Great DIY Hair Tutorials

So.. Thanks to Mrs Vingtage Glam as well as It's a Jamie Thing I ventured onto this Youtube Video:


I think this would make for a fabulous wedding day hairstyle..
Have you found any other videos that you enoy that would be a great tutorial? I would lvoe to try them!
Here are my results!

Please excuse the lack of make up

I've been Tagged! I Feel the LOVE!

So not only do I have new followers, but I have been tagged!

This is my first time, and I have to say I feel special that others are even reading my blog let alone tagging me! So I will do my best!
Thank you Tayia at Love, Life, and Maple Leafs .. This is actually a new blog that I have found and if you are planning on DIY for your bouquets.. definitely check out her bouquet wraps!

Alright, so here we go!
4 things I did today:
1. I picked up all of my supplies for our "wedding intervention" tomorrow.. This is a Get together a group of friends is throwing for me to get a handle on quite a few of my DIY projects including invites, pomanders, favors, tissue pouches and many many more things..
2. I conversed with Etsy Seller Debrashi in regards to my flower hair pics for my wedding.. She makes clay flower arrangements, bouts, hair picks, and many other projects.. I am hoping to have her make me an orchid cluster, each of my girls a single orchid hair clip, and my flower girl an orchid hairband.. Knottie Rebmav raved about the Gardenia she had Debrashi make for her. I've also been told that they are surprisingly light!
3. Today was the last day in my current job, so today my co-workers and I celebrated my promotion with a fabulous breakfast they brought in for me, as well as packed up my desk :(
4. I applied to be a WeddingBee! That's right!

4 things on my To Do list:

I only get to list four?!?! Oh lord!
1. I need to write my paper on what leadership means to me for my Leadership Development course
2. I need to re-make, print, and cut my Direction inserts for my wedding invitations
3. I need to clean my house! I Swear that my fiance is going to divorce me before we ever get to our wedding day! (I am the self-proclaimed "World's Worst Housekeeper")
4. I need to mail out my Gift Swap Gift to one of my fellow January 09 Boards.. I was supposed to send this to her over a month ago and it has just escaped me.. I can't apologize enough to her!

4 of my guiltiest pleasures:

1. NACHOS! lol, does food count?
2. The Knot .. I am officially addicted to it and my fellow knotties.. I can't get enough wedding questions, suggestions ,and ideas!

3. Tayia, I am with you.. I am a closet Brittney Fan!!! I cant get enough of her..

4. Photography, I LOVE to take my camera with me everywhere.. I don't care if I have to take 500 pictures.. if I walk awy with one amazing shot.. I am smitten.. and let me fine tune this even more.. I LOVE photographing my neice Samantha.. She is such a little ham!!

(insert cute photos here hehehe)

4 random facts about little ol' me:

1. I was an exchange student my Junior year of High School in Austria.. One of the best experiences in my life...

2. I am an avid outdoors women.. I love to camp, go four-wheeling, mudding, and yes.. hunt..

3. I drive a HUGE pick up truck.. It even has steps to get up into it.. LOL.. I LOVE it..

4. I originally was a vocal music major in college.. I studied Jazz at the University of North Florida...

Now I'm gonna tag 4 people:
1. It's a Jaime Thing!
2. Polka Dot Bride/Groom
3. Tasty Treats by Michi
4. Vintage Glam Blog One of my All time Favorite Weddings!

Thanks for the link, Interesting turn of events..

So I see that I have a few followers.. Thank you ladies and gentleman for the following.. I know I am fairly new to this whole blogging world, but it is definitely something I am beginning to enjoy. I also wanted to say a special thank you to It's a Jaime Thing!.. I see I am now listed under her Wedding Inspiration links! I feel very honored and I hope that I can live up to it!

On another note,
Things have been rolling along smoothly for me. Today was my very last day in my current job. I have held my position for almost 3 years now in the Legal Compliance department where I have filed, and pushed, and prodded with attorneys, state agencies, clients, and co-workers. I have to say that it has been an interesting three years and I have seen myself grow as an individual as well as a professional. I will miss my co-workers dearly, but luckily I will still be working for the same company.
On Monday, I will begin my new position as a Client Relations Manager. What that has in store for me, I'm not quite sure. I am positive however that the changes will offer me an enormous opportunity for growth.
Between a new job, the wedding itself, staying healthy, and school I know that I will have a lot on my plate.. but I know with everyone's patience and support that we will make it to the finish line! i look forward to sharing with everyone as we get closer and closer. Do any of you balance a large plate as well while planning? I'm interested to know if I am the only one out there.

BTW.. 99 DAYS UNTIL MY WEDDING!!!

DIY Napkins...

So.. I just realized that I never posted my DIY Napkin Expiriment..

Yes ladies and gentlemen, you can even DIY Napkins. Matchbooks.. the possibilities are endless!



What you will need:

A Stamp of your choosing... I had a custom monogram stamp made on Ebay by seller Longchai for about $10 and I LOVE it...

StayZOn PErmanent Ink in your choice of colors..

Napkins or Matchbooks

I just recommend getting a good coat of ink on yoru stamp and then pealing it off of the napkin slowly so that it does not tare.... Here are the pics and the pic of the water test... no smudging yay!!

DIY Floating Orchids

Ok.. So today has been a lazy Sunday for me.. but I did accomplish something! I finished my floating Orchids and crystals...

