to end. (I did this a little bit as I went because it's easier to deal with a few glued together than a whole bunch.
Step 5) Starting with one end, start rolling the magazine folds around each other. I found it helps to use a rubberband to hold my roll together while I was busy folding more magazine folds!
Then keep adding on more folds and keep rolling them around themselves. Keep going until you have a 'magazine roll up' that it the desired diameter of the bowl you want.
Step 6) 'Telescope' your bowl out. Push down the middle, pull up the sides until you like the shape you have.

Step 7) Using a foam brush, coat the inside, outside, and bottom of your bowl with Mod Podge!

Step 8) - Optional - Spray with a coat of acrylic sealer. I chose 'gloss' sealer to match the glossy mod podge!

And surprise! Now you have your very own magazine bowl! (I promise it looks better in real life than it does in this photo)

The best part about magazine bowls, you ask? Looking down at the inside! Fantastic!

Submerged Love: Part Uno

Okay, so confession time. I am absolutely obsessed with submerged flowers. I love them. There are literally not enough words to describe how much I love them. As a floral lover person normally, the submerged flowers just take it up a notch. Something about it just makes my eyes go wide and my heart swell. Just love love love love love!!!

I was reading up on them, and I've heard that they're not as expensive as normal floral arrangements. This makes sense, there's less flowers so you're paying for all of them. And, as a plus, hopefully people won't accuse you of being a cheap bride. The best part about these flowers is that they look expensive.

To get you drooling and wiggling your toes in anticipation of future submerged flowers, check out this photo from Actress Salma Hayek and billionaire François-Henri Pinault's wedding vow renewal in Venice. (image source)

From Playing with Flowers: "The magnificent vase arrangements in the background are super tall cylinder vases with ivory roses submerged under water. The roses are suspended on gold wire throughout the length of the vases. Submerged flowers are a very simple but effective look. The curved shape of the vase magnifies the flowers. Cymbidium orchids also work well in submerged arrangements. Waterproof lights or floating candles can also be placed in the vase to make the arrangement appear to glow."

Naturally, I wouldn't have as elaborate (or as expensive) vases & submerged flowers as Salma, but a girl can dream, right? :)

In case you want to fall in love too, feast your eyes on these babies from the Rachael Ray Mag. (image source)
I love tulips so much and submerging them just makes me happy :). And here's another one (from bridal buds) just in case you're not convinced. (image source)
If you're considering submerged flowers for your centerpieces, here are some tips. (I found the same tips at multiple places so I'm not sure of the exact source, but here is one - image from same source.)
1. In order for your flowers not to float to the top of your vase, you will need to a) attach the stems to the bottom of the vase with aquarium glue or b) use fishing weights. Fishing weights are small silver weights sold at hardware stores. Attach weights onto the flower with clear fishing wire and let it sink – cover up with decorative stones or c) for some flowers simply adding decorative stones or pebbles to the bottom of each vase around stems keep the flowers from floating to the top.
2. If you use regular tap water, bubbles may eventually begin to form on your flowers. Use distilled water to prevent bubbling.
3. Real flowers are recommended. If you use silk flowers, make sure you test them in water to prevent bleeding. I have heard that synthetic flowers work better than silk.
4. If your arrangement starts to look too heavy, try submerging only half of your flowers. I have been to a few events where they only submerged a portion of the flowers and they looked quite lovely.
5. In water, everything is magnified. A floating wire or fraying silk flower will show. Be sure that your pieces are well put together before adding water.
6. Depending on the flower you choose, the blooms can look nice up to a week submerged in water. The length of time your centerpiece will look fresh depends not only on the flower you choose, but also how much jostling will take place. This is something to think about if you are hauling a few of them to a wedding reception or other event.

Anybody attempting to DIY submerged flowers?

Jim + Pam = Wedding!

So as an avid Office fan & bride to be, I was ridiculously excited about the Jim & Pam Wedding episode last night. The whole 'Jim and Pam saga' has been one of my favorite story lines to follow throughout the series! Ever since that kiss on casino night, I swear I've been waiting for them to tie the knot!

Not only was it super cute (hello Jim's tie moment), but it was also hilarious! I think it reminds us not to take everything too seriously, even if it feels like your wedding is taking over your whole life.

And to make it even funnier, feel free to check out their wedding website at www.halpertbeesly.com.
Oh, and if you can't help yourself, feel free to download wallpapers from the wedding here.

