Custom Made!

*Finally!* We can show off another fabulous facet of our wedding: the invites and rsvp postcards!!

I have long waited for the chance to share our wedding stationary designs with the world, knowing that it was going to be a great accomplishment and something worth boasting. ;o) It took Adam and myself a while to agree on the layout of the invitation, and then once THAT was finally accomplished, the challenge of creating the "perfect" rsvp postcard had to be added on, taking all the more time! If you don't already know, Adam is incredibly talented with computers and graphic design, but with this great talent comes great perfectionism. Admittedly, I was nagging at him from time to time, telling him to just "move on, it's fine!" because I was anxious to do this on the to-do list: design invitations and rsvp postcards

I knew from the get-go that we weren't going to go with some hum-drum pre-fab design; the DIY approach was agreed upon early in the engagement game, and I was both pleased and excited over the idea of expressing our creativity on the pieces of paper that would be sent to the home of every single guest. But we were pretty clueless as to how to make our goal turn into reality. All we knew was that we wanted to include a barn somewhere on the invite, and make the rsvp cards postcards because they make for cheaper postage! *rinnnnng riiinnnggg, money saving alarm!!!!!!* ;o)  Once we had a rough outline of the invite design, we then found it difficult to find a printing press that would take Adam's jpeg file and print HIS design on THEIR paper. *Curses!*

Companies like Wedding Paper Divas failed us, along with countless others that came highly recommended or just looked good in general, but after lots of time and perseverance (and maybe with a touch of luck), Adam came across www.pixxlz.com---an eco-friendly printing company! That was another thing Adam and I knew we wanted to do: make our wedding invites as "green" as possible, because we are all about the love, the peace, and the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle). This company proved to be two things: completely awesome and SUPER-DUPER affordable. We're talkin' ~150 invites and ~150 rsvp postcards printed for the low price of $105.00. No, I'm not kidding and yes, I know that is an incredible bargain. After reading in wedding mags that the average cost runs from $4 to $8 per invite, I can't help but feel like we're the luckiest S.O.B.'s this side of the Mississippi! 

So, without further ado, here are the stationary masterpieces, designed by my beloved fiancé  and printed with tender love and care by the amazing Regan Smith Clarke at pixxlz.com!  :o)

*  The front side of the rsvp postcard. I love it! It's so bold and funky-fun! And while it is a bit straight and to the point (i.e. "There is no way you can lose this, and please friggin' respond on time!"), we did include the word "kindly" so it's not totally screamin' in your face.... ;o) Love the font, love the colors, love the rustic-country touches mixed with modern funk.

* The back side of the rsvp postcard is fabulous too, don't you agree?? The meal preference icons were my idea, and we had a good laugh over the hilariously-stupid silhouette of a piece of lasagna (which was obviously replaced with a leaf to represent that it's the vegetarian option). The kids meal icon cracks me up, too! Stuck a polar bear postcard stamp on each of these puppies and DONE!

* The invitation is a 5.5" x 8" piece of cardstock. Adam was incredibly meticulous about the color gradation from yellow to orange to green, the rustic "wash," and the placement of the font. Speaking of font, we realize that it's not very formal...and that is EXACTLY what we were going for. The invitation should really reflect the time of vibe you are going for, and while we are mixing in bits of traditional American wedding, we are also uniquely making this special day our own and do NOT want our guests to think that they ought to be showing up in stuffy suits and ball gowns! The image is serene, the font is varied and fun; we went with a less-than-formal wording ( "Food and merriment to follow!" for example), and feel really good about this decision. What I ALSO feel really good about: This single piece of cardstock and a 4 x 6 rsvp postcard stuffed into a single large envelope only required a regular .44 cent postage stamp! No extra postage needed for being overweight or oversized, and no wasted paper with pointless inner-envelopes, velum flaps, ribbons, etc.  YAY!

* Today's Stroke of Genius brought to you by the letter "B" as in "Belt" *

Personal touch....

