MOVING DAY!

No, I'm not moving into the house yet... That won't happen for a while.  However, we did move all my things out of storage so I don't have to pay storage rent.  Next is the garage.  There are some misc. boxes & furniture remaining in the garage that can be moved to the house.  We plan on doing this super fun activity tomorrow afternoon.  What a way to spend the first 70 degree day, right?  I can hardly wait & I'm sure he feels the same way.

We did start moving non-essential items like extra blankets, books, office supplies, movies, etc.  The little things around the house that rarely get used.  Everything will be sorted in to keep & sell piles so we can have a garage sale this summer... 

When will we finally move to the new house?  Who knows.  Probably not til some time this summer.  We still have a lot of work to do like wallpaper removal & painting.  Feel like helping just let us know.  Now I'm off to paint a bookcase for the boy's room & color with sidewalk chalk.  I'll be sure to take pics of the bookcase & post another day...

A Friday Full Of Festivities!

This past Friday was crazy... crazy fun that is! The twins had a full day& night of festivities. The boys stayed busy from start to finish, that's for sure. I was happy to take the day off from work to help my fiance and join in on the fun! The boys had a blast! 

The boys had to get up early & go to preschool, then the Shrine Circus (which they loved by the way).  As if that wasn't enough for one day, after a very short nap in the car, we went to Family night at the local Moose Lodge. The theme was Easter, for the kids of course. We had dinner and then they had fun, dancing with the Easter Bunny, winning prizes, and playing with their friends. It was really nice spending my last day off from work with them, we all had such a great time. At the end of the day, I'm not sure who was more tired? Ha ha, The twins or us!

Boy Room Decor DIY

So the boys need some wall stuff for their rooms.  I asked what they wanted on their walls & the response was 'I want a robot'.  Well, because it's two little boys I really don't want to spend much $$ on something that will probably get destroyed.  Instead I went to Lowes & had them cut a piece of MDF into 11x11" pieces.  Once I got home I painted the edges a lime color.

We selected 12x12 scrapbook paper & cut the paper to fit.  I coated the boards in Mod Podge & attached the paper.  Once this is dry you can sand down the excess paper on the edges.  The finished product looks like this... (apologies for the lil boy foot, he thought these were stepping stones)

These will hang on their walls & I plan to display their artwork above it.  The best thing about it is this was under $10 start to finish.

DIY Bird Cage Part 2

I finally finished the bird cage (as you already know if you read the previous post).  It was a fairly simple chore.  Jamie was lucky enough to get to help me.  First we measured out all the ribbons to the correct length.  Each ribbon was layered one on top of the other so it had this look:

Next step was to glue all the ribbons together.  We used hot glue & careful centered each ribbon.  When that was done I added the sign to the ribbon & glued it to the bird cage (again the lucky groom was my assistant).  Once the sign was secure I wrapped a red feather boa around the bottom of the cage & added two red feather hair clips to the top.  It's all done & looks like this...

We finished the Bird Cage!

Well yesterday was my Friday! I'm on 4 days off due to my unusual, but at the same time awesome work schedule! After working a 7 day stretch, I can always look forward to 3 or 4 day weekends. Instead of going out with the guys to attend a Wizards Basketball Game, I agree to stay home with the boys. We had fun, they enjoy spending time at the new house! It will be nice this summer, school will be out, and we can all be under the same roof. So anyway, Last night I had the twins so my fiance could have this meeting with the girls, for their Mom's Club.

When she got home, I must have won the lottery or something! Ha, I was the lucky one to assist her in anyway possible, so we could finish this bird cage, which we are obviously using for our Wedding Card drop holder at our reception. Yes, that's why they call me the #1Groom! I go above and beyond the call of duty. No really, I was very happy to help. We had a good time decorating the bird cage, and it was kind of fun! Except for the burning of fingers, from the hot glue gun, while applying the ribbons. The finished product turned out to be awesome, it looks really good! There will be a picture of it soon added to this post. I guess it's on to the next project at hand, H mm... I wonder what it could be?

