Floral Inspiration of the Week

Here is the latest floral arrangement by my unbelievably talented older sister. These two pictures are of the same arrangement, just different angles.

According to my sister: "The roses are a very unusual color... kind of a gray purple... the roses are called Amnesia roses, and I paired them with MiniHydrangeas."

Beautiful!

This Almost Makes Me Want a Winter Wedding...

...but I still really don't like the cold. :) Beautiful!

(Source: www.abryanphoto.com)

The Grand Exit

I love pictures from wedding getaways. Our photographer will be gone by that point, but I'm relying on the photography skills of my friends and family. :)

We haven't decided yet what exactly our grand exit will include. I love the look of sparklers, but I have heard they can be very smoky, and can be dangerous for those who have had a bit too much to drink! They do make beautiful pictures though. :)

(source: www.abryanphoto.com)

Look at how cute these pinwheels are!

(source: I can't remember!)

But this one is probably my favorite. Flower petals! This shot is beautiful!

(source: www.tracyturpen.com)

How will you (or did you) make your grand exit?

Best Day of Work EVER.

I just got home from the best day of work EVER. Yes, I am gainfully employed! My law school offered me a temporary position in their Office of Student Life. It was SUCH a wonderful day. :)

I Want These. Bad.

Aren't they beautiful?? Sigh. J.Crew no longer carries them, but this pair is for sale on eBay right now...for $150. Hmmm. Not sure about that since I've never tried them on, and I'm not sure if the size would be right. But I sure am tempted!

Hair Stylin'

As the days are getting warmer here in sunny Florida, the thought of my August wedding grows increasingly...warm. :) Both the ceremony and reception are indoors, so we shouldn't have too much trouble. But anyone who has ever been to Florida in August knows that the humidity attacks as soon as one steps out the door.

This brings me to my question...what to do with my hair? My fiance likes when I wear it down, but the heat is telling me to wear it up. I like this updo:

And I like this as a half up/half down compromise:

Does anyone have any thoughts/suggestions/words of advice? Any and all would be greatly appreciated!

How did you (or will you) wear your hair on your wedding day?

An Example of Love...

My parents. They have been married over 30 years and have weathered countless storms together. I hope and pray that my fiance and I are still as in love as they are after 30 years.

My Mom took this picture of my fiance and I shortly after we got engaged...

And here are my parents, back when they got engaged! :)

I promise we didn't arrange these pictures to look the same! My Mom was looking at the one of my fiance and I, and remembered this picture of her and my Dad. I love it. :)

Who has been your example of love?

Defining Love

I stumbled across these quotes that attempt to define love and thought I'd share:

"Love is friendship set on fire" ~Jeremy Taylor

"Love is a never ending feeling" ~Adeil Prince

"Love is being stupid together" ~Paul Valey

"Love is a moment that lasts forever" ~Julie Wittey

And then there is this, one of my favorite quotes about love of all time:

"The greatest happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." ~Victor Hugo

How do you define love?

To See or Not To See?

This question has raised much debate on wedding boards and blogs: Are you seeing eachother on the day of the wedding before the ceremony begins?

For us, the answer is no. The first time I will see him that day is when he is standing at the front of the church and I am walking down the aisle. I cannot wait for that moment!

I understand the arguments for more time for photographs, and I certainly understand that. I think we will be fine with the way our schedule will go. I have noticed, however, that photographers are getting creative with taking pictures of both the bride and groom together before they actually see eachother! This is what I'm talking about (and this is one of my all time FAVORITE wedding photos!)

This photo is actually of two friends of my friends from college and was taken by the talented Bryan Johnson of www.abryanphoto.com.

Will you (or did you) see your groom before the ceremony?

The Ultimate Father/Daughter Dance

I'm not sure how to post this as a video (if anyone does, please help!) but I just saw this on www.weddingbee.com and LOVE IT! So I had to share. This is the ultimate father/daughter dance. (Although my cousin Jenny's dance with her father is a close second!) Dad, we need to start practicing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hkEYIWNGB8&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eweddingbee%2Ecom%2F2009%2F03%2F27%2Fthe%2Dother%2Ddance%2F&feature=player_embedded

My Domestic Fiance :)

As promised, I have some pictures from our registering at Bed, Bath & Beyond yesterday. This first one cracks me up. In case you can't read it, his apron says "Domestic Diva". :)


He is such a good sport. :) But this brings me to an opportunity to brag about my fiance. He is wonderfully domestic. He has no problem vaccuuming, doing dishes, making dinner, cleaning bathrooms, doing laundry, mopping floors, etc etc! Aren't I a lucky girl?? Especially if you know me. I am definately lacking in the "domestic" area. I like to cook...every so often. And cleaning? Eh. When I get around to it. So I am very thankful for my domestic fiance!

