sunshine on a cloudy day

My little has been having a tough time.  I was having lunch with her today & decided I wanted to do something to try & cheer her up--so I made a Box Full of Sunshine!

Disclaimer:  This is seriously the easiest, cutest, cheapest gift ever!

Step 1:  Go to Dollar Tree

Step 2:  Look for yellow

Step 3:  Deliver

Seriously, that simple.

Even in our teeny dollar tree with a limited selection, I found much more yellow that I expected!  I was definitely pleasantly surprised.

There was no rhyme or reason, just yellow!  From snacks & silly putty to drinks & scrubbers.

I even lucked out & found a yellow [almost] empty box!  I took the liberty of taking the few items remaining & placing them on the shelf to take the box off their hands. :) Couldn't pass up a yellow box for my box of sunshine!

Finally, I took an index card & made a label along with a sweet note.

 & of course I HAD to get the smiley face balloon.

I almost bought a yellow tutu & yellow fair wings to wear but I figured that was probably a little much hahah  BUT I did play "Pocket Full of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield when I showed up to her apartment which I thought was very appropriate.

She loved it!  This is just a simple gesture you can do to help brighten someone's day.   It cost me $13 but the reaction & appreciation was worth so much more than that.

Happy Crafting!

Weddings EVERYWHERE

It has been a crazy past two weeks!  I had two weddings, 6 days apart!  

My brother-in-law got married September 27th in Charlotte, NC & one of my best friends got married October 3rd in High Point, NC.  LOTS of traveling in not a lot of time!

Here are some of the signs I made for their wedding!!

Hand painted Welcome to our Wedding sign

This was a bridal shower present I made for my sister-in-law.  I LOVE this & need to make one for myself!!

Song of Solomon hand painted sign

I also realized I HATE writing with chalk... it is not a fun tool to work with.

Instagram Hashtag Chalkboard Sign

  

Post Cards for the Couple Chalkboard Sign

Sparkler Sendoff Chalkboard Sign

M&M Candy Favor Table

Favorite Verse Chalkboard Sign

All of these items came together so perfectly for their special day.  Here is a beautiful picture of the couple's first look:

I didn't have to do any crafting for the second wedding, so I don't have any pictures to share, but I did have to write my first MOH speech!  That was such a great experience.  I was more nervous than I expected myself to be, but the Bride loved it & that's all that mattered!

This wedding was just as beautiful & the bride got us the BEST bridal party gifts!

That's all my wedding fun for now, next wedding is April 2015!  Yay for a wedding break!

Happy Crafting!

Bachelorette Weekend - Numero Uno

Well, I officially have my first Bachelorette Party under my belt!  

Being a MOH is hard work, but the results are beyond worth it.  Shannon & I met freshman year of college & immediately became TMIBFF's, so being able to be her right hand woman during this time of her life is so meaningful to me!  

I would say the most difficult thing in planning a bachelorette party is to remember who it is for!  This is about the BRIDE--not you.  It's easy to plan something that you know that you would enjoy, but it's a little more challenging to remain focus on what she would enjoy.  It's important to think of her personality & really analyze what would give her the best party she could imagine!  Of course you can talk to her & ask her exactly what she wants, but if you're like me, surprises are the way to go!   

It's important to coordinate with who ever is attending to chose a date and a budget.  Once that is done, you'll want to send a "save the date",  probably 6 weeks in advance.  Here's the one I made:  

The next 6 weeks, of course, become planning time.  Events, decorations, games, gifts, etc.  Once you get a plan, you'll want to send the official invitation, with itinerary, 3 weeks in advance requesting the RSVP 7-10 days prior to the event.  You'll need the time to coordinate reservations, appointments, & quantities.  Here's my itinerary:

I tried to include details, but no specifics--you never know what will happen!  I also included tips on what to bring & an idea of what finances would be needed.  Assigning each person to bring a breakfast item was probably the best idea we had!

