DIY Wedding #11: le Fleur.

Moment of transparency, this is one subject that I probably fail at as a woman. I have never possessed the magical "green thumb," I don't know how to arrange flowers in an appealing way, and my favorite flower is a daisy--partly because I truly love them, and partly because I can't seem to recall any other flower by name. Ok, so I know "hydrangea," but I got lucky because they grow by my parents house. It's all a work in progress, I'm determined to learn.

Needless to say, I was pretty clueless when it came to the specific flowers that I wanted in my bouquet. Thankfully, my florist/wedding coordinator/good friend, Ginny was able to transform my wish for a "hipster, woodsy, whimsical, wildflower" look into actual bouquets.

I'm no florist, so instead of raving about flower types I'm going to conduct this post in a very straightforward manner. As a bride who wants beautiful flowers on her wedding day, I want you to know all of your options to help you think outside of the box when it comes to picking your bouquet. As for deciding on specific flowers, that's up to you!

DIY Wedding #10: To register or not to register, that is the question!

Amidst all of the planning and scheduling, there are a few, rare gems that are completely stress-free and fun to do. The Wedding Registry, my friend, is one of them. It's one of the few times in your life that you can ask people for exactly what you want in a gift without being selfish--because people are arbitrarily asking. Plus, it gets those gears turning on thoughts of home decorating and coveted kitchen tools. You can ask for all of the things that you wouldn't normally buy, all of those things that make your house your home, and things that will aid in establishing a foundation for your married life.

We all love presents and shopping, I don't need to blab on about why this is so great--you know! So in order to help you decide on where to register, I've compiled a list of stores & benefits that in my opinion/experience are among the best. Keep in mind that these are my personal picks! This is a short list and certainly inexhaustible when it comes to registry options. But first I must mention some basics...

DIY Wedding #9: Why We Chose a "First Look."

I'm sitting here in our sunny, yellow office watching even more snow fall from the sky, mentally preparing myself to start reading my Humanities textbook. Then I remembered! I promised you an extra post to explain my decision behind having a First Look at our wedding. Huzzah! A reason to put off homework a little longer...

DIY Wedding #8: Photographers & Videographers, oh my!

Good afternoon, soon-to-be-brides and faithful readers!

I missed my goal for posting on Monday this week, so Tuesday will have to do. Sorry for the wait, but I think you'll find the wait a little more beneficial than if I would have stayed up until 1am finishing it yesterday.

This DIY Wedding post is devoted solely to the topic of "Photography & Videography." It's a big topic--it can be a bit overwhelming, both mentally and financially. So I'm writing this post purely from the bride's perspective, what I wish I knew when I was planning this part, paired with what I learned from my photographer & videographer friends along the way.

I know that this whole series is devoted to DIY's and budget weddings--that's exactly what mine was. But I do hold to the opinion that some things should be considered an investment rather than automatically going the cheapest route.

This post fits into the investment category.

I want to share how you can save a little bit but also invest and get some bang for your buck. 

My new favorite!

To my thrifting and penny-pinching, friends!

I'm writing today to share with you the wonderful news that is Thred UP. If you haven't heard of it before, prepare to have your mind blown.

This blog is all about doing what you can with what you have--so in my mind, this applies to all things budget-minded and thrifty. Being a married, college-student puts me smack dab in the middle of that description. When things are tight, bills come first and clothes shopping is out of the question. At those times I just veer away from window shopping because I get inspired, then tempted. 

But may I present the resolution to that problem *hallelujah chorus*.

DIY Wedding #7: Save the Dates & Invites.

Welcome to the start of another week and a new "DIY Wedding" post! This week we're going to get a bit more hands-on and discuss the paper goods that you'll send to your guests. This was something that I cared a lot about, probably more than I should have. But I'm a designer at heart and I wanted our Save-the-Dates and Invites to display who we were and a sneak peak at our wedding's style.