201, What?

(201) Bride that is!
Funny story, on the (201) Bride website, you can sign up for a free issue of their magazine (made by the folks that make 201 magazine). So during a daily devour of wedding websites, I signed up for my free issue. No big deal, I do this all the time - I'm still waiting for my 1st issue of GetMarried. Regardless, I recently received my (201) Bride mag in the mail!

... I guess I didn't pay too much attention to the website at the time. Apparently it's '(201)', in parenthesis, for a reason. I guess 201 is the area code for New Jersey. This should make perfect sense because it's a mag for NJ brides, complete with a list of NJ specific venues.
Last Time I checked, NJ and IL weren't neighbors. . .or even that close.

Regardless, I urge everyone to sign up for the free (201) Bride mag. Although, you may not (or maybe you can) use the state specific info, the magazine is still great! And best of all, it's full of a lot of very pretty & inspirational photos!

Oh Wow!

So I have to tell you all how excited I am! Jillreigh of the Once Upon a Dream blog has sent me a lovely blog award!

This is so excite for a couple of reasons! Firstly, I don't have a whole lot of blogging experience so I super excited that people are reading my blog . . . Oh wait, I mean I'm super excited that people are reading my blog and enjoying what it says. Secondly, I lurrve (Dane Cook, anyone?) her blog! She is super cute and it sounds like her and her fiance will have quite the big day! I only found her blog recently, but had to go back and read all of her archived posts (of course). And although I am slightly jealous of the chairs at her venue, I love what she has to say nonetheless. Also, she's from an area not too far from mine (and not too far from Chi town) so it's exciting to hear about others from my neck of the woods as well as hear from another 20 something.

Anyway! After receiving this, I get to write 7 facts about myself and then pass it along to 7 other Kreativ bloggers so here we gooooooooo!

1) The new Backstreet Boys CD came out yesterday. I bought it on iTunes today. I'm partly embarrassed, partly nostalgic, and partly proud of my decision :).
2) I am obsessed with the plush stuffed animals Ugly Dolls. In fact, I have well over 20, won 7 in a contest, and TB gets me one for every major holiday. Even more, they played a large part in Mr. TB's asking me to marry him.
3) I wear sweat pants or PJ pants every day if I'm not working/churching/anything needing fancyness. For serious. Last year, in college, my room mate CK saw me wearing jeans and said 'What are you all dressed up for?' ! You only live once, why not be comfortable!
4) I want my own dog sooo bad (but I still love the family dog)! And I talk about how that will be one of the first things TB & I get when we get a place. I talk about him all the time (even though he's not really around yet . ..). He will be a bichon frise and his name will be Claude. I have it all planned out :).
5) I went to school for graphic design and cannot wait for my big 'career' moment, but since graduating in May I have not been able to get a full time job yet.
6) My favorite drink ever is an Arnold Palmer. Half ice tea, half lemonade, half perfection! What's that, you say? Too many halves? I doubt it!
7) I am obsessed with bad reality tv. Like all those shoes on MTV and VH1? Yeahhhhh, I love them. I can't help myself. It's a guilty pleasure!

And now to tag 7 other bloggers I enjoy!
1) To Each Her Own
2) Cupcakes & Stripes
3) Miss Pugs Pawfect Wedding
4) Tying the Knot - Seriously soo cute!
5) I Love Love
6) The Wedding Corner
7) Globetrotting Bride

Wedding Bands... No, not those bands!

I have perused wedding bands for Mr. TB online before. I know (or knew) exactly what kind of band I wanted for TB. I jumped on the titanium bandwagon because I love how hip it is and durable. After looking into it, I am super interested in Tungsten bands too. TB is an avid rock climber and enjoys being outdoors and doing active things. I read that the Tungsten are heavy (so the guys always know they are there) and are super durable (way more than titanium), so maybe the big T would be the way to go. TB liked this idea too.

I know it's early for looking at bands but I can't help myself. Actually, when I googled wedding bands, I got a list of people. . .playing music... for weddings. Oops! Haha, but I was like "Noo, not that wedding band, yo!"

Either way, seeing as TB and I are about 2 hours apart now, and he was at work, the easiest thing for me to do was email him a whole bunch of photos. He didn't know I was looking, but seemed super interested. Here's how it went:
MC: Does looking at rings give you those warm fuzzy feelings?
TB: You're a dork.
MC: Does it?
TB: Yes?

