I Love Me Some Paper

When I was little, I would start planning my future birthday parties the day after my birthday.  Seriously.  I'd start thinking about themes, colors, who'd I'd invite and what the invitations would look like.  Obviously, by the time the next birthday rolled around, I'd have changed mostly all of those details...  But, I've always enjoyed lists and planning.

And, I've always loved paper.  Papers and envelopes and matching pens?  Yes, please.

Yet, when it came to planning our wedding, I couldn't commit to a matching suite.  I loved looking at them and using some of the sites with online customization forms to see what our names and details would look like...  Alas, they were not meant to be.

After getting our Save the Dates done and mailed, my attention turned to invitations.  I quickly came to the conclusion that I wanted them to tie into one of our loose themes: vintage Mexicana.  A few Google Images sessions later and I had a few favorite inspiration pieces.

First, there were some sets that were extremely literal representations.  This set could actually pass for papel picado if it was hung up banner style.  I love how delicate they look.  The laser cutting allowed for some amazing details.

from avie designs STATIONERY

Or, the next ones have the banners printed as part of the design.  I like that this version allows for a bit more text.  It incorporates traditional wording but still gets the theme in there.

from BG Design Studio on etsy

There were a bunch of either type out there - laser cut and printed.  But, I really wanted something I could make myself...  Enter the Pazzles die cut machine I bought months ago.

I tried to find something that combined the aspects I liked from the two above and landed on this:

from Weddings by VIP Travel Discounts

I love how this has some cut out areas but still has room for traditional invitation text.  It's simple, unique and has birds!  (Hello, theme two.)

So, I worked for hours (and hours) trying to learn how to use the software that came with the Pazzles.  Finally, I got the hang of it enough to design my own version of a papel picado inspired invitation...  Here are my first two prototypes:

Personal Pics

I'm so excited with the way they've turned out so far.  I have a few tweaks I still want to make and then I can get moving on cutting them...  I have the paper already.

Cobalt and Cream Puff from cards & pockets

The FI has a week long work trip coming up in March.  I might be setting up a workshop in our living room and cutting page after page while I watch chick flicks (I do that every night when he's out of town) and drink wine.  Hopefully, I can get through the 80-100 copies I'll be needing.

Then, I just need to design the text portion, print those, cut them out... and, then glue everything together.  Piece of cake, right?

Did you find yourself doing something completely opposite of your normal for your wedding?  Is a wedding a good opportunity to be different?  Or, is it safer to stick with the tried and true?

Winter = Baking

I woke up to the sounds of a snow plow.  Weird.  I didn't think we were expecting more than an inch of snow.

Scene from our balcony this morning.

(all personal pics in this post)

And, while the idea of wedding crafts briefly flitted through my mind (clay flowers and die cutting invitations anyone?), I quickly settled on the idea of making Irish Soda Bread.  I was trying to explain it to my supervisor at work yesterday and couldn't quite do it justice...  There is a great bakery (The Italian Bread Place) near my mom's in Greentree where they make amazing soda bread, but that's too far for a snowy morning drive (and, they don't always have it made). 

So, I searched through several of my cookbooks and the interwebs...  Eventually, I settled on this recipe from radmegan.  I'm not going to copy the recipe here, I'll just note the changes I made:

First, I don't usually have buttermilk on hand unless I'm planning on making something specific that calls for it.  So, as I've done in the past, I mixed plain milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice before starting any other recipe related tasks.  It would also work with vinegar...  Mostly, you're looking for some tang and some acid that will interact with the baking soda.

Secondly, I replaced one half cup of the raisins with chopped dried apricots.  They are one of my favorite dried fruits and I thought they'd make a nice substitution.

Finally, I made smaller scone shapes instead of baking the whole recipe as a single loaf.

With all that being said, Irish Soda Bread is super easy to make.  Here are the steps:

whisk the dry ingredients together

add the cubes of butter and work into the flour (I used my hands for this)

stir in the raisins and/or dried fruit pieces

pour the wet ingredients into a well made in the flour mix

stir till mostly combined

turn onto a floured surface and work into a mass of dough

split dough into two circles; cut into four triangle pieces; 

place on floured baking sheet or silpat mat

bake for about 20 minutes 

or until they brown slightly and sound hollow when tapped

Next time, I'd add a bit more sugar and maybe sprinkle some raw sugar on the tops.  Also, I'd probably make the pieces a bit smaller, maybe even half of what I did this time.  This is more for my own portion control than anything...  They are good enough that eating a whole scone shaped piece wasn't difficult.  Also, while I didn't add any, I think these would be great with some jam or butter (especially right out of the oven).