I did learn, that coordinating in "rest" time is a yes. We would have never made it through the weekend if we didn't take an hour of much needed laying/sleeping!  These "Survival Kits" were perfect for this R&R time.  They each had gum, lip balm, advil, lotion, m&ms, & a princess band aid.  Of course there was a mini moscato & a penis covered balloon attached to each as well!

To me the most important this is capturing these memories!  I'm basically obsessed with taking pictures.  It can be obnoxious at times, but it is worth it!  Imagine reminiscing on your 25th anniversary, talking about your bachelorette weekend.  Verbal+visual stimulation > only verbal.  Because ya know, a picture is worth a thousand words ;)   It also let's you do even more fun/cutesy things! Oh, and a hashtag is necessary!  Here are some of my favorite pictures from this weekend.

 Girls Night In!  Though the picture indicates otherwise, the prego woman of course did NOT partake in the 8 bottles of wine we completed.

 TreeHouse Winery -  wine tasting/photo op.  Sadly, it was excruciatingly hot for September, so we didn't get to take in the scenery for long.  But I highly  recommend visiting if ever in the Charlotte area it was gorgeous!

FAVORITE PICTURE EVER

this is 4 bags of $0.97 sequins from Walmart.  Place in hands & blow (as cutely as possible).  Buuuut, you have to video it!  There's no way to get the perfect timing to take a picture, but it is easy to screen shot a still frame!

Though the sunset pic is great, the sparkle photo will ultimately end up in this!  You cannot mess this up.  Dollar Tree frame+red lip stick=adorable bridal gift.

I had a blast with these bachelorette style mug shots.   I made this with "crimes" that fit the girls personalities, some accurate others ironic.  Everyone loved it, until.....

......I insisted on creating THESE:

No one likes to have someone force them to go outside, as soon as they wake up, after a night long of drinking & dancing to go take a pictures.  BUT once the grumpiness wore off, everyone loved how cute these are!  Before going out, getting home, and the next morning!

Being a MOH can get expensive, but if you take advantage of DIY things, it will help tremendously!  You can literally buy everything on Etsy OR you can make them yourselves!  $$$

Happy Crafting :) 

Sunday Funday

Today was SO productive.  We were listening to an inspirational speaker & a few things just hit home for me:

Everyone has two pains:  determination and regret.

Control the day or it will control you.

Pick something & do it!

So that's just what I did!  I've been dreaming of organizing my craft room for a while, so I finally convinced my hubby for us to go get the necessities & for him to hang me some shelves!

Still have some work for it all to come together, but this is so much more convenient that those plastic storage bins!

The first shelf:  I used old boxes (gold fish & cheese itz) & spray painted them to store all of my paint.  A left over mason jar from my wedding for the paint brushes, & all of my paint pens, markers, pens, etc in the storage container.   Lastly, my ribbon "rod"!  I didn't have a suspension rod on hand so I just used some twine!  Love this pinterest inspired idea!

The second shelf:  Another two old boxes spray painted to hold all paper products, the scrap book box I already had, & some randoms (wood glue, hot glue gun, hole puncher) that I need to try & find/make a container for!

 The third shelf:  literally the random things. Wood stain, tap, sealant, paint tray, vase full of ribbon, tiles, vinyl letters, extra material, this list goes on!  I want to try & make this a little "prettier"  also,  but for now it works!

My next goal is to make a crafting table.  I saw a great idea, where two shelves & a piece of wood were used and ta-da! A great use of space is made--storage PLUS craft table.

On a side note, since I had the hubby at work I had to take FULL advantage of this!  I made a wine rack out of a pallet probably about 6 months ago & it had just been sitting around because we didn't have anything to hang it with.  But today we finally did!  

