This weekend I wanted to buy a wedding magazine to look at while I watched football. I was hoping to get a new issue of The Knot but couldn't find one. So instead I decided that I would get Martha Stewart Weddings since I was hoping to do a lot myself. Here are all of the joyous things I discovered!
::Ribbon is your friend::
She had the amazing idea to make a guy's boutonniere out of silk ribbon! It actually looks really good and not cheap or tacky. I'm thinking of doing this for the Groom and Groomsmen. It is different and a nice way to make the men standout but still match. I gave it a try with some test ribbon and it turned out pretty well. I used a fabric glue and that kind of showed through, so I might try using thread instead. Oh, and fabric glue pretty much dries like cement. I can't get the pin that was holding it together out anymore.
She also made hanging balls out of a bunch of ribbon. A lot of weddings have those balls of flowers - but those are really expensive! So she took the same design for the boutonnieres and put a few together and then messed it up a little to make a ball! It looks so good. I'm thinking of having those hang off the aisles at the wedding ceremony. Cute, cheap, and won't die!
::Paper, paper, and more paper::
She had the cutest favors where there were 3 peices of square chocolate each individually wrapped in a foil and then a decorative peice of paper was wrapped around them. It was just normal scrapbook paper but half of a heart was cut out and pressed open to give the appearance of being a full heart! I am almost certain that we will do a variation of this for the wedding. It is just too darn cute!
I have recently decided that I would like to do escort cards. Originally I was going to have a board telling people where to sit and then have there seats assigned, but this is just too Bridezilla. There were a couple of times where the escort cards were pinned on to a board of some sort and were organized alphabetically. I loved this! I think it is a fantastic idea! I'm thinking I will do this and maybe have the boards leaning in a sheet of baby grass. I don't know about the grass aprt, but I am sure about the board part.
::A whole new love for fabric::
Along with the escort cards, there were some that had holes cut out of them to reveal a strip of fabric that amtched the cloth on the table number board. It was super cute and coordinated.
I had already seen this done but it is still fantastic. Instead of just doing a book for the guests to sign, how about a quilt? I am going to have squares of fabric cut out and ready for guests to sign. My guestbook attendants will be at the ready and keeps squares pinned to a board to make it easy for people to write on them. I'm thinking of just using a sharpie because fabric pens can be hard to use sometimes.
::Who knew seating arrangement could be fun?::
MarthaStewartWeddings.com has little gadget online that allows you to import your guest list and then add them to seats. You can create any size room and add tables and chairs to the room. Then you can actually assign seating! It is so slick! I am in love with it. I can't wait until all the RSVPs are in and I get to really use it!
My current list of "Wedding Planning Needs" in no particular order is...
1. TheKnot.com
2. MarthStewartWeddings.com
3. Target planning binder
4. Groom
Monday, January 12, 2009
They Call Me Lazy Susan
My day has spun around and around like a lazy Susan. Please, allow me to tell you all about it.
This morning I wake up to find a note sitting on my jacket that says "Amanda! Happy Valentine's Day!" and a box of chocolates! Now, as you might know, it is not Valentines Day. Patrick is up to something. Under the box of chocolates is an envelope that says "Do NOT open until Tuesday." Now I'm really curious. So this puts me in a fantastic mood.
Then at work I got to work with Mary Kate whom I have not worked with in a long time! We had a blast. We made a palm tree out of cardboard, tape, and paint and it looks amazing! It is for the new window display. So with good customers, great company, and craft time - this morning was amazing. Then I went to the gym.
The gym itself wasn't so bad. I did the usual workout and then talked to a lady about setting up tanning and getting my insurance to reimburse me for working out. At the end I weighed myself like I always do. This was an awful idea. Today I weighed in at 173.8 pounds. This is the most I have ever weighed in my entire life. I was devastated. I couldn't help but start crying. When I think of all the good food I have given up and the time to go workout... it was just... crappy. So I am going to start counting calories instead of just eating well. I'll find out if I really am eating as well as I hoped. So far so good.
I have just discovered I broke a nail. Bummer.
This morning I wake up to find a note sitting on my jacket that says "Amanda! Happy Valentine's Day!" and a box of chocolates! Now, as you might know, it is not Valentines Day. Patrick is up to something. Under the box of chocolates is an envelope that says "Do NOT open until Tuesday." Now I'm really curious. So this puts me in a fantastic mood.
Then at work I got to work with Mary Kate whom I have not worked with in a long time! We had a blast. We made a palm tree out of cardboard, tape, and paint and it looks amazing! It is for the new window display. So with good customers, great company, and craft time - this morning was amazing. Then I went to the gym.