On one hand, don't break a sweat over these because the people who really want to come will not base their RSVP on your chosen design of invitation, and in the end, unless it's your Mother or Grandma--it will probably end it's journey in the trash.

DIY Wedding #6: the Suit.

Last week was quite the extensive post on "the dress." Tips for all those little accessory details, hair styles, and a reminder to remain sane--you can read it here. But this week, it's time to stop thinking about yourself and consider your groom. He's the man that you can't wait to sleep next to, the man that makes you laugh, knows all of your quirks and passions, and has made such an impression in your life that you can't imagine living without. He is the man that is offering to share his last name, adventure through life together, and promising to care and provide for only you, with an expensive ring as a token.

All that to say, he's a pretty important figure and the wedding would still be a day dream without him making it a reality. But before I jump into suits and guy stuff, I want to throw this thought out there.

Because we women need the reminder.

How to De-stress from a Stressed Woman.

From one of my recent posts, you may have gathered that it's been a bit of a rough patch for me this past month. It seems as though all that could be going wrong, is going wrong. And as I discussed in that post, it's God's way of bringing me back to Himself and helping me to refocus on the things that truly matter. If you want to read more about that, click here.

But this post isn't about reiterating that, instead I want to bounce off of that into ways that we can de-stress in the midst of hard things. I may not be an expert, but I am an independent, go-getter (AKA control freak) that goes and gets herself in over her head at times. I may be able to do five things at once, but I can't control my life. When I try, or things fall apart at the seams, I get stressed.

DIY Wedding #5: the Dress.

The past few weeks we've been talking about foundational things to consider such as the theme, venue, colors, & bridal party. But now it's time to consider "the dress." You may not need to be reminded, but it's easy to get caught up in the details and forget to take some time for you.

the Dress

What every girl dreams about in her wedding schemes, is the dress. I mean THE dress. It isn't just any dress, it's the ONE DAY ONLY dress that you'll say "I do" in and model in your $1,000 pictures. I don't say that to intimidate you, but these are the subconscious feelings that are ingrained in us ladies with the first Disney princess movie that we watch. It's a lot of pressure. How will you ever find that ONE dress?

Pins of the Week.

Believe or not, I actually wrote this post on Friday as intended, but apparently pushed "save" instead of "publish"--it makes all the difference! So sorry for the mishap--here are last week's favorite Pins!

Recipe

Some friends recently had us over for dinner and this was dessert. Oh man, was it tasty! It's a perfect "chilled" cake and super easy to make. Andrew was begging me for the recipe.

FREE Printables for your wall.

In loo of yesterday's post, I decided that it might be beneficial to make some encouraging reminders that look nice for the home.

I'm a lover of printables, especially if they're free. They work great with some cheap, painted frames from the thrift or Dollar store! So here are some of my favorite quotes and verses that help remind me that I live for a greater purpose than my own. 

Click on the pictures to snag the print link. Also, some of the PDF's may not fully show on the Google Doc, but if you download the picture it will print correctly. Enjoy!

What is the Point.

I've had this post sitting in my draft pile for over a month now. It's something that I've been processing through in the last few months, something I've been meaning to share, but haven't quite had the words to say. So it's been collecting dust. But yesterday, as I read the encouraging words that my good friend, Jacqueline at Raindrops on Roses, posted, it got me thinking.

It leads me to ask, "what is the point?"

I've always been a fan of transparency and so it's time to share some of my own. I don't mean to copy, maybe since we're both at similar stages of life--we think alike. But going off of what she said, with those same thoughts that have been tormenting me, I want to share with you the point.

DIY Wedding #4: What to Wear.

We left off last week with how to ask the people that you want to be in your wedding party. Now you're left with another mission to accomplish--choosing what everyone should wear.