I am so impressed with myself right now (lol!), and just had to share this genius idea I had no more than 20 minutes ago.

(picture by moi) ---------------------------------->

What you see here is a practice / miniature version of my orange gerber daisy bouquet...wrapped in what used to be my grandfather's belt.

*Cue tears*

After my Papa Springett passed away in 2001, I inherited a few of his groovy pieces of apparel---some plaid shirts, a pair of pants, and this sweet leather belt with a Western silver buckle. While I was doing my Spring Cleaning two months agol, I came across my grandfather's belt. As I was putting it on, the worn-down leather in one particular spot ripped, causing the belt to split into two pieces. I was devastated. I took the buckle off and tucked it away for safe keeping, then I angrily dropped the two pieces of leather belt into an empty trash can. I couldn't believe my grandfather's belt just frickin' broke into two. It's irreplaceable. "What do I do NOW?"

A few days went by and I couldn't stand seeing the two bits of  my grandfather's belt in the trash, so I took them out and set 'em aside, thinking maybe I could use it for scrapbooking or some other creative project one day.

Cut to today: I'm tidying up around the house and come across the pieces of leather belt. I look at 'em, once again disappointed to not have the belt in one piece so I could wear it like I used to, and unsure as to what the heck I could do with these worn pieces of leather. Then it was like something knocked me right upside the head---must have been what they call a "stroke of genius"---and I started crying instantly, overwhelmed with memories of my grandfather and upset that he isn't alive to see his one and only granddaughter get married, but completely overjoyed with the creative thought that came to me. I dashed to the kitchen where I had a few daisies in a vase of water, and when I took 'em out I wrapped the longest piece of salvaged leather belt around the stems. The tears kept comin'.....I couldn't believe how awesome it looked and how fitting it is for the type of wedding we're having. It's rustic, it's personal, it's significant.....it's perfect.

Now I'm thinking of adding my grandmother's pearl necklace and having my deceased grandparents represented in this way, rather than the photo charms I was originally going to buy (or considered just making myself). I miss my grandparents so much.....but by having pieces of my them as part of my bouquet, it'll almost be like they are there with me and my dad walkin' down the aisle.

[In loving memory of Harry and Dodie Springett <3]

Antique aesthetic, programs, etc.

Old mixed with new...


I have always been a fan of antiques.

Okay wait, I take that back. A more accurate statement might be, "I have always been surrounded by antiques...and while I didn't dig the "old crap" at first, it grew on me and now I can't live without it." ;o)

As a kid I loathed stopping into antique stores with my parents. On every family vacation, whether in Northern California, Oregon, Wyoming, heck, ANYWHERE, we'd pull off the road and pop into a shop full of old stuff. It never failed. If they saw an antique shop, we were most definitely going in it. My parentals were big on displaying old rustic stuff in the house---i.e. old saws hung on our wall of the living room, ancient firefighter gear was proudly displayed on top of our entertainment center, and old tin Coca Cola signs were in our kitchen. Obviously I was too young to understand nostalgia or appreciate the art of collecting and adding a sense of "old" to the new....

....But my parent's habit and liking for the rustic, funky aesthetic clearly grew on me (thanks, Mom and Dad!), because there is nothing I want more than to incorporate old furniture and rustic good'ness into our Big Day. After getting engaged, the first thing I felt was the strong desire to have an abundance of glass bottles. I'm proud to say this mission was accomplished in just a few short months, almost effortlessly; we're talkin' various Rubbermaid tubs FULL of glassware! Since succeeding with my bottle collection, I've since been on the hunt for antique side tables. I sadly had to leave my FAVORITE piece of antique furniture back in San Diego when I moved because it didn't fit in my Jeep Cherokee, so I'm constantly hoping to come across another long-legged, small table with a single drawer to fill the void. So far, no dice.....but we still have 2.5 months, and MANY yard sales and second-hand stores to check out, so I'm not feeling too defeated just yet. ;o) Other rustic pieces on my mind: whiskey barrels, horse shoes, picture frames, wooden boxes, arm chairs, sofas, ottomans, an old bicycle..... Yeah, basically anything and everything that speaks to me.

