Here's some help for writing Thank You notes!

One of the things you will do through out the process of getting engaged to getting married is write a whole bunch of "thank you" notes! A couple will have hosted for them: an engagement party, a bridal shower and then the wedding it self that people will purchase gifts for them and it is customary for a note of thanks be written for each of these gifts.

Thank you notes should be personal and always hand written. So what do you do if you are not a good writer or what about if you are just stumped for what to say after writing your 100th note? One thing you can do is visit Emily Easton's Thank You Notes website. From crockpots to cash, from sheets to salad bowls, Emily has done the work for you. You will find over 70 items she has put words of thanks to and it's all free for brides and grooms to use. Emily doesn't sell stationery and she doesn't actually write the notes for you - she just provides brides words to copy or ideas you can use! Check it out if you are needing some helpful tips on what to say or how to say it!

Busy as a bee!

I have been a little quiet on the blog lately but, not without good reason! I have been working feverishly to plan my daughters 5th birthday. Without a doubt, any party planning always makes me think about weddings - because a wedding, engagement shower or bridal shower are simply parties. They are celebrations where you have a lot of people coming together and they inevitably cost a lot of money. One of my goals with the blog is to show you how to save money on your wedding - or any celebration you are having! My daughter finally chose her birthday theme: Bumble Bee and my wedding brain kept telling me "Meant To Bee" with every detail I was planning. Because there is SO much information and detail to share, I am going to break it down into a couple of posts so, bear with me, because at the end you, my faithful readers, will be rewarded for buzzing a long with me on this journey! I will provide you with all these great things to make your event and planning MUCH easier:

• Tutorials - how to make all the DIY items
• Templates - blank templates for you to use
• Vendor tips and reviews

And...finally, you will be rewarded with a giveaway! I have an amazing giveaway planned for you! Please share this blog or these posts with your family and friends: anyone planning a party or a wedding - especially if you feel it is meant to bee!

Invitation or Save the Date Deal!

Open my email box to this great deal from yet another new deal site! I think I get daily emails from 5 or 6 different companies now but, I have also bought some amazing deals! It's hard to give up on getting the emails - you know what I mean right? So, back to today's deal: $20 for $50 worth of invitations from Paper Culture.

Paper Culture has some unique differences when it comes to ordering online invitations - they have a nice comparison chart but, let's look at a couple of things that I think are pretty cool about this company! 

• All Cards & Envelopes: 100% Post-Consumer Recycled
• They plant a tree in your honor w/ EVERY Order
• All Cards: 130lb Paper
• FREE Mail & Addressing Service

I absolutely LOVE that they offer the mailing and addressing service - talk about a time saver! WOW. You only have to pay for the stamps - there are no hidden fees with this service and that really impressed me!

The deal is on now for $50 worth of invitations for $20! There are only a limited number of deals available but, you  have until August 26th to purchase this deal (unless they sell out!).

Paper Culture offers: Save the Date Cards, Moving Announcements, Thank You cards and so many other choices! This is definitely not a deal to miss! 

Carnival Theme: Wedding or Party - Part 2

Doing a carnival dessert station was so much fun! I love creating and designing themed parties! In part 1 of the carnival party I talked about how I was able to get a dessert table for 50 people for just a little less than $2.00 a person! In this post we will tackle how to do the paper goods! Although this post is geared towards a carnival theme, you can incorporate some of the printables into other themes!


Stickers on the cotton candy bag: Adorable right? And...super easy! I had a package of Avery 8293 Shipping Labels at home - you get 400 of them in a package and these are GREAT for making your own labels for a variety of wedding items! I recently saw them priced at Amazon for $15.58 (free shipping and no tax!) makes them about .04 cents a piece! Here is a tutorial I put together on how to print the perfect label size every time that you will LOVE! 


If you are familiar with MS Publisher you can head off now to go and create stickers, after you download the red and white striped background here but, if you are not familiar with using Publisher and want to know how to create the stickers, keep reading!


Open your saved sticker in Publisher. You will need to use the oval tool to create the white space:

Now, you need to fill in your circle to make sure it's white:

Once you have done this you will want to open the red and white stripe paper using Adobe Reader and then hit Edit, Copy File to Clipboard. Go back to Publisher and hit CTRL M to get to the background mode. Hit CTRL V to paste your red and white stripe background on the file. This background will fill up your whole screen! Hit CTRL M to toggle back to your circle.


