F*ck

Update: Windy City Wedding recommended this place for totes -- 94 cents instead of $1.29. Thanks!

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I just walked down to Strange Cargo** to do a trial run of the OOT totes. Unfortunately, I love them. And I only say unfortunately because I don't like the price tag. The manager seemed to like the idea. He liked the tote (props to Darcy) and I got the impression that he was going to look into them for himself.

We'll have to see what the hotel numbers look like closer to the date. If it's only 10-15 rooms, we can swing it. And it would be fun to get custom ones for a couple of guests. I want to get my mom the one below because she used to have a tube top with the logo of the band Chicago. I don't know what's scarier - the fact that she liked Chicago or liked them enough to MAKE HER OWN Chicago tube top. I guess that I pulled it down once when I was sitting in the baby seat on her bike en route to Tastee Freeze. Man, I miss Tastee Freeze.

** (I don't recommend walking near Wrigley Field two hours before a Cubs game. Especially if you need to carry an umbrella, as half of Schaumburg was standing on the west sidewalk on Clark. And I do mean STANDING. They were all getting swindled into buying stupid Fukudome Kid headbands from street vendors. Losers.)

I Forgot About Flower Friday

Since a few bloggers seem to have place cards on the brain this week, check out this image posted on {frolic!} the other day. It looks like it's two magnets holding the card in place. Isn't it a cute place card idea? That little deer card is the cutest.

Image: http://www.doe-sf.com/ via {frolic!}

It's 11:15 P.M. Already?

Holy sh*t, where did today go? I was so busy today that I forgot to call my brother -- who had surgery yesterday -- ON. A. LUNG. WTF? When I picked up the phone to call, I realized that it was too early and then I didn't remember until 9 p.m. I am going to burn. Maybe I'll tell him that I did call and he forgot because of the morphine. JUST KIDDING!

Here's what I did remember to do:

Address Label Maintenance

I received 35 responses to my Alchemy request for someone to cut the labels -- including one from a woman who went to Pratt! Isn't that funny? "Yes, I had a 4.0 at Pratt. As you will see from my resume, my most recent freelance assignment was chopping some chick's ugly labels for her wedding invitations." I spent a good hour declining bids. I always feel mean turning people down and try to look at their shops and say something nice in my decline message. So it takes time.

Anyway, we're down to four missing addresses on Andy's side and two on my side.

Pick Up the Swatch of My Bridesmaid Dress

Although I am thankful for my cheap dress, I so wish that I could have found it at a dress shop in the city instead of one that's 21 miles away. Contrary to what Google Maps says, it's not 35 minutes away. It's an hour away. The Kennedy sucks.

Also, while I was at the bridal shop, I held my gold shoes up against a dress that is similar to mine. They were OK. Definitely not perfect. I think that the texture of the leather is too much. Oh well, if I find something else, then I do, if not, I'm fine with it. I only have two friends that would notice and they wouldn't care at the end of the day. I can't give those gold shoes up. They're too comfortable!

Order Jewelry for My Bridesmaids

Thank God I made it into Sara Lenart's shop today. I haven't been in there in about a year so I didn't know that she's pregnant. I squeezed my custom order in just in time before her maternity leave. Even though I requested a September delivery date, I'm glad to have it over with.

Her new work is so beautiful. There is a GORGEOUS ring that I'm loving. We talked over the color scheme and some ideas and she's running with it. I can't imagine her designing anything that's less than fabulous. The girls will be wearing orange teardrop-shaped sunstones with a mix of gold and smokey quartz and some green accents. The image below is an example of sunstones. It doesn't do them justice though. Ironically, I am wearing moonstones!

Image: http://www.limabeads.com/

Print and Cut the Coat Checks Tags

More on this tomorrow...

DIY Wednesday

I have all but four address labels set up and ready for printing.

