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{Unfake Engagement Shoot} Andrew & Alyson Rock it Out!

2012-02-10T14:00:26Z

I looooooooove this Unfake Engagement Shoot! Love.

The couple is from Seattle, Washington, and they’re gettin’ hitched in June. Alyson and Andrew will be married at Central Cinema, the location for this fun engagement shoot! Their reception will be held at the Georgetown Ballroom.

Wanna hear something totally romantic about this couple? Andrew still has the napkin Alyson gave him with her phone number on it. SO CUTE, right?

Anyway, the couple wanted a rock-n-roll vibe for their engagement shoot, so they rocked out on stage at the Ballroom and hammed it up around town. Enjoy!

Photographer Firstlight Photography

So cute, right? Happy Friday, lovers!

Don’t forget, only a few days left to WIN A VEIL! Enter here before noon on Sunday!

Also check out Hindsight Bride for her new series Follow Friday! You know, the whole Twitter #FF thing that goes on? She’s brought it to blog level. LOVE IT!

{Wedding Color Palettes} Start with the Venue…ALWAYS!

2012-02-09T14:21:08Z

There are color palettes that rape the eyes. Yes, rape. I’ll see some event and blink hard trying to get the offensive sight out of my eyes. Sometimes blinking works, other times, the image is seared in my mind’s eye, begging for another image to take it’s place. Then I run to Pinterest and help that process along…. Then I get a little mad. I get mad because I start thinking to myself, “Who did this? Who let the bride do this?” and then I calm down a little bit and realize that some people are color-blind or just not all that great at color stories.

Some of the eye-raping offenders? See below:

OK, first and foremost? I HATE chair sashes. Personal preference. If you’re going to have chair sashes, that’s fantastic. I personally don’t want to sit on something that looks like a gift wrapped ghost. Honestly, they freak me out a little. Like, WTF is under that thing? And nine times out of ten the sashes are satin and shiny and that just makes me gag a little. And I don’t really like bows either, so there’s that.

But getting over the chair sash thing, let’s talk about colors. There’s one common denominator in the photos above: too few colors. That’s right, not enough accent colors to create warmth, only eye-raping contrast.

Now I know that everyone isn’t a designer or stylist or event planner or whatever, but that doesn’t mean you can’t figure this shit out.

First of all, there are a BAJILLION links out there to figure out your color palette. Let’s just get those out there right now. These are my top color sites.

What you’ll want to note with these sites as well as when you’re deciding on your colors is that there are generally FIVE colors. That’s right FIVE. Pick too few colors and you could end up with a two-tone mess as shown above.

Now, if you’re the kind of bride who has been DREAMING of the pink wedding with pink accents ALL YOUR LIFE, remember a few things: first, you are an adult. Time to reconsider and seriously think about what you’ve been dreaming about. Fairytale or reality? Check yourself.

The next thing you should think about? Your venue. Yup. Not what your bridesmaids look good in, not the pink you’ve been dreaming of, the VENUE. Where the hell are you having this shindig? You don’t want to fight with your venues colors. If you do, you’re going to pay more to cover things up (i.e. chairs) and you’ll end up wondering why everything looks a mess.

One of the things that The Candyman and I instantly fell in love with regarding our venue (other than their famous She-Crab Soup) was the warmth of the place: earth tones, dark wood, subtle décor. Here are a few pictures of parts of the venue and the table setting. When I walked into the main room, I actually gasped because the candle light and warm tones were just so pretty. I chose my colors with intention – to create an atmosphere.

People were screaming at The Candyman to smoosh the cake. And his facial expressions led them all to think he would. And I would have killed him if he had! But just note the walls and gilded frames, dark wood chair backs.

All photos by Nashville Wedding Photographer Jonathon Campbell Photography.

Then I found this.

SAME EXACT VENUE. Who? Who in their right minds would desecrate such a lovely setting with KELLY GREEN and then add in the horrid mod white sofa to a venue that is so clearly classic? Wanna know who? Someone who isn’t embracing the venue. This? This is a perfect example of fighting your venue. Just don’t do it.

So how do you create an atmosphere if you’re wedding is at the VFW? Do you throw your hands up in dismay because the chairs are gold and burgundy and the rug is a giant sea of cabbage roses? Speaking of gold and burgundy, the picture that’s fifth from the top above was *this close* to getting it right. The problem? The white table linens. Too stark against the warmer colors of gold and burgundy. Had they done an ivory overlay, or even a matte gold, it would have been less eye-rape-y.