Use the text tool to write in your personal message:

Make sure you SAVE your document! And then you can print them off! You can use the Print Preview button to see how your finished document will look:

Pretty easy, right?! I just love these stickers and with a little work on your part you really will use all 400 stickers! If you didn't want to use the stripe background, but instead a solid color background, you can easily do this in Publisher using the Fill tool. If you need help with that you can leave a message on this post and I would be happy to help you!


I also came across this gorgeous collection for a carnival wedding or shower from Wedding Style Guide!

You can get all these goodies in PDF format! Click on any of the links to download the documents! Name tags, Invitations, Drink Tickets and Party Games!

Carnival Theme: Wedding or Party - Part 1

There is so much information I have to share with you about how to create a DIY carnival theme for your wedding or party so I am going to break it down in to two posts! My daughter's school was having an "end of the year" carnival to celebrate the last day of school so, I happily volunteered to do a dessert station for 50 kids! I have been wanting to do a post on a carnival theme because it is FUN! So, off on a search I went for the perfect carnival items! Now, I get to share my finds with you! First, I knew we needed the main staples for a carnival: cotton candy, peanuts and popcorn! 


I did some research to find the best prices on the bags to hold all the goodies and I ended up purchasing from Etsy seller HeyYoYo. I purchased:

50 Elephant Design Peanut Bags - $6.00

50 Retro Wagon Popcorn Bags - $7.00

Amanda, the owner of HeyYoYo shipped the items quick and they were exactly what I had hoped they would be! For the filler, I bought the large dry roasted peanut bags from Costco (I purchased 2 5lbs bags which filled my 50 bags with some leftovers!). We have a store similar to Costco here in Southern California called Smart and Final - it's similar to Costco but doesn't require a membership. From Smart and Final I bought the GIANT bags of premade popcorn. I purchased 2 3lbs bags - but, really one bag would have been enough!  

A must have for any carnival is cotton candy! I looked into renting a machine - but, honestly it's a lot of work! I have seen the Parade brand of cotton candy and figured I would make my own little bags using this cotton candy (with a personalized sticker on the outside). The only problem with it - it's MESSY! I bought 3 cases, figuring I could split it into the bags. Well, if you think about eating cotton candy and all that ooey gooey goodness gets all over your fingers - guess what? It happens when you are just touching it and NOT eating it - but, since it ended up all over my fingers I did taste it! Both flavors were really good! Sam's Club sells the 8 pack case of 2oz jars for $5.58! That is only .70 cents a tub! A total bargain! If I was going to do this again and planned ahead I would reconsider and probably order the prepacked 1oz bags which I found later at Standard Concession Supply. 100 - 1oz bags for 48.00 making them .48 cents a  bag (before shipping). Considering the mess, this is a much better way to go, in my opinion! 

Candy, candy, candy! Another must have for any dessert table! I was hoping to get the traditional whirly lollipops but, I just couldn't find a great price on them! So, I stuck with a revised plan of candy sticks and pixy stix's from Old Time Candy Company. I love this website - they have the best variety of different candies and the prices are really good! 

I bought the case of candy sticks - you get 80 sticks for $12.99 and then I added the pixy sticks (a case of 48 3-packs) for $7.99. I later found a large assortment of the same candy at Smart and Final! The prices were pretty much the same (when you factored in shipping) so, my advice is always check with your warehouse store to see what they might have! I also bought some of the orange colored circus peanuts! A 1.5 lb bag (about 90 pieces) was $5.99. The candy was my final purchase - and I almost broke down and added the whirly pops when I saw them at Smart and Final - the price still wasn't great but, the cute factor was over the top. The decision maker, though, was that they only had 1 pack - and I would have needed at least 3!

While, doing my research for this dessert table, I was surprised to find so many places that offered everything you need to make your own carnival! You really can use this theme and make it affordable! The total spent for all the goodies in this post: $98.32 - and that was for 50 people! So, the cost per person was about $1.97!

In the next blog post, I will talk more about how to make affordable DIY items, including tutorials and free printables for your carnival theme!

Let's have a mad hatter tea party!

