diy project : ribbon sticks

When I was buying materials for the wedding two years ago in CA I went to LA and bought a handful of colorful satin ribbons. I bought them mainly to make our flower girl ribbon wands but I had a lot left over after the wedding. Since our anniversary was this week I thought I'd do a little decorating in our apt using our wedding ribbon. 

1. I just happen to have a couple of large dried out branches from the winter (I'm telling you - hoarder tendencies) that I had used for winter decor. First thing I did was use a stiff brush to take off any dust or dirt from the branches. Since we rent our apt I really didn't want to risk getting paint anywhere inside so I used a big box as a drying rack/splatter guard for the paint outside. 

2. I used plain ol' white acrylic paint and an old brush. I went for the solid white look but if you add a touch of water to the acrylic paint you could also achieve a whitewashed look too. If you need to walk away mid-painting wrap your paint and brushes in plastic wrap so they don't dry out. Spray paint would work for this project too. Just remember to spray in a continuous stream if you use spray paint.

3. Check out the box in action! After the first coat dries do some touch ups and a second coat if needed. 

4. While the paint dried I cut my ribbon to the length I wanted. I used satin ribbon but you could use strips of fabric too. After the branches are completely dry knot your ribbon along the branches. I always do the thicker ribbons first and do all of one color at the same time. This way it's easier to get color and size balance between your branches. 



5. Be creative with how you use the ribbon sticks. I decided to hang mine from the ceiling using twine. Our apt doesn't get a lot of natural light so having some color inside is kind of nice. That's it, enjoy!

two years ago today

Time flies when you're having fun. Hard to believe that it's already been two years since Mark and I got married and I wouldn't have it any other way. We've already had our share of difficulties and joys and through it all we had each other. Thank you for loving me, my sweet hubby, and letting me love you.

(I wish I had known about the Dukan Diet before the wedding. Keekee I just had to say that.)

Photo by Love & Lemonade

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : cost plus world market

Man, when I was growing up Cost Plus World Market was not as cool as it is now. I always thought of it as a poor man's Pier 1 Imports but kind of dingier. It's definitely not the case now and I would have to say that if you're prop styling your wedding reception or shower this is definitely a place to stop by. Check out these goodies:

Row 1: 2-Tier Wire Basket (there are other finishes), 3-Tier Wire Stand (there are other finishes)

Row 2: Wooden Bark Charger, Wood Bark Pedestal Stand 12"

Row 3: Glass Dispenser, Blue Glass Dispenser

Row 4: Glass Decanter with Wooden Stopper, Glass Cake Stand (multiple sizes)

Row 5: Chalk Place Cards (set of 4), Chalk Mini Tasting Sampler Set

Row 6: Global Place Card Holders (set of 4), White Glass Cake Stands (multiple sizes)

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : olive manna

Ok, so I'm not saying that this place has the best prices but boy is the site pretty to look at. Check out Olive Manna for lovlies like these.

row 1: Industrial Metal Tray ($46), Barkboard Rustic Chalkboard ($38 small, original size sold out)

row 2: Ruffled Tin Cake Stands ($25 small, $32 medium, $45 large, $95 for all three), Ballonoff Kitchen Tins ($36)

row 3: Twill Ribbon (20 color options, $8 for 5 yards, $60 for 72 yards), Solid Baker's Twine (12 color options, $8 small 50 yard spool, $30 large 800 yard spool)

row 4: Scalloped Hanging Chalkboard Sign ($18), Wood Gift Tags (8 color options, $9, pack of 8)

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : little borrowed dress

I saw a beautiful post on Style Me Pretty in May for Little Borrowed Dress and I thought I'd share the vendor with you too!

Little Borrowed Dress is a company that rents (or sells) dresses for bridesmaids.  How awesome is that?! Basically you (or the bride) choose a style/color, you pick a size, they mail you the dress, and you mail it back when you're done. For more info, check out the website, here.

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : shapewear

I think every girl wants to look her best whether it's on her wedding day or just going out for the day. All of us have some part of our body that we're not happy with but sometimes it's nice to get a little help if we can. Shapewear has come a long way over the years and could potentially make you look way thinner than you actually are. I say, if you can trick the eye into making yourself look thinner, why not?!  I happened to catch a re-run episode of Dr. Oz when he had Janie Byant who is the costumer designer for Madmen and some of her recommendations for shapewear that she uses on the show.

If you're more of a pear shape (more weight in hips and thighs) she recommended two products from Rago.  First is the Upper Body Extra Firm Shaping Long Line Bra ($44) and the Leg Shaper Firm Shaping ($37). Bryant simplified the names of the products on the show but I think these are the ones she showed. Both of these are the two images below. If you'd like to see some of Rago's products in action there are some YouTube videos of women before and after wearing different shapewear by Rago, here.

If you're more of an apple shape (more weight in the belly area) Bryant recommended Flexees Easy-Up Strapless Unitard from Maidenform ($38.99-$44). Ok, so if you're like me the first thing you'll think when you see the picture below is, "Why are there straps when the product is supposed to be strapless." Well, the straps are removable so I guess it's both. 

If you're in need of some help all around, Bryant recommended Bodysuit with Legs ($92, comes with or without an underwire) by Lipo in a Box (image below). This is supposed to suck and shape everything from the bust all the way down to the thighs.

Lastly, (or firstly?) the image at the very top of this post is shapewear recommendation from a different episode of Dr. Oz from Emme the plus-size model. She recommended the Flexees Ultimate Slimmer Wear Your Own Bra (WYOB) Torsette Body Briefer ($36) from Maidenform. She liked that you could wear your own bra while still getting be benefits from shapewear. You can check out the video from the episode, here.

