tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37135626105819324712024-02-19T11:31:48.150-05:00Wedding (Version 2.0)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-73647224475243904432011-07-22T08:03:00.000-04:002011-07-22T08:03:42.098-04:00Wow - It's Over!First let me apologize. I had NO IDEA that in the months leading up to the wedding I would have absolutely zero time to blog!<br />
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Sadly, and happily, our wedding is over now, and I can honestly say that it was absolutely perfect! I will no longer be writing in this blog, as it doesn't seem appropriate any more. However, I have started a blog called <a href="http://adklove.tumblr.com/">Adirondack Love</a> in which I will be sharing photos and links to help people get ideas for their own weddings - and I focus of course on an Adirondack theme.<br />
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If you'd like to see the end result of our beautiful day, you can check it out in a couple places: Tiffany Wayne's blog entries <a href="http://www.tiffanywayne.com/blog/2011/07/15/kristen-and-ryans-north-creek-wedding-2-0/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.tiffanywayne.com/blog/2011/07/05/something-sweet-while-in-shreveport/">here</a>. (The second link contains a video, too!)<br />
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Thank you to all my readers for sticking with me! Hopefully brides in the future will still be able to use some of the information I have shared in this blog!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFE1vA5V9F38Mx34S0NelWFOx9JcV5yvx9W20lNquu0X0Qpr3DvexLGSBVu516oOet_kO5GR_q1yL0ltZSqJCwKxroUBCvxvAPIKBvCfz_1MOSre5KFT81pPU9UfHz3Q5HhOjXwF0AWs/s1600/kristen_ryan_144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFE1vA5V9F38Mx34S0NelWFOx9JcV5yvx9W20lNquu0X0Qpr3DvexLGSBVu516oOet_kO5GR_q1yL0ltZSqJCwKxroUBCvxvAPIKBvCfz_1MOSre5KFT81pPU9UfHz3Q5HhOjXwF0AWs/s400/kristen_ryan_144.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-9776264042420212052011-04-22T10:17:00.000-04:002011-04-22T10:17:45.406-04:00Twitter Tag: Friday FavoriteI decided to start a new Twitter hashtag today: #FridayFavorite<br />
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I'm going to use this every Friday to post something that I really liked from that week.<br />
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To start it off I posted:<br />
"<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23FridayFavorite">#FridayFavorite</a> is this photo of Terrarium Series No 1 <a href="http://bit.ly/hSH9Dp">http://bit.ly/hSH9Dp</a>"<br />
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What's <i>your</i> #FridayFavorite this week?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyHCTL-uj_qc67ZvwD6KkMW0iyROlfk8Bs5Q_X39nWFG6YqjpLeMKUoozt1C8gLEV4CT7augVd8vQLJJiKeC1O-5E3hNDhRXBAuQg_ugm2ymZ-ElRxRXKA9_vyjCC6UjtMvlMk6P7tEo/s1600/FridayFavorite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyHCTL-uj_qc67ZvwD6KkMW0iyROlfk8Bs5Q_X39nWFG6YqjpLeMKUoozt1C8gLEV4CT7augVd8vQLJJiKeC1O-5E3hNDhRXBAuQg_ugm2ymZ-ElRxRXKA9_vyjCC6UjtMvlMk6P7tEo/s400/FridayFavorite.png" width="400" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-67223371513605097112011-04-20T15:56:00.001-04:002011-04-20T16:00:18.199-04:00Terrarium Wedding CenterpiecesI cannot even express how excited I am that I finally made the terrarium centerpieces today! I've been waiting for literally months, and even though the wedding is (eek!) just two months away, I am still scared that they might die before then. Alas, this is the ONLY time I have left between now and the wedding when I could actually make them, so they are made! I followed the directions from the <a href="http://indiebliss.com/terrarium-centerpieces/">Indie Bliss</a> website and I will sort of explain my steps here and show pictures of each step along the way.<br />
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STEP 1: I filled the bottom of the 32-ounce mason jars with smooth river <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026HWFL2">rocks</a>. I wasn't sure if I was going to run out of stones, so I basically just put enough that they whole bottom of the jar was covered. In retrospect, I wish that I had put a thicker layer of stones so that they would show more, but I am still happy with the result.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8IEsSAaVH-AOBflASMXkryrArqiA_ifbKPLxJCdzZe5NvZDfgX8NaxmU5eorxJ5fxU6Pi0go7hD_33MIqExWnsMhBycJQmtnQziN5K3LoEmdClYXWuUgMBeAM9PotM6OpBHBEXvoqL8/s1600/IMG_1231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8IEsSAaVH-AOBflASMXkryrArqiA_ifbKPLxJCdzZe5NvZDfgX8NaxmU5eorxJ5fxU6Pi0go7hD_33MIqExWnsMhBycJQmtnQziN5K3LoEmdClYXWuUgMBeAM9PotM6OpBHBEXvoqL8/s400/IMG_1231.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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STEP 2: I put in about 1/3 cup of horticultural <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ACPZ0W">charcoal</a>. This helps with drainage and also helps remove yucky gases from the jars.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiop_OTUACRxdy97eYhYipfE4QdGNp_k4BZpDZD4_WDhuHS13gvlEkmcyhKQzQU3OIhfn-B_UsdLgS7rvjU8X8YfJWP4OBfYuT54HVHXNQzh1KzvrHsqLTuSS92SN-smTE-kEdLl9-Bupg/s1600/IMG_1233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiop_OTUACRxdy97eYhYipfE4QdGNp_k4BZpDZD4_WDhuHS13gvlEkmcyhKQzQU3OIhfn-B_UsdLgS7rvjU8X8YfJWP4OBfYuT54HVHXNQzh1KzvrHsqLTuSS92SN-smTE-kEdLl9-Bupg/s400/IMG_1233.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>STEP 3: Added a good layer of potting soil. I made sure not to get any kind that had fertilizers in it, because I read that moss likes very simple dirt to grow in. I measured out about 3/4 cup of dirt.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnTDGEUr2t4JPgqD_eDpnOofEOPKJV1jW5JO5GBBuw44TuIfHu6uu27SDqb5IvB-W6Nw9NLsvvIjPI_TL5To1gH8RfOkcVs52QrQzztu5PJtLqg68BOWLL0-rVs_IOEAnit9VtIoXMa8/s1600/IMG_1234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnTDGEUr2t4JPgqD_eDpnOofEOPKJV1jW5JO5GBBuw44TuIfHu6uu27SDqb5IvB-W6Nw9NLsvvIjPI_TL5To1gH8RfOkcVs52QrQzztu5PJtLqg68BOWLL0-rVs_IOEAnit9VtIoXMa8/s400/IMG_1234.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">STEP 4: Added the moss. I bought these adorable little dots of moss from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/transaction/47344721">silknparachute</a> on Etsy and they were absolutely perfect for this job. They were mostly small enough to fit through the jar openings and the ones that weren't broke apart gently.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi862fkQdIePLN8ub_5mt8s7BiZJsKcs3HDYKC2Kwwhai5zJA16u3xvd9H-yj7d3nipqv6a7xrC3qmNHhaAg7tReLbxG67ZEJ49GS2NDhnyVUfOz0EpUD0j9bKEw-iej5_2SlI2RNO_NNM/s1600/IMG_1235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi862fkQdIePLN8ub_5mt8s7BiZJsKcs3HDYKC2Kwwhai5zJA16u3xvd9H-yj7d3nipqv6a7xrC3qmNHhaAg7tReLbxG67ZEJ49GS2NDhnyVUfOz0EpUD0j9bKEw-iej5_2SlI2RNO_NNM/s400/IMG_1235.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanlpA73ecCj0ogGCcp3SLk4NNvR7ajb2HulnkhUmEDk4SicUdWHGp9tAtQJexo3FhX2UdbAnkAAJ0okclR9Q1Y4QJlYDCBjASttKycjICKXWkKMadLGoW7ISNf1f-DsmGa4awjxAnRcI/s1600/IMG_1236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanlpA73ecCj0ogGCcp3SLk4NNvR7ajb2HulnkhUmEDk4SicUdWHGp9tAtQJexo3FhX2UdbAnkAAJ0okclR9Q1Y4QJlYDCBjASttKycjICKXWkKMadLGoW7ISNf1f-DsmGa4awjxAnRcI/s640/IMG_1236.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">STEP 5: Miniature <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VT3SAE">animals</a>! Of course I had to use animals of the Northeast so they would fit with our wedding theme! The terrarium that will be featured on our sweetheart table has two special animals in it just for us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7OQ7V-msiNPTUOQ3qGtBWZ8x2sKJELwWQ-XLkcOkLIW2vWk-enQf6FjLfOPx6XrN73krtrXHSPG-botTqw-DdmWELX8LGLA2bPXs2KxmttbpP01_SWh-jcdN-bvUe0hGNOk8IAoENeY/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7OQ7V-msiNPTUOQ3qGtBWZ8x2sKJELwWQ-XLkcOkLIW2vWk-enQf6FjLfOPx6XrN73krtrXHSPG-botTqw-DdmWELX8LGLA2bPXs2KxmttbpP01_SWh-jcdN-bvUe0hGNOk8IAoENeY/s400/IMG_1237.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXU3mdQj38cg7COiqrO4FcCoo4guMMiCalHLMRxYiW5EVy67c6UvVHiLjPrHqE2XilLBE9XHpxHuR1fCHr3z5H1u05SMLXuUeWrCRYsowrhLl4HZgFRUlU8J3n4u_63S9HBSw8PjkU2o/s1600/IMG_1239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXU3mdQj38cg7COiqrO4FcCoo4guMMiCalHLMRxYiW5EVy67c6UvVHiLjPrHqE2XilLBE9XHpxHuR1fCHr3z5H1u05SMLXuUeWrCRYsowrhLl4HZgFRUlU8J3n4u_63S9HBSw8PjkU2o/s400/IMG_1239.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn_T5yuJ8HclrFvJrkqCKOxIwVheQl77_WRepTNR_-jdpPtXBJVi-f8qySR-YaPGPDq3db_WjI64g9wQjslFRPy9Vbjhe_e9oTl-KuzPHmXYktxnKnMuQQc_5N0pZ3AX1XF7lVCsCgvg/s1600/IMG_1241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn_T5yuJ8HclrFvJrkqCKOxIwVheQl77_WRepTNR_-jdpPtXBJVi-f8qySR-YaPGPDq3db_WjI64g9wQjslFRPy9Vbjhe_e9oTl-KuzPHmXYktxnKnMuQQc_5N0pZ3AX1XF7lVCsCgvg/s640/IMG_1241.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYL6UKMcEMCuYeVxV_pR1a8CTFmPdgsDiKCP8DbuNKvjHWabseZ-SKZGC3A5_YyCtzg4ywniyzf7_QvMkJwGQMLKiR5-aZxj8fmApkBj3r0yLsZChkV9uqa9SYUeuNJZeq_XRLuTHjJA/s1600/IMG_1242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYL6UKMcEMCuYeVxV_pR1a8CTFmPdgsDiKCP8DbuNKvjHWabseZ-SKZGC3A5_YyCtzg4ywniyzf7_QvMkJwGQMLKiR5-aZxj8fmApkBj3r0yLsZChkV9uqa9SYUeuNJZeq_XRLuTHjJA/s400/IMG_1242.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">STEP 6: Using twine, I added tags with care instructions so our guests will be able to take the terrariums home and keep them thriving!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SghcD98zBRfpVf9_kCrDW3XvoQdcaBlojxdMBQBPgzg89zyW9QExV0TS655yxXeMqMOtJhAfoKu0RcZIzx73ICp_cgu3tOdlOWJ9Dtaw6VcakUU3DtMFvY3o7O9Ozm0wnIQYyBKLDJ4/s1600/IMG_1243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SghcD98zBRfpVf9_kCrDW3XvoQdcaBlojxdMBQBPgzg89zyW9QExV0TS655yxXeMqMOtJhAfoKu0RcZIzx73ICp_cgu3tOdlOWJ9Dtaw6VcakUU3DtMFvY3o7O9Ozm0wnIQYyBKLDJ4/s400/IMG_1243.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2e7ZGgEYWCrQmAsCKtlZEka-dFAVGJ5WE-CmgiBG10x2WxPO3RF6tFuC-iNeUHDGoELvFsQEK-9u8XKNJv5q-59mOkUtZ02fRVGN5zKLq9M8miouHRppzBtMi1-7LRBZZ3UoUxV8WVs/s1600/IMG_1244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2e7ZGgEYWCrQmAsCKtlZEka-dFAVGJ5WE-CmgiBG10x2WxPO3RF6tFuC-iNeUHDGoELvFsQEK-9u8XKNJv5q-59mOkUtZ02fRVGN5zKLq9M8miouHRppzBtMi1-7LRBZZ3UoUxV8WVs/s400/IMG_1244.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=15fef3fe-e268-47cb-917f-1e0abff3fd11" style="border: none; float: right;" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-65948078173121210752011-04-02T14:36:00.000-04:002011-04-02T14:36:02.641-04:00Wedding Ring Engraving<div style="text-align: center;">We took our beautiful McFarland Designs rings to a local jeweler to be engraved. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqmLgo40Xv7npw3Ft_3E4kszZgeIEbPqPDeFtOD4mNfslmj4Ow98EiO0RYoTvauzWfqm0732n5RreJ6IpFcnm7vbnCZ3Y165GTS3SwPKLJuFpe11QZYxEpZwMtdywaxIx-cYGaoRIMw4/s1600/IMG_1180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqmLgo40Xv7npw3Ft_3E4kszZgeIEbPqPDeFtOD4mNfslmj4Ow98EiO0RYoTvauzWfqm0732n5RreJ6IpFcnm7vbnCZ3Y165GTS3SwPKLJuFpe11QZYxEpZwMtdywaxIx-cYGaoRIMw4/s400/IMG_1180.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCbAtt6MsVamEIf4JAicD69Iln7E5kw5k2Cmi5CwpK5VLdxNO5pw7sRkdJlAcmGNCrIqnuc9z0BfVAQNsGXu1cZO7Mk-kZ0WmZYFzcqKRt8J69fhM4d3OR_-N6-T115mCKm1inF-f3H8/s1600/IMG_1181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCbAtt6MsVamEIf4JAicD69Iln7E5kw5k2Cmi5CwpK5VLdxNO5pw7sRkdJlAcmGNCrIqnuc9z0BfVAQNsGXu1cZO7Mk-kZ0WmZYFzcqKRt8J69fhM4d3OR_-N6-T115mCKm1inF-f3H8/s400/IMG_1181.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our rings say, "KRISTEN/RYAN IS MY CONSTANT." Anyone who has watched the LOST series knows what that means. We really like how they turned out, even though my fingers are so tiny that the words inside my ring are also small.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wmKeUwOd7NZTGADMNpRUXjC6Rm_MpTJNOeIxZX2p7BsUTd5KLyrBiM67cmxJ1kyQBhWyIhXqgaextummu3XRzuDABttnlDINbnxtdnlJuYjmL6wGsM0Pnr3gnKasMc2GKXXLRJMkbiE/s1600/4x05_Journal_end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wmKeUwOd7NZTGADMNpRUXjC6Rm_MpTJNOeIxZX2p7BsUTd5KLyrBiM67cmxJ1kyQBhWyIhXqgaextummu3XRzuDABttnlDINbnxtdnlJuYjmL6wGsM0Pnr3gnKasMc2GKXXLRJMkbiE/s400/4x05_Journal_end.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-80071293617402366042011-03-24T14:18:00.000-04:002011-03-24T14:18:39.796-04:00Reception Tables: A bit of Adirondack inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJD7LFuVMef-73Oaz2mSjguVSD7w5ZVWt-4-vw8wuafsKwTEG6W7t1mOT6fNanKkhU4wppFCpkNNpTucTB5VflY84ZjGVM891hsGS7kcGw3lLxq7HRNNs1xEQPxQ6gdScG5xFcSJBw7bI/s1600/IMG_1140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJD7LFuVMef-73Oaz2mSjguVSD7w5ZVWt-4-vw8wuafsKwTEG6W7t1mOT6fNanKkhU4wppFCpkNNpTucTB5VflY84ZjGVM891hsGS7kcGw3lLxq7HRNNs1xEQPxQ6gdScG5xFcSJBw7bI/s400/IMG_1140.