bridal budget breakdown.

[Warning, this post is for the Type A's. But I've thrown in some photos to make it look prettier : ) ]

I've been meaning to do this for oh...two years, but here I am doing it now! You're welcome. If you care. I still get nauseous when I think about the"average American wedding"cost.  I thought we were awesome and incredibly amazing and only spent roughly $1,000 on our special day. But I went over the expenses today to really see what we spent. While it's about two times what I thought (I still don't like counting the rings as part of the "wedding"...) our whole wedding - with over 300 guests - was still under $3,000. I'd say I can still pat myself on the back!

How did we do it, you ask?

Necessity.

We were are broke and in love.
Our parents didn't have that "wedding fund" waiting for us.
We didn't want to go into debt from our wedding. (Student loans are enough!)

So, we I sacrificed let go of some of my teenage wedding fantasies and did what was practical but still would make me happy. Such as getting a dress from China, making everything I could, choosing disposable tableware instead of renting, getting bulk flowers from Costco, and having a "potluck" style buffet.... can you imagine how much it would cost to feed over 300 people?!

Here it is, it's pretty rough still, but I always rounded up, so if anything things were less than what they say. 

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*Includes tableware, place settings, centerpieces, Costco flowers, peacock feather, candy table jars, Photobooth props, etc... 

** Items in ( ) were paid for by either family or wonderful friends
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And if you're the type who likes to know...

Where I got stuff from : )

Save On Crafts

The Feather Store (I think this is where I got them from...)

IKEA

Dollar Tree

Party City

Iron & Honey (Etsy)

The White Bouquet (Etsy)

The Pretty Petals (Etsy)

Boxed-Gifts.com

Lightinthebox.com

Costco.com

...and Craigslist and some awesome thrift stores!

Here's to being crafty, frugal and awesome!

lately.

So Spencer and I are going into week 4 of FPU. I know budgeting can be tough, but when you are in the red every month it's nearly impossible to make a zero budget. Alas, somehow it's at zero. (Actually, it's because all our debt is on Irregular Income Planning form).

I really like that Dave says nothing is going to happen without hard work. It's not a pray you are blessed with riches mumbo jumbo. It's pretty legit. And Spencer doesn't seem to mind it, so that's a major plus. Since we are starting this now I have high hopes for us.

On a brighter note I have two job interviews this week. One of them (the full-time, higher paying one) comes with at least two recommendations for me...so I'm quite hopeful. But it all comes down to me. Ugh. I really hate interviews. Even a crappy job would at least put us in the green.

Also, if you have student loans... do this.

Too much money talk.

Christmas list begins HERE!


I really like this picture of Husby. Das a nice bowtie. These are a few from his sister Amy's wedding : )

a wedding shower.

This past Sunday I hosted a wedding shower for my friend Shannon, with the lovely ladies of PUMP at the Russell home. I love parties and decorating and planning things so when the opportunity presents itself I will take whatever I can and go with it!

We had a dessert table and hot chocolate bar, and a few healthy options too. We played a couple games, showered Shannon with advice and gifts, and got our sweets fix in for the month!

Not too shabby for a Sunday afternoon.

THIS was my main inspiration. I loved the "rain" theme.

And here's how the shower turned out!

farewell 2011.

Wow, I can't believe a year has past. (I'm a cliche!) This time last year I wasn't married and was about to embark onto lands unknown. I really cannot believe that tomorrow will be our one year anniversary. A lot has happened this year, but then again, a lot hasn't really changed. 



We spent the first six months of marriage living with husby's mom (not ideal, but thankfully she obliged for so long). I finally got to go to Hawai'i [for our honeymoon] but was kind of teased by all the things we couldn't afford. That really seems to be the theme of mr. two thousand and eleven. Just getting by. Being poor. But no matter how bad we thought things were [/are] we have yet to go hungry or homeless. So God does provide, just not in the ways we would think or hope for sometimes.

I have been trying to listen more this year. Not knowing what the future holds has led me to the point of being all ears... to people, to God, to opportunities... and trying to be content. And sometimes I fail. I fail a lot. But perhaps one day I will see I am wiser for it.