Also, I'd like to include a short clip also from the Dr. Oz (I swear, I rarely watch this show!!) show that rather convincingly explains why you should always wash worn shapewear after every use. It's kind of gross but it's informational, here.

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : wrap it up

Boy do I have a major weakness for scarves. I love 'em. If I were still in Southern CA I could definitely justify wearing a scarf or having one handy in the summer because the desert temperatures dip dramatically once the sun goes down. 

If you're in a wedding nowadays that tends to mean you're going to be wearing a dress with thin straps or more common a strapless dress. In the cooler months this means you'll be exposed to the elements of cold and wind but in the warmer months this means you'll be exposed to the sun. The last thing you want is to be sunburned in wedding pictures. 

Having a thin, longish, light material scarf to wrap around your shoulders might be an interesting option this summer rather than a light sweater, shrug, even a pashmina (which tends to be heavier), or God forbid a taffeta wrap. Scarves are awesome because of the sheer quantity of different colors and patterns available and they're easy to tuck away in a small purse unlike a sweater. All the scarves shown are from Scarves Dot Net which offers a heck of a lot of variety and at great prices. Also, check out their ever growing Knot Library of different ways to wear a scarf. 

row 1: Ryder Tassel Scarf ($16.96), Alex Striped Scarf ($16.96)

row 2: Rae Aztec Scarf ($16.96), Tristan Zig-Zag Scarf ($16.96)

row 3: Cassidy Zig-Zag Scarf ($15.26), Amanda Gingham Scarf ($12.71)

i won't give up

Jason Mraz definitely has a knack for writing love songs. I think almost every wedding I went to in 2011 had "Lucky" playing at one point (including mine!). My prediction is that "I Won't Give Up" will be the "it" song for 2012. Almost more than Jason himself I am mesmerized by the woman accompanying him in this video. I mean, how many different instruments can one person play? Keep an eye on her foot when she lifts and drops a tambourine off the ground with only her foot while keeping time. Crazy.  

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : professional bobby pins

Before my friend Linda offered to do my hair and makeup for my wedding I was fully prepared to do my own in order save some money. She is an awesome stylist and if you're in the Irvine, CA area I fully recommend her. Even though I live in IL now I only let Linda cut my hair so I always pencil her in when I'm home visiting CA.

Cut to Linda and me doing a pre-wedding consultation last year and she had to do some twists and braids with my mid-length hair. She used some bobby pins that were freakishly strong. Come to find out that they were professional grade bobby pins that kick those Goody bobby pins you buy at Target in the face! They are actually crazy strong and don't warp after one use. I had always thought that bobby pins just did that - warp and lose their hold like it was their fatal flaw. No sir, not with the professional grade bobby pins. I saved all the pins after the wedding and have used them for a full year and they're still going strong.

If you need to do your own hair and are in need of some pins I suggest going the extra mile and buying the pro stuff. There are several brands out there but here's one that is on Amazon - Marianna Supreme Bobby Pins, 1lb box for $8.99. Better yet, visit your local professional beauty supply store and test them out in person before you buy. They seem to usually come in a box versus on a piece of cardboard.

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : wedding attire

Weddings have changed a lot in recent years. They are no longer the predictable and strictly formal occasion with traditional restrictions or boundaries. Weddings nowadays have so many different styles and formality levels which is wonderful but can also be confusing for guests. A common question for family and friends to ask is, "What's the dress code?" The wedding stationery, wedding time (evening versus daytime), and location (beach versus church) may give some clue as to whether the wedding will be formal, casual, or somewhere in between but these are hardly concrete indications of the dress code. Probably one of the most embarrassing feelings as a guest is to arrive the day of the wedding and suddenly realize that you are either horribly under or over dressed. 

One way to help your guests plan and feel at ease is to just flat out state what the dress code is on the invite or your wedding website.

• Formal (black tie/white tie) - usually this requires a specific kind of suit and tie or tux for men and an evening gown for women. 
• Semi-Formal - probably the closest thing that most people can relate to is prom. Suits and ties for men and gowns or cocktail dresses for women.
• Informal - could mean something like a nice polo shirt with kakis for men and cocktail dresses for women. Probably something you'd wear on a nicer date.
• Casual - could mean nice t-shirt and jeans for men and an everyday kind of dress for women.
• Costume - specifies if there is a theme or a "look" to the wedding and for the wedding guests (i.e. "vintage" look, 1960's/Madmen look, nautical look, etc).

It should go without saying that guests should dress respectfully and cleanly regardless of casualness. Categories help but as you can tell there are often some overlaps so it's helpful to be as specific as possible so guests will have a better idea of what "Informal Dress Code" might mean to you. In addition to written communication of the dress code, verbal communication is also important. Older guests and family will probably ask the couple's parents for guidance so explaining thoroughly to both sets of parents would be wise. Otherwise they might communicate incorrect information like a bad game of "Operator."

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : bridesmaid dresses

via www.ruffledblog.com

I've always found it hard to know how to dress for my body type. In fact, I'm usually confused as to what body type I am. If you're on the prowl for a bridesmaid dress but you're usually wandering aimlessly around stores like me then maybe this post interviewing the founder of Weddington Way on Ruffled will help you narrow the search field, here.

I have never purchased anything from Weddington Way nor am I suggesting you do but sometimes it helps to see what's out there and available before you purchase something that is right for you.

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : more monograms

Everyone loves monogram stuff. It's cute, it's fun and you get to claim your territory (this is often helpful in a workplace environment and even at home!). They also make cute "his & hers" gifts for yourself or for others. Here are some beautiful monogram mugs from Magpie. They also have these in paper plates and cups as part of their "A to Z" collection.