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVzJ83hZZZ5we_xFKKvKuylqn48OPy3A2BIugHcF2WwKc1JDHm0Xgmykr4CfZ181Nf_HeRG7ycO8b9Jt6lnMwpypZTlbSVmggE4FHORP-durK-Ywl-VpOMV-FyraMvH6jTPtoFEFFGc4/s1600/IMG_1141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVzJ83hZZZ5we_xFKKvKuylqn48OPy3A2BIugHcF2WwKc1JDHm0Xgmykr4CfZ181Nf_HeRG7ycO8b9Jt6lnMwpypZTlbSVmggE4FHORP-durK-Ywl-VpOMV-FyraMvH6jTPtoFEFFGc4/s400/IMG_1141.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>moss table runners, birch candles, and tree slices with carved initials:<br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/braggingbags">Bragging Bags</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdaj40F1rglCSP03RZFaxoVL3fxcTQ8TFppOaGw1mhcnrERTiwM7rRvzOn8Cl7QFXpbOc0ksa_bHb8Rdv-qqKcJ4DxGiv56mmAhLAVBSWp2ge1tQp5-BxZSXke81M49Gqtbp9Fx2_rek/s1600/il_570xN.145864924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdaj40F1rglCSP03RZFaxoVL3fxcTQ8TFppOaGw1mhcnrERTiwM7rRvzOn8Cl7QFXpbOc0ksa_bHb8Rdv-qqKcJ4DxGiv56mmAhLAVBSWp2ge1tQp5-BxZSXke81M49Gqtbp9Fx2_rek/s200/il_570xN.145864924.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpw0b7fCsjiPlz5wGei38Kh_l2lbZ4A4Yv38f2-xmNjtMVREoxZ-UQOyk6IFN3XxIQN5y1V19T68nlcNJ_xre0Z3p6lhvbKj9_HLZQUhO4EGyYxCohS-JkctYT7a18Ye-xEmCOQ-anE8/s1600/il_570xN.213738418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpw0b7fCsjiPlz5wGei38Kh_l2lbZ4A4Yv38f2-xmNjtMVREoxZ-UQOyk6IFN3XxIQN5y1V19T68nlcNJ_xre0Z3p6lhvbKj9_HLZQUhO4EGyYxCohS-JkctYT7a18Ye-xEmCOQ-anE8/s200/il_570xN.213738418.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbftLFexsdeqfPXn6PLORikI3jGiUau5MQVtvQe9DLOY_qN2D_sdIdFoLi26l36HN3Z2iHKUJrG1a-1WCL7FEcl4ToWOoWdJwf3qpP873rOcyhdQPbfD3_sVYUI2PFZnzfF4dmTnj5UA/s1600/il_570xN.177323029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbftLFexsdeqfPXn6PLORikI3jGiUau5MQVtvQe9DLOY_qN2D_sdIdFoLi26l36HN3Z2iHKUJrG1a-1WCL7FEcl4ToWOoWdJwf3qpP873rOcyhdQPbfD3_sVYUI2PFZnzfF4dmTnj5UA/s200/il_570xN.177323029.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie"><img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-74321154272912599232011-03-19T11:03:00.001-04:002011-03-19T11:13:03.813-04:00Wedding Favors: Tree SeedlingsWeddings take away a lot of resources from the earth for a celebration that only lasts a few hours. It pained us to think about this, and when choosing what to give our guests as favors, we decided that we wanted to use this as an opportunity to give back to the earth for all that it has given us. I've been to several weddings where I received a favor that was cute, but not really useful, and not anything that was really meaningful. We want to avoid this, and so we have decided that for our favors we are going to give... tree seedlings!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike5O1YrQcE0Z8uS_-ZQQZY3sPKU3X9g8RFHYEMOxqiDbrSnZgAtEeiJQ8Y1QPdUUz-BqLLxs1KKLQ0bgmaHnHuHFPGVarDV59viUCYlBfAOljT9gaVgWAG4nw3EJDS3N-yCMH73eVCYk/s1600/IMG_0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike5O1YrQcE0Z8uS_-ZQQZY3sPKU3X9g8RFHYEMOxqiDbrSnZgAtEeiJQ8Y1QPdUUz-BqLLxs1KKLQ0bgmaHnHuHFPGVarDV59viUCYlBfAOljT9gaVgWAG4nw3EJDS3N-yCMH73eVCYk/s320/IMG_0245.JPG" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYRePEmnvAGF5bVhZZFn3lKm2Ecr7y_MepMVh2sDTKUDjRSZY4NMYfNr0JRQVkCVRNrqkJiantVMPJhBw9YPbgV3GB-R7EUB-poqbcylLqZsn4_4xwRzikMeXVm5gHnFG_YitLm71X5U/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYRePEmnvAGF5bVhZZFn3lKm2Ecr7y_MepMVh2sDTKUDjRSZY4NMYfNr0JRQVkCVRNrqkJiantVMPJhBw9YPbgV3GB-R7EUB-poqbcylLqZsn4_4xwRzikMeXVm5gHnFG_YitLm71X5U/s320/IMG_0244.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><br />
We found a company right here in New York state called <a href="http://www.treebeginnings.com/">Tree Beginnings</a> that offers a variety of different gifts for all types of occasions, all of which can be planted. Almost all of the items from this store come with free personalization in the form of little cards, slips that attach to the gifts, colors, and even packaging. We chose blue spruce seedlings wrapped in natural burlap with a green raffia bow. We figured that these fit the theme of our wedding best (the Adirondack woods) and had the lowest impact on the environment.<br />
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I was able to order one seedling as a sample just to make sure we liked them before ordering all 50 that we will need. I think this is a good idea for <i>anyone</i> who has to purchase mass quantities of something and isn't able to look at it first.<br />
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We realize that not everyone is able or will want to plant a tree after going home from our wedding, and we have a plan for that. We are going to put a little sign (in one of the picture frames we bought from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rusticblend">Rustic Blend</a> - see blog post <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/2011/02/rustic-blend-birch-bark-frames.html">here</a>) on the table with the seedlings letting our guests know that if they do not want to take a tree and will not plant it, that it's ok to leave it on the table. We are also going to encourage any of our guests with larger property or a greater desire to take care of a tree to take more than one if there are some left over. Then, if all else fails, we will take the rest of the seedlings home and plant them ourselves in our own yard.<br />
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We are also going to use one of these seedlings during our vow renewal ceremony in which we have incorporated a tree planting ritual. I think this will be a really nice way to tie it all together and promote the idea that we are all on the same planet and our love is universal. <br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=22ae5ed6-4739-464c-97d3-c96f5b274706" style="border: none; float: right;" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-8608032284604547902011-03-13T15:06:00.000-04:002011-03-13T15:06:37.513-04:00Wedding Reception GamesWe want our reception to feel very relaxed and have an atmosphere that mimics a happy family gathered at a campground. We decided to incorporate some games into the reception to make sure that everyone gets involved and isn't bored (especially the large number of people in our families who don't like to dance), but we are shying away from "traditional" reception games. Instead, we want to have games that families might play while camping!<br />
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So far we have decided that we want to play wedding Mad Libs and have fortune tellers (some people call them cootie catchers). I will write up the story for the Mad Libs game and we will have a contest and give prizes to the guest who writes the funniest story and the guest who rights the sweetest story. There is a great Etsy shop called <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/DarlingGirlPaper">Darling Girl Paper</a> that make fortune tellers and I think they are adorable!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDysLEAZmAegtbUYcqPa4prOkeXrVSWD2EnlqGf_D4FwHE8Vrkoma7Vvr93KE7si1Ln_MGO9GNb72AoPbkDH__8xsCqM8hm71MEYV3pHI9S1Myxjjm7f1qD7cDiZIQcPHIzsVUy7Coqcg/s1600/fortune+tellers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDysLEAZmAegtbUYcqPa4prOkeXrVSWD2EnlqGf_D4FwHE8Vrkoma7Vvr93KE7si1Ln_MGO9GNb72AoPbkDH__8xsCqM8hm71MEYV3pHI9S1Myxjjm7f1qD7cDiZIQcPHIzsVUy7Coqcg/s400/fortune+tellers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We've got those two games, but now we are are stuck! What other ideas do people out there in the world have for cute easy games that would remind people of camping with family? We need your help!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-6330918578299180692011-03-05T10:06:00.001-05:002011-03-05T10:13:08.862-05:00Wedding CakeOne of the most challenging things about planning a wedding that isn't near your home, is finding trustworthy and quality vendors. Specifically, we needed to find vendors close to our ceremony and reception location for things like chair rentals, hair styling, and wedding cake. The internet has been a tremendous help in this search, especially the <a href="http://www.adirondackweddingcenter.com/">Adirondack Wedding Association</a>, which is how I found our cake vendor - <a href="http://www.stomachcakes.biz/">Stomach Cakes</a>!<br />
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The website for this cake business showcases Laura's talent in creating uniquely beautiful cake designs, as well as her willingness to create an original and custom design. This drew me right in and I contacted her to find out about making the cake for our vow renewal.<br />
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We met for a tasting and to discuss design, and Ryan and I couldn't be more pleased with our choice. Laura is going to make a cake similar to the picture below, but not exactly the same. It will look like a birch tree, have fern embellishments, and have our initials "carved" into the side. It is so cute and fits with our theme perfectly! We tried our choice of two flavors at the tasting, Ryan wanted peanut butter cake and I wanted chocolate. We ended up totally loving both, but having a serious crush on the peanut butter cake, so we are going to layer both flavors in each tier. That way if some people don't like the peanut butter they can just eat around it (and we already know that we don't have any peanut allergies to worry about).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>This is a cake we really liked when searching images on the internet to get ideas.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzNiQJ8fl-yQSeyzzGm9te_79G1w8PUH3MkJReY7dhCwMwGBRl-JVtGOaksba2hLQri8hoHPemwj8SAXrlhPwk5JasbVLzF8FbQ6g2p981UDzBd9oOkkKlh37xSblw0T3SlN9sWoVN8U/s1600/birch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzNiQJ8fl-yQSeyzzGm9te_79G1w8PUH3MkJReY7dhCwMwGBRl-JVtGOaksba2hLQri8hoHPemwj8SAXrlhPwk5JasbVLzF8FbQ6g2p981UDzBd9oOkkKlh37xSblw0T3SlN9sWoVN8U/s400/birch1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>This is a similar cake that Laura has already created.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDPEpVMVW2kgOhBSP0wNj3rhCg-HO6VJ6_MjeVC8fivtFalhtF4EsOS3lUyNr9xUwVAHCUzKE8ZmgLTqhQ8gkPjM39t1fCxABcm_53UxqaZJTaCT2N-cDKHzSSVETVFN5W0jphIpXeTs/s1600/156598_1341594440032_1836335554_644344_6235039_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDPEpVMVW2kgOhBSP0wNj3rhCg-HO6VJ6_MjeVC8fivtFalhtF4EsOS3lUyNr9xUwVAHCUzKE8ZmgLTqhQ8gkPjM39t1fCxABcm_53UxqaZJTaCT2N-cDKHzSSVETVFN5W0jphIpXeTs/s400/156598_1341594440032_1836335554_644344_6235039_n.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><br />
So far, this has been one of the most fun and least stressful aspects of the wedding planning, and we both highly recommend that any couple planning a wedding in the Adirondack region consider hiring Laura from Stomach Cakes to make your cake!<br />
