Wedding Planning - the funner bits

So most of the big stuff for the wedding was really planned before we left for summer vacation. There are still some big items that need taking care of - but two more are getting knocked off the list tomorrow - three if I really try.

In the days following the earthquake, I had nothing better to do than play on the internet. (Why oh why did I not hike more?!?) I came upon a few DIY websites that I have really enjoyed poking around. And list making began. Wedding magazines do nothing for me - DIY wedding blogs - hell yes!

My official wedding to do list is about 6 pages in a google-doc (but that's 6 pages of details, links to ideas and such). The best part about this list is almost everything on it is optional. It's all stuff that I would like to do for some reason or another - but none of it is necessary for my happiness. I mistakenly thought I was going to have all this time to get things done, but really statistics takes way too much time and this schedule is more difficult than we all thought. However I have managed to squeeze in a few projects.

We haven't ordered the invitations because there are still some undecided details, but we took advantage of a sale and a coupon to order the RSVP cards in the pattern that Aaron liked. We could have ordered matching envelopes - but it was like $60 more and I couldn't stand for it. So instead I read up on some things on the web, bought some crafting supplies, and I embossed them - TWICE (in two places). And they look awesome!

Then I decided to personalize some napkins (also because of the unreal prices for ordering them and because I think it is a nice colorful touch). Two statistics lectures later - 250 are done. Nora has informed me that I probably need more so I will polish those off during another lecture after resupplying.

Mom and I embossed other napkins one night for the table settings. I taught my mom something crafty (!) because she had never embossed before. This project was the most time consuming so far because there was a larger margin for error and we really wanted them to look good.

Tonight I tried making a personalized cake topper. Aaron and I have gone back and forth about wanting one. I didn't want one from a store and we had one we liked on Etsy, but secretly I was hoping this project would be awesome. I found great directions on a DIY website and pictorial inspiration on Etsy (for toppers over $100 eek!).

First, you sketch in pencil (which you can erase over and over) and then you paint (which is do or die!). The hardest part was mixing paint to approximate Aaron's hair color especially since the only brown I have is in the form of a paint marker. The second hardest part was drawing the hair on Aaron's head. Mine was surprisingly easy.

Aaron does look like a zombie. As soon as he finds me some sandpaper I am going to try to sand off those baby blues and replace them with a shade of darker or brighter blue. Aaron also says we need mouths because his goatee looks like a brown mouth, but I need to practice that thin of a line. And if I can find a really fine white or silver sharpie I will outline the details of his suit and maybe some details of my dress. But so far I like them and so does he! And now I just want to play with them - check them out in front of the painting :)