tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24642745449138551992024-03-12T17:49:23.244-07:00Thrifty BrideA Thrifty and Crafty Take on Planning a WeddingEchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-831268874827007842012-07-07T17:53:00.000-07:002012-07-07T17:53:44.003-07:00Pinterest, you have the best ideas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Many of my wedding planning 'to-dos', and the 'let's make it' ho-rah have spun off of </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">looking at <b>pinterest.com</b>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There are SO many ideas posted on that site, it is hard to walk away from your </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">computer without a hundred new projects you want to accomplish. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I found the first two photos below and decided that we were going to have something this </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;">for our ceremony decor as well (since we are having an outdoor ceremony with a tree focal point). </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Instead of using white string, I used jute so it would have a more natural look and feel. This was definitely one of the messiest projects I have gotten into - think paper-mache paste meets string. My twine balls are still sitting around my house drying out for their big debut, but be sure to look for them in the photos from the wedding day when they are posted!</span></span></div>
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<br />EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-51093477405833935412012-07-07T17:37:00.002-07:002012-07-07T17:37:29.819-07:00Oh, what a blessing!I am blessed beyond measure. <br />
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I flew home this past spring to visit my parents and was able to go to a bridal shower that my mom's most special friends put together. I can't begin to tell you what a blessing it is in my life to have a group of God-fearing women lifting you up in prayer. I am certain that through constant and selfless prayers by women who love me, I have been able to accomplish all of the projects I have blogged about previously and to come. It is not by my own strength that time seems to stand still to allow for pulling things together, but by the Lord granting favor. <br />
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The shower was truly an outpouring of love upon me and my husband to be. The food was wonderful, the decorations were beautiful, the games were so much fun, and the fellowship was unmatched.<br />
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Everything since that day has seems so real, finally. It is my turn to get married and I can't wait. New beginnings are a reminder of how we are loved - for he loved us first, gave a peace child to redeem the lost; granting new life, new beginning, for the souls that he calls his own. Scott and I will say our vows, promising to live as one with each other as well as the father, and will start our new beginning. My heart feels glad and I am at peace (which probably sounds crazy to everyone, as we are approaching our final month before the wedding)<br />
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*I wrote the first half of this entry this past spring following the trip home, but have since received heaps of blessings as we near even closer to our wedding day. </div>
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My mother-in-law to be along with my future sister planned a second bridal shower for me. Not only is this wedding and marriage feeling more real, but I am feeling more and more loved. I am gaining a husband and another family who loves me more than I could have imagined. </div>
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For the second bridal shower my mother-in-law chose to decorate with things that reflect the wedding planning and things that will be seen again at the ranch. It was absolutely wonderful.</div>
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<br />EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-37129671955437550742012-07-07T17:12:00.003-07:002012-07-07T17:12:51.114-07:00The promised pictures of invitations<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In my last post I promised to show pictures of the invitations and rsvp cards - so here they are! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">They turned out pretty good - the colors are perfect... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">thanks to Mike, my new friend who works at Staples.</span></div>
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<br />EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-45496277360569708632012-06-12T13:51:00.001-07:002012-06-12T14:20:30.782-07:00Invitation Headaches<div><p>Well, I learned the hard way that trying to save a dollar doesn't always save you from frustration. I designed beautiful invitations and ordered paper in attempt to print at home; alas, it is never as easy as it may seem. I dropped off the invitations to be printed at Staples yesterday. Sigh.<br>
Our printer could recognize the size of the cards but not the color, if only the beautiful yellow would come out yellow we could have saved a buck. Mike at Staples is doing a wonderful job but I'm heartbroken that I couldn't do it myself.</p>
<p>Total cost: $190 plus a headache and some tears.</p>
<p>Pictures soon to follow (of the invitations, not the tears) :)</p>
</div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-13406272970243696142012-05-21T05:34:00.001-07:002012-05-21T05:34:14.479-07:00Vests for my Boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I wanted to do something special for the men who are going to stand up for us, so I found a pattern and started on some vests! I have never sewed men's wear before, so this was quite the adventure. The pattern was pretty simple - I had a front, a lining front, back, a lining back, welts (pretend pocket looking pieces), and a back strap closure. This made it super easy to cut out all of my pieces and get started. I used a linen for the front and satin for the lining and back. One groomsman has yellow satin and the other has green - this will match my girls. I also made a vest for my Dad using a tan satin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The hardest part I ran into was all the pleating. There are two pleats in the front and two in the back, two in the front lining, and two in the back lining. This turned into a measuring and pinning game. After the pleating was finished though the rest of the vest just really pulled together pretty quickly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Everything was machine sewed with the exception of the first sewn stiches on the side seams, i hand stiched those then machine stiched (I wanted to make sure I caught every edge and made it look professional).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The vests, after they were completely sewn, got buttonholes. I am so thankfur that my MILTB has a machine that you can program to complete buttonholes - it made the finishing touches go so fast! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Over all, each vest took about 45 minutes to cut out, an hour and a half of initial sewing time, an hour of hand sewing time, and 20 minutes for finishing touches. I know these pictures are kind of hard to really see how the vests look, so by sure to check back to see the wedding day photos. Of course, the boys will make the vests look far better than I could ever dream just by putting their handsome selves into them.</span></div>
