Thursday, August 20, 2009

Seat Sign Inspiration

I would definitely like a shot like this from our photographer at our reception on the big day. This was what I had in mind for the heart plaques I previously blogged about. These signs are super cute! I'm planning on spray painting ours silver and using white lettering and white ribbon. Too cute!

(Photo taken from a featured wedding on essence.com)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Silhoutte Inspiration


This image is from flickr. I couldn't find one of a bride and a groom, but this is the idea I'm going for with the dressing room signs. Maybe I'll just use fancy paper and I'll have the words "Bride's Dressing Room" on there somewhere. And one for the groom, of course.

DIY Signs





I'm starting to wonder if I'm running out of "juice" for this blog. I'm a pretty low maintenance bride-to-be.

I could come up with a million things to do, becuase there are plenty of bandwagons to jump on in the wedding planning world. But I don't feel compelled to do most things.

I went out today just to browse around Dollar Tree and found something I knew could be a bonafide DIY project. As a matter of fact, there were soooo many things there that could be utilized for a wedding. To be honest, I think I grabbed these up just so I could show something to my blog readers, lol.

So. I bought these hanging plaques. I bought two each of the oval and heart shaped ones. I'm sorry about the picture quality-I can't find my camera and had to use the one on my cell phone. And it's so hard finding a decent backround at home so say hello to my plaid bed sheets, lol.

I'm thinking of painting a silhoutte of myself and my groom on each of the oval shaped plaques to hang outside of our respective dressing rooms. The hearts will be hung on each of our chairs at our table at the reception and say "bride" and "groom."

I'll try to find some inspiration photos of this to give you an idea.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Wedding Map Idea...



So, some brides are super crafty and talented and know their way around a computer. They choose to make cutesy little maps to match their invitations and that's all good.

But me? I'm all for the easy way out on things (I feel) I can skimp on. Especially since I don't want a lot of inserts in the invitations.

That's where http://www.weddingmapper.com/ comes in. Here you can make an accurate map of your own, you don't have to worry about drawing the lines yourself (isn't that ludicrous?) and there are cute icons to show your guests things like your ceremony/reception sites, parent's homes, and any other location pertinent to various wedding events.

This way your guests can see everything all laid out on one map. Much better than having them lookup directions for each individual event, right?

Above is a screen shot of mine, with the address of my ceremony site blocked out to reserve privacy.

The online version is interactive. Guests (or you) can print the map and directions as well at will.

It is really easy to set up your own map. You don't have to necessarily have all of your addresses ready-you can just search your location and the results will pop up (so far all of mine have been accurate). You can type in inforamation for each location that pops up in a comic-book like bubble for guests to read. You can even add photos and links to the business' website if you want. There are also great zoom in features.

Initially, the map is free. However, if you would like to upgrade your map to include more icons, you can pay a one-time fee of 9.95. I say, work with the basics first, and then see if you want to spruce it up (I'm sure some of you will!)

The free version of the map comes with icons for airports, hotels, residences, restaruants, ceremony/reception sites, entertainment, and attraction spots. You cna upload photos as well.

I will definitely reserve a link for this on my wedding website. Let me know if any of you check it out!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

7 Traits of Irresistible Men


Someone sent me an interesting article that made me smile today. I'm sorry, but I love cheesy articles like this, if only to pick out what does or does not apply. I mean, really, who can sum up the many complexities about attraction and love? But in thinking about the man I'm going to marry, I'd say a lot of these were pretty accurate.


Just thought I'd share something fun since I've been MIA.
And here's a picture of Blair Underwood to go along with the article. Because aside from my fiance, he's pretty irresistible. Lol!


From shine.yahoo.com: 7 Traits of Irresistible Men by YourTango


We're not going to lie. A man boasting abs chiseled to perfection and biceps that pop just enough when flexed (without shredding shirts He-Man style) will no-doubt turn our heads. And even if caught mid check-him-out glance, we're not about to look away. Fit, toned bodies are the result of hard work and dedication to a healthy lifestyle. We certainly pay homage to that. But for a man to achieve a skyrocketing score on the sexiness scale there's got to be more to him than physical assets. Throw in these seven traits and he's guaranteed irresistible.


1. He Has Mastered The Wink. We don't know how they learn the technique but some guys really have the Richard-Gere wink down pat. There's an art to this wink and getting it right can be tricky. It's more suave and smoky than cheeky and laughable. He's comfortable giving this signal and has the timing to the tee. Done right, this move is pure sexy. Caveat: The wink can be tricky to pull off. Practice first.


2. He Radiates Calm. It's sending shivers up our spine just thinking about how powerful a man's calm presence can be. Neurotic or hyper or frenzied is stressful, no matter how busy the man or what his excuse. But if he's got cool written all over his face and his gaze is pure steady and peaceful his sex appeal will shoot through the roof (think old-school James Dean). We women can unwillingly fall into the trap of over-worrying about things we can't control. A man who sets us at ease by reminding us how things always manage to work out in the end is absolutely hot.


3. He Takes Care Of Himself. Look, we're not saying it's a certain height or build that matters. If he keeps his body in relatively good shape this shows us he knows how to take care of himself. It also clues us in that he sets health as a priority. What's more, if he's active, working out even a few times a week, the endorphins his body is producing during gym sessions are sure to keep him in good spirits and energized. The bottom line: If he takes good care of himself he's likely to take good care of his partner (or at least help keep her motivated to do so). That's a turn-on.


4. He's Got Style. We don't want to give the wrong idea here. This is not to say he has to be one certain type of style, and that mimicking a prescribed "it" style is a surefire path to sexy(whether that's clean-cut, tattooed-up or punked-out). Not at all. Rather, what's attractive in a guy is that he has a style at all, a way of dressing that reflects in some way who he is and what he's into. A guy who wakes up hum-drum and throws the same dingy shirt and pair of jeans on every day? Not sexy. At all.


5. He Has A Manly Scent. Sounds so animalistic, we know. No man can control his natural scent, and it turns out our DNA compatibility dictates who smells good to us, anyway. But, every guy can augment his essence with a spritz (one will do just fine) of cologne. As long as it's not overdone, a man with a strong scent has the potential to drive women wild.


6. He Is Affectionate. Though we women try not to let on, affection (be it an arm around the shoulder or hand on the leg) lights us up like fireflies. Consider it your secret weapon. By affection, we do mean to include expressing your feelings through words, such as "I love you." It's amazing how many hot men fall short of sexy just for lack of articulating and showing their love. Let's put it this way: There are guys who reach out to their partner while driving, and there are guys who keep both hands on the wheel and eyes straight ahead. The lads of the former group qualify for sexy.


7. He Laughs Loud, Hard, Often. No news flash here. Comedy is highly enticing. It's worth noting though that there are different types of humor. The insecure comedy that's based on putting others down or calling them names doesn't gibe with us. But give us fun-loving, belly-jiggling jokes and laughter and you'll head straight to the top of the sexiness charts.