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<i>A note on the same: No, these cakes do not have stomachs in them! They are "cakes so good it aches"! Also, Laura used to be a school nurse, so you can put it all together!</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-50412045214809048002011-02-21T12:58:00.000-05:002011-02-21T12:58:41.431-05:00Inky Livie: Wedding InvitationsThere are so many different types of wedding invitations out there that no matter what we chose it would have been the right choice, but we still felt overwhelmed. Once again, Etsy saved the day! We found adorable invitations from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/inkylivie">Inky Livie</a> that totally fit with our wedding theme, and are casual enough that we are comfortable using them for the vow renewal. The weight of the trifold cards is substantial and the printing is spotless, plus Asa was great at communicating through Etsy conversations. They were printed on 30% recycled material paper from <a href="http://www.wastenotpaper.com/cgi-bin/waste/resource-center/our-green-story.html">Waste Not Paper</a>, so that helps us to limit our environmental impact as we celebrate. Check it out!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkySLX7CHaYojytvJCpBn0ES2XVoO-yxj0FxJgmmjvKf-bqbQgLc6EZ7sMDb5I1AHhp1BThhOXKw_Qv5NZIQL0MUJ-r5EMBUlfSoAGBps96CH2vmsPKUfpq_omO0HWvpjj2QZHIh3REs/s1600/IMG_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkySLX7CHaYojytvJCpBn0ES2XVoO-yxj0FxJgmmjvKf-bqbQgLc6EZ7sMDb5I1AHhp1BThhOXKw_Qv5NZIQL0MUJ-r5EMBUlfSoAGBps96CH2vmsPKUfpq_omO0HWvpjj2QZHIh3REs/s400/IMG_0107.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBT3QhVuVwErKIvk8Y8Rx2fPhqgxnKgjWOdYUe6kITMvv96YIPEvm3HITF2o8jb7jPuhnZQSb8U04V6b8M_p7Ni4p27Hi8H238ld-fIknNI42rv2sI_kxJ_f7ydFwGBcNZOn9UhMNm1w/s1600/IMG_0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBT3QhVuVwErKIvk8Y8Rx2fPhqgxnKgjWOdYUe6kITMvv96YIPEvm3HITF2o8jb7jPuhnZQSb8U04V6b8M_p7Ni4p27Hi8H238ld-fIknNI42rv2sI_kxJ_f7ydFwGBcNZOn9UhMNm1w/s400/IMG_0108.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjQWZ_Eh8vJVs1wrAud7N1M4wnnWhEGqv1Fnfyof1i2Zxnmib3SLB5bRQUfEF_nGechOfkB_Z5OUBo4lOF4aC8AZr5A1qxbx-9lpr0LaPtRpSz8mVzQc3La19u7QyILMEg_j5qv7Nop8/s1600/IMG_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjQWZ_Eh8vJVs1wrAud7N1M4wnnWhEGqv1Fnfyof1i2Zxnmib3SLB5bRQUfEF_nGechOfkB_Z5OUBo4lOF4aC8AZr5A1qxbx-9lpr0LaPtRpSz8mVzQc3La19u7QyILMEg_j5qv7Nop8/s400/IMG_0109.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love the little foxes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We decided to let all of our guests choose a song to be played at the reception:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXasj9a3nUGXj13zRZCqcBdJ04s2dDPXdnyPli_mA71ETIypUsXeeHATWy_vk7vUNw6_a1JcZCf31bpegB6i9MbxzNnVusCUoBHVz9_vPOLdlknF3zoTop0MxMDVLOAb9oYP10l_hU1X8/s1600/IMG_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXasj9a3nUGXj13zRZCqcBdJ04s2dDPXdnyPli_mA71ETIypUsXeeHATWy_vk7vUNw6_a1JcZCf31bpegB6i9MbxzNnVusCUoBHVz9_vPOLdlknF3zoTop0MxMDVLOAb9oYP10l_hU1X8/s400/IMG_0110.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Instead of numbering our tables, we are naming them after our favorite campgrounds:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwlXVNSc_qo6vgGVBiwAcEju3mXrnGCxBtEBtk6kkrhJXESnDEACBhdSQeZ9nljD5FcAgykyE7bo92HL7bLra5a9oVFCC0u4gxvFOQoJOW6-6mYD39yU12u2K8Nu1QrtWwoM0ZWJwqvI/s1600/IMG_0111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwlXVNSc_qo6vgGVBiwAcEju3mXrnGCxBtEBtk6kkrhJXESnDEACBhdSQeZ9nljD5FcAgykyE7bo92HL7bLra5a9oVFCC0u4gxvFOQoJOW6-6mYD39yU12u2K8Nu1QrtWwoM0ZWJwqvI/s400/IMG_0111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-58822920804085688392011-02-12T11:55:00.001-05:002011-02-12T12:34:58.364-05:00JJCraftworks: Custom Wedding JewelryI thought finding jewelry for my wedding would be easy. I thought I would see exactly what I wanted and purchase it. I thought that my style and taste was common. I was wrong.<br />
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Thank goodness for Etsy! I decided to requisition custom jewelry from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/jjcraftworks">JJCraftworks</a>. I knew that I wanted my necklace and earrings to have some green to complement my shoes, and I wanted five pearls to represent our five years of marriage (just like the five stones in my new <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/2011/01/wedding-rings-ethically-sourced-and.html">wedding ring</a>). I also wanted something that would tie in to our nature theme, but I wasn't quite sure what that would be.<br />
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I communicated all of this to Jenn and she sketched up some ideas.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUqD4Odkcn_z-0gXK-5zGr_snFa7gtxaW2IIU2OSIvw_govqQD_YnbFaRMIFdtQpRgCERqVptaS65SNqcUigvMlIYxXYYB8iphaoSahvd_3oUDzBvOsG4cQ2qBSasdpbJ8DuyTuMl19Q/s1600/necklace+sketches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUqD4Odkcn_z-0gXK-5zGr_snFa7gtxaW2IIU2OSIvw_govqQD_YnbFaRMIFdtQpRgCERqVptaS65SNqcUigvMlIYxXYYB8iphaoSahvd_3oUDzBvOsG4cQ2qBSasdpbJ8DuyTuMl19Q/s400/necklace+sketches.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I decided that I liked the "leaf link" design best, and chose the pearl color I wanted. Jenn asked me questions all along the way and kept me in the loop during her creation process. In the end I was provided with exactly what I wanted! My advice to brides looking for the perfect jewelry is to explore Etsy, find a shop that sells jewelry in a style that you like, and start a conversation with the owner. More often than not I have found that Etsy sellers jump at the chance to make a custom piece, and it never hurts to ask!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTBEQKfOggNMzXOBO-WvX3yJUfIV7GRUUlplHNSWZYOQnEbk6SsDZ30NDqwDYFCTNPJBzDamdIrfec5p9xbFtfgxx7KT6NLb-YHK4urHCbnQeW40uKV67z_JDDYWs_6kbxR3ukugHTUI/s1600/IMG_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTBEQKfOggNMzXOBO-WvX3yJUfIV7GRUUlplHNSWZYOQnEbk6SsDZ30NDqwDYFCTNPJBzDamdIrfec5p9xbFtfgxx7KT6NLb-YHK4urHCbnQeW40uKV67z_JDDYWs_6kbxR3ukugHTUI/s400/IMG_0068.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">PS: Have I said yet how much I love my new camera?!</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-33306855329614651512011-02-03T19:50:00.002-05:002011-02-03T20:06:32.786-05:00Rustic Blend: Birch Bark FramesIn keeping with our rustic Adirondack theme we didn't want to forget about the table numbers. Many couples create table numbers that match the look of their invitations or escort cards, but we wanted to do something different. I found an amazing shop on Etsy called <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rusticblend">Rustic Blend</a> that makes birch bark photo frames - and the best part is that the owner lives in the Adirondacks! This is just perfect for us, because not only are we able to keep with our visual theme, we are able to keep with our environmental theme by purchasing from a local craftsman!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq96N02bWA72ak1n9yvJEZFkIzKWXQLpYuFUU6UnCL5n5BMyqUNDU_AJ6N_WBFIUc76sIKLphFkVrLc3v7KM1boOrPVyewCV2KTxjGVyx618rnhX0qjmoHIv3_t36nz7SnkD-UQ3twTDs/s1600/IMG_1625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq96N02bWA72ak1n9yvJEZFkIzKWXQLpYuFUU6UnCL5n5BMyqUNDU_AJ6N_WBFIUc76sIKLphFkVrLc3v7KM1boOrPVyewCV2KTxjGVyx618rnhX0qjmoHIv3_t36nz7SnkD-UQ3twTDs/s400/IMG_1625.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
<div>I started a conversation with the owner, Faith, through Etsy and we came to the agreement that she could make us ten frames that all look slightly different but are the same size and made of the same materials. We intend to use most of them for table identification, two will have information about favors and escort cards, and the rest will have photos from our <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/search?q=i+love+you+photo+shoot">"I Love You" photo shoot</a>. I say <i>table identification</i> instead of <i>table numbers</i> because we are actually going to name each of our tables after a favorite campground.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBViAu43Wg5IGg2z4s0PPs57_9O6wgLbm7_FIc95of3MqrT390ZXLFQu2Ra6GeWmd-VubjBH_BWCAdOVCfrc_aEtnYiFbw_-8MjK_Ldr0seYAvPmwgqimA7sv0rBUWKiFZ71Fd07OAsR0/s1600/IMG_1626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBViAu43Wg5IGg2z4s0PPs57_9O6wgLbm7_FIc95of3MqrT390ZXLFQu2Ra6GeWmd-VubjBH_BWCAdOVCfrc_aEtnYiFbw_-8MjK_Ldr0seYAvPmwgqimA7sv0rBUWKiFZ71Fd07OAsR0/s400/IMG_1626.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I love these frames! They are high quality, sturdy, and beautiful. Each frame holds a 4 x 6 photograph. They came with little dowels to be used as stands, and can rest vertically or horizontally based on our needs. </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBWuZHJTNNOWlTbUHGlNtmW_-ewcDd5_GIVUPQFpaiOUr2u9DToc1xXplnVtNznQCvEwzVCyxeEMeimrVW0QIiQZUTqeaXGauxbo4jvjZWpjReHRvfE0U3AsszIOhUmE1o_lZtnCwJLs/s1600/IMG_1628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBWuZHJTNNOWlTbUHGlNtmW_-ewcDd5_GIVUPQFpaiOUr2u9DToc1xXplnVtNznQCvEwzVCyxeEMeimrVW0QIiQZUTqeaXGauxbo4jvjZWpjReHRvfE0U3AsszIOhUmE1o_lZtnCwJLs/s400/IMG_1628.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Faith even gave us a cute little ornament with our initials on it! ♥</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnC5JpCJPGld587zbfW8F49cx2_QJZFIEJJQ6DhJ_pZiSDBmsCnQE6biEUKjcWK1UcnjbtNZahGwtBXtOuEqFlSu__KKpwfjdX5vrjuZH09Oupz_z2vZ7oOQViytIqAaYVGZjiSe-kAg/s1600/IMG_1629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnC5JpCJPGld587zbfW8F49cx2_QJZFIEJJQ6DhJ_pZiSDBmsCnQE6biEUKjcWK1UcnjbtNZahGwtBXtOuEqFlSu__KKpwfjdX5vrjuZH09Oupz_z2vZ7oOQViytIqAaYVGZjiSe-kAg/s400/IMG_1629.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-54332725765486300802011-01-29T18:57:00.000-05:002011-01-29T18:57:05.078-05:00Tuxedo or Suit?When deciding on menswear for the wedding, it is important to keep in mind a few things:<div><ol><li>Formality - How formal is your wedding? If you want to keep things traditional, then a tuxedo is the way to go. If you are trying to keep it more casual, then perhaps a suit is the better option.</li>
<li>Overall Look - What is the look you are trying to achieve? How do you want the men to appear in photographs?</li>
<li>Price of Renting versus Buying - Renting a tuxedo is not super expensive, but it's a significant cost. Would you rather spend the extra money and own a suit that could be worn again in the future?</li>
</ol><div>When considering all of those variables, and factoring in the fact that it is only Ryan and my father who need matching attire, we decided that suits were the best option for our wedding. We looked at some pictures online and liked the appearance of a vest and suit pants, with the jacket taken off. We also considered colors, and thought that brown would be our first choice, and gray our second choice.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Having made those decisions, we chose two stores to look at - the first was <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/mens/apparel/suits-suit-separates?id=17788&edge=hybrid">Macy's</a> and the second was <a href="http://www.menswearhouse.com/">Men's Wearhouse</a>. I have to say, I didn't think that choosing the menswear would be equal to or more stressful than choosing my wedding dress, but it was - and it was a lot less fun.</div><div><br />
</div><div>In both stores, as soon as we crossed the threshold salesmen were attacking us from all sides. Ryan really just wanted to look around a little bit and get his thoughts together before asking for help, but they wouldn't let this happen. We didn't even see anything that we liked at Macy's, because they only had one vested suit and it was the totally wrong fit for both Ryan and my father, so we spent a very short time there.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Hoping that Men's Wearhouse would give us a different sales experience, we went over there with high spirits, but were greeted with the same thing. When describing the look we wanted to the salesman, he was very discouraging and basically tried to tell us that "three-piece suits aren't really being made any more," even though I know that can't be true. Even though they are not as popular, we all knew that they are still being made, and he should have just showed us what he had. Instead, he showed us the "only two" vest separates that they had in the store, neither of which were what we were looking for.</div><div><br />
</div><div>At this point, we felt that the image we had in our minds wasn't going to work, and we needed some time to rethink what we wanted to do - alone... without a salesman breathing down our necks. Unfortunately, this wasn't going to happen. We explained to the salesman that we wanted a little time to just look around and think and that we would come get him when we were ready for help again, and he left us alone for a few minutes, but very shortly after a <i>second</i> salesman came over to see if we needed help. We politely declined, but in the amount of time it took us to turn around the original salesman was back again!</div><div><br />
