DPF: Oy

I'm so exhausted this week. The weather is blah. My allergies are crazy.

I've been slacking, but I promise to post a few things next week. This weekend is Laura's Shower. It's a surprise where we're taking her so I didn't post anything about her invitations or Thank Yous that I made because every so often she happens upon my blog and I didn't want to ruin it. But I will post a few photos of the things I've made and of the shower next week.

I also have photos to post of her actual invitations that we mailed out a while ago. I'm such a slacker.

I'm really really excited because we're seeing three different wedding venues this Sunday. So I'll have a post about those at some point too.

Please excuse this interruption:

Crazy Go Nuts

This weekend was extremely productive. Laura and I got a whole lot done.

Typically when we get together we make a whole lot of plans to do certain things and then we only get maybe two out of the seven things done. This weekend we got everything done except one thing...and that was to eat corndogs. Alas, regrettably we just couldn't fit it in to our busy schedule.

However the following things on our list got done:

• Candle Party - This was the reason I left work a little early on Friday, so I could get up to Albany and be there for Laura/Chrissy's Candle Party. It's like a Tupperware Party except with fire.
• Folded all 125 pocketfolds for the invitations.
  
  
  Our hand crafted pocketfolds.
  
  
• Stamped the return address on the back of all invitation envelopes.
• Stamped their address on all the RSVP envelopes.
  
  
• Went to GoodWill and found glass containers of various shapes and sizes for Laura's candy buffet.
• Went to a few antique stores and found a bracelet for Laura to wear to her wedding. Her grandmother had given her a necklace and earrings ages ago and we managed to find a bracelet (decently priced) that matches the set exactly!
  
  
• Hit up a good sale at Michael's and got the last bit of adhesive tape, stamp pads, and various other things we needed for wedding crafting and the like. I love when absolutely everything on my receipt is 20% off.

I'm going back up to Albany this weekend because we are in fact still a weekend's worth of work behind because of the funeral and the fact that I haven't been able to get up there since.

So for this week I am racing to get the invitations designed, printed and cut. As well as two of the four inserts designed, printed and cut. Then this weekend we'll assemble what we have so far and emboss their monogram on the invitations and the belly bands and put those together as well.

No rest for the bridesmaids. As if I could complain about doing stuff that's so creative and fun!

Vintage and Awesome

Well you all know me. I like to randomly look at things online.

Yesterday I came across these and I just had to share. First off they are completely and utterly gorgeous. I love the idea of using vintage enamel broaches as flowers in a bouquet.

These beauties are from Fantasy Floral Design and I am in love.

Not only are these really cool, but I feel like this is something that I could make myself. I'll have to look into it and see if I can find any tutorials online about it, but how incredible a bouquet would that be?

I can't stop staring at them!

I'm just in such a wedding mood. This weekend I'm off to Albany to visit with Laura and start making her pocketfolds for her invitations. It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm more than willing to put the work in to produce a fabulous product for my best friend.

I can't wait to get started. I caught a killer sale at Michael's the other day and got 100 sheets of multi-colored cardstock for less than $6. I'll be able to use some of it for Laura's shower invites and thank yous that I have to start making soon too. Hopefully all I have to buy for those are envelopes and maybe a cute stamp. I have an idea in mind of what I want to do but I need to talk to the MOH first and see if she approves.

Tonight I have a dinner/movie date with Ashley. We're going to see Remember Me. It was either that or Dear John. What can I say, we both love the sappy crappy movies...

Ashley read the spoilers for it and apparently it has a ridiculously off the charts, I didn't see that coming, ending. She was going to tell me but I decided it'd be more fun for her to watch my reaction and talk about it afterward than it would be to just talk about it now.

Seriously. Can't stop staring.

Dance Party Friday

Nothing sexier than a bunch of nerdy guys getting down with their bad selves...

Thanks Ash!

Tonight we're going to the Westbury Manor for dinner to get a feel how their menu tastes. Right now it's one of Julibean's top two choices for her wedding venue. I'm sure it'll be deliciously overindulgent!

PLUS tonight my girls get into town! Laura and Chrissy are coming down for the weekend to go out to the outlets for some shopping and to work on Laura's Save the Dates :) It'll be good to see the girls!

Also, tomorrow afternoon is yet another tasting, this time at the Thatched Cottage, which is the other top choice for venues. It'll be a wedding-filled weekend I suppose.

I really am, I swear!

I am totally an up-statey. Honestly.

Although I grew up on Long Island and enjoy being so close to the City it's just not my favorite. It takes forever to get off the Island, the people here are stereotypically "Long Island" and when people meet me they always assume I'm from upstate anyway so why can't I just move back there?!? *le sigh*

Anyway, I still get chances to go back up to Albany from time to time especially with Laura planning her wedding and having me do all her stationary/paper crafts. So that's where I was this weekend. We made an appointment to pick up our bridesmaid dresses from Angela's and tried them on to make sure there were no missing things or torn seams.

Originally when we ordered them back in March everyone was like "Why did you order so early if the wedding isn't until next July?!" Well my friends, the cornflower blue color that Laura fell in love with has actually been recently discontinued so HA! we pounced and it paid off.

I think they look quite lovely!

