Friday, December 31, 2010

Friday Photo #42





Happy New Years!!
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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Kraft Paper Envelopes, My Love


I have no words on account of their cuteness.

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Paper, Plastic, or Metal?

Thats right, I'm talking utensils.

I love love love our reception lodge, but they are providing nothing meaning we are renting absolutely everything. Faced with our mounting list of "things to rent", I starting thinking outside the box a bit. Where can we cut corners?

It's likely a no-brainer to rent metal cutlery and sometimes, its your only option (style wise). But then I read a couple articles on Weddingbee where  brides purchased bamboo/wood utensils. I am against the idea of having plain 'ole plastic silverware at our reception but... the biodegradable ones could work! 

Lets see here: 

  1. Biodegradable is cheaper than renting - EcoWare has sets of 100 (fork knife spoon) for $26.85; while one of the main rental companies in Yakima listed $9 per doz. (.26 cents a set vs .75 cents a set)
  2. Call me crazy, but I think they're kind of cute. And we could make them even cuter!
  3. They go with our laid back, family backyard bbq type of reception theme and they even match our colors (burlap runners of course). 
  4. I read a couple of reviews (specifically of EcoWare) and they are strong enough to cut through chicken and stand up to sloppy mac and cheese. No one likes broken fork prongs in their salad. 
  5. Did I mention they are biodegradable? Win Win!
Okay, on to proving their cuteness via pictures: 

I love the idea stamping the ends with a little n & k and tying it all together with some rafia, yarn, or bakers twine! Plus, I had to help my best friend tie all her silverware with pink and brown ribbon when she got married... so she owes me :-) 

What do you think? Should we go the biodegradable route or stick with renting? 


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Monday, December 27, 2010

Guess what I'm doing today?

I will give you a hint...



Those pictures as inspiration (and these!) + Jennifer Dagdagan + Nate and I = ......? 

If you guessed that we are taking our snowy engagement photos today... you'd be right! 

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Saturday, December 25, 2010

In Lieu of Letter to Santa

Very inspiring & found here:

1. Something unexpected I accomplished in 2010: Traveled to and lived in Europe. Learned another language. 
2. Something challenging I hope to accomplish in 2011. Become bilingual. Plan a killer wedding :-) Build this little blog up into something more. 
3. It doesn’t cost much, but I wish I had it. Couch pillows. More sheets. Frozen yogurt in the fridge.
4. It’s worn out and I need to replace it. Shoes!
5. A good book I read in 2010.  All the Harry Potter books.
6. My favorite place to shop online? In the store? Etsy and Target.
7. I worry about... Making a living while doing something I deeply love. Being the type of wife that will make my marriage last. 
8. Please don’t make me eat... Tomatoes, really, I still dislike them. 
9. But always eat.  I eat more veggie Pho than you can imagine.  
10. My favorite season is... Spring (flowers), Summer (weather),and Winter (skiing). I'm not good with favorites. 
11. It’s a little costly, but I would like to have... A brand new car. A dishwasher. A house to call my own. And then another house in Austria. 
12. I will always remember... from 2010 Mom and Dad coming to Europe. Nates proposal. Our engagement party. 
13. When I cook, I like to make... cookies. Wish I knew how to make... a complete Thanksgiving dinner.
 14. My idea of a good party? Family and close friends. Good weather, bbq, margaritas, laughter, bon fires, games, smores. 
15. It’s time to do more... Running. Saving. Living outside my comfort zone. 


Merry Christmas my lovely, lovely readers! 

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Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Cocktail Mixers

Are you in need of a super cute holiday themed hostess gift? Or are you throwing a cocktail party this holiday season? Do you want a free download, the how to, and recipes for cute Merry Cocktail Mixers??

Well, its as easy as 1, 2, 3! Download (from hi,friend), print (on labels like these from Office Max), and mix (into these $3 bottles from Ikea)!

Look  how cute they are!

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Pier 1 Holiday Table

I wish my dining room table looked just like this. 

And get this, the tablescape was created for just about $60!
Check more pictures out (here)


ps - Happy Birthday to the most handsome 26 year old fiancĂ©, ever!

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Recipes

Every year around Christmas time, my family has a Cookie Bake-off. Who ever wants to participate (friends or family) picks one cookie recipe, makes it, then we load up plates full of various types of cookies. The one year Nate participated, he chose to make chocolate chip cookies (his favorite) and forgot to add flour. Now he's just a cookie tester :-)

I mentioned this story because I know a lot of you are like my family, baking a lot of cookies and desserts this time of year, and what better way to keep track of new recipes than printing off some very cute recipe cards??

Cookie Swap Recipe Cards and Recipe Card Maker 

And while we are on the subject of cute baking/kitchen things, check out how cute this apron is!

