Wedding Wednesday - Fab Freebies!

So far in the wedding planning process I have learned that everyone wants a piece of the "wedding pie" (Adam's reference) meaning that weddings are ex-pen-sive and everyone wants to be paid for something.  If you are like me and need (hope) to stick within a budget, you need to think of some creative alternatives to get what you want without breaking the bank.  Thankfully I have come across some great wedding freebies that I'm going to share with you today!

I found most of these freebies on two websites: Wedding Chicks and The Tom Kat Studio. I've linked up to the freebies in the picture captions so you can easily find these printables.

For the Wedding Party

Wedding Chicks has a few different options of "Will you be my" cards.  I actually sent this bicycle one to my bridesmaids.  You are able to customize the color and change bridesmaid/groomsman to Maid of Honor/Best Man. To see all of the "Will you be my" options click here.

Will you be my bridesmaid via Wedding Chicks

Will you be my groomsman via Wedding Chicks

Invitations

Have you done any research on invitations yet?  There are SO many great styles out there that I have fallen in love with but $100+ for 25 invitations plus postage - YIKES!  That's a little rich for my budget not to mention, after the wedding they are thrown away.  Here are some free wedding invitation suites that wont break the bank and will do the job!

 I would still have these professionally printed, either by the communication resource team at our office or through an office max or office depot.  These stores always have printing specials and coupons if you ask.  Plus if you use their reward card, it can be even cheaper yet! :)

The free wedding invitations from Wedding Chicks are completely customizable for color and wording.

Modern Monogram Wedding Invitation via Wedding Chicks

Chevron wedding invitation via Wedding Chicks

Rustic Wedding Invitation via Wedding Chicks

The invitations from The Tom Kat Studio for the Wedding DIY network don't offer color customization but that's not something a little bakers twine or washi tape couldn't take care of!

Invitation Suite for Wedding DIY network via The Tom Kat Studio

Decorations

Decorations are always the fun part and bring your whole wedding style together, I think.  If you are a DIY-er they are easy to make on a budget not to mention there are so many free printables, ideas and patterns out there that decorating becomes (fairly) easy.  Here are a few freebies I found...

Table Numbers & Place Cards

Table numbers via Wedding Chicks

Place cards via The Tom Kat Studio

Photo Booth

Last week someone left a comment on my Wedding Wednesday post about having a photo booth.  This one is for you!

Photo booth sign via Wedding Chicks

Wedding Signs & Banners

Wedding signs and banners are super simple decorations that offer a big punch to your decor.  I love these!  For all of the free printable decorations from Wedding Chicks click here.

 

Mr./Mrs Signs: Wedding Chicks // Bride/Groom sign: The Tom Kat Studio

Just Married Sign via The Tom Kat Studio

A Few More Freebies

Here are a few more freebies that I've found along the way...

Wedding Chicks has a bunch of free cell phone wallpapers for you to download!  This one is my favorite.  Click here to find more.

I also found this iPhone app called Wedding Snap.  It is a photo sharing application that allows your guest to take pictures and everyone saves them to the same album.  Have your guests or wedding party download this app before your big day and they can help you capture all of the things you might have missed!  

 

I hope these freebies help you out - I know they will help me a bunch!  Please follow along on the Design Your Dwelling Facebook page.  I'll be posting links to any new freebies I find here. Click here to follow on Facebook.

Have a great Wednesday and a Happy Halloween!

Fall Guest Bedroom

Welcome back from the weekend!

If you follow me on Facebook you've probably been reading a few posts about my desire to decorate a bedroom for fall/winter after paging through the most recent Pottery Barn catalog.  Well, I did it and I love it!  

Plaid Flannel Sheets: Target // Brown Paisley Shams: West Elm // White duvet: Target // Grey afghan: gift

Yellow Canvas Print: Target (old) // Lamp & lamp shade: Target // Greyhound statue: Target

Plaid Scarf: mall kiosk

Wood tray: Target // Plaid scarf: mall kiosk

The whole room update cost around $50 - flannel sheets, lamp shade, and wood tray.  I already had pretty much everything I wanted in the room is just a matter of re-purposing it from another space in my house.  The plaid scarves added the extra warm feel that I was going for and they aren't as bulky as a throw might be.  