Mine needs a slight adjustment in the strap, a new hem, and the neckline needs to be tacked down better so I don't fall out, but other than that it fits well. Since the wedding isn't for another 10 months I'm hoping that when I come back to the dress in May to have it altered I'll be able to take it in at the waist a little as well.

Laura's sister Ursula (on the left) needs a lot of work done to her dress. She's recently lost a lot of weight and the dress was just swimming on her. They estimated almost $130 worth of alterations (which is basically the cost of the dress), so there's a possibility that Urs might just order a new dress in a different size and color which is workable since she's the Maid of Honor.

I'm so excited now for weddings! I can't wait!

(Note to self: must finish J&A's toast.)

Visions of Invitations Dance Through My Head

For those of you unaware, I am a Graphic Designer. Yes, I went to an engineering school, but while my friends played with their graphic calculators, I sat on my floor in a pool of paper samples just feeling my way around. Back in August when my sousin (our phrase for a sister-like cousin) Jaclyn got engaged I asked her if I could make her invitations and stationary as my gift.

I mean who wouldn't jump at the chance to have handmade stationary for a fraction of the price it would cost to have it "professionally" done. So over the past few months I ordered paper samples and showed Jaclyn & Andy envelope swatches. It was a whirlwind of decisions but we came up with some beautiful designs.

Save the Dates have been mailed out but it is time to start finalizing the wording on the invites and gathering the rest of the information for the programs. Once that is done I can begin the task of printing, cutting, gluing and beautifying the invitations. Basic plans done.

When I told Laura I was doing Jaclyn's invitations, she and I both automatically assumed I would do her stationary as well. Laura has completely different taste than Jaclyn. Not to speak ill of either of their taste, they are just different. Jaclyn knew exactly what she wanted and Laura left more of the design to me, which is where all the excitement is. I was thrilled when I brought a mock-up pocket fold invitation, complete with inserts, to show Laura and Chrissy and they loved the design. But nothing was ever finalized.

(envelopperinc.com such fantastic inspiration)

So now, I have all these ideas about what we can do with the basic design, and I want to ask Laura what she thinks and have her pick decorative things out for embellishments but then I remember...her wedding is next April. Take a breath Elise.

I guess my issue is just that when the Muse strikes me, I need to run with it, otherwise I won't want to put all my meticulous energy into the project. When the Muse hits, I need to do something creative. Perhaps I can tack down Jaclyn & Andy this weekend to work on finalizing the invitations so I can order things and get started...

Oh Muse, you are a fickle fickle creature.

Done and Done!

I have one best friend from college. This isn't to say I don't have other friends that I see and talk to frequently and love to death. But I only came out of college with one best friend. Laura is my other half. We are both sharp and witty women who know what they want. We wound up living in an apartment (with other changing girls) for three years and to this day I'm positive that other than my sister, Laura is the only girl I could ever live with.

Last summer, Laura and her boyfriend of 6 or so years, Jim got engaged. Woo! Weddings! The date is still not set but it will be Spring of 2010 and the past few weekends I've been traveling up to Troy to see reception halls and try on bridesmaid dresses and assist in many other bridesmaid-like duties.

A few weekends ago at the Birch Hills Expo, we met some women from Angela's Bridal and since Laura hadn't bought a dress yet, she made an appointment. So this past weekend I went back up to Troy to help in finding the perfect dress.

First off, allow me to say that the women at Angela's were fantastic. They were extremely helpful and each of them had wonderful things to say (even when negative) about the dresses that Laura tried on. When Laura put the first dress on, Chrissy, Meg and I all let out a sigh. It was beautiful, it was perfect, it was well priced, it was SO HER. It was classy yet modern and had just the right amount of sparkle in just the right places.

Laura tried on 4 more gowns but none of them compared to that first dress. She was concerned it might be too dramatic for her mother's taste but when Ursula (her sister and maid of honor) walked in, the first words out of her mouth were, "Wow." And she assured Laura that she thought Mom would also love it.

Meanwhile, Michelle, Chrissy & Meg all tried on some beautiful Bill Levkoff dresses and we all decided we loved them. Bridal gown, done! Bridesmaid dresses, done! Bam! Just like that. It was amazing. Our other two romps to David's Bridal were all for naught after that 20 minute talk about how perfect these dresses would look on all of us.

They had the sweetheart neckline that mimicked Laura's dress, they had tank straps so we could all wear supportive undergarments, the taffeta was airy and not at all grabby, they were the perfect spring wedding dress...well, in cornflower blue with an ice blue sash they would be!

And, best of all, since January when I was measured for Jaclyn's bridesmaid dress, I have officially lost an inch to my waist....
...only to gain it in my bust. *sigh* All I have to say is I'm looking forward to having to pay to get both my bridesmaid dresses taken in by the time the weddings roll around.

For the rest of the day Saturday all us girls celebrated. Laura had bought her dress! It was real, her wedding was happening. Her and Jim had a moment when they both said to each other, "Wow, it really feels real now." And they were excited about it.

Jaclyn (my cousin) and her fiance Andy had a similar moment a few months ago while we were hammering out Save the Date details. He just turned to her and said, "Hey, we're getting married this year." And they both squealed and clapped in joy.

This is going to be exciting and torturous at the same time! Hurray!

(Digital Illustration of Laura and I done by me.)