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<br />EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-24210269577842383452012-05-19T19:23:00.001-07:002012-05-19T19:23:29.266-07:00Coffee Sack Table Runners<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was looking for table runners for the reception, something country feeling. Flipping through bridal magazines I saw a photo where someone used burlap as a table runner. Burlap seemed like the perfect way to add some texture and visual interest to a plain table - I was sold on the idea; however, looking at fabric stores for burlap came with a large price tag (Joann's was going to end up costing around $60+). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Fortunately I mentioned to my mother-in-law-to-be the burlap runner desire and was met with an idea. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There is a warehouse type store in Youngstown, Ohio called Star Supply - they have a little bit of everything and nothing of spectacular value. There we came across a stack of old burlap coffee sacks that were $0.45 a piece and couldn't pass them up. They are each printed with labels and were shipped with the goods they once held from other countries, which of course made them more beautiful in my eyes. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GyCwWJgPZq0/T7hQfBh7DxI/AAAAAAAAAI4/nvAdiNIU6KU/s1600/20120512_173135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GyCwWJgPZq0/T7hQfBh7DxI/AAAAAAAAAI4/nvAdiNIU6KU/s320/20120512_173135.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We snatched up ten sacks and ended up cutting them into table runners. But had to cut them apart outside as they smelled like coffee, dirt, and Mexico.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GC-l88Sb94c/T7hQdEM0T-I/AAAAAAAAAIw/Utrr5x8qcC8/s1600/20120512_173243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GC-l88Sb94c/T7hQdEM0T-I/AAAAAAAAAIw/Utrr5x8qcC8/s320/20120512_173243.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BVzDyQkNwp8/T7hQg9gczbI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ItVcQ5R5754/s1600/20120512_173128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BVzDyQkNwp8/T7hQg9gczbI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ItVcQ5R5754/s320/20120512_173128.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Of course Callie Girl had to help us out a bit. We had to cut the side seams, unfold, and cut in half the full length. Thank goodness my MILTB had extra craft tables, rotary cutters, ruler, and lots of patience!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We did run into a small problem after we started cutting - the burlap began pulling apart from itself. Again, praise the Lord that my MILTB is fast on her toes, we used the surger to run up the edges of the runners (this gave the runners a look that was polished and made our $0.95 cent find look like we spend much, much more).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I can't wait to post pictures of the wedding day. These runners will look awesome with all the vintage colored glass vases we found at the thrift stores!</span></div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-34341879068839368562012-05-01T18:37:00.001-07:002012-05-01T18:37:53.884-07:00Survival Kits for Wedding Day / Boxy Bags<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know that my girls probably read this blog, but I am going to go ahead and post anyways. Sorry ladies for ruining the surprise!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I read about an idea of giving bridesmaids a survival kit to make it through the wedding day and knew I had to make something similar for my girls. I had been waiting to try making a cute "boxy bag" and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to test out a new sewing project in combination with a wedding idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here is it - </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You'll need two printed fabrics and interfacing (I used left over material from the ties and vests to make mine), a zipper, coordinating thread, and about 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started by cutting the fabric and interfacing into squares that were 8" by 10" - you will need two squares of your inside material, two of the outside material, and two of interfacing (craft weight works best for this project).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I ironed the interfacing to my outside material, then I matched my two fabrics (right sides together) and sewed the long length. I opened up and pressed the newly sewn edge flat. Do this for both sets of squares. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I pinned the newly pressed edges of the squares to the zipper and sewed to secure in place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the zipper was secured, I sewed the bottom edge (opposite long side) with inside material together (right side out). I trimmed the material close to the seam then turned right sides together and sewed the long edge again (creating a french seam for the bottom of the bag). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I then folded the bag in half long way and pressed. Following the ironing, the short ends were sewed (be careful to not have the zipper zipped close!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This point is a little tricky - pinch the corners out and sew about a 2 inch length triangle in each of the four corners. After you have them sewn, trim close to the new seam.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>There it is - your new boxy bag! Turn it right side out and enjoy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I filled my new creations with "survival items" for the wedding day - travel sized items that the ladies may need to save the day (or just to make being on the ranch easier)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">{hair spray, mini first-aid kit, deodorant, clear nail polish, emery boards, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">tide-to-go pen, bobby pins, lotions, mouth wash, and advil}</span></div>