The gym itself wasn't so bad. I did the usual workout and then talked to a lady about setting up tanning and getting my insurance to reimburse me for working out. At the end I weighed myself like I always do. This was an awful idea. Today I weighed in at 173.8 pounds. This is the most I have ever weighed in my entire life. I was devastated. I couldn't help but start crying. When I think of all the good food I have given up and the time to go workout... it was just... crappy. So I am going to start counting calories instead of just eating well. I'll find out if I really am eating as well as I hoped. So far so good.
I have just discovered I broke a nail. Bummer.
Friday, January 9, 2009
This week
::Workout::
I really like my gym, I'm close to being in love with it in fact. If only my going to the gym actually helped. I've been doing this workout now for quite a few months and I don't think anything is changing. It's pretty similar to the workout I did the last time I lost weight and I even gave up pop like I did last time. The difference is that this time nothing is happening.
I stayed at 171 pounds this entire week. I'm so sick of seeing that number on the scale. Absolutely sick of it. I've started eating really good foods. I'm eating a good amount of calories - not too much, not too little. I drink more water. I cut out pop. I hardly ever have a drink anymore. What on earth is wrong with me? If it were not for this wedding coming up I know I would be quitting this workout thing.
Hopefully this new and improved diet will make things better. We'll see I guess.
::Job Search::
Today I applied for a job at EAG (Endeavor Advertising Group). It is different than anything else I have applied for but still sounds like fun. It's a marketing manager position and they do a 10-12 month training plan. They also hire within the company which is something I really look for in a place to work. They work with the sports, dining, and entertainment industries in the Twin Cities which is awesome! It really sounds cool. Thank you Tiffanie for mentioning it!
I have also been applying for Executive Administrative Assistant jobs. I'm not quite qualified for these but I figure if you don't try you'll never succeed. Soon I'll start applying for regular Administrative Assistant jobs which I know I am qualified for.
I am also going to start looking for jobs working with theaters! I think those would be perfect for me and my theater and business background. I'm hoping for the best on that front.
::Wedding::
Nothing new really on the wedding front. After talking to Tiffanie I am considering doing escort cards. Originally I had a board that showed what table everyone was at, and then at the table was a card with their name on it showing what seat they were sitting at. I guess it is kinda control freak of me to assign specific seats, especially since everyone gets the same dinner. So we're looking into that.
All in all it was a good week I guess, it just had it's ups and downs.
I really like my gym, I'm close to being in love with it in fact. If only my going to the gym actually helped. I've been doing this workout now for quite a few months and I don't think anything is changing. It's pretty similar to the workout I did the last time I lost weight and I even gave up pop like I did last time. The difference is that this time nothing is happening.
I stayed at 171 pounds this entire week. I'm so sick of seeing that number on the scale. Absolutely sick of it. I've started eating really good foods. I'm eating a good amount of calories - not too much, not too little. I drink more water. I cut out pop. I hardly ever have a drink anymore. What on earth is wrong with me? If it were not for this wedding coming up I know I would be quitting this workout thing.
Hopefully this new and improved diet will make things better. We'll see I guess.
::Job Search::
Today I applied for a job at EAG (Endeavor Advertising Group). It is different than anything else I have applied for but still sounds like fun. It's a marketing manager position and they do a 10-12 month training plan. They also hire within the company which is something I really look for in a place to work. They work with the sports, dining, and entertainment industries in the Twin Cities which is awesome! It really sounds cool. Thank you Tiffanie for mentioning it!
I have also been applying for Executive Administrative Assistant jobs. I'm not quite qualified for these but I figure if you don't try you'll never succeed. Soon I'll start applying for regular Administrative Assistant jobs which I know I am qualified for.
I am also going to start looking for jobs working with theaters! I think those would be perfect for me and my theater and business background. I'm hoping for the best on that front.
::Wedding::
Nothing new really on the wedding front. After talking to Tiffanie I am considering doing escort cards. Originally I had a board that showed what table everyone was at, and then at the table was a card with their name on it showing what seat they were sitting at. I guess it is kinda control freak of me to assign specific seats, especially since everyone gets the same dinner. So we're looking into that.
All in all it was a good week I guess, it just had it's ups and downs.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Worst Day at the Gym
The worst day at the gym is always the first. I considered today another first day. It has been probably 2 weeks since I have gone to the gym. So today was awful. But I did it.
Here is my workout until Jan 26th. I got this off of The Knot website. It slowly built up, which is why I like it.