I wish that I could have decorated our master bedroom for fall, but flannel sheets and a down comforter don't go over well with the "Mr."

So - who wants to be a guest this fall?! :)

High 5 For Friday

1. I found this cute bird mug at Target this week.  I am a sucker for cute mugs...
2. Aren't these the cutest cards you've ever seen?  What makes them better is that they are FREE on the Wedding Chicks website.
3. I got these four scarves for $26.00 at a kiosk in the mall - I couldn't resist the warm prints.
4. Peppermint Mocha is now being served at McDonalds.
5. I filled up with gas for $3.20.  I can't  believe I'm saying this but, that's cheap!

I hope you all have had a great week!  Don't forget to stop over at From My Grey Desk to check out the other High 5 For Friday posts!

Wedding Wednesday - Favorite Resources...so far

The first thing that gal does after she gets engaged (unless she has been dreaming for years) is start paging through magazines and scrolling through websites to gather endless ideas for their wedding.  At least that's what I did! :)  After nearly 2 months of "research" here are my favorite wedding resources (so far.)

Magazines

Within a week of being engaged I stopped at my local Target and bought nearly every bridal magazine on the rack (because you've just got to!).  Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot are my favorites.  They have the best DIY ideas, real wedding examples, suggestions and dresses.  Of course there were a ton of advertisements  but the least out of the magazines I read.

  

Martha Stewart Weddings                                               The Knot

Websites

Style Me Pretty is a website I stumbled upon via Pinterest.  I love the layout of this website along with the writing style - it's like reading a blog!  You can build an inspiration board here, get DIY ideas and my FAVORITE part of this website is their wedding gallery!  I just noticed they have a magazine too - I will have to check it out...

Wedding Chicks is a website that I found way back before I even thought about getting married.  Not sure how I found it but I loved it!  My favorite part about this website are the real wedding stories and their FREEBIES - everything from invitations to iphone wallpapers - all of which are customizable! SO COOL!  Plus they have great Pinterest boards.

I found Belle The Magazine blog while I was searching for wedding color inspiration on Pinterest.  It's like your standard blog with great advice and tips.  I especially like the tips for mixing colors and bridesmaid dress styles.  They also have a "dress of the week" feature.

All of these websites have Pinterest accounts too!

Of course there is Theknot.com and Martha Stewart Weddings so of course I check out these websites too.  The only thing I don't like about theknot.com is that you  have to sign up and then get 25 emails per day (ok, I'm exaggerating, but that's what it seemed like...)

I hope you find this helpful! If you could do me a favor (or two) let me know of your favorite websites and magazines for planning and pass this blog series along if you know of a bride that might find this helpful!

Thanks for following along on my wedding planning journey! :)

DIY Animal Jars

Have you seen these animal jars?! Aren't they the cutest storage jars that you've ever seen?!

I first saw these over at the Kreyv blog - she has a series called 'So Cheap So Easy' and they are cheap an easy.  A jar from WalMart, spray paint, an animal figure of choice and  super glue is all it takes to make one of these cuties. (*Tip: If you make one of these, scratch up the jar lid so the super glue sticks well.)

This one was a gift to my favorite God Daughter for her 5th birthday complete with beads and string to do some jewelry-making.

High 5 For Friday!

1. I put together my wedding planning binder!  This also kicked off my new blog series - "Wedding Wednesdays!"  Check it out by clicking here.! :)

2. I took an intro camera class for my Cannon DSLR.  I am SO glad I took the glass. I think I took 10 pages of notes.

3. I added this countdown to our wedding to the sidebar on my blog.  It's fun to be able to see this countdown daily.  So far 300+ days seems like a long time but everyone tells me it will go fast.  Get your own countdown here.

4. I LOVE when I get Target coupons in the mail!

5. I found this greyhound dog statue at Target for 50% off!  Everyone needs a good statue, right?!

I hope you all had a great week and a blessed weekend!  As always I will be linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk blog!

