My Baby's Have Left the Nest!

I feel like a mom watching her baby go away to college. I have released my wedding invitations into the world. Two days ahead of schedule! Go me! They've been done for about a month and have been patiently waiting in a shoe box, ready to go!

**Taken by Mr. Plaid!

I hope they make it safely to where they need to go. That means I could have RSVPs as early as next week. Eeeep! I'm so excited. It's all becoming so real!

The reveal is coming soon. Promise. I was actually going to post the reveal without sending them out, but like I said, I'm ahead of schedule so you'll just have to wait.

Were you sad to see your invitations go? Or were you more excited to see the RSVPs arrive?

He's Putting a Ring On It

You know, every time I hear that Beyonce song now, I think of Glee, when the football players are dancing on the field. Classic!

Source

And if, for some reason, you have not seen this episode, click here now! And seriously, if you don't watch Glee, you should be. All the cool kids are doing it ;)

OK, now on to what this post is really about. My wedding band arrived yesterday! My fiance is a good fiance and ordered mine last week. I have been a bad fiance and still have not ordered his. I will this week, I promise.

It's perfect! It's very dainty, has tiny little stones in it and it's super light. It took me forever to decide what kind of band I even wanted and ultimately chose this one because the stone settings resembled the settings on my engagement ring (where the diamonds are anyways).

So here's my extremely lousy attempt at being an artist. I don't know what happened to my photography skills, but they've definitely gone missing.


Here's my band and engagement ring. This is the box the band came in. Nothing special. And PS...I seriously need to clean my engagement ring. It usually sparkles more than that.


Now on top of this awesome Dr Pepper box, our favorite type of drink. And, unfortunately, the bad habit I have yet to be able to kick. :(


This one's for Mr. Plaid, Star Wars fan extraordinaire. I found it in his man room and thought, why not hang my rings of Darth Vader's light saber.

Here's the thing. When I opened the box and popped the ring on to my finger (to make sure that it fit OK, obviously, and not at all because I can't wait to wear it everyday for the rest of my life), it really set in. Holy crap, I'm getting married. This is all real. The party I've been planning for almost a year now is actually happening. It's happening really soon. I'm going to be someone's wife. Weird. That'll take some getting used to.

How'd you choose your wedding band? Did you have a moment when it really set in that you are getting married, that it's all real?

Bow-Chica-Chica-Bow-Wow!!!

Yeah, that's right, I threw an extra "chica" in there. Cue porn music! Haha, just kidding.

I decided pretty early on in the planning that I wanted to do a boudoir shoot for Mr. Plaid. I spoke with my photographer, Nathan Russell, and we made it happen about a month ago.

I've got pictures back, baby! And let me just tell y'all, it was so much fun! I thought I'd be crazy nervous, but I was so relaxed. Let me clue you in on why I think I was so calm.

1. The photographer's wife, Amy came along too. I'd met her at my engagement shoot previously. She's super nice and definitely helped relax the mood.
2. My sister/Co-MOH S was also there to calm the nerves.
3. I super planned so that everything was thought of and taken care of ahead of time.
4. I had some delicious Dos XX at the ready (although I didn't end up really needing the liquid courage after all)
5. I had a little playlist on my iPod playing in the background.

I decided to do the shoot at my sister's apartment and it worked out brilliantly. We rearranged some furniture, I made some quick decorations using an extra canvas and some fabric I had laying around and draped the bed with white sheets.

I brought five outfits with me, and love every single one. My photographer recommended multiple so that we'd have options. Here are mine:

-Rugby shirt, boy shorts, tube socks, xBox game controller (Mr. Plaid likes him some video games)
-50s style dress, apron, mixing bowl, whisk, spatula, cookbooks, cupcake (I'm a pastry chef)
-my wedding night nightie, sheer robe, veil, high heels
-blue men's button-up shirt, black bra and underwear, tie, pearls
-lacey tank top, boy shorts

So without further ado (and Dad Plaid, I know you read my blog sometimes, please stop reading NOW. Close your browser page immediately)!


Cause you know, I look sexy every time I'm playing the xBox and shooting zombies and whatnot.


Oh yes, let me help you with that cupcake. (wink, wink) ;)


Umm...wow. That's all I can say about this shot. I look hot. I never thought I could pull off hot!


We ended up going with the pearls over the tie, and it was my photographer's idea to bring a Polaroid and shoot some pics of me like I was doing my own photo session.

All photos by the fabulous Nathan Russell

I also got to have a pillow fight with the camera. Again, the photographer's idea. His wife and my sister stood out of frame and threw the white feathers into the shot. I also had some in my pillowcase so when I swung, they flew out.

All in all, I say it went brilliantly. I never thought I could pull off sexy, but somehow I managed to. It was my photographer's first boudoir shoot and he did an awesome job and had some great ideas!