I know TB (hopefully! just kidding) and I know what kind of guy he is. He's not frou-frou and all (same for the type of clothes he wears), pretty simple, and not a 'bling' type at all. I knew the kind of ring I wanted to get him, and I knew the kind of ring he would like. Originally I wanted a titanium ring with a large brushed titanium stripe in the middle. It looks sooooo good. And sexy! Can a ring be sexy? Well I found one that is!

Here are the contenders! (I'll put the source link on the photo so just click the photo for the link.)









You can see they all seem a little similar, but all very TB. I would be happy with any of these for him. Originally the 2nd ring was what I wanted for him. I thought it was perfect, but after looking some more I found some other great ones. Oh and you know how I said I found a sexy ring? Yeah, look at the the fourth one! Ooooh baby! TB loves it too!

You want to know what really got me? It goes like this!
MC: So did you like that one?
TB: Yeah, I liked it a lot.
MC: I knew you would.
TB: Yeah, it looks nice.
MC: Do you want to be surprised by your ring?
TB: I want to be surprised to a point. I'd have to try it on first to see how it looks.

And cue the warm fuzzies again! I don't know why, because I do it for myself all the time, but that was the first time I pictured a ring on Mr. TB. It was a feeling I can't describe exactly, but it was definitely very very awesome.

The Perfect Wedding Gift for Fall!

Quick side note: the comments part of my blog wasn't working and I have finally noticed it and fixed it! Thanks! (also thanks to the person that pointed it out for me!). So feel free to comment to your heart's content :).

Anyway, I am not having a fall wedding. I've always wanted a Spring Wedding, but fall is my favorite season so I would not be opposed. When Mr. TB and I register for gifts, I want one of our places to be Crate & Barrel. They have some great home stuff that would be amazing in our future (crossing my fingers) home. Thanks to the fall season, the C&B have some super cute items in stock that would be sweet for a fall wedding gift, or a cute bridal shower gift / gift basket.

Here's what I think is the cutest ever :)
Apple and Pumpkin Pocket Pie Molds

Mmmmm om nom nom nom! So cute!

I'd say Yeses to those Dresses

So I'm sure many bride to bes are with me, but I am obsessed with TLC's Say Yes to the Dress. I love when the people get angry and when the consultants get frustrated. Oh, and most of all I love how nasty and manipulative the moms get. It's like some twisted guilty pleasure. I can't help it, I swear.

Either way, you think I would've know that the [in]famous Kleinfled's has their own website. No kidding, right? You can view their collections of dresses and drool. Too bad if you're wondering how much more has to be in your piggy bank to buy these beauties. You get to see a symbol of 1 $, 2 $s, or 3 $s. It's surprisingly vague. The website lists the price guide here. It doesn't list any dresses under $1,500. I'm pretty sure I haven't tried on any dresses worth that much.

Regardless, back to drooling! It's obvious that Kleinfled's has some real beauties. Here are some of my favorites :). (All images come from K's website. It's seriously worth some perusing. Make sure you watch out for love at first sight. Ooooh boy!)

Kate Spade Bag Giveaway? Count me IN!

What can you win, you ask? How about a gorgeous bag! Wishpot and Avelle have set up a giveaway so we all have a chance to win that awesome bag.
How? Well go here! They have quite a few different ways to enter the contest and it's super easy too.

Go. Now. and Win. . .then give me the bag. . . I mean, enjoy your new bag!

Talking Photography

So after attending FBIL IB's wedding this weekend, the fantastic TB and I started talking photos/photographers. IB & his Bride MB* had a friend (who looked very talented & had a very expensive looking camera) take photos for them. She did a good job dealing with a large group of people and getting all those people where they need to be. And, not that it matters, but she was super cute and super sweet too. She also had a little accent. . . Russian, I think?

Anyway, there were photos of the B boys and the Moms with boy IB and MB. They were very cute photos, actually. It reminded me that, (don't cringe) I love posed family portraits. Posed portraits just make me smile. I think they're a good idea, especially since TB has such a large family. It's often had to get us all together at one time, so if a token (possibly cheesy) portrait will get us all together, then I say so be it!

The B Brothers and 1 of the B girls (we're missing the oldest B sister here). You don't need to tell me - I am aware I am marrying into one handsome family :)! Mr TB is second from the left - I love that he is all smiles! What a cutie! It looks blurry, but click on to see those good looking Bs in all their glory!