</div><div>My father suggested that he and Ryan just try on a few things, and maybe the act of trying on suits would spark an idea. Once again my dad has proven that fathers really do know best! Great advice, Dad! We couldn't find a lot of brown suits that didn't look like potty colors, so we decided instead that a dark gray pinstripe would be nice. While pulling jackets off the rack for Ryan to try on, lo and behold, the salesman found a few gray pinstripe three-piece suits with vests! If he had just let us look at his stock of vested suits to begin with, the whole process would have been a lot easier! It even turned out that the first vested suit Ryan tried on was perfect and exactly what we were looking for, and they had it in sizes to fit both men!</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-_EBv77YZNF4cJjdufioQudcOQWA7i-pxqBCU20EOAlmM5SJxG2nCpG9jWxm7s2xIwOPaqtsybT10DHuKvUdn7kp7D7xfJHWaGTjCEvnQVmMaI-etCZCuYKYIsOwC-hdYgA0aqdexm4/s1600/IMG_1623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-_EBv77YZNF4cJjdufioQudcOQWA7i-pxqBCU20EOAlmM5SJxG2nCpG9jWxm7s2xIwOPaqtsybT10DHuKvUdn7kp7D7xfJHWaGTjCEvnQVmMaI-etCZCuYKYIsOwC-hdYgA0aqdexm4/s400/IMG_1623.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Success!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thankfully, picking out the rest of the ensemble was much easier than finding the suit itself. The salesman, Ryan, my colorblind father, and I pieced together a shirt and tie combination that is going to look amazing. We decided against a clean white dress shirt, since Ryan intends on wearing only the vest without the jacket, and if he stands next to me in my ivory dress wearing a bleached white shirt, I am going to look like dirty teeth. Instead, we chose an ecru color, which will make my dress seem brighter. They have quite a lot of ties to choose from at Men's Wearhouse, and we were easily able to choose a tie that complimented both the suit and shirt, and also had sublte touches of green to compliment my shoes and our wedding colors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqxHGVcJpZB5HaryC-7u8fGsN0hXwUhr3w3C1ID4D3A3AiSxgQKEUWUkfbW1whcUlCSI5jRzdQd8syrb2I9hZ0gQdttkjoXwQv_gjkVgSixTloVnyKxGGKLV4i5h_fNce1tWi_Hq6o-k/s1600/IMG_1624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqxHGVcJpZB5HaryC-7u8fGsN0hXwUhr3w3C1ID4D3A3AiSxgQKEUWUkfbW1whcUlCSI5jRzdQd8syrb2I9hZ0gQdttkjoXwQv_gjkVgSixTloVnyKxGGKLV4i5h_fNce1tWi_Hq6o-k/s400/IMG_1624.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although we had to deal with some pushy and not-always-helpful salesman today, Ryan and I both like Men's Wearhouse a lot. This is actually the third suit he has bought from that store, and they always have a really great selection of shirts and ties to fit his needs. The prices are great as well - today he got a deal that allowed him to buy a second suit for $100, which worked out great since we needed two suits. It didn't matter that one was for my dad and one was for Ryan, as long as they were paid for together. Overall we are very happy with the purchase and I look forward to seeing two of the three men I love most in the whole world look amazing on our wedding day! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>(I'm sure my brother will look amazing, too!)</i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-74351605567977392162011-01-21T20:20:00.004-05:002011-01-22T09:59:53.015-05:00This blog is called: I Heart Mimi PhillipsThis evening our wedding officiant, <a href="http://psweddingceremonies.vpweb.com/">Mimi Phillips</a>, came over for a visit so we could discuss the progress we've made on our wedding ceremony. Wow, she's amazing! I don't think we could have found a sweeter more understanding person to marry us {again} if we'd looked for two more years. She remembered us on a such a personal level from only one meeting, and even wanted to know how our wine turned out - which we told her we were going to make several months ago.<br />
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Back in October when we met Mimi for the first time she loaned us a book called <i>The Wedding Ceremony Planner </i>and we've been reading through it for a couple of months. Aside from the fact that the author lives in the town next over from where Ryan grew up, I love this book because it breaks down every little part of the ceremony and has worksheets in the back (which appeals to the teacher in me). We picked out all the different wording that we wanted for the parts of the ceremony and wrote down our favorites on a photocopy of one of the worksheets. We even found a tree planting ritual in the book, which is absolutely perfect for us, and we are really excited to include this in our ceremony.<br />
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We found that, although this took a good chunk of time to do, it was really easy and very worth it. Thankfully, Ryan and I agreed almost unanimously on which wording was the best for us; however, we are still having trouble finding the right vows. We didn't really feel like any of the vows in this book fit our personalities, and we can't seem to find what we are looking for on the internet.<br />
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This is where Mimi comes in. She came over to our house and we all sat down together to look at what Ryan and I had been working on over the last several months. Mimi looked at our worksheet and copies from the book and then dove right in reading aloud the ceremony as we had planned it thus far. It was really nice to hear her read it aloud, since she will be the one reading it on the day of our ceremony, and it gave us a chance to edit as we went when we heard something that didn't seem right. Our next step, now that the three of us have combed through the wording, is for Mimi to type everything up and let us look at it, and then work together on finding or creating the vows that are perfect for us. She plans to practice reading our ceremony a few times and let us know how long it takes her to read. We are concerned about length, because it will be a July afternoon and could be very hot.<br />
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After we looked through the ceremony plans, Mimi stayed for a little while to chat. We talked about what we have planned so far, looked at pictures of the ceremony site, and ogled over our new <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/2011/01/wedding-rings-ethically-sourced-and.html">wedding rings</a>. This was especially important because we also had the opportunity to talk to Mimi about our lives on a more personal level and discuss things unrelated to the wedding. She helped us brainstorm some ideas for things we are having trouble with, and counseled us a little bit on how to deal with Ryan's divorced parents during the ceremony and reception. This was really important to us, because there are some things that we are going to need some outside perspective in figuring out how to handle, and she has probably seen just about every situation out there at this point in her officiating career!<br />
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Mimi is such a great person that we even recommended her to our close friends <a href="http://quackweddingobsession.blogspot.com/">Erin and Mike</a>, who are getting married in August. It may seem weird to some people, but I think it would be really cute for us to have the same officiant, and I know that we would really like to see Mimi again after our ceremony!<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=weddvers0-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1402203438&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-43042889358913921602011-01-20T19:07:00.001-05:002011-01-20T19:22:03.530-05:00Guest Blogging and The EnvironmentEarlier this week I was asked by Milena of <a href="http://thereisalwaysroom.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/a-flowerless-wedding/">There Is Always Room</a> if I would like to be a guest blogger! As a professional organizer, this month her blog focuses on wedding planning. She was interested in my ideas about not using any live flowers (or flowers at all, for that matter) in our upcoming wedding. I was very honored to be asked to do this and I hope everyone will take some time to visit Milena's blog!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEemK9zGU-RDZTB2N7Wm434AbJcsNSyqKvDByx5LSWnKoX3Z_piesym0CfSrTyQSJ9mvqoruyiMzIVJ8ZUkfwO2BjMSj9I2rcRZiRbuuPxqOkUHHdaUidOiDcIJK_6MryC_X_mZKz2c-4/s1600/hippo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEemK9zGU-RDZTB2N7Wm434AbJcsNSyqKvDByx5LSWnKoX3Z_piesym0CfSrTyQSJ9mvqoruyiMzIVJ8ZUkfwO2BjMSj9I2rcRZiRbuuPxqOkUHHdaUidOiDcIJK_6MryC_X_mZKz2c-4/s400/hippo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://indiebliss.com/terrarium-centerpieces/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://indiebliss.com/terrarium-centerpieces/</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Reflecting on my post about not using flowers, I started to wonder if people actually knew the environmental costs of cutting live flowers for use as decoration. There are a variety of sources explaining the environmental and social costs of the cut flower industry, and when researching one has to be careful to make sure the source is reliable. A site that I particularly like is a blog called <a href="http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/2008/12/cut-flowers-and-environment.html">Reduce Footprints</a>. They published an article in December 2008 explaining the negative impacts of cutting flowers, and also offers some ways to keep flowers around in a more environmentally conscious manner. Please take some time to learn more about the environmental impacts of the actions you take!<br />
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I've read the following environmentally conscious books and I highly recommend reading them (or watching the movie for the first one if you don't like to read... which hurts me to say, because I am English teacher):<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=weddvers0-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000ICL3KG&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=weddvers0-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0032Z6Z4A&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=weddvers0-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0143038583&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-32441321016753910332011-01-19T15:35:00.000-05:002011-01-19T15:35:39.923-05:00Etsy TreasuryMaybe I am behind the times, but I just discovered Etsy Treasury, and I love it! Treasuries are listings of 16 items that a person has chosen to group together for a specific reason, such as items of the same color, theme, or search word (and sometimes for no reason at all). An individual can create as many treasuries as she wants and then choose to share them with the public or keep them private.<br />
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I had a lot of fun playing around with it and I decided for my first treasury I would find items that reminded me of a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d372ca6f46d8eef076f4569/woodland-romance?index=1">woodland romance</a> (just for fun). This is what I came up with:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqC1xQi15Kr1OI8sKixTtFPZQXw2BYw5QX1xQ1N8C_g8abOiOUUkCv-VqnHBDYwme6-qUgxaTmTK9K43rGCI9YwxhjLeuYHBAv-s2BRQA7TkkRiKsKiM0aF28m7LHsLWZLnqd6h9Xdqo/s1600/treasury.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqC1xQi15Kr1OI8sKixTtFPZQXw2BYw5QX1xQ1N8C_g8abOiOUUkCv-VqnHBDYwme6-qUgxaTmTK9K43rGCI9YwxhjLeuYHBAv-s2BRQA7TkkRiKsKiM0aF28m7LHsLWZLnqd6h9Xdqo/s400/treasury.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then I thought - why not create a treasury of items that I love from Etsy which fit my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d373314ee5c8eefedfc340c/an-adirondack-wedding?index=0">wedding theme</a>? So I did! I chose many of the items that I have already purchased for the wedding from Etsy sellers, and I chose a few others that fit the theme and I loved. I wanted to embed the treasury into my blog, but Etsy does not have an embed code for treasuries, so they suggested that I add all of the items to my favorites list and share what is called an Etsy Mini. Have fun and create one yourself! I'd love to see what other people come up with!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><script src="http://www.etsy.com/etsy_mini.js" type="text/javascript">
</script><script type="text/javascript">
new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(10154246, 'favorites','thumbnail',4,4).renderIframe();
</script></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-65789592064873788862011-01-17T10:32:00.001-05:002011-01-18T14:22:29.184-05:00Wedding Rings: Ethically Sourced and Environmentally FriendlyWhen trying to plan a "green" wedding, it is easy to think about recycled paper and planting trees, but what many people forget is that wedding rings can be harmful to the earth as well.<br />
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Tamara McFarland, of <a href="http://www.mcfarlanddesigns.com/">McFarland Designs</a>, creates jewelry made with recycled metals and conflict-free stones. She also donates a portion of her sales profits each month to a different charity in order to help make the planet healthier and happier. Because of her dedication to earth-friendly ideals, we chose her to create our custom wedding rings.<br />
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I feel it is important to share some excerpts from Tamara's website which explain some of the issues surrounding metals and gemstones and how she goes about trying to use these materials in conscious ways:<br />
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<i>I use 100% recycled Harmony Metals and fair trade stones in my designs. I realize that the terms ‘ethical’ and ‘fair trade’ are somewhat subjective at this moment in time in the jewelry industry, as there are no established guidelines yet for fair trade metal and gemstone mining.<br />
