2 Days and Counting

Remember how I said I wanted our spare bed to look like one from at a store?

I think we succeeded! Yay!

Don't you just love the Ralph Lauren Cream Lace bedskirt we bought from Macy's? I think it just adds that little bit of extra oomph! :)

image of bed skirt courtesy of Macy's

In case you are wondering, what I have discovered is that if you are going to make a bed up like they do in stores, you must start with a bed skirt, fitted sheet, flat sheet, blanket, duvet/comforter, and LOTS of pillows in different sizes.

Here's how you do it:

1. After putting on the bed skirt and fitted sheet, you tuck the flat sheet and blanket in using "hospital corners". (I'm not sure why since you can't see it?) Make sure the blanket is pulled down a good distance from the headboard, but the flat sheet is pulled all the way up to the headboard/top edge of the mattress. Before tucking the sheets and blanket in, you pull the flat sheet back so that it covers the top of the blanket. Then you can tuck it all in. 

2. The comforter/duvet is folded over itself at the bottom of the bed. (I just used the picture that came with my duvet as a guide.) 

3. Then you pile on all of the pillows on the bed adjusting as necessary until it looks awesome! :) 

4. I added a blanket at the bottom, because I had it. Other bloggers have recommended doing this for the "added interest" it provides. *shrugs*

Backing up just a bit, this is what is on the bed:
- duvet cover, pillow shams including the bright pink ones are Raymond Waites from Bloomingdales $130
- blanket at the foot of the bed is no longer sold from Pottery Barn bought for us as a wedding gift $80
- bed blanket that you can't see but I highly recommend is Ralph Lauren also bought as a wedding gift but currently being sold as closeout at Macy's and also found at Marshall's $30
- sheets are Ralph Lauren sateen 300 thread count from Marshall's $40
- king pillow cases are also Ralph Lauren 600 thread count from Home Goods $13
- feather and fiber fill pillows are a mix from Costco, my parents house, and Amazon $200
- feather mattress pad from Marshall's $50
- duvet feathers from Bed, Bath, and Beyond bought with gift cards from our wedding last year $100
- mattress protector from Macy's $50
- pillow covers from Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and Macy's $80
- headboard borrowed from my parents (and not going to stay permanently) $?
- mattress borrowed from my parents $?
- Ralph Lauren bed skirt from Macy's $70

Total cost: $843

It makes you sick how much can be spent on a bed, but I am excited that our guests should be super comfortable staying with us! Justin even went the extra mile last night and steamed the bed skirt and duvet cover. I think our guests possibly have a more comfortable bed then Justin and I do!

In other news, Justin worked on the bathroom last night bleaching all of the crevices and everything in between, so it looks nice and white. Tonight he said he will clean the kitchen, which is already pretty clean. We're just going to go over the floors, finish cleaning out the fridge, and make sure the cupboards are as clean as possible. (I can't stand going to other people's houses and letting them cook for me in their dirty kitchens. I'm much more content when the kitchen is clean, so why would I expect any different of my guests?)

We got rid of approximately 6 boxes of recycling this morning, and we have one final box of things to be stored at my parent's house. Before our guests arrive tomorrow, Justin and I anticipate going to my parent's house to retrieve extra wine, beer, and soda that was leftover from our wedding last year along with some lawn chairs so that tomorrow night we can have a bon fire. Justin's parents have some wood they are going to let us use, since our guests wanted to have a small get-together at our house.

Yes, you heard me correct. Along with having guests over and getting ready for a Saturday wedding soiree, Justin and I are also getting ready for our first house party. We decided a bonfire with s'mores and/or marshmallows, and beer might be the most appropriate way to spend our night, since I'm trying to keep people out of the house and away from my beautiful new (expensive) rug that I am not wanting to ruin too quickly.

So what do you think? Did we spend too much on that bed? (Yes.) Do we make having extras from a  wedding a year ago sound awesome? (It is.) Are you ready for a summer of warm days and cool nights when bon fires are appropriate and a fun way to spend an evening with friends? (I know I am!)

Weekend Recap

Over the weekend we spent more time working on our spare bedroom (along with running around like chickens with our heads cut off).

Almost everything you see in this room originally got used in our wedding: the cherry blossoms, the curtain flowers, and the birds. (Yes, I had thought about this prior to wedding planning.)