Its a Valentine Apron, but you could easily make one for Christmas.
Plus, its a DIY project! 
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Guest List Advice



On Inviting Plus Ones: 

  1. If your relatives or friends are engaged to be married, their fiances must be invited; their live-in romantic partners must be as well. However, if they are only dating, you need not invite their boyfriend or girlfriend. Should you decide to include some dates and not others, draw your cut-off line at a clearly identifiable place and communicate it to everyone who is not allowed to invite someone to accompany them.
  2. As for your attendants -- letting them bring an escort would be a considerate gesture. It's not required, but they've done a lot for you.
  3. It is impolite of a guest to ask if he or she can bring a date—but it is not impolite of you to refuse. Say, “I’m sorry, Stan, but we have very limited seating at the reception and we just can’t accommodate any additional guests.” However, if you discover that they are engaged or living together, invite your friend’s partner, either verbally or by invitation.





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Monday, December 20, 2010

A Very Useful Template

I'm a big fan of stationary and I'm also a big fan of manners. Combine those two and what do you get? Thank you notes, of course! With the holidays upon us, its important to remember to send thank you notes. Send them to the hosts/hostess of that Christmas party you went to last week and to your in laws for their thoughtful gifts. And, since this is after all a wedding blog, you no doubt know that you need to write thank you notes for all your lovely shower gifts and wedding presents. (Emily Post states that thank-you notes should be written within 3 months of the receipt of the gift

When faced with potentially hundreds of thank you's, here is a helpful little template from the most recent Brides magazine -



“Dear ____ (giver’s name),
Thank you so much for the (gorgeous, stylish, super-useful, classic, unique, stunning) _______ (type of gift).
(It rocks!, We were thrilled to get it!, We simply adore it!)

___________(name of fiance or spouse) and I cannot wait to (start using it, show it off in our home, enjoy it together) - we will think of you every time we see it.

Looking forward to (seeing you, meeting you, catching up, chatting with you) (at the wedding, after the honeymoon, at work, in the neighborhood, soon, during the holidays).

(Love, Best, Sincerely, Cheers!, Fondly)
________ (your name)”

And while your at it, swing by Target (maybe my favorite place on earth) and pick up these thank you notes - I bought two boxes last month and can't wait to use them!!



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Friday, December 17, 2010

Friday Photo #41

Only about a week and a half until our winter engagement session with my main gal Jennifer Dagdagan. 
So. So. So excited!

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Lights


Cafe lights, globe lights, sphere lights, however you want to call them.... I love them. 


I want them outside at our reception! We won't be having any tents outside (it really never rains in Yakima knock on wood) so having stings of cafe lights would be just ideal. I found some 200 count LED globe lights at Target for only $35, which is pretty perfect really. 


Gahhh, I just adore them. 

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Free Holiday Cards!

Did you see these free holiday cards on Wedding Chicks last week? So cute! And...free! 

Maybe I can convince Nate to give me the holiday card green light if I used the word free enough times :-)

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I'm Getting Hitched : Favors

I think one of the wedding lessons I learned right away, is that there is no right or wrong way to go about planning your wedding. Like everyones relationship, everyone plans their wedding a different way, in a different order, with a different budget, and a different set of priorities. But the wonderful thing is that at the end of the planning, we all end up married. Me, being overly wedding organized and a list-maker extraordinaire, have even taken a few detours from "the order in which things should happen" (according to Martha Stewart and theknot, gasp!). With our looonnggg engagement, I so far have been able to sort of cherry pick which items I would like to work and focus on (mainly, because we don't actually need to be doing anything yet).

Long story short, I decided on our wedding favors. 
Homemade Jam. 
LOVE these with the tags and twine!

Homemade jam is a thoughtful, yummy favor that won't get left on the table or in the car after the wedding (no one wants a key chain or a candle with your names on it, trust me) - edible favors are the way to go! Plus buying the fruit at local Yakima stands is a great way to support local farms and give our guests a taste of  Yakima produce. Additionally, it can turn into a really fun* family project! (* I say fun, my sisters may use a different word). And small perk here, raspberries are my favorite fruit and also the color of the bridesmaids dresses - so jam favors even fit into our color scheme. Hows that for planning! 
There are a ton of recipes online for jam, but here are two I have bookmarked : Low sugar raspberry jam and Strawberry Rhubarb jam. 

And if you think I won't make a sign for the jam table that says "Spread the Love"... you'd be wrong. 


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Monday, December 13, 2010

What do you think?

I've already mentioned how I feel about carnations, but continuing on the subject of common grocery store flowers... how do you feel about baby's breath? And no, I don't mean just as a filler. I mean as a focal point - a centerpiece, a bouquet, an aisle runner.


































A tutorial to make your own baby's breath bouquet!

So, what do you think?

Saturday, December 11, 2010

A couple of free Christmas Treats

 Christmas Subway Art + Banner (download both for free!)

Very cute hand drawn Christmas card!


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