Prior to engagement and even shortly after, I thought that I had this all figured out--but no, my friend, I didn't. Once I sat down and started looking--I realized that my initial plan wouldn't work or was too hard to achieve, I was also in love with several color palettes. Not to mention, halfway through the process--once everything has been sent out and purchased--I started to question the answers that I thought were so good in the beginning stages (but that was wedding stress--it ended up completely fine).

"Full of Sauce."

Last week I went to town on making my own variety of sauces and dressings. All in attempt to be frugal but primarily healthy. You make it, you know what goes in it. Granted not all of the following recipes are the most nutritious, but they taste delicious (and in our house are considered "weekend stuff").

Another perk of making your own sauce or dressing is that the recipes are considerate of your time and easy to make. These recipes call for things that you already have in your cupboards. So if you carve out an hour or so (including clean-up) on menu-planning day or baking day, or whatever day that you have, it's easy to include a little sauce in your life.

Most importantly, a good sauce or dressing is much needed in life. It adds flavor and substance to a good meal. And as Geoffrey Chaucer said,

"Woe to the cook whose sauce has no sting."

So, fellow cooks, allow me to share with you a few sauce recipes that possess sting.

DIY Wedding #3: the Wedding Party.

To define the wedding party, it's a combination of those people that are nearest to you, the best friends, sisters, and college roomies. They are the people that you know will keep you accountable in your marriage, the ones who will smile just as much as you--because you mean as much to them as they do to you, and those who, even if you haven't known since diapers, feel as though you do.

Pins of the Week.

(and just because I love Mr. Carson & Ms. Hughes) 

With Valentines Day on the horizon, I'm dedicating this week's favorite pins to this day o' love. As poor college students, we didn't make any elaborate plans--but that doesn't mean that it can't be special. Here's some ideas for you consider if you're on a tight budget this year, but have a special someone that you want to love up on. Whether you're crafty or not, I think you'll "love" these pins!

Free, Printable Valentines!

Hello all last minute card givers, penny-pinchers, and multi-taskers.

If you're like me, the concept of card giving for those sneaky holidays like Valentines, creep up before you even have a chance to think twice about it. Not to mention, most are a little expensive for those on a tight budget. And unless you have insane drawing skills, like Jacqueline over at Raindrops on Roses, you're left with nothing to give.

But wait, I have the solution! I searched Pinterest far and wide for good Valentines printables, and apart from kiddo central, there weren't any really cool ones that I would actually want to give. So, I made my own and I'm sharing them with you, for FREE.

Guest Post: Sarah Owen "How to Make Kick-Butt BBQ"

Cheryl and I go way back. I mean waaayyyy back to the years of awkward tween-ness that we would all rather forget. As much as we’ve changed over the years, though, she has always had a knack for art, writing, ingenuity and over-all craftiness. I’m privileged to be a guest on her blog and hope I can do it some justice. I hope you can glean something from my experience making one of the latest recipes I’ve discovered!

DIY: Light Box.

As a blogger, you find yourself taking lots of pictures--anything that you can blog about needs a good shot to go with it. I don't have the best camera out there, so I try to use good lighting and location to my advantage. Still, I don't prefer our speckled counter tops or tacky wood grain furniture to feature my latest creations for the blog. So I pursued other options, and there are many: fabric/paper backdrops hung from the ceiling, a unique surface like a wood cutting board, or just the all-natural.

DIY Wedding #2: What's your style?

 

We have already arrived at week #2 for the DIY Wedding Series, and as promised, it's all about the fun stuff! Generally speaking, how to pick and choose the fun details to make sure that your personality comes through on your wedding day. This is all about your style and how to represent that in your wedding's theme, colors, and venue.

Pins of the Week.

You may have thought that I eluded you this Friday (and in the midst of the craziness, I thought I might have to), but lo, and behold, a little chunk of time on Saturday night and I am making up for yesterday's missed post. So without further ado, here are my favorite Pins of the Week.

