DIY Wedding {flowers}

I am NOT a florist. I don't even attempt to be a flower arranger for my own house.  So, when I decided to do all my wedding flowers on my own...commence sweat!  I talked with a couple different floral companies and individuals, who really did help me.  However, still out of my budget!  So, I was able to use a wholesale flower company in downtown Cincy and create my mental picture!

I used hammered items throughout our wedding {rings, centerpieces, buckets, flower holders}.

When I found these hammered flower holders....holy excitement!!

I knew then, doing the flowers myself might just work.

I researched/priced out all the flowers I wanted to use that would be in season.

Here they are:

Green Button Mums

Green Fuji/Spider

Green Dianthus (love these)

Mini Green Hydrangeas

Green Hypericum Berries

My sweet helpers came the day before the wedding to put all my ideas (and theirs) together!

..Enjoy..

I wasn't sure how it was turning out....and I don't hide my emotions...

considering a new career path in floral!!

My bouquet and our shoes

love the green!

Mother's bouquet

Bouquets and men's boutonnieres

For our ring bearer, his mother (my pianist and long time friend) made him a boutonniere out of fabric...precious! My flower girl carried a homemade holder for petals!

For the alter, we choose to purchase two topiaries (my fave) and then we wanted to plant them outside our front door after the wedding.  I found them here in OH (my home state) and I found out they had been grown in OR (my hubby's home state), so I knew they were the ones!

I ended up loving doing my flowers (in the end once they were gorgeous).  They ended up being much easier than expected and since I didn't do centerpieces including flowers...I was able to handle it all! 

~thanks to my flowers helpers, couldn't have done it without you~


{Kate}

DIY Wedding Stationary {Save the Dates.Invitations.Programs.Reception Cards}

I did all my stationary myself (well, I did pretty much EVERYTHING for my wedding so..ha, this included) and it gave me such a sense of accomplishment and knowing how much $$ I saved..double YAHOO!

..Stamp..

I decided to have a stamp made for our Signature Name Design that we'd use on all our stationary etc! It worked out perfect and I can still use it in all our future cards and such.  It was made by a custom stamp company online that makes address stamps and I just typed in our names instead of an address! I did speak directly to the company to change fonts around but, they were FABULOUS and I adore my stamp!

..Save the Dates..

We both love to read, so bookmarks seemed perfect! Geoff helped me make these as well, bless him!

..Invitations..

I researched a bazillion places and fell in love with the envelope style...commence MASSIVE overtaking!  I had the help of many friends on this one! It took a while for me to get them created on my computer, then took them to Staples to print off (whew, that held a few issues itself).  Then I (to save $$ again) cut them all out with a paper slicer.  You can purchase pre-made invitation style envelopes at one of my favorite stores (The Paper Source) however..money saver again...I made my own.  Again, bless my dear friends and their hands!  I will never forget their willingness to help and sacrifice of time on Geoff and my behalf!

Heather {over at "Squeezing It All In"}getting ready to WORK!

Lisa injured her finger...I pushed them {wink}

Stacy sewed ALL the invites together...I was WAY too nervous. Love her for this!!

.Outside.

.inside.
~Big Thanks to: Mom, Stacy, Tracy, Lisa, Heidi, Heather, Joanna, and Geoff~

..Wedding Programs.. 

Now, we had a Friday night ceremony and we knew it would probably be hot in August.  We weren't sure if the church AC would be on (it was, but still toasty in there).  We really wanted our guests to be as comfortable as possible and enjoy themselves, henceforth Program Fans!

Geoff and I stained popsicle sticks, cut all the paper down to size, clipped corners, and glued.  Such a great hubbsters for helping me with this chore.  **Note to Bride** We made 2/3 the amount of guests invited...and still have a ton left over...make like 1/2 of guests invited..ha!

..Reception Stationary..

I love things that are labeled.period. So, of course I wanted people to know what was what at our reception!  I made labels for about everything that of course matched our "Stationary Theme".  I'll share a few photos, you'll get the idea, ha! 

..Thank You's..

Geoff and I came up with this idea and ran with it...lol!

We included: Picture, thank you, new family info card

I loved creating all of my stationary...and you've only really seen a SMALL amount!

{Kate}

Wedding Season. August

I love weddings and all the meaning they hold.  Wasn't Tracy and Kirk's day beautiful, such a celebration of their love!  It was so fun to re-live it in July, thanks T!  I'm going to be sharing my experiences and DIY knowledge (however much that may be) through this August 2011!

Background: Geoff joked early on in our relationship that we should just get married and the date 8.9.10 would be perfect!  Well, once we were engaged we looked up the date and it was a Monday...HA!  So we kept looking and 8.27.10 was perfect and if you add up 2+7=9....LOVE IT!

This was a Friday night and with Geoff's family all from OR and friends all over the US, we thought this would be the best day of the week.  We wanted to really spend time with everyone without the 'stress' of the wedding...so we were able to spend quailty time with the family Saturday and Sunday!  I do want to re-thank everyone who took off work for our wedding.....it wouldn't have been the same without you.  We were very blessed with such generous people surrounding us.

