An Invitation Just for ME!

WOO HOO! Crazy things happen when you start planning a wedding...some are good, and some are bad. But today, a great thing happened!

The ladies over at Download and Print designed an invitation just for ME! I sent them an email and told them my colors (aubergine and burnt orange) and requested branches and floofy flowers, please. I know floofy flowers (think peonies) are not exactly fall, but I love them sooooooo much.

And then they made this just for me.

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I don't know that we will definitely use these for our invites, since that is still a long way off, but I love the idea of this site!

Check out Download and Print for invitations that you can, well, download and print. :-)

These Balls Look a Lot Bigger With Flowers On 'Em

That's what she said!

This is pretty much how the entire DIY Paper Tissue Pomander Making Festival went - one ball joke after another. But at the end, me and BM Pumpkin ended up with this! [Miss Magic's Note: These were for Mrs. Pumpkin's wedding which was in September 2010, where I was MOH!]
 
If that doesn't look like one big ball of flowers, then I don't know what does!

BM Pumpkin on left, Miss Magic on right, big ball of flowers in the middle - the ball was only half finished which is why it looks kinda lopsided.

OK, so you can find about a million tutorials online about how to make this amazingly realistic looking ball of tissue paper pomanders. However, many of them leave out crucial directions. So, here it is. The Number One, All Inclusive, No Fail, Easy Way to Make DIY Tissue Paper Pomanders!!!

1. Get the stuff you need. I would recommend starting with a trial run to see if you like the final effect, so just buy the minimum to make a couple. You can get this all at Michael's or AC Moore.

• 4 or 5 inch Styrofoam ball. The flowers add about another 3-4 inches total, so consider that.

• tissue paper. You'll need, like, one big pack of it. Or as Project Wedding says "For each pomander, you’ll need approximately 72 sheets of tissue paper cut [to size]."

• scissors

• 18 or 22 gauge wire

• wire cutters

• a ruler or something to measure with.
  

• some good music, a friend or two, and some alcohol. These are not necessary but are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED if you want the BEST pomanders.
  

2. Put four pieces of tissue paper on top of each other. Measure and cut to 5" x 10". (Using smaller balls? You can use smaller pieces of paper, which will result in smaller flowers. Some sites say 4" x 7". Just play around with size.). Cut it as neat as you can but don't kill yourself over it - it does not need to be perfect. Hooray for that!

3. Put the 4 pages of 5" x 10" tissue paper in front of you. The pages should be stacked on top of each other. You're gonna fold them like a fan accordion style now, so that the fan is 5" wide - not 10" wide as we initially tried - that makes for really long, not floofy flowers. Make your folds about 1/2". Again, it does not have to be perfect. Should look something like this:

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4. Cut some wire about 4-5 inches long. Measure it the first time and then guesstimate the length thereafter, cuz guess what? It doesn't have to be perfect! I love paper crafts!!!

5. Wrap the wire around the middle of the accordion folded fan paper, leaving a long end sticking out that can be poked into the ball later. From Project Wedding again,

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(We were too busy working to take many pics.)

6. We forgot this step about every other time. Take your scissors and trim the ends into a rounded shape (no perfection needed here), like Mrs. D'Orsay did!

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7. OK, now's where it gets a bit tricky, at least the first few times you do it. It's time to FLOOF the flower. Everyone online says fluff but it's more intense than that, hence the term "floof." Start from the top layer on the left and floof up, then do top layer on right, then next layer on left, then next layer on right, and so on. You basically want the flower looking like a rose petal pointing up, which in this case is away from the wire sticking out. Be gentle the first couple of times to get used to floofing and not tearing the tissue paper, then you can work it harder (insert obvious "that's what she said" comment here).

8. Stuff the wire end into the ball. The closer you stuff the flowers in together, the more authentic the "Wow, looks like a big ball of flowers!" effect. You can make it as tight or loose as you like, but most generally agree that tighter is better. (Minds out of the gutter, ladies!)