Here is he is picking out some new things to be domestic with - note the "manly" colors. :)


Who is the domestic one in your relationship? Are there any other domestic fiances (or husbands) out there?

How Many Registries Is Too Many?

My fiance and I just got back from registering at Bed, Bath & Beyond. (Pictures to come from that shortly!) We had already registered at Macy's and Target. We registered at Macy's for some of the finer items, and at Target for some everyday items that would fit more people's budgets. However, I was unable to find any flatware I liked (that I thought people could afford) so we decided to register at BB&B since their flatware was a bit more affordable. We were able to find several items we liked, but I still wanted to find some serving dishes. I've been eyeing some at Pottery Barn for a while, so I added those by creating a Pottery Barn registry online when we get home.

My question is...are four registries too many?

Our Stamps...Found on Etsy!

Remember the stamp we used for our save-the-dates?

I was browsing http://www.etsy.com/ the other day (one of my favorite pastimes), and I came across these invites that use the same (or almost the same) stamp!

Now I can't find the seller's shop, but I these are from http://www.etsy.com/. We are still trying to figure out exactly how we might use the stamps for our invitations, and these are definately some great examples! I love these programs too...

I love how they put those little jewels in the design! These are also from http://www.etsy.com/, and once again I can't find the seller's shop. Sorry! That design is a bit different than our stamps, but these are great inspiration! I will keep you posted on how our designs are coming along.

Where have you found inspiration?

Where Our Vows Will Take Place...

It is with great excitement that I show you these pictures of our ceremony site! This is where we officially become "us". Where I become his forever. Where the vows will be said, and where we will be announced as husband and wife!



The back story about our ceremony site - it has been my fiance's church since he was very young. I mean, very young. The pastor that will be marrying us has been his pastor since my fiance was about four. This building is actually the place where we first met, over fifteen years ago! So it obviously holds very special meaning for us!



These images were taken last weekend when we were there for our pre-marital counseling. Things will look very different the day of our wedding - for one thing, all those banners will be taken down. And as I'm looking at this picture, maybe those white things in the back of the seats need to come out too! I'm loving the lighting in these pictures - that is the great thing about it having no windows...we can use candlelight and adjust the lighting however we want! But as you can see, it is a VERY short aisle (seven rows deep). We are still playing with ideas for decorating the aisle and stage - I'd love to hear any suggestions you all might have!

Blessed.

I am blessed. So blessed. My fiance and I just got home from church. I was reminded that even in these tough times of unemployment and other crazy things going on in my life, God is in control. God can use these tough circumstances to draw my fiance and I closer together and closer to Him. I am so thankful for my fiance - and I feel so blessed and honored that I will soon be his wife!

I just wanted to share. :)

The Search for the Perfect Honeymoon Spot!

While our honeymoon plans have been put on hold because of our current unemployed status, it is still fun to look! After spending much time on Trip Advisor, Weddingbee, Book It, and other sites, we have narrowed down the choices to two. Both were within our budget (and hopefully will be again soon!), are all-inclusive, and don't require my fiance to be on a plane for too long (he really is not a big fan of flying). Our search has come down to these two!

Sandals Ocho Rios, Jamaica:

Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic:

I will go into further detail about each of these in the future; these are just the teaser photos. :) To be honest, I'm leaning toward the Majestic Colonial. Mostly because of Mrs. SeaBreeze's posts on Weddingbee! Check out her (hysterical) blog about her destination wedding at the Majestic Colonial: http://www.weddingbee.com/author/seabreeze/

Have you heard about either of these resorts? Input? Suggestions?

Fun Favors (Part 2) - Made By My Sister!

Last week I posted a blog entry called "Fun Favors". My sister saw the post, and when I arrived at her house the next day, she had created one just for me! I keep telling you this chica is incredibly creative and talented!! Check this out!