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<br />EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-30757197004657102862012-04-20T18:09:00.000-07:002012-04-20T18:09:09.758-07:00Painting<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Going to college to major in art meant I powered through creating images and throwing them onto canvas. A painting changes drastically from what it starts from. All the years I have been making things, this whole "documenting the process" is new to me. So, here it is - this is my newest painting from the very beginning to current (which may or may not be the end) - pretty neat to see where things come from and what they end up becoming.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v2Bvlh6ZAd4/T5IGuVOuFDI/AAAAAAAAAGI/fLuf699pxaE/s1600/20120324_204138-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v2Bvlh6ZAd4/T5IGuVOuFDI/AAAAAAAAAGI/fLuf699pxaE/s320/20120324_204138-1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g8XAlkO2fXk/T5IGvEIKs5I/AAAAAAAAAGY/OkUfMW9U3Pg/s1600/20120415_095646-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="87" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g8XAlkO2fXk/T5IGvEIKs5I/AAAAAAAAAGY/OkUfMW9U3Pg/s320/20120415_095646-1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Maybe paintings have more life than we give them in one glance. They all have pasts we don't see at first, but the layers and layers of paint, all of the experiences, build up a sort of richness that create a more beautiful piece. </span></div><br />
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</div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-66663109918494429212012-04-07T15:43:00.000-07:002012-04-07T15:43:14.503-07:00wedding planning<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Weddings are stressful. End of story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I now understand why nearly every newly married couple goes away on a honeymoon - it isn't to cuddle for a week straight without having to be apart to go to work, it is really because you need a vacation after putting together one of the most stressful occasions of your life. Scott and I have had a particularly long engagement as we are now at a year and 4 months. The first year was delightful, nothing was any cause of worry and there was all the time in the world! Now being about 4 months out from the wedding I could swear tomorrow morning I may wake up to a head full of gray hair and a stomach full of ulcers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Who had any idea that there were so many small things to have to worry about? Who knew that you needed chargers for under the plates and napkins that complimented the tablecloths, tents for sun coverage and double the amount of chairs to have seating for ceremony and reception, johns for people to pee and music to keep them grooving, pens to sign the guest book and programs so people don't forget who everybody is, gifts for the parents and a pastor for the 'i do', balloons for the party and tins for the back of the car, food enough for everybody and a cake with icing that won't melt off in the sun, bouquets for tossing and bouquets for keeping, photographers to capture every moment and plan covering every hour to keep us all on schedule. <i>Man, I thought it just took one man and one woman who were so in love with each other that they couldn't imagine the rest of their life without the other part of their soul. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I had to take a break from the planning and the worrying about all the things that make up a party to focus back on the reason we even decided to have the party. I am in love with Scott. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">With that change of focus, w</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">e decided to cut the guest list to a small fraction of what it originally was so that we could stop worrying about all the <i>things</i> and focus in closer on <i>each other</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stepping away from everything to take time for ourselves and pray about our situation, I remembered hearing about the marriage triangle. It is such a beautiful visual to help remind couples what a marriage really takes. I had to share a copy of what I read, if you haven't read this before I am pleased to share it with you</span><br />
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<h1 style="margin-bottom: 1.15em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><u>The Triangular Model of Love</u></span></h1><h2 style="margin-top: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">TRIANGLE ONE: GOD-HUSBAND-WIFE</span></h2><div align="center"><img alt="Triangle with God at the top, husband and wife at each angle on the bottom" height="130" src="http://antiochgroup.com/assets/images/triadGodHusbandWife.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block;" width="271" /></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This diagram shows the relationships between a husband, wife, and God. Both the husband and wife have an individual relationship with God as well as a close relationship with each other. Notice that as the husband and wife grow closer to God, they actually draw closer to each other. This means that a vital part of a husband and wife’s relationship is their individual relationship with God. If one of the spouses is growing closer to God and the other is not, the triangle’s shape gets out of balance. This is very evident in marriages where one spouse is a believer and the other is not. For non-Christian marriages this triangle is still in effect although is not used by the couple. It is important to understand that the spiritual aspects of marriage is the most intimate part of marriage because out of it all other aspects of the relationship are developed.</span></div><h2 style="margin-top: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">TRIANGLE TWO: INTIMACY-PASSION-COMMITMENT</span></h2><div align="center"><img alt="Inverted triangle with commitment at the bottom, intimacy and passion at each angle on the top" height="131" src="http://antiochgroup.com/assets/images/triadIntimacyPassionCommittment.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block;" width="279" /></div><h3 style="font-style: italic; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Commitment/Decision</span></h3><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The commitment/decision part of love is a choice. It is seen when a couple decides that they will stay together for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse. It is not based on feelings that go up and down. It is the decision to stay when the going gets tough. It is also the basis for marital love that provides the safety that couples feel knowing that they are committed to someone who will honor their trust.</span></div><h3 style="font-style: italic; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Intimacy</span></h3><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Intimacy is the friendship part of love. It is where couples can share their hearts and feel they are best friends. Many people would classify intimacy as the sexual part of sharing each others hearts, of trusting each other with hopes, dreams, fears, etc.</span></div><h3 style="font-style: italic; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Passion</span></h3><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Passion is the exciting part of love. Sexual love is here, many people do not realize that it is not limited to sexual love. Romance and showing affection are also involved in nurturing passionate love. Taking a romantic walk in the park, having dinner together alone, and sending a romantic note or flowers help to kindle the passionate and exciting feelings of love. While passionate feelings are a part of marital love, remember it is only one side of the triangle.</span></div><h3 style="font-style: italic; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">How the Sides of the Triangle Work Together</span></h3><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Commitment = Decision<br />