Here’s a great example of working with your venue:

OK, on their own those chairs are bad, right? Banquet style, two tone monstrosities. GAH! But it looks so lovely with the color theme chosen to coordinate with them. Purple, lavender, silver, white, green = FIVE COLORS. See?

Loveliness created by Kristin Kaplan/Simply Stunning Events, Photography by Chris & Adrienne Scott, Flowers by Brocade Design Arts.

So before you start deciding on table linens and flowers and all that, go back to your venue and look at what you’ll be working with. Go with your planner or your florist or your MOH. Take physical color swatches with you to get an idea of how the colors will react to the venue’s lighting and overall feel.

But for the love of God, don’t force a round peg into a square hole. Embrace your venue, whether it’s The Ritz or your local community center.

How are YOU choosing your colors? Have you considered the venue? How are you going about the wedding color process? Do tell.

I almost forgot! There's still time to win your veil! Enter HERE to win!

{Unfake Engagement Shoot} Kim & David: When Big City and Country Collide!

2012-02-08T13:53:37Z

*Don't forget to enter to win a free veil! Contest lasts until Sunday at noon!

Kim and David are set to be married in April 2012. They are complete opposites, yet they fit together perfectly.

To this, I can relate. I’ve lived in large cities and been around the world more times than I can count. The Candyman prefers his coastal Carolina roots to just about anywhere else (except Hawaii) and informs me of this fact on the regular.

But I digress…back to our cute couple. Kim is the city girl with a closet full of shoes. She loves live theatre, shopping and the fast-paced city lifestyle. She almost always has a smile on her face and a Starbuck's cup in hand.

David is a home-grown country boy. He'd rather watch the nature channel than American Idol and nothing makes him happier than a home-cooked meal. Too bad Kim can't cook.

For their engagement session, photographer Meagan O’Neal decided to do a "dual" session that would really show off their different personalities. They started the day at a barn while the sun came up. They ended the shoot on the bright streets of Atlanta in front of the Fox Theatre.

I love that the pictures are a physical representation of him stepping into her world and her into his. As it should be, right?

Photographer Meagan O Photography

Oooh, hello to cute boots!

Congratulations on your engagement and good luck with your upcoming April wedding!

Faces of America

2012-02-07T14:36:44Z

I don’t talk much about what The Candyman does on the regular. It’s not very wedding-ish.

Like, at all.

He’s an attorney. [insert jokes here]

But as my MOH said in her toast at our wedding, “It kinda fun to finally have a lawyer in the family, especially since he’s the good kind.” She couldn’t be more right. I love that my husband works his ass off for pittance to help people in need.

We moved to North Carolina so that he and two of his law school pals could start their own firm, The Central Law Group (website under construction by yours truly…keeping it all in the family, y’all). The partners are Vietnamese and Mexican and everyone there speaks a plethora of languages, which boggles my mind to no end. I can technically learn a language, but can never EVER grasp the conversational aspect of it.

Anyway, the Vietnamese law partner (Tin) has a Vietnamese girlfriend (her name is Cat) who runs the Vietnamese Association of Charlotte (VAC). In collaboration with Vietnamese American Senior Association (VASA), the Pro-Bono Clinic at the Charlotte School of Law, the Mecklenburg County Asian Pacific American Bar, Latin American Coalition and Catholic Social Services, the VAC held a free citizenship fair this past weekend. The fair provided free legal services to immigrants to help them along in becoming US citizens. As a part of the process, Cat wanted to provide folks with the pictures needed in the application process. You know, the standard 2x2 photos one might use for a passport. She asked me if I’d be willing to help.

Naturalization? Naturally, I’d help.

From 10:30am to 4pm (some folks worked WELL into the evening) on Super Bowl Sunday, we processed a shit-ton of people. We set up a ragged white backdrop, my tripod, laptop and printer and went to town.

Based on the requirements for the photos, I had to ask women to removed dangly earrings and necklaces and for folks to remove their jackets. One teeny tiny, really old woman (I swear, she barely came up to my boobs), when invited to step in front of the backdrop, stood FACING the backdrop. I took her bony shoulders and gently turned her to face me and the camera. She seemed embarrassed, but I smiled at her and pointed to the camera. She nodded and gave me the briefest of smiles, not wanting to make direct eye contact.

Back straight! Chin up!

Tin (one of The Candyman’s partners) offering legal counsel.