SEE?? This white one is the one we worked on together. 

PRO tip: Do it assembly style! Cut a bazillion pages, then fold a bazillion pages, and so on and so forth. Even better, get multiple friends to help with each step along the way! While drinking your favorite beverage and listening to your favorite tunes! For real, time flies when you are having fun and creating flower balls! Here's some more beauties to check out!

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Mrs. D'Orsay's Beauties

You can even make tissue paper flower wreaths! How pretty would these look on a church door?

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Have you had luck with any DIY projects? Have the online instructions left out directions you thought were critical?

DIY Wedding FAIL

Or "I'm Only Allowed to Work with Paper Crafts From Now On."

Or "Screw It, Ima pay 70 bucks for a Mr. Magic, a Miss Magic, and two cats."

Well first things first: I had my first DIY fail. I tried to make cute painted cake toppers - a mini Mr and Miss Magic! Sort of like this:

But mine turned out like this:

Notice the uneven paint job, bumpiness, and general sloppiness??? It's worse in person. Trust me - I'm not a perfectionist...it looked bad up close. So I said "OK, Miss Magic. You can do this! Take a deep breath and start over."

The second attempt was not better. I looked at my always shaky hands and said "Hands, you are ALWAYS shaky. No more painting for you ever. From now on, it's only paper crafts!"

And then...I had my first DIY Wedding SUCCESS! But that's the next post, so stay tuned!

Did you FAIL at something that was seemingly "simple" at first glance? At what point did you say, "Screw it, Ima pay 70 bucks for a Mr. Magic, a Miss Magic, and two cats?"

"A little less...rustic vintage, maybe?"

Miss Magic's note: This post was written, along with the inspiration board, 12 months ago. At that time, I didn't know what our budget was (uh, I still might not know what it is), but I did know we weren't gonna have a ton of money. I was freaking out, trying to figure out how to do things inexpensively but still get the vibe we wanted (and what vibe was that, exactly?). Also, this is my first inspiration board. The wedding has certainly evolved since then....

Apparently, Mr. Magic did not get the memo that rustic vintage weddings are THE theme lately. I don't know why this is, but I'm guessing the popularity of the vintage theme has something to do with being fairly affordable and lending itself to DIY projects that us crafty brides love so much. But when I showed Mr. Magic my original inspiration board and described the centerpieces, his reaction was less then desired.

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Me: So this is what I was thinking for the wed-"

Him: "Purple? You like PURPLE?" (as in "Who ARE you???? I don't even KNOW you!!!"

Me: "Well, it's not really PURPLE actually, it's Aubergine. It's French!" (clarifying the critical French aspect)

Him: "These images seem kind of country." (He said "country" like one would say "vomit." Mr. Magic grew up in Northern Virginia and then moved to Chapel Hill when he was eight. His parents were from Pennsylvania. So, he's practically a Yankee...not that there's anything wrong with that!)

Me: "HMPH." (Actually, I just sat there. He gave me the colors but said "less country, more traditional" and then I said "Have we met?" and the convo deteriorated from there.)

So, now I have to find something a little less rustic, or less vintage, or less country. He couldn't be clearer than mud, could he? But I still need to do it on a budget, and these centerpieces are killing me! I mean, having a florist do it seems like highway robbery, but now that my super cute and totally thrifty idea of using mismatched vintage tins on antique books has been NIXED...I've got to move on.
[side note: It's not completely nixed, YET. I convinced him to let me do a mock-up, as I decided maybe his creative vision is not up to par.]

Here are some more DIY, inexpensive-ish options. Whatcha think?

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This is a totally different vibe, although maybe we could partially rustic it up with less fancy, more colorful flowers and...what??? A cowboy hat? I'm losing it here people.

This bouquet of delightfully airy flowers is as easy to make as it is beautiful.

