Easiest DIY Project {EVER}

In addition to our wedding cake, we are going to have a table of specialty European style cakes at our wedding. Tiramisu, Cheesecake, Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, etc. They are going to be so good! So, I've been pulling out all of my cake stands and realized that I was one short. I browsed around online and found that making your own cake stand is the easiest DIY project ever! I am not kidding.

So, off to the antique shop I went. I found a beautiful milk glass candle holder for $3 and a gorgeous old plate (with handles) for $4. I came home, and with the help of my tube of Epoxy (Gorilla brand, found in the glue aisle at Home Depot), glued them together! Let it dry for 90 minutes and viola! My new cake plate:

{Personal Photos}

What was the easiest DIY project you completed?

My Orlando Bridal Tea

I was blessed with two of the most beautiful bridal showers I have ever seen. I am so excited to share the pictures with you all! Today, I will share my lovely Orlando shower thrown for me by my sister and my mom. It was a tea party held at an old Victorian mansion and it was a lot of fun! Thank you to Brian Hess Photography for the beautiful pictures :)

All us girls in our hats!

 Loved my bride to be banner!

 My beautiful friends!

 Gorgeous birdcage cake! I was in L O V E!

 My mom and I!

 Highland Manor (which actually closed two weeks after my shower)

 This bird knew I was incorporating birds into my wedding and decided to show up to say hi!

 Beautiful gift

 My sister and I in our fun hats!

 The sign-in table that my mom decorated!

Teapot Centerpiece

This is just the beginning!

Tell me ladies, have you heard this?

"Gosh, you spend so much time planning your wedding and making sure everything is perfect and then the day goes by so fast and you don't remember any of it!"

I've heard this multiple times over the course of my engagement and here is my very public response.

Wedding planning to me is not about our wedding day, August 13th, 2011, it's about much more than that. From the day I met my love, to our amazing engagement on August 20th, 2010, I have had so many meaningful experiences that made me realize that this is not about one day of fun, it's about planning for and working towards a lifetime of love and happiness. The parties where I'm surrounded by my closest family and friends, financial discussions, pre-cana marriage prep process, trying on dresses with my mom, compromise about what's important and what's not...that is what this experience is all about. I truly believe that each and every one of those experiences have made me a better woman, friend, and future wife. I feel so close to and supported by the people around me and it is the most wonderful feeling. Major life events bring us together and I have definitely witnessed that first hand.

You all know that I've spent countless hours planning this wedding and it's because I'm designing our reception to reflect CF and I as a couple. It will be formal enough to fit the sacredness of the occasion yet romantic and fun (like we are)! We want our guests to be treated like kings and queens because that is how they've made us feel all our lives. This won't be an ordinary night, where we "make due" and "settle"...it will be the most special celebration of our lives and our guests will know it! No, the wedding day is not the end, it's the beginning. It's so close now and I can hardly wait!

Wedding Wedding Everywhere

I am laying on my living room floor right now surrounded by stuff. Honestly, my house has never been this messy. I am covered in coupons, ribbon, shower gifts, bridesmaids gifts, and endless unfinished craft projects. You know, the ribbon wands, picture frames for the photo wall, personalized hangers, survival kits, etc. If I look hard enough I might even be able to find a cute curly-haired dog or my wonderful fiance :-) They've got to be around here somewhere!

Yes, I am officially in the "holy crap I'm getting married in 9 weeks and I haven't finished started my DIY projects" phase! The pressure is on and I promise I'm starting to get things done (and documenting the process). I've always worked best under pressure!

What DIY project are you currently in the middle of?

My Very Talented Friend

So I have a wonderful friend and her name is Jenny. She is very creative, crafty, and talented. In addition, she shares my love of all things girly! Ruffles, pink, glitter, hearts...if it's cute, we love it! So, as the wedding to-do list got longer and longer, I asked for her help and (thankfully) she was up to the challenge of working with me! :)

This girl is truly an event planner at heart and I've asked her to plan my bridesmaids' bruncheon. All I did was tell her the style I wanted (feminine with a little Southern charm) and she sent me back the most amazing inspiration boards full of details that I just couldn't take my eyes off of! She's that good and if you live in Florida and are planning a wedding you might just want to hire her. Check out her website and blog where she offers a lot of DIY projects, personalized stationary that you can download, wedding invitations, save the date magnets, and more! Oh, she also designs/sells the cutest cell phone covers! If only I had an iPhone.

Pretty adorable right! My girls are in for such a treat!!!

Are you doing everything yourself, or are you enlisting the help of a very crafty friend?

Fun Favors!

Ahh favors...they have come such a long way over the last few years! What used to be useless trinkets are now delicious edible treats or tiny gifts that really reflect the couple giving them! I am so excited about the favor we chose and I feel certain that our guests are going to love it too! (That's all I can say about that!)

Looking for some cute favor ideas for your wedding?

How 'bout a box full of Cuties! I love these little clementines and they would make such a great (and healthy) post-wedding snack for your guests! This would be perfect for couples living in California, which is where they are grown. I also think they'd be cute for Florida couples...oranges, cuties...close enough!

{Source}

Looking for a less healthy option? How about some Krispy Kreme doughnuts? Seriously, if I were a guest at a wedding and I saw these sitting on the favor table, I would jump for joy! YUM!

{Source}

Oh Macarons, must you be so cute?!?!  If you are having a French Parisian themed reception, this just might be the perfect favor for you!

{Source}

Do you love s'mores as much as I love s'mores?  These little DIY bags are easy and inexpensive to make! And, of course, they are super cute!!!

 {Source}

Looking for some non-edible options?

This one's for the girls! Perfect for a beach wedding! Or, perfect if you just want your female guests to be comfy while they dance the night away!

{Source}

Do you ever use party crackers on New Year's Eve? This is one of Mr. CF's family traditions and I think it would be so cute as a wedding favor. All the guests can mingle and show each other what *useless trinket* they got! Okay, I know I said that favors shouldn't be useless trinkets but when they come in a tulle covered cracker tube, they are fun! 

{Source}

Ever since I was a kid, I have LOVED lottery scratch-off tickets (bad, I know)! I don't ever buy them but I LOVE when Santa leaves them in my stocking :) How cute are these "lucky in love" lottery ticket favors? 

{Source}

Looking for more wedding favor ideas? Check out one of my favorite wedding-related blogs, Favor Craver!!!

Are you giving guests favors at your wedding? If so, what are you giving?

My Wedding-Day Scent

This may seem like such a small detail of the day, but it's definitely an important one! I've known for a long time that I wanted to wear a special perfume on August 13th, I just didn't know which one. For a while, I would try different scents each time I went in a department store or Sephora or Ulta, just searching and waiting to find "the one". Nothing stood out to me, probably because every scent I love, I own! Eventually, I forgot about this small detail and tackled much bigger things on my to-do list.

Then, one night as I was flipping through a magazine, I found it! The one! The perfume that will always trigger special memories of our special day. I knew that my search was over. Mr. CF looked perplexed as I frantically ripped the page from magazine, sat on the couch, and proceeded to rub that piece of paper all over my neck and wrists! You know they say that you have to try it on to make sure it still smells the same! Yes, that was it. I don't own this amazing scent yet (it's the only thing on my birthday list this year), but once I do it will not be worn until our wedding day. Can't wait!

Is there a certain perfume that triggers a special memory for you?

 {Flora by Gucci}