DIY

Not so Quickie Update

In the last few weeks, we’ve had the following wedding progress:

* booked our airfare — yes, this ranks as the absolute highest since it was such a chore! But alas, we have non stop flights to/from Vegas from the 8th to the 13th for $390.99 including the flights, taxes, fees, airline club fees, AND insurance. I may be taking a risk by booking on Spirit Air, but there’s a few reasons why I am OK with it. Namely being in touch with their head of customer service via twitter and email the last few weeks, and also Cat’s sister is working for them. Both make me feel good about the decision. Also you can’t beat that price for 2 people ON a holiday weekend with a stick! Now the problem is finding a hotel room for the 8th since our reservation in the suite is for the 9th-13th. Also, this puts us $200 under our travel budget!

* guest list — I finally typed the names from all the labels and the slips of paper mom gave me into Excel. I was somewhat shocked to find out that it added up to 189 warm bodies including children. The reception will be open to all families, totally casual and just plain fun. Honestly, as much as my head is saying no, I think it’d be completely fun to have a bounce house! The whole shindig is in my parents back yard and guests will have roughly 4-5 acres to roam and play on during the party.

* designed and had printed 2 more stamps for wedding/ post-wedding use — the first is a super fabu address stamp that went through tons of changes before being agreed upon. The other is a stamp for the back of the RSVP envelopes. The envelope stamp says “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Love Robert Frost! These 2 and the original one I had printed were done by the crazy talented BlossomStamps.

* purchased clear labels and downloaded loads of new fonts — yes, I am both lazy and cheap and will be using labels for our invites. The font I finally decided upon is called “MA Sexy” which amuses me, but whatever. It is both easily read and super flourishy. LOVE!

* cupcake tower — during a shopping trip to Home Depot to get the pieces for the tower, dad pointed out that we can do as many projects for the Miami reception, but not Vegas. His idea is to use short pieces of PVC pipe since I was going to wrap whatever I bought with blue painter’s tape anyhow and he has tons of piping. I’m also going to use 2 of the leftover door knobs from our new cabinets since there are a bunch left over.

* cupcake wrappers — I bought 3 shades each of orange and blue 12×12 card stock from Michael’s. After cutting them all out, I’m planning on stamping and embossing the following logo onto each. Steve said he prefers mini cupcakes, so we’ll be getting 4 dozen of those from Retro Bakery. I asked and was told we get 2 flavors per dozen, which is great and all, but their flavors are aMAZing and picking 8 will be torture!

* crinoline — I haven’t ordered one yet as I’m sort of hoping to find one locally. The only problem is I can’t find a store locally that sells square dance outfits. I might just suck it up and order the one from Petticoat Junction. I want a pale blue one, but think getting white and dying it on my own might be a better option than hoping they sell the right color.

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In totally non-wedding related news:
* ECU finally recognized me as a graduate with 2 degrees (the MBA and the MIS certificate)
* I am officially a Florida drivers license holder, now to get Luna transferred as well
* I am the somewhat proud owner of an iPhone. Somewhat because the signal is horrendous, but that may be due to it being an old phone.

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May 25 TMW Post

Tweet: Yay! Our invites, etc from @overnightprints are here!! http://twitpic.com/1p0hlb

I am so so so so so excited about these! In typical graphic designer nit-pickiness, I am annoyed at the resolution on the bamboo, but hey, I will let that go since *I* designed them and didn’t quadruple check. Seriously, these bad boys are so cute and I’ve been carrying around a sample in my purse to show, ummm, everybody! Well, invited everybody’s that it…

Tweet: decided to get crafty… trying to find inspiration to paint our wedding cupcake topper people. so far the base is gold. 🙂

Tweet: Possibly the collegiate design for the topper. Just hoping I don’t look like a boy. #UF & #WVU http://twitpic.com/1q5baa

Tweet: Our mini-me’s have clothes. But still need logos and faces http://twitpic.com/1q5st7

Tweet: We have logos! These mini-me’s are so stinkin’ cute. http://twitpic.com/1q6fw3

Tweet: With the stand… Not done painting or sealing us yet. http://twitpic.com/1q6gbs

Yes, that is my terrible handwriting on the base. I might repaint and try it again.

Sorry for the series of progressive tweets, but I finally started working on the cake topper. I bought the pieces and paint a few weeks ago.  I guess it’s just been sitting here awaiting inspiration. After showing Steve a bunch of super cute ideas on Etsy, including Han & Leia, space suits, and so much more, I had a random source of said inspiration and was off and running. It hasn’t been put together yet as “we” still need faces and then a final coat of glaze, but here’s the progress pictures… cuz “we’re” so cute!