Intimacy = Friendship<br />
Passion = Excitement</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It is important for married couples to keep this triangle balanced in order to feel the love that they would like to experience. For example, if a couple doesn’t trust on the commitment level, both intimacy and passion will suffer greatly. It is very important for trust and friendship to be built first before the openness of the passionate side of the relationship can be experienced. Many engaged couple become engaged based solely on the passionate side of love without nurturing the intimate (friendship) and commitment sides of love.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Over the course of a marriage it is important to realize that the triangle periodically changes shape. For example, during a time when the husband is sick with the stomach flu, the commitment side of love must be the strongest. During this time the intimate side of love can be nurtured, while, the passionate side is put on hold for a time. This is necessary under the circumstances and will hopefully change as soon as the person’s health returns. However, it is important to see that when the passionate side is waning during that illness, that the other two sides, intimacy and commitment, must make up the balance. If a couple’s decision to marry is based on a shallow concept of love, when the feeling of loves wants the marriage itself can be in danger.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If the commitment side of love is weak, a couple has a serious crisis at hand because the intimate and passionate sides of love and still seeking to be fulfilled. In these cases, it is not uncommon for spouses to seek fulfillment elsewhere through fantasy or extramarital affairs. The commitment that a husband and wife has is the basis for intimacy and passion to grow. Each of the sides of the triangle relies on the other sides in order to give and receive love to the fullest.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The intimacy side of the triangle wanes at times as well. This occurs many times with overly busy schedules and/or the introduction of children into a marriage. Much of the time that couples spent focusing on their relationships (sharing thoughts and feelings) is disrupted because of the children and busy time schedules. IT is important to see how the intimate side of marriage also affects the passionate side of the love triangle.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The passionate side is deeply connected to the intimate side of married love. It is important for couples to nurture the intimate side of their marriage. Couples must make sure that their relationship is one of their top priorities and set aside time to spend alone. In the way, the passionate side of love will be able to be maintained. It is predictable to see that when the intimate side of marriage is suffering that the passionate side also suffers. Couples finding themselves in the circumstances may find that sex becomes laborious or nonexistent. Next, let’s look at a diagram that shows how triangles one and two work together to form a Christian model of love.</span></div><h2 style="margin-top: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">TRIANGLE THREE: A CHRISTIAN MODEL OF LOVE</span></h2><div align="center"><img alt="Second triangle superimposed on the first - God at the top" height="163" src="http://antiochgroup.com/assets/images/triangularModel.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block;" width="279" /></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">After reviewing triangles one and two, you may notice that triangle three is a composite showing both triangles superimposed onto each other. Using this model a husband and wife who share a commitment to prove each other and who are growing together towards God, will be able to experience intimacy and passion for each other and for God. It is important for couples to monitor the shape of their triangles and to understand the transition phases that the triangles go through. In this way, a couple who sees a side of their triangle is suffering can seek to bolster it by building up other sides of their marriage and making sure that their individual relationships to God and being maintained.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Focusing on our personal relationship with God as well as our relationship with each other will bring us through all the troubles that leave us guessing if we can make it another day. So, my stressing ends here - I have given up worrying about all the things and turned my concern over to wanting to love my God and my Husband. Anything done from here out will compliment the day, but it certainly won't make or break our wedding. </span></div><br />
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</span>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-69488624261457318392012-03-24T11:07:00.000-07:002012-03-24T11:07:40.680-07:00Bridesmaid Necklaces<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">About a week ago I stopped at the craft store on my way home from work and ended up picking up some glass beads. After looking at <u>pinterest.com</u> I wanted to make some sort of jewelry - there are just so many cute things posted on that site! I recruited my best girlfriend to test out my crafting challenge and before you know it we had <b><i>two beautiful necklaces</i></b> for my bridesmaids. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Things you'll need if you want to try this out:</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Beading string</b> (this looks like fishing line and I'm sure that would be an acceptable substitute if you have some lying around)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Glass beads</b> in 3 different sizes or color (although, if you wanted them to all be the same that would be ok too!)</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 Larger bead type</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Necklace closure/clasp</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Patience</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We started by measuring out <u>3 pieces of string</u> - each should be able to be folded in half (so it is basically two strands) and go around your neck to length desired of your necklace. Ours were <u>roughly 38 inches long</u> without the fold. All three strands get <u>put through the clasp</u> - folded in half so that you can pull the tails through the string loop to secure the strands. The larger beads are <u>strung from the closure</u> down as far as you want then <u>separate the strands </u>out. <u>Two strands with each kind of bead</u>. Again, you can add as many or as few as you want so long as they are all even. <u>Braid</u> this section of beaded strands together. <u>Add the large beads</u> on the left over strand area and <u>finish by wrapping</u> around the closure piece, <u>knotting, and threading</u> the left over strand back through the last couple of beads on the strand. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This project took about 2 hours to have a completed, but well worth it!</span><br />
