Products with Personality

Products with Personality is an online retailer of wedding and party details, packaging, and favors.

They offer many of the old standbys, like personalized candy bars ($2.50), themed lip balm ($1.85), sugar cookies, and mints at reasonable prices and more unique items, like these tea cups ($2.55), honey pots ($3.50), manicure kits ($4.78), and love bird salt and pepper shakers ($3.62).

I just suggested these Martha-inspired monogrammed Kisses ($0.25) to a friend who is helping a friend with a wedding.

They also offer lots of eco-friendly favors and place card holders.

I first discovered the Products with Personality site when I was searching for party favors for my sister-in-law's shower. I was eyeing these starfish and sea shell sugar cookies - so cute.

Although, these tea bag holders would have saved me a lot of time if I would have seen them. (So much for my "unique" HuskTea tea bag idea.)

PWP also has a blog in which they highlight their products. They recently featured WTRITO in their "Wedding Sites" section and, I have to admit, it totally made me blush when it popped up in my Google Alerts. Everyone should check them out.

All images from PWP.

The Final Product: Out-of-Town Bags

Image: Sarah Alair

After six months of talking about the OOT bags, I ended up printing out the welcome packets on the morning of the rehearsal dinner. Not even kidding. I spent a total of maybe 20 minutes laying out the pages for printing. There was no map of the surrounding area, no Chicago fun facts, no list of things to do - just the bare essentials. And I thank God that I didn't waste time on that stuff because I don't think that anyone actually looked at them. Not to mention that the hotel didn't hand a couple of them out. (No comment on that.)

The welcome packets were printed on circle cards from Paper Source and attached to the bag with binder rings.

 Image: Sarah Alair

Each room in our block received one of my beloved Chicago tote bags:

 Image: Sarah Alair

filled with a travel candle, bottled water, snacks, and a "Taste of Chicago" goodie bag containing:

• Fannie May Candy
• Ferrara Pan Candy: Boston Baked Beans, Lemonheads, and Fireballs
• Frango Mints
• Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops
• Wrigley Gum

There would have been Jays potato chips too, but they're impossible to find since Frito Lay monopolized the market. Trust me. I've looked. They sell out fast. If any 60613 brides want to know what day the Jays delivery man hits the local convenience stores, drop me a line. I know the schedule. Ha. Ha.

 Image: Sarah Alair

The candles were fancy Akeewakee travel candles that I picked up at a sample sale. They retail for $11, but I paid $1!

Image: Sarah Alair

I was so disappointed in my matchboxes. I had ordered plain white matches in September, but they were lost at the post office and didn't arrive until LAST WEEK (as in 11/25)! I was on a mad hunt for matches the week of the wedding and found some at Osco on Wednesday. By then, I was TOTALLY out of time, but just couldn't let myself give out ugly matches. I made these match covers using scrap paper that I found around the house. I was cutting pieces and running them through the xyron in between hitting print on the welcome packet pieces. I think my DIY Fury frightened Andy at this point; however, given that it was about an hour before I had to leave for the Ladies that Lunch Luncheon, he knew to stay out of the way and not ask questions.

Our Wedding Theme is Autumn + Dots + Paloma's Nest

In the process of shopping for hostess gifts, I've become obssessed with etsy seller Paloma's Nest. I had been shopping for some elegant wine charms for Aunt Ruth when I stumbled upon text tiles in the Paloma's Nest store. I placed a custom order for 12 text tiles with the names of Andy's family members. I then attached them to silver rings and added beads. I think that is my favorite etsy purchase of all time. I love how they turned out. I'd love to make a set for myself one day -- even if the beads did double my budget for this project. I apologize for the bad photos. The white ceramic is difficult to photograph.

Images: Personal Collection

The seller, Caroline, is so nice. She sent me an extra "TINA" charm and a little heart charm. :)

I forgot to photograph these before giving them away, but I also ordered a bird bowl with the words "MOTHER BIRD" for Andy's mom. When it arrived, I loved it so much that I ordered a second one for my mom. Caroline packages her items in brown cardboard boxes with straw. It's so simple, but I think that it has such a charming effect.

Image: Paloma's Nest

I contacted her one last time to ask if she could make some charms for us to use on our toasting coupes. She included them in my last shipment and I just love them.

And we now have a ring bowl on the way:

Image: Paloma's Nest

Paloma's Nest was a featured seller on Etsy last Monday! You can read her interview here. There may or may not be another PN surprise for the wedding. <wink, wink>

Chicago Tote Bags

Hey, Chicago Girls!

Is anyone interested in going in on a bulk order for tote bags with me? If I am reading the e-mail from CSI Chicago correctly, we can get this image printed on any tote for $2.25 if we order 24-71 pieces:

Image: Strange Cargo

If we order Cheap Totes, it would be $2.25/bag + shipping. Comment or e-mail if you're interested. I'd like to act quickly so that I can get the 99 cent sale price on the totes. (Hey! When you're five weeks from the wedding, 49 cents is 49 cents!)

Brides and Blogs Girls: Let me know if you'd like one for personal use and I can add it on to my order and give them to you at the October or November Happy Hour.

