Pin-Head

Is anyone else out there addicted to Pinterest?

Right after graduation I was introduced to Pinterest by one of my favorite blogs Young House Love. I've loved their blogs for years. I started following (Zac refers to it as stalking) their posts in 2007 about a year after Zac and I first moved in together. They have tons of helpful hints regarding house projects and we have similar design tastes (Sherry shares my love for crisp white paint and ceramic animals). But enough blog plugging gushing.

Since being turned on to Pinterest there is has been no going back. You can find me on Pinterest here. Feel free to follow me!

  I have WAY too much fun browsing through many, many pages of pictures and pinning inspiring ideas to different boards for future projects. Pinterest has definitely been a help in planning the wedding, at least when it comes to ideas for centerpieces and other decorations. Now I can stop flooding my computer space with saved pictures and put all of the photos I like in one space on the internet. Plus, with Zac's birthday coming up (he's turning the big 3-0) I'm able to save all of my 'surprise' ideas (more on that later) in one space where Zac won't be looking.

My Pinterest account has also been the home for the ideas that have inspired our work on Project Wonderland. (Update: Zac has finished putting the capstones on the top of the wall. We are still planning on adding stone but for now it looks fantastic! I'll post pictures of the progress later.)

There are some really creative people who have posted on Pinterest. It feels like a little DIY community and I love it!!! If you don't have an account you should definitely head over to the website (http://www.pinterest.com/) and get in on the pinning fun!

Cards and Pockets

Planning a wedding involves a lot of decision making. From where and when the big day will take place to what we'll be wearing and all the tiny details in between, Zac and I have had (and still have) a lot of things to sort out.  When it came to invitations we knew that we would be making them ourselves. We looked at various websites to order invitations and have them printed and (although we aren't in any way amazing graphic designers) we definitely thought that we could make nice invitations for a fraction of the cost.

I started looking around online at pictures to get some ideas about how we would like our invitations to look. In the end we decided that since we needed room to give our guests all the appropriate information regarding our event, it was necessary to create invitations with plenty of space. Pocket invitations (like the one pictured below) were the way to go.

After seeing that a company called Cards and Pockets had some great reviews, I jumped on over to their website to check out their products for myself. As you might have guessed, Cards and Pockets have a variety of pocket style invitations to choose from. All of the cards come blank and are available in a array of colors to help build your own unique invitation, specific to your event.

We really liked the look of the invitations and decided that we would check out a few samples of the Signature 5X7 Pocketfold (mainly because we couldn't settle on a color without seeing them in person). As you can see from the diagram below, when folded the invitation would be small enough to put in the mail without having any special shipping, and when pulled open, has plenty of room to showcase all of the wedding details.

Within a few short business days of placing our order for the samples we received a small cardboard envelope in the mail:

We ordered two samples: one in yellow and the other in dark gray.

Both invitations were very nice and went well with our color scheme. We didn't intend on sending out two different invitations so we needed to make a decision. After thinking about how the invitations would look as an end product we realized that we had more options with the dark gray invitation.

In addition to pocketfold invitations, Cards and Pockets also sells an assortment of accessory items like envelopes, liners, and mattes to make the invitations more fun and professional looking. We knew that we would need to get envelopes and thought that it would be a nice touch to get a printed liner to make the invitation a little more special. The envelope liners (for both the invitations and the RSVP cards) are available in 15 different patterns and over 50 colors. We settled on the pattern below (called Retro) in a shade of yellow to add a pop of color to our dark grey invitations.

Not too long ago we recieved our order in the mail. (I just love coming home and seeing packages on our front step!)

We ordered enough pocketfold invitations to send out to our guests, as well as a few extras in case we make some mistakes. (Having never put together invitations like this before I'm sure we're bound to have a few mishaps.) We also ordered envelopes for both the invitations and the RSVP cards as well as liners for both envelope sizes.

We love the way the liners look. The yellow is bright without being neon and the pattern is fun (which is definitley the vibe that we're going for).

You might also notice a yellow rectangular shaped package in the bottom left corner two photos up. We decided to order some precut colored mattes to add a bit of contrast to the dark grey invitations. This yellow matte will be glued to the center of the pocketfold and a white invitation will be placed on top of the matte. If you're like me and you need a visual, just check out the photo below.

We haven't started constructing our invitations just yet, but we're pretty happy with the materials we have so far. The next steps will be deciding on invitation wording, choosing a font, and creating a design to make the white invitation more interesting.

Wish us luck.

Monogrammed

Don't you just love these monogrammed coffee mugs from Anthropologie?

I do! That's why, last year on our 5 year anniversary, Zac and I popped into Anthropologie and picked up two mugs; a 'T' (for Teeny) and a 'Z' (for Zac). We had taken a trip to San Francisco to celebrate 5 years together and thought that it would be nice to bring back a little something that would remind us of our trip. These mugs were perfect! I picked up some fabric flowers from Michael's Craft Supply and then Zac and I found a home for the mugs on the bookshelf in our office.

Zac and I have put a few other little 'T's and 'Z's hidden in the house. When Zac made pillows for the entryway (yes he's a straight man with a sewing machine) he added A 'T' and 'Z' to one of them.

