Wedding Guest Books: because I need to remember who actually showed up

In my perfect dream world, my wedding day would actually be quite different that it is shaping up, from a scheduling perspective. As an early riser, if I had my way, we would start getting ready at 9am, be on the road to the venue by 11, do photos before the ceremony, have the ceremony at 1, cocktail/visiting hour til 6 and thennnn dinner and dancing til 3am. I justify this dream wedding day schedule because it’s my wedding DAY not my wedding late afternoon to evening. This day is costing us big bucks and I hate the thought of all this planning, and I only get two minutes with each guest.

However, practicality once again prevails as The Cpt was not only sceptical but adamantly against this plan. Fine. I’ll compromise. But that means we’re not going to get as much time with each guest as I’d like. And that means – I will actually not even register who shows up and who doesn’t.

So that leads us to today’s project – a wedding guest book. A long long time again, I bought 160 of these… postcards. I don’t want to go any further into the story (Andrea PG shut it) but understand that now I probably have about 120 of them left. You remember these postcards – I’ve posted on them before. They haunt my dreams – I've been patiently waiting for a long time to figure what I want to make with these and how I want to make whatever the project is. And I would love to find some use for them. Any use for them. Well, today is just my LUCKY day.

I found this little guest book in this article on OhAmanda on creative guest book ideas. Number Four on the list is really fun patchwork guest book, which is really made of cardboard pieces. It’s from Erica’s Neu Man on etsy. It inspired me to revisit the postcards as a guest book option.

So I THINK I THINK I THINK I have finally been inspired to do something with them.  And it may include an instant camera.

Long story short, I like to volunteer and one of the things I spend my volunteer efforts on is TEDxYYC, a speaker series. This year, one of our little activities for the breaks was to take an instant photo of each guest and they could write something about community on it. THAT is not what I’m doing for my wedding – the part I’m taking and running with is the instant photo part.

We used a Fujifilm Instax, which is Fujifilm’s version of the Polaroid camera. Less expensive and technologically upgraded, I think they are adorable. The version I’m looking at using is the Instax 210, which retails on Amazon for about $65. Annnd they take very cute little photos of especially cute subjects.

The Cpt and I at TEDxYYC 2011: Forward Motion

The Instax film is about 2’’ x 4’’, so it’s relatively small. As with all instant cameras, the most expensive part is going to be the film. We can get about 60 pieces of film for $55, which is not really that cheap but alas – I simply can not build this camera or make this film. Some things just have to be purchased. 

The film also happens to be just the right size to fit on the postcards. So what we’re going to do is ask some of closer friends to walk around taking photos of people during cocktail hour, our guests will then mount their photo to the postcard using sticky squares (pictured below) and then there is the perfect amount of space left for them to leave us a little message.

After the wedding, we’ll pick out the perfect little photo album to keep them in, or maybe scan them in the computer and make a photo book with them. Whatever do – I think I’m going to RURVE IT FOREVER.

What do you think? Lurve? We’re doing it – my sales pitch to The Cpt is getting better with every craft.

Wedding Gifts: $15 Herb Garden

Who all saw my segment on BT yesterday? AHHHH! I’m famous! They kind of sort of invited me back to maybe come again – we should all start petitioning their Facebook Page to get me a bi-monthly segment! I promise my shirt won’t be as wonky.

Lucky me. I can’t embed the video. SO click here to see it!

As promised, here is the first tutorial of the gifts featured in the segment.

$15 Mason Jar Herb Garden

Tools:

• 4 mason jars – $1.50 each (I used the short, fat 125 ml ones but as long as the jars have a wider mouth, you should be fine.) You can get these at Co-op year round, and seasonally at Canadian Tire, WalMart, ect. You can also find them used at the MCC Thrift Store!
• 4 herb plants – $1.50 each
• Embellishments, like ribbon, labels, stickers, buttons, whateva
• Tacky Glue

Step 1:

Pick your embellishments and decorate your jars accordingly. I choose fancy labels which I handwrote the names of the herbs on. The labels weren’t sticking to the jars perfectly so I used some Tacky Glue (which DEFINETELY works on glass) to give them some extra hold. I wrapped the ribbon around the top border and attached it with Tacky Glue as well.  You can also use stickers, or spray paint in the inside of the jar. Note: That looks great but will probably kill your plants.