In fact, it was tough to make eye contact with most of the people. I blame Communism. I do. Chinese people can be the same way. Communism doesn’t naturally lend itself to trusting your neighbor. Eye contact is a big part of trust. A stranger to these people, why should they trust me?

There was another man, who when he took off his jacket for the picture, was wearing a t-shirt that had the name “Polly” stitched on it. It made me want to laugh, this old man with a shirt that said “Polly.” Definitely not a Polly. The Candyman and I had a giggle over it together, but then I thought about “Polly” and where that t-shirt might have come from. Where HE came from and how hard he had to work to get here, to get his family here. I said as much to The Candyman and we looked around at the crowd, amazed. The Candyman shouted above the din, “All these folks are going to be AMERICANS! How cool is that?”

And cool it was. Lawyers and law students to help with the piles and piles of paperwork. Translators to help the English-only speaking lawyers. Free consults for financial aid, green cards, citizenship, naturalization. All of this happened in a little, ragged mall known as “Asian Corner.” It’s one of those malls that you drive by, wondering how the hell it’s even still standing. Inside? An full-on Asian grocery store (note to cooking-self), a couple restaurants, a small Baptist church, martial arts. Who knew? The run-down, eye-sore of a mall is an active part of our Charlotte community, one that we don’t always see on the regular whilst running in and out of our bougie neighborhood Starbucks. Food for thought.

So today, I’d like to honor the hard work that these immigrants are doing to become American citizens. They aren’t flying under the radar. They are following the incredibly time consuming, expensive and paper-work heavy process (all in a language foreign to them) to become US citizens. Kinda like our forefathers did when escaping the religious and political persecution of [insert country of choice here]. Heavy duty props to Cat for organizing it all and big round of applause to all the volunteers who worked HARD on Super Bowl Sunday!

I’m not sure exactly how many people came through (definitely more than I photographed), but I know that I took pictures of 70 different people!

Check out the faces of Americans-to-be!

It was wonderful to be part of the Charlotte community on Sunday, a community that not everyone knows exists. Time for that to change, eh?

*And don't forget to enter the give-away! Click HERE to enter and win a free veil!

{VEIL GIVE-AWAY!} Designer vs. Artisan? You Decide.

2012-02-06T12:49:03Z

*DEEP BREATH* OK, I think I’m going to get my teeth knocked in for this post, but you know that’s never stopped me before. I do want to preface this with the fact that I started this little give-away/contest as a personal project. I wanted to just see. For you to understand why I did what I did, you might need to read this first. They are definitely related.

If you don't care to read my ramblings on this project, just look at the pictures and scroll down to enter. But if you are even just a teeny tiny little bit of a conscientious bride, you should read. I'm just sayin.....

Got the gist of things? Good, let’s move on.

This is how it started: I got lost on the internet again, ended up on Pinterest again, which took me to a picture from BHLDN.com. It was a picture of their Dotted Voile Veil. It cost $160 and I thought that was pretty pricey, as are all things at BHLDN. I saw the alternate photo and noted that the veil had some doodads and stuff and thought that $160 was an okay price with all the little flowers and crystals and stuff.

Then I read a comment from a purchaser/reviewer on this veil:

I was disappointed just like the last reviewer. I thought that the veil came with the bow and white flower pin. It doesn't it is just a piece of fabric barely attached with clear twine to a metal clip. I can't believe I spent $160.00 on it. If you get the bow and clip as well your total cost would be $260.00. Still debating on whether I will keep it. If you can find the fabric you can easily make it yourself.

First off, her math is a little wonky. The price of the bow is $200, the veil is $160, that means together they would be $360, not $260, GAH! She also included a photo:

THIS for $160!

So I was all I CAN TOTALLY MAKE THAT FOR A TON LESS AND SELL IT FOR A TON LESS! So that’s what I started doing. I have some dotted tulle (“voile” means “veil” in French, so it the same shit essentially), I have some little doodads, let’s see what I can make.

The description of the bow thing is as follows:

…spray of enameled petals and glittering Swarovski stones in the midst of a loopy tulle bow. French dotted Swiss nylon, tulle, enameled brass flowers, Swarovski crystals.

So I don’t have Swarovski crystals on hand, but I do have some vintage goodies I could play around with that include a brass filigree flower, some vintage rhinestones and little vintage white plastic flowers with rhinestone centers. Some of the pieces aren’t in the best shape, but it was just a side project, so who cares, right?

But wait, do you want to know WHY I wanted to try this? I wanted to see what it would price out to be. I wanted to see what my time and cost of goods would come out to.

