Monday Motivation...

That's right... I'm back in action with a little motivation for this chilly, fall Monday. It comes at a time in my life when I need motivation and positive thoughts BIG TIME. 

I had my first real "Bridal Breakdown" yesterday and I'm still trying to get my head back in the game. I have been cool, calm and collected for so long and now that we've got a little less than 3 weeks to go, my to-do list is not dwindling as fast as I would have liked. On top of that, this seating arrangement stuff is killing me...Last minute guest additions and people that we STILL have to follow up with to find out if they are coming or not. It's enough to make a type A, control freak, planner, bride-zilla to go CRAY CRAY! 

When my dad asked me to count the guest list in front of him because he didn't trust my math I lost it! Big croco-dilly tears and reverted back to my high school days when he would just look at me in disappointment and I would bust out in tears... he didn't mean any disrespect and quickly realized how upset and stressed I was and apologized. It just was the straw that broke the camels back. The tears kept coming for a good hour and I had to leave to try to catch my cool again. I just drove for a while and tried to breathe. I went to Jo Ann's to get some more ribbon for a project and I'm sure everyone there thought I was high or sick or something. My eyes were still swollen and red, make up worn off. 

I took the rest of the day off. That's right, I took Sunday off of work, off of wedding planning and projects, off of house chores, off of worrying and list making, etc. I just sat on the couch with Bill and 'watched football' (insert played on my phone and zoned out). Bill asked what he could do to help and I gave him the task of putting tags on our ceremony exit horns. It was the sweetest thing to watch him tie pink twine around the gold sparkly horns while watching football. My heart felt at ease. I knew everything would be OK. 

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Sometimes we just need to take a breather and know that things will work out on their own. I need to realize that people are willing to help, so I need to give up some control. I need to take some time to myself and relax before I go crazy. 

I found this free download yesterday from Design Love Fest designed by Lauren Essl. I immediately downloaded and made it my new desk top.

Sometimes, us control freaks think we can do everything ourselves. However, we quickly realize that we are only one person with 2 hands and 1 brain. Once I asked for help, I actually felt so much better. I am going to keep this on my desk top as a reminder that it is OK to ask for help. 

Happy Monday Loves!

Wedding Wednesday // Our Invites

Hello blogettes! It has been a while again, I know. And I give you the same excuse every time...I'm CRAZY busy at the moment. However, I think that my priorities have shifted over the past several months and that could be the reason I have not taken the time to blog as of recent. Which is not to say that I do not miss it. Blogging to me is such a great creative outlet and a time for me to reflect on the events and simple pleasures of my life. It is my "ME" time and I so desperately need it on a regular basis. I am hoping that after all the wedding hoop-la is finished (one month to go as of today!), I will be back to my regular "me" time. 

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I did want to pop in and give you a glimpse of our invites that went out last month. I was so pleased with them, but I would be lying if I didn't say I put a lot of work into them. I had a vision of what I wanted and I was able to have that vision come to life with a little mixture of professional printing and a little DIY blood, sweat and tears...

I knew I wanted...no, needed black and white striped lined envelopes after seeing this post from one of my favorite blogs. It seemed easy enough, so I went ahead and purchased this envelope liner template pack from Paper Source. I found a black and white stripe pattern that I downloaded from this etsy shop, which Bill's dad printed from a lazer printer on nice, heavier stock paper. 

I had a little over 200 envelopes to line (including the reply enelopes) and it took me several weeks to finish, but I was happy with the result. It just gives them something extra and ties the colors together. 

The design concept was inspired by this invite I came across on minted.com. I loved the simplicity of the bold, black calligraphy font on the ivory stock. I wanted our invites to have a classic, yet elegant feel. I purchased the Carolyna Pro Black font and I'm so glad I did! I am using it for all of the signage and paper products for the wedding to tie the look together. I am planning on printing all the programs, signage and thank you notes at each place setting myself. That reminds me, I better get started! 

We had the invites designed and printed at Peabody Papers here in Grandview, OH. They were wonderful to work with! The process was so much easier than expected. And the turn around time was quick! We decided to add a graphic map on the Details card at the last minute to help visualize the locations of the wedding, reception and hotel for out of town guests. 

The main colors for the wedding will be black, gold and ivory. The florals are soft pinks and a few black magic roses with some seeded eucalyptus thrown in for a seasonal flair. I wanted to include some of the pink color in the invites to soften it a bit. I found these 'blossom' colored envelopes, which were on sale at the time, from Paper Source. The color was a perfect match for the black and white striped liners. 

The mom of a friend of mine addressed all of our envelopes with her beautiful calligraphy script. I found some pretty pink floral stamps from zazzle.com that complimented the pink envelopes perfectly. I bought my mom and dad a custom return address stamp for their anniversary; which just so happened to be the perfect timing to stamp the wedding invites...funny, right?! 

I added some black/white striped and gold/white striped washi tape on the enclosure to add a little more 'pop'. 

And there you have it! So glad to have these out! We have most of our RSVPs back. Now time to figure out table seating arrangements, which from what I've heard should be a barrel of fun!

Happy Wedding Wednesday! 

Lately + September Goals

Well, I made it through August! The month of weddings! Between Bill and I we had 4 weddings this month, can you believe it? This past Labor Day weekend was spent in Port Clinton, Ohio for a good friend's wedding. It was so much fun! Here's a few instagram shots of the details and a few other random shots of the past week's events...{Follow me on instagram here}

Left to right - Row 1:

1 // My custom stamps from Zazzle.com came in the mail! The invites are officially being sent out this week!

2 // Enjoyed some awesome cheese plates, wine and patio chit chat with my bff and MOH {Matron of Honor} this past Thursday.

3 // Attended a beautiful wedding for my good friend, Kelly. The bride was absolutely stunning! 

4 // Kelly made all of her own centerpieces - there were over 20 tables with multiple carnation poms on candle sticks and pretty table numbers. These were just a few of the crafty projects she completed for the wedding! I'm so proud of her skills!

Left to right - Row 2:

5 // Me and my hot date at the wedding with Lake Erie in the background :)

6 // My talented friend who plays violin and I {I play acoustic guitar and sing} played the ceremony music for the wedding. As a thank you gift, Kelly got us monogrammed wine glasses! Genius!

7 // Spent Labor Day strolling around Target with my Starbucks admiring all the Fall decor!

8 // Broke out the jeans and flats for the first time this season and it feels good! I am so ready for Fall!

And now - September Goals:

1 // Send out wedding invites {just about done!}

2 // Plan meals weekly and STICK TO IT! It's crunch time {literally}!

3 // Work out at least 3x per week. I'm trying to get in as much running outside as I can while the weather is still nice.

4 // Find new make up. I am hopefully scheduling a make up shopping session with my wedding make up artist soon! I will post what we find! 

5 // Try not to go crazy and stress this month...This month is going to be pretty busy with work and wedding planning/projects. I am leaving for Colorado for a week and still need to prepare. I still have a lot of projects left to complete for the wedding as well...I need to make time for relaxation! 

That's all for now! I am hoping to post a DIY on how I lined my wedding invites very soon, so stay tuned! Happy Fall!!