When I asked her how she did it, this is what she said:

If you have or have access to photoshop, you can create cootie catchers pretty easily. Go to www.vintageglamblog.com and download the photoshop file that they provide! Fill in the blanks, and print!Y ou will need to trim the paper to be a square. Then fold each corner to the middle, (so that the writting is on the outside). Then flip it around and fold the new corners to the middle. Now you will need to fold the square in half, open it up, and then fold it in half the other way. (this will create creases in the paper that you will need to open it properly. Now just stick you fingers underneath the outside flaps and pinch! Enjoy!

Man, she's good. Thanks Shannon!

New Images by Audrey Snow!

As most of you know, my wedding photographer will be the oh so talented Audrey Snow. Here are some photos from her lastest wedding - beautiful!

See more at: http://audreysnowphotography.bigfolioblog.com/

Floral Inspiration of the Week

Okay, so my floral inspiration of the week is a bit late...sorry! My sister created this fun bouquet this weekend with the flowers she found at the local farmer's market. Something about this bouquet is just so cheery! I can totally picture it as a centerpiece at a backyard wedding!

Create Your Own Font!

Wow. Not only do I have a creative family, I have creative friends too! One of my best friends from high school has her own shop on Etsy! Check it out at: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6668064

She specializes in creating fonts - including yours! Check this out!

This could be an awesome thing to add to your wedding scrapbook, invitations, save the dates, or thank you notes! She also has some other fonts she has created for sale:





This is my personal favorite:

So creative - and the ultimate in personalization! I have a feeling some of her work will be finding its way into some of my wedding items!

Contact

calliecowan@gmail.com

The Five Love Languages

This past weekend, my fiance and I had our third pre-marital counseling session. I guess I haven't mentioned this before. Yes, we are doing pre-marital counseling and I HIGHLY recommend it for any other engaged couples out there!

This past Saturday we discussed the Five Love Languages, based on a book by Gary Chapman. You may have heard of this, but just in case you haven't, here is the blurb about the book:

Are you and your spouse speaking the same language? While love is a many splendored thing, it is sometimes a very confusing thing, too. And as people come in all varieties, shapes, and sizes, so do their choices of personal expressions of love. But more often than not, the giver and the receiver express love in two different ways. This can lead to misunderstanding, quarrels, and even divorce. Dr. Gary Chapman identifies five basic languages of love and then guides couples towards a better understanding of their unique languages of love. Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Learn to speak and understand your mate's love language, and in no time you will be able to effectively love and truly feel loved in return. Skillful communication is within your grasp!

There is a short test online where you can discovery your (and your significant other's) love language. Here it is: http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/30sec.html#love

My love language: Physical Touch. By far. The second, however, is Quality Time.

My fiance's love language?: Acts of Service. And then, Quality Time.

These weren't suprises to us, but they are good reminders! Do you know your love language? What about the love language of your significant other?

Live Ivy Wreath - Made by Mom!

Have I told you how creative my family is? Check out this live ivy wreath my Mom made!


This is how she made it (in her own words)...

"I got four different kinds of ivy took them out of the pots....put a thin layer of forist foam on a wire wreath form and then wired the ivy on to it...then wired moss over it all. I am now spraying it down on a regular basis .I am hoping to keep them alive and well for two different weddings. The nice thing about making a live wreath for a wedding is it needs to be cared for on a regular basis and if you have a green thumb like mine you know that you need to spend time praying for the wreath to stay alive...while doing this I try to remember to pray for the couple that it is being made for...by the way...ivy is a sign for fertility..."

I love it. And Mom, I love your explanation. I didn't edit a thing. It is perfect. Thanks.

I Lost...

I lost a game of Scrabble to my fiance tonight. This is unheard of...I am the (self-proclaimed) Scrabble Queen! Here is the the final board...



And here he is, showing off the scoresheet...boo!


The funniest part of the night was after the game when I declared, "Fine! Loser has to clean it up!" He reminded me that was, in fact, me. I told you I wasn't used to losing...

What is your favorite board game to play?

My Future Sisters-In-Law Love Their Dresses!

I couldn't think of a flashy title for this post - but I think it about sums it up! My future sisters-in-law love their dresses! (Yay!) They were in town this weekend, so they finally got their dresses this weekend and tried them on. I couldn't be happier. They look fabulous, and they don't break anyone's budget (let me remind you - these dresses only cost $40!). AND they may actually wear them again! (But doesn't every bride say that? Hehe).

My fiance's little sister striking a pose

My two future sisters-in-law modeling their shoe choices - or NOT! :)

We had a great time hanging out with my fiance's family this weekend - even my future father-in-law loved the bridesmaid dresses! Fabulous.