Below is what I came up with (all on the left) and how it compares to the BHLDN items (all on the right). Check it:

Not bad, right? Pretty damn close if I do say so myself. While I was making this, in my head I was a little worried about selling it. It’s a purposeful knock-off. I don’t want to steal ideas and sell them as my own. That’s not my bag. I know the material isn’t identical, the doodads aren’t the same, there’s more pouf to the bow; legally BHLDN would have no recourse against me even if I did sell it.

I just saw the pricing and I threw up a little in my mouth. It was so gross. Now, little ol’ me? Making these pieces? It cost me next to nothing. The material I had on hand, the little plastic flowers were some of my grandmother’s old missing-its-partner earrings I took apart. Same for the filigree brass flower. The tulle in the bow I already had. However, if I was going to price this out based on economies of scale, purchasing quantity buys (as a large company like BHLDN would naturally do), the materials themselves? I’m going to estimate that the cost of the raw goods is NO MORE than $10, total. A couple crystals, some enameled flowers and material…can’t be more than $10. Simply can NOT. So, let’s pretend I’m a normal retailer and I take a 50-60% mark-up, that’s would put this at $22.50 or so, thus far compared to $360.

But don’t get your panties in a twist just yet. We haven’t talked about labor. It took me about 4 hours to make, futzing around with things, taking earrings apart, making it just so. Based on BHLDN’s info, the designer of this piece is Debra Mooreland. It also states that the artisans that work in Debra’s Ohio studio “painstakingly build each piece by hand,” according to her original prototype.

And I guess that’s where we get down to the nitty gritty. How much is that time worth? The item is made in America, which means it will be more expensive. I’m OK with that. How much should an artisan make in an hour for copying a prototype? Now we’re just talking about skilled labor, not a designer.

Let’s just pretend for a second that I am one of these artisans and I’m making this from a prototype (which is basically what I did). I have all the materials on hand and I know what to do. No futzing. Streamlined process. On the high end, I’d say two hours, MAX. Probably less after the first 3 or 4. What is my time worth? What is Debra Mooreland’s time worth? What is one of her artisan’s time worth? What’s the licensing fee that BHLDN is paying Debra Mooreland (in my décor line of work, the range is 3-8%)? How much is overhead? Let’s say I charge $50 (I totally don’t) per hour for my work. In a perfect BHLDN world, you’ve got $100 in labor, plus the $10 for the parts and that equals $110. Add in the 50-60% markup and you’ve got $220 on the LOW side. Add in licensing fees and overhead and all of sudden, the price starts to make sense.

And what if BHLDN approached ME and asked me to be one of their featured artists? Would I object to the pricing structure to have items made here in America and to have my work distributed through a well-know entity? Is $50 an hour reasonable? Is $100? Thought provoking, no?

Me? I priced this out the same way as I do all my items. I pay myself slightly more than minimum wage per hour (which disgusts me, but it is so), I charge for materials, packaging and generally, I take less than a 50% margin. I don’t do these things because I’m stupid. I charge less because I’m not well-known. I’m relatively new in the industry. My “brand” doesn’t command a high price…yet. However, to make all things fair, I gave myself a 50% mark up on this. The total cost I’d charge? $105 for both pieces compared to $360.

So I have 2 points in all this. First? Shop around. Shop on Cargoh. Shop on Etsy. Look around and you can find skilled artisans working hard to make ends meet, creating beautiful, quality product without the licensing fees and overhead.

Second? You can get this for FREE because you were patient and read all the bullshit that went through my head on this one.

Here’s what you gotta do:

1. Leave a comment. Anything will do: rant, praise, rambling jargon. (1 Entry)

2. Help me reach 1000 Twitter followers (I’m SO CLOSE!) and follow me @T30SB. Tweet this message: Veil Giveaway @T30SB http://bit.ly/zrkuCt . Leave a SEPARATE comment here that you did it. Already a follower? Tweet the same and let me know you are! (1 Entry)

3. Help me reach 1000 Facebook followers (I’m a little further behind on this one) and hit up my page here. Leave a SEPARATE comment that you did it. Already a follower? Tell me you are in your additional comment! (1 Entry)

4. Follow me on Pinterest (you should really be a member already!) and tell me you did so by leaving a SEPARATE comment! Already follow me? Fantastic. Tell me about in your additional comment. (1 Entry)

So that’s FOUR chances to win! The contest will run for a week, ending on Sunday, February 12th at noon, EST. I’ll announce the winner on Monday, February 13th! Just in time for Valentine's Day! WOOT!