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</span>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-50941618076881687062012-03-15T18:21:00.000-07:002012-03-15T18:21:06.956-07:00Paper Peonies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-60o4B5gd7gY/T2KOl0WNMYI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/38w4aIrd5Dg/s1600/IMAG0091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-60o4B5gd7gY/T2KOl0WNMYI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/38w4aIrd5Dg/s320/IMAG0091.jpg" width="299" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I saw this project on <i>pinterest</i> and just had to try it out. I am however, sorry to say that I am unsure of the original project pinner or featured page but remain grateful of the 'project share' nonetheless. My wedding roses were made of coffee cone filters <u>{check out some of the earlier blog posts!}</u>, so when I saw that these beautiful flowers were made from traditional coffee filters I was pretty excited. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Super easy project that turns out beautiful</b> - here is how:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Count out five filters (this make one set).Fold in half, in half again, in half again, and in half one last time. Cut the "corner" out of the folded side. Open one fold and round the two outside "corners". Crumple. Open all the way up and separate the set. Below is a photo that shows all the stages for direction clarification.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Crook a floral stem and insert through middle of one of the filters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Add a bit of glue and twist the filter. Insert the stem through the next filter and twist. Continue with the rest of the filters in the set. Secure the middles/bottom of the filters to the stem with floral tape.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0Oxih07Si70/T2KT__kCFCI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/s730UKOfBQM/s1600/DSCF3747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0Oxih07Si70/T2KT__kCFCI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/s730UKOfBQM/s320/DSCF3747.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ya'll have to act surprised and be sure to shout out some "oohs and ahhs" </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">on the big day when you see them again!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But until then, try it out - make something beautiful to enjoy this spring :)</span></div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-59244266108935363802012-03-14T18:41:00.001-07:002012-03-15T18:23:09.604-07:00My Apologies<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I feel like<b> I should apologize</b> for not keeping up with this blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My intentions were solid, I was going to keep everybody up to date with all the wedding planning; however, I have failed to post frequently enough for anybody to feel really involved. Today I downloaded an app on my phone that is basically a fancy to-do list. The app makes sure to remind you to do the things you list (<i>Brilliant</i>! I tend to make endless lists that end up lost in the bottom of my purse and never get completed). I made sure to put blogging on there, along with a million other things that I think I need to get done- setting up the app to give me a weekly reminder. So, the bad news is that weekly updates aren't all that frequent, but the <u>good news is that at least I will be updating everybody! </u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Six months til the wedding day - I plan to catch everybody up on the projects from the past three weeks and projects that lay ahead of me still.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Get ready ya'll, here we go!</b></span></div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-47753726990701697182012-02-26T07:17:00.000-08:002012-02-26T07:17:50.883-08:00Ties for the Men in My Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I had never made ties before, but I LOVED the way these turned out. I picked up cotton fabric at Joann's, both for the bridesmaid dresses and these ties (that way our beautiful gals match the handsome men they are paired with) I used a pattern from <i>Puking Patterns</i>, called <b>The Best Men's Tie Pattern</b> to make these. You need 5/8 yd of both your patterned material as well as the lining material of your choice and 1 yd of a lightweight interfacing. As I already said, I chose cotton patterned material that was the same as the bridesmaids' material, added a satin apparel lining for the back lining, and fusible featherweight shirt interfacing. The cost of making these was about 7 dollars per tie thanks for the great coupons and sales at the fabric store.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The pattern was able to be downloaded and printed off on my normal ink jet printer then pieced together. The pattern needs to be placed on the fabric at a 45 degree angle for cutting, this is called cutting on the bias. The pattern below looks pretty big in comparison to the scissors and CallieDog's chewed up tennis ball (she likes to help me work on projects) but this is to give allowance for all the folding that needs to be done. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14kpwRLEq-Y/T0pAS2esdII/AAAAAAAAADg/kwecXcPOCTM/s1600/IMAG0069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14kpwRLEq-Y/T0pAS2esdII/AAAAAAAAADg/kwecXcPOCTM/s320/IMAG0069.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBqMBfEYZfg/T0pATw7jqoI/AAAAAAAAADo/vk-5MISwlS4/s1600/IMAG0070+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBqMBfEYZfg/T0pATw7jqoI/AAAAAAAAADo/vk-5MISwlS4/s200/IMAG0070+-+Copy.jpg" width="135" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Callie sitting in front of my cutting table waiting for her tennis ball to be tossed</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">After the three kinds of fabric are cut, iron the fusible interfacing to the back side of the lining material. Next, with right sides together, place the cotton and lining on top of each other and sew the tip of either end of the tie together (this is just the arrow {pointed} section of the tie). Turn the right sides out, being sure that the points are crisp. With right sides out, sew the side seams of the tie. I like to start on what will be the bottom of the tie, the largest part, and sew about half way up on one side and then repeat on the other side. Going back to finish the rest of the length after that - this ensures that the tie doesn't move or become uneven at all. Once the seams are sewn it is time to press, so get out that iron!