DIY Bird Cage Decor Part 1

Well I could finish this project tonight, but the bird cage isn't here... So instead this turns into a two part deal.

I started by printing one of our monograms on white card stock & cutting out the monogram.  I sized it to be 5x5".  Then I cut a 6x6" piece of black card stock.  Next I used my exacto knife to cut two 2.5" slits in the black card stock.  The slits are for the three different ribbons I'll be wrapping around the bird cage & use them to support the monogram sign.  So far it looks something like this:

Well I wasn't completely happy with the product & thought it needed a little more.  So I went digging through my crafty lil tote in the closet & found a fine red ribbon.  I grabbed some Mod Podge & added a ribbon accent to the top & bottom.  The final product will look something like this...

I might remove the middle red ribbon & I might not.  I will figure it out when I attach it to the bird cage in a couple days.

The Groom has found his Wedding Band!

Hey everybody! Well I think I just found my wedding band. My fiance has been poking fun at me, because I can't make up my mind on what I want. I like Tungsten, Titanium, Stainless-Steel& 14kt White Gold for possible options. Do I go with just a regular band?, or do I want something with a nice brushed finish look, with or without stones? Then I stumbled upon a website while surfing the internet looking for a dining room table set for our new house. It was Overstock.com, I could not believe the variety they had to choose from. It beats going out and driving around looking at all of the possible jeweler's in town. I still would like to get her opinion, however I really like this one! The ring is 14kt White Gold, with a nice brushed finish, kind of has a cool 2-tone accent and it's heavy with a small diamond. I think it's sharp, a very nice clean-cut and sophisticated look. All for around $450.00, which is a pretty good price. It also got some really good reviews, Hm-mm.... I wonder what she will say? Ha, I'll keep my fingers crossed. Have a great week everyone!

One Crazy Summer!

Hey everybody! This picture was taken of us in Medora, ND last summer, when we went to the badlands over the 4th of July. last year was a busy one, We traveled near and far, spending time with friends and family. We had such a great time, lots of fun adventures and experiences. Sometimes it was just my fiance and I, and other times we had the boys along for the ride. For a couple of toddler's, I must say they travel pretty good. This summer will be yet another crazy, but fun one! Between road trips, and traveling for a wedding, being a part of other friends weddings, and preparing for our own, we have a busy schedule ahead of us. I just want to give a shout out to all that have been following our blog. A special thanks to everyone. It's never a dull moment around here, that's for sure! Between the new house, our wedding plans, work and everyday life stuff a.k.a "the twins", we keep very busy! FYI, stay tuned for our next blog post, it should be another good one!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

While neither of us have the time or energy for green beer tonight, we did have a green day...  The boys & I had a play date today.  We spent time painting with green pudding, eating cookies with green sprinkles, not to mention wearing green (the boys, not me).  

When play time was over, it was time to go home.  We couldn't avoid the temptation that greeted us at the front door... PUDDLES!  So I grabbed the camera & we had some fun...

Save the Date Photo Booth Style!

I have never used Photoshop in my life.  This DIY project took hours (no joke).  I made the signs with my new BFF, Cricut.  We then had a friend snap many, many, many, photos of us (super thanks Kristin).  The hard part was all the editing for a beginner.  Overall, the outcome is not too bad.  A special thank you to Getbrushed.com for supplying these wonderful Photo Booth brushes so i could quickly add the appropriate shading to the photos. 


Here's a peek, no one has seen these yet, including the groom!  I did the same images, one is just slightly darker than the other...

 While that isn't our wedding date, it is the date of our big bash that is sure to be crazy fun!  For those that know us, look forward to these images coming to a Facebook or inbox near you...  Enjoy!

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

Well I'm awesome & forgot today was snack day for one of the boys.  So, tomorrow I'll provide a snack (juice & crackers) along with a treat for their St. Patrick's Day party.  I made green popcorn balls & they are yummy (taste like Rice Krispie bars)!  Here's the recipe:

2 bags microwave popcorn

6 Tbsp butter

5 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla, if desired

Food coloring, if desired

Prepare popcorn according to directions on package.  Remove any unpopped kernels.  Spray a large bowl with cooking spray & add popcorn.  Melt butter & marshmallows together over med heat.  Add food coloring, if desired.  Pour over popcorn.  Spray hands with cooking spray & mix until well blended.  Using hands, form mixture into balls & place to wax paper until set.  Package individually & enjoy!