By no luck of our own, we made it back to Portland at the end of August. Thank you OC for letting Spencer not graduate? Yes, that's a question mark. Unforeseen missing credits led to another year of schooling for husby and a place for us to live in the meantime... but that meantime has an endtime. And that's scary.

It's time to kick it into high gear. It's time to become a sugar mama. Or else. And that's the scary part. I don't know what the 'else' is. Job searching was never this daunting when there were other options out there... I was blessed with my first couple interviews ever to end in a job. Now I am not having such luck and it's getting very disheartening.

Here's to hoping 2012 is a year of renewal. And hope (not the Obama kind). And all around goodness.


12 goals for 2012.

01. Get a job.
02. Listen daily.
03. Convince husby he likes doing dishes. (goal/dream/fantasy - whatever)
04. Spend less.
05. Save more.
06. Move into an apartment.
07. Change my freaking name! (I know...this should have happened, oh, a year ago!)
08. Move more. Physically. Take walks.
09. Eat more greens.
10. Revamp/replenish my Etsy.
11. Save for a real computer so blogging isn't a hassle, but a joy. 
12. Pray. Daily.

[Insert] the bride...please.

So, in all the hustle and bustle of the wedding, we forgot to get a whole wedding party group shot. Spencer got one with the guys and gals...but no luck for me. (So, make sure to give a list to your photographer! I have someone to blame...but I won't).

Anyway, I was real bummed that we didn't have a whole group shot. So I had to work with what I have on this dinosaur computer. I don't think it's too bad...haha...considering all I had was Paint! So, when I get a fast computer - or at least one that won't break down trying to run Photoshop - we'll try this again.




Until then, it's not too bad...right?

d.i.y. boutonnières

As promised, here is a quick tutorial on how I made the boutonnieres for my wedding! This is what they looked like:

Gather all the needed supplies

- glue gun
- thin ribbon ( $0-$2 )
- skewer stick ( $1-$2 for bunch )
- peacock feather - 1 per boutonniere ( >$1 if bought in bulk )
- fake petal (or some other object for the back part) ( $1-$4 )
- florist tape ( $1-$2 )
- spotted feathers (some sort of owl, I believe) - 2 per boutonniere ( $1-$4 )
- a 'bud' (or something to act as a centerpiece, maybe a jewel, etc) ($1-$3 )
- pin backs ( $2 )
+_______________________
Total: Less than $10

This is what I had for the backing and the 'centerpiece'. It's made with some sort of paper (bought from saveoncrafts.com (best place EVER), but here's where you can be creative. (You could also just use another feather with a contrasting color.) I plucked it apart and used one petal for the back part and one bud for the center.

Cut your peacock feather into desired shape. I like mine clean cut. Leave about and 1 1/2 inches of the stem to work with. You may want a few feather to pratice cutting the feathers. Sounds silly, but they can be a bit feisty.

Cut a three inch piece of your skewer stick and hot glue it to the 'back' side of you back piece (mine being the paper petal)

Flip it over and glue the peacock feather to it. Position it to where the 'eye' is centered on the backing.

It's okay if there's some glue residue. It will get covered up!

Position one spotted feather into place and glue it down. It was easiest for me to glue the whole feather and then trim it.

Trim that baby up! I put it more on one side so in the end it would flank the peacock feather.

Do the same with the other feather. Trim it up and admire your "hard" work thus far!

Next, hot glue your centerpiece down! Here I used one of the buds of the paper flower.

Wrap it all up with florist tape starting from the base where the feathers are going down.

Then you are going to do the same thing, but with the ribbon. Hot glue a dot or two at the top to get started and add some dots as you wrap down.

Mine weren't perfect at the ends, but that's what gives them character : )

Viola! You are done!
*** To attach them to shirts I simply attached a pin back to the back of the stem part and it was ready to wear!

(These can be purchased at any craft store)

I added a couple more feathers for the Groom's : )

And that's it! Easy as pie. Or at least cake from a box ; )