Our bedroom features a frame wall with a bunch of different prints. In one of the frames we've added a 'T' and 'Z'  print.

It's always a treat to walk by the entryway bench or take a peek at the frame wall in our bedroom and see the 'T' and 'Z'. It's a wonderful reminder of how much I love my Zac. The  monogrammed mugs are sweet addition to our office decor. After looking through various wedding blogs and inspiration websites, I found a few pictures of these monogrammed mugs on one of my favorite wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty. It looks like several people have chosen to use these mugs as decor for their wedding receptions. Several of the photos I saw had mugs that spelled out 'LOVE'.  

I thought that it was such a cute idea. The mugs would look so nice on the entry table, or gift table, or even on the head table. It definitely gave me a few ideas for some decorations to use in our wedding. After we got engaged, Zac and I headed to our local Anthropologie and picked up a third monogrammed mug, a 'C' for Chapman.

I don't think that we'll go back and get mugs to spell out 'LOVE' but we'll definitely use the monogrammed mugs that we already have somewhere in our wedding decor. I'm thinking of replacing the pink flowers that we have with some yellow flowers and putting the mugs on our guestbook table. Though the wedding invitation and all the formal stationary regarding the wedding will say 'Cristina', I am most commonly known as Teeny. So, any initials that appear in the wedding decor will reflect that.

Looking at other wedding decoration ideas of various websites, I found these items that might serve as some great inspiration once we get down those smaller details:

1. Centerpieces

TheKnot.com had this cute idea to use initials on the centerpieces or other floral decorations.

2. Favors

Weddingbycolor.com had ideas for using initials on wedding favors.



3. Water Bottle Labels

I also found these water bottle labels that were pretty cute.

Over the next few months we'll keep looking up different ideas and perhaps may include other monogrammed items in our wedding decor. For now I'm excited to have our Anthropologie mugs on display.

Un - Fork - Gettable Inspiration

Today I was happy to partake in one of my favorite pastimes...browsing through etsy.com. You might remember that etsy.com was where I managed to score my amazing 'Mrs. Chapman' wedding dress hanger:

(Read all about the hanger excitement here.)

I wasn't looking for anything specific during my etsy.com perusing, I was only hoping to get some interesting ideas. Once again, etsy.com did not disappoint. While looking through pages and pages of merchandise under the title 'wedding' I came across these awesome wedding forks:

Seriously, how cute are they?! As you can see more clearly in this close up photo the tops of the forks say 'I do' and 'Me too'. I think it's a really cute and sweet sentiment on such a small detail of the wedding.

The forks also have the wedding date stamped on the handles.

I have to give the seller a little shout out because I love these forks so much! These personalized dessert tasting forks can be purchased from Jessica on etsy.com for $25.00 for the set (plus $3 for shipping and handling of course). These are not the only forks that Jessica offers in her collection of custom designs. She can also make handstamped forks that say 'bride' and 'groom':

And forks that have the specific names of the bride and groom:

In addition to forks, she creates customized cake servers:

The cake server (which can be found on etsy.com here) sells for $30.00 (plus $4.00 for shipping and handling). Those who purchase the cake server are not limited when it comes to customizing them. On the product listing the seller has even included a few ideas for phrases and sayings to put on the server:

Just Married
Love Sweet Love
You make my life sweeter
Mr. & Mrs.
Your wedding date
Forever Yours
Lets Eat Cake
You & Me
Forever Starts Today
You wanna piece of me

I guess the possibilities are endless.

Sorry if I'm coming across as a total infomercial for Jessica and her handstamped creations. In no way am I getting a kickback from the etsy.com merchant. I just happen to love her designs. I haven't placed an order for these forks just yet, however. While I definitely think that they would be a sweet addition to our dessert table and make for a fun reminder of our special day (we could definitely use these forks every year on our anniversary) I'm holding off on ordering them until after I sort out my list of needs for the wedding. Supplies for things like centerpieces, decorations, the guestbook, invitations, etc. will all need to come before any additional small details, even ones as awesome as these dessert forks. I'm sure in the end they'll make their way onto the list of soon to be purchased items, but for now I'm happy leaving them on my list of wedding inpirations. (We all know how much I love a list!)

Speaking of inspiration here are a few other items I found during my window computer screen shopping on etsy.com:

1. Yellow and Gray Clutch

I thought this clutch was super cute and perhaps would make for a nice accessory for my girls' bridesmaid dresses. I even thought that it would be a nice touch to have the girls walk down the aisle holding these clutches rather than flowers but I can already hear my mother's disagreeing "Hmmmm". (My poor mom. From the description of my mother in my wedding nightmare and this last comment, I doubt people are getting the right picture of her. Yes, my mom has an opinion and she isn't afraid to let it be heard, but she's also very sweet. She's very excited for the wedding of her only daughter and has been active in the planning process, she has even begun to make some favors and fun details for the big day.....which you can check out in this post.) I must say that the vision of my best girls carrying clutches instead of flowers was a short one. I think that I would prefer they carry flowers but this clutch is still very cute. If you think that it's an adorable bag too you might want to check out the listing, here.