Making a House your Home!

Well, between the the new House purchased in late November, the engagement, and wedding plans, We have been very busy! Slowly but surely, my Fiance, the twins, and I have been making this house our home. I have to admit, it's been a never-ending work in progress! I've had a condo, and townhouse, but this is my first experience owning a single family dwelling. No regrets though, I'm up for the challenge. At times it can be hard work, but at the same time it's fun. All of the daily& weekly projects from painting to cleaning carpets, etc.

Even though the house was built in 1980, it has a lot of upside, with many new updates. It has a great location along with major investment potential. It will be a great home for our family to grow into over the years. I can't wait until her and the boys are able to move in for good, and we all can be under the same roof finally. People say that I'm crazy, and that I should enjoy my freedom while it lasts! I'm ready for it, am I crazy? Maybe a little, Hm-mm... crazy in love that is! I'm very excited, and looking forward to this transition, and it puts a smile on my face just thinking about her and the boys, and our future family endeavors.

We Made a Monogram!

Not bad for our very first attempt.  I used Powerpoint & we chose the font & clipart together.  The font was free & we downloaded it from dafont.com it's the Chopin Script.  The border was from Microsoft.  We will use this monogram to decorate several items such as the bird cage, invitations, etc.

I was able to find a couple more borders available for free download.  You can grab them here: http://www.eluckyme.com/home/2009/3/3/giveaway-thank-you.html.  After my great download find I quickly created two more monograms...

Glitter & Glue: A DIY Cake (or Cupcake) Topper

After shopping for cake toppers & seeing how ridiculously expensive they are I decided to make my own.  We found some cute, curly, wooden letters at the store I practically live at (Hobby Lobby).  We also found a red, wooden heart.  After some black paint on the letters...

I coated them with glue...  For the first coat I used my fave, Mod Podge!

I coated the letters & heart in red & black glitter... What a mess!  This took a while to dry... Then they looked like this...

 Everything needed two more coats of glitter so I used Elmer's Craft Bond Spray Glue. That stuff is sooo sticky! If you use it be sure to cover your whole work area because you will spray everything in the general area...

When I was all done I used the Mod Podge to glue the 3 pieces together.  I still need to add a dowel, which I will pick up at one of my many future Hobby Lobby trips...  The almost finished project looks like this & the best part is I did it for under $10!!

The Bird Cage

I want a bird cage card box.  Yes, that's right, a bird cage.  Every time I say it someone looks at me like I'm absolutely crazy...  It's not that off topic of an idea, after all, Hobby Lobby sells bird cages in the wedding section.  It is just a lil more mod than some would like, but isn't that why they call it Modern Bride?

I have been looking everywhere for bird cages.  I finally found one on a local classifieds site, however the lady wanted $40 for a used, decorative bird cage that I would have to spray paint black.  Instead of purchasing that one, I went shopping with my dad & the lil toddler boys.  We found a nice, black bird cage at TJ Maxx for $30.  My plan is to decorate this cage with a red feather boa.  I will also make a cute lil sign with my Cricut saying 'letters' or 'cards' or something along those lines... This sign will be attached with some pretty ribbon (which I've been collecting at my thrift store & Hobby Lobby stops). 

Here's a picture of my original inspiration:

Tuxedo or suit? Hmm... Not sure yet!

Well, I'm trying to decide on whether I should wear a Tux or a suit? I found a look I really like in the ECKO line. It's sharp, and should look real good! I think I'm leaning more towards something formal with pinstripes. 