I also exchanged a series of tweets and Facebook posts with friends about airlines. I spent the better part of Sunday checking airfare again with nothing really extraordinary except Spirit Airlines. During one of my question tweets, the manager of customer relations started asking where we were heading and answering questions I had about the possible pilot strike, pricing, etc then said if I had any problems, I could contact her directly.  Behold the power of twitter to sooth my nerves.  For a company with so much negative reviews, they are really quick to respond to complaints on twitter.  As for the rest of the web, who knows how fast they respond.

138 days!

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A real update!

I know I do not post nearly as much as I should. But in all honesty, I do the majority of my wedding “planning” on twitter these days. I am also the featured bride on Tuesdays over on TweetMyWedding. The other brides are amazing and you should really go check us all out. 🙂

sneak peek of the design for all the “invites”

That little plug aside, I’ve finalized the design for our “invites” and just need the final head count to order them. I put it in quotes because it’s a whole package of Vegas wedding announcements, Miami reception invitation cards, Miami reception RSVP cards, and little cards for our photo dump website. Our what? You know… when you go to a wedding, take tons of pictures with your camera then eventually get around to putting them on Facebook. Well, I created a Shutterfly site specifically for people to be able to upload everything there so we can see what everyone has done. We, and anyone viewing the site, can create books, bags, or whatever else from those pictures.

My main reason for posting is that we have been working on the guest list in the last few days. We have a fairly comprehensive list of family and friends. The problem lies in my father’s family. To say they’re all estranged is probably too harsh of a word. I am good friends with one of my cousin’s, and facebook friends with her and 3 others. However, my father hasn’t uttered a word to his step-mother, step-brother or step-sister in years. We kinda like it that way. My dilemma is do we be the bigger people and invite the lot hoping the “adults” decline and the cousins I like accept, or just not invite anyone?

What do you think? I can give back story if you want via email.

Thanks!

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Veil, Blocked!

It’s finished. It’s blocked. Now I just need to sew the comb onto it. It’s currently sitting pinned to the blocking mats in our spare room.

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4.5 months later, my wedding veil is done

All of my progress pictures since casting on October 29, 2009.

One of my favorites twitter tags lately has been #imcrazy.

I’m crazy for undertaking such a huge knitting project. As a fairly new knitter, I decided that I would knit my wedding veil. I cast on the first stitches on October 29, 2009 and just now finished it on March 16, 2010. It was a very long 4.5 months and well over 48,000 stitches.

I am unbelievably proud of myself for undertaking this project and completing it.
So proud of how gorgeous it turned out.
So proud of my perseverance in knitting every day at lunch and while watching TV at night.

I still need to block* it and attach it to the comb. But for now, it is completely finished.

* Blocking means wetting the piece and pinning it to a board to force it into the proper shape.

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Reception stuff

Also, here’s a wedding post for you!

I spent the day working on wedding things. Why? Because I didn’t want to study or do research for moving costs and budgeting. Oh yeah, we’re moving! But anyhow, I spent the day messing with the wedding.

First I was trying to find a template for mini cupcake wrappers. Um, what, Becca? This is what I’m talking about, but of course in our colors and style.

Then I was looking for cupcake tower plates, platters, and cake boards. I wasn’t sure if I’d make a true tower or just have a bunch of funky platters with tons of mini cupcakes on them. I checked etsy, ebay, Oriental Trading, Amazon, and finally did a search and found the site I’ll be buying the Styrofoam pieces from: The Baker’s Kitchen.

In the end, I decided to get a 10″ board and a 14″ board for the cupcakes and a fun plate for the 6″ cake. Assuming each cupcake will take up a 2″ block, I can fit 25 on the 10″ board and 40 on the 14″ board. Oh, there will be a 6″ wide x 4″ tall column hooking the 2 together and taking up 9 2″ spots. Yes, I am anal retentive about all this. 🙂

I also found some little orange and blue dessert plates on Oriental Trading for like $3 for 18 plates. So 2 packs will (hopefully) cover everyone!

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veil combs

I want to wear my veil, but not my hair, like this:

Tonight I started looking for combs to attach my lovely knitted veil to so I can shove it into my hair.However, I also have a total bling comb that I bought ages ago. I cannot and will not attach the veil to the bling comb since there are rhinestones and crystals all over the place that can snag it. And after knitting it for months, I don’t want it ruined! 🙂

So here’s my choices for the combs:
1. http://bit.ly/a67bJi 
2. http://bit.ly/96cutE 
3. http://bit.ly/9UaGBP 
4. http://bit.ly/cWdddN 
5. http://bit.ly/9tZobq

Read the sizes in their descriptions and let me know whatcha think, please. 🙂

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#wedding veil progress

I took a study break tonight and got up to row 36 (of 126) in my veil. I love it!

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