Unfortunately, we still aren't done. You have no idea how hard of a time we had finding down filled Euro shams. In fact, one cashier at Belk decided I needed to know that the majority of people use regular pillows when filling Euro shams since Euro shams are decorative. I almost got into an argument with her since she made me pretty mad. As the consumer, who is willing to spend more money to buy exactly what I want, I sincerely feel that my opinion is the only opinion that mattered in this particular case. As the cashier, I feel she should have done her best to sell the item it was that I wanted rather than arguing with me. Needless to say, I took my business elsewhere and ordered our Euro pillows on Amazon last night, so those bright pink squares that seem so awkwardly positioned on the bed will, in approximately 2 days, be filled with Euro pillows! 

I do have to say that after approximately 6 loads of laundry per day the past three days, I am beyond ready to be done preparing for our guests. I can still hardly believe the transformation this room has gone from in the past 2 months. I have a feeling that it's days of being a junk room are over!

We did other exciting things this weekend including having a rainy stay-at-home date night watching You Only Live Twice while pigging out on popcorn and drinking root beer floats made out of Frostie Root beer. (In my opinion, Frostie Root beer is the BEST root beer to ever come in to existence!). Then Sunday morning Justin made some delicious homemade strawberry jam with strawberries that were going bad. Finally an Anthropologie find at a thrift store along with a hair cut truly made my weekend!

So anyway, I would love to hear about what you did over the weekend? If you are getting ready for a wedding, what are your thoughts on reusing decorations in the guest room? Have you ever had a Frostie Root beer?

Curtains!! & Language Apps

Amidst all of the roach problems, I'm not sure if I mentioned the lovely sheers Justin made for our living room last weekend?

Or that our spare bedroom is finally coming together? :)

It's nice to see the changes.

In fact, even more changes will occur this weekend as we put our spare bed together. I am so excited about it! 

Also this weekend, I anticipate Justin working on more curtains for the downstairs while I will be doing a ton of laundry and intensely cleaning the bathroom. Eek! Any suggestions for getting a disgusting stained bathtub to look new again? (I've tried CLR, comet, and soft scrub to no avail.)

But before I leave you all for the weekend, I thought I would recommend an awesome app for people who want to learn languages. Obviously Justin and I are going to Germany next year, so I've been pushing myself to study German more and more. Even if I can't actually speak the language, I'm sure it will be beneficial to have more vocabulary under my belt.

Starting last year I was using Mindsnacks. I downloaded both the German and Italian version to play while babysitting. It costs, but the games are fun, and I found I didn't have to have the sound on to play the games. According to the game, I learned more than 1000 German words before completing all 50 levels last month! Now I can play it in "review mode", but, while that helps keep the old vocabulary fresh in my mind, it does not help with forming sentences, learning gender, or speaking the language. Generally I would be fine with that except that the personal "quests" keep getting stuck. I realize I cannot get any higher in the game, but I would love for it to say "Congratulations! You've completed X Quest" rather than forcing me to do it again and again while never actually giving me credit. :(

I decided to move on and find a different German app to study with. Recently I found Duolingo, an app that allows you to learn any language you would like (that they offer, specifically German, Italian, Spanish, French, and Portugeese). Duolingo actually forces you to use sound while you are playing, so I really only play on road trips or where the kids I babysit are not in the room. The game asks you to repeat your vocabulary in a variety of ways and even includes lessons featuring grammar! Yuck! I hate grammar! Even in English! :( Nevertheless, you learn vocabulary through repetition by completing sentences, selecting the gender for the word, practicing the spelling of the word by writing what you hear, and (while there is an option to not use it) reciting the vocabulary you hear to the game. I love that each level has the option to "test out". It means that, since I've studied the words for different colors in at least 2 class settings and practiced it on Mindsnacks, if I test out on Duolingo, I can skip the lesson related to color altogether! Hallelujah! 

I've tried a number of other games to learn German but Mindsnacks and Duolingo have been the most entertaining of the ones I've found. (I'm not a huge fan of studying vocabulary cards and taking "tests" on those words.) So if you are looking to study any language in the near future, I definitely recommend trying one of those apps.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend (as always)!

Anthropologie Storybook Tea Towels

Remember when I said we spotted a roach in our kitchen cabinets?

That's what our house has looked like for the past 2 days, except worse. Kitchen supplies and utensils EVERYWHERE!

Luckily, as of last night it has (mostly) been put away. I was really hoping to help Justin go through the kitchen supplies as we were putting them away, but I got called to the computer for some last minute work.

When I finally finished my work, Justin had already moved on to fixing a flat tire on his bike. Since we had received three 9x9 frames in the mail from Art to Frames, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. :)

Remember these?

image from Under the Sycamore

I did this:

And then cute artwork existed.

I set them leaning against the wall on the very top of the couch. Justin commented they would fall on him when he sat down. I agreed mentioning that then they would be "angry birds" rather than cute birds. ;) These birds make me smile whenever I look at them. They are just sooooo cute!