For this project you will need Orchids(or a flower of your choice)

Crystals, and fishing line... (clear)

I recommend stringing the flowers through a petal rather than the back of the flower.. this will help so the flower faces outward...

I also tied a knot below the flower and each crystal to make sure they stayed in the correct place..

I also recommend rolling up all of the strings and tying them with a twist tie before storing them away in a safe location.. I ended up having to cut four strands to pieces because they got very knotted together

So on another note.. I have quite a few things to accomplish this week before our wedding intervention on Saturday.. I have to print and cut all of my direction cards over... damn map.. lol... I also need to purchase more styro balls and tissue paper for the pomanders... Jen has also graciously offered to score all of my invite backings... Things are coming along smoothly YAY!

Pasta Salad

So Tonight I made one of Fi and I's favorite dishes .. Antipasta Pasta Salad.. So I thought I would share.. You can be as creative as you like with this dish You can add as many veggies as you like and you can get as healthy as your mind can imagine.. I start with the basic items..
1lb of Rotini
1 lb of cubed cheese (I prefer Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack)
2 Medium Onions
1 Pepper (Or more to taste)
1 lb of Hard Salami
1 Can of sliced Olives
I jar of Pepperoncinis Sliced
1 Bottle of your favorite Italian Dressing(You can also use a vinagrette or Balsamic Vineger and Olive Oil)
Sometimes I add Celery, Cherry Tomatos, Cucumbers.. etc..


Step 1:
You can start by boiling the Pasta to taste according to the directions on the box... Make sure to season the water with Salt





Step 2:
While the Pasta is boiling, Chop all of your vegetables .. I like to leave them chunky so that the pasta salad is a little heartier



Step 3:
Drain your sliced Olives

Step 4:
Chop your Salami into Chunks



Step 5:
Place all of your ingredients (except Pasta) into a large bowl

Step 7:
Pour in 3/4 of the bottle of dressing


Step 8:
Blend Everything Together evenly (Ignore my black specks.. I mistakenly bought chopped olives instead of sliced hehe)





Step 9:
Once you have drained your pasta and it has cooled to room temperature.. add it to your antipasta and blend evenly





Enjoy!

DIY Favor Box and Card Class

OK, So today was Card Class.. My friend Jeniffer is a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and holds card classes at her house once a week.. (http://www.jeniferletourneau.stampinup.net/ )


We made 3 cards, and two favor boxes which I think could easily be used for MANY wedding projects from favor boxes, to petal pouches.... You could use these for your bridal shower too! Here are pics of the projects we made and step by step instructions on the favor pouches...

Here is the Warm Wishes Card we made..

Here is the Birthday Card:

Here is the Halloween Card we made:
Here is a Pitcure of the favor pouches:

So lets make som favor boxes!
What you will need:
Paper! (I used a 4x6 sheet of decorative paper, you can use anythign larger.. I wouldnt use anything smaller though... You wont be able to fit much.. I will be using 12x12 pages to make goodie favors for the kids in the wedding..
you will need some "Terribly Tacky Tape" Or any other tape that has a super hold!
Ribbon
Stamp and inkpad
Two sizes of round punches for the tag
A Whole Punch

Step 1:

You will need to line The Terribly Tacky tape along one whole edge of the paper..

Step 2:

1/3 of the paper size strip on the bottom left corner of the paper coming away from the side where you already lined the tape.. Place another piece a 1/3 size piece of tape in the middle of the top of the pageStep 3:

Peel the backing of the tape off on the long strip of tape.

Step 4:

Roll the paper like onto itself and seal it so that it forms a "toilet paper roll"

Step 5:

Peel the tape strip that is connected to the strip of tape that is already sealed (the corner strip) Squeeze the two sides together in order to seal the end of the tubeStep 5:

Place your favor, candy, truffles inside the favor box

Step 6:

Peel the tape backing off of the opene end of the tube Step 7:

Press the two sides together in order to seal the favor box

This is what your end result will look like

Step 8:

Stamp your design onto another piece of paper and punch it out with your smaller punch.. (you can also use square punches or use only one punch.. the options are endless) Step 9:

Punch the backing in a cordinating coler using the large sircle punch

Step 10:

Adhere the two punches together

Sep 11:

Punch a whole in your tag

Step 12:

Punch a whole in the sealed edge of the favor box

Step 13:

Linbe the tage and the favor box together and tie together with the ribbon

Here is the end result

The nice thing about these favors is that they are extremely versatile and the possibilities are endless... You could use these as escort cards for your guests, favors, bridal shower favors, halloween treats for the local kids, for your kids birthday parties, for your valentines gifts.. All sorts of things! Just let your imagination run wild

DIY Invite Mockup YAY!

OK ladies.. I am SOO excited.. I got my last few items in today that I needed to put my invites together.. here are some pics..

It took a while to get the printer color right but here is what I used:

Ivory Cardstock from Staples 250 pages for 9.99

Green ribbon from Joanns $1.00

Bronze Stardream cardstock from http://www.anchorpaper.com/ (Tom is FABULOUS)

Baroque Motiff Stamp from Stampin Up

Chocolate Chip Ink pad from Stampin Up

Clear Embossing Powder

I also designed everything in Power Point and Word..

The total cost for one invite is approx $1.00 Which I LOVE