Bridal Accessories, Carolina Bride and Breast Cancer.

2012-02-03T14:44:54Z

That’s right. Cancer. I’ll get to it, but the good news first.

OK, first? On Monday? Giveaway, ladies. I haven’t done a giveaway in FOREVER, so it’s time. The thing is, the giveaway was inspired by something that pisses me off (surprise! surprise!). That something? You can read up on it here. So keep that in mind for Monday’s post. *tease tease tease*

Second? There’s been some stuff happening in the studio y’all! I could do a “Product of the Week” but there are too many to choose from right now.

There’s a new Upcycled Mink Fur Capelet. J’adore.

Then there a new Gold/Silver Washed Floral Headband/Sash.

I got my hands on a few of these really gorgeous flowers. The color is this beautiful god/silver combo that look great with either color. It’s a matte finish and it’s just SO PRETTY. I love how it gives the capelet a little modern twist.

Then there’s stuff in progress:

Can’t wait to finish it!

Then there are things to come. Check out this gorgeous 1980’s vintage number. I’ve removed this hot-to-death beaded applique. It will be something, I’m just not sure what yet. The bead work is to die for.

I also got this monstrosity, wondering if it could be something. It’s a beaded crown-style veil. I found it at a flea market, along with the matching wedding gown. Sadly, the gown was completely moth eaten, and as you can tell, this thing is a big mess too. The tulle from the veil literally crumbled in my hands.

But guess what? I got it totally cleaned up! No stains, all the beads are in tact and it’s on it’s way to becoming something totally fucking rad. I can’t wait for it to be finished. Stay tuned!

Then there’s THIS:

That’s right! I got featured in Carolina Bride magazine! How cool is that? It’s so exciting.

And last, but certainly most important on today’s list is all the hubbub regarding the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood. Here’s what SGK is saying about it all:

Personally, I call bullshit. There’s simply too much politico happening with the pro-life, right-wing zealots vs. everyone else for this not to be a load of crap.¹

Here’s what happening now:

Uproar on Komen Pulling Plug on Planned Parenthood

Know what else is happening? This is happening. People in their own organization are resigning. Like, people up at the top. That’s got to say that SOMETHING ain’t right at SGK.

In the meantime, folks are donating like crazy to Planned Parenthood, which is fantastic. But what if you no longer want to donate to SGK, but you still feel strongly about donating specifically to help breast cancer? What else can you do? You can support Breast Cancer Action. Here’s a bit of their mission statement:

Core Principles and Values

The beliefs and standards under which everyone in the organization operates to carry out the mission.

We are a membership organization.

We honor each person’s commitment and energy to our mission.

We are not afraid to examine all sides of all issues.

We cannot be bought.

We tell the truth about what we discover.

We serve individuals while reaching the broader population.

We value the involvement of grassroots activists throughout the country and around the world to further our mission.

We encourage people to participate fully in decisions relating to breast cancer.

We believe access to information is vital.

We recognize that structural changes in society are needed to accomplish our mission.

A big thanks to Becca for raising my awareness of this kick-ass organization. Check them out. I think they might be a good alternate charity, a charity that doesn’t play political games with funding.

That is all. For a Friday? I think it’s more than enough. And guess what I’m doing this weekend? I’m volunteering, along with my husband’s law firm, at The Vietnamese Association of Charlotte. The VIETNAMESE ASSOCIATION OF CHARLOTTE (VAC) will provide a free citizenship fair in Charlotte as part of an ambitious nationwide effort to encourage immigrants and refugees in to become U.S. citizens. I’ll be taking pictures, helping with passport photos and the like. And you just know there’s gonna be some kick-ass pho consumed. Aw yeah!

¹Yeah, you wanna guess my party affiliation?

{Unfake Anniversary Shoot!} Sibriena & Doug, Galveston, Texas

2012-02-02T12:50:29Z

I love the idea of an anniversary shoot. My girl Veronica over at My Hands Made It? She and her hubby had the CUTEST anniversary shoot. I asked The Candyman if he’d ever be interested in one and he was actually pretty excited about the idea. Who knew? Maybe for our 5 year anniversary – that would be a milestone reason to do one, right? RIGHT!?!

Anyway, I love this year-one anniversary shoot as it incorporates the details from Doug and Sibriena’s wedding: peacock feathers, champagne and kisses!