Jeff Rudell

Feather-weight blossoms sit atop gracefully arched wire stems; they even sway gently at the slightest breeze.

Jeff Rudell

A unique white-on-vellum paper adds visual texture while allowing light to penetrate its translucent surface.

Jeff Rudell

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Paper flowers look cute from far away but the close up seems too...fake. Which they are.

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This has the rustic vibe but feels a bit more traditional. Jen made these paper yellow roses but I think I would use real - REALly cheap ones!

I'm cool with paying for a florist for the bouquets and MAYBE for the boutonnieres...but the centerpieces??? Can't get behind it unless I win the lottery.

Is there anything YOU really don't want to pay for in your wedding?

Got my flash on, it's true...

Need that [engagement] picture of you...... (It's Lady GaGa. Get with the program.)

I'm so excited! We have booked our engagement photo shoot for June 22nd! The very fabulous Ana and Gabriel of samoancuban photography will be taking the pics - I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that their work is simply AMAZING and I am sooooooo happy to have them doing all our photos. This is the ONE thing I really, really wanted. Besides the dress. Oh, and the shoes. And a flower in my hair. And, of course, Mr. Polar Bear! (gag gag barf)

OK, so here's the engagement photo outfit (Anthropologie Snow Covered Fields dress front and back, bc the little cutout back is too damn cute for words)....

Anddddddddd, what shoes will I be wearing? Why the Louboutin cork LOVE flats, of course! Yes, picked them up from my new shoe guy at Saks 5th Avenue and now my little red soled shoes are stored in their bright red designer bag in their (actually kind of boring...disappointing, I know) Louboutin shoe box, far away from kitty Isabella's reach.

We'll be doing an outdoor shoot, weather permitting, on Franklin Street and around town. Any suggestions for great photo opportunities?

Inspiration Board

OMG the most PERFECT wedding flats EV-ER.

For those of you who know me as a label whore, I'd just like to say that I fell in love with these shoes BEFORE I knew they were Christian Louboutins. OOPS! I was gonna build up to that part, so the big fancy designer reveal would be more climactic. But I'm impulsive, which is really what this blog is about.

I have a problem. I'm not sure what to call it, other than impulsivity. If I want a Sun Drop (an extremely delicious NC soda), I want it now, and I will get it now, or ask Mr. Magic to get it for me.

 

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If I want potato pancakes, I want them now, I want them from Perkins, and if I have to eat something else, you know, I'll do it, but I'll be inwardly seething the whole time.

Maybe it's not impulsivity...maybe it's greediness. (OK, that's an ugly thought...am I greedy??? Nooooooooooooo. I'm just...specific...in my needs....)

OK, well anyways, back to the shoes. I was trying to find this post on weddingbee that I had read, loved, and needed to steal some ideas from (apparently planning a wedding is all about stealing ideas). So I was going through pretty systematically and stumbled upon Miss Scissors's blog about her wedding shoes entitled "In L-O-V-E with the Love Flats." Those smart readers who know Christian Louboutin and know what Love Flats are will be gasping, as this is one iconic and historical shoe. Apparently, Princess Diana inspired these shoes! Christian Louboutin designed them for her because he always wanted her "to have love at her feet." Royalty, sentiment, and the shoes are pretty too?!? I'm sold!

But again, I did NOT know all this at the time- I just looked at Mrs. Scissors's blog and said "OMGthoseshoesaresoprettyyyyyyyyyandthey'reflatsIneedthemnowwwwwwww!"

Wanna see?????

 

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The black shows a better pic of the shoes but I want the ones in cork!

THEN I found out they were Louboutins, which made my heart patter and this funny feeling arrive in the pit of my stomach. Was it love? Lust? Excitement? The knowledge that the most beautiful flats EV-ER are too expensive but I will buy them anyway and rock them forever for the rest of my life, and will only feel marginally guilty about it, and when I do feel guilty I'll just wash that guilt down with a Sun Drop and a plate of potato pancakes from Perkins with a side of sour cream and two strips of bacon?

