Wedding Ceremony Readings

As a non-traditional/traditional couple with no focus on religion and for a friend reading the ceremony- I found myself having to WRITE the blasted thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actual conversation with the fiance:

Me: Can I read to you some of what I've written for the ceremony?

Him: Ceremony?!

Me: Yes, the ceremony...

Him: Oh..... I thought we were just going to get up there and say "I do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, in my quest to write a ceremony I discovered its harder than it sounds. You need length, and interesting things to say. I researched online and used Offbeat Brides, my brother sent me a book they had used, and a friend send me a [lengthy] document with many options.

I then discovered a book on my shelf "For You, My Daughter" - a Blue Mountain Arts collection of poetry. Here are some of my favorites:

When you are happy,
I'll love you with
a joyful heart.
When you are sad,
I'll love you with a heart
made a little heavier
by your tears.
When you are right,
I'll love you with a heart
filled with pride.
When you are wrong,
I'll love you with a heart
that has learned acceptance.
When you succeed,
I'll love you with
a cheering heart.
When you fail,
I'll love you with a heart
that rewards the efforts you've made.
When you dream,
I'll love you with
an encouraging heart.
When you give up,
I'll love you with a heart
that is strong enough for both of us.
When you are simply you,
in whatever mood or phase of your life,
I'll love you with all my heart
and more than you'll ever know.
~Linda Sackett-Morrison


I am always here
to understand you
I am always here
to laugh with you
I am always here
to cry with you
I am always here 
to talk to you
I am always here
to think with you
I am always here
to plan with you
Even though we
might not always
be together
please know that
I am always
here to
love
you
~Susan Polis Schutz


I will support you
in all that you
do
I will help you
in all that you
need
I will share with you
in all that you 
experience
I will encourage you
in all that you
try
I will understand you
in all that is in your
heart
I will love you
in all that you
are
~Susan Polis Schutz


i wish for you warmth
when it is cold outside

i wish for you a star
when the night is dark

i wish for you courage
when the world is afraid

i think of you, i wish for you
and i know you know
that here, there is a heart
and a home;
and here, there is someone
who loves you
more than any wish could ever give.
~Laura West Rosenthal


I enjoy the knowledge that we'll make it
through whatever life brings
with courage and with love
through the years.

More than you know...
and more than I can ever say,
I feel a wonderful thankfulness
in my heart... just for you.
And I want you know remember, though
my thoughts don't always convey
and my feelings don't always show,
I love you, and I always will...
more than you know.
~Andrew Tawney


I hope that today
and always
the love I have for you
is reaching out
and touching you-
making your days
a little brighter
and your heart
a little warmer

I hope that today
and always
you are aware of how
special you are to me
and how lucky I feel
to have you in my life
~Susie Schneider


Even
if a day
should go by
when I don't say
"I love you..."

May never a
moment go by
without you
knowing I do
~Daniel Haughian


If I could stand beside you always,
I would.
If I could carry you over all the obstacles,
I would.
If I could turn all your tears to laughter,
I would.
If I could tell you
all that will happen to you,
I would
But I can only tell you
one thing with certainty:
I love you.
And I hope my love will
shine on all your tomorrows
and brighten every step
you take in the future.
~Dorothy Hewitt


 You probably don't realize how important
you are tome. There are times when the
one thing that helps me get through the
day... is thinking of you.

You bring happiness to me when the world
seems to be wearing a frown. When things
don't quite go as planned and my world
seems upside down, my thoughts of you help
to set things right again.

You are so important to me.
You make me think, you make me laugh,
you make me feel alive. You put things
in perspective for me. You provide support
and encouragement, you lessen my worries,
and you increase my joys. If my life were
a puzzle, you would be the one piece that
was a perfect fit.

Every day... I think of you.
And I've got a million smiles to prove it.
~Marin McKay



PHEW! I'm all typed out. Though many of these did not make it into the actual ceremony, I hope you find some inspiration here!

Tell me, where have you found unexpected inspiration lately?!

DIY Wedding Card Box

Weddings are expensive. It's one thing to say the average wedding costs $35k. It's another to live it. (Tho trust me, my budget is nowhere near that!)

Today we are going to explore an alternative.

Wedding card boxes are expensive. Whether you are looking at a traditional card box, wire bird cage, or something in-between... it's going to be $20 minimum for a 'nice' style. However, you can get something cheap- and cheap looking- for less than $10.

NO MORE I say! If you have a little time to spare and are crafty, you can get something way more unique and cheaper! Because I'm a DIY craft junkie, the only real out of pocket expense for me was the box itself. I could have stopped there, but why?!

Worst case scenario this is going to cost $20, for me it was just over $10 and took maybe an hour to do.

