Wedding DIY: "Here Comes the Bride" Sign

Here is another wedding DIY.  I wanted something a little different than the traditional flower girl/ring bearer.

I saw this sign idea on pinterest and thought it was adorable!

I had my little cousin carry it right before I came out.

Here's how I made it:

Supplies:
-wooden sign (I got mine from Michaels)
-paint (cream and black)
-paintbrush
-ribbon
-drill

1. First I had my dad drill two holes on the ends of the wooden sign.

2. Paint your sign whatever color you are wanting and let dry

3. I used my image transfer technique to write "Here Comes the Bride" in a pretty font (trust me this is the only way I could make it look so pretty) then paint the letters and let dry.

4. Thread ribbon through the holes and make two knots on both ends.  I made the length long enough to go around his shoulders.

The night before the wedding I ended up adding "The Richardsons" on the back side so that once we made our married exit he would flip it and follow down the aisle presenting us again.  

I would definitely not suggest doing this the night before (a little more stress than I wanted) and I had to do it freehand...so do this in advance!

Influenster VoxBox: Degree Do More

So I got a VoxBox the other day from Influenster.  If you don't know what Influenster is check out my other blog posts here.

This is a program that occasionally sends you full size products to test and review.  I have received a lot of really awesome products that I love.

I jut got the Degree Women's MOTIONSENSE deodorant with 48-hour protection.

   

This deodorant is supposed to release freshness with every move you make to keep you smelling wonderful!

I got the scent Fresh Energy and it smells wonderful and I really can tell a difference in the wetness under my arms and the scent really lasts.  Definitely a return purchase for me!

Wedding DIY: Brooch Bouquet

This was one of my favorite DIYs I did for my wedding and probably one of the most time consuming.  Even before I was engaged I had seen the brooch bouquets on pinterest and fell in love.  They were the perfect antique vintage touch that I wanted.  It also will allow me to keep my bouquet for years to come instead of having to toss it after the wedding.  It will be a beautiful keepsake and who knows maybe my future daughter will use it in her wedding...something borrowed or old?

I loved mine at my wedding and so did everyone else.  Depending on how big you make it it might be a little heavy...since it's not just flowers but metal that make it up.

Here are the steps to make your own Brooch Bouquet

There are a million different variations of the brooch bouquet, I wanted to be able to see the flowers with the brooches.  I would recommend searching for inspiration to decide your style first.  Decide on your color scheme first as well, I went with ivory and silver but you can do all rainbow or colors depicting your wedding.  

What you will need:
-brooches (I used about 25, you can also use old jewelry pieces or any kind of knick knacks)  These can get expensive I got mine from eBay, antique stores, my grandma and thrift stores

-floral tape

-floral wire (I got silver but you could get green or any color you want)

-silk flowers (I got 4 stems from Hobby Lobby)

-pliers

-silk ribbon


And here's what to do:

1. Use 2 pieces of floral wire and wrap around the sides of the brooch, then twist them together in the middle.  You may need to use pliers for this...sometimes it gets tough.  Depending on the brooch you can wrap around the actual pin or you might have to go through the top of the brooch (this is when the color of the wire matters)

2. Wrap the wire with the floral tape starting at the top and working your way down to the bottom. 

3. Now it is time to arrange your bouquet.  You can use a bouquet holder if you prefer I took my four hydrangeas and grouped them together then placed the brooches on wire through the spaces in the flower stems until you are satisfied with how they look.  This was a process I repeated and repeated.

4. Once you have everything situated the way you want, its time to trim the wire.  I found the best length is to take your hand and place it at the base of your flowers and then mark where the bottom of your hand hits on the stems.  That is where you should cut.  The length is up to you, this is just what I found to be most convenient.  (It also might be easier if you wrap a little bit of the floral tape around the top to secure before you cut)  Then gather the stems together and wrap the floral tape around the base.  Make sure you wrap it tight, this is what will hold your bouquet together.

5.  Then take your ribbon of choice and wrap around the base of your bouquet.  I started at the top and worked my way down using a glue gun to glue the ribbon in place.

6. and You are done!  You can do various variations of this bouquet by adding more brooches, more flowers, etc.  You could also add charms and detail to the stems if you choose.  This is your bouquet for your wedding day let it express your personality!

I would love to know how your bouquets work out and if you have any other tips you find while making yours!

Wedding DIY: Parent Gifts

Continuing with the wedding post here are some ideas for gifts for your parents and future in-laws on the wedding day.  Now my mom said giving gifts wasn't necessary but they worked really hard on my wedding, spent a large amount of money and I wanted them to have a little special something for them to remember the day and to know how thankful I am.  I also wanted my future in-laws to know how happy I am to have them and to be joining their family.