Once picking the date everything started rolling into place.  We got engaged in Feburary of 2010...leaving us 6 short months to prepare!  I wanted to create everything myself....for multiple reasons.

1. We set ourselves with a small, reasonable budget!

2. I enjoy creating things, and I had a lot of historical family items I wanted to use!

I hope you'll enjoy seeing how we pulled off our big event in the next month, I'm looking forward to reviewing it all a year later, with you!

After a long day of school and parent/teacher conferences, Geoff had set up a touching scavenger hunt...love him!

re-color my world...casa de kate

My living room/hallway have been this tan/flesh tone since I've moved in (4 years ago). I have always had other rooms at the top of the priority paint list! Now, these two rooms have needed touch ups, thanks to the prior owners, but I knew I'd eventually paint the rooms when the right color picked me!

I've never had any color scream at me....until NOW (and I'm excited...)

My husband was dying to get a rug for the living room and we found one at Ikea we liked.  Well, upon returning home, and putting the new fresh smelling rug into the room...it was a "where has your color wheel been?!", this room NEEDS to be a grey color!!!

new rug...old color

Hallway (with decor already down)

Can't wait to actually put some paint on the wall! I'm in the process of removing decor/cleaning the walls/taping off.  I have all the supplies and the motivation!

Can't wait to show you all the final outcome.

I'm all for new color and the fresh paint smell and look!

This is the new color:

However, when I hold up my little paint chip next to this on the computer...mine is WAY lighter..so?!

This is a room someone else had painted in the same shade (I believe) and I'm inspired!

Hoping the finished product can be shown SOON!

{KATE}



calling all CURLY girls...

Curly Girl: The Handbook

My short story:

   {baby} my momma could just get my hair wet and wrap it around her finger and it'd be curly

   {circa 7th grade} my hair (length: down to my butt) was getting frizzy!? My hilarious mom,

                               who by the way does NOT have curly hair, took me to a stylist to see how we

                               could remedy this problem.  The stylist said " HA, well she is blessed with

                               curly hair?!"  WHO KNEW!

   {circa 9th grade} a classmate told me I had "fake curls"...whatever that means?! 

                               But, I still embraced what I had and had fun experimenting!

   {circa then to now}  I would straighten and curl my hair..using all the 'normal' products.

                                     I rarely wear my hair in the same style from day to day...I get BORED!

   {circa a week ago} I saw this book and thought...sure I'll read it, what can it hurt. 

                                   Since then I've taken a whole new approach with my hair (my hubby has

                                   joined in this venture as well).  I highly recommend any curly haired

                                   person to read this and learn a new technique! I have seen a difference,

                                   and LOVE the new gel I'm using!  For those people in Cincy, OH; Susan's

                                   Natural World sells great all natural products for this technique!

Lorraine Massey: Author
{I WANT HER HAIR.period}



Has anyone tried this style technique....I want to hear your story...OR if you haven't yet and do try it...I want to hear how it is going :)

{KATE} 



Oregon Summer.2011

Oh how this state takes your breath away. My husband, Geoff, grew up in OR and so we went back for a family visit.  We were there for 12 glorious days...and filled it up with so many great memories! 

Checked off my list:

~ Spend time at the beach

~ Drive up to the mountians (we listened to Glee and Wicked the whole way up..my hubby loves me)

~ Bike ride (every day)

~ Shop in Sisters, OR (adorable little town)

~ Obviously GREAT family time, love them!

~ Schwerzler family slide show.....makes me nostalgic and wish slides were still around...FUN!

~ Annual movie trip with Geoff & Father-in-law :) (and movie with the Navarro girls-empty theatre!)

~ Horseback riding (mine was named Pawnee...which show is this from?!?!)

~ Canoeing (TOTALLY different than canoeing here in OH....so coooooooolllllll)

~ Saw Mt. Hood (where The Shining was filmed)

~ Day trip to Portland....and shopping....and MY FAVORITE STORE....Paper Source (not one in OH)

~ Hot tubing

~ Light tanning from beautiful sun

~ Teaching the twins to drive (well, Geoff did.....I videoed!!!)
~ Pool time including slides!

~ Delicious food....yum

~ Visiting Geoff's grandma (GG) and Aunt Jeanie...love them....hilarious!

~ Worked on my spanish :)

~ Geoff's sister made CD's out of old tape recordings..of little Geoff making up creative stories {love}

~ So much more, I'm KNOW I didn't list them all......

I was filled with relaxation/good times to last me for a little bit.  I have so much to be greatful and thankful for!   Love the great state of OR, who wants to go with us next time!

Lincolin City Beach

local Sunriver, OR deer, gorgeous creature

bike path views....breath-taking

Sister's Mountins

another bike path view...mmmm

Mt. Hood

.the shining. hallway of twins...creeeppppyyy

saw To Mater...and the movie: Cars 2

Geoff and his sister Angie outside my store...miss it already

ferry ride....catch the rainbow!

bike riding (breaking ALL rules....oops)

I want to white water raft again! ha

This is just a SMALL selection of photos....again, I highly reccomend OR as a vacation spot..or really a place to set some roots!

{KATE}