School Picture Day Feelings

Remember when you were younger and your school pictures arrived...about 6 weeks after "school picture" day? Your teacher would hold the pictures hostage up at her desk ALL...DAY...LONG. It felt like a hole was burning through your stomach and it wouldn't stop until you saw those pictures!!!

Maybe that didn't happen to you...but that is how I feel when I am waiting anxiously to see any professional work that includes a picture of myself. That same feeling came rushing back to me yesterday when my large, white "Wedding Paper Divas" envelope arrived in the mail with my Save The Date proofs and invitation samples.

When my wedding coordinator socked me in the gut by telling me that the average cost of wedding stationary is DOUBLE what I intended to pay...she immediately referred me to Wedding Paper Divas. And now I am a happy girl. Our Save The Dates (pictured above) are only $1.09 a piece! Also, since they are post cards, we will save MAJAH on postage. And I think they turned out great. I was surprised that my FIANSE liked this picture of himself...but he does...so whatev! (I'm trying to loosen up my bridezilla control issues....)

I was so excited about reviewing my Save The Date proofs (STDs of the non-chlamydia kind, as my BFF would say), that I made myself a vodka lemonade in celebration! YUUUMMM.

Above are the invite samples that I ordered. I. LOVE. THEM. Vintage, traditional, simple...all my favorite things! I hope they will be able to make the text a little bit bigger & darker. But other than that, they are perf! The actual invite is only $2 a piece! The response card and reception cards are extra, but VERY reasonable. 

Has anyone else used Wedding Paper Divas? What do you think about my stationary picks!? :)- Briana

Engagement Party

Although I have been engaged for a year and a half, Andrew and I were living on the opposite pole of the country for the first year of our engagement. Now that we are back in "the Mitten" (Michigan), my parents decided to throw us an engagement party. Of course, they had to couple it with a celebration of their 28th wedding anniversary. The picture that was included in the invite is #3 above: their wedding photo and a photo from our engagement photo session.

The party was great. Old friends, old family, new friends, new family, tons of food and of course...quite a bit of drinking. I thought i'd share a few pictures and details:

Picture #1. Sangria! I found a yummy recipe by Emeril Lagasse and it turned out great. My instructions/adaptations can be found here 

Picture #2. Myself with one of my besties and also bridesmaid, Courtney.

Picture #3. The aforementioned invitation picture.

Picture #4. A "party ball." My mom is in love with "Art deco" things from the '30s and '40s. She filled her party ball with vodka and redbull (she's not playin' around....), and was offering/forcing people to take pumps/shots all evening. Mom knows best.

Picture #5. Cake Pops! I got the recipe from my favorite blog "Little Miss Momma" here

Picture #6. Myself and the man of my dreams

Picture #7. Snipped some flowers off a bush in my parents back yard to make some pretty and simple centerpieces. Anyone know what type of flower/bush this is?