diy project: hair flower

Tonight, after cutting the fabric for my crinoline, I used the remaining fabric to make the flowers I'm going to put in my hair. Here are instructions in case you want to make one yourself, they are really easy to make!

You will need:

Fabric -- lightweight fabric like silk or chiffon will work best. I just used some apparel lining fabric in ivory to match my dress. You can use scraps from another project, this doesn't take much!
Scissors or rotary cutter
Self-healing mat if you're using a rotary cutter
Needle and matching thread

Instructions:

1. Cut a flower out of your fabric with scissors or a rotary cutter. You can trace a pattern on first if you prefer, I just did it freehand. Sorry for the wrinkles in this flower, this was one of my rejects.
2. Continue to cut flowers, making each one slightly smaller than the last. I used about 10 flowers for each hairpiece I made.3. Stack flowers center to center from biggest to smallest, alternating the locations of the petals to avoid gaps. 4. Carefully lift all of the flowers at once and fold them in half.
5. Place needle in the center of the folded side, making sure that needle goes through all layers of the flower. Make a few stiches to keep the flowers together.
6. Turn flower around and pinch in the opposite direction to make flower round. Arrange petals how you would like them. 7. Make a few more stitches to keep petals in place and tie a knot in the thread. Your flower is finished!
8. Attach flower to hair clip, pin, headband, or anywhere else you want! Enjoy your pretty new flower!

All photos are my own.

cool cufflinks.

I just found the coolest, most original, slightly nerdy in a me-and-my-fiance-are-both-engineers way, cufflinks I've ever seen! I don't think that sentence made any sense, but either way these are pretty fantastic. I wonder where one would find them... any suggestions?

Photo by L’amour de Vie via Style Me Pretty's Little Black Book Blog.

save-the-date inspiration.

Last night I worked on our save-the-dates again. According to several wedding websites, save-the-dates should go out between 6-8 months from the date of the wedding, especially if the wedding will be held on a holiday weekend. We are exactly 7 months away from the wedding (scary!) so I need to get these finished!

While I'm not going to post our final design until after people have received them, I suppose I could at least show you my inspiration.

Aren't they cute?


Save the date from here.

a little twist.

This idea for sprucing up a plain napkin has potential. Just wrap a satin ribbon around it with a little twist to add a little color! I might have to try something like this for our wedding, maybe with a little bow tied around it rather than the twist?

Photos and how-to from I Do Sugar via It's a Jaime Thing.

the rings.

Adam and I went to Jared this weekend to get my engagement ring fixed. We had taken it to a different Jared shortly after he proposed in order to get the prongs smoothed a little (they were a bit sharp and I kept scratching myself with my ring). The jeweler was apparently not the best, and he pretty much destroyed the head. When we brought it in this weekend (to a different store), they actually had to replace the head because it was beyond repair. So that was good for me, but probably not so good for the jeweler that messed it up!

While we were there, we decided to look at wedding bands. Adam chose a very simple white gold band, which was brushed in the middle and smooth along the edges.

I had no clue what I wanted to get, but I told the lady that I was very open to wearing my wedding band on my right hand if I couldn't find something to go with my engagement ring. I realize this isn't the most traditional way to wear a wedding ring, but my engagement ring can stand on its own. Plus I like to do things a little differently!

The first ring I liked was a right hand ring, and consisted of what looked like two thin diamond and white gold bands, but they were connected together. This ring looked very pretty on its own, but I couldn't really change my mind and put it on my left hand with my e-ring. It just wouldn't look right.

The next ring I chose was actually from the same collection as my e-ring. It was one thin diamond band, and could work as either a right or left hand ring. This ring also had the same european style band as my e-ring, so if I put them together they would actually line up. As a right hand ring, it could function as the base for stacking anniversary rings, should Adam ever want to buy me another ring!

The last ring was a simple plain white gold band. I've always loved the look of very plain rings. To me, a simple band as a wedding band symbolizes that you'll be together no matter what, for better or worse, richer or poorer. I could probably wear this on my right or left hand (although I didn't try it to see what it looked like with my e-ring).

So I'm torn. I guess I have a few months to decide! What would you do?

the exit.

There are plenty of possibilities for a grand exit from the church after you are declared Mr. and Mrs. Your guests can blow bubbles or throw lavendar or bird seed. Or there are always less environmentally friendly options like balloon releases and throwing rice (which I think makes the birds explode or something equally unpleasant). Another option is to wave ribbon streamers. My favorite idea so far is to throw little pom pom balls, like they did at this wedding I found on Life. Love. Lipstick.

I'm not sure if we'll do any sort of fancy exit from the church, and to be honest I can't remember ever being a part of an exit like this at any wedding I've been to, but it could be fun! And I'd definitely go with the pom poms.

Photos by Millie Holloman.

sweet dresses.

Now that Dana (one of my BMs) has the important decisions out of the way for her wedding (i.e. wedding date, ceremony and reception venue) it's onto the fun stuff! She mentioned to me today that she likes the bridesmaids dresses from Melissa Sweet, so I found some that might work well with the color scheme she is thinking of going with: slate blue/grey and gold. While I'd be happy wearing any of the gorgeous dresses from Melissa Sweet, these are some of my favorites.

Dresses by Melissa Sweet.