I am back on my tea party kick! I think because summer is just around the corner and people are thinking of summer parties hosting a fabulous tea party might be in your future. If you are hosting one (bridal shower/luncheon/birthday party/girls day) then here are some of my most amazing finds:

Tea Party Rings from Etsy seller GymboHannah

Now would be the time to order one of those fun, wacky cakes known as "Mad Hatter" cakes or topsy turvy cakes. They are works of art when you see what actually goes into making them! If you thought you might be able to decorate one yourself, I did find this YouTube video to help you! I certainly have a better appreciation for bakeries who make them after watching this video! I had lot's of images to choose from, picking one I wanted to share! These cakes are very popular! My favorite one was this cake from My Sweet Saucy, a bakery located in Long Beach, California. I loved the colors and I am a huge fan of polka dots!

I also had to share some of the amazing ideas that the CraftyPagan has for Mad Hatter Tea Parties! Since she is sponsoring our Special Giveaway - Just For You this month you you could choose any of these Mad Hatter themed party decorations if you are the winner! The giveaway ends on May 23rd! So if you haven't entered, now would be the time! Click here to see all the ways you can enter to win (you can get up to 10 entries per person!) 

Vintage Style Umbrellas

I am in L-O-V-E! I just found Bella Umbrella's and I am so excited to share them with you all! Since the weather here, in usually sunny southern California, has been gloomy and rainy, what a perfect thing to share with you all today! I was inspired in several ways while browsing their website! Some other great news? You can RENT these pretty parasols....yes rent! Very affordable too!

 

Here is the information direct from their blog:

Rent umbrellas you say?!? Yes, many brides rent our beautiful umbrellas and parasols for their weddings as shade or rain protection for their guest as well as fun whimsical additions to their wedding day photos. Vintage Umbrellas for Sale - We have the largest selection of original vintage umbrellas from the 1930’s – 1960’s available for you to accessories your wardrobe with. Signature Bella Umbrellas - Bella Umbrella designs its own line of umbrellas called The Signature Bella Pagoda Umbrella. It is one of the most feminine, curvy umbrellas where you can mix and match the canopy and handle colors to make an umbrella just right for you. Bella Umbrella Shop - After 8 years on the web we opened our first brick and mortar store in November, 2009. Located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle WA.

Check them out...you will for sure see the possibilities and why I am in love with Bella Umbrella's

DIY - Tea Party

I have posted a couple of times about tea parties and while surfing today I came upon a site that offered some free templates. What a cute, fun project this would be! I love things like this - simple yet creative and very memorable! Here are the links:

Teabag Label - Blue
Teabag Label - Red
Tea Canister Label

To add a little more fun to this do it yourself project - get creative and make your own tea! There is a great Etsy shop that provides the means to do this and it's very inexpensive! 25 Heat Sealable Paper Tea Bags sell for $3.50 and the shop also has herbs to make your own tea creations! Check out Flowering Tree Botanicals

Spring Means Green!

One of the sites that I mentioned in my blog about Tea for Two....or Twenty was The Queens Treasure. Well, I just got an email from them that any purchase of in stock items qualifies for FREE SHIPPING from now until April 15, 2010. I wanted to make sure I passed along this info to anyone who might be having a Bridal Tea Shower! They have some fabulous items - including very pretty fake floral arrangements!

Tea for Two...or Twenty!

A bridal tea is still a very popular way to celebrate your bridal shower! You can go to a tea room or easily create your own tea party at someone's house. A tea room will limit the time you have and the cost per person can easily run you the same as if someone hosts it in their home (where you have more time!). I have hosted a tea party...and it was a lot of fun! Here are some ideas for having a great tea party...If you are crafty and a DIY bride-to-be you are gonna have some fun ideas here for your mom and maids!!

I loved these invites:

 

This adorable teapot envelope is from Etsy seller Especially Invited. They are adorable and pricey at $50/10.

Vellum Overlay invites from Allison over at Etsy. These sell for $1.30 each. She also offers some really cute Thank You notes too! Check those out! Note: Envelopes are not included in the $1.30 price :(

 

  

Finally, these two ideas come from Vista Print they are priced at $7.99/10

Do you have a crafty friend (we all should have one! I do and I love her!). Well, if you or someone you know is pretty handy in the kitchen and crafty - how cute would this be to make for your table centerpiece?

 

You can find the recipe to this delightful Watermelon teapot here!