Printable

This particular printable has to be my absolute favorite. I am obsessed with this blog, French Press Mornings, and the stuff that she puts out. Each Wednesday, entitled, "Encouraging Wednesdays," she posts a new scripture printable, typically 4x6. Each one is uniquely different from the other, one more simplistic and another excessively artistic. I've already printed out each one available so far, and keep up every week. I use them in frames, particularly one large frame with no back, instead wire and clips to swap out new pieces, which hangs above my coffee bar. It's something to look forward to each week, and I love having a cute, artsy form of foundational truths hanging on my walls.

Deeply Rooted Magazine.

If you don't know what I'm talking about when I say, "Deeply Rooted Magazine," it's high time that you check out this link and familiarize yourself.

DIY: Paper Rose Wreaths

Like I've said before, printables can change your life. If you have a reliable printer and some skills with framing, you can decorate your home for nickels and dimes. A month or so ago, I discovered one of my new favorite sites, Elli, which is home to several printables that I have already taken advantage of.

DIY Wedding #1: Details, Details, Details

Well, it's officially Monday and the start of another week. But whats more, it also marks the first day of my DIY Wedding Series. Where else to start than with the details.

Details, although sometimes painstaking, lay the groundwork for any event, especially weddings. About a month before you get to say, "I do," you'll start wishing that you never have to think through or decide on another detail again. For that reason, it may be tempting to jump right into the fun stuff, but without these essential details you won't have any place for those fun things to go. However essentials these details and decisions may be, it's hard to know where to begin. Especially if you're trying to be budget friendly and doing mostly everything yourself.

Pins of the Week.

Happy Friday! I'm not sure about you, but it feels like this week has gone by extremely slow. But hallelujah, there is light at the end of the tunnel and I look forward to some R&R this weekend (since last weekend never really came).

Today is the first day of "Pins of the Week," so I'll elaborate on my scheme a little bit. I've broken it down into categories that I've found are my top searches--the things that I look for the most. What I have thus far: Recipes, DIYs, Nifty, Printables, and a Bonus pin of whatever theme.

DIY 

This week I found some pins and links that have me almost obsessed with concrete. I never really thought of that as a crafting material before...but boy, oh, boy, is it. I haven't gotten to try this yet, but it looks really simple and there are so many things to make with it! Plus, the link for this "Concrete Cheeseboard" comes from a really cool blog: A Daily Something. You should definitely check out the rest of her blog, I was greatly inspired by what she had to share.

"What About Second Breakfasts?"

If you're like me and you're constantly in between two or three things, especially in the middle of the day, you'll find that you can sometimes forget to eat. This is primarily out of the fact that food takes TIME, and time you do not have.

But today I want to introduce to the solution.

Smoothies.

I'm not talking about sugary, Orange Julius smoothie. Although that sounds pretty good. But based on a picture that I saw a few weeks ago, I was inspired to create this particular smoothie for lunch...or brunch.

welcome.

Good afternoon and welcome to my renovated, and now public, blog!

As you will see there are several posts from this fall, featuring personal thoughts and projects. The look is a little different from your standard blog, so feel free to play around with things (aka. the drop down menu at the top allows you to look at the blog several different ways--trust me, it's fun!)

Things are still in the works--the geeky things like Pinterest Hover buttons and social media apps. Until then, you are more than welcome to take a peak at my past posts. Before you do that, I want to add that there are several plans in the works for this coming year!

What break tastes like.

As the “newlywed student” couple living off and away in WI, we found ourselves packing a nutshell of our lives into the trusty, old Buick and heading off on a 17hr trip to the homeland of PA.
Now that it’s almost over, I find myself refreshed but also ready to head back to our little routine. I’m thrilled at the thought of moving back to PA in May, but for now, my home is in WI and it is calling to me.

This was the first break that I did not have to work long hours to stock up the checking account, instead I’ve had hours to spend with family & friends—I hardly knew what to do with myself!
I’ve compiled a few pictures to articulate our break this year—the last break as WI college kids (I’m not counting my online classes next year—that’s different).