What purpose will these things serve? I'm so glad you asked.
* The bottles are for the center pieces. (Note to wedding guests: sorry, the center pieces are not for the taking once the reception has ended. I treasure my glass bottle collection and, well, you can't have 'em!! lol)
* The side table(s) are to display programs, escort cards, food and beverage during cocktail hour, framed photos, etc. Nothing is cooler, too, than having living room "stuff" outside amongst nature---love it!!!
* Anything and everything else is simply for the love of rustic aesthetic and personalizing our wedding day.

My mind has been racing lately with ideas for our ceremony and what to print in our programs. Naturally the programs will be another DIY project (my, how my DIY list has grown...), but I know Adam is excited about them after seeing a fine example at the wedding we "crashed" last weekend, and I am anxious to get this creation goin' as well. I love the look of the simple n' rustic program made with "paper-bag" cardstock and tied with twine. Easy-peazy, and cute to boot! We'll most likely be going the multi-page route, just to keep the programs smaller and feel good about including everything that's important to us---family members, wedding party, readings, the deceased, etc. It's a lot to think about, but a fun project nonetheless! :o)

"Shoes. Ohmigawd, shoes."

The search for the "perfect" orange ballet flat has proved to be rather unsuccessful. Why must the only pair I like be $420.00 from Prada???  *curses!* 


As if our wedding didn't scream "Low budg'!" enough already, I popped into Payless Shoe Source today....and popped back out with two pairs of ballet flats, either of which have a good shot of being worn on our wedding day (which is just 81 days away, b-t-dubs).

While my heart has been set on finding a fun pair of orange shoes (preferably flats 'cuz heels suck--they hurt, they're pricey, and they're no fun to dance in), I opted to go ahead and buy the following pairs of shoes. Just in case I never find my dream footwear, I've now got these two options in my own closet. I couldn't pass up the ol' "Buy 1, Get the Second 1/2 Off" deal at Payless had goin' on---two pairs of cute shoes for under $20.00 is a steal! And if I *do* happen to find fantastic orange slip-ons, well, then I've got two more pairs of shoes to wear this summer. :o)

Shoe #1
Brand: American Eagle
Yellow stripes with faux-suede flower

I would be a-okay with wearing these flats during the wedding reception because they are yellow, unique, comfy, and stay on my feets when walking and dancing. Yes, I tested this while in the store; the sales lady was amused. I'd like to maybe add an antique orange button in the center of the flower, but otherwise these shoes are pretty great! Simple, yet feminine, and totally works with our wedding vibe.
(Note: The ant may be kinda-cute in this here photo, but I HATE that he and all his buddies have made their way into our house to escape the heat outside. Rogue ants can be found aimlessly roaming about in nearly every room of our house and it's starting to gross me out. Not only are these ants humongous, but I'm not fully convinced that they don't bite...)

Shoe #2
Brand: Predictions
"White Eden"

There is *no way* I would wear these just the way they are. I bought these shoes as a back-up option / art project! If I can't find a pair of fun orange ballet flats, then by golly I'm gonna make 'em myself. I'll have to investigate what's best to transform "Blinding-and-Boring White" into "Citrus Fruit." Dye? Fabric paint? Spray paint? Maybe I should just B'dazzle 'em, eh?? (hehehe..kidding.) If turning them the proper shade of orange is a success, however, I do intend to add some type of embellishment on the top, like a flower or a buckle, or maybe some rick-rack ribbon. I like the idea of wearing custom-made wedding shoes, and I'll be stoked if I can create orange ballet flats that are cooler / more "fashionista" than the ones from Prada....but we'll see how fruitful this creative endeavor is. ;o)