If your mom or grandmother does not have a tea set (I pretty much think they must!) to use you will need one for sure! I used a site called The Queens Treasures when I ordered mine. Their prices were excellent! They have ceramic tea pots for $9.99, matching creamer and sugar bowls for $4.99 set and 2-tier serving platters (which can be really expensive!) for $13.99 each! If you don't mind fake flowers I suggest checking out theirs - the prices are pretty good and the quality is excellent!

Here are the flowers I purchased from them with the Silver Ceramic Vase ($4.99)

For your tableware and decorations (and not just for a tea party - this site has everything!) I found a fabulous site with awesome prices on disposable items - such as a sugar bowl ($4.39), creamer ($2.99) and pretty serving platters. They say they are "disposable" but you can easily save these items for future use! Depending on the number of items you order from them, they also offer a discount on top of their already low prices! Check out Party At Lewis. I also thought that their prices on the Better Than Linen brand of tablecloths ($5.29 for 82" round) were great and with the added discount you are paying less than Ebay!

You can ask all the ladies to wear a funky hat to the party and you can provide other props such as Chandelle Boas (7 ft. $18 dz.), Bead Necklaces (only $2 per dozen) or some Jumbo Diamond Rings
($12 per 24 pc set)! They also have a super duper selection of faux flowers! Here is one of my top secret shops of all time! I love this site mainly because they have EXCELLENT prices! Most of their items are geared toward children (for sure check out their tutu's for flowergirls!) but you can find all the prop items I listed above at those fab prices! Check out Halo Heaven - you will not regret saving this site!



Finally, one of my most favorite decorations!! I ordered the Tussie Mussie Victorian Cones from Etsy. I used ornament holders to hang them from and then filled them with little goodies! I can not say enough about the crafter, Starry Deborah, who made them. When I got them they far exceeded my expectations! I was thrilled so if you are thinking of having Tussie Mussies check out her shop! I paid $3.50 each and they were adorable!

 

 

Sweet Tooth

Lately, I have been craving all kinds of sweet treats! I have been on this Wedding Planning kick lately with the blog and my mind hasn't really been thinking about anything else - except for tonight! I couldn't get all these sweet treats out of my head so I thought...let's put the two together! These sweet treats can be used in wedding planning - engagement parties, bridal showers and even as wedding favors! I love wedding favors that are personal, not generic! I added a new button to Sites I Love tonight! I found it while trolling for yummies. It's a beautiful blog called Bake At 350. What amazing creations Bridget comes up with! Her post from January 28 caught my attention because lately I have been on this Scrabble kick too! Check out these amazing cookies she did for her cousin's engagement:

 

Amazing...right? Well, if you are a creative baker, you have to spend some time at Bridget's blog! She gives the recipe and directions on how to make these super cute cookies here!

The next thing I wanted to share is - gasp! - no longer available online, as of this typing. I am hoping it was just such a popular item that Williams-Sonoma sold out. It's the Message-in-a-Cookie Cutters. They must bring these back because I have to buy a set! I love that you can make a personal statement with them! I was on the fence about sharing them now because they aren't available on their website, but I am pretty sure they will restock them!! Also, check your local stores (I think I am heading to mine tomorrow!). This little kit is...$19.95! OMG...so worth a trip to the mall with a 3 year old!

The next thing I have had on my hard drive for awhile now. I didn't know I would be using it for this blog - but it fits right in with this topic! If you are thinking of using cookies as a wedding favor this is an adorable (and creative) way to package them! It is from the goddess of weddings, Martha Stewart!

 

I would have never been creative enough to think about wrapping a cookie in an individual envelope - but thankfully we have Martha (and her team) to come up with these things for us! You can even find instructions how to make these here...and a video to watch as well. A little word of caution though - before you go wrapping up your yummy cookies you might want to find something for the cookies to sit on so the oil will not leak through your beautiful paper! I found some Mini Cardboard Cake Rounds that would probably work perfect and they come in a package of 25 for $4.99.

So, there you go! Happy baking...happy eating! :)

Let's Play A Game! Games for your Bridal Shower

If you have been looking for games for your bridal shower, you are in luck! Now that I have successfully added my first file that you can download (the Big Day Template...did you download it?) I thought it would be nice to add some games you can use at your bridal shower! Have fun!

Name That Cake
What Will The Bride Say Game
Wedding Taboo Game 1
Wedding Taboo Game 2
Who Am I
Who Knows The Bride Game
Family Ties Game
Everything Wedding A to Z Game
Bride and Groom Honeymoon Story Game