I want something more than a suit, but different from the traditional tuxedo look. I like the black on black look with sutle gray pinstripes with matching vest. Instead of a bow-tie, I will wear a sharp red tie, along with a red pocket-square,and a black dress shirt, to incorporate our wedding colors. Because our wedding, is a small private outdoor ceremony, I only have my tux to rent or buy, along with my bestman, the only groomsmen I will have. She will also just have 1 maid of honor, or bridesmaid. This makes things much easier, not to mention saves everyone money in the long run.

Wedding Planning brings out that crazy shopper in you!

Well, this morning my beautiful bride to be calls me waking me up, which was good I had to get up and get ready for work anyway. During our conversation on the phone, we obviously start talking about our wedding plans, which we do on a daily basis. Unlike most grooms I know, I believe this planning stuff should be a team effort. She has her hands full with the twins all of the time, so I try to help out as much as I can. It's been kind of fun, a little stressful, but for the most part we are enjoying all of the things that go into a DIY wedding! 

So anyway we are still talking on the phone this morning. She has this down time to kill while the boys are in school usually, that is if she's not working. So she decides to hit up some stores, one of the many we have been shopping at for our wedding, is Hobby Lobby. 2 items we still needed more of was; glass rocks, and flowers, among other stuff for our wedding decor. The store had an awesome sale on the exact things we need, so she's off and running! 

Next thing I know, by the time we ended our talk on the phone, she was ripping through boxes and packages awaiting to be re-stocked on the shelves at Hobby Lobby, because the employee that was unloading the boxes, just decided to stop, and leave without finishing. Well my fiance, already knowing the rocks we need are probably in there some where so she took it upon herself to find them, too funny! I could just picture her running through certain aisles trying to get the things we need before some cute grandma cleans them out, buying everything in sight, which usually happens during crazy sales such as this. I couldn't stop laughing just thinking about her shopping tactics. Although I must admit, she and I are doing a really good job finding different things, and coming up with some awesome ideas for our wedding.

Bargain Buy of the Week...

We have been watching thrift stores and checking prices at several local discount stores for cylinder vases.  They average in price between $3-10 each.  I read on several websites that brides were buying their glass from Dollar Tree.  We checked the local stores on a few occasions but never found suitable vases.  Today I decided to check their website & discovered you can order online by the case.  So...  $25 & three cases later the vases are on order (another great deal)!  Now I need to decide if we are going to do one vase or two on each table...

Flower Girl Dress...

 

 Just bought this taffeta dress for Lil Miss Lily on ebay.  She will be super cute in it.  The dress was quite a deal, only $18 + shipping.  Think I will change the flower to red when it comes in if it's an easy task.  

Purchased here:  http://stores.ebay.com/capesforalloccasions

DIY Centerpiece

A submerged flower or two is what I would like to do (minus the mirror). Our table colors will alternate black & white, so I may alternate the color of the rocks &/or candles too. The vase will be surrounded by rose petals (got those real cheap after Valentines Day at Hobby Lobby), and white votives...

Now if I can just find a great deal on the vases, I'll need about 25 of them... Any suggestions??

Registry is finished, yeah!

Well, my beautiful bride to be and I just finished up our registry! She was able to sneak away from the twins, while the grandparents stayed at home with them. We already did WalMart, and Target. Our last choice was Kohl's. We hit that tonight before closing, it was a mad dash, but we got it done. At all 3 stores we chose things we needed for the new house, and some things we wanted. All in all I think we did good. Most of the items we needed, and we compared prices, trying to get the best prices available. One more thing to check off our to do list for our wedding!

Roses & More...

This is my original inspiration, however, I wonder if it will be too much for 'the dress'. I love the idea of incorporating black feathers into the bouquet. We will use silk flowers & create the bouquets ourselves.

DIY Tissue Paper Pom Poms...

Originally we both wanted some Chinese Lanterns & tulle hanging over our dance floor. Our venue already has the tulle in place, we just need to purchase the lanterns.

Well, because we are on such a tight budget (we are doing this wedding for $5k or less) we are trying to pinch & save anywhere possible. Instead of Chinese lanterns, I'll be making Pom Poms out of tissue paper. They are so inexpensive, you can buy the tissue paper at your local dollar store. The pom poms are also so extremely easy. If you can fan fold paper & have 15 min, you can do these!