Mr.TB agrees! He's all about the posed photos too. Naturally, we want all the artsy photos and candids too, but portraits are on the must haves. Portraits of the C family, of the B family, of me and the Bs, of TB and the C's, me and the B girls, TB and my sister, etc.

Where is this going, you ask? Well TB and I made our photographer must have list . . . Well, more like I told him what I had to have and he agreed? Yeah, let's go with that. We made the decision together, I swear.

Okay sooo MC + TB = Photography! Here goes nothing!

Want 1) $1500 - We're tryin tryin trying to save money for this wedding and are planning to budget $1500 for photography. It may be too much to ask to get all we want for $1500, but I hoping to make it happen!

Want 2) Portraits! - Like I all ready said, we want a photographer willing to do posed portraits. Quite a few of them at that, because I'm sure TB will want one with each of the B bros and so will I (and so on). . . With his 5 sibs and my 1, it could make for a lot of photos!

Want 3) Candids - I love candids, simple as that. We want a photog that do more than one style, including photo journalistic so that we can get some candid photos.

Want 4) Unlimited Photos - this is very very very important to us me. I don't want someone that will hit 800, 1000, 1500 images and stop simply because they hit a certain number. I want them to shoot all night and stop when the night ends!

Want 5) DVD or CD - I want a dvd (or cd) of all our images with the rights for us to print them out at will. This seems pretty standard, although I've seen a few places that don't offer this.

Want 6) Second Shooter - I need a second shooter, I swear! I want different angles and additional shots. Simple enough.

Want 7) Online Gallery & Ordering - This is actually Dad C's want. I agree too. Since a lot of our family lives far and will be traveling to see us for our big day, it would be great to offer them a place to order their own photos. We won't be able to show our photos to them, but this way they'd be able to see them themselves!

Want 8) Talent - Nuff said? For reallllls.

Want 9) Proofs - I would like a bound spiral of all our proofs to see. This is a maybe. I don't want it as much as everything else, but it would be a cherry on top for sure.

Want 10) All day photos - I want the pre ceremony, the ceremony, and the reception :).

Too much too ask for? We'll see.

*IB married MC, so she is now MB. I'm MC and when I get married, I'll be MB. I know, right? Totally weird!

What Should my Wedding Cost?

Have you ever been to CostofWedding.com? It's worth a look. You just put in you zip code and it calculates how much your wedding "should" cost based on you area. Also nice, it breaks down the budget into what should cost what if you choose to look at it. All costs are on the left hand side, if you click on the different items.

The website sets itself up like this:
On average, US couples spend $20,398 for their wedding. However, the majority of couples spend between $15,299 and $25,498 while their wedding budget is typically 50% less than the amount spent. This does not include cost for a honeymoon or engagement ring. Understanding average wedding cost now can help you with your wedding budget later.
I agree with the last line, for serious :).

It also has another line, similar to a disclaimer, that actually seems a little helpful:
The numbers provided on this site are simply a guide to help you better prepare for the cost of a wedding and is based on spending by other couples, not vendor prices. Spending and prices vary widely. You should expect to pay 25% to 50% more for a well-experienced professional. Investigate all options and choose products and services that best meet your needs.

Anyway! On with the numbers! (You're curious, I can tell.)

On average, couples that live in Miss Giraffe's town spend between $25,090 and $41,816 for their wedding. This does not include cost for a honeymoon or engagement ring.

or On average, couples that live in Mr. Giraffe's town spend between $22,489 and $37,481 for their wedding. This does not include cost for a honeymoon or engagement ring.

I find this especially curious because Mr. Giraffe's town is full of a lot of wealthy people with taxes way higher than my town. It's also closer to Chicago, which increases prices of things regardless. Either way, $41 grand for a wedding? Yeah, I don't think so. Take that, wedding industry! haha! My wedding, even with my ring and honeymoon, will be no where near that price. For serious. I mean, really, who are the couples with that much money? Let me know, and I promise to befriend them!

To go further, on the same side you can do a 'wedding budget estimator'. You still put in you zip, but you also choose you number of guests, and then you have a whole bunch of check boxes (broken down by category, of course) of things you need to get for you wedding. My numbers for that? A little shocking, actually.

Based on the zip code you entered for Miss Giraffe's town , the number of guests (150-200), and the items selected, the estimated wedding cost is between $31,623 and $52,706.

