Thursday, March 29, 2012

Oh, FedEx Man!

Here are just a few of my latest purchases for my bouquet.  Between Ebay, Etsy and Fabulous Brooch.com; I'm going to be keeping the FedEx man running! Sorry for the short post - work has been busy and the weather gorgeous; have been enjoying all my free time with Jace outside!  In shorts!  In March!  Let's just hope next Spring is as lovely!




I told you to expect color and whimsy and fun; did I not?!  Now, I need a Boston Red Sox's pin, a German flag pin and one that looks like sweet Maia - they are next on my list!  This will all come together and I am so excited for the packages to start rolling in!   Then it might feel more real - still have 401 days to put together something wonderful and lovely.  No pressure!

Hanie

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Wedding Bouquet

When it came to making lists, I made sure to make one of all the things I missed or was not given the opportunity to do; in the practice wedding of '05.  Which was basically everything.  One thing that was top on my list of "wants" is wedding bouquet that is NOT made of flowers.
Flowers are lovely.  I am getting gorgeous centerpieces made and the whole wedding is going to be dripping in the native growing flowers and the simplicity of nature already.  I want something different.  Off beat.  Me.
So I Googled.  I don't Bing.  Neither should you.
Google is a DIY wedding planners dream - you can find anything and tutorial on how to do things that you would normally pay someone $$$$ to do; when in reality - it is all a cinch.  You just need craftiness, a trip to Michael's and the ability to realize that it is going to be perfect.  Your perfect.



So Google led me to "Brooch Bouquets."  I have seen them before but they look awfully expensive and really hard to make.    I was wrong - DIY is so much cheaper and I  feel like this wedding is going to be just that much more special if I make the memories.  It is just one day but I want to have all this stuff to look back on.
Derailed - back on track.  So here is some ideas of brooch bouquets:





This is my favorite one - the one I'm using for inspiration.  LOVE the colors!

Here is a pretty one with flowers - which kind of defeats the purpose of my "anti-flower" bouquet but still a option in case I can't come up with the 50 - 75 broaches/earrings in 18 months!


I am considering one like this but with antique and vintage "hankies" instead of gauche fabric.




 Another option - the brooch ball.  You carry it around your wrist.  Love it!

Mum and I spent Saturday together and hit up a few antique and vintage stores (she hates them; other people's "junk."  LOL!)  and I found my first few pieces.  I'm not going with any "theme" here; other brides will only use flower brooches or white gold or certain colors palettes.    I want color and whimsy and sparkle and BAM!  I want to be the bride everyone copies =D


Here are the first few sweet pieces that have been added, thus far:


Mum bought this one for me - it has all of the colors that I choose (I did pick a color scheme; Wisteria, but I plan on it being a color explosion.) and a great jumping off piece!!!  My favorite by far!


I LOVE LOVE LOVE pink.  I <3 Butterfly's.  This brooch is ideal and says "me"!


It came with 2 clip on earrings - which I plan on incorporating in the bouquet or the mothers pin somehow.

If you know me - you know I am not the biggest fan of "gold" gold;  I prefer white gold.  As a redhead it clashes HORRIBLY with my skin!  I still couldn't pass up this sweet little garnet flower.  There will be more "gold" gold added as the days go by (I assume), and this little petal stole my heart.


I'll post more as the brooches come in and the bouquet starts taking shape.  As always, would appreciate any and all comments regarding this idea or any of the others that will start floating around.  I'm using this blog as my DIY spring board and will be using all of you as a sounding board.  Sound on!

Off to enjoy the 65 degree weather with Jace down by the river!

Hanie

  


Thursday, March 8, 2012

Oh! The list making!!!!

The only upside to my first wedding is that it gave me a very literal list of things I wished I would have done/wouldn't have done.  Some of them are silly little things that did not matter in the whole scheme of things; others were glaringly obvious and needed to be fixed for Wedding 2.0 to be perfect.  I fell asleep last night thinking of bird cages and jell candles and Jordan almonds.


~This wedding WILL be about us.  Just us.  Two people.  Zwei.  Dos. Deux.  Jace and Hanie.  No third or fourth wheels.  Opinions and ideas will be great appreciated and will be taken into consideration; but I won't let my self feel guilty though this whole process.


~My dress will be non-traditional and probably have some color in it.  Deal with it.


~The guest list is going to be small. Sorry - I'm not inviting my insurance agent even if she gave me a great rate on my insurance this year!  See the first little squiggle line - it's about US.  If us does't know you on a close, familiar basis; us won't be sending you a cool invite.  


~I'm sending save the dates.  I don't care Jace, if it is only 30 people. And they are going to be magnets.  I don't care how cliche and dorky and over done it is.  I will not be denied this a second time!

~Most of my budget will be spent on the photographer.  The last one was a "family friend" and I could have taken better shots with my camera phone.  Now I know why she was a "steal" at 300 bucks........she had zero aim.  This wedding is going to be DIY and intimate and cozy and charming and rustic and I want it all captured.  Everyone knows I am  a photography junkie.  I need this to happen and will get a 2nd AND 3rd job, if need be, to get a decent photog.  I have already begun the search because even though the wedding is not until the summer of 2013; I don't want to lose the best one.  Stay tuned for the fights that will ensue due to this - Jace does not exactly see eye to eye with me on this.  The importance of a perfect picture is lost on men.  He'd rather spend it on the honeymoon.  I charmingly disagree.  