I love this piece.  It's just a piece of a pallet that I stained.  The wine rack part was a little bit more difficult, but obviously do able!  I made the "t" pieces with wood glue, but it was so frustrating trying to glue those pieces to the pallet!  First I did them too close together so a glass wouldn't fit.  Once I got the spacing right, it was a matter of getting them all on there (without moving) & putting enough weight on it so they would be secure.  All this without being able to use clams & with a curious kitten nosing her way around haha BUT I'm so happy with the results!  I'm thinking about painting something on the front, but haven't decided yet.

Anyway, I'm off to continue organizing my craft room :) happy crafting!

Bridal Shower Fun!

Sooo I have 4 weddings in my near future--two of which I'm MOH (October 2014 & June 2015), one I'm a bridesmaid (April 2015), & one I am solely a guest (September 2014-however she will be my sister in law so of course I'm still obligated to help).  Needless to say there are a LOT of bridal shenanigans to plan & partake in, around all of the baby showers also in my life, of course.  Guess I'm just at that point in my life -- weddings & babies everywhere! :)

Saturday I got to knock the first event off of the list--Shannon's Bridal Shower!  Now, this was my first bridal shower that I've attended AND the first I've had the pleasure of planning.  Nothing like killing two birds with one stone, right?!

Luckily, I had the assistance of one of her family friends who helped take care of the food & location.  We had all sorts of yummy finger foods & desserts -- including a chocolate fountain & (spiked) punch, of course!  (Disclaimer--sorry for the HORRIBLE picture quality of all of these)

We played the "purse game"--certain things you would find in your purse are worth points, guest with the most points wins & the "him or her" game--a list of 10 statements, guests have to guess whether they were made and/or relate to the bride or the groom, guest with the most correct wins!.   

We bought a platter for guests to sign as the guest book.  Once you bake it at 350 for about 30 minutes, it is officially multi-purposeful! I also had a Date Night Jar & Advice bucket with cards that had "Good Marriage Advice" on one side & "Honest Marriage Advice" on the other.  How cute is that?!  We got to hear some very funny, & great, advice from women who have years of experience!! 

Of course I had to craft in honor of the celebration:  an adorable "__ days until she's hitched" sign &  a "future mrs warren" banner.   Both so easy.  

I think the sign is my favorite.  I knew since I had so many bridal related events soon, I should make it multi-purposeful so I could use it for all of them!  I just took an extra canvas I had laying around, used painters tape to have even lines, & used a sharpie for the writing.  I cut a heart out of cardstock, spray painted it with chalkboard paint, hot glued it on & voila! 

I'm sure you've seen the banners all over Etsy.  Now, though they're not priced too highly, you're still wasting your money!  I literally made that out of twine, sandpaper, & paint--all extremely inexpensive items!  I must say, using the sandpaper was probably one of my best ideas yet (if i do say so myself hehe)!  They're like a dollar for a pack of 30, they're pre cut rectangles, & they have the, very in right now, rustic feel.  Definitely can't go wrong there!

Feel free to leave any questions or comments & happy crafting!! :) 

DIY Wedding on a Budget

Well, we did it!  I'm finally Mrs. Michael Yerry! How exciting!  

Overall, the wedding went excellent! We had a small, intimate ceremony with family & close friends in attendance. A few hiccups, but nothing that couldn't damper the mood.  Even the photographers said they were impressed by the quaintness :)  All of the DIY things ended up fitting together very nicely. I'm going to attempt to break it all down!

Granted, I am an extreme craftaholic, so I already had a lot of items on hand.   I also suggest using your resources:  one of my associates gave me left over tea lights from her wedding, my best friend brought sand from home (Outer Banks) & some mason jars,  a sorority sister brought her (fancy) camera & a cupcake stand, & mom brought some food.  You will be surprised how many people will be willing to help you for your special day!

Disclosure -- my in-laws helped tremendously, so my figures may be slightly skewed.  They rented a cabin for us to stay in, they rented chairs for the ceremony & they got our cake/cupcakes.  I'm not sure the cost of these things.  We also borrowed many things, which I HIGHLY recommend!  Especially if you have friends who've recently been married.  Take all the help you can get!