I started making some coat check tags so that I can practice my cutting. I suck at cutting. I mean S - U - C - K. No matter what tools I use, it looks like shit. And, so far, the coat check tags are not proving any different. But good 'ole etsy is saving my ass again. I just tossed an Alchemy request up there looking for crafters to cut my labels for me. Someone who has a professional cutter at home responded within three minutes. She's saving me HOURS of work for only $20. I'll let you know how it turns out. :) (fingers, toes, arms, and legs crossed)

Here are the coat check tags. I feel like kind of a loser for making these. Maybe I can have these cut too! ;)

How did this person cut her items so cleany? I hate her. (Unless she's reading this. If she is, she should know that I'm very, very jealous.)

Image: Style Me Pretty

*Blush*

I just came home from the gym (I am on vacation today) and saw all of the wonderful comments, re: the invitations. Hooray for Blog Friends! And thank you for some of the specific suggestions. I often leave very detailed comments on people's sites and often worry that I come off bitchy, but those are the comments that I find the most helpful on my own blog. Anyway, thank you so much! I don't hate the design anymore! :)

BTW, the bride featured on Style Me Pretty today has the green Christian Lou's that I was coveting a while back. Lucky her.

I've Lost My Ability to Free Think

Updated. I was rushing to get out the door and deleted Option 2.

Can I recruit some opinions on font selections? I've added a poll to the side (sorry Google Readers) to make it easier. You can click each image to view it full-size. Feel free to tell me if the dots look bad (or good!). I'm not even seeing them anymore. Thanks in advance!

Option 1:
Century Gothic and Names in Georgia

Option 2:
Lauren Script and Century Gothic

Option 3:
Century Gothic and Names in Lauren Script

I AM DRIVING MYSELF UP A F*CKING WALL

Seriously, I H-A-T-E this invitation design. Hate it. And I can't think of anything else. No matter what I do -- small dots, large dots, medium dots, a combination of dots -- it looks sloppy, clunky, and unprofessional. I f*cking hate them. And, no, I am not being overly critical, they honestly look like shit. It's the world's simplest design and I can't get it right. I have until today to finish them and then I'm ordering some store-bought shit. I don't care.

My New Favorite Etsy Store

I wish that I had the balz to ask etsy seller Carol Lee Designs to make me thank you notes for my showers, but people tend to sometimes misunderstand my sense of humor. There are just a sampling of her hilarious cards.

Images: CarolLeeDesigns.etsy.com

TGIF

I forgot my makeup bag, moisturizer, eye cream, and brush when I was packing my bag for the gym this a.m. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this until AFTER my workout, when I also realized that all of the hairdryers in the locker room were busted and that I was out of hairspray and gel. I improvised by squatting under the hand dryer and blowing drying my hair. Then I went to work with very flat hair and an uneven complexion. Thankfully, most of the office was out for the holiday weekend.

At lunch time, I wandered over to Paper Source. I was talking to an associate about envelope liners when a man came in and started photographing us -- FROM THE SIDE. When he left, I asked the PS guy what the photog was taking pictures of and he said "Crane's Chicago Business." Yes, I was photographed in my favorite store FROM THE SIDE, while wearing no makeup and flat hair, and holding up an ugly outdated version of my invitations. I am guessing that they wouldn't use such an unflattering photo of ANYONE (I mean, hot chicks sell, right?), but COME ON! What are the chances?

Also, I stopped to see "Made of Honor" on the way home from work tonight. I want my $10.50 back, please.

Baby's First Gocco

I ordered a gocco two months ago and it's been burning a hole in my creative pocket ever since. Andy's off to the races tonight, so I took advantage of the very rare several waking hours home alone to try my first gocco project. I thought that it best that my trial run be solo (i.e., I didn't want him to be here if I got gold ink all over his pub table or rug.)

Anyway, I can't show you what I made because it's a reproduction of a card that I bought somewhere. I only selected it because it looked like it would be easy to practice with. Even though I'm not selling them, I don't want to suffer any wrath or hurt any feelings. Here's how it turned out:

• I looked down at the gocco as I was burning the screen and my eyeballs are still hurting two and a half hours later.


• I used a photocopy of the print, per the videos that I watched online, and some paper stuck to the screen. Unfortunately, it's a silhouette image so the spot makes it look like she has a hickey. When I tried filling it in by hand, it looked like she tried covering up her hickey with the wrong color makeup. I am going to pretend that the bare spot makes it look "vintage."