We are still trying to decide where they will go, but we feel like we've made a step in the right direction by framing them! (FYI: You may want to go with a bigger frame then 9x9 if you decide to buy these kitchen towels too.)

Anthropologie's Storybook Romance Kitchen Towels

What I think is so amusing about these towels is that if you go check out the reviews on Anthropologie's website, you see that, along with getting these towels for newlywed couples, people are also getting them for crafts (such as pillows, pinboards, etc. . .).

Plus, who can resist that adorable tag on the towels?!

The wood frames from Art to Frames I picked are here. I was afraid to go with white for fear it would look too similar to the towel, but I didn't want to go with something really contrasty like a black or brown. The white on pine looks most like my top picture. It stands out, but it's not an eye sore like my last image indicates with that bright yellow color. Eek!

Have you gotten into the whole craze of framing things that weren't designed as art? Do you love the Anthropologie tea towels as much as me? Where do you think we should hang them?

Making the Rounds...

As I was making the rounds on google (and twitter and facebook), I stumbled across this awesome site for purchasing wedding (and home) accessories: Luna Bazaar. They have awesome accessories, including vases that I am in love with! The best part? The prices!

This vase, for example, is only $2.95!

I  absolutely adore vases and glassware, especially in mass quantities. Don't tell Justin, but I want one of each. ;)

They also have a variety of paper lanterns, candle holders, napkin rings, perfume bottles, etc, etc... It would be the perfect one-stop shop for wedding or event decorating or a great place to buy things to decorate your home on the cheap. To make your shopping experience even better, they also let you shop by color! What better way to find exactly what you are looking for! :)

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In other news, Justin and I are gearing up for the summer as well as continuing in our spring cleaning and organizing.

Last night we bought 6 tomato plants from Costco. We thought we were only buying 2. Oops! It's a good thing I like tomatoes! (But do I like them that much?!)

Justin also worked on cleaning out from under the stove, while I got creative with our sewing supplies. (Apparently spools of thread belong next to the cookbooks. Don't ask why. They just do.)

Over the weekend, Justin and I are planning on spending some time at a carpet outlet store. (I'm planning on spending some time in the Pottery Barn outlet store as well!) We're still looking to buy enough carpet for a rug. We may buy the Ikea dresser this weekend. We'll see how much time we have.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! :)

Busy, Busy Weekend (Cleaning & Organizing)

First of all, let me talk to you all about Justin's and my budget for February. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to stay on budget in all areas. (Unfortunately, one cannot control variances in utility bills for broken appliances.) We did handle our food budget better though despite still being over. We were able to put more money toward our credit card payments than originally expected, so YAY!!! (I consider that a success, even in the smallest sense of the word!)

And while it seems counterproductive, Justin and I went to Ocho, a fabric store in Atlanta to take advantage of their 42nd anniversary sale. We looked at rugs that were being sold for a quarter of their usual price. We also looked at fabric that we were considering for homemade curtains. We're going to have aqua curtains with liners! (Justin is going to get the fabric today. We were a few days early for the sale this weekend.) Yay! I'm so excited Justin agreed to let me decorate the house with my favorite color!

Don't you love our new rug? ;) Actually, I read about designing a paper rug (typically done with newspaper) to determine exactly how big you want/need your rug to be. Justin and I have decided on purchasing carpet and getting it sized to 7 x 11.3 feet. Justin decided our rug, when we get it, should be the golden ratio. It sounded awesome to me. :)

While we were too early to buy the designer fabric, we weren't too early to get some placemats on sale for $.50 a piece. (Forgive the awful phone photography.) I thought these placemats would be nice when I eventually get the beautiful aqua china I want and decorate. In the meantime, these will be stored away. (Despite not needing them, we couldn't refuse $.50 placemats. That just seems unheard of!)

Justin's parents gave us a straw holder with the most ugly green top. I immediately pulled out my paints and got busy altering it to my taste. What you are looking at is the straw top with a fresh coat of turquoise (plus white) paint on it. I'm hoping a coat of a gloss paint will bring it around and make it look better, but we will see. For now, it is a work in progress. It is definitely a step up from what we were using to hold straws.

We also started working in our spare bedroom to get ready for our May guests. Justin put a peg board on the back of the spare bedroom door to hang sewing stuff. It makes it easier for him to get to and use. While he was doing that, I was sorting through sewing stuff (and some craft supplies) to organize one of our drawers. Considering what a mess it was, I thought I did a pretty good job. In this picture, it is currently missing a tupperware that I will use to store more things. (The tupperware needed to be cleaned.) Plus, I'm certain more sewing supplies will find their way on to the peg board. We will need more room in the drawer for craft supplies I'm sure. Most of my arts and craft supplies are still at my parents house, so it was really a big deal to get the sewing stuff organized.