I know, right? That's an awful lot of money. Way more than we're spending. Word. Once again, if you guys know the couple with this kind of money, let me know. Also, keep them in mind and make sure to give them a copy of my future registry about a year from now. Thanks.

Has any one else calculated their wedding cost? Anybody else pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised?

Fall Cleaning!

You may have all noticed, but Wedding Web Notes, is not the same anymore! Yep, that's right, WWN has gotten a makeover.


If you were nostalgic for the old WWN, remember, love it, and move on! haha. I'm much happier with the new layout. It might not look as cute to some, but instead of using an online template, I made my own! It still looks a little similar to the old one, because I wanted to keep the blue and the polaroid. Either way, it took me much much longer than expected. Lame. Sometimes I think I have a handle on html, but then it just wants to come back and bite me in the butt. Anyway, embrace the change! It is the first day of fall you know - changing seasons, changing weather, changing leaves! Love it!

The only thing I don't like is that the text column is a little skinnier. This means I have to make my pictures a little bit smaller, but oh well.

I also made the mistake of loosing my blogroll. Luckily, this is no problem because there's no shortage of wedding blogs and I all ready know which ones I read regularly.

Soooo overall, I love my new blog layout, but I'm worried about my followers. We'll see what happens.

Everyone Loves a Wedding!

just got back from a long weekend of driving, driving, and driving some more! But I did get to spend an amazing time with my future family in laws and the future Mr!

FBIL IB had a lovely wedding. In the last four years I have never seen him so happy! He was grinning the whole day, ear to ear. His bride, MB, was also super happy.

It was a great weekend.

But for now, it's late, and I work early tomorrow.

More info about the weekend wedding later. But, I promise you, it was a success.

A Big Weekend on the horizon... And a new outfit!

Hello Blog!
It's been a little bit - it's all ready the middle of September! In the last 2 weeks, we celebrated a birthday for Mr.TB! It was pretty exciting. My parents got him Wii Fit. He was pretty excited, but, naturally, I 'helped' (aka told) my mom what to get him. Either way - fun all around! Also, I got a job recently. It's not a full time job and it doesn't use my new shiny degree at all. But! It's about 20 hours a week and its more money than I've been making in the last few months. I even make $.25 more than minimum wage. Sweet, right? Not really. . . I need to get a real job and make real money so I can save for my real wedding :)!

Anyway! Back to business! Mr.TB and I went up and stayed at his house for his birthday weekend/dinner. Sitting down for dinner was exciting. It's sooo funny though. I am one of two children and my big sis doesn't even live at home anymore so at dinner it's me, my mom, and my dad.

Who all sits down for TB's meal? Myself, TB, his little sister, his older sister, his little brother, his older sister, his mom, his dad, his older brother, older brother's girlfriend, his oldest brother, and oldest brother's fiance. Talk about a circus! It's so weird for me to adjust to being around so many people (especially for something as regular as dinner, it wasn't like Christmas or anything). It's finally getting easier! I always had some reservations about his family (dad in particular), but in the last few months, his dad is really opening up to me and showing an interest in what I have to say. This has never happened before. I finally feel like I fit in with my family to be. I always got along great with his mom, but now I'm coming around to the rest (or vise versa).

Anyway! Where is this going you ask? Well, TB's oldest brother (we'll call him IB or FBIL IB) is getting married this weekend! It's crazy and sometimes I can't believe it. IB and M got engaged after TB and I but are getting married before us. I don't really mind though, especially because the are older and I hope to learn from their wedding. Regardless, the talk at dinner was all about the wedding. I'm actually super super excited about the wedding, and to attend my first B Family event where everyone will be there. It'll be great. I couldn't help feeling a little jealous, though. Everyone was gushing about their wedding and getting excited about it. Part of me would just love to be talking about my wedding and have people talk about me (oops - I mean us).

Selfish? You bet it is! But I can't help it. I'm so excited about getting married, but it's hard to get other people excited because we're not getting married for forever (or 605 days, exactly. I have a countdown on my dashboard).

Either way, I know I should just look forward to a year from now when people are talking about my day, and helping to decorate 150 cupcakes for my day (okay so I don't want cupcakes, but I will be decorating this weekend!).