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"All precious metals at Hoover & Strong are 100% recycled. When it is necessary to obtain metals from other sources, we buy metal from other earth-friendly refineries that, like us, only use recycled metal. We require any secondary refinery to provide in writing, full disclosure of their metal sources."<br />
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The situation with gemstones is a bit more complicated. Everyone has different ideas about what the best ways are to protect workers and the environment, and as with many other ethical conundrums, it can be tough to know what the right decision is. While I am always open to considering other perspectives, here’s what I’m comfortable with right now – (1) lab-created stones, (2) stones that are mined and cut in the US, and (3) stones obtained from outside the US through channels that can be verified to be promoting environmental health, worker safety, and local communities.</i><br />
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</i></div><div>With all this transparency about Tamara's material sources, we decided that she was perfect for us. Although there are other jewelers out there who try to work in a similar fashion, we were sold on Tamara's honesty on her website, quality of previous work, and the ease with which we were able to communicate with her about what we wanted. After several emails back and forth discussing different options, Tamara created these beautiful rings for us out of recycled 14k white gold:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAzmEagRQFBo3uIRZr_DjDlMbnPo0oPCmiT5eqGJdAZgRnSj7pU4l1PaN_is1NMSjSHdti8nyjELIwpDuHsK7LWehUpIviIWUsuCufi8X_UgUW8FXxLmD99j6ZU9_k326BhwML5GnCWg/s1600/kristen3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAzmEagRQFBo3uIRZr_DjDlMbnPo0oPCmiT5eqGJdAZgRnSj7pU4l1PaN_is1NMSjSHdti8nyjELIwpDuHsK7LWehUpIviIWUsuCufi8X_UgUW8FXxLmD99j6ZU9_k326BhwML5GnCWg/s400/kristen3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmZSdZcApJLwwz00Pud5Bwqx9I7jp4zalLTVB51AsBDs9PB6W2FoZ7N6svUZKI3gCQmcb0WE8clO7kiifBWvGRIJx9SX-LiuPx2B0_GqcAoOrf-tacETLv4EOXnxdq1zZgMmNVSE_jUU/s1600/kristen4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmZSdZcApJLwwz00Pud5Bwqx9I7jp4zalLTVB51AsBDs9PB6W2FoZ7N6svUZKI3gCQmcb0WE8clO7kiifBWvGRIJx9SX-LiuPx2B0_GqcAoOrf-tacETLv4EOXnxdq1zZgMmNVSE_jUU/s200/kristen4.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yHaRfASskgU1TuTznMdCz0xLCxE5MyJjEmQy6eXvb9wTd-dHynsNY5lQcNG723AgyePLJPFdrbTq3qf9BQAcnYQH-X0BMIxW3lHX6ETjYyjGhJ2u423FhMtT1-DtwLRR1_BBGQUTHS4/s1600/kristen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yHaRfASskgU1TuTznMdCz0xLCxE5MyJjEmQy6eXvb9wTd-dHynsNY5lQcNG723AgyePLJPFdrbTq3qf9BQAcnYQH-X0BMIxW3lHX6ETjYyjGhJ2u423FhMtT1-DtwLRR1_BBGQUTHS4/s200/kristen2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Initially we had tried to incorporate a diamond that we had been given by a family member, but it was difficult because I wasn't comfortable shipping it across the country, and the ring design I really wanted (which is what we ended up choosing) wasn't going to work with that stone. The ring that was designed for me has 5 stones - one for each year we will have been married at the time of our vow renewal. They are alternating moissanite and emerald, which are our birthstones (moissanite is a lab-created stone, similar to a diamond).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We love our rings so much, that I am considering having McFarland Designs create earrings and necklace for our wedding day as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For more information about diamond mining, check out this book:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=weddvers0-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0857289632&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-17180196160467096372011-01-15T19:55:00.002-05:002011-03-02T20:43:32.889-05:00A visit to the Copperfield InnThis afternoon, Ryan and I took a trip up to <a href="http://www.copperfieldinn.com/">Copperfield</a> to get another look at the ceremony and reception sites, meet with the sales manager, and finalize some plans. We are a little more than 5 months away from the wedding at this point, and I highly recommend that a couple about to be married make a second visit to their ceremony site at this point in the planning process. It was a wonderful chance for us to reconfirm that we <i>love</i> the areas we picked, and it put my mind at ease, as well as giving me some additional information which I needed in order to proceed with planning.<br />
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We arrived a bit early for our appointment, and since the property where we are holding the ceremony is a park across the street from the inn (called the Kellogg Property), we decided to take a walk over and check out the ceremony site again. Even though we had to traipse through half a foot of snow to get there, I am glad we did it. It allowed us to visualize where we want chairs, what direction we want people to face, where my father and I can hide before we are ready to walk down the aisle, and where people can park if they don't want to walk across the street from the inn. We rented chairs from <a href="http://www.bullseyeparty.com/">Bullseye Party Rentals</a> in Glens Falls. They are going to deliver, set up, and remove the chairs for us on the day of the ceremony. Today we tried to figure out exactly where we would like the chairs to be placed inside of the pavilion.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6EI9aYXZe1-t8aGYI3oToqqO0Srb3r3tB0ts3fwuJ1g60fGj0BkRDboG2_6zUNesh89zla8OHH3MvUTVX4t_Kr0lSjqVs6_chGhUT7eWyyy4pSouENA3PEZAHZCtbq1iIHUwBOLFbJA/s1600/layout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6EI9aYXZe1-t8aGYI3oToqqO0Srb3r3tB0ts3fwuJ1g60fGj0BkRDboG2_6zUNesh89zla8OHH3MvUTVX4t_Kr0lSjqVs6_chGhUT7eWyyy4pSouENA3PEZAHZCtbq1iIHUwBOLFbJA/s400/layout.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<i>Life Lesson #1: If you are going to bring your camera to take pictures of something, make sure you didn't accidentally leave the memory card in your computer at home. I forgot to put my memory card back in my camera before we left, so I had to use my phone to take pictures today.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QLj-0YjlhHlNh2Rd1vmJYlL7_hg5pgN315wNRXtkOyS6scJNFJdpVnHU9ideYs5yhyphenhyphenlb5WUUMpYA6Hy_p4aGUFqb81uLbu2xSHBjOLdg2YX34BlR3dERERM9Ig1pvWW2nH2V58fE0sY/s1600/2011-01-15_11-37-31_713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QLj-0YjlhHlNh2Rd1vmJYlL7_hg5pgN315wNRXtkOyS6scJNFJdpVnHU9ideYs5yhyphenhyphenlb5WUUMpYA6Hy_p4aGUFqb81uLbu2xSHBjOLdg2YX34BlR3dERERM9Ig1pvWW2nH2V58fE0sY/s400/2011-01-15_11-37-31_713.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFtnNZaqpRenWtIKh9G_rVMTVQzmZWkcF4eQpgt-k5NxZA7Vbb-yWq6Z_uuWZrvQAIOaMSP0kpZpQrUNskPn74An5-Siy3_myyAcEozV1xOx0SmFeDnjsHxW7-R2q6caSYxuI2VtyKfk/s1600/2011-01-15_11-38-24_205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFtnNZaqpRenWtIKh9G_rVMTVQzmZWkcF4eQpgt-k5NxZA7Vbb-yWq6Z_uuWZrvQAIOaMSP0kpZpQrUNskPn74An5-Siy3_myyAcEozV1xOx0SmFeDnjsHxW7-R2q6caSYxuI2VtyKfk/s400/2011-01-15_11-38-24_205.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3SVrn5UckwtQU5oyhWMG56Bk4OgbMhgBixVqHVBAMhWftbD3hF9h5KhceYpJnCTc9IrcZ7_4TN8WIENbEz5F1vMAt7Bx10O1Vl7E2-OnAcaLoF3GHMBgQ7dKBqQRBhjI3IY2_hPCUwQ/s1600/2011-01-15_11-38-28_766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3SVrn5UckwtQU5oyhWMG56Bk4OgbMhgBixVqHVBAMhWftbD3hF9h5KhceYpJnCTc9IrcZ7_4TN8WIENbEz5F1vMAt7Bx10O1Vl7E2-OnAcaLoF3GHMBgQ7dKBqQRBhjI3IY2_hPCUwQ/s400/2011-01-15_11-38-28_766.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-gPNQwv1BoatFmxxuqyRTgoDC6kCTrDl5WAQRcRFseJ_YtcG1h0NyzWXQeqhYXd4MbwjBgFyLFFspNdzQSV5LmEdFqMPNc6_KiTPywHO0R9YcLOC-xus0k13BOdxjlD_YjfJ5fVh9os/s1600/2011-01-15_11-39-09_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-gPNQwv1BoatFmxxuqyRTgoDC6kCTrDl5WAQRcRFseJ_YtcG1h0NyzWXQeqhYXd4MbwjBgFyLFFspNdzQSV5LmEdFqMPNc6_KiTPywHO0R9YcLOC-xus0k13BOdxjlD_YjfJ5fVh9os/s400/2011-01-15_11-39-09_212.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0JX0Npg0fVyphu_HYD8OHbcLNb1Agg6CjjX8QAgZEjl6rYxC48mDEiSYAmyJumIzC_5nTKGoyQ_sWr_XNEPXmpvptHKzID7TBUcXqfs66Qep6MJJ-uZYCA1s289EEIU-2H9i6kftLuY/s1600/2011-01-15_11-40-41_737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0JX0Npg0fVyphu_HYD8OHbcLNb1Agg6CjjX8QAgZEjl6rYxC48mDEiSYAmyJumIzC_5nTKGoyQ_sWr_XNEPXmpvptHKzID7TBUcXqfs66Qep6MJJ-uZYCA1s289EEIU-2H9i6kftLuY/s400/2011-01-15_11-40-41_737.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMquQT7b52e0EmEuS2yqKAw8JPblLyzLs6lI-UNQuFIR7E15TnyA3H3390qpnbP38QiTttwDmF3bbp-FXvaML1MlmwJKFvUKm2SivpD4tnTp6RoYUwwkarptbF7rHw2oIMemF11m67fgk/s1600/2011-01-15_11-41-35_389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMquQT7b52e0EmEuS2yqKAw8JPblLyzLs6lI-UNQuFIR7E15TnyA3H3390qpnbP38QiTttwDmF3bbp-FXvaML1MlmwJKFvUKm2SivpD4tnTp6RoYUwwkarptbF7rHw2oIMemF11m67fgk/s400/2011-01-15_11-41-35_389.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdMopw2mN2O_rCh8a1460XX7RPZCgj4_d6-KTfBKnxYa6ZL0rrygA0FUjknJkPFdajdSA_NNdjBwnlNrLf0ENNb9JBkfgY1Oq8iXDFut6x-6hY1pyODi65Lrp72tIH_VrDxWdMRUbr3A/s1600/2011-01-15_11-41-53_623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdMopw2mN2O_rCh8a1460XX7RPZCgj4_d6-KTfBKnxYa6ZL0rrygA0FUjknJkPFdajdSA_NNdjBwnlNrLf0ENNb9JBkfgY1Oq8iXDFut6x-6hY1pyODi65Lrp72tIH_VrDxWdMRUbr3A/s400/2011-01-15_11-41-53_623.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our walk through the snow, we met with the sales manager to talk about some details. My first goal was to get rid of all the things that had previously been written as "To Be Determined" in our contract. At this point, I want everything to be set, and I don't want to leave anything up in the air. This meant that we decided on the time for the cocktail hour and reception, chose the cocktail hour location, and made sure that enough of our guests had booked rooms so that we wouldn't have to pay a fee. This was all really easy and put me at ease. Now that we know what time the reception is set to begin, I can order invitations! The sales manager also talked to us about the location of tables for gifts and <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/2011/01/place-card-holders-straight-out-of.html">place cards</a>, and where we can have the DJ set up. She showed us some of the items the inn has available to us for use as decorations. This mostly consisted of hurricane lamps. They are bigger than the jars I purchased for the <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/search/label/centerpiece">terrarium centerpieces</a>, so I don't think I will use them on the main tables, but I might be able to utilize them for the gift and place card tables.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLtFJXXE1Tz-pxYtKjv_IJ0sC7QbZ88j5PfbMu6BBaKRKrj4U3k8q-s0Z6Lc1LYxvzjmjsnXbS-_M8HPIYZdwsCb4VieBGSSqEo5g4FWAqsGZszLnZevD98MTlIRcaI1L71B1vObw62I/s1600/2011-01-15_12-06-34_289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLtFJXXE1Tz-pxYtKjv_IJ0sC7QbZ88j5PfbMu6BBaKRKrj4U3k8q-s0Z6Lc1LYxvzjmjsnXbS-_M8HPIYZdwsCb4VieBGSSqEo5g4FWAqsGZszLnZevD98MTlIRcaI1L71B1vObw62I/s400/2011-01-15_12-06-34_289.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We looked at the linens, talked about the menu, and chit-chatted about how we might want to have the evening run - as far as dances, announcements, etc. We made sure that the doors to the patio could be opened during the reception - which is not only a beautiful option if the weather is nice, but important for our guests who need to go outside to smoke <i>(yuck)</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We will be having the cocktail hour in the front half of what is called the Great Room. <i>(horrible picture to follow - stupid cell phone...)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOtvZd3XT5d33mPIsMeAOhGIlNPXYM6fAgjmdUvQDfUIo8-ktbCrOw_tQGjT_WKW4UjuQWNCbwzbykOF0ACdzWNfV92Sx_hch6niIYPz5Drd071U2IJNaiXL4ZKRnOFcvGlU7se28ZCg/s1600/2011-01-15_12-08-14_721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOtvZd3XT5d33mPIsMeAOhGIlNPXYM6fAgjmdUvQDfUIo8-ktbCrOw_tQGjT_WKW4UjuQWNCbwzbykOF0ACdzWNfV92Sx_hch6niIYPz5Drd071U2IJNaiXL4ZKRnOFcvGlU7se28ZCg/s400/2011-01-15_12-08-14_721.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the reception will be held in the back half of the Great Room. This room has doors that open onto a stone patio, which is very lovely, but it was much too cold to go outside for a look today. The wall in the middle of the room folds open or closed as needed (and sort of reminds me of the cafe-gym-atorium that we had at my elementary school).