The shoot started at the amazing Hotel Galvez and then continued down to the beach where the couple set up a beach picnic using the décor from their wedding. Enjoy!

Photographer: Civic Photos

Aren’t they cute? Do you think you’d be up for an anniversary shoot? And would you do a year one thing, every year like Veronica is planning to do or maybe every few years? Do tell.

Oh, and P.S., get excited y'all! I'm hosting a giveaway on Monday...probably for all the wrong reasons, but I just can't help myself......

{Podcast!} The Bridal Kool-Aid Cocktail Hour

2012-02-01T13:47:20Z

I didn’t think it was possible, but there are other bridal bloggers out there who curse as much as I do. They may not do it on their blogs, but they do it IRL (that’s lazy-text-speak for In Real Life, just in case you aren’t one of those tech-crazy-text-peeps). And how do I know this? Well, I have some Blog Friends IRL and make new ones all the damn time. And guess what? Ninety-nine point nine nine percent of them talk like truckers with tits. It’s true (okay, maybe not that high of a percentage, but it’s up there). Some recent additions to T30SB’s Blog Pal List include the illustrious ladies from Hindsight Bride (Christie), Rogue Bride and Kiss My Tulle (Cris).

Recently, Rogue Bride and Hindsight Bride asked KMT and yours truly to partake in their monthly podcast series, The Bridal Kool-Aid Cocktail Hour. The subject? The Dress– The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.

We went there. Oh, yes we did.

We drink (seriously) and talk wedding industry smack, this month focusing on David’s Bridal, high-end couture, to WTF is going on in China?

When we organized the recording of this podcast, it was via Skype and getting four people connected was a bit of a challenge at first. Hindsight Bride is hidden out in the mountains somewhere and her connectivity was being all sketchy, then I had a power surge that dropped me like a hot potato. Then when Cris from KMT joined in, we couldn’t get her in the conference for like, ever. But the whole time, I was cracking up. It was just so much fun.

And I got drunk. Our podcast, which we thought would take us about an hour or so lasted for FOUR HOURS. At some point Christie (Hindsight Bride) remembered to turn off the recording function, but I have no idea how long that took us to realize. We needed to re-record a segment late in the process and by that time I was kinda drunk and have ZERO recollection of what I said. Smack talk at it’s finest. Since Hindsight Bride is on Mountain Time (WAKE UP ALREADY!), the Podcast isn’t quite live, but head on over there anyway and read the preview post on knock-off dresses made from China.

I’ll add in all the Podcast links as soon as everyone WAKES THE FUCK UP AND POSTS SOME SHIT! I’M SO EXCITED I CAN’T STOP TYPING IN CAPS!

No, seriously? I am so excited…and nervous. I wonder what I sound like? A douchebag? A dipshit? I remember at one point thinking, “People are going to rip me apart for saying that!” and it could happen. Bring it on. Let’s get this cocktail hour started!

OK, IT'S UP NOW AND I HAVEN'T EVEN LISTENED TO IT YET! Go here and listen!

*drums fingers, taps foot, annoyed at Mountain Time vs. Eastern Time, has already ingested way too much coffee*

**If you’d like to catch up on the The Bridal Kool-Aid Cocktail Hour Series, you can go here and check them out or skip that step and go directly to Christie’s iTunes Preview Page and click on the ones with Bridal Kool-Aid Cocktail Hour in the description.

Hanging Teacups: How I’d Do It.

2012-01-31T12:00:51Z

I saw this décor idea as I was perusing this website and thought it was cute as hell, even though I’ve seen it a few times before. Here’s a little teacup flower porn for ya. Scroll down for my "How I'd Do It." Maybe I should call it a faux-torial?

This site gives a little DIY on how to make one of these as a hanging centerpiece, but the idea of using streamers is not one I think I’d use. If it gets wet, aren’t you screwed?

If I were going to DIY these suckers, I’d do this:

1. Find cute cups and saucers. I designed a lamp base once stacking mismatched cups and saucers on top of each other and then sent it off to China to have it mass produced. I spent some time rummaging around a Goodwill shop as well as an antique shop in Nashville. I found lots of cute little mismatched goodies for WAY cheap. I think I paid $10 for 6 cups and saucers. You can find them that cheap. Check out all the 99 cent deals on eBay!

2. Glue the teacup to the saucer. As someone who has worked with ceramics a LOT in her life, I would recommend a 2-part clear epoxy. You can get it at any Lowe's, Hone Depot or Hobby Lobby. It holds the best, is water tight and dries fast. DO NOT use Super Glue. Trust me.