Next up we will get to go through Justin's electronics and decide which pictures to hang. We're getting through it though! I can't wait to show you all the end results of our efforts before our friends come to visit. I'm certain it will look amazing! :)

By the way, anybody have any awesome ideas for storing cds and/or patterns? I'm looking for a way to store them on a bookshelf or the like without leaving it looking like a mess. Something that is easy to do (cheap) and easy to keep up. Ideas?

Christmas Crafts

Apparently, this week's posts are all about saving money!

This week Justin and I have been discussing how best we can save money and yet still decorate for Christmas. Let me share some of our ideas:

1. Instead of buying a Christmas tree, we are going to borrow a fake tree. As exciting as a real tree? No. Can we focus on giving instead? Yes.
2. As I shared in the last post, we have been shopping for Christmas gifts since August looking for the best deals. We have used coupons, gift cards, and money I have made through doing online surveys to save money. :)
3. As one of our Christmas gifts, a family I babysit for has offered to pay for a mailbox decoration for Justin and I. I am so excited about this gift in particular since the money used to purchase the mailbox decoration is also a donation to children's healthcare. I couldn't have asked for a more thoughtful, better gift from this family! :)
4. Justin and I are planning on making all of our Christmas ornaments using things around the house. (Don't tell him I told you.) We got a lot of ideas from Pinterest.
5. I am super excited about making this wreath for our front door. It looks nice yet cheap and easy enough to do.
6. I bought my Christmas party dress a month ago which leaves more money for whatever else is necessary (gifts, food, etc...) this month and next.

The only thing Justin and I are not skimping on this year are our Christmas cards. I took an awesome picture a couple of years back that we will be printing on some high quality cardstock from a professional photo studio. We are also planning on jazzing up our card sending by using Christmas stamps. :)

Ok... that and some Christmas pictures taken with Justin's immediate family that we hope to include in our Christmas card. :)

How are you saving money this Christmas?

Chandelier

© Marion Needham

I just wanted to share this picture of the completed chandelier. Remember how Justin was working on it in October? I think it turned out quite lovely. :) (I love how the lights in the background look like stars.)

Day of: Pt. 2 (Prep)

It's taken me long enough, hasn't it!

Darwin Young Photography

This was what seemed like the shortest part of the day. We had spent so much time preparing for the ceremony...  and then it was over!

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong except that Justin and I did officially get married. Woo! Okay... maybe I am exaggerating. I will let you judge for yourself.

Thuong, Marion, and I had an awesome time riding in the old cadillac that my dad rented for the day. Unfortunately, within seconds of leaving the reception site, it occurred to me that none of my bridal party had their flowers. On top of that, I remembered that the rings and garter were still in the bridal preparation room. I didn't have a cell phone, but I was relieved to discover my maid of honor had her cell phone with her. I called Justin praying he would answer and he did! One thing led to another, one person after another was called and the flowers finally made it to the church!

Darwin Young Photography

Upon entrance to the church, I was immediately hounded by everyone wanting to talk to me. The coordinators shooed me away from family and friends that I desperately wanted to hug and see. Talking apparently keeps me from being too nervous. However, I was informed that I was the "cupcake" and I should be hidden away until it was time to walk down the aisle. *sadness* (Note to future brides: do what you want. You get one day. Have fun with it.)

THEN! We were informed that the rings never made it to the church! I was fine with it, but I knew Justin would be sooo upset. Quick thinking and a few calls later, our magnificent coordinator was on her way to meet with our hair person to obtain the rings which arrived prior to the end of the ceremony. Thank goodness!

Darwin Young Photography

We didn't have too many decorations at the church, but I was so very happy with the beautiful memorial that was stationed at the front of the church recognizing beloved family and friends that are no longer here with us.

I'm sure Justin and I aren't the first to have quite a bit go wrong... and we won't be the last. Thank goodness for the wonderful family and friends that made everything possible for the preparation of the ceremony to go as smoothly as possible. Phew!

Day #513

Ok, so I am exaggerating a bit when I say that the planning day for this wedding is so high.

This week has been crazy stressful as Justin and I try to finish the final touches. Justin is still working on bridesmaid dresses and I am trying to finish all of the paper "products" that will be found at the wedding including the programs. I'm not worried about us finishing on time (although maybe I should). I know I have my mom's help (but I also know she is tired of gluing). Don't worry dear friends. I am super excited about the programs, and if you are coming to the wedding -- you should be too! They are my favorite paper product from this whole wedding "experiment".