Yes, Yes, Yes, and YES.

But then I start hearing that you have to put your name on a list. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this might be a little bit out of my league (or, we can look at it as one of the most exciting purchases EV-ER). Do they sell Louboutins at our local Nordstroms? No, because I live in NC and no one needs Louboutins in NC. But they do sell them at Neiman Marcus, Saks, and two boutiques in Paris where I am heading in July.

Some of the initial excitement might die on these shoes, but until then, I'll be putting Neiman's and Sak's numbers in my cell phone asap and making runs to the Circle K for a Sun Drop.

Did you maybe make some impulsive purchases? It's ok. It's for the Wedding!

These dreams go on when I close my eyes...

Every second of the night....

No, literally, every second of the night I am dreaming about wedding things. Sometimes it is just me worrying while I am sleeping, about nothing in particular since again, my wedding is way far away. Or sometimes I have the ever popular "OMG, I'm pregnant and I'll have to wear a wedding dress while I am with child." But even in those dreams, I remember that I'll have plenty of time to pop out a kid BEFORE the wedding. I'm quite sensible in my dreams - usually.

But last night's dream...last night's dream took the cake. In the dream, it was my wedding day. I was at the reception, surveying the scene, and noticed the colors were different, very bright orange and turquoise which was not what I had planned for my lovely rustic barn autumn wedding. Then I looked at the invites which were created by my step mom (she is a graphic artist in real life), and they were also tropically colored. They also included a line that said "cash bar - 6$ a drink" and a note that "The Bride and Groom have enough things so no need to bring a gift."

In the dream, I was upset but mindful that my step mom did this as a gift and I should not yell at her (I was very proud of my dream self). Also in the dream, I very wisely told myself "this is just a dream, wake up" and then of course I couldn't wake up because that was all part of the dream. I started noticing all these other things that had been left out of our reception (no lanterns, no centerpieces, no giant carved pumpkins acting as coolers for awesome beers) and just as I was getting worked up and my mother and stepmother were beginning to argue, I woke up.

Whew. SO. RELIEVED.

I'm a dress floozy! The shame....

I wrote this post in March of 2010, about one year ago and roughly TWENTY MONTHS before the wedding. Yes, I am that girl, the one who looks for her dress before doing anything else. What can I say? I have my priorities straight.

The first time I went dress shopping, I went with my much younger sis (she's 18, I'm practically 30 *gulp*). I had been stalking Jim Hjelm and his designs for years, wayyyyyyyy before my FH was hearing wedding bells.I went and tried on a bunch of gowns, including some of his designs. Nothing was really giving me The Felling. I had just asked my consultant, "Aren't I supposed to have like, a reaction or something?" and she told me "Some brides don't...it's ok." "Hmph" I thought, and tried on this dress.

Jim Hjelm 8960

Even thought it is NOT what I thought I wanted (scoop neck?!?), I cried, my sister cried, and later when I brought two of my BMs, they cried too. But...my Mom, my step mom, and my FMIL were NOT impressed. I tried the gown on for them, and it was like a really awkward episode of Say Yes to The Dress. Crickets chirping. No eye contact. Lots of stammering.

Le sad.

So, in an effort to assure myself that this is THE dress, I went to another store...and that's when the floozing around began!
 

 Paloma Blanca 3901

Vineyard Nora

Both gorgeous, classy dresses that were equally flattering, although maybe not as "fun" as my Jim Hjelm dress. Now I am SO confused, plus my wedding is not until October 2011, so I feel equal parts pressure to wait "in case something better comes along" and to order it NOW so they don't discontinue it. Also, did I mention I want the BEST deal POSSIBLE? And, I want to make sure I am wearing something age appropriate too.

There are a lot of factors to consider when searching for The Dress. What did you consider when dress shopping that you might not have considered considering before the shopping experience?