D-I-Y Personalized Cocktail Napkins.

I wanted some of these for the wedding:

But, they are expensive! I did some searching and found a tutorial in a DIY Bride Book on how to make very inexpensive personalized cocktail napkins. 

All you need is this:

this (make sure it's pigment ink):

and this (or any stamp of your choice):

The instructions are very simple - you just ink the stamp and stamp the cocktail napkin (hint from the book: when you stamp the napkin, don't rock the stamp back and forth - just press down and lift straight up).

Final product:

I also used the same stamps with navy cocktail napkins and gold ink.  I think they turned out super cute and I think it will cost me $38.00 to make 300 napkins...winning!

Happy Friday!



I would say "I do" to this Kate Spade "Mrs." necklace. LOVE!

I can't save a good enough picture of this necklace to post, so, click here if you want to see something I am totally swooning (is that a word?) over :)

xoxo,
M



Boutonnieres for the Boys.

Something Turquoise is an amazing wedding website that I go to pretty much everyday! She gave me the idea for our favors, and, she just so happened to have a tutorial on nautical boutonnieres that I love! The boys at the wedding will be sporting these:

I've made a minor adjustment and incorporated fuschia ribbon into it - I found a thin roll of fuschia ribbon and ran it down the center of the navy/white ribbon.  I am still learning how to tie the knot, so, I don't have one completed yet, but, as soon as I do, I will post a pic.



Cute, right?

xoxo,

M

Window shopping.

So, if I had an endless amount of dolla, dolla bills, yo.....I would be adding these amazing pieces to my life:

A girl can dream!

xoxo,

M

Up to My Eyeballs in Wedding D-I-Y (and I wouldn't have it any other way)!

So, here's my list of wedding d-i-y (as of today's date):

1. boutanierres for JWP and the groomsmen (have an idea)
2. pomander balls or cones for the ceremony chairs.
3. Ring bear pillow (see pic below)
4. rope wrapped vases.
5. Table numbers. (pic coming soon)
6. Menu luminaries
7. Bridal bouquets (8) (have a template done)
8. Brooch bouquet for me (B got me some amazing brooches - have them all prepared to work into the bouquet)
9. Escort cards (have an idea)
10. Seating chart (have an idea)
11. Programs
12. Card Box (have an idea)
13. Ceremony back drop (have an idea)
14. Cocktail napkins (pic coming soon)
15. Finalize Save the Date (pretty much done)
16. Finalize Invitation (pretty much done)
17. Miscellaneous stationary (have an idea)
18. Flower girl grapevine balls (have a template done)
19. Flower head piece
20. Tissue balls for the reception ceiling (H is supposed to help with these)
21. Bunting for sweet heart table
22. cake topper
23. water bottles (have an idea)
24. champagne glass favors (have an idea)
25. guest book
26. reception centerpieces (have stuff, just need to come up with template)

The good thing is that based on my obsession with pinterest and other wedding blogs, I pretty much have an idea for most of the above.  If you guys find any cool ideas for any of this stuff, please feel free to let me know!

Ring Bearer pillow:

I used a baby onesie that I found on clearance at Target for $2.50 for the pillow cover, a ring bearer pillow that I found at Dollar Tree for obviously a $1.00, I bought the starfish at Christmas Time on clearance for $4.00, and I found the fuschia ribbon in the back of my car (so, free).  So, for about $7.50, I made this pillow which matches my wedding perfectly! (and, I didn't sew it, used a hot glue gun)

Happy Monday!

xoxo,

MJD

Wedding planning...it ain't easy.

4.5 months into my engagement and 7.5 months away from my wedding, I think I've felt every possible emotion from sheer happiness to intense sadness and frustration.  Based upon recent events that I'm not going to go into, it looks like some way, some how, JWP and I will be paying for the majority of the wedding.  Honestly, I just don't know how we are going to pull it off, but, I'm thinking positively, praying to God, and continuing to just keep on keeping on.  The recent turn of events got me thinking about what I would have done differently, as far as wedding planning, if I knew that JWP and I were going to be footing the majority of the bill. I always toyed with the idea of a destination wedding, or, eloping and then having a party after the fact, or having a very small, intimate wedding; however, I was always told that these weren't options.  So, instead, I began making arrangements to have a traditional wedding and with that came the stressing about how the costs were going to be shared and having the uncomfortable money talk with the parents.  Then came a period of calm because we thought we had everything figured out, so we booked the venue, booked the photographer, paid deposits - and 4.5 months later, everything changed.  While I am still very excited about the wedding that JWP and I have planned, I can't help but think that we should have taken the time to really think about what we wanted and not what was expected of us, because at the end of the day, it's our day. So now, we will continue to take it day by day and make cuts where we can, save as much as we can, and try to pull everything off - but, the idea of eloping, going on a honeymoon, and then having a celebratory party after the fact is still a faint thought in my head.

xoxo,

M