This here's a tale for all you fellas...

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day-- day of love, romance and "OH CRAP!" Randall of xkcd had a great comic about it today, in fact...

Now, I know all my ladies are prepared because that's the nature of our half of the population but the gents... well, there's always a wonderful crush of fellas racing for those last few roses at the store! I also know that my loving husband hates buying things for me because I can always find a deal, so this one's for you guys!

Who says you need to spend $50 on cut flowers and a vase? Tomorrow, you can stop by your nearest thrift store/Salvation Army/whathaveyou and pick up a vase for fifty cents, and pick up some pink, purple, and white flowers at the grocery store. Your lady will be so impressed you went to the trouble, it will totally make up for not paying through the nose for the smallest bouquet FTD has to offer! (which is mostly carnations, anyway)

"But Meg!" you exclaim, "I don't know how to do that!" No worries, my friend, here's a basic tutorial on picking up flowers and putting them in a vase. Low on effort, high on reward! You can use the money you saved to take her out for a nice dessert or pick up a bottle of wine!

Get yourself the basics-- a vase, some water, flowers, and scissors!

I had this vase around, but it cost me about fifty cents at the thrift store

I love the colors here, and this was the $5 bunch!

Get an idea of how much taller the original stem is than your vase

On an angle cut off a couple inches to start with

Still a little tall! Cut off another inch or two to get it about right

Cut the rest of your flowers at varying heights-- all one height is boring!

Don't: leave on wilty looking leaves and flowers! They'll make the bunch last a shorter amount of time!

Don't: Feel like you need to use all the included schtuff-- this one was included in the bunch, but I didn't think it was necessary. Simple is good!

Voila! Your bouquet is ready for presenting! 

And pretty from any angle!

Pretty in Pink

My dear sister Lauren is getting married on St. Patrick's day, but isn't going with that luck o' the Irish feel-- instead, their colors are pink and navy blue! It's a trendy combination these days, and why not? They go so well together and there's a little bit of masculine and feminine; something for everyone!

I started thinking about centerpieces for her this weekend and since they're having an outdoor wedding on a farm, I love the idea of upscale rustic (there are a LOT of oxymorons in event planning!) for them. I stumbled across some white and pink flowers on sale at the grocery store and put together the following:

I think these would also be perfect for a Valentine's Wedding with the soft pink colors and generous helping of white!

New Years Nuptials!

When I found out we were having a winter wedding, I was DYING to have a New Years Eve Celebration! Can you imagine how fantastic it would be to say "I Do" as the ball drops?! Of course, this can be a pricey endeavor as far as renting a place, and to stay that late would be a pretty penny, but if you've got the hook up check out my ideas for New Years Nuptials!

NYE is all about bling and sparkle, and with vintage brooch bouquets so popular you're sure to stand out with one that's all about silver and gold! With libations flowing (as I assume they will be), you won't need a way to break the tension-- or the ice! I adore the arctic ice cubes, they're a great way to add a little bit of humor to a fun but classy event! What I adore even more is the idea of a mini champagne bar... pick up the champagne or prosecco "splits" (the mini bottles) and stick them in plastic cups filled with ice and a bendy straw. Perfect for that midnight toast to the happy couple!

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I could go on and ON about a NYE wedding, so check out the rest of it on my Winter Weddings Pinboard at Pinterest! 

Seasonal Shindig

One of the things that I wanted so hard to avoid was having a Seasonal Shindig-- we got married less than a week before Christmas and by golly, I had no intention of having a Christmas-y wedding!

I frequently say things emphatically and then end up having our goddaughter/flower girl dressed in red and white, favor boxes that look like wrapped presents, and a gift table with a tulle-wrapped Christmas tree...

But you know what? It was so. cute! People loved the favor boxes (which were filled with mini York Peppermint Patties, thank you Sam's Club!) and adored the Christmas tree table! Again, this is all about perspective; if you do your Christmas wedding and mean it, you won't come off looking cheesy, instead it will be just the opposite!

Think how cute black or Christmas green bridesmaids dresses would be with candy cane tights! Or a cute little flower girl in a Christmas dress? And, instead of the popular pom bouquets with flowers, have them made with tulle and ornaments instead!

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You want to know something else awesome about getting married at Christmas? Most places, especially churches, will have decorations provided! One less thing to worry about/spend your money on!

Poinsettias? Perfect! 

Christmas tree? Sparkly!

There are loads of ways to stay seasonal with your wedding while still keeping it classy-- from vintage Christmas to modern merriment, keep track of these items and more on my Winter Wedding Pinboard on Pinterest!

Ring a Ding Segue-- I mean Ding (Pt. 4)

I wanted this post to be about sashes because if we've learned nothing else from this week, it's that accessorizing is key! My wedding dress would have been totally unremarkable if it weren't for the sash, and I have seen a lot of dresses that needed just that little touch to make it memorable.

So what happens if you don't luck out on a dress with anything but a plain old sash? WELL, you segue on over to Amie Noel Designs on Etsy, that's what! She actually does mostly hair accessories, but her combination pieces are truly nifty...

One minute it's a hairpiece...

The next it's a sash!

Brilliant!! She has a couple of these designs (look for the headband/sash heading), and I'm willing to bet that if you asked nicely enough she could apply a couple of the others to a similar style. ALSO, in case your bouquet needs a sash as well (and what good bouquet doesn't? Let's face it, floral wire isn't gorgeous) she has these adorable and not-too-exorbitantly-priced bouquet ties!

Basically, I'm in love. There's a good chance that I will use sorority functions as an excuse to buy some of this just for myself! And yes, one of the labels IS "shiny" because that's what these are-- shiiiiny!