Our wedding was in my in-laws backyard--they have a beautiful cabin right on Lake James,  we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful location & free doesn't hurt one bit!!

Okay let's see...

Pictures:  3 hours w/ 2 photographers & an assistant; 150 digital images -- $880.69 after tax, then iPhones & friend's cameras for the remanding of the time--free!  I used CapsuleCam (free app!)  so I could have all candid photos in one place--it was great.   My sister also video'd the ceremony, toasts, etc. on a iPhone.

Food/Drinks:  hot dogs, hamburgers (plus buns), condiments, s'mores, 4 cases of beer, 3 boxes of wine $160 (this includes sparklers, yay for a sparkler sendoff!);  his parents had tea/water & bought a variety pack of chips & my mom brought BBQ.

Music:  iPod + iHome = done!   A friend helped start/stop processional music. $0!

Decorations:  We used white christmas lights & a lot of nicknacks we had among the families to do most of the decorating.  We got a lot of ribbon, burlap, lace, tulle, tiki torches, etc. from various craft stores (Michael's, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby)  probably a total of $100, however I have a plethora of items left over.  I probably only needed half of what I got!  Below are a few crafts I made: 

Guest book -- wooden letter "Y" spray painted coral with a white paint pen for signing

Ring for a Kiss Bell ($8 cow bell from tractor supply)  on a shepherd's hook held by twine.  I was border line regretting making this as often as it rang back to back haha

I also made a cooler & cornhole boards for the ceremony, but of course those will have prolonged use.

We bought the cornhole boards built plain with bags for $135,  I paid about $50 for the paint & sealant I used, but I have plenty left over of that as well.   The cooler is from Walmart & used paint & sealant I already had on hand! They were a great touch to the ceremony & will last throughout our marriage!

The little Pinterest inspired crafts definitely helped tie everything together perfectly!  

It's hard to give you a 100% accurate price point of our wedding due to using many things we already had & the assistance we received buuut with rounding up/inflation we spent (approximately) $1500.00. 

Granted, I didn't include my dress (about $700 after alterations),  hair & make up ($70), nails ($131 for 2 mani/pedis + a mani)  & our rings (total of about $3500).   So really we spent about $5900 in total, however these last few things, along with the photographer, were splurges we agreed were "must haves"--there was no way I was giving up lifetime memories captured in film!

**We are planning on going on our honeymoon on our 1 year anniversary, which will give us the time to save until then!  Haven't quite decided where were going yet, but still so excited!**

All in all, I am so pleased with our intimate wedding & proud of how everything came together so beautifully, but I do have to admit that the below picture is the exact emotion I was feeling up until I was walking down the aisle.  It was very stressful, but beyond worth it!

Happy crafting!!

Wedding time...?

We got some amazing news last week that could change our life! (yay!) howeverrrr it could also change our wedding date! 😳   What's even harder, is we won't know for sure until potentially only 4 days before hand!! Woah! Luckily we're doing so small & haven't sent anything in writing or invited a ton of people or anything. But in all reality it's opportunities like this that really put life into perspective. That remind you that as much as you may, or may not, plan; the decision is ultimately not up to you.

Soooo, even though we're, oddly enough, hoping for our wedding to be called off , we still have to prepare for the chance that it will not be.

Saturday I went to Charlotte with my future MIL to do some last minute shopping. We got about every coral ribbon that AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, & Michael's offered.  It's hard envisioning things since we're doing so laid back & care free, but I guess that's part of the enjoyment of all of it.

Yesterday's project was mason jars, with no specific usage. Maybe vases, maybe lanterns, maybe even glasses! Who knows!   Regardless they did turn out adorable, if I do say so myself!!

They were seriously too easy (& inexpensive)!  Mason jars from Goodwill, burlap, lace, & coral ribbon from the craft store of your choice, & hot glue!  Made the bows using the "fork trick", but used a masher instead so they were bigger!

Happy Crafting!