Today I will try to finish some decorations as well as the maps for the wedding programs. I have quite a bit to finish. Wish me luck!

Reception Excitement!

I am saving a good many of the reception surprises for when friends and family arrive at the reception, but this one surprise is one I simply could not refrain from sharing! Over the weekend, Justin and I obtained the CUTEST camera EVER! All damask and everything, this camera is... exciting!

It is a plastic Diana camera from Urban Outfitters, and I have to say it has (thus far) made all of my photographical dreams come true. The camera is reminiscent of a style made in the 1960's, uses 120mm film, and has absolutely awesome light leaks (and mistakes) that make the photography look unique and artistic (even if the photographer does not know how to shoot!). 

Not only will you find this gorgeous treasure at the reception site with tons of black and white and color film, you will also find one other Diana (with a flash attachment), a plain Holga, and a Holga with a color flash. (SOOOO EXCITING!) We will also probably have some disposable cameras as well. 

Flowers & Decorations

Justin and I have been all over the place in wedding planning in the last month. Recently the planning has been focused on florals.

We knew we had china to help decorate the table. We also knew we were not planning to pay for a florist to decorate our reception. This is when we started buying bunches and bunches of florals.

I started going floral crazy when I saw what I had (2 cherry blossoms per table), but I had no idea how to arrange them or what to put them in. Luckily, I knew someone who did! Once she helped me decide on how to do the main floral arrangements on the tables, I was able to 1. relax and 2. focus my energy on other decorations.

Y'know... like florals for the dessert table...

and... umm... cute things like awesome hangers for the bridesmaids.

I even got so far as to find (kids size) shoes for me to wear with my wedding dress (Shh... I'm not suppose to tell anyone I have tiny feet!) and a fingerprint tree from someone in the UK! I cannot wait until all my friends and family help to create this wonderful piece of art!

Now... on to programs! Wish me luck! (Oh and I still have to finish music.)

Did I mention the two bridal showers planned for this weekend?

Busy, Busy, Busy... Silhouette Cameo Review

I am so excited (and tired) from the crazy week that was last week. Three days of family dinners...!! That is when you know you have a LOT of family! I grew up with at least 2 family dinners, but I felt so bad for Justin since he now has 2 additional dinners that he isn't used to!

On top of that, we took our two bridesmaids with us to all of the dinners as well. We ended the day at Café Intermezzo. :) I could not have asked for a better weekend. It was a very busy weekend though!

As you might could guess, we have not gotten much accomplished with the wedding in the past four days.

Let me just share one exciting wedding detail we have been working on/designing:

Don't you love those? It was Marion's (bridesmaid) idea... I received my Silhouette Cameo toward the middle of December and with it is the option to print butterflies. They are sooo exciting and I am finding them all over my house as they fly from room to room. My aunt suggested that maybe they needed a little bit of sparkle.

Justin decided that perhaps they could be cut out of scrapbook paper and made into confetti. It took him forever to pull all of these butterflies off of the mat, but they look absolutely adorable!

(By the way, I LOVE instagram.)

If you have any interest in getting a "cutting printer", the Silhouette Cameo is absolutely amazing (even though I am still figuring it out). Don't be fooled by the Cricut... try a google search comparing the two and you will find that the Silhouette is far more detailed and a superior product.

For saving money, however, I would encourage you to purchase the Cricut mats to use with the Silhouette. They are cheaper and not quite as sticky as the mat that came with the Silhouette. The lack of stickiness makes the "printed" projects easier to pull off, but I will probably end up taping my paper to the mat so that it doesn't become loose during the cutting process.

I'm Late, I'm Late for a Very Important Date!

Over the weekend, Justin and I realized why it is that most engaged couples just buy everything. It's just easier! We find that most of our weekends are taken up running around trying to obtain all of the things needed for DIY projects, but then we have very little time left over to actually DIY anything. :/

On that note, let me share with you a few of our decoration inspirtation images and some DIY projects we think are awesome!

Dawn + Anthony Wedding; Bobbi and Mike Photography

Click here for a tutorial on how to make these from paper doilies!

Another Sneak Peek!

Turns out our save-the-dates should have said that! (Typed by Justin.)

Notice the background of tea cups and feel sorry for my parents dining room table. ;) "It will all be over soon" I keep telling them. hehe.

The Last of It?

Flintridge China - Miramar

Over the weekend Justin and I finally bought what should be the last of our China extravaganza. It is so exciting to see so many beautiful pieces of China all in one place!

Sneak Peak

Over the weekend Justin and I began working on something exciting for the wedding!

Excited yet?! We are!