Now, I try to motivate myself to exercise and craft...  Not sure in what order.

Do you have any favorite ways to procrastinate?

I've got a bugg; his name is Steve.

From myApex Fitness

Ok, I haven't actually gone as far as naming my Bodybugg.  But, I do love it (and will admit to saying hello/goodbye when it makes its customary beeping).  Not sure what the Bodybugg is?  Well, it's probably one of the coolest inventions ever.

Long, long ago...  Before the FI was anywhere in the picture...  I had hit my own personal "scary weight".  I assume that most people (women) have this.  Mine was pretty high: 200 lbs.

Yep.  Scary!

On September 16th, 2008, the sixth season of the Biggest Loser started.

From NBC's Biggest Loser Season 6 Pictures

I couldn't find a good picture from the premier, but during that episode, they showed the contestants wearing armbands and logging information onto computers.  With a bit of research, I was able to figure out that the Bodybugg might be exactly what I was looking for.

The armband records metrics throughout the day and then, after uploading through a computer, the web application estimates how many calories were burnt.  Additionally, the application keeps track of calories eaten when food is logged on the website.  This breaks down weight loss into the most basic of principles: burn more calories than you eat.  What?!?  That's all I have to do (I know, easier said than done).

A week after the BLC premier, I was strapping on my own armband, logging food and trying to follow my weight loss program.  And, it worked...  Slowly.  But, worked for a very long time.

Six months in, I had lost about 20 pounds.  Three more months and I was down about 30.  And, while I know that 170 lbs. may seem heavy for a lot of people, I was super happy to be there.  (Prepare yourself for some awesomely terrible pictures from facebook.)

Jan. 2009 (with my cat Ben) - Notice that the cat hides the chin area?

May 2009 - No more hiding behind the cat.

The surprising thing was that I kept the weight off for a very long time.  I didn't officially do a "maintenance" program.  I just started weaning myself off of using the bugg...  I'd skip logging one day a week, then another, etc.  Plus, I found that three, one hour workouts a week was enough to keep my weight steady.  That was totally doable.

Fast forward to February 2010, I was still down 30 lbs and was excited to be moving in with my FI (BF at that time).  I'm sure you can tell where this is headed...

My three mornings a week at boot camp classes were no more.  Actually, all exercise of any type was no more.  My eating habits got pretty atrocious, snacking became an every night kind of thing...  And, it wasn't a small piece of cheese and a glass of wine (like when I lived alone); it was way more food, way more often.

Over a surprisingly small amount of time, I gained all 30 pounds back!

Harrumphf.

And, so, the attempts at weight loss began anew.  Half-assed tries with Weight Watchers got me ten pounds...  But, for the last year, I've been stuck there.

So, a couple weeks ago, I decided to re-up my Bodybugg subscription and give it another go.  Not sure if it's going to be the same magic it was the first time around but I'm definitely hopeful.

After all, I've got a wedding dress I've gotta look amazing in.  I don't want to look back at my wedding pictures and think "if only I'd been thinner, I would have looked great".

Are you hoping to get in better shape before your big day?  Any secrets to working out more effectively?

Indecision

I thought I was set after choosing all my vendors.  That HAD to be the hardest part of planning a wedding, right?

As with so many other aspects of wedding planning, I had no idea what I was talking about.

Vendors were easy (sort of)...  I did my research, read tons of online reviews, checked prices, set up interviews and then either liked them or didn't.  Maybe time consuming, but pretty straight forward.

All the other stuff, not so straight forward.

Like, my constant internal debate over centerpieces...

I know that I love the BORRBY from Ikea.  But, which color?  Which size?  What kind of candles should go inside?

First, I fell in love with the look of the black steel version.  I could picture it with a pillar candle and surrounded by simple vases full of baby's breath (another long standing obsession).