Step 2:

Lift or cut the plan out of the little pot it came in. Using scissors, cut off the bottom half of the plant. I have no doubt that there is some plant protection agency out there somewhere who is going to read this and send me a threatening letter claiming that if I ever harm plants again, they’re going to plant me with the Christmas trees. Once you have cut off the bottom half of the plant, stuff it in the mason jar. Literally.

Step 3:

Find something to put it in. A flat basket, a little bamboo tray, an aluminum planter, doesn’t matter. Wrap it up in cellophane or tool and voila! The giftie gift is complete.

This gift comes in under $15, not half bad for a quaint summer wedding gift. You don’t have to use herbs, you can small flowers or even cactus’ would be cute.

Wedding Shoes. Part Twosies.

So THANK YOU to everyone who voted in the poll – the winner of that was the Anthropologie shoe, the little green number. It received 9 votes of the 16 votes that were cast. Only 16 votes? Why are those you that are READING the blog not voting?? Boooorrrring.

But thankfully, in the 16 of you, there is enough fashion advice to push me in the right direction.  My exciting news is that YES I did find a pair of shoes – they are everything you would expect for me which means they are the last type of shoes you would expect. My two trusty Book Club buddies, Hanan and Michelle, came out with on Thursday and got me into the exact right mind frame – remember that I want the shoes to reflect me, not just my wedding. I am thrilled with my choice (which shall remain a secret of course) but I am so happy to say THANK YOU to Hanan and Michelle!

To tide you over because I’m keeping my shoe cards close to my chest, here are some of the suggestions I received.

Neosense, suggested by Auntie Anne!

The Neosense are so funky – they fit for a bride true and true from Vic. I also love the floral detailing on them and Auntie Anne made a good point that they would be comfortable and practical for the entire day. I think the pink booties are my favourite, especially with that blush rose colour, which I love and suits my wedding colours.

I also got plenty of suggestions from Angela, my girlfriend from ball and Twitter.

Mid heel with some flair, from Aldo. Dainty and delicate, I really like the warm champagne colour of this dress. It would go PERFECTLY with my second choice dress, Vienna by Martina Liana.

These Steve Madden’s are great, I love the diagonal strap – type thing and the fact that it’s fabric and the bling on the buckle.  The heel is a little high, but sexy-rexy!

Another pair of Steve Madden’s, these have a bow and a look and feel that would match my bridesmaids shoes perfectly. It is odd that I want to match my bridesmaids, at least to an extent? For a girl who loves things that are different, I love also love it when things match. Not eye shadow to top colour type matchy match but coordinating matching.

When Ang suggested these ones, she specifically said “A little on the plain side” I agree but I also absolutely think that you need the plain to make the bold standout. If you have too much of everything, the eye gets confused on what visual element of the outfit to focus on and it all just gets blurry. So here’s another pair of Nine West’s that you can get at Towne Shoes.

This is for the bold statement bride – I love the look but I also know it doesn’t quite go with the feel of my wedding day look. I do love the fabric straps and how they go up the ankle but the heel is way to high for me and my slippery, slimey fit would for sure fall out. Bollocks.

For a punch of solid colour, these Sandy Flower Platforms by Rose Power would make my legs looks great. It would be my luck that on the only day that people are really looking at what I’m wearing, my legs will be covered.

Thoughts?? Tell me – which do you love?

Shoot. Wedding shoes.

Come on, life. Come on. Just show me a shoe I want to wear to my wedding.

Why am I so blasé about this? I cared more about picking out the bridesmaids shoes. I have barely even looked until basically now and the only reason is because I have my first fitting next week and I have to BRING my bridal shoes.

EFF. I have nothing. So now we’re in a whirl wind buying mode. And don’t tell me to just take a pair of heels that will probably be the same height because you know, you just KNOW that the shoes I will eventually find and fall madly in love with will NOT be the same height. You just know.

Parametres:

• cool tones – no gold (which is backwards for me because I love GOLD) so taupes, creams, ivories or earthy tones. Or sparkly. Just basically not gold.
• Prefer closed toe because my feet are long and skinny and usually slimy with sweat so I always feel like I’m slipping through the end.
• Strappy is fine
• Round toe absolutely no question
• No stiletto* because I have to walk on grass at some point.
• No wedges because The Cpt thinks they’re tacky. He thinks of wedge heels and thinks of those Aldo esperilda wedges that were popular ten years ago. He also probably thinks of an ex-girlfriend or two.
• Something different. Please.

*the reality is that I like the look of stiletto shoes so really it’s more if you happen to find SOMETHING in a rather dreamy thicker heel then let me know.