2. Yellow Flower Garter

I am in love with this garter belt from rosebudlips. It has such a vintage look and the color scheme is perfect. The combination of the pearls and the elastic lace.....yeah, it's love. :) I think that this summer will involve some crafty handywork for other wedding projects and I might have to add "attempt to diy a garter belt" to my to-do list.

3. Feather and Rhinestone Hair Clip

During my dress shopping trip at David's Bridal, I tried on a few feather hairclips. I have a thing for owls and Zac and I have decided to include some fun owl elements in the wedding decor. While trying on head pieces, the bridal consultant asked if we had a theme for the wedding and owls was the only thing that I could think of. (Our wedding doesn't really have a theme. Yes, a few owls will be spotted in different places at our wedding but there certainly won't be owls peering at our guests from the centerpieces of every table.) Sarah brought over a few different feather headpieces and (although one was kind of crazy big in size) I thought the idea of wearing feathers in my hair was really cute. Perhaps my craft to-do list might also include attempting to make my own feather hair clip as well. I plan to use this hair clip as inspiration. If all else fails, and my diy project doesn't turn out so well, I can always order this specific feather clip.

4. Owl Cake Topper

Speaking of owls, I also found this adorable owl cake topper complete with top hat and veil. Look at that little bowtie on the groom. So adorable! Unfortunately, this adorbale little number comes at the price of $130.00. Cute, but not for us. Zac and I have already gotten our cake topper. The cake topper was another little diy project that I will happily spill the details about later. Although we already have a cake topper that we're proud of I still thought these little owls with their wedding wear were too cute not to share with all of you.

5. White and Yellow Striped Straws

Although our venue does not offer/allow hard alcohol (the majority of the glasses will be for beer, wine, and champagne) I think that these cute striped straws would be a fun touch in the water, iced tea, and lemonade glasses. They could add a little extra pop of color to the tables and they just have a fun, carefree vibe to them.

This is just a small peak at some of the inspirational items I found on etsy.com. There were tons of other photos that caught my eye and got the creative wheels in my head spinning and perhaps I'll post a little more about my finds, but I think that's enough sharing for now.

P.S. If you've never taken the time to check out etsy.com, you should!

P.P.S. For those of you who love etsy.com as much as I do, have you found anything that inspired you as much as I was inspired this time around?

Inspired By Buble

About two weeks ago I wrote my vows while on break at work.

Yes, I realize that there are probably a few things that are weird about that sentence:

1.) The wedding is a few weeks shy of being a year away, which might seem a little too soon to be writing vows.

2.) Writing vows at work probably sounds far from romantic.

Both of these points can be explained by the fact that inspiration can come at anytime, and this case was no exception. I had no intention of writing my vows at work, epecially not on the back dock, sitting at a picnic table surrounded by some of my co-workers eating their lunch. So what drove me to write my vows right then and there?

I had just clocked out for my break and was headed outside to sit out my 30 minutes on the back dock when I heard this little tune play over the restaurant speakers:



Zac and I hold a special spot in our relationship for Michael Buble's crooning tunes. Mr. Buble has an amazing voice and his songs are always really romantic and fun. When we first started dating, the song "Home" held a special place for us. At that time, Zac was headed up north to his parents' ranch to work for a few weeks a month and it was definitely difficult to be away from each other. In case you've never heard the song....take a listen:

"Home" was the first song of Buble's that we had heard and we were pretty much hooked after that. We love listening and dancing to his Sinatra-ish sounds. On our 3rd anniversary we went to Gigi's Italian Restaurant (thanks to our friend Claire who got us a gift certificate as an anniversary gift). After being seated at our table the music changed and Buble started playing. His music played the whole time we sat in the restaurant enjoying our anniversary dinner. It was certainly just a coincidence (the music fit the vibe of the restaurant pretty perfectly) but it was a sweet little touch that made our dinner even more special.

From the first time we heard the song "Everything" it immediately became one of our favorites. The song can be found on our playlists for every road trip and is often playing on our radio while we prepare meals and eat at the table. Occasionally, we text each other a line or two when we're thinking of one another. We will definitely be dancing to this song on our wedding day but it will not be our first dance song. (Another song has been reserved for that special moment.) This song is also Zac's personalized ringtone on my phone, so I hear it everytime he calls. Needless to say, whenever I hear "Everything" I get a little happy and smiley (especially when I am at work).On this particular day hearing this song inspired me to put to paper the words that were swimming in my head.

When I thought about writing my vows, I never imagined myself sitting in my all white uniform penning those special words that I would say to Zac next year but, c'est la vie, that's what happened. As soon as I started writing I couldn't stop and before I knew it I was fixing my make-up (again I hate crying in public so at work a little mist was all that I would allow myself) and clocking back in with my vows tucked safely in my server book.

Even though those words are written on the back of a sheet of paper from my server pad, and will most likely be edited and added to over the next year, I am definitely keeping that original copy of my vows. They are a constant reminder to me of the love that Zac and I share and the exciting reality that in a year from now we'll be husband and wife.