BORRBY and REKTANGEL from Ikea

Baby's Breath arrangement from Intimate Weddings

I thought this centerpiece would look great with the simple white linens supplied by our caterer.  Plus, it "goes with" the overall feel of the venue - vintage farm house.

For the longest time, this was the centerpiece in my head.  I figured I would buy the lanterns and vases once I had a better idea of the number of tables we were expecting.  Then, I'd add some colored circle place mats for under the lanterns, order flowers for a couple days before the wedding and be set.

Then, I started thinking about herbs...  I love using herbs in gardening.  There are so many types of thyme and oregano and other pretty greens that I just love the look and smell of.  So, I started leaning towards a different look.

BORRBY from Ikea

Herb Centerpiece from Think Like a Bride

I like the idea of using the galvanized metal lantern with matching pots (probably also from Ikea) filled with assorted herbs.  I think I like the idea of these centerpieces because they have a bit more color (even if it's just green) compared to the baby's breath.

But, seriously, the more time I spend online, the more choices pop up.  What about just a bunch of candles? What about a traditional flower centerpiece?  (Most likely not going to happen, but still.)  How about a different lantern on each table - based on what ever I could find at Marshalls/Ross/TJ Maxx?

Luckily, I still have plenty of time to figure it all out...  But I realize that I am going to have to pull the trigger at some point.

How soon did you make decisions about decor?  Do you find yourself changing your mind over and over about all the details involved in your wedding?

Registry

Done!  Well, one of them.

Sunday morning, we headed out early for some bagels at Bruegger's.  Then, we drove up to the Crate & Barrel for one of their "Wedding Parties".  It was an opportunity to spend two hours in the store, registering for our wedding gifts, while the store wasn't open.

In one word, brilliant!

We arrived to find some treats laid out (coffee, tea, OJ, water, mini cannoli, mini fruit tarts and chocolate covered cheesecake bites... yum).  We both grabbed some beverages and chatted while we waited for all the other couples to arrive.  (We were, as is usual for us, the first ones there.)  I think there ended up being about six or seven total couples, with wedding dates ranging from April to November.

The woman in charge of the registry at that location got everyone started.  After a quick talk about Crate & Barrel, their registry program and how to use the scanners, we were ready to go.  We wandered around for awhile, picking stuff up, debating and not doing much scanning.

It was tricky to register in some ways because we are already pretty established.  We have no real need for cookware/bakeware/small appliances.  What we could use, is a matching set of pretty much anything else.  Our silverware drawer is a ridiculous sight, with at least five different styles.  And, our plates and bowls selection is skimpy at best (also made up of varying makes and models).

So, those were two areas I really wanted to focus on.  Our stop at the wall of "everyday china" led to a discussion like this:

Me:  I really like all white.  And, if not white, I definitely don't want patterns where my food goes.  (I like my food to be the star of any dinner show.)

FI:  I like these ones, but I'd want a mix of the colors.

Here's what he was talking about:

From Crate & Barel - Marin in Green, Yellow and Blue; Hayes in Blue

We hope to get a mix of the three colors for our place settings and the dark blue Hayes set for serving pieces.  This should give us with an ecclectic look on our dining table and leave us room in the future for pieces that don't "match" exactly.

We also registered for some silverware:

From Crate & Barrel - Fusion Flatware Collection

I lean towards matte finish silverware, so this set was right up my alley.  Plus, its sturdy as all get out.

There were also a bunch of glasses, gadgets and cheese serving stuff (board and several knives).  And, a few entertaining pieces like a chip & dip.  These items are more of a nice to have, definitely things we'd probably never get around to purchasing but would get a lot of use out of.

Plus, it's good to know that we'll have six months following the wedding to "complete" our list - couples get 10% off of anything (even if it wasn't on the registry).  That will be a great way for us to purchase any leftover items and maybe a few pieces of furniture.

Overall, it was a lot of fun, wandering around the store and thinking about what items we might use in our married life.  Plus, somehow, it made things seem even more real and a bit closer...  It seems like every item off the checklist has that effect.

Next, we'll be heading back to Target again to finish our registry there (last time we stopped, their scanners weren't working).  Hopefully, that will be it for registry tasks because, although it was fun, it was also kind of exhausting.

