Modern Bride Issue of November

Looking for ways to make your wedding day memorable with love from family and friends? Hallmark makes these really cute little books that you can put on each of the tables at the reception. They are called "Wishes from our Wedding Guests" and eight wedding books are included so you can spread them out on the table for the crowds to write in at their leisure. The books ask how you are connected to the bride and groom and then have pages that you can write "wishes" on.
However, an even better idea (stolen from my friend, Mykal) is to make a photo-album of your relationship and then have people write wishes and love-messages on the sides of the photo-album. That way, instead of it just being a book, it becomes more personal and you can remember people who were at your wedding through your photographs and the comments. Plus, its always more fun to get crafty and add little wedding scrapbook stickers and stuff!
Briana

Chris doesn't like the cake

Forget the cake. Chris thought it was semi-weird. I still like it...not in the neon yellow and green OBVIOUSLY....but somehow he thought the glass at the bottom made it look like neon yellow, neon green, and purple?!

Cake...and maybe no rocks?

Okay, right after I posted the rocks, I realized that I already had this original idea of putting the escort cards strung on a clothesline...but I still don't know what the cards will look like... maybe farm themed-mini clothes... like overalls and mini-t-shirts? I could definately see that. I just don't want to take this farm thing too far, even though I love it. I really wish I could find a way to incorporate Thai stuff into my farm affair, but everytime I think about it I realize that Thailand and New England farms are two weird things that just...don't...go together? But then again, I'm from Thailand, and Chris is a Mid-Western boy (originally from Cali) but hey, so maybe we can strike a truce? What if I found mini-Thai wood-carvings/keychains? Do they have elephants on farms? (haha, just so you know, I'm kidding.)
Anyways, if anyone has some ideas on how to make an Asian Farm Wedding (rice paddies?) that actually is still cool and not psycho, let me know.
Also, here is a really cool cake that I could see in my wedding. It is fun and polka-dotty. I love it. I would probably do this in yellow and blue--which I think are my new colors.

Rocks

Who knew that rocks were such extremely versatile objects? While blogging on theknot.com, I found this picture of rocks that were painted (which is soooo much fun anyways!) and then used as escort "cards" so that the guests can find their tables. What a fun idea huh? Its also in keeping with my down-to-earth (get the pun?!) vibe. I'm also thinking of asking my friend Karen Block (who lives in Thailand, where I grew up) to help me make invitations over Christmas break. I know that its a H-U-G-E project, but I feel like its important that the invitations are made with a little love and are eclectic and fun. The problem is...what does that look like? Can I really make 150 invitations BY myself PLUS these cool rocks as well? I feel like I might be getting in over my head here. Here is a picture of the escort rocks that I want to make:

Chris' House

So, new update on wedding plans. I'm hanging out at my boyfriend's house while he is playing the new Call of Duty 5 with his brother Kyle. Immediately after arriving at the house his dad told us that he is extremely disappointed with our plans to get married June 5th...unfortunately, there isn't much I can do about that anymore! The plans are pretty much set at this point. I'm not sure how he is going to handle the whole thing. We watched "The Proposal" tonight...which had multiple multiple references to engagements and weddings...as you can imagine. I'm not usually a chick-flick girl, but every once in a while I do like them. I think it just gave Chris further justification though for not getting engaged because...well..there is no ring in the entire movie. Furthermore, there were two engagement ring commercials that popped up while we were watching "That '70s Show". I was punching him in the gut, trying to get his attention...which worked, but then he asked...which one of those did you like ? And I thought..."you haven't gotten it yet?"
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.

An article I wrote when I was 15

I know this is crazy, but I was searching my name on google to see if my blog would show up--and guess what? I found an article I wrote when I was fifteen! I wrote this article for my local newspaper in Chiang Mai, Thailand. You can find the original article at http://www.chiangmainews.com/ecmn/viewfa.php?id=522

The VIntage Packaging They Offer

Here is the vintage packaging for the buttons that they offer for free on the site. I'm so in love with these buttons. All I can think about is my package of button-making materials arriving at my Campus P.O. Box. Yum.

Candy Buttons

I found this great new idea for favors to hand out to the guests at the wedding. Candy buttons with vintage wrapping! Since my new wedding colors are going to be either blue and orange or...blue and yellow (with sunflowers as my main new flower) I thought that, in keeping with the vintage farm theme, chocolate candy buttons would be a perfect addition to the mix.
Check out this site:
http://www.bakeitpretty.com/blog/?p=82#more-82
It has the coolest pictures, with step-by-step directions, on how to make these cool candy buttons in your kitchen. I love the two colors they use.
I ordered all the materials to make these buttons for less than $13 on their site : bakeitpretty.com
I can't wait to try it and update this blog with examples of my candy...also, not only is this the coolest candy ever--but they also provide vintage labels to put on the bags of buttons.
This is definately one of my new favorite sites.

Pictures of Stonewall Farms in N.H.

Here are the promised pictures of the farm. The function room fits about 150 people. You can either rent the place out for $2500 or they have another option for $2000 that includes just the function room. Stonewall farm is in Keene, N.H. and is an actual working farm. (I'm not entirely sure what that means...but I assume they have animals and....ummm....crops?)

So, after writing group the other day, Eleanor and Rachel had the brilliant idea that I should write about the joys and woes of wedding planning, since I have a unique spin on the concept. Here is the catch--as of right now, I am not engaged. Chris and I have been dating for about two years now and we are planning on getting married June 5th, 2010. I have already booked the place. It is a beautiful farm in New Hampshire. They even offer a horse and buggy, as well as hay rides for guests (it's an extra $250 for the hay rides and a whopping $500 for the horse and buggy). I have relinquished all of my regular student duties (aka homework and projects) in order to search wedding blogs until I have carpal tunnel and bugged-out eyes. As of yet, I have come up with some great ideas for my "farm" style wedding. Originally, I planned to have a beachy blue, tan, and white wedding despite the fact that it is (1) not at the beach and (2) at a farm!? But now, since I have recently come to my aesthetic senses, I have decided that the colors for my wedding will be (drum roll please) blue and orange! Random, I know, but it is in keeping with the fact that neither Chris and I are very formal people and we wanted to have a kind of playful wedding--one that even incorporates Chris' favorite food, which, believe-it-or-not means that we will have hot wings. I am going to try not to partake of these, seeing that I always find a way to get food on my dress and I don't think the photographer will appreciate the inevitability of a huge red blob of hot sauce on my ahem....bosom?

Writing

Here I am thinking about how I should be writing. I've picked up several books at the library after realizing that having any type of sickness propels me into a creative/depressed mood where I might....just might...actually write something worthwhile. Meanwhile, I'm also trying to find an ending to a piece titled "Highlights of my Father" that is the second non-fiction work I've ever loved . Its hard to love your own work. I pinch it, preen it, decorate it, and then ask other people to comment on it--hoping that they will exclaim over it.
Here goes, I've got to write something today.