• Cleaning the screen was a HUGE NIGHTMARE MISTAKE. I found some directions online and it did not go as smoothly as the author said. She listed her "total expenditures" as three minutes, little bit of Riso cleaner, and 2 napkins." I went through a bunch of Riso cleaner, half a roll of paper towels, two plastic knives, a stack of Garrett's Popcorn napkins, and I still ended up with an unusable screen and gold hands.

I've decided that I'd sooner prostitute myself to earn money to buy invitations than pull a Weddingbee and gocco print my entire invitation suite. I think that I am a (Have Someone) DI4Y-er.

Flower Friday #3

I absolutely adore these images of the floral arrangements from the wedding of Mimi of enjoy: {the blog} fame. Look at the different colored wrappers on the bridesmaid bouquets. Mimi is a girl after my own heart!

If we were having a larger bridal party, I would politely ask her if I could "borrow" this idea. Imagine all of our colors popping out from the sienna-colored dresses. I'm in love with the notion.

Mimi carried the color variations through to the tables. Look how whimisical and elegant her arrangements are:

Images: enjoy: {the blog}

Check out more images from Mimi's swoon-worthy wedding on her blog.

These are Funny

Click the link below each image to access the etsy store for it.

Image: allegrae.etsy.com

Image: allegrae.etsy.com

Image: allegrae.etsy.com

Image: allegrae.etsy.com

Image: BarrelOfMonkeys.etsy.com

Martha-eque Guest Book Idea

Check out this memory jar from etsy seller jenniferaboston. What a great guest book idea. And it'll only set you back 30 bones. (Can you tell that I'm losing my DIYsire?)

Images: jenniferaboston

Rock On & Location Envy

I just scored vacation time for next week to work on all my projects. It will be so good to just focus and plow through everything. I hope it rains a little so that I am not tempted to go to the lake instead of staying in and getting my stuff done.

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I hate to re-post images from other blogs, I don't have a post prepared for today, so I'm going to do so out of laziness. These rooftop images from Michelle Rago's blog make me swoon. I have never been so jealous of a location. I'd pick this over a beach wedding any day. *LOVE IT!* I'm adding this to the "If I Won the Big Game..." list. :)

Images: Michelle Rago

Programs

I've officially abandoned my idea to make the programs into Halloween masks or firecrackers. So last week, I started working on a Plan B and posted an etsy Alchemy request for an image for the cover of our programs. I probably could have managed it myself, but I am running out of steam. There just aren't enough hours in the day -- and ESPECIALLY not enough hours in the weekend. Also, I think that my idea for assembling the programs is both unique and time-consuming, so I'd rather save my energy for that.

I am looking for something like the image below, but with the initials in a carved heart and some pumpkins sitting at the base of the tree. This is a very rough mock-up using a tree that I'm purchasing from iStock.com.

Like I said, I could probably do this myself, but the carved heart would take me forever and look like crap; whereas, someone with actual skills could do it in an hour and be done with it.

I decided to go with etsy seller arripke. As you can see from the samples below, her work has a great asthetic and wonderful use of color. And her prices are very affordable. The invitation sets shown below will run you about $270 for 100. (Don't think that I'm not tempted!) They also offer Custom Wedding Packages that include EVERYTHING (seriously...even table numbers and printed envelopes) for $475.

Images: arippke etsy shop

One thing that I hate about Alchemy requests is declining bids. I always feel mean. And I've had a few sellers respond back with something like, "Sorry you didn't pick me. I would have done a great job," which, after 12 years of Catholic School, is all that it takes to make me feel guilty.

Get Skinny Update, Week 9

I counted points, but didn't enter them into the WW site, so I don't have my table this week. Here's my workout schedule -- I had 18 activity points!

• Tuesday:
• Strength Training Class (This was awful. He did almost everything on the bosu ball. I couldn't do 40% of the exercises and I still almost threw up. At the end of the class, the instructor gave me a fist-punch and a "Hang in there. Keep at it." I was that bad.)
• 30 minutes cross-trainer machine
  
• Wednesday:
• Couldn't Move. Literally.