Did you register at more than one store?  Was it a fun experience?  Or, excruciating?  Did you feel at all guilty about registering?

What I Did This Weekend...

... was make jell-o shots.  Three kinds of jell-o shots.

First, I made eyeball shots for a George Romero birthday party, hosted by our friend who loves zombies and horror movies.

mmmm... eyeballs

The base was lime jell-o with one cup of water and one cup of citrus flavored vodka.  The "eyeballs" were made with a blueberry stuffed in a maraschino cherry stuffed inside a lychee fruit (from a can).  First, I picked out a small blueberries from the pint (or cut a larger one in half) and then used a knife to enlarge the slit in one of the cherries so I could place the berry inside.  Then, I carefully stuffed the whole thing into the lychee.  I put each "eyeball" into a small shot glass that already had a tiny bit of the jell-o set up and filled the cup with more jell-o liquid.  

They turned out even better than I expected and they were really yummy.  We did take toothpicks with us to the party so that people could loosen the shots before trying to gulp them down.

For the second party on Saturday night (a dessert party!) and the Superbowl party on Sunday, I took the other two varieties:

White Russians & Birthday Cake

The left ones were made with two batches of Knox unflavored gelatin.  First, I used half a cup of heavy cream to soften and mix one envelope of gelatin.  Next, I added half a cup of vanilla vodka and let it set up in a container lined with wax paper.  After it was set, I cut it into cubes and placed them into another container...  

As a quick side note, I learned that a light rubdown of oil into a rectangle Lock & Lock container and a spatula to loosen the sides left me with a great shape and no sticking to my stand-in jell-o mold.

Finally, I covered the cream blocks with another mixture made of one cup of coffee with three packets of gelatin (softened & mixed per the box instructions), one cup of Kahlua and one cup of unflavored vodka.  After I cubed the results, I put each cube into a mini cupcake liner.  These were delicious but tasted 1. heavily like coffee and 2. like alcohol.  People definitely know they are getting some booze with these ones.

For the Birthday Cake flavored shots, I used a layer method with two mixtures.  First in the container was one cup pineapple soda, one cup cranberry cocktail and three envelopes of gelatin, mixed with one cup of cake flavored vodka.  The top layer was half a cup of heavy cream with one packet of gelatin mixed with half a cup of whipped cream flavored vodka.  These were also yummy and probably out-shone the White Russians because many of our friends don't drink coffee (don't drink coffee?!?).

I found a lot of inspiration from the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen blog.  They're doing amazing things with gelatin over there.  

This was a fun project.  I'll definitely stick to the "jiggler" method in the future because it was way easier for people to eat the shots (versus tonguing and sucking them out of a little dixie cup, not that there's anything wrong with that).

Anyone else wish they could get away with jell-o shots at their wedding?  How fun would that be?

More Flower Inspiration

Because I can't seem to settle on a single type of DIY flowers and because I can't get over the idea that my perfect bouquet/cake/aisle decor flowers are out there somewhere...

I bought two new books this week, both by Yukiko Miyai:

Clay Art for all seasons on Amazon

Clay Art for special occasions on Amazon

Like most other obsessions interests, this one began after a picture or blog entry on weddingbee.  Then, searches on etsy, google images and any other site mentioned/linked to in what I found.

One of the most commonly mentioned sources for clay flowers/bouquets is DK Designs.  They, and other sellers on etsy, have some gorgeous options (get ready for a lot of pictures):

from dkdesignshawaii

from dkdesignshawaii

from dkdesignshawaii

from yourhappyday

I look at all of these pictures and can't believe they are made out of clay.  Amazing!  I also look at them and feel like they might be the perfect choice for my "flower" needs.  But, pay $200-$300 for one bouqet?  Um, no thank you.

So, I bought a couple books and am planning a trip to Jo-Ann's for some clay and other tools soon.  Then I can try my hand at making some of these beauties.

But, it won't be this weekend.  We have three parties to attend and I have a bunch of jello shots to create.

Am I crazy for trying to re-create something this elaborate?  Did you know what kind of flowers you wanted from the beginning of your plans?  Or, did you have lots of trials before settling on something?