Dear Blogger, Please Don't Crash After I Finish This Post.

1. Why do I always forget to save early/save often despite Blogger ruining so many posts on me?
   
   
2. This N-O-T an e-mail that a girl wants to receive from her hairstylist 45 days before her wedding.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   He was just assigned to do a show in Puerto Rico the day after the wedding. I am so bummed. Hair is hair, but he's my buddy, so I'm upset that he won't be able to come to the wedding. I don't even know how to describe my hair stylist. Put it this way, Naomi Campbell spots him in Topshop, recognizes him, and then gets him into clubs in Paris; he has a tattoo on his forearm that is a UPC code of a tampon box; and he'll do things like wear a beaver trucker hat on the day that I'm coming in, because I'd "get it." I just love him.
   
   
3. I think that the OOT tote bags are a pipedream. I realize that this isn't an issue to anyone but me, but now that I have them in my mind, nothing will compare to them. I'm trying to think of some cheap DIY alternatives. I can print my own iron-on transfers, but I use those all of the time and they come out just OK. Does anyone have a copy of this CD that I can beg, borrow, or steal? Paper Source has discontinued it, the 'old standbys eBay and Amazon don't carry it, and the distributor charges $65 for it. I don't like or need it that much.
   
   
   
   
   
   Images: Paper Source
   
   
4. When I saw these new J. Crew shoes on Pretty Pretty Paper today, my heart actually skipped a beat. These are EXACTLY what my rehearsal dinner outfit needs. Unfortunately, the $365 price is not what my RD outfit needs. Boooooooooooooooooooooo, J. Crew! Boooooooooooooooooo!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Image: J. Crew via Pretty Pretty Paper
   
   
5. This pretty bauble spotted today on Coco + Kelley would also be a dandy addition to my rehearsal dinner dress. I need to return to vintage jewelry. I miss it.
   
   
   
   
   
   Image: Coco + Kelley

Lazy Weekend Project

In hopes of trying out my Xyron before using it to attach the address labels to the invitations, I whipped up some favor tags this weekend. I need to pick up a repositionable cartridge for the Xyron, but here's the first half of the project. We're planning on handing out Garrett Popcorn at the end of the evening (unless we run out of money!)

As you can see, I am getting very lazy with my designs. If I can't use my 2-inch hole punch, I'm not doing it.

I Knew The Day Would Come...

I actually completed an easy wedding project last weekend! I made these hang tags for the Out of Town bags. I am just about to blow my paper budget, so I couldn't allow myself to buy any hang tags or large shape punches. I tossed these together with some card stock and my 2" inch circle punch. They seriously took about 30 minutes and about 25 of those minutes were spent on me hemming and hawing with the layout. I am happy that I was able to work the skyline into the design. It's killing me to not give mad props to the city throughout my paper suite.

I think that they look great. I'll use leftover eyelets to attach the ribbons and hang them on the bags. Depending on how much time that I have the week of the wedding, I will either print the guest names on a separate circle tag and spray glue it on the back or write the names on the back.

F*ck

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

*********************************

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.)

Turn Your Memories into Healthy Mammories

I wish that I would have seen this sooner so that I would have posted it last week! Brides Against Breast Cancer is a not-for-profit organization that funds breast cancer research. They're having a gown sale.

• Date: Friday and Saturday
• Time: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Place: The Wydham Chicago Hotel, 633 N. St. Clair Street

According to their web site, many of the dresses are BRAND NEW FROM THE DESIGNERS! And they have sizes from 4-24 (you know, in case you're a "bigger girl too"). ;0

If you're not in the market to buy or sell a dress, the Brides Against Breast Cancer web site has many ideas for ways that you can help:

• Volunteer at an event.
• Have a "Pink Envelope" Shower or Reception: www.pinkenvelopeproject.org
• Give Brides Against Breast Cancer Donation in lieu of favors.

Paper with Attitude

I love, love, love these CD cases from the Pressa Russa Etsy shop. Their entire stationery line is the whip. I'd love to get the good sh*t CD cases for favors.



Actually, I wouldn't get this one because I am THAT terrified of bugs. It would stress me out to have a pile of these laying around the house. And, no, I am not kidding.

Photos: PressaRussa.etsy.com

Ever since I got engaged, Etsy has become the ebay circa 1997 for me. I can waste hours looking for the most random things.

Girl Power

My good friend (and lady in waiting) volunteers for Girls on the Run, an after-school program that prepares school-age girls to run a 5K while teaching them important lessons on self-esteem, respecting themselves and others, etc. They've posted a video on You Tube. It's currently the 71st most-watched non-profit video. They want to make it number 1.

Click here to see the video. (I can't figure out how to display the video.)

Take a few minutes to check it out, then help some sisters out and pass it along to everyone you know.

Click here to visit the Girls on the Run web site.

A donation to GOTR would make a great wedding favor for your guests if you're doing charitable donations in lieu of crappy crystal clocks.
(No offense to anyone who's giving out crystal clocks as favors.)

Anyone who watches the Chicago Marathon will recognize GOTR chicks as the "Team Tiara" women. They run in tiaras, bling, and sometimes feathers!