Time Flies When You're Getting Married!

Wow! I haven't logged in in a while and Blogger has gone all crazy, funky on me! Bare with me while I'm figuring everything out, like how to make my banner look right...(if you know how to fix it lemme know)...already i'm digressing, lol.

 So much has happened since I was here last.

 I

got married,

went on a cruise,

acquired a stepson,
acquired a neurotic stepdog,
and am trying to adjust to the married life
 while my husband ( i just love the sound of that!) still lives four hours away!

So, there's still a lot going on but I'm once again gonna try to keep up with this blog. My friend Stacie over at Park Avenue asked for some wedding pics so here are some. Also, if you are a fan of LeeLu Creations on Facebook (shameless plug!) I posted some wedding pics there too. I will post more, these are just to get you started with some wedding eye candy.

Our wedding favors.
Homemade blueberry jam.
 My dad grew the blueberries and me and mom made the jam. Got the idea and recipe from this blog.

My and my girls!

Me and the mister. :)

My sister said that we were bringing sexy back in this pic. Who am I to argue?

Love this pic of Rob and my girls!

And for you fashionistas out there...the shoes!

My bouquet. We did all the flowers ourselves and saved a ton of money.

 The beginnings of my wedding quilt...

Love this super sweet message from my little cousin Emily. :)

Of course there are more pics to come and maybe I'll even share a little story about our wedding venue drama...stay tuned!

A Book Review: The Wedding Machine by Beth Webb Hart

A Book Review: The Wedding Machine by Beth Webb Hart

Those of you that read my blog on the regular (thank you!) know that I’m in the throes of wedding planning. So, naturally I was drawn to this book when I saw the title, “The Wedding Machine”. My first thought was that it was an odd title for a book, but as I said, these days I’m drawn to anything wedding.

This book was such a departure from my norm fave genre, mystery. This book was all about girl power and lasting friendships, which honestly, these days can be hard to come by. And I love that the story is set in the Southern community of Jasper, SC so I can relate to the setting. I can just see and smell the grand old trees and the pluff mud from my past visits to SC.

The Wedding Machine follows four friends (Ray, Hilda, Kitty B., and Sis) from the time that they became friends as teens to when they are grown and have kids of their own. Dont’cha just love the name Kitty B.? That’s about as Southern as they come, lol.

Here is a description of the book from the back cover:

“Welcome to Jasper, South Carolina. A place where Southern hospitality thrives. Where social occasions are done right. And where, for generations, the four most upstanding ladies of this community ensure that the daughters of Jasper are married in the proper manner.
Friends from school days, “the gals” have long pooled their silver, china, and know-how to pull off beautiful events. They’re a force of nature, a well-oiled machine. But the wedding machine’s gears start to stick during the summer their own daughters line up to tie the knot. In the lowcountry heat and humidity, tempers flare, old secrets leak out…and both love and gardenias bloom in unlikely places.

The Wedding Machine is a celebration of life-long friendship – the kind that endures death and divorce, accidents and alligators, hot flashes and hurricanes. Even the drama of small-town Southern weddings done exactly right.”

Now, back to me. :) I give this book two thumbs up! It was an easy read and would be great by the pool or on the beach. This book will make you laugh out loud, possibly bring a tear to a dry eye, and will make you wanna call up your girlfriends just to hang out. Enjoy!

You can even go here, to read a couple'a pages for yourself.

DIY Ring Bearer Pilllow

I'm a Broke Ass Bride that's all about DIY (do-it-yourself). But this project is more like Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade.  Back before I was even engaged, we were talking about it, but hadn't made it official, I scored at Big Lots a Martha Stewart, I know! Martha Stewart, shut up!, i digress, I scored a Martha Stewart flower girl basket/ring bearer pillow set for $2. Yes, can you believe Martha Stewart anything for $2?!

I liked the set but it was a little safe for me so I gussied up the ring bearer pillow.

I started with this: the ring bearer pillow with tan ribbon, a purple doily, a vintage bauble (formerly a vintage earring).

I removed the ribbon that was already on the pillow. It easily pulled right off.

Then I folded the doily around the pillow. Making sure the doily is centered, stitch the center of the doily to the top of the pillow. If your stitches are messy, that's ok, the bauble will cover the stitches.

Next, i stitched the four sides of the doily to the underside of the pillow.

I thought I was done sewing at this point, but then I noticed that where the sides came together on the bottom, they kinda stuck out a little, so I also stitched them together, but this step could be optional.

I used the ribbon for the rings that was already on the pillow. Glue it to the center of the top of the pillow, making sure it is centered. You don't want one side way longer than another or it won't look right.

Center and glue the bauble to the top of the pillow over the ribbon.

Let dry.

And I ended up with this: Ta da!

So, I made this ring bearer pillow for $2!

Martha Stewart Ring bearer pillow: $1 (set was $2 so I'm counting this as half)

Purple doily from Michael's: $1

Purple vintage bauble and ribbon: No cost, the bauble was already in my stash and the ribbon came on the original pillow

Total cost: $2

Awesome!

I Want These!