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mfUgRBLWZrM55_OJ57nu3HMjonrLD0VPa-vlzOSNqkVNe-BfTzDIdbZ7pTTKQSBeLdcBXDQTFLDPq1s5OAV_oMO7Z4hCrQefDswckxSNwxJ7ZM9Hp6fPwRZwBDCNWj-nuEanHnS1lSM/s1600/2011-01-15_12-07-57_266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mfUgRBLWZrM55_OJ57nu3HMjonrLD0VPa-vlzOSNqkVNe-BfTzDIdbZ7pTTKQSBeLdcBXDQTFLDPq1s5OAV_oMO7Z4hCrQefDswckxSNwxJ7ZM9Hp6fPwRZwBDCNWj-nuEanHnS1lSM/s400/2011-01-15_12-07-57_266.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since we don't have wedding attendants to help us with things, and we won't be having a florist, I had a concern about how to get the tables decorated and when and who would do this. The sales manager said that two things could be done - either we could set the tables up ourselves the evening before, or we could make a sample table in the morning and the inn staff could then copy what we had done. Since we are only going to need six tables, we decided that we would be most comfortable setting them up ourselves the night before. That way we don't have to worry that they are done right and we can set it aside and not have to think about it the next day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To end our wonderful visit to North Creek, we chose to eat lunch at <a href="http://www.copperfieldinn.com/trapperstavern.asp">Trappers Tavern</a>, which is located inside the inn itself. <i>We <u>have</u> to get photos taken in here by <a href="http://tiffanywayne.com/">Tiffany</a> before our wedding is over.</i> This place it so cool! If it were big enough, we would seriously have the reception right inside the tavern.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Life Lesson #2: If you think you took a picture on your phone, double check to make sure you actually clicked the button. I thought I took three or four pictures while we were eating lunch, but I apparently only took one...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNvNQ-R7BsqA9CjePoHQCdkaRm-nwLyeuT5XQ7FcdrKLxStsbuWb6f6ITOXANZlRFDHQeC1POuGZPM40tpWnJ9HYWVCINvuZ8QvNFWTFRT1YbNhoJPleMWREqy3cMZh6iqWyKmcMWl_o/s1600/2011-01-15_12-54-39_163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNvNQ-R7BsqA9CjePoHQCdkaRm-nwLyeuT5XQ7FcdrKLxStsbuWb6f6ITOXANZlRFDHQeC1POuGZPM40tpWnJ9HYWVCINvuZ8QvNFWTFRT1YbNhoJPleMWREqy3cMZh6iqWyKmcMWl_o/s400/2011-01-15_12-54-39_163.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had such a nice time here today, that we decided to come here after our reception is over. The party could continue all night!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now on to the next step - choosing the menu... !</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-31553746040291674942011-01-13T20:56:00.000-05:002011-01-13T20:56:16.522-05:00Place Card Holders: Straight out of the woods"I got a box of wood in the mail today!"<br />
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In keeping with our wedding theme of the Adirondack woods, and our goal of having as many eco-friendly components to our wedding as possible, I went in search of place card holders. I looked at some websites and in some craft stores, but I couldn't really find anything I liked that really spoke to me. We discussed the idea of little Adirondack chairs, but all the ones I could find were white and looked like they belonged on a beach rather than at a cabin. Inevitably I turned to Etsy, because it seems that no matter how hard I try to look in other places first, I always end up back here. I'm glad I did, because I found the most awesome place card holders from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/thisfineday?ref=pr_shop">This Fine Day</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEUlYU_d7GL8mUwlMP3VIVWseSp6Nd7pAKLw6O9DUTmIr5rBO8vRYS6rqe27MV5S7muXSmYYAzFy5aWMhIdjy-SZFH6VDCVKlNLmqmcREK7K5tTbvYArATRwGsBxosgUSP2ZZVjD4-vA/s1600/cards1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEUlYU_d7GL8mUwlMP3VIVWseSp6Nd7pAKLw6O9DUTmIr5rBO8vRYS6rqe27MV5S7muXSmYYAzFy5aWMhIdjy-SZFH6VDCVKlNLmqmcREK7K5tTbvYArATRwGsBxosgUSP2ZZVjD4-vA/s400/cards1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
They are sawed chunks of branches from a fallen tree, with slits carved in to hold the place cards. I don't think I could have found something more "Adirondack woods" or "eco-friendly" if I tried! I intend to make our place cards out of recycled card stock, and include a note on the back encouraging our guests to reuse the wood for something else in their home. We plan to use any extras that we have as photo holders around our house. If we have a <u>lot</u> left over, we might even let our gerbils chew on a few.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-B4CDfRO6SvIcl0Ec8a9wrj7zEMv9XhDF16gb9sBDtTAOYaDTReNpbEGaSlPzAgNazTANmDl5b1Pj_2Q4pnHxYFZ2mCaYTwlerljnWBkMjRqPA5agto5_VNpx31fTW69vZQKhxJK-gOI/s1600/IMG_1590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-B4CDfRO6SvIcl0Ec8a9wrj7zEMv9XhDF16gb9sBDtTAOYaDTReNpbEGaSlPzAgNazTANmDl5b1Pj_2Q4pnHxYFZ2mCaYTwlerljnWBkMjRqPA5agto5_VNpx31fTW69vZQKhxJK-gOI/s400/IMG_1590.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I wish computers had smell-o-vision, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>because opening this box was like stepping into summer...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-20363336718881641732011-01-12T16:57:00.012-05:002011-01-18T14:23:06.132-05:00The Wedding Binder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Among the many reasons why I am like Monica from <i>Friends</i>, this one I'd like to share with you today...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGUiYgjMh-boHkTx3sxjhK3GKZY8mete-NveSu5V3WD4rvRq5YiY-ZPqWmVpyG66HJru3pauc_N8tEZ9qq4SoPX7mZKxGaE2RNeBUPjJihWPO_z1h4f7n9KfCh-CW85WroCjxRrF8IRc/s1600/monica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGUiYgjMh-boHkTx3sxjhK3GKZY8mete-NveSu5V3WD4rvRq5YiY-ZPqWmVpyG66HJru3pauc_N8tEZ9qq4SoPX7mZKxGaE2RNeBUPjJihWPO_z1h4f7n9KfCh-CW85WroCjxRrF8IRc/s200/monica.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqlbe0TVIVOQAmGORIe_LZnWrmUQ33JSl4EErAQHDPJsoShyphenhyphenuRkX2jIYzwNG5jh6Dp7yN_9g-z9pS8TK69y3igcBOwhuW_Mzg9s5xo_bLV2bpXUB0XwYHYn7zu0qlTqGLe6YYN6XP628/s1600/IMG_1576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqlbe0TVIVOQAmGORIe_LZnWrmUQ33JSl4EErAQHDPJsoShyphenhyphenuRkX2jIYzwNG5jh6Dp7yN_9g-z9pS8TK69y3igcBOwhuW_Mzg9s5xo_bLV2bpXUB0XwYHYn7zu0qlTqGLe6YYN6XP628/s200/IMG_1576.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>...the Wedding Binder (capitalized for importance)!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know that many (maybe even most) women who are planning a wedding put together a binder to help keep track of what/who/when/where/and how many, but when I first started this thing I was clueless! I knew I needed to keep track of things, but I didn't really know yet which things were the most important. Throughout all of my research on the internet and magazines, any time I saw something I liked, it went straight in the binder. I had categories set up, but I learned pretty quickly that what I at first thought was important <i>(hair)</i> really needed to step aside for other things <i>(budget)</i>. Now that I know better, I've narrowed down my binder to the following important categories:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQSRt4_yBOqCBhZtGuuDbWy1GY59r5S20aqMCsszW8pviy_R6e9enjpwqncKsshMSCXu8mYySRvgX1c5tFvWgrwbOZwfd_pecjVg4oBpDAH1_z7_eS6Ruv4pZH545XPhNij1aR_nzfuE/s1600/IMG_1577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQSRt4_yBOqCBhZtGuuDbWy1GY59r5S20aqMCsszW8pviy_R6e9enjpwqncKsshMSCXu8mYySRvgX1c5tFvWgrwbOZwfd_pecjVg4oBpDAH1_z7_eS6Ruv4pZH545XPhNij1aR_nzfuE/s320/IMG_1577.JPG" width="303" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-6IP5lqZyti8X2n2Oh1Nkx-d6y9O7evCGX_BgipFmsEz6B1zHAM8iTjOlmCKFFoJhJ6TWtwB23yEJ-k7oas9Ae5IOiY1POkRNas2pizDTtUP71XJUQA1rUkPz25xa_LVTpgosulsco4/s1600/IMG_1578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-6IP5lqZyti8X2n2Oh1Nkx-d6y9O7evCGX_BgipFmsEz6B1zHAM8iTjOlmCKFFoJhJ6TWtwB23yEJ-k7oas9Ae5IOiY1POkRNas2pizDTtUP71XJUQA1rUkPz25xa_LVTpgosulsco4/s200/IMG_1578.JPG" width="200" /></a><b></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>1. Location</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>(...location, location! <-- this is what happens to your brain after you buy a house) </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">This means the ceremony location </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><u>and</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> the reception location (even if you think at first that they are going to be held in the same place). This section started off as a bunch of printouts from websites of venues that I had researched and liked and potentially wanted to visit. I ordered them front to back, with the ones I liked the best in the front. Then I made some appointments, we made some visits, and we pulled out the ones that we didn't like any more. Now that we have decided on a venue for the ceremony and the reception, those places are the only two that I left in this section of the binder. This section contains basic web printouts, notes we took on visits, drafts of our contracts, our </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><u>actual</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> contracts, and receipts for payment deposits. In the beginning I thought that I would want to keep even the information from places we didn't like, sort of like a souvenir of my research process, but I have recently come to realize that the only place of importance is our actual venue, and that's all I want to remember. (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.copperfieldinn.com/">Copperfield</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">)</span></b><br />
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</span></b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDlJ2zkUTbYsINtyQFCyhYrCMi0RxmyGnzgjT-ICL7Tmum9pGO1rKPR8-1gYsr4jEq2FJABuIYiK0niEjFis7tmztjaV7TT_QpNgHwvL5t1iDIwC5ZHPgI550NAqeGwSteiG6bRS7KdI/s1600/IMG_1579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDlJ2zkUTbYsINtyQFCyhYrCMi0RxmyGnzgjT-ICL7Tmum9pGO1rKPR8-1gYsr4jEq2FJABuIYiK0niEjFis7tmztjaV7TT_QpNgHwvL5t1iDIwC5ZHPgI550NAqeGwSteiG6bRS7KdI/s200/IMG_1579.JPG" width="189" /></a><b>2. Photographer</b> In this section I am keeping contracts, paperwork, and ideas for photos that I like, as well as payment receipts. I also keep a few notes that our photographer wrote to us, because I love her so much and it makes me feel good to read them again! Just like the location section, this section started off with basic information about photographers I liked from the internet, and then it got smaller and smaller as we had interviews and chose our perfect match. (<a href="http://tiffanywayne.com/">Tiffany Wayne</a>)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzSzxHjJOFyQRuRJD5UwpLYtMRbjsKKtXuzqKdTA9mStcac4K0FnXGDeXB6pl0x5dJKD9CsPtIr5f86ETAg6ZvqDsskR8pMX_VITZNoceqG2LeTJo4UZYdQ-_vp5a9mMzLcHQlxLJY5I/s1600/IMG_1581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzSzxHjJOFyQRuRJD5UwpLYtMRbjsKKtXuzqKdTA9mStcac4K0FnXGDeXB6pl0x5dJKD9CsPtIr5f86ETAg6ZvqDsskR8pMX_VITZNoceqG2LeTJo4UZYdQ-_vp5a9mMzLcHQlxLJY5I/s200/IMG_1581.JPG" width="189" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>4. Music & DJ</b> In this section of my binder I can find anything that has to do with music. Our contract with the DJ, payment receipts<i> (notice a trend here - keep track of your money!)</i>, and songs that we want to play. Our DJ also sent us a form where we can write down any traditional dances that we would like to include. Since our reception is going to include camping games, and I will need the DJ's help with this, those materials will kept in this section as we create them.</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
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Although this is the best way for <u>me</u> to organize my Wedding Binder, I do not know if it is the best way for <u>everyone</u>. What I <i>do</i> know, is that I have found this binder to be extremely helpful in my planning process. Weddings are overwhelming and there have been times when I felt as though I was lost and didn't know what I was supposed to be doing, but having this binder (and especially the planning checklist) brought me right back to reality and allowed me to focus on just one task at a time. I recommend that every couple who are planning a wedding have at least some sort of organizational system to keep track of things, something that even the most unorganized person could feel comfortable with. Find what works for you!<br />