Materials:

-Large fake book storage box: at Michael's 40% off plus an additional 25% off coupon= less than $8!
-Hemp Twine- or string or whatever you have
-Scrapbook paper- if you don't have any laying around, look for alternatives (think of your theme-comic books maybe? or Michael's has specials all the time)
-Template
-Pencil
-Scissors
-Misc. embellishments- optional
-Di-cut Shiny Red Damask letters- previously purchased ~$3 (I've been holding onto these for the perfect wedding craft so I am including the cost here) or if you have a Kricut or something you could make your own

I don't want to spoil too much, so here is the incomplete card box!

The outside- fits our "Adventure theme" and colors.

Nice and roomy on the inside! Dare I say- BIGGER on the inside?

 The materials.

 The layout.- All I did was trace a template on the side of the scrapbook paper I didn't want to use (this way messy lines won't show) and cut 'em out. Then, hole punched two corners on each for my twine to string them up inside the book.

Not done, but you get the idea. The black/gold things in the corners are picture corners. I'm planning on hiding the end of the string with them. I also need to add the di-cut letters to spell out  C A R D S.

BONUS: the fiance loved the idea and picked out the book to use.Teamwork and collaboration.

So tell me- what crafty projects are you up to?! (Doesn't have to be wedding related!)

Hump Day

Hump Day is almost here, it is especially bad when Hump Day = your Sunday and Thursday is your Monday. UGH.

Fair warning, this is going to be a lot of random nothing. But hey, I'm celebrating a mysterious 53 blog hits yesterday (seriously don't know who all of you are but thanks?!)

Aside from working, its been busy busy over here. 2 baby showers, starting the 7 month countdown to I DO day. And today I decided to get my Etsy shop back up and running. Humor me while I take a moment to PLUG myself:

Find me here. And on FB.

Also, can we talk about the Rainbow Sun that could be seen around Central Florida?! How cool was that? If you weren't in the area, you missed out on something truly remarkable.

Jealous? You should be.

 

 

If I disappear again, its likely because we've finished watching all there is to see of Dr. Who on Netfix and I'll be miserably depressed.

 

Finally, we've been busy fully bonding these two. It was a LONG process, that I may tell you about later. But I am happy to report they are living symbiotically. ;)

Time to go find that Zombie that's roaming around (sick men are never fun).

So what's new with all of you?!

Bringing Home the Bacon

My mom asked me just the other day if I wanted to go see Kevin Bacon speak at USF.

I was on the fence about going, but it was free so I figured why not. (Also, to make myself feel better about being on the USF campus, I wore a UCF football shirt.)

I'm glad I did go.

 

I learned a lot about Mr. Bacon.

Although a day late, I would like to officially say Kevin Bacon is my #mcm

 

 

Did you know when the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon was started he thought it was a big joke at his expense?! He was not fond of it and thought the game would be like a fad. Now he is using it as the name of his non-profit organization: http://www.sixdegrees.org/

 

Connecting Celebrities with Organizations and Organizations with Celebrities. Check it out.

 

Story telling.

"I didn't have to worry about bringing home the... bacon"

 

Yea, he totally said that.

 

 

Cool, calm, and charming.

 

 

He has done a lot of movies, so I'm off to see what I can find on Netflix.

 

How do you prefer your Bacon- with or without glasses?! Tell me in the comments, because I can't deicide...

 

 

PS He threw up BULLS horns, but he was moving too much for me to get a good pic. Sorry Bulls. #sorrynotsorry



Simple Jewelry Fixes- DIY

Since I didn't got to MegaCon over the weekend, here's a quick Jewelry update:

 

The necklace on the [below] right I've had for ages. I didn't wear it often because it didn't lay properly. At over 3' long it wasn't working for me. I took off over 1.5' and now its an adorable bib-style necklace. This isn't the first necklace I've adjusted this way. Such a simple solution!

 

PS Don't discard the remaining links- use them again for another project another day!

 

Next up, a cheap looking, junky and chunky heart pendant. The cute crown tarnished but I held on to it to repurpose. Finally got around to it. The little pink deer is from a pair of earrings, sadly the earring hooks tarnished.

I pried the crown off easily, then sanded down the residue from the epoxy.

Finally, I stacked my pieces on top and super glued them into place.

 

And just like that, without spending a dime, using what I already had- I now have TWO "new" pieces of jewelry. *happy dance*

 

 

Tell me, what have you repurposed lately??

Ich Liebe Dich... Liebster Blog Awards!

Thank you to Ashley over at Not Your Average Ashley for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award.

1. Why did you start blogging?
    I had a lot of free time and needed something to fill it. I follow a couple of great bloggers and thought "I can do that!"
2. How did you come up with the name of your blog?
    It's a short and silly story, but I have a blanket from Halloween that has skeletons on it. Viola.
3. What's the best place you've ever visited?
    Oh gosh, that's tough, I recently went to the Dominican Republic. That place is definitely high up 
    on my list. What a beautiful place!

A sample of the shore at the resort Riu Bachata.