You know how there's that one thing (so far) for your wedding that you want but it's not really practical, or even necessary? Well, I want these. They are those paper lantern thingys.

image source here 

We haven't even confirmed a venue yet, but, the venue that i'm leaning towards, I don't know that we'd be able to use them. But I love them! Don't they really finish off the venue?

...And how do they hang from the ceiling? I'm not getting on a ladder and climbing all the waaayyyyyy up there!

Some Good Finds

So I went to Carolina Thrift yesterday after work. They have got the best finds for super prices, at least I think so anyway. When I googled them to link them up they seem to have a bad rap, but really, it's a thrift store people. You don't get the white glove, VIP treatment here, lol.

I've been looking for things for the wedding, or just for whatever. I'm going for a shabby chic, vintagey vibe. Even though the wedding isn't until 2012 I'm super excited and can't help it!!!!!!!

Here are some of the things I found:

Found these plushy silky hangers, pack of 3 for 75 cents! I read that you need a nice hanger to put your dress on when taking pics. Also got this great embroidered table runner for $1. It's almost sad that someone worked so hard and that their piece is being sold for so cheap. Oh well, my score!

 Isn't the little glass bird the cutest? He will look oh-so-cute tucked in a little corner somewhere. Also got these embroidered napkins, i guess that's what they are. It's a pack of 4. I think they will be cool to make pillows out of. 

Found this awesome beaded purse. It's vintage, made in Hong Kong. Label says John Wind, if I remember correctly. I think I'm gonna try to sell it. It's in almost perfect condition. No beading is missing but some of the iridescent finish on the larger beads is rubbing off, but it's hardly noticeable.

Also got this eel skin clutch, also made in Hong Kong. At first I thought it was vintage but I'm not sure. This one is soooo soft. I've never felt anything like it.

I'm gonna spraypaint this heart box white. I'm sure I can find somewhere to put it in the wedding. I mean, it's a heart!

 I also plan to spray paint these white. They are card/photo holders. I'm gonna use them to put a sign of some sort in.

I think the best find is this little kitten planter. It's in perfect condition, just a little dirty. Made in Korea.  I just might keep this little cutie for myself!

 Just look at that sweet face! Meow......

Pose from the side. Isn't it the cutest?!



Meet My Friend...Shabee Stitches

Woohoo!! TGIF baby. I can't wait for 5:30 to get here today. This is one week that I am ready to just get over with.

Anyhoo, have you met my friend Jennifer over at Shabee Stitches?  I met her when she ordered some button covers from my destash shop, One Thrifty Diva, be sure to check it out if you're in the neighborhood :). Turns out, she is also from North Carolina, over the river and through the woods in the tres lovely city of Asheville. Really, the buzz is that Asheville is THE spot for all things fabulous. I've been trying to get up there for a weekend but life seems to get in the way. What's up with that?!

Again...anyhoo...I'm so easily distracted, lol. Jennifer makes unique wedding accessories such as ring pillows and garter sets. Ooh la la in the boudoir! But seriously, ahem, she can design anything for any style. Her items are very unique and different from the those that I've seen...And you know I've been shopping around because I also have a wedding to plan for! And I just love that her items are keepsakes that can be handed down through the family.

So, which item is your fave? Ooh, ooh, I just love the boho hippie chick ring pillow in down in the corner. It's so colorful and bright. The butterflies are sooo adorable. What a great accessory to add a little fun to a wedding. Sometimes they can be so serious! I mean, it's only a little thing called a lifetime committment, what's the big deal? :)

Be sure to check her out on Etsy!

Random Things...Wednesday Edition

Just a few random things from me to you.

1.  Have you had these? Pecan Crowns from Weight Watchers. I'm always on a diet and these were on sale at my local grocery for .89! Normally they are almost $3/bag so I snagged a few. And they are pretty good. Great for a quick chocolate fix.

2.  Have you seen this vintage travel bar from GingersGirl on Etsy? Fan-freakin-tas-tic! You can take the party on the road with you-just promise not to get crazy until you get to your destination. It even comes with a deck of playing cards. It's a party in a box.

3.  I'm secretly a fan of the Jersey Shore. I want to turn away but just can't.

Please don't think less of me.

4.  I'm going to see these guys in concert in July. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Donnie, I still love you!

I don't care so much about the BSB but I am still lovin' my NKOTB!! Aahhhhh! (Insert school girl scream here.)

5.  I'm planning a wedding and have discovered so many resources on the net. I like The Knot, and The Broke Ass Bride (insert my pic here). Do you know of other websites or resources that might be helpful? I really need ideas geared towards a budget because I will only do this once and I'm not trying to spend a couple years salaries on one day.  It amazes me how much people are able to spend on their weddings. I was watching Rich Bride, Poor Bride and this one couple spent over $50,000 on their wedding! Wow!

6.  Speaking of which, you can win this BOA yoga bag or this organic scarf courtesy of  The Broke Ass Bride. It's easy, details here. And if you haven't checked their website out, do so! It's hilarious!! Great for laughs even if you're not planning a wedding.

7.  Did you know that your pooch can also tie the knot? I just found out also! I wonder how that works...

Do you think they write their own vows? Check out some of the furry nuptuals here.

6.  I am so craving this right about now....