oneluckygal's Blog

It's a Sculpture, it's Art, No! It's a Napkin!

2008-09-11T06:10:00Z

I'm always on the look-out for inexpensive wedding decorations. I really think that it's the little touches that make a wedding truly unique. Thankfully, I have a lot of time on my hands (I love my job!), so I have hours to think of really cheesy ideas.

Like Napkin Folding.

Ooooh....I know right? Genuis. The napkins are already supplied by the venue, so I only have to pick a design and then assign the thankless task to my lackey...I mean my little brother.

I came across this site: http://www.napkinfoldingguide.com Not only do they have easy step-by-step photo instructions, but they are super witty. Seriously, this is the funniest Napkin Folding Website I've ever read. ; )

So this is the Napkin Fold I picked:

Cute, huh?

According to the website: This nice napkin design originated from the napkin-worshiping indians native to Guam called the dirty-wipey-nappies...

I'm thinking of placing a snowflake punch-out on the napkin, because I put snowflakes on everything. Also because the snowflake is historically significant to the Dirty-Wipey-Nappies Tribe, of course.

There are tons of options to choose from on the Napkin Folding Guide. Check out these cute designs:

The Fleur De Lyse Fold

The Rose Fold

And the Shirt Fold!

So, what do you think? Any designs appeal to you?

Feeling a little blue...Down There?!

2008-09-08T08:36:00Z

I came across this while surfing the net (BettyBeauty.com) and just had to share with my fellow Knotties.

Look closely!

Yup, it's a "Hair-Down-There" dye kit. In Blue. For your um...something...blue.

*giggles uncontrollably*

I'm almost tempted to whip this out for my special day. I know I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face as I seductively whisper "Husband, I have a Wedding Night Surprise for you..." Can you imagine his horror? I've been teasing him all day about his special surprise and then I whip off my ruffly blue underwear...and he thinks I'm still wearing my ruffly blue underwear!

Hahahahahahaha!

Seriously though. It's a sexy idea. In a Smurf-y kinda way. What do you think, girls? Anyone brave enough to venture...down there?

My fiance is a Skinny Man

2008-09-04T08:39:00Z

Really, really skinny. Like, I wish I could fit into his pants skinny. Like, he's my goal weight skinny. And he's six inches taller than me. If he were a girl, he'd be a runway model. A hot one.

No biggie. I never though I'd end up with a skinny dude, but that's how love works, right?

Every once in a while this becomes a problem. Most recently, when we went ring shopping. He has these really long skinny fingers but big, wide knuckles. So finding a ring that fits his finger is hard. Finding one that fits over his knuckle and is still tight around his finger is impossible.

We picked out a ring that looks good on his hand, that fits our budget, and that he likes. We agreed he would buy that one online, with a $50 off coupon.

A few weeks later, I asked him why he hadn't ordered the ring yet. He confessed he's not comfortable with buying a ring because the only rings that fit over his knuckle are too big on his finger, and slide around till the knuckle blocks it. He says it's not comfortable.

Okay. So we brainstorm ideas. Tattoo (he's not so big on them), ring on a necklace (I'm not hot on that idea)...hmm. Brick wall. Our next step is to go to a jeweler and see what they can do for us. I really want to exchange rings, so I'm going to try every avenue to get him one he's comfortable with. I love my ring and everything it signifies, and I hope he feels that way about his ring also. I'm open to suggestions here.

Another problem with his skinny-ness we ran into was Men's Wearhouse. We go in expecting him to try on tuxes and they say they only have floor models (which are obviously too big) and he can't try anything on. So he pitches a mini-fit and says he's not renting a tux without first trying it on. He's not fashionable in the least, so "trying on" is absolutly neccessary.

So now we're brainstorming on tuxes. He has a suit that's nice and fitted on him, so that's an option, but hard to match to the bridal party. Or we can drive down to Sacramento (our venue location, about 500 miles from our house) and try on tuxes at a local vendor that has them in-stock. Men's Wearhouse is definetly out.

Maybe we should try shopping at the Tall and Skinny Store for rings and tuxes.

Something from Nothing

2008-08-30T04:52:00Z

So I've been working on wedding projects like crazy lately. The paper projects are stressing me out, so I've been playing with paper and watching reality TV every night.

My favorite project so far (okay, the only one I've really worked on, besides seriously thinking about it), is these cool door hangers. I got the idea from another Knottie, and twisted it to suite our own wedding.

Since we are renting out an entire hotel (28 rooms total!), I thought it would be fun to put everyone's names on the doors. That way, walking down the hallway, you can tiptoe past my Grandma's door, and rudely bang on my brother's door. There won't be any random knocking on doors, or accidently waking up Great Aunt Gertie.

So I used some scraps leftover from invitations (so many scraps, I'll never buy paper again!), cut a round hole on the top, and decorated the hanger. I used a white pen that we use at work (yes, I borrowed it!), and stuck leftover stickers, snowflakes, rhinestones on them. I made sure to put our relationship labels (Aunt, Grandma, Cousin...) so that everyone knows who they are related to each other.

Then I used my new toy, a lacy corner-punch/embosser to decorate the corners (you can't see it in this pic though). What I like best about this project is that it's a nice touch for zero money. Everything on this project is leftovers from a different project. Plus, guests can take their door hanger home (even though it says our wedding date on them) as a small favor.

Bad news, I can only do half of them, since room situations are still kinda up in the air. Very cute though!

Second Thoughts on STD's

2008-08-28T10:59:00Z

If there's one thing I could change during my course of wedding planning, it would be sending out Save The Dates.