Wedding Wednesday - Wedding Binder

Welcome to my new series - Wedding Wednesdays!  I'm pretty excited to start this series because I have so many wedding ideas floating around in my head.  This blog series should help me get organized, keep on top of things, and narrow down my choices. :) Plus - I get to share my wedding planning journey and ideas with you all!  Hopefully I can inspire other brides with ideas and brides will share back!

To kick off the very first Wedding Wednesday post, I thought I would share my Wedding Binder with you!  I've been working on this for a few days and have found some great resources that I have meshed together to fit what I am looking for.  I like things to be simple so that was the goal when I put together this binder!

First - let's talk supplies!  I found all of my binder materials at Staples.  I liked the Martha Stewart line so I went with it.  Here is a list of what I bought to organize my binder:  Black Binder | Turquoise Divider Tabs (5 pack) | 3 Hole Zip Pouch | Filler Paper | Sticky Notes | Sheet Protectors (to hold receipts and business cards).  My grand total was: $35.01

The hardest part about putting this binder together was deciding which categories I wanted to label each tab with.  I suppose I could have bought more tabs and created more categories but I wanted to stay simple.  My tabs are: Contacts/Contracts | Ceremony | Reception | Day Of | Misc. I list everything I have (so far) in each section below.

I used the sticky notes to label sub-categories behind each tab.

I used a sheet of the filler paper to make a list to remind me of everything I wanted to store behind that tab.  I'm sure this list will continue to grow...

There are some great printables online to get your wedding planning started. They made me think a little harder about decision I'll need to make.  I have them linked below.

Binder Contents

Wedding Planning Checklist

Tab 1: Contacts / Contracts
Wedding Party Contact Sheet
Vendor Contact List
Vendor contracts

Tab 2: Ceremony
Guest List
Marriage License
Flowers
Programs
Ceremony Planner

Tab 3: Reception
Menu Worksheet
Decor
Cake
Timeline
Venue info/instructions
Open Bar
Snacks

Tab 4: Day Of
Timeline
Hair
Make Up
Day of checklist
Photographer - must have pictures
Attire - Bride
Attire - Groom
Attire - Bridesmaids
Attire - Groomsman
Emergency Kit List
Transportation

Tab 5: Misc
Budget
Bridal Showers
Rehearsal Dinner
Invitations
Bridal Party Gifts
Registry Checklist

Filler Paper
Zipper Pouch
Sheet Protectors

Russell & Hazel & Real Simple have the best wedding Printables and Martha Stewart has some good ones too.

Whew - that's a lot of stuff and I'm sure there will be more. If I make any significant updates, I'll be sure to update this post!  If there is anything significant that I've missed, let me know.  And, if you know of a bride or someone that is planning and could use help getting organized, please pass along this link! :)

By the way... did you notice my Wedding Countdown on the right side bar? Pretty cool huh?! :)

Top Rated Pinterest Recipes

When I originally joined Pinterest I thought I would pin mostly DIY ideas, home decor and women's fashion.  To my surprise, I find myself pinning recipes more than anything! Here are the top rated Pinterest recipes (as decided by Adam and I)...

Click on the recipe title to get to the actual recipe.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

This is the very first recipe I made from Pinterest.  It is SO good! If you don't have Ritz crackers, don't sweat it, you can use any cracker that is similar.  

Mini Meatloafs

Sometimes, we crave a good meatloaf (maybe it's because we are farm kids that love a hearty meal) but this takes meatloaf to the next level!  The mini meatloafs don't seem to get dried out and the best part is, if you have a favorite meatloaf recipe, just put it into a muffin tin!

Lasagna Rollups

I haven't had lasagna in a long time so I made this recipe last week.  It is just as good as regular lasagna it just seems to bake better in the pan (no crunch edges) and easier to get out of the pan rather than cut squares.  Just be prepared for your kitchen to be a disaster when your done! :)  

Banana Bread With Greek Yogurt

If you are looking for a good, easy banana bread recipe this is it!  It is so tasty, moist and flavorful!

Coconut Pineapple Cake

I made this cake and then found out that Adam doesn't like coconut.  However, I thought it was great and apparently my co-workers did too.  Someone left me a note on the cake pan in our company break room saying how good it was!

Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

And finally, our favorite recipe!  These sound hard to make, but they are super simple and so yummy.  They definitely stayed on our "must keep" list!

I have so many more recipes to make that are sitting on my pinterest board titled, "yum"- follow along if you like!  And if you have recipes that you love, leave a link in the comments section below! :)

Have a great Monday!

High 5 For Friday!

1. Finally add some fall decor to my house thanks to my mom! She gave me these pumpkins and gourds while I was home for a quick visit. (I'm not much of a seasonal decorator so this is it.)
2. After 6 weeks, we are finally parking in the garage!
3. Remember Mamba Candy? I re-discovered them this week!
4. This Necklace was a steal.  $3 on clearance at New York & Company
5. University of MN homecoming is this weekend!  Go Gophers!

As always I am liking up with Lauren From My Grey Desk Blog!  Have a great weekend!

Picture Frame Makeover with Contact Paper

Lately I have discovered some really good finds at my local TJ Maxx store including some great contact paper with a geometric print!  I bought it having no idea what I was going to do with it, just one of those "nice to have on hand" type of crafty things.

Lone behold, I came up with this idea to recover a picture frame mat with it.  I was looking from some new artwork to hang in our bedroom anyhow!

This was a really simple update and worth the risk of me not liking it since the frame was a cheap-o from Michael's and I have to rolls of this contact paper.  Just keep in mind that this is really sticky stuff so make sure you get it straight on the contact paper without any kinks - you only have one try! :)

By the way, the artwork that I framed came from a book of quotes I found at TJ Maxx too!  Have you ever looked in their book/clearance section?  Totally worth the time!

Any other ideas for what I can do with this contact paper... besides line drawers?!

High 5 For Friday!

What a great week that included a trip to Canada and the wrap up of fall harvest for my fiance and my parents!  Here are a few more highs! :)

1. Have I mentioned how much I like stripes for fall?!  I found this dress at Banana Republic for 40% of the sale price!

2. This is my healthy work snack - almonds + peanut M&M's.  Lot's of protein here!

3. Apple Cider is in season.  Yum!

4. I love having color on my nails.  It makes me feel like I have nice, pretty nails and am completely put together.

5. My good friend gave me a jar of her fresh homemade salsa.  So good, especially with fresh chunks of avocado mixed in.  

Don't forget to recap your highs for the week... it is so important to remember the good things!

As always, I am linking up to From My Grey Desk! 

Travel Make Up Bag

Tonight I am hanging out in Guelph, Canada for an over night work meeting at an awesome hotel.  Nothing beats having reservations in a King Suite when you travel for work!  Woohoo!

So, I have to say I am impressed with my packing for this trip - especially when it came to packing my make-up!  For some reason I usually think I need to bring all of my eye shadow colors with me.... this time I got by with just 6 things plus a couple make up brushes!  Here is what was in my travel make up bag!

1. Stila "Sensational in Sydney" Pallet

2. Aveda mineral tinted moisturizer in Sweet Tea (Aveda Salon)

3. Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes - travel size

4. Spearmint Mentha LipShine / Clear Gloss (Bath & Body Works)

5. Almay Wake Up Blush + Highlighter (Local Drug Store)

6. Mary Kay eyeliner in black

I can hardly believe I still had room in my make up bag.  The keys to making this happen for me were a great eye pallet, travel size mascara from the "free gift with purchase" specials and clear lip gloss that acts like chapstick.  I linked up a couple of my must-haves in case you want to purchase and shared where you can find the others.

What is your must-have make up for travel?

Favorite Colors: Blush & Sea Foam

Happy Monday!

I am well aware that it is fall and I should be thinking about fall colors but I am loving blush and sea foam green!  I like these colors for everything from decor to fashion and accessories. Here are some of my picks from Pinterest.

BLUSH

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

SEA FOAM 

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

(The necklace and dress are no longer in stock (boo) but I you can still get to the source.)

The colors trimmed or accessorized in gold are especially beautiful!  I am planning a wedding for approximately a year from now and may have to incorporate these colors in some way! :)

What are your favorite all-around/use-for-anything, colors?