Seriously, if you are at all considering a boudoir shoot, I say do it! It's up to you how much you want to show off. I opted for more covered up than scandalous, so do what you want. It really will boost your confidence after you get the photos back.

Now I have to decide what to do with the photos. I'm gifting them to my fiance on our wedding day. I think what I'll probably do is make him a little book and possibly frame one for his home office. Just a small frame that he can enjoy while he's gaming. I just wish I didn't have to keep it a secret for another three months. It's killing me!

Are you planning a boudoir shoot? Need any more tips? Just ask.

A Dad Decision

Traditionally the father walks the bride down the aisle and gives her away to the groom. I've always known this tradition wasn't for me. Not the whole tradition anyways.

Source

I guess I'd say that my relationship with Dad Plaid is not as strong as some girls. My parents got divorced when I was seven and my sister and I lived with Mama Plaid full time. We saw Dad Plaid every week, but we never shared the same bond with him as we did our mom.

So when I first considered walking down the aisle when I get married, I thought about asking Mama Plaid. But then that didn't seem right exactly. It's hard to explain. As much as I want to stray from the norm, I can't fight the fact that I am, in fact, a traditionalist.

Then I thought, I'll just walk by myself. I'm a strong, confident woman, I can do this myself. But that wasn't right either. The day is about me and Mr. Plaid, but it's also about my family. I want to include them in every way that I possibly can.

I decided to ask Dad Plaid. I know what I said at the beginning of the post, but I wanted to. In the last few years, even though we live far away from each other, he seems to take more of an interest in my life. And he's been extremely generous with the whole wedding. That's not to say I'm asking him because he's giving us money. I know it would make him happy, and I want everyone to be happy on our wedding day, not just the us Plaids.

But I'm doing it on my terms. Yes, Dad Plaid will walk me down the aisle. But I'm going to walk down the stairs when I come out of the house at the venue alone, all by myself. Then Dad Plaid will meet me at the bottom of the stairs to walk me down the aisle. As we approach my groom, I will say goodbye to Dad Plaid and walk the last few steps by myself.

There will be no "giving me away". I have been on my own for over 4 years now and there's no one to give me away accept for myself. Even if I did still live at home, the idea of one human giving another away seems almost like slavery or something. No thanks! Dad Plaid will just have to be okay with my decision.

Is your father walking you down the aisle? Would you consider yourself a traditionalist?

I Can Have My Cake and Eat (and Make) It Too!

So y'all know that I'm that crazy bride that has decided to make her own cake. But to defend myself, I do have a bit of experience in the cake decorating and baking department. ;) But I know what you're thinking, "Not another cake post!" I think this may be the last one. Promise :)

You'd think being a cake decorator would make choosing a cake design for my own wedding cake easy-peasy... but it has not been. I've turned back into indecisive bride. Yay.

These are some of the cakes that I've been crushing on throughout my design process (or at least, you know, recently):

Source

Source

Source


Source

I got the idea to incorporate the lace pattern on my dress in some way and now can not get it out of my head. And then I found this cake on Martha Stewart's website yesterday:

Source

That got me thinking. I can use the same technique, but in blue and in the shape of the lace design from my dress!

I knew I wanted to incorporate simple yellow flowers in between each tier of the cake. I actually made these a few months ago out of gumpaste and attached them to crossstitch rings. I made around 200 flowers total.


Y'all have seen my awesome blue cake plate already but here's one more picture because I love it so much.


And without further ado, my cake design as best as it can be drawn using Paint. net. Trust me, the actual cake will look much better.


I can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm going to do a trial run soon to make sure all the techniques are successful and I'll be sure to show y'all pictures.

How'd you come up with your wedding cake design? Were you just as indecisive as I was?

God Bless Texas!

Yeah, normally I don't feed into the whole, "I love Texas", "Texas is the best state ever" stuff, but in this case I'll say it loud and proud, "God Bless Texas!"

Why God Bless Texas you ask? Well, they have these little places called fireworks stands. And by little, I mean freakin' huge. P.S. If you've never been to a fireworks stand before (I'm from Jersey; fireworks aren't legal), then you must go. Granted it'll be a bit overwhelming, but seriously, you have to see it for yourself.

OK, now what in the heck does this have to do with my wedding? Sparklers, baby! Around the Fourth, I headed to one of these stands and was able to pick up 130 sparklers for $20. That's right, 20 buckaroos, y'all! No they're not those fancy "wedding" sparklers, but they're my wedding sparklers and they're gonna be awesome!

And instead of explaining why I need sparklers at my wedding, I'll just show you.

Source

Source (Taken by my photographer!)

Source

Source

OK, so umm, if you don't get it, then leave please. Haha, just kidding. If you've learned anything about me from reading this blog, you know what's coming next... a little DIY project!

This was one of the easiest projects I've completed so far. The only thing I paid for were the sparklers. Everything else was stuff I had lying around from other projects! And it was nothing a little hot glue and some double-sided tape couldn't handle.