4. Do you have any hidden talents? If yes, what are they?
    I don't think so...
5. What's your favorite thing about yourself?
    My creativity.
6. What's a hobby/activity you would like to learn but haven't tried yet?
     Needle-felting. Sad to say I haven't made an effort to really try it yet. Instead a browse etsy all day
    for other people's cute creations. Like Felt Me Up
7. Do you have any pets? If yes, what are they?
    Two bunnies. People are always surprised by this. Indy is a blonde/golden color, and Nero is
     black/gray.

My protector and constant companion.

 

8. What's your favorite piece of clothing?
    Do my pajama pants count? Yoga pants? Fine, my long skirts. So easy to put on but I can look put
    together in minutes.
9. Read the book or watch the movie? Explain your choice!
    Read the book (first) and then watch the movie. The movies never live up to the books, but no
    matter I enjoy watching them for a visual reference.
10. What's your favorite type of music and why?
      I don't have a favorite type, my mood determines the genre. Some days it's pop, some days
      alternative, and others its rap. Conversely, music changes the mood- so if I'm on my way to work
      I try to listen to pop so I go in in a more positive mood.
11. When was the last time you had a day that was "The Best Day Ever?" What did you do?
      My brother's wedding was probably my most recent "Best Day Ever." It was an amazing       
      experience. I wish we could do it all over again.

Not from the wedding, but from the Bridal Shower I threw for my Sister-In-Law.

 

Now for my nominations:

Can I re-nominate Ashley?!

1- Jen at EPBOT
2- Jen at Bloggess
3- Margeaux at 365 Journey
4- Dana at WonderForest
5- Mel at Felt Me Up

I know its a short list, but I'm going to curl back up on the sofa for now.

Tell me, who would you nominate?!

     

Wedding Dress Woes

Throw everything you know about wedding dress shopping out the window!

Start Early. Or don't.
Don't pigeon-hole yourself.

Try dresses ON.
Stop looking.

Once the date was set, I started looking. I'm not one of those crazies who started looking more than a year in advance, however. But I started looking for shops and going into shops and quickly learned what was within my budget... and what was not.

One store I went into told me to try on dresses in size 18! 18!? I'm usually a 14, and yes I know that the "rule" is wedding dresses run small (although who thought that was a brilliant idea I'm not sure). So I started with the 18's, shockingly enough they were too big. I did try on a 16 or two that fit well or were tight. Guess what- not all dresses run that small! So don't give yourself a complex over it. Go by fit, not by size. In the end, my dress is a 14 and it fits like a glove! No alterations needed at this time. Huzzah for saving money. I know this is not the norm, but I also know someone who bought their dress off the rack and needed no alterations. So it is very possible!

This also means you must try things. New things, things you didn't think you would want. My dress is not what I "wanted"- but I couldn't be more pleased with it. It didn't hit me right away, I tried almost 20 on before I really liked anything. Not just regular like, but like-like. No, I didn't cry over it, but I also couldn't stop thinking about it either. The day I tried it on I left the store without purchasing it, but I went back shortly and ordered it.

Having just picked it up today, I want to wear it all day and look at it all the time. But its going to my parent's house so the groom isn't tempted to see it and I'm not tempted to actually wear it every day. 'Cuz I might.

No lie.

And since I can't show you anything... here's a picture of my accessories, to tame your curiosity...

Got any wedding tips? Share please! =)

ADIOS Valentine's Day

HAPPY V.D.!

(I just like typing that...)

Google stole my feels today- check out the home page.

While some of you may be dealing with this:

via

We will shortly be on our way to this:

via

See ya'll when we get back... if we come back ;)

What are your Valentine's Day plans? If you do that sort of thing...

Wedding Theme- UP and UP

I literally squealed with delight when I saw this in the $1 bin at Target. The wedding is taking on an UP theme, not entirely intentional or unintentional.

 How perfectly adorable is this?! I think we will use our thumb prints instead of hand prints. I may have guests write messages and put them in the mailbox. Or use it for the Dollar Dance. So many options! I can't wait to get started on it.

For size reference:

I couldn't resist giving you all some insight to my absence lately. Been a little preoccupied. Also, have a big trip coming up next month!

So there you have it. Have  great week everyone!!!

The Night Circus- Book Review

Lately I just have not been motivated to read. (Possibly because I've been forcing myself through the second book of Game of Thrones- I think maybe eventually I'll just watch the show). This made me sad. I mentioned this to a co-worker (who happens to be an avid book reader) and she knew right away I had to read a book she just finished.

From the cover art to the jacket synopsis, I was sold! My ONLY complaint is the time line jumps back and forth. Aside from that, this book is perfect. I tend to read a lot of period books, books about magic, etc and sometimes I over do it. While The Night Circus is set in the late 1800's/early 1900's and relies heavily on magic, it remains imaginative, clever, unique, mysterious, sad, and fun. The Night Circus has it all. The characters are engaging and really draw you in. Erin Morgenstern writes with such detail but in a way that is easy to read. I feel like I am finally out of my book funk- on to the next one!

Now someone please make this a movie!!

 

Have you read any good books lately?

P.S. Happy New Year!!!