3. Position the ribbon under the teacup. If your ribbon is less than an inch wide, use the multi-arm approach shown the last photo. If over an inch, you can just use one strip. I would lightly secure the ribbon to the bottom of the teacup using white duct tape (rolled, not showing) or those super-strength glue dots you can get at Hobby Lobby. Trust me, those things are serious forms of attachment.

4. Since water is kinda heavy, put only an inch or two of water in the teacup, just enough for the stems to sit in. Fill with garden flowers, herbs, greenery or maybe succulents!

5. Tie your ribbon to your hanging apparatus and do it with a tight double bow/knot. Remember that ribbons that have a silky satiny finish will be slippery and might not be the best ribbon option. Something that has a bit of a texture will hold better when it’s tied as well as to the base of the saucer (the part underneath that’s unglazed).

I love this idea as a backdrop to an outdoor wedding, hanging from a giant tree, hanging across a bevy of smaller trees or from a chandelier at a shower. Just any ol’ time.

Do you love? I do!

Oh, and P.S. - There's a PODCAST including yours truly coming up this week! Stay tuned!

Dear Wedding Guest, An Open Letter.

2012-01-30T12:00:11Z

I had an email chat with a Blog Buddy recently who is still in the wedding planning process. She’s having issues regarding her family (what they want vs. what they want) and it gave me pause to recall my own family issues whilst planning.

It wasn’t pretty.

Buuuut, thinking about that got me thinking about wedding guests in general and how annoying they can be. Yes, I said it: annoying. Those people who you love and care for? The folks who have gotten you through the thick, the thin and the everything in between; your bestest besties, your peeps, your crew, your amigos, your girls, your gusbands and even your own flesh and blood? All these people can be total assholes. Each and every one of them have the chance of being so at some point in time. Go head and plan on it.

This is an open letter to all the wedding guests out there, just to help y’all understand how to be the Proper Wedding Guest. Brides, feel free to copy this and include it with your invitations (ok, don’t really do that), y’all can thank me later.

Dear Wedding Guest,

Thank you so much for being a part of the wedding celebration! You were invited because in some way or another, you mean something pretty special to the bride/bride, bride/groom, groom/groom. The couple chose to have this celebration and to invite you because they believe that they are joining not just themselves, but their families and their friends. They love you.

However.

As a guest, you have certain responsibilities. Allow me to list some of them here.

INVITATIONS

As a recipient of an invitation, if there is a request to RSVP, please do so in the manner outlined on the invitation. If there is an RSVP card, fill it out with your name and your guest’s name, AS LONG AS A GUEST WAS INDICATED ON THE INVITATION (see “+1” below), and place it in the mailbox before the date indicated on the RSVP card. If no date is given, do it right-fucking-away.

Do not call, reply on Facebook/Twitter, or email in response to an RSVP – unless specifically asked to do so.

I don’t care if you are the MOH, the FIL, the MOB ….I DON’T CARE! If you got an invitation, you RSVP. Period. Are we clear yet?

Are you asking why? I’ll tell you why. While the bride may know that you’re coming, she’s also in the middle of planning every-fucking-thing-else, plus she’s working, she’s budgeting and increasing her gym time and all that crap. So, please excuse her if she can’t remember YOU at the moment she’s looking at a list that’s 175 people long trying to figure out if she can afford the filet or the tilapia. She needs the RSVP so that she can check you off on her Excel spreadsheet so that it will auto-sum and give her a running total as to how close or far away she is from being able to tell the caterer whether you’ll be eating filet or tilapia. Want the filet? Send in your fucking RSVP then.

A few more tips:

Expecting an invitation and didn’t get one? Don’t ask the bride straight out. Do some investigative work first. Chances are if you didn’t get invited, you just saved yourself and the bride some embarrassment. Sometimes it’s a simple Post Office mishap, other times you simply weren’t invited. Opt for asking another friend to find out for you and then get over it if you weren’t. Otherwise, let the bride know with a simple message that your invitation must have been lost. She’ll most likely send you another STAT.

Are you a distant relative that didn’t get invited? DEAL WITH IT. Don’t ask the bride’s mom for an invitation. Don’t look at a wedding as YOUR chance to have a family reunion. Just because you know all the players, doesn’t mean the bride and groom know YOU. Times are tight and brides have to cut somewhere. You could just be that second cousin twice removed. If you make a big deal about it, you’ll look stupid, not the bride.