:: 30 minutes of aerobic exercise
:: 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
:: 3 sets of 15 push ups
:: 3 sets of 15 squats
:: 3 sets of 15 biceps curls
:: 3 sets of 15 triceps curls
:: 3 sets of 15 chest presses
I'll be going to the grocery store to do my first extremely healthy shopping excursion. I'm hoping to find a lot of healthy and tasty recipes and see where that takes me. I also like to play with food so I might just buy a bunch of food and throw it together in my giant skillet of doom. Anyone have any good ideas for healthy recipes?
Here is my workout until Jan 26th. I got this off of The Knot website. It slowly built up, which is why I like it.
:: 30 minutes of aerobic exercise
:: 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
:: 3 sets of 15 push ups
:: 3 sets of 15 squats
:: 3 sets of 15 biceps curls
:: 3 sets of 15 triceps curls
:: 3 sets of 15 chest presses
I'll be going to the grocery store to do my first extremely healthy shopping excursion. I'm hoping to find a lot of healthy and tasty recipes and see where that takes me. I also like to play with food so I might just buy a bunch of food and throw it together in my giant skillet of doom. Anyone have any good ideas for healthy recipes?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Do-It-Yourself Invitations
One of the not-so-new trends in weddings is DIY invitations. I decided to take this route for my wedding for three reasons:
1. I thought it would be cheaper
2. Pre-made invitations just didn't fit the feel/theme of my wedding
3. I love using InDesign and Photoshop
Cost
So far it has been more cost effective to design my own invitations. I will be printing 150 invitations for a total of 250 guests. I will be printing my invitations at a local printer - Insty prints - and they are very easy to work with. The invitations include: 5x7 invitation, 4.25x5.5 RSVP card, 4.25x5.5 directions card, inner envelope, outer envelope, stamps for invitations, and stamps for RSVP card.
When I was creating my budget I was only thinking about the cost of printing and the stamps for the invitations themselves. I completely forgot about envelopes and stamps for the RSVP card! This very much threw off my budget, but it still all has come to a very reasonable price.
My suggestions: Think through everything that is included in the invitation when budgeting, purchase forever stamps for invitations (they may not be as cute but if stamp prices are going to rise soon it may help cut out a few bucks), make the RSVP card a postcard because stamps are sheaper then, and remember that time=money (you may save money out of your pocket but the time it takes to make the invitations might be more valuable at times).
Theme
I am VERY happy with how they turned out and I know that the time spent making them was well worth it.
I feel that they fit the theme of the wedding well and they give the guest an idea of the formality of the wedding. It says that they wedding will be fun, springy, and slightly formal. At least that is what people I ask say it says.
Both the RSVP and the Save-the-Date card had a similar feel. They both have the lines on the top and bottom of the card. I always use the same font with the same colors. I am stingy when it comes to my fonts - anyone who knows me really knows how true that is!
My suggestion: It's your wedding, don't just settle for something.
Adobe
I have never officially taken a graphic design course but I like to think that I know enough to be able to design something spectacular. Adobe makes fantastic programs and they are not too difficult to learn. I have been using photoshop since I was little and InDesign isn't too different from that. Likewise, if you are used to Illustrator, InDesign is also similar.
My suggestion: Use what you know to make your DIY invitation. Whether that be stamps, scrapbook, fabric, or your computer. If you don't know any of these very well I am sure you can find a class nearby on any of these!
1. I thought it would be cheaper
2. Pre-made invitations just didn't fit the feel/theme of my wedding
3. I love using InDesign and Photoshop
Cost
So far it has been more cost effective to design my own invitations. I will be printing 150 invitations for a total of 250 guests. I will be printing my invitations at a local printer - Insty prints - and they are very easy to work with. The invitations include: 5x7 invitation, 4.25x5.5 RSVP card, 4.25x5.5 directions card, inner envelope, outer envelope, stamps for invitations, and stamps for RSVP card.
When I was creating my budget I was only thinking about the cost of printing and the stamps for the invitations themselves. I completely forgot about envelopes and stamps for the RSVP card! This very much threw off my budget, but it still all has come to a very reasonable price.
My suggestions: Think through everything that is included in the invitation when budgeting, purchase forever stamps for invitations (they may not be as cute but if stamp prices are going to rise soon it may help cut out a few bucks), make the RSVP card a postcard because stamps are sheaper then, and remember that time=money (you may save money out of your pocket but the time it takes to make the invitations might be more valuable at times).
Theme
My theme or feel of the wedding is clean and slightly modern. My colors are mostly white (clean) with orange and pink accents (modern). Here is what my invitations ended up looking like.
I am VERY happy with how they turned out and I know that the time spent making them was well worth it.