So the wedding is super casual and is taking place in an outdoor park. Naturally, I decided I had nothing to wear. Well, long story short, I got a new [adorable] dress and purse from Kohls. They were both on clearence. And then, we got one of those peel of coupons in the mail, so I got another 30% off of both! The dress was $17 and the purse came to $6.90. (And the purse is hot). I then went to Payless and got a $7 pair of shoes. Not bad, eh? I think it might be fate! Another upside to my dress? It's black and white so Mr.TB can easily match with black pants and a white shirt. This is super good for him, because his 'dress clothes' wardrobe is definitely limited. He does have a nice black and white paisley tie, but he 1) hates ties and 2) I think that would be a little 'over dressing.' Either way, it's all working out.

Definitely, all working out. And as it gets closer to the weekend, I getting less and less jealous and just more and more excited.

Either way, hopefully there are pictures to come! It'll be great!

And, as if you could stand a post without pictures, here's a lovely shot from polka dot bride that will make you drool.

Some SUPER E Pics!

Yesterday on the Rock 'n Roll Bride Blog, I saw the cutest E Pics I may have ever seen in my entire life. Never having seen this blog before (and its definitely worth a good look!), I had to scroll though a few older posts to find these amazing photos.

As if the couple wasn't cute enough, here they are parodying some art work (which you all know I love).


But, believe it or not, those aren't the photos that made me so excited! First, I have to admit that I may be a graphic designer, but I do moonlight as a bit of a comic book geek. I can't help it, I guess I was just born that way :). I'm not a big fan of DC comics (I'm a Marel girl, myself), but I still appreciate them and Mr.TB likes them a lot. My inner geekiness has just made me fall in love with this E shoot. If TB and I end up getting E photos done, we're totally going to copy this idea, I think. (Now I just need dark hair like Lois).


Check out the whole set here, which I totally recommend because it's awesome. Those two are too cute!

Love for Your Dress Hanger!

I saw on a slightly older post on Weddingbee about Mrs. Gloss making 'deserving' dress hangers for her gown and her bridesmaids' gowns. Following a few simple directions (which can be seen on the blog post) she was able to put initials on the hangers. They're too cute for realsies. I had bookmarked this a little bit ago and planned to do it for my gown.

I hadn't decided if I'd get fancy hangers for my bridesmaids yet, because I'm not sure if it's a big deal? I'm sure my girls would appreciate it (they're an appreciative group, I promise), but would there a use for them? I've never seen photos of bridesmaid dresses at weddings. You know, you always seen the token photo of the wedding gown (which I love, by the way) but do the maids line up their dresses for picture? I mean, I'm sure that they have to get dressed sometime. Right? The BMs go get makeup and hair done, and I'm sure they do it in their sweats before they get ready.

Anyway, I'm not here to talk about the bridesmaids, I'm here to talk about ME! . . . Oh wait, I mean I'm here to talk about the "bride" per se. The point of those lovely hangers above would be (I think) to help make your dress look pretty in photos. Not that dress photos aren't lovely without fancy hangers; they are. It's just . . . Well, I guess brides do crazy thing to add extra 'oomph' to anything vaguely weding related; so why not hangers. Right?

The dress on the left found here on the WeddingBee Gallery. The dress on the right found here on the WeddingBee Gallery.

So you could see why I would want a fancy hanger for my photo, right? It's not like both of those dresses aren't totally gorgeous. They are, I promise.I'm actually partial to the one on the right, but that's my love for ruffely things. I can't help it.

Either way, the hangers both have a small part in the photos. That's why I had bookmarked the first post about making monogramed hangers. But that's all changed! Why, you ask? Because I found the most amazing find on etsy that I promise you, I will order in the future. Word!

Ready to be impressed? I'm sure you are!

Super! I know, right! The Mister and I both have kind of long names (apparently unlike Eve and Dan, those lucky ducks) so I don't think having both names would be good option for us. But the Mrs hanger? Genius! I would love to have one that says Mrs. B for all my lovely dress photos (although, I'll miss being Miss C, I assmue). I think it's adorable. No joke. Just make sure the hanger's not flipped over and your name's backwards hahaha. Okay, that was the joke.

Either way, that hanger will be mine. For sure. I do have some wire sculpting experience (I miss college!), but I don't think I'd have the ability to pull of something that nice. The letters are generally uniform and I like the rounded geometric look of them as well. But, don't worry folks, I don't have to be upset about not being able to make my own fancy hanger, because the awesome lilafrances shop on etsy is selling them for $13. That's right, you heard me, $13! Soooo go buy one now. Do it, your dress will thank you when she sees her photos.