ALCOHOL

Open bar? Have fun, but don’t be a douchebag. Don’t get so knuckle-dragging drunk that someone has to take care of your drunk ass.

Open bar? Be considerate. “Open bar” doesn’t mean free reign or free for the bride and groom. Someone has to pay for the top shelf liquor, honey. Don’t make a wedding your day to start drinking Patrón when Jose Cuervo is your normal go-to guy.

Mind your glass, particularly near The Dress. Don’t let this happen.

Giving a toast? Hold back until you’re done with that, then get your party on. Everyone remembers the drunk one. Don’t be that one.

Plan ahead. Have taxi numbers at the ready if you’re too loaded to drive. Get a hotel room nearby. Don’t be cheap and don’t be stupid and don’t make the newlyweds worry about you.

If worse gets horrid, for the love of God, don’t puke anywhere near the bride.

+ 1

“And guest” means you can bring the date-du-jour. Just add his/her FULL name to the RSVP. If you don’t know your date’s last name? Probably not a good idea to bring them along.

No plus one on the invite? Do NOT call the bride/groom to ask if you can bring one. The reason there wasn’t an “AND GUEST” on your invitation is because they know you haven’t been seeing anyone for the last 6 months and they don’t want you to bring some random chick/dude to their wedding and they are probably budgeting their reception on this fact. And yes, it makes a difference. And no, they do not care whether you’ll feel “lonely” or “like a third wheel” at the reception. Deal with it. Pull up your adult-sized skivvies and go solo to the wedding. You might get to make out with a hot stranger.

If your Plus One dumps you or gets sick or goes missing after you’ve sent in the RSVP, let the bride know as soon as possible. If your date can’t come, there might be a second cousin twice removed (see above) somewhere that the couple would like to include, which in turn would get the future MIL off the bride’s back. Be considerate.

If your Plus One has abused the above guidelines in the “ALCOHOL” section, make sure you take care of him/her STAT. If your date is too drunk to stand in her platforms, sit her in a corner with some water or take her home. Don’t let your guy get so drunk he wants to start some kind of bar fight or flag football game in the parking lot. In a nutshell, you’re going to miss the end of the wedding because you will do the right thing and get your drunk date outta there.

OPINIONS

Unless expressly asked your opinion on anything regarding the wedding, do not give it. Ever.

If asked your opinion regarding the wedding, proceed with care and caution. Do not be rude or obnoxious. If the bride loves it, let her love it, even if it is pink sweetheart roses mixed with gypsophila.

Do not compare this wedding to any other wedding, except by saying the following, “This wedding is better than the Royal Wedding!” and only say that if you actually attended Will and Kate’s shindig. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut.

Do not complain about the lack of a beef option, a beer/wine only bar or any thing regarding anything that has to do with the wedding you are currently attending. I don’t care how much you hate fondant. Take a slice of the cake, peel it off and eat the cake part. And like it.

Never, ever, EVER under any circumstances, call the bride a “Bridezilla.” This is the worst name anyone has ever come up with in the history of all the world. It’s inaccurate. The chicks from that show are like folks on The Jerry Springer Show. No one wants to be compared to boughetto, foul-mouthed trailer trash simply because the bride decided to have a kid-free reception. A decision you personally don’t agree with doesn’t make the bride a Bridezilla. It makes it her wedding. Don’t say it. Ever.

TOASTS

Some weddings have lots of people toasting. Some times it's at the rehearsal dinner. If, as a guest or member of the bridal party, you must make a toast please remember the following:

No longer than six minutes unless you are already a stand-up comedian or public figurehead. Keep it short and sweet.

Sober.

Do NOT read from a Blackberry or an iPhone. You will look like a douchebag. Use paper or note cards or memorize it.

Never ever ever mention anything about an ex. Do not mention a time or an event that included an ex. While you’re at it, best not to recall prior states of inebriation either. Doing so will worry the new in-laws. It’s just tacky.

As a guest, if you are witnessing a toast going south due to any of the above issues and you are in a position to do so, calmly intercede and attempt to distract the toast-giver; try to wrap it up without starting a brawl.

So, dear Wedding Guest, I hope you will appreciate this letter and put it to good use. As a Wedding Guest, it’s your job to behave whether you hate the asshat who’s marrying your best friend or not. Nothing, dear Guest, is about you at all. It’s about the bride and groom. Let them revel in it.

Hogs & Quiches,

The Thirty-Something Bride