From Martha Stewart:
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/pom-poms-and-luminarias

Hanging Pom-Poms
1. Stack eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inchwide accordion folds, creasing with each fold.

2. Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded tissue; twist. With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes.

3. Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time.

4. Tie a length of monofilament to floral wire for hanging.

You can make the pompoms in varying sizes by changing the size of your tissue paper. You can also play with color using one or all of your wedding colors.

It's All About the Dress

You know how they say 'when you find the right dress you will just know...' It's so true!

I spent a good 3 hrs trying on dresses at the very popular bridal chain store that many loathe (including myself). After several hours I was still unimpressed with the store & their dresses... I decided I would have to venture elsewhere in order to find MY dress.

I decided to put dress shopping on hold. Instead we decided to do one of our gift registries. While we were 'shopping' a woman stopped us. She informed me of a bridal store in town that is going out of business. The bank just recently took over all sales & slashed all the prices 60% off! We ventured to the store the next day, kids in tow...

I figured an $800 budget for a dress... With the help of my FH I tried on every dress they had to offer in my size. It was when I tried on the Maggie Sottero that I just knew 'This is my dress!' The fit will be perfect with some minor alterations. The best part about the whole thing was the price... I got the dress, a guest book, and a cute lil white purse for the magical price of $360!!!!

(Yes, this is it!)

Take a Picture, It'll Last Longer...

I made too many phone calls & logged too many web hours trying to find the perfect photographer while we are in the Black Hills. Personally, I think photography is something that should be of excellent quality. These will be your memories so you should not skimp on a photographer.

With us getting married in South Dakota & then having a party a month later we need two different photographers. To ask the same photographer to travel 5 hrs is too costly. So the ideal situation is to find a photographer willing to give us reprint/copyrights. This way we can mesh the two sessions together & create our own wedding album.

I knew right away that I would ask a high school classmate of ours, Mandie Haman, to do our engagement, family & reception photos. She has kindly agreed to do our photography for a great price & I get reprint rights. It's a steal!

You can view her work here: http://www.mandiehaman.com/index2.php#/home/

After many, many phone calls & emails I reached a deal with Angela Pierson Photography in the Black Hills. She will photograph the wedding day & ceremony (we are not having a reception that day). She also agreed to reprint rights.

You can view her work here: http://www.angelapiersonphotography.com/__welcome.html

Total price for photos & editing: $1,650 not too shabby since we maintain copyright.

DIY Cupcake Wrappers

Another oneprettything.com find. Think I might use the lil flowers, however, the cupcake wrappers will be overkill for our damask cupcake stand.

You can grab the printable here:
http://foodartparty.blogspot.com/2010/02/more-cupcake-wrappers-for-free.html

DIY Cake Topper

 

I saw this on oneprettything.com. This is a monogram cake topper made from foam board & some inexpensive rhinestones from Walmart. It's not the topper I'm going to do, but it might help someone.

You can view the tutorial here:

http://momtasking.blogspot.com/2010/02/diy-wedding-cake-topper.html#links

Location, Location, Location

When we started talking about getting married I told him I did not want a big wedding with all of our family & friends. A wedding that size is not a wedding, it's a circus. I want to be able to enjoy the moment of actually getting married. I want to be able to enjoy the day with my FH, my kids, our close knit circle of friends & immediate family. I do not want to walk down an isle where there are 300 people judging my dress, flowers, & hair. I do not want to worry about how we will feed 300 people at 5pm & if we will have enough food. I talked to my FH about all of these concerns & he agreed. Wedding in September, party in October.

We chose the Black Hills of South Dakota for our ceremony location. There is a beautiful park with a gazebo & waterfall that we have rented for the day. Our guest list for the ceremony includes our parents, siblings, and a hand full of our close friends.

We will have a professional photographer take pictures of everyone that day. After the ceremony will we travel to Deadwood for a nice, intimate dinner with all of our guests. For lodging I think we will all be staying at the same hotel. 

It will be a quiet, private weekend with friends & family, but I wouldn't have it any other way...