• Thursday:
  Worked late and still moving slow. 40 minutes on the cross-trainer was all that I could squeeze out of myself.
  
• Friday:
• 45 minutes, pool.


• Saturday:
• Strength Training class -- I was able to keep up in this one!
  50 minutes, elliptical machine.

Hot Red 'Do + Birdcage Veil + Feathers

I just saw this wedding on Tales of a Female Husband. Check out the hot red 'do and be-feathered veil on this bride. I wish that I could pull that hair style off, but I hate the way my hair lies in pix when I wear heavy bangs with a ponytail. She looks awesome. And I love how she wears the veil/headpiece throughout the evening. There's no way for me to do that with mine. I am jealous.

I love her wife's tux and white shoes. It looks like a fun wedding.

Images: Circle Photo

Flower Friday #2

I really like these images from the last issue of the Knot Chicago magazine. The arrangements are so bright and unique. I love all of the different things going on in them -- the movement, the round dahlias, the bold colors, and the real leaves. And LOVE the suggested bouts.

Sorry for the crooked scans. I think that I mentioned before that my printer's UNDER the end table. It's tough to get to.

Images: Knot Chicago Magazine.

Etsy Addiction is a Sad Thing

UPDATE: Did you see this etsy seller on yesterday's etsy wedding post? OMG - SWOON!

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I spent HOURS shifting through etsy looking for my wedding day jewelry. I thought that I'd list the stores that I saved to my favorites during the process. All of these were found in searches for the keywords "quartz," "pearl," and "moonstones." I hope that someone finds this helpful. If I can save even one girl from etsy addiction, I'll consider myself successful. I'm sorry that I am too lazy to provide actual hyperlinks, but girls's got a day job, yo.

• akdbridaljewelry.etsy.com
• beakee.etsy.com
• BohoBoutique.etsy.com
• BridalEmunique.etsy.com
• DesignsByAutumn.etsy.com
• fussjewelry.etsy.com
• Handwired.etsy.com
• hiljohn.etsy.com
• impromptujewelry.etsy.com
• jennytrinh.etsy.com
• jlkconcepts.etsy.com
• kaicreations.etsy.com
• karmabee.etsy.com
• lotusjewelrystudio.etsy.com
• lucyslegacy.etsy.com
• lulidesigns.etsy.com
• mariewudesigns.etsy.com
• opheliax.etsy.com
• PassionsVictorina.etsy.com
• queenb.etsy.com
• Redondo.etsy.com
• sandraeileenjewelry.etsy.com
• SuzyQJewelry.etsy.com
• SweeterThanMeBridal.etsy.com
• TheAtelier.etsy.com
• thenoisyplume.etsy.com
• WindysDesigns.etsy.com

You Could Justify the Cost of $2,000 Luggage

If you won this:

J. Crew's
HONEYMOON-AT-THE-BEACH

Image: J. Crew

Mini Maid Dresses

Hi:

The dresses in my earlier post are from Tiny Tot Dress Shop.

-tin

Mini Maid

I'm officially on the prowl for a flower girl dress. My cousin's currently a size 6, which means that she could be a size 7 by fall. Size 7 is definitely a 'tween size. Now that J. Crew is out of the free world's price range, I'm relegated to department stores and the Internet. Here are my favorite dresses so far...all under $60!

Option 1: My Favorite

Option 2: My Other Favorite
This is perfect! But it doesn't come in ivory. I'd want to add a colored sash.

Option 3:
The sleeves work for fall and the bottom is patterned like mine. Just so-so.

Option 4:
Super cute polka dots, but the pink's too springy.

Option 5:
A good fallback. I'd swap out the sash.

All Images: Tiny Tot Dress Shop

If I went with something traditional like Option 5, I'd think about adding a cute floral piece from myrakim to the waistline. Just because she's little doesn't mean she can't be fab.

Image: myrakim

Speaking of fab, look at these cute boleros from Tiny Tots:

Image: Tiny Tot Dress Shop