The good things about Save The Dates:

1. It made us complete our guest and address lists early. This took a lot of compromise, haggling, calling people, and harassing our mothers. But it also saved us time during the DIY Invitation Crunch.

2. I have 100 magnets with our picture on them. That's why I ultimately sent the STD's. I admit, I just wanted the magnets everywhere. I coveted the Save The Date magnets, and so I got them.

3. Our guests have enough time to make travel arrangements. That's the whole point of them, huh?

And now, the reasons I regret sending STD's:

1. The guest list is finalized. The magnets are hanging on refridgerators. Now, I get 100 questions about why isn't so-and-so invited, why wasn't I invited, Uncle Lives-Far-Away didn't get one, blah, blah, blah. This includes the people who casually stop by my mother's house, and just happen to see the magnet. If I just sent out invitations, the invites wouldn't be prominently displayed, and I would only hear complaints for two months, instead of nine.

2. I wish I could take some of those magnets back. People who have drifted apart from us, or who have broken up with my close friends, or even people I used to work with but have since gotten other jobs. Those were the people I was kinda on the fence about inviting anyway, and now I have to stick to that decision.

3. They were a waste of money. What was I thinking, sending out a pre-invitation? Geez. Now I wish I had that money elsewhere, when the budget is tighter and I'm more against my rope.

So even though the pros and cons are even, they are not equal. I wish I could remake the whole guest list now to get only those people who are most special to me, instead of just inviting them because they got an STD. Some of the best advice I've heard is to not pick your bridal party too early (thank god I listened to that advice, because I totally changed my mind from when I first got engaged), well the guest list should follow the same advice. Don't invite your guests too early either.

Scared back into planning

2008-08-20T09:12:00Z

Fiance and I were busy today enjoying our day off together (picture us sitting by the pool, getting sloshed from cheap wine out of plastic cups) and he says:

"It's only 100 degrees out. Isn't nice how much it's cooled off?"

"Yup, we're more than halfway through August. Summer's almost over."

"Then it will be September."

"Yup." I'm reading Kitchen Confidental, so I'm not really following this deep conversation.

"Then it will be October."

"Yup."

"Then November, then December."

Comprehension is slowly working it's way through my foggy brain. I sit up straight:

"OMG, then it will January."

At this point, I jump off my lawn chair, frantically making a mental list of all the DIY projects I've yet to start and spilling cheap wine all over my library book. I gather our stuff and run shrieking towards the house: "Four and a half months!!!"

Telling the Ex

2008-08-12T20:02:00Z

My ex called me. Actually, he called my parents, who gave me his number. I debated about calling him for about a week before curiosity got the best of me and I picked up my phone. He was my only other real boyfriend, my high-school sweetheart and my first true love. We were together for 2 and a half years before things kinda exploded. We've kept in irregular contact for the last 9 years. When Matt and I moved to Alaska, I commissioned him to build a house on the back of my truck to pack all our belongings in (he's a carpenter).

So, he asked me what I was up to and I told him I was getting married.

I could hear the shock on the other end, though he tried to cover it. He's met Matt before, and knew we were still together, so I'm sure it wasn't that big of a surprise. He didn't beg for me back. There won't be any "My Best Friend's Wedding" scene.

All the same, this door closed forever. I will never date another guy. I will never get back with my ex. I have a feeling Matt and I will be together forever. We're so perfectly suited, even after 7 years of dating. I really do want to spend the rest of my life with him. We have made a great life together and I'm a happy girl.

Although my ex didn't extend his best wishes, I knew they were there. As I have my best wishes for his new life.

Talking to him, made me realize (again) that I made the right choice. He still has that immature way of thinking and drama-in-the-courthouse swagger that made me rethink our relationship the first time. I'm a lucky girl. I have a great man now and have had good men in my past. But I'm ready to give up all the other men (good or otherwise). I'm so content just where I am.

Him: "I can't believe you're getting married."

Me: "I can't either. But I'm ready."

Honeymooning on a Budget

2008-08-06T10:22:00Z

We have booked our honeymoon rooms. We decided to go with a less expensive honeymoon since we'll be spending a ton of money on the wedding. Yes, the responsible thing to do. But also the hard thing to do as I watch my dreams of a Caribbean Cruise float away.

So we'll be spending a few days in Lake Tahoe, which is only a few hours drive time from our wedding venue. We booked our first night at a cute little Bed and Breakfast called the Fireside Lodge.

Very cute, homey, and wintry. They have an outdoor hot tub that we'll definetly be taking advantage of that night. Also, they have a Game Room that looks like a lot of fun. We're going to spend one night there relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere before moving on to a different hotel. $190/night.

Secrets Inn is a bit more affordable, but more luxury than rustic. We booked a deal to pay for 3 nights, get the fourth for free. So for 4 nights, we're only paying $325. Not bad.

This hotel has an in-room jacuzzi tub, mirrors over the bed and a glass-in shower. Practically screams Honeymoon! Very budget friendly, and the reviews are fabulous.

We haven't booked any activities yet, but this is what we're thinking: Dogsledding, snowmobiling, dinner cruise on a yacht, probably a casino show, a visit to David Walley Hot Springs Spa, and of course, a horse-drawn sleigh ride. My fiance ski's (really well, he can even ski backwards!), so he'll do that one day and I'll tag along, but probably spend most of the day in the Lodge Bar. That's how I ski. We're total Foodies, too. So I expect we'll be checking out a ton of restaurants while we're there. Mmm...

So that's our Honeymoon. Five days/four nights. Responsible decision. Lots of fun, food, and drink. I'm starting to get excited about it. The best part: No bikini worries!