Cricut- My New Best Friend

My mom was nice enough to buy me a Cricut Expression for Christmas. I always wanted one for my scrapbooking (twin 3 yr old boys) & she's always wanted me to have one for her quilting.

Well when she purchased the Cricut, we had no idea about the engagement. Now that I have it, I'm completely in love with it. I've already used the cricut to create these cute home decor items: 

http://www.howdoesshe.com/wp-content/uploads/laundry-room-post.jpg

http://www.howdoesshe.com/wp-content/uploads/remove-your-shoes-post.jpg

Now I will be using the Cricut to create wedding invitations, labels, and misc. wedding signs/decor (not to mention scrapbooking if I ever find the time). It's probably the best investment this year... Ok, well the dress was a pretty good one too...

Survey Says...

How long did you date before you got engaged?
8 months, but we have known each other since we were 8 yrs old

Did you get the ring you wanted?
yes, it's perfect

Was the proposal a complete surprise?
not really, we had discussed it & he was being too secretive on our vacation

Do you wish you had a bigger/smaller diamond? If so How big or small?
nope, it's perfect

Did you cry when he proposed?
no, i cracked up laughing

When do you want to go for your honeymoon?
we will probably do a vacation next fall/winter, possibly disney

Are you buying his wedding band for him?
yes, once he stops changing his mind on the metal type

Have you gone over your original wedding budget?
Yes, finances are tight with the new house

What day of the year will your wedding be?
Sept. 4th 2010 is the ceremony, social/dance Oct 2nd

What kind of weather?
Hopefully a perfect fall day mid 70's

Outside or Inside?
outside in the Black Hills of South Dakota

Church/justice of the peace/other?
a reverend that we dont get to meet until June

How many people will be there?
20ish

Time of day?
4ish

How many bridesmaids? Who would they be?
Just one, a great friend of mine

What kind of cake/what will it look like?
We are doing cupcakes, it's less mess & soo much cheaper

What kind of dress will you have/color/material?
white taffeta maggie sottero

What kind of flowers in your bouquet?
red roses, white pearls & black feathers

Kind of wedding bands?
mine will be custom made, not sure about his yet, again, he needs to make up his mind

How will you wear your hair?
not sure, would like to have it down

Who will be important to be there?
family & friends.

Will the reception be big or small?
just having a social/dance & it will be about 300

What will the groom wear?
black suit, vest

How old will you and the groom be?
we will both be 30, but he does not hesitate to point out the fact that I'm 6 months older


How long will you be engaged before you get married?
8 months

Live together before or wait till married?
We will live together but not yet. Just bought a house & we are painting ALL of the interior (yes, in addition to wedding plans, we are crazy like that)

Take a long time to plan the wedding or will it be simple?
simple.

Will you do it yourself or with family or hire someone to plan the wedding?
Myself, friends, family, and anyone else who knows how to use glue!

Will you write your own vows or use something pre-made?
premade, we decided that we have enough going on, somethings gotta give, right?

What Happens in Vegas...

It was my 30th birthday present... A flight to Las Vegas, no kids, and I would get to spend time with a best friend I hadn't seen in years. I was so excited & would have been perfectly happy spending time with my friend & nothing else...

Little did I know, my FH & friend had been planning this whole proposal for 2 months. My friend works at the Bellagio, so he took us there to see where he works & the hotel itself (btw, it's stunningly gorgeous!). We walked outside to watch the fountains, everything was soo pretty! My friend was videoing everything.

I had to pee really bad so I ran inside. By the time I returned, they had informed everyone standing around us that he was about to propose. He wasted no time either. Just got down on one knee when the show started, asked me to be his wife & I cracked up laughing! I didnt know if I should be looking at FH, the camera, or the giant rock in his hand, I was in shock & hysterics all at once. Of course I eventually regained composure & accepted. The crowd that had formed around us started to applaud & congratulate us.

I dont think it could have been any more perfect. I was honored to have my best friend by my side for the whole thing & still thank him today just for being there. He sent me the video to share with our families so we will always have those memories.