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FcOKUQOgOuw/T0pAVAuigII/AAAAAAAAADw/PJO3gJxOELA/s1600/IMAG0072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FcOKUQOgOuw/T0pAVAuigII/AAAAAAAAADw/PJO3gJxOELA/s320/IMAG0072.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I use a few rulers and pins to make sure I get my folds as crisp as I like them. Start by folding one side's edge into the middle, then press flat. On the other side you have to fold over the edge, just a small amount, only 1/4 inch or less, and press. The new edge then gets brought to the middle and pressed. Below is a picture of the front and the back tail of the tie. You can see the pressed folds there. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RYjL5Ceh8JI/T0pAXywiyPI/AAAAAAAAAD4/QuYKDTRd19U/s1600/IMAG0074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RYjL5Ceh8JI/T0pAXywiyPI/AAAAAAAAAD4/QuYKDTRd19U/s320/IMAG0074.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Once the folding is complete and you are satisfied with how your tie looks, you then have to hand sew a blind stitch up the back of the tie to hold the folds in place. After blind stitching, you can add a ribbon catch for tucking the tail of the tie into for wear. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I have all the ties I need for the wedding made, with exception to adding my own label and the ribbon. Oh, I do enjoy crossing things off of my to-do list!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xq7ndnYR_GU/T0pAa0jWCVI/AAAAAAAAAEA/GGXCxJgMJ98/s1600/IMAG0077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xq7ndnYR_GU/T0pAa0jWCVI/AAAAAAAAAEA/GGXCxJgMJ98/s320/IMAG0077.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-15202564300084482902012-02-26T06:21:00.000-08:002012-02-26T06:21:19.488-08:00Tea Cup Candles<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All those $0.59 tea cups I picked up at the thrift stores are finally boxed up with their matching saucers, fully re-purposed as candles for part of the reception decor. Sweet relief as another project is crossed off of the to-do list!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here is how we did it - Scotty used his hatchet (a special Christmas gift from his sister that he insists on using whenever possible, which of course has a back story for another day) to cut up large soy candles that we picked up at a markdown sale. The pieces had to be small enough to fit inside a tea kettle that I found at Goodwill for melting. Some craft stores have metal pitcher-looking melting pots for candle making, but I liked my tea kettle better because of how easy it was to pour from.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1QKJz3k93LY/T0o2lksay5I/AAAAAAAAADI/EE1e8JOncP0/s1600/DSCF3739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1QKJz3k93LY/T0o2lksay5I/AAAAAAAAADI/EE1e8JOncP0/s320/DSCF3739.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I picked up a thermometer to keep track of the heating process for this project. When the temperature is between 160 and 175 degrees F, I get ready to pour. I did all the initial pours and found that about 20% of the candles poured needed to be topped off because of the minor cosmetic cracks that happened during cooling. For re-pours I heated the wax up the same way, being even and slow in my heating as well as moving the kettle around to stir the wax up inside.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qtqzuZ60oUA/T0o72OhAyjI/AAAAAAAAADY/JfO2n3v6B1U/s1600/DSCF3732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qtqzuZ60oUA/T0o72OhAyjI/AAAAAAAAADY/JfO2n3v6B1U/s320/DSCF3732.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Before I even begin heating up or pouring the wax into the tea cups I had to cut wicks (be sure to add an inch and a half more than you need-this will be for wrapping around something that holds the wick upright and in place while pouring).</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I had never made candles before, so I wasn't very prepared - I ended up using wooden spoons to wrap the top of the wick around.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tRcuaiCHsGI/T0o2inOo_JI/AAAAAAAAADA/pXUczb5E1bs/s1600/DSCF3737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tRcuaiCHsGI/T0o2inOo_JI/AAAAAAAAADA/pXUczb5E1bs/s320/DSCF3737.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">After the candles are poured, allow them to cool as they are. Once they are cooled completely you can do any re-pours that might be necessary. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ta-da! Easy as that, now you have really cute candles that are not only beautiful to look at but add a classy and vintage feel to any room you put them in :)</span><br />
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</span>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-59546056443506454932012-01-29T17:12:00.000-08:002012-01-29T17:12:33.689-08:00A New Duvet Cover!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another non-wedding craft post - </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was my weekend off of wedding prep (<span style="font-size: x-small;">kinda</span>) Sometimes a break is nice</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, the back story on this one is interesting... when my dog Callie was a little puppy she decided that the down in the comforter would be nicer outside of the blanket - so she ripped a little hole in the corner. I repaired the corner of the comforter and continued to use it, but when she reopened the hole I said enough was enough and put the blanket in the closet until I could afford to purchase a duvet cover (have you seen the price tag on those?!) Friday night, ten months later, I cleaned out my closet and found the coverless blanket waiting on me to use it again. Saturday afternoon I decided I did in fact want to use the blanket again and made a duvet cover for myself. No more waiting! I used two sheets, ties, and buttons- all of which I had at the house. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had bought a two pack sheet set at Marc's for $15 previously and never used the patterned flat sheet; I liked using the patterned fitted sheet with the solid colored flat sheet on my bed. I also had another white cotton flat sheet in box that I picked up on discount to use for fashion sewing (white cotton sheets are great for making into blouses and tank tops - you can easily dye the white cotton to whatever color you want and you can't beat the volume of material at that cost) Anyways, I paired up the sheets and sewed the edges on either side and the top (right sides together - didn't have to worry about using french seams as the edges on both sheets were already finished). In each corner I added two ties (just two finished 8 inch by 1/2 inch strands of fabric- need 8 total of these). The bottom edge I flipped the patterned sheet over the edge to create a nice folded "hem". I sewed 12 button holes and added 12 medium sized buttons.</span> <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QXdQfsHbaFc/TyXq7XqykDI/AAAAAAAAAC4/hds6nXn9ofw/s1600/DSCF3741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QXdQfsHbaFc/TyXq7XqykDI/AAAAAAAAAC4/hds6nXn9ofw/s320/DSCF3741.