The arrangement I plan on using

My sign to prompt guests

The boxes of matches I covered to make them
look less match-y :)

And of course, my jars full of sparklers
adorned with ribbon!

Now y'all just have to keep your fingers crossed that we don't have a burn ban in effect come October.

What are you planning for your send-off? Do you think there's a chance the sparklers will singe my dress? (Eeek!)

The Big Invitation Reveal

I'm so excited to finally show you guys my wedding invitations! Here goes nothin'.

Let's start with what our guests will see when they open their mailbox.


As I mentioned before I wrote all the guests' addresses with a silver calligraphy pen that really popped against the dark blue envelopes. I couldn't decide which wedding stamps I liked best so I used them all.

Source

I kept the back simple by writing our names and address along the bottom edge of the flap, also in silver ink, and separated by cute little hearts.


And now for what our guests will see when they open (very carefully so as to not destroy the envelope liner) their invitations!


Wait for it...


Wait for it...


Wait for it...


Ta da!!!

Here's everything that I'm sending out to my guests: Invitation with belly band, map with directions on back and an RSVP card directing people to our wedding website.


The map and RSVP card are secured behind the invitation with the belly band, which was made with royal blue ribbon and accented with an "H" made of cardstock, which will soon be both of ours last initial.


The map was drawn by me using Paint.net and the inspiration maps I'd collected, and I used one of our favorite engagement photos for our RSVP card.

Photo taken by Nathan Russell; Edited by me!

The lace edges of the invitation were done using an awesome scrapbooking tool I found at JoAnns. Pretty, huh?



And when our guests open the main invitation, they will then lay their eyes upon Mr. Plaid's awesome, original drawing. I asked him to draw our invitation several months ago, and what he came up with was perfect. We then scanned it in to the computer and I cleaned and refined it using Paint.net and added the text.



Last, but not least, here's a cost breakdown of our invitations:

Cardstock and Envelopes: $52.96 (from Paper and More!)
Copies of Map and Invite: $52.74 (from Office Depot)
RSVP Photo Cards: $10.80 (from Shutterfly)
Ribbon for Belly Band: $ 5.41 (from Michaels)
Lace Scrapbooking Tool: $9.59 (on sale from Jo Anns)
Silver Pens: $ 6.21 (from Michaels)
Envelope Liners made from Wrapping Paper: $1.00 (from Dollar Tree)
Postage: $20 (from USPS)

TOTAL: $158.71 or $2.11 per invitation

Not bad, if I do say so myself, and extremely rewarding!

Did you DIY your invitations? And were you able to find a way to get your fiance involved as well?

Vamos a México!

I'm sorry, you don't speak Spanish? Yeah...me neither. I used Google translator to write this post title. Basically....WE'RE GOING TO MEXICO FOR OUR HONEYMOON!!!

Source

We are staying at the Ocean Coral & Turquesa Resort in Puerto Morelos. We found this resort in an article written in Travel + Leisure.

Source

"Luxury travel agent Natalie Nevares likes the little touches at Ocean Coral & Turquesa: “Chaise lounges studded with air jets are built right into the children’s pool, so parents can sit in the water with a pina colada, enjoying the bubbles and watching the kids play all day,” she says. Opened in late 2007, these side-by-side oceanfront resorts are still sparkling new. Guests share six restaurants (including a tapas bar), a spa, four pools plus a children’s pool, and a lovely stretch of palapa-shaded beach that boasts the world’s second-largest barrier reef right offshore. And because the resorts are just 15 minutes from the Cancun airport, you can catch an early flight from the U.S. and be swimming in the Caribbean before lunch."

Source

We will be staying there for 6 nights/7 days and we cannot wait! We will be staying in a Privilege Junior Suite with an ocean view. The room has a two-person jacuzzi, private balcony, aromatherapy candles and much, much more! And because we signed up for a Privilege Suite we also get preferred seating at the restaurants, a special lounge equipped with Wi-Fi, hors d'oeuvres and drinks and access to a private beach.

Source

I've also already found a couple activities we can do outside the resort. I've always wanted to go zip lining and what a better time than on our honeymoon! It's on a nature reserve called Bocal del Puma. There's a half day tour that starts out with a 1 km bike ride through the jungle (where we might see wild animals!)


Then you get harnessed in and you get to soar through the tree-tops on a zip line,

and you finish the day off with a visit to two cenotes which are large, deep open water pools in the ground.

Source (All three photos)

We're also interested in going to the Little Mexican Cooking School. They feed you breakfast in the morning and then spend the day teaching how to make authentic Mexican food, including guacamole and salsa. They also serve local beers and sangria, to, you know, "aid" in the cooking process. And you get to take home a cookbook and souvenir apron. Doesn't it just sound to-die-for?!

Source

Are you as excited for your honeymoon as we are?

PS. None of these places are paying me to speak about them. I'm just very excited about all of them!