~NO gifts.  I'm old-ish-er now and have done this before.  It's tacky, and frankly - I'm lazy.  I don't want to go to Target to scan crap anymore then you want to go to Target and get the list of my scanned crap and search for something on there to purchase.  That is why I am thinking charities. Donating everything to a cause that "us" feels passionate about.  Sea Shepherd seems to be the best and most likely candidate at this point but I'm not sure all our guest share our same views; I'll need to look into that some more.


~Eco-friendly.  When I think about all the Styrofoam at wedding 1.0 - I feel sad and guilty.  This wedding is going to be all reclaimed pieces and vintage dress and jewelry.  If I can't find it online or at a vintage store or antique shoppe; obviously my wedding does not need it that bad.  


~Wedding favors with meaning.  A bag of M&M's?!  I think not!  I still have every wedding favor that I ever  got from a wedding that had actual meaning to it.  A seashell magnet with the date (hi AB!), a maple leaf cookie cutter with a maple cut-out cookie recipe, candles with the date inscribed.  Never kept a bag of M&M's.  Sorry.  I just want people to look back at our wedding and see every detail as perfect. Is that high reaching and unrealistic.  Maybe.  But I'm doing it!


~Short and sweet.  Yes.  It is fun to do the chicken dance with your drunk uncle and your sugar-rushed nephew.  But how over-played it that?  I want our reception to (again) be about US and what we like.  How about music playing in the background while we play yard games or sit around a fire chatting, blow bubbles with the kids, play cribbage and spades? A few bottles of wine and s'mores for the kidlets.  A quick ceremony in the late afternoon, a simple yet elegant dinner; quality time with the family - then everyone is on their way home by 10 and we are jetting to Bali!  Sounds perfect and so US! 


 ~Religion not included.  At all.  This is kinda tricky seeing how the whole thing is based on the "bible" but I'm slowly working my way though this.  No unity candle for US.  Mom, don't expect any reading from the Corinthians nor will any hymns be sung.  There will probably be a hippy on guitar but that is about it.


~Imperfect.  I don't want everything to be cohesive and color coordinated.  I'm picking a palette and going for it.  I don't want my bridesmaids to match nor do I want them shelling out a lot of money for a dress.
"$15 bucks at Savers and it is in my color palette?!  Well done!"  I want it to have a seamless elegance but at the same time; I want it to be slightly imperfect.  Comfortable for all - a day well spent.



~The Honeymoon.  Screw you.  Our phones will be off - I don't want to hear about your cat.  End of story. Fin.


I'm sure that I'll add to this as the months roll by.  Right now I am in the very beginning planning stages so things will change but I know that I want to stay true the things above.  That is all something we both have agreed on and it makes a big difference.  We wanted to forego the "traditional" courthouse get 'er done with something a little more wedding-esque while still keeping it simple, cost effective and entirely US.  That is my goal.  I hope that in a year, I'm well on my way to completion! 


Hanie 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Wedding 2.0

After five years of living in "sinful" cohabitation, Jace and I have decided that we might as well make it legit, get the tax breaks and finally get married!
We have been through our fair share of extreme highs and lows; I've watched our friendship from childhood ebb and flow into a occasional drinking buddy, then a confidante and strong shoulder to lean on; now my best friend and no holds-barred cheerleader.   It's been a intense, exciting, frustrating, lovely, challenging ride but it really has been worth it all.  I've found the one that can put up with me at my utter worst and not bat a eye.  So - I'll use this blog much like the old one.  Minus the boring and plus wedding overload!  I'll be using you, dear readers to help me figure this whole wedding out.  Because right now I was a chic, non-trad, funky, vintage, small, medium, large, DIY, rustic outdoor wedding and that just sounds like a clash fest!!! =D
So this will be my idea spring board - prepare yourselves for something quite girly!


This is the 2nd wedding for us both (oh hamburgers.........that makes me sound - ruined) so we are keeping it on the small side and foregoing all the traditional bits.  We just want our close family and friends, a beautiful day and a happy, love-filled future.


I get around to posting a ticker on here at some point; right now I am just absorbing everything.  My first marriage was a failure for a multitude of reasons but having my future MIL tell me how my wedding was going to be; should have been a warning flag.
Having almost full control of this wedding makes me infinitely happier and more at ease.  I want this wedding to say "Us" from start to finish; and I promise you it will.


Post again soon (possibly today) I have a Pinterest addiction that has grown exponentially since I have begun planning the wedding!!!!


Tschuss!


Hanie

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

A Christening of Sorts.

Why, hello there!  Long time, no chat!!!!
I decided that  my old blog was just that - old.  And tired.  And truly boring.
So I've moved on.  New address, new title, new content!  I am so excited to get back into the 'blog-o-sphere" and share all of the exciting things that have been going on in mine and the "Hunks" life!


More to come tomorrow!!!!


Hanie