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">bottom edge of the cover - patterned sheet folds over and buttons to stay in place</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l3XfqBio1rI/TyXq24Tcy1I/AAAAAAAAACw/s50q0g0zKdA/s1600/DSCF3740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l3XfqBio1rI/TyXq24Tcy1I/AAAAAAAAACw/s50q0g0zKdA/s320/DSCF3740.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Voila! There you have it, a nice new duvet cover</span></div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-51985514405365264492012-01-29T16:43:00.000-08:002012-01-29T16:43:55.468-08:00Boot Socks<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Okay, so this isn't wedding related but I figured I would put it up because it was a fun project. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Last weekend on the way back from the ranch we stopped at Tracker Supply Co. and I picked up a pair of rain/muck boots. I love these boots; however, they aren't the warmest in the wintery slush. So, on Friday I made fleece and flannel boot socks for my muck/rain boots so that I could wear them in all seasons (I'm pretty excited about these!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I used a patten I found on <em>Sew, Mama, Sew!</em> blog - it is a PDF so it was super easy to print off and use right away (link will take you right to the blog and the pattern I used)</span><br />
<a href="http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2011/04/fleece-boot-socks-free-pdf-pattern-from-studio-cherie/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2011/04/fleece-boot-socks-free-pdf-pattern-from-studio-cherie/</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This only took 2 hours max - this includes pattern printing, cutting, and sewing time. Great project for Friday night when there isn't much time left in the day after work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I don't have a serger, so I used a reinforced zigzag on the edge which worked just the same. For the foot and leg portion of the sock I used anti-pill brown fleece and for the cuff I used the same fleece on the underside and patterned flannel for the top. Pretty cute, right?</span><br />
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<div align="center"></div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-90740216719239697252012-01-22T20:09:00.000-08:002012-01-22T20:09:59.922-08:00ThiftingAfter giving some thought to <strong>reception decor</strong>, I decided <em>simple and vintage</em> might be fun. I had been mulling around the idea of the paper flowers in vases on the tables but clear vases (which is all we had at home to test this out with) gave away the wire stems and took from the overall attractiveness of the flowers leading me to that decision in the first place. My next thought was to put candles out to set a relaxed, romantic mood but then I thought pillar candles would be too blocky looking on the tables by themselves. After my initial ideas (notably my favorite ideas to date) were written down and crossed off of the list of potential decor, I added another dozen drawings of things to design and construct for the tables- which unfortunately were also crossed out. <br />
I ended up coming across candle making supplies while looking at the free section on craigslist - And that is how craigslist started the solution to my problems. The post included molds and dishes to pour the wax into (why hadn't I thought of that?). With that thought, my best girlfriend and I headed to Michael's Craft Supply Store to pick up some wicks<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v5p1ODjkUH8/TxzX4QOq2wI/AAAAAAAAACY/8_o3dXE6rT0/s1600/DSCF3732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v5p1ODjkUH8/TxzX4QOq2wI/AAAAAAAAACY/8_o3dXE6rT0/s200/DSCF3732.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Roughly $25 for a roll of wick that should be enough to make about 45 candles </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">a</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">s well as the metal clips that hold that wick in the bottom of a mold/containter</span></div><br />
Following the craft store, since we were successful and on a roll, we headed to the closest thrift store and found the solution to the vase issue - <em>Colored glass</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BPi-8JbBHTM/TxzUFDEWdaI/AAAAAAAAACI/BTPryScXSUQ/s1600/DSCF3730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BPi-8JbBHTM/TxzUFDEWdaI/AAAAAAAAACI/BTPryScXSUQ/s320/DSCF3730.JPG" width="320" /></a>/</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">There were so many beautiful vases in blue, white, green, and brown. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Priced at $0.99-$2.99 meant picking out a bunch wouldn't leave me with buyers remorse :)</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J9crIePj6-0/TxzT9VrCm0I/AAAAAAAAACA/NF-s34m0IGI/s1600/DSCF3729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J9crIePj6-0/TxzT9VrCm0I/AAAAAAAAACA/NF-s34m0IGI/s320/DSCF3729.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> We also picked up some tea cups and saucers - a steal at only $0.59 a piece</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moXmFu3dK9A/TxzUJI2akOI/AAAAAAAAACQ/5T71Qx5_g3I/s1600/DSCF3727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moXmFu3dK9A/TxzUJI2akOI/AAAAAAAAACQ/5T71Qx5_g3I/s320/DSCF3727.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Got everything here and more for under $40 - Cups to mke into candles, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">vases to hold flowers, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">and a kettle to pour the wax (since the wax melting pot was a bit pricey at the craft store)</span></div><br />
I will be posting about the candle making process when it happens, but for now I am happy to have everything lined up and ready to go. Total cost was roughly $60 since I didn't have to worry about wax since we already had unused white soy candles that I plan to melt down - nothing like recycling!EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-53986015167172371492012-01-07T21:25:00.000-08:002012-01-07T21:25:01.761-08:00Location, location, location...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hhPeEMpLFLY/TwklnsylqcI/AAAAAAAAABg/L553KJrUG5o/s1600/307413_207574795969028_137420999651075_536670_6029848_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hhPeEMpLFLY/TwklnsylqcI/AAAAAAAAABg/L553KJrUG5o/s200/307413_207574795969028_137420999651075_536670_6029848_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am not sure we could have picked a more beautiful place to get married. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>White Horse Ranch</strong> has the best sunsets around </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">and in the summer God takes care of decorating the place for us</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I4JY2gvxnck/Twkl0KphBtI/AAAAAAAAABw/ii3317wY5Dw/s1600/WHR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I4JY2gvxnck/Twkl0KphBtI/AAAAAAAAABw/ii3317wY5Dw/s400/WHR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Satellite view of the ranch - </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">to the far left, the back of the ranch, there is a big old tree that </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">we will meet under to say our vows. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The half mile track surrounds the center horse turn out, the field directly behind that is </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">the perfect set up for the reception </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-65066391663947435152012-01-07T19:57:00.000-08:002012-01-07T19:57:02.513-08:00Catching Up & First Project<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To get everybody caught up, I'm going to do a quick back story on the engagement so far and share the first wedding project...</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>New Years Eve</strong>, just a few days + one year ago, my husband-to-be, Scott, asked me to marry him - where I am pretty sure <strong>I said yes about 3 times before he ever got to the "will you marry me" part</strong> of his speech. It was a quiet evening, we stayed in because he had been feeling a bit under the weather and I was knitting a pair of mittens - for those of you who know us best, this kind of evening is pretty typical - I was doing something crafty and Scott was coming up with something impromptu. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We immediately began thinking and planning the wedding which changed about 18246876129712 million times as far as location, colors and theme goes; all until we came to the decision that the wedding was for us - <em>we are getting married because we can't imagine growing old without our best friend by our side, </em>we needed a wedding that suited who we are. With that being said we chose to do a <strong>thrifty, crafty, outdoor</strong> ceremony followed by a family style picnic-based reception to follow. I've decided to make most everything that will be at the wedding and that is where this blog comes into play - I want to be able to share ideas and progress, as well as tell our story as we grow closer to the big day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My <em>first project</em> began about a week out from the engagement when I found out how much flowers cost (it seriously knocked my socks off when I began to add up costs of bouquets)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found a <strong>DIY</strong> flower template and began to cut, wrap, tape and paint. I ended up with beautiful paper roses in an assortment of colors that fit the theme as well as my personality wonderfully.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is the original site that I took the template from, I made a few alterations but this is a good base for anybody looking to try it out: </span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/266346/paper-roses"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paper Roses</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Going from coffee filters to flowers is easier than you think if you put a little patience and time together. I painted my paper flowers with water color paints, I mixed up my colors myself since I didn't find exactly what I wanted at the store, but you could simply buy a tube of watercolor from a craft store to put a little life into your flowers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found that the best part is being able to revive the flowers after they sit around for awhile. It is super simple - you just turn them over (stem straight up in the air) and lightly apply water with finger tips on the petals. They perk right up, it is like ironing out the wrinkles, which allows for flower making far in advance of the event.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So far I have made about 5-6 dozen roses in dusty pink, variations of yellow, and hues of orange. Being 7 months out from the wedding I already have 5 of 7 bouquets finished - What a relief!</span> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zVeULxmJiN8/TwkQndqstfI/AAAAAAAAABA/0X7K0mXp-50/s1600/DSCF3669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zVeULxmJiN8/TwkQndqstfI/AAAAAAAAABA/0X7K0mXp-50/s320/DSCF3669.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are all the pieces for a rose and </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">one completed flower before paint and turning</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I found that cutting the pieces for a dozen roses is more time efficient - I put all the pieces in sandwich bags, put them together systematically (all stems get piece 1, followed by all stems being taped with piece 2, etc...), then paint a dozen or two. This works well with my ten minutes here and there that I have for making them.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhiEeUlYucE/TwkQypBtbRI/AAAAAAAAABQ/dKcugtxyPys/s1600/DSCF3668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhiEeUlYucE/TwkQypBtbRI/AAAAAAAAABQ/dKcugtxyPys/s320/DSCF3668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One completed, turned out, and painted flower</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yxtHgKJmVsA/TwkQuJWgXdI/AAAAAAAAABI/-OH4CaOr3Oc/s1600/DSCF3667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yxtHgKJmVsA/TwkQuJWgXdI/AAAAAAAAABI/-OH4CaOr3Oc/s320/DSCF3667.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the left is my unwrapped bouquet. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To the right are left over flowers from the first 5 bouquets</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I cannot express how relieved I am to have 5 done already!</span></div><br />
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</div>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464274544913855199.post-46770068198838458612012-01-07T16:03:00.000-08:002012-01-07T20:13:26.983-08:00Blogging Hello<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LSroIX-9b4M/TwkXz6JFR_I/AAAAAAAAABY/9lVKQ8-QzZc/s1600/390395_10150909240890058_705080057_21160001_81974254_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LSroIX-9b4M/TwkXz6JFR_I/AAAAAAAAABY/9lVKQ8-QzZc/s320/390395_10150909240890058_705080057_21160001_81974254_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Well, here I am... making a blog (<strong>NEVER</strong> thought that this would happen); but I guess I just got tired of looking at other people's blogs about how they do cool stuff without contributing anything. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My <em>goal</em> here is to blog along with the next 7 months of wedding preparations to share with everybody - I hate to feel like I might be leaving anybody out of the loop as I create the thrifty and creative wedding of my dreams (for all of the friends and relatives out of town). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And, if this goes well I might continue blogging as my husband to be and I travel and make a home and life together. A life of bliss is nothing if you don't have anybody to share it with, right? :)</span>EchoAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714997285041006887noreply@blogger.com0