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If you don't feel like creating your own binder, there are tons of great ones available to buy that are already organized and ready for you to use!<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=weddvers0-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1400048001&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=weddvers0-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1934386405&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=weddvers0-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1887169660&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-6081456661570897902011-01-10T19:35:00.001-05:002011-01-10T20:07:16.586-05:00Maro Designs on EtsyAfter blogging about the items I wanted to add to my <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/2010/12/prop-box-of-fun.html">prop box</a> for the photo booth, I had to go straight to <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MaroDesigns?ref=seller_info">Maro Designs</a> on Etsy and get a few items that I just couldn't stop thinking about:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rjP7bYGDenYZMADMA4MuugYUvzxC5onbEpmmKSYk2Q6PiNKRQ5c2v5aB2Q7_xL_y10z1gZLW6dhiyuiFUKxK_ZfGnJhFudglZF6a-6_h43OtN016VhORd4D1Ycw0Iueq-DxA8MGK2b0/s1600/il_570xN.188466779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rjP7bYGDenYZMADMA4MuugYUvzxC5onbEpmmKSYk2Q6PiNKRQ5c2v5aB2Q7_xL_y10z1gZLW6dhiyuiFUKxK_ZfGnJhFudglZF6a-6_h43OtN016VhORd4D1Ycw0Iueq-DxA8MGK2b0/s320/il_570xN.188466779.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjSrndkdmf2-nHa6S8V8a8y8wG1PynvoBaCioy-N1aiUGSTNeTJGaxXUhQQiITUtM6wUkYV8G_2OH6qTCljFryGnBS2FQkE81_elC8Z7mFTue_1FN6JiI0WQN-8lW6MCGJfAYxrrzz_o/s1600/il_570xN.193754253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjSrndkdmf2-nHa6S8V8a8y8wG1PynvoBaCioy-N1aiUGSTNeTJGaxXUhQQiITUtM6wUkYV8G_2OH6qTCljFryGnBS2FQkE81_elC8Z7mFTue_1FN6JiI0WQN-8lW6MCGJfAYxrrzz_o/s320/il_570xN.193754253.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCyoXP7lB_o_AF_25UZgBNfiFyc_vRQWbRpcPBq-WOQQdqHE1EbMyDZEfsx8BRuyaC8dQ6aqhtIE2HitG2onv0ZZHgiSziqkJftkh247oGTE_h0cJyVqw6EENzsYTTzNIU6qmsC72J14/s1600/il_570xN.195649367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCyoXP7lB_o_AF_25UZgBNfiFyc_vRQWbRpcPBq-WOQQdqHE1EbMyDZEfsx8BRuyaC8dQ6aqhtIE2HitG2onv0ZZHgiSziqkJftkh247oGTE_h0cJyVqw6EENzsYTTzNIU6qmsC72J14/s320/il_570xN.195649367.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and my personal favorite...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4yLBM9RiYeD78f_c5F_gybj1r-7L_C7Wvql1duVYV3YRkh27kAgfiXQU4k1Wf72uuCFrPiDWV3gdruUiRMQQXO2Evoh3bAanhFOdnJ1HzLjB99EGV6ytIIx3cpq_wkeBrDTVsQCUY4Q/s1600/il_570xN.196086593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4yLBM9RiYeD78f_c5F_gybj1r-7L_C7Wvql1duVYV3YRkh27kAgfiXQU4k1Wf72uuCFrPiDWV3gdruUiRMQQXO2Evoh3bAanhFOdnJ1HzLjB99EGV6ytIIx3cpq_wkeBrDTVsQCUY4Q/s320/il_570xN.196086593.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the Mrs. Cyclops eye!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love the creativity behind these props and especially the unique designs that Maro Designs offers. They are made of a very sturdy felt, and I have no worries at all about the props holding up and lasting throughout my entire reception - even if the little kids do start running around with them. My other favorite aspect of Maro Designs is how affordable these items were! I've looked at a lot of stores on Etsy that make similar items, and for the high quality, these were by far the best deal for my money.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't wait to use them!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: All images contained this blog post are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Maro Designs. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. You may not download material from Maro Designs on the Web for your personal or commercial use.</span></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-33121423143931896922011-01-09T11:51:00.000-05:002011-01-09T11:51:51.292-05:00A friend's response to: Should we register for gifts?After reading my most recent blog <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/2011/01/should-we-register-for-gifts.html">post</a>, where I questioned whether or not Ryan and I should register for gifts, my brother's girlfriend had the following response:<br />
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<i>So I saw your blog about your debate over wedding registries and I can definitely see the dilemma. Jason and I know a couple who had a registry and got so much stuff they had to take it down and asked anyone else who wanted to get them a gift to donate to either Heifer International or the World Hunger something or other.<br />
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My opinion would be to maybe have one registry with only a few things you really want and then once those things are purchased, anyone else looking to purchase something you could ask for donations to a charity. This is what happened with Jason's friends, we saw their registry note in the invitation, but when we finally got to ordering, one registry didn't exist anymore and the other had everything already purchased. We ended up asking them about it and they asked us to make a donation to one of two charities of their choice.<br />
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I wouldn't be good at my job if I also didn't put it out there that The Pampered Chef does wedding registries. Everything will be set up online so people don't have to worry about something being "in stock" at their local Macy's or Target, etc.. They can have stuff shipped to them so they can give it to you at the wedding, or it can be shipped directly to you if they can't make it to the wedding. You will also get free products, discounted products, half-price products, 10% off anything for a year after your wedding and free shipping on your rewards order.<br />
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This is just a suggestion and please don't feel obligated to choose The Pampered Chef, but a lot of people don't know we also do wedding registries so I wanted to get you informed!</i><br />
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</i></div><div>I think this is an excellent idea and we will most likely have a small registry of a few things that we need, and then from that point on ask people to donate to a charity. And I would be a good friend if I didn't link to <a href="http://www.pamperedchef.biz/cullumEM">Erica's Pampered Chef store</a>!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuEP3qW7ftLQH9KIzNPS4aKej2_7l752MlwD2wtXYfP_1ZiCdM3DP11d-jYgbz8v1NmGFZEKHUyW-fSmR7cGaw7XN35pBgxwSux-p335wI6KbLwfkE5fBCd1X8V77-Pt2Fg9RAEPZQqI/s1600/logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuEP3qW7ftLQH9KIzNPS4aKej2_7l752MlwD2wtXYfP_1ZiCdM3DP11d-jYgbz8v1NmGFZEKHUyW-fSmR7cGaw7XN35pBgxwSux-p335wI6KbLwfkE5fBCd1X8V77-Pt2Fg9RAEPZQqI/s1600/logo.gif" /></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">To purchase from Erica's store, follow these simple steps:</span></i></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1. click on "shop online" in the top right corner<br />
2. option 2 is to place an order without being in a show, click on "place an order"<br />
3. a little box will come up warning you that your order will not be on a show; click on "otherwise click here to continue"<br />
4. choose the items you would like to purchase and pay with a credit/debit card.</span></i> <br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=78cada06-3b07-43ab-be93-8427d581cf9e" style="border: none; float: right;" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-79521088985597667992011-01-08T11:16:00.002-05:002011-01-09T11:52:52.538-05:00Should we register for gifts?For a normal wedding, the answer to this is absolutely yes... but what about for a couple who is renewing their vows?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdyzYR4sEDyKEdpmjmZYT7aRa9LeGX5qxzJ0j8te_LvayqUjHu5zPLOl2B-4wIF3aR4O2cNeNF2ABOUFq7aO_eKhL5oLMd16uz0_xoykfVP9K-0uuT01xp8HA9iX34TP6yPSxpzQi8Rw/s1600/34399_446475755543_700190543_5923129_4165563_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdyzYR4sEDyKEdpmjmZYT7aRa9LeGX5qxzJ0j8te_LvayqUjHu5zPLOl2B-4wIF3aR4O2cNeNF2ABOUFq7aO_eKhL5oLMd16uz0_xoykfVP9K-0uuT01xp8HA9iX34TP6yPSxpzQi8Rw/s320/34399_446475755543_700190543_5923129_4165563_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Earlier this week I was discussing our wedding planning with a close friend and colleague of mine, and she asked me if we were going to register for gifts. Up until that moment, we hadn't really given it any thought. We had sort of just assumed, since we kept our elopement secret for so long, that we didn't really deserve gifts and didn't have the right to ask for any, and therefore didn't need to register. After all, the reason we are having this ceremony is so that we can share our love for each other with our families and they can participate in our happiness, not so that we can load up on free stuff!<br />
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I explained all this to my friend, but she pointed out that some people (meaning herself) are going to insist upon getting us a gift, and that we really should at least have an idea of something that we want or could use, so that they don't get us something we hate. I started thinking about her point, but I still don't feel comfortable advertising to our family and friends that we are registered, because we don't want people to feel like they <i>have</i> to get us something. We truly just want to spend a fun celebratory day with them.<br />
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After some discussion, we came up with two ideas:<br />
1. Register, but don't advertise that we have registered (meaning - we won't put a little note in with the invitations like I have seen some other people do). Then, if someone asks us we can tell them where we are registered, but people who weren't planning to get us a gift won't feel obligated or guilty if they see a little registration card.<br />
2. Don't register, and then if people ask us about gifts, we could say that we don't need or want anything, and we would instead like it if they would donate to a charity of their choice.<br />
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We still have to make a decision about this, but one of the things I am quickly learning about planning a wedding, is that just when you thought you had it all under control, there will be something else to plan for!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-79918746565561221832010-12-29T09:33:00.001-05:002010-12-29T09:40:55.492-05:00Prop Box of Fun!It seems like one of the newest (and most fun) trends of weddings is the photo booth. A photo booth can be set up in a number of ways, but essentially it consists of a dedicated area (usually with a backdrop of some sort) where people can have their photo taken. Ranging from formal to goofy, the booth can be designed in any way that fits the bride and groom. During the wedding reception, it is almost guaranteed that if a person is dancing, his or her photo will be taken by the professional photographer. But what about people who don't dance? Often these guests are under-represented in the photographs which are taken throughout the event, and this is a sad thing to happen. The photo booth is a way to make sure that people who are absent from the height of action are still able to participate in ways that are less in the spotlight and can be involved in the wedding.<br />
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Although we haven't gotten all of the details of our own photo booth planned out yet, we do have some ideas. Our photographer, <a href="http://tiffanywayne.com/">Tiffany Wayne</a>, came up with the idea of hanging a wooden picture frame between the camera and the guests being photographed, which will give the illusion of our guests being a framed piece of artwork. We love this idea!<br />
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We have a lot of guests (and one groom) who really hate dancing, and with a small wedding of only 40-50 people, we wanted to make sure that everyone has fun. We are hoping to accomplish this through incorporating camping games such as Mad Libs, a scavenger hunt, and cootie catchers throughout the reception (this fits with our theme of the Adirondack Woods, which was inspired by our love of camping). We are also hoping to accomplish this sense of playfulness by having a box of props available at the photo booth, so that people can dress up, relax in front of the camera, and act silly. I, for one, am really looking forward to this, and my father mentioned that he thought it would be funny if the men had some sort of dress to wear and the women could wear some sort of tuxedo! I don't know yet if that is going to be possible, but I do have some other ideas which I would like to share.<br />