I feel that they fit the theme of the wedding well and they give the guest an idea of the formality of the wedding. It says that they wedding will be fun, springy, and slightly formal. At least that is what people I ask say it says.
Both the RSVP and the Save-the-Date card had a similar feel. They both have the lines on the top and bottom of the card. I always use the same font with the same colors. I am stingy when it comes to my fonts - anyone who knows me really knows how true that is!
My suggestion: It's your wedding, don't just settle for something.
Adobe
I have never officially taken a graphic design course but I like to think that I know enough to be able to design something spectacular. Adobe makes fantastic programs and they are not too difficult to learn. I have been using photoshop since I was little and InDesign isn't too different from that. Likewise, if you are used to Illustrator, InDesign is also similar.
My suggestion: Use what you know to make your DIY invitation. Whether that be stamps, scrapbook, fabric, or your computer. If you don't know any of these very well I am sure you can find a class nearby on any of these!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
An important year
We are in the year of my wedding. The year of looking good in a wedding dress. The year of looking good on the beach during my honeymoon. The year of getting my first full-time, non-temp job. The year of getting my first real apartment (those who live in Winona know what I mean by real).
This year could be amazing. I know you're not supposed to make new years resolutions so I won't. But I do have resolutions that are currently taking place that could use an update.
1. Loosing weight and getting healthy.
The last time I weighed myself I was 170 pounds, which is 10 pounds over where I wanted to be right now. I felt discouraged because I had been working out a lot and wasn't loosing the weight. I feel this is because of my diet.
So here is what I am going to do.
:: Continue to not drink pop
:: Cut out fast food
:: Cut out chips
:: Replace with healthy snacks
:: Eat more fish
:: Eat more fruits and veggies
:: Stick with the workout plan
It should be interesting but I think I can do it. I should also mention that when I bought my dress last March I think it was, I was 160 pounds and planning on loosing weight.
2. Find a job and a place to live.
This should be interesting considering we need to find a job before we can find an apartment. I'm going to send out a million applications and make my resume amazing. And then we will play the waiting game.
3. Have an amazing wedding.
I have a groom - which I feel is the most important part - now I just have to continue to plan. I planned so much so early that I had a while between planning phases. We are now in the second phase where the big stuff (photographer, reception and ceremony site, cake, flowers, etc.) is all taken care of.
We're within 6 monthsnow. Which means I need to plan stuff like invitations, favors, dinners, transportation, etc. It has been tough to get into this planning phase because it's more decision making and less brain storming than before. So far it's going alright, I just need to start paying for stuff and going with it and not looking back.
The third phase I think will be the most fun. That is where most stuff is paid for, I just have to create a timeline for when everything will come together. I assume that will need another excel spreadsheet - which just makes me excited!
So those are my three main goals of the year. Which is interesting because pretty much everything has to be done by May 16th. The rest of the year is going to be so easy compared to all this!
This year could be amazing. I know you're not supposed to make new years resolutions so I won't. But I do have resolutions that are currently taking place that could use an update.
1. Loosing weight and getting healthy.
The last time I weighed myself I was 170 pounds, which is 10 pounds over where I wanted to be right now. I felt discouraged because I had been working out a lot and wasn't loosing the weight. I feel this is because of my diet.
So here is what I am going to do.
:: Continue to not drink pop
:: Cut out fast food
:: Cut out chips
:: Replace with healthy snacks
:: Eat more fish
:: Eat more fruits and veggies
:: Stick with the workout plan
It should be interesting but I think I can do it. I should also mention that when I bought my dress last March I think it was, I was 160 pounds and planning on loosing weight.
2. Find a job and a place to live.
This should be interesting considering we need to find a job before we can find an apartment. I'm going to send out a million applications and make my resume amazing. And then we will play the waiting game.
3. Have an amazing wedding.
I have a groom - which I feel is the most important part - now I just have to continue to plan. I planned so much so early that I had a while between planning phases. We are now in the second phase where the big stuff (photographer, reception and ceremony site, cake, flowers, etc.) is all taken care of.
We're within 6 monthsnow. Which means I need to plan stuff like invitations, favors, dinners, transportation, etc. It has been tough to get into this planning phase because it's more decision making and less brain storming than before. So far it's going alright, I just need to start paying for stuff and going with it and not looking back.
The third phase I think will be the most fun. That is where most stuff is paid for, I just have to create a timeline for when everything will come together. I assume that will need another excel spreadsheet - which just makes me excited!
So those are my three main goals of the year. Which is interesting because pretty much everything has to be done by May 16th. The rest of the year is going to be so easy compared to all this!
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