Santa's Cutest Reindeer!

So I couldn't resist because this is just the cutest picture of my nephew, Beckett. My SIL's best friend got him this outfit for Christmas. It is just too cute not to share.

Martha does it again.

Ideas: Decor

This is more specifically how I could do the dance floor vinyl. I know, I know, I'm slightly obsessed with this vinyl idea! But you have to admit it is really cool.

Ideas: Decor

My friend, Ashley, posted these candles on her blog marvelous. These would be the perfect style candles and holders to use with my vinyl idea.

Ideas: Decor

I found these fun ideas at Wedding Graffiti. At the beginning of the school year I bought a silhouette to help with my bulletin boards at school. While at the local scrapbook store I noticed that they had used the silhouette to cut out vinyl letters that can stick to pretty much anything. How perfect would it be to use my silhouette to cut out our logo from vinyl to use for ceremony and reception decor.

Ways I could use it:

Dance Floor: Logo and snowflakes

Glass Entry Doors: Logo and snowflakes on the glass doors into the ceremony and reception

Candles: Use the logo and snowflakes to decorate the large cylinder candle holders for one of our center pieces

Gift Table Canvas: Thank guests for their gifts in wedding theme and colors

Oh the possibilities!!!

Ideas: Printed Materials

I found these really cool invitations with a pocket sleeve.

Ideas: DIY Aisle Runner

I definitely wanted an aisle runner and of course wanted it to feature the logo I am going to design, but didn't want to spend a fortune. I found this DIY aisle runner on style me pretty and I think it is the perfect solution for my personalized aisle runner.

Just for Fun: Bags

I found these adorable monogram bags. I have been wanting to take a screen printing class at Urban Arts and Crafts for quite a while now and this would be the perfect thing to do for my first screen. Now the only questions is to do my first initial or my soon-to-be-new last initial! :)

Ideas: Printed Materials

I found these invitations on Kenzie Kate's website. And even though I plan on designing my own I really like the snowflake like design this invitation uses. The design looks like a snowflake, but yet not quite. I would like a winter wonderland themed wedding, but very understated using icy blue for the main color and than many different shades, hues, and tints of white. This invitation would also lend itself to my paper wrap I blogged about earlier.

I found these other snowflakes on istock photo that can be altered and I think these or something similar could be used to get a similar affect.

Children's artwork

So while I was blogging I was also watching HGTV and saw this really cool idea. This artist takes children's drawings and turns them into metal charms, necklaces, and more. What a fun idea! As an elementary school art teacher this is an artist after my own heart!

Ideas: Decor

I found these really cool paper bag flowers on Martha Stewart's website. I bought a prepackaged set of these to hang in my classroom, but how cool to use paper bags to make my own.

Ideas: Flowers

We ended up buying my dress from Ida's Custom Veils in Overland Park, KS. When I was trying on dresses the girl, which she was fantastic by the way, helping us put a handmade flower in my hair. I never thought I would like something like that, but I really liked the way it looked and the style it brought to the overall look. I found this flower and Etsy and am now thinking this is a must for my hair on my big day.

Ideas: Boutonnieres

I found these boutonnieres on Etsy and I love the idea of using just crystals. I like the one that incorporates the flower, but the one with just the crystals are really pretty too. I would also like to use the same crystals in my bouquets as well as the bridesmaids' bouquets.

Ideas: Printed Materials

Considering in my former life I was a graphic designer I can't wait to get started designing the printed material for our wedding. I will definitely be designing a monogram/logo to use on everything. I love the paper wrap on this invite. It would be the perfect way to incorporate the logo on the invites. I also love, love, love this program. I have struggled with ideas for the program and this might just be the solution.

Ideas: Guest Tree

I saw this interesting idea on, you'll never guess, style me pretty.  It is basically a family tree of how you are linked to the guests at the wedding. Considering we are inviting over 300 people that might be a little difficult to do, but this could be something fun to include in the program just using the bridal party. 

Ideas: Bridesmaids' Dresses

So I have yet to ask my bridal party to actually be my bridal party, but I am definitely thinking I like the idea of different style dresses all in the same color. Now if only I can find a designer that has five different dresses in the exact same color that I like. 

Found these dress on style me pretty and just love this idea, but instead of brown the dresses would be in the icy blue color. I also love, love, love the ribbons coming down off the bouquets.

My Story, My Style

I feel as though I should explain a little more about myself before launching into all the random ideas I find on the internet that I have to spit out somewhere or my brain might explode. I am a graphic designer turned elementary art teacher. I have a great love of the arts and love anything edgy and unique, but also feel strongly my wedding should also be timeless and classic. So begins my search for ideas to plan the wedding of my dreams while bridging edgy with classic. I see so many cool ideas and I want to do and try them all. There in lies my biggest challenge in planning this wedding. I have to find ideas that I like, that I can actually execute, and that are within our budget. As any artist knows it isn't always easy to create the images you see in your mind in your art. In this case my art is my wedding and I don't know how to make the images in my mind into reality or even where to begin. That is where this blog comes in. I am hoping by using this as a forum to express my ideas that I will be able to develop a true sense of the style I want for my wedding and be better able to turn these ideas and that style into my real life dream wedding.  

As for the back story of Gregg and I...We started dating my junior, his senior year of high school. We had been friends for over a year and after multiple attempts to woe me he finally succeeded. He said to me the night he first kissed me to keep on smiling and I honestly don't think in the 9 years we have been dating I have ever truly stopped. As cliche and corny as that may have sounded it is true. And not to say that we haven't had our bumps in the road, because we most definitely have, but at the end of the day he truly is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.

And now bring on the ideas...

THE dress

Note: I wanted to show Gregg my blog, but didn't want him to accidently see the dress so the full image has temporarily been removed. Enjoy this image of the train of my dress :)

Since moving out my mom and I haven't been able to spend as much time together, so I decided for my first dress shopping experience why not make it mother/daughter bonding time. I had intended on going to every bridal salon in the KC area and really live it up. On the way out the door my mom asked if she should bring the check book. I emphatically told her we would NOT be buying a dress that day, so of course I found THE dress.

I wanted to avoid a typical white, strapless dress. I wanted something fitted, but comfortable. Being a dancer I had to have something I could dance in. This was the 3rd dress I tried on and I love, love, love it! It is slightly bittersweet considering I wanted to go to every bridal salon in KC, but so worth it!!!

5x a Bridesmaid FINALLY a Bride!!

On January 16, 2010 I will marry my high school sweetheart on the 10th anniversary, to the day, of when we started dating. I had been waiting for quite a while for him to propose. It finally came down to the day (November 1) we were suppose to move in together. I had stipulated that I would NOT move in with him unless we were engaged. Leave it to Gregg to wait to the very last minute, but no matter how last minute it may have been it was perfect!

I am loving living together and loving being engaged even more. And after being a bridesmaid 5, yes 5, times it is finally my turn to plan my dream wedding. Unfortunately, because I have been planning this wedding in my mind for the last 5+ years I have a LOT of ideas swirling around in my head. While browsing style me pretty it hit me "Why not use the blog I have written on only once to help me bring all of those ideas together." So here goes...

When Flying Pigs Dance

My late grandmother, the most loving person I've ever known, gave me a ceramic flying pig when I was younger to remind me anything is possible. I fell in love with the pig immediately. I have always loved the expression 'When Pigs Fly,' but being a dancer I love the expression 'When Flying Pigs Dance' even more.

I grew up a military brat and had the opportunity to live in Hong Kong when I was very young. The Chinese culture has always been present in my household. I was born in the year of the pig, just another reason I thought the name was fitting.