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When thinking about what we have collected over the years, we found that we already have the following items which are perfect for this use:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6UxjHwQWWjE6MxprS2p08bDGhygyPAb_7aOUME4RM_DPADJvFBKzxlZUc1v3MH275tUPUOkZ7TFuzKDTXtv4FJ1bWBFgoJ8Kb4-vb_CEMryhy0eBOa77a7yl9ngRBPUY3UmLUvOjD5k/s1600/wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6UxjHwQWWjE6MxprS2p08bDGhygyPAb_7aOUME4RM_DPADJvFBKzxlZUc1v3MH275tUPUOkZ7TFuzKDTXtv4FJ1bWBFgoJ8Kb4-vb_CEMryhy0eBOa77a7yl9ngRBPUY3UmLUvOjD5k/s200/wings.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>angel wings</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(black because they are from Halloween)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0zSNnSF0_O1a5FCCNT549rPbgXFUfMVKXXRs6mQui3uhFmLKpa_KksRwUat_7PPMIdsycYJOUCHd7LWmLvo-RZocVr_8Fz8jf6qmQUwPK2L8YHLb72y533UvOKVZrD8uEShIgKwByHk/s1600/ears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0zSNnSF0_O1a5FCCNT549rPbgXFUfMVKXXRs6mQui3uhFmLKpa_KksRwUat_7PPMIdsycYJOUCHd7LWmLvo-RZocVr_8Fz8jf6qmQUwPK2L8YHLb72y533UvOKVZrD8uEShIgKwByHk/s200/ears.jpg" width="158" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>rabbit ears</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsjmnoo_ehVKlUpSjTSPeBeaZrbgx5WNuVj4cKi0CZJ5wsliRFIgFhSVw3Slo6m9-CA1EK3AI-9Gak_5ZvZ6U4kMi5zLpqNMJFqgKEihT9bCFiu9owQc2Rg89vUwkvExwtyASPEJiCLE/s1600/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsjmnoo_ehVKlUpSjTSPeBeaZrbgx5WNuVj4cKi0CZJ5wsliRFIgFhSVw3Slo6m9-CA1EK3AI-9Gak_5ZvZ6U4kMi5zLpqNMJFqgKEihT9bCFiu9owQc2Rg89vUwkvExwtyASPEJiCLE/s200/cat.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>cat ears</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYn2Nxu1GXz3TzYvKbRMCzrM0Wazmlmt-xdfDmBkXYWn3roFAav93lTlqsHs3UFet08nzOZNNsgC6KIuba1f5vHp4err_2CYclAlukU7rcb8yc6LR9zNPhwesLKeaQ0KZJW8JnObMuBA/s1600/boa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYn2Nxu1GXz3TzYvKbRMCzrM0Wazmlmt-xdfDmBkXYWn3roFAav93lTlqsHs3UFet08nzOZNNsgC6KIuba1f5vHp4err_2CYclAlukU7rcb8yc6LR9zNPhwesLKeaQ0KZJW8JnObMuBA/s200/boa.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>feather boa</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9frTK0i2djQmow96yT-2mPZEYbCX0Z-IFkGIXU5OxwoE652H8a58a4CWLMTJ3UUjzlG-xOau3WspERTvXEGcCEml6tTtMyQh4YHr9pcxaX0LYS0-QEtZQKKuO_3fSKFXRsoypBBnVLks/s1600/lei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9frTK0i2djQmow96yT-2mPZEYbCX0Z-IFkGIXU5OxwoE652H8a58a4CWLMTJ3UUjzlG-xOau3WspERTvXEGcCEml6tTtMyQh4YHr9pcxaX0LYS0-QEtZQKKuO_3fSKFXRsoypBBnVLks/s200/lei.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Hawaiian flower leis</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are also planning to get these items for the prop box, which we don't already have:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk7LKSFFir1TMzE0jROlEmPaynyi3P6LRVbVzXkbHbfgcr62zFmWEf3Tuneqw-uEQs3K7IDRfoJ-tCEQSlCBObv0eQmBxPD9wsfTCBEYndCK1vXsYB38AB6NxmTYNRYf32omKG1RR_aw/s1600/glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk7LKSFFir1TMzE0jROlEmPaynyi3P6LRVbVzXkbHbfgcr62zFmWEf3Tuneqw-uEQs3K7IDRfoJ-tCEQSlCBObv0eQmBxPD9wsfTCBEYndCK1vXsYB38AB6NxmTYNRYf32omKG1RR_aw/s200/glasses.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>giant clown glasses</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbe9_n5c2Kirya4OemX1KAH_n4J_O5uSGjIE_FR1YIMGrLDxnCP9dwVYbLVqDoolk20eNqC0AlmsOWrffgLUEMKIGyb-THuIqp1D91VlbjeHFHaLrQZuI0N2bttIODtZIwG1aIvPlGaA/s1600/mask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbe9_n5c2Kirya4OemX1KAH_n4J_O5uSGjIE_FR1YIMGrLDxnCP9dwVYbLVqDoolk20eNqC0AlmsOWrffgLUEMKIGyb-THuIqp1D91VlbjeHFHaLrQZuI0N2bttIODtZIwG1aIvPlGaA/s200/mask.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxOTpib9FlevTCSPZC-Bt97Su7vssOZrah-be-NdRhRrwRoGZn2jYhBUNRhLhUJzb-pEMHl0pzEg8vEjYRENfJkx7gRBGabW_0K2qLT1yBAnZ9b2dh_JrwpgGKYVFxN2IdWyzIJpwIq8/s1600/mask2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxOTpib9FlevTCSPZC-Bt97Su7vssOZrah-be-NdRhRrwRoGZn2jYhBUNRhLhUJzb-pEMHl0pzEg8vEjYRENfJkx7gRBGabW_0K2qLT1yBAnZ9b2dh_JrwpgGKYVFxN2IdWyzIJpwIq8/s200/mask2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>masks on sticks (<span id="goog_1575677842"></span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62081208/mask-on-a-stick-the-mr-incredible">etsy seller</a><span id="goog_1575677843"></span>)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0Zzy4ApOXMIxQh61ml9wtEl7sKhMLuf8CcEk5FHgKEqYQxC7AdNfFSpiFQ6ofEgRi6RJTXGPlWHhwpDAHLqgzvlLpu0ycpu_08i0-D9hi_PqxMlLgQN8cqK0mRfk7vuMcPn5B4zKNQ8/s1600/moustache.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0Zzy4ApOXMIxQh61ml9wtEl7sKhMLuf8CcEk5FHgKEqYQxC7AdNfFSpiFQ6ofEgRi6RJTXGPlWHhwpDAHLqgzvlLpu0ycpu_08i0-D9hi_PqxMlLgQN8cqK0mRfk7vuMcPn5B4zKNQ8/s200/moustache.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>fake mustache on a stick</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9uV0-rdimEgLegheIADy5zsJZQvXZPR9be6KPIejYlauGK4JcQ2ZRnwng5T70AAWUeZeGmoWlfqu5YfYAxBiX55eVvN_rYLMV0JiLEUQHcgHMRHt8RNOTqKNIKfVZEHWtwmoSytMwEE/s1600/eye2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9uV0-rdimEgLegheIADy5zsJZQvXZPR9be6KPIejYlauGK4JcQ2ZRnwng5T70AAWUeZeGmoWlfqu5YfYAxBiX55eVvN_rYLMV0JiLEUQHcgHMRHt8RNOTqKNIKfVZEHWtwmoSytMwEE/s200/eye2.jpg" width="175" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS64_ahA3XMThcH9_teekXSX619hOQlDnCI_0jjQ6yVfcDhwVHyVbkOmMA9vjhEQ06vj2vzvMEEo3455k_IKizmAedQ11P_galNpvoetjpG14rMf5EkZ-ACJkoZDf7Lio_zzSaAi6N2kA/s1600/eye1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS64_ahA3XMThcH9_teekXSX619hOQlDnCI_0jjQ6yVfcDhwVHyVbkOmMA9vjhEQ06vj2vzvMEEo3455k_IKizmAedQ11P_galNpvoetjpG14rMf5EkZ-ACJkoZDf7Lio_zzSaAi6N2kA/s200/eye1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>cyclops eye on a stick (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62777623/cyclops-eye-on-a-stick-the-mrs-cyclops">etsy seller</a>)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That seems like a lot of stuff, but we are still looking for more ideas! Perhaps some hats? Maybe some more camping themed items? Please leave a comment on this blog post if you have any suggestions!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-76086812195915383562010-11-30T20:14:00.001-05:002010-11-30T20:14:44.527-05:00A flowerless wedding...Can it be done?<br />
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Should it be done?<br />
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In our case, the answer is most definitely... yes! I have never been the type of girl who gushed over the idea of being sent roses. Instead, I would feel bad that flowers had to die just so I could look at them inside my house. Send me a potted plant that I can help to grow and enjoy for years and I'm yours! So, the thought of killing tons of flowers just for a wedding ceremony and reception really rubs me the wrong way, at least when it comes to my own wedding.<br />
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The theme of our wedding is the Adirondack woods, so we are going to try to keep the decor natural, without having to kill any plants. Our centerpieces (as I've discussed in an earlier <a href="http://weddingforreal.blogspot.com/2010/08/hour-at-michaels.html">blog post</a>) are going to be living terrariums that people can take home with them, which will hopefully continue to live and grow for a long time. We are also intending to use pine cones and leaves in some way on the guest tables at the reception.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd68Ubl4sz9CTPw6p9s0pJnP8KK8yaqKaiEpH3rk0ZZLAtkfZYH017D5OfW0QiZ8nKZHBTpyKPFM5yXl99xo049jBe0UUOdK1gd1Dg0piOcpi8QzVQkW50acCFLrXFEpeDlH8rAetkVAM/s1600/terrarium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd68Ubl4sz9CTPw6p9s0pJnP8KK8yaqKaiEpH3rk0ZZLAtkfZYH017D5OfW0QiZ8nKZHBTpyKPFM5yXl99xo049jBe0UUOdK1gd1Dg0piOcpi8QzVQkW50acCFLrXFEpeDlH8rAetkVAM/s400/terrarium.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
At first I tossed around the idea of possibly having a flower bouquet to carry down the aisle, but I was never really sold on the idea. Part of me felt like it was wrong for me not to carry one, but the other part of me rebelled against the idea of doing something just because everyone else does it, and the proverbial "they" say that I have to. In addition, flowers are expensive! Holy cow! Still, I didn't know what else to do, and I thought it would be weird to walk down the aisle empty handed. Where would I put my hands?<br />
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Eventually, after looking around on the internet for who knows how long, I fell back to my old friend etsy and stumbled across something that is perfect for me:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4kIEdXvnCfvin7PxaJyPVlgEf9_b4i0BbL6vyhJmGmHlEcphB3cqIKKqQoGepE3fWwA7pIIChy5XYCAn1rJuZB-znolLFrJyJslzmp21AnEMll6CtBlwGl4UZ3vbJIoM9YcSKMJtLPI/s1600/firefly+lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4kIEdXvnCfvin7PxaJyPVlgEf9_b4i0BbL6vyhJmGmHlEcphB3cqIKKqQoGepE3fWwA7pIIChy5XYCAn1rJuZB-znolLFrJyJslzmp21AnEMll6CtBlwGl4UZ3vbJIoM9YcSKMJtLPI/s400/firefly+lantern.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">It's called a Rustic Firefly Lantern and is made by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/AprilHilerDesigns?ref=seller_info">April Hiler Designs</a>. This completely fits our wedding theme, is really cute, and nothing needed to die in order for it to be made! Better yet, it won't wilt a few hours after the wedding, and I'm sure I can find another use for it! Inside the basket is preserved sheet moss, dried grapevine, and faux fern fronds, along with a little string of LED lights.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It may not be customary or commonplace, but it wouldn't really be <i>our</i> wedding if we did things like everyone else, now would it!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3713562610581932471.post-83482832289848310772010-10-31T13:57:00.000-04:002010-10-31T13:57:23.979-04:00Officiant Success!With the help our superhero photographer, we finally found an officiant!<br />
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This morning at our home we had the pleasure to meet with Miriam (Mimi) Phillips from<a href="http://psweddingceremonies.vpweb.com/"> Personally Spiritual Wedding Ceremonies</a>. Before her visit, Mimi and I were in contact through email, where I gave her some basic information about our ceremony. While here, our conversation was able to flow very easily and smoothly and we were helped to realize that there are quite a few areas of planning that we had not considered before. Mimi asked us questions, let us tell her information that we wanted to share, and she gave us a lot of materials to look at when we have some time, including copies of ceremonies which she has performed in the past and also a book about planning wedding ceremonies. Mimi also provided us with documentation of her reverend status and explained the process she went through to be ordained.<br />
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We felt very comfortable with her and knew right away that we want to work with her. (Also, her fees are extremely reasonable, especially considering the costs we had been quoted from other officiants!) Our plan is to have a simple rehearsal, for which we are not being charged extra because it will only include three people or so.<br />
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One of the best things we liked about our meeting this morning is that Mimi did not push us at all to make a decision today, and even offered to provide us with references for other officiants if we felt that she was not right for us. She did not want us to sign a contract today and wanted us to think about it for a little while first. Ultimately, we spent about 30 seconds thinking about it after she left before we decided that she was perfect for us - which is probably not what she had in mind, but this is the way we work. I've learned throughout this planning process that we can almost always tell right away which vendors and professionals are right for us, usually within the first five minutes of meeting with them. Follow your gut has been our rule all along, and I think it is some very sound advice.<br />
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Overall, we are thrilled to have found Mimi and we could not be happier that she will be the officiant for our ceremony!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536170441073269752noreply@blogger.com0