So I got personalized embroidered handkerchiefs for my mom, dad, father-in-law and mother-in-law.  I custom designed these from a store on etsy personifyit.    

They absolutely loved them and I know that they will treasure them through the years.  They are such a sweet way to commemorate the day.  

I also got my mom and mother-in-law charm locket necklaces.   

I picked out the charms to go along with things that they liked to do and things that represented them:
My mother-in-law got a watering can and flowers for gardening, birthstones for her, her husband, Kyle and for me!

For my mom I picked a chefs hat for cooking, birthstones for all of us, watering can, and a cow of course!

Wedding DIY: Bridesmaid Gift

So for my bridesmaids presents I got them a little gift bag FULL of goodies!  I started gathering things months before when they would go on sale or when I found something cute.

I had so much fun making these and I loved seeing their faces when they opened them on the morning of the wedding before we got ready.

So here is a breakdown of their gifts:

I started with a monogrammed tote from The Knot.  It's called the Everyday Tote Bag and you can get it personalized for free right now!  It comes in black and brown and has a zip pocket on the front, two side pockets and two slip pockets on the inside.  It's big enough to fit a magazine inside and everything else you need.  I loved them so much I bought one for myself and used it for my "wedding bag" to carry all my planning information to and from venues/vendors.

I also got them a necklace and earrings to wear with their dresses but I don't have a picture of it :(

Inside the bags I stuffed them full with all kinds of goodies that I picked up over a span of months before the wedding.  Here's what I had but you could put any number of things in the bag:

-candy (I did this specific to the girl's favorite candy)

-face mask

-band-aids

-snacks

-notepad

-tissues

-hair ties

-hair spray

-socks

-lotion

-shower gel 

-makeup (I got mine from elf)

-liquid container travel set (I got these from Michael's on sale for $0.50!

-nail file

-advil

-tums

-oil wipes

-deodorant

-Colgate wisps

-Shout wipes

-tampons

-makeup remover wipes

-bobby pins

I got the mini travel versions of all of these things if available and tried to get things geared towards getting ready for the wedding or things they could use to relax after the wedding.  It was a little wedding day survival kit.   

I got a lot of my items at Wal-Mart but I found cheaper versions at Big Lots.  If you plan early you can catch things on sale/clearance and stock up!

 

I got these cute little tampon/liner set from Target on clearance and they were adorable! 

I picked up the mini shower gels when Bath and Bodyworks had their big sale.

I put all the little stuff in these little bags that I got off eBay.  They make really cute makeup pouches.  

I also used this note as a guideline for my goodies and I recreated it and put it in each bag...I thought it was absolutely adorable! 

All my beautiful ladies opening their gifts! 

Hope you got some ideas for your bridesmaid/any other gifts.  Let me know if you put anything different in yours!

Thrifting Haul

I apologize for slacking completely on my blogging...I have been so busy with planning my wedding (30 days away oh my goodness!) and moving my mountain of belongings to my soon to be home.

I have been doing a little shopping when I get the chance and ya'll know thrift stores have my heart and here is a little haul of some things I picked up:

• J.Crew Navy dress
• Aerie plaid pajama bottoms
• Old Navy pink pants
• Ralph Lauren pink button down
• Ann Taylor dress pants
• Adidas spandex shorts
• Nike running shorts

I got all this for $30!!  

Sorry I didn't take pictures of each item individually...I was in a rush in the store and didn't have time.  But I did lay them out on so you can see the brands and get an idea of the items.

NC Ball Cap: State Traditions Review

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, State Traditions creates top-notch, state and country-inspired apparel and accessories that reflect traditions across America and the world.

Starting out with shirts the brand now includes a wide array of state represented items from visors, phone cases, belts, ties, hats, etc. for every state in America as well as a burgeoning international line. 

"What makes State Traditions, or ST, unique is that the brand focuses on what people already have a connection with: hometown pride, cherished memories and favorite pastimes. Whether that means sporting a gameday hat to the local team's ball game, donning an America tour visor for that next round of golf, or wearing a state-inspired t-shirt to represent a tradition, ST has all the options covered. After all, the places we come from and the things we love to remember make us who we are."


I had the chance to review a product:

North Carolina Traditional Hat Mint

100% cotton, traditional six-panel construction.
Embroidered state logo on front with adjustable brass strap at back.

Ya'll know I love anything that represents the south or my home state of NC...this hat is my new favorite!  I am a ball cap wearing kind of girl.  If my hair is a mess or I'm feeling lazy I throw on a hat and I'm good to go.  This hat covers that option but makes me look so much cuter!  Seriously that mint green is absolutely amazing and the NC detail...I can't even tell you how in love I am.  The fit is perfect...seriously the quality is amazing! 

If you like repping your state...check out State Traditions, you won't be disappointed.