Some examples of shoesies that I like.

Kate Spade. Of course they don’t sell them in anything but gold, why would they? And they are stiletto's and opened toed YES I KNOW but really – they are cute. And they would just match enough with my bridesmaids shoes, from Aldo, on the bottom.

 

This little Nine West number is pretty cute, non? It’s a bit Plain Jane, but the fabric has some texture to it which I like. The heel is a stiletto, yes and I don’t know how long I could actually reasonably last in them but on paper, they’re what I’m looking for.

 

These Campers are VERY fun. I like the Mary Jane quality, I love that it would cover my something blue, I like the heel width AND height. They just aren’t going to cut it though – they will not, at all, even remotely, in the slightest work with my dress. If the heel was MAYBE half an inch higher and the strap was a hit closer to the toe, maybe.

 

These little guys from Max Studio shoes are cute, I love the champagne colour. Which won’t go at all with my dress, which is white. I like the floral element but again. I’m not sold. I think it’s kind of a sexy – rexy shoe that I would probably wear again, but still.

 

Well, aren’t I dull. Calvin Klein.

 

At this point, I’m liking these pumps by Anthropologie the best. But really am getting exhausted. What do you think? Actually?

Which shoes do you like best?
	Kate Spade
	Nine West
	Campers
	Max Studios
	Calvin Klein
	Anthropolgie
pollcode.com free polls

The Royal Wedding: My take

Okay you’re all tired of it. I’m tired of it. I have a Royal Wedding hangover. I was writing like a maniac all week long, being irritated that I wasn’t in London. If you missed my other posts, here they are.

• Bringing London to You (Calgary Bride)
• Lisa’s London Book Club (Calgary Bride)
• A Girl Fit to be Queen {How Kate Middleton outsnobbed them all} (KateMiddleton.com)

So the only thing I’m interested in seeing meow is pictures of Harry making out with a drunk and bloated Chelsy Davy so I’m not going to recap the whole thing. But here’s what I will do – sum up some of the highlights for me.

The Dress(es)

• I loved her dress. I spent a good chunk of time on Thursday night staring at Grace Kelly’s dress and I couldn’t figure out why. And meow I remember – I’m clearly a psychic. I thought it was very appropriate, especially for a couple who kept making claims about being recession conscious, and I thought it suited her body shape (with that itty bitty waist that shrunk to a reported 22’’ in that dress) and her nice long neck and jawline. I love the high neck of the dress and the lace sleeves made her look long and delicate. However, I do wish that the bow and bustle on the back of her dress was bigger. But that’s because I love bows.
• I liked her second dress, I didn’t particularly care for the furry cover up she wore. Fuzzy clothes never appeal to me so I’m not saying it wasn’t nice, I’m just saying I only liked it. But I thought like she could have chosen something better – I thought it was kind of lazy.  But I’m incredibly lazy so like I can judge.

• Pippa. Shut the front door Pippa. For the longest time, I kinda thought Pippa got the short end of the Middleton stick. Not as a pretty, not dating a prince, middle child. But Pippa on the wedding day taught me one thing about Kate Middleton – she is a good sister. She loves her sister – she said to herself, you know what? I can’t rock my body but that doesn’t mean my sister can’t. And lest we forget, the Middleton’s are social climbers so what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Carol Middleton had a hand in ensuring that Pippa stole the show because Kate owns the fuggin’ theatre. Kate is a good sister.

Venue

• Why is there a wall in the middle of Westminster Abbey? I felt bad for the guests who were on the other side of the wall.

Hats

• Okay I know everyone is all a flutter about how fugugugugugly Beatrice and Eugenie’s hats were. But here me out. First off, those two are always wearing crazy shit like that so who’s surprised, really? Second off, people are having a huff that they were trying to show up the bride. I disagree – I think they knew Kate would be conservatively dressed because Kate is the type of girl who should write a manual on dressing safely (not that I don’t love her style, because I dress somewhat similar to her) so they thought they would kick it up a notch. And thirdly, these girls are  born royalty. No matter who Kate is marrying, Bea and Genie are born royals, 4th and 5th in line to the throne (I think). Kate is 10 millionth in line to throne, probably behind me. So those girls can wear whatever the eff they want, because Granny loves them more than she’ll ever love Kate.
• And also I love Beatrice’s hat. I just would have worn it skewed to the side of my head as opposed to straight on. I think it rocked.