Soul Mates

We are heading into that time where a lot of weddings may be outside - in the grass, or sand or combination! Any soft place is not friendly if you are wearing high heel shoes. Then I stumble across Soul Mates!

I have to say....these could be a great little thing! I don't normally walk in heels - I have said it before: weak ankles, I am already to tall, blah blah....but if I DID walk in heels having something like this would probably be a life saver....or at the very least a neck saver! You can buy direct from their site ($9.95) or find a local retailer using their store search option!

Free Printable Vintage Labels

I love things free. I love vintage. I found both of these at Graphics Fairy! These labels (especially the last one) are so awesome! Check them out and if you use them - let me know!! I would love to see your handy work!

These labels can be downloaded here

Going French? Check out this beautiful label

Save The Date - By The Numbers!

A unique Save the Date - this is what I am sharing tonight. I see a lot of them, so when something different catches my eye I save it! This Save The Date would surely get me talking about the wedding I was saving the date for! I would even hang it over my wall calendar just to have something a little different! And, my little crafty friends, this would be a breeze for you! So....what you need:

• Punch Kit Number Stamper - like this one here for $21.99
• You need a liner for the inside of the envelope. If your colors are green - you are in luck! Just download this template here. For other colors you could just copy of paste the lines, put it in your own word processor and change the colors!
• A small ribbon
• A card to "anchor" the ribbon and numbers to - I personally think using a shaped card would be fun! Like these: Scalloped cards from Paper-Source. They sell in packs of 20 - but there is a great sale going on over there right now! 

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• Next up you are going to need envelopes. Assuming you are going with the scalloped paper they will fit in this envelope - called the 4-bar envelopes

So the site says that the number puncher they used was a little larger so you will have to check it out and make sure the smaller numbers will work for you. The other little idea I was was maybe adding text or an image on the Scalloped paper...and doing the paper on each side (so they can hang the banner!!). I just think this is really adorable and totally unique....and you can save a HUGE amount of money doing this! Also, that number puncher you bought? Could so easily be used again for things in the wedding (seating/escort card, table numbers, favors, etc!).

Since we are on Save The Dates....don't forget to check out my old blog post I did back in January! There are a couple of cool ideas I think that you will really like!

Source: Thank you Martha Stewart for your inspiration! 

Favor Idea - Cellophane Bags

I have had a break the last couple of days from blogging but that doesn't mean I haven't been finding interesting things to talk about! It's time to get back into the groove here! I was notified about one of my favorite stores - Paper Source -  restocking their cellophane bags! I love these bags! For $5.95 you get 20 bags and you can do so much with these for weddings! Such an awesome value!

These clear food-safe bags have a 4" x 2" base and are 8 1/2" tall but you can always trim smaller for the cupcakes or little goodies! Tie with a ribbon or add a gift tag or label (makes them easy to close!). If you want a more colorful look the #10 backing comes in lots of colors (you just need to fold the backing flap over and embellish with ribbon - the holes are already provided!).

PS: While you are there make sure you check out the hang tags as well - they are having a huge sale right now and these would also make a cute tag to use on these bags!

Bridal Gown Rebate!

I just saw this on Bonny's Facebook page and was thrilled to be able to share it with you all! If you are not familiar with Bonny, grab some coffee and sit down awhile! Bonny has been in business for over 25 years! They are sold in bridal salons nationwide (and international too!) Their gowns are very well made: embellishments are sewn on (not glued!), the embroidery work is awesome (clean and tight...no loose threads). They have several different lines of dresses but the bridal lines are Essence (a little couture and edgy), Bonny (the line that started it all) Bliss (a line for the modest/conservative bride) and Unforgettable (their stylish plus size line).

I have had occasions in the past where I have worked with the girls in the office (when I had my own bridal salon I carried their line of dresses) and more recently when they helped get me into the Fall Bridal Market in Las Vegas (as their guest).

I have always had a place in my heart for this company (maybe because their logo has one in it? hmmm) just kidding! Brides today are probably overwhelmed at the choices out there....who can blame you? But, the most important thing is having a budget for your dress and sticking to it (because you have to add in: accessories, alterations and undergarments!). Finding a gorgeous, well made dress on a budget is not that hard when you see the collection of Bonny gowns! And now...with this promotion which is giving the BRIDE back $50.00 off any purchase....well the value of these gowns just went up pretty big in my book (hehehe not the wallet!). Here's the deal:

Click on this link to download the official rebate form - get to work on finding a dress you love and a store that has it. Oooh! Wait here is another cool thing: Bonny has a program called Borrow A Bonny - so you can SEE the dress before you BUY it! Pretty awesome deal since not every store can have every dress (trust me I know! My store would have needed to be the length of 2 football fields to carry them all!).

And since no post is complete without a few pictures I was also able to nab a few off their Facebook page! :)

Wait, wait...one more thing! I know, I know you just want to see the dresses but this is IMPORTANT!! I have heard (don't hold me to anything if it isn't true) but I have heard some giveaways from Bonny are coming soon! That is AWESOME! I love giveaways! Gowns. Free. Wow.

Finally...pictures! Ok, so I know this is the cover gown on their new catalog coming out. I also know that it's style 040 (that makes it from the Bonny Collection) and I think it's priced at about  $945.00 (but with the rebate $895.00!)*

This gown is part of the Essence collection - at first I could tell by the style and fabric. The style number is 8009 and the price should be about $1325.00 (but with the rebate $1275.00)* Love the cold shoulder and lace! Very pretty dress!

This next dress is one of my TOP FAVES. One, it's just simple and gorgeous and two the price! Holy macaral are you ready for this? The price I think will be about $425.00 (with the rebate $375.00!!!!)* The style number is 045, so that should make it from the Bonny Collection

This next dress will be my Dress of the Day - and soon! I think it's beautiful. The style number is 1014 and it's Plus Size so that would make it from the Unforgettable Collection. The price is about $665.00 (with the rebate $615.00!)*

And finally, I have one picture from the Bliss Collection! This line was made for the modest or conservative bride. One thing I recently found out while helping a modest bride was that Bonny will alter ANY sleeve length in any of the Bliss dresses! Pretty good information to know!! (they do some custom changes on some dresses but every Bliss one can be changed!) So this is style 2012 from the Bliss Collection and it should sell for about $725.00 (with the rebate $675.00)*

Disclaimer time: So, you may have noticed my little * marks at the end of my suggested prices. I did that because the price could be different at your store (cheaper or more expensive?) I am just giving what I think the MSRP is so it would be best to check with a local store (or two...never know one could be cheaper!)

The Key To Your Heart

I love old keys, so I can tell you now this is one my most favorite posts I have done for my blog! Skeleton keys have actually been popping up in weddings...they are vintage and they have history. There is a saying that if you wear an old skeleton key on a chain around your neck, you will open the doors of opportunity and success and guard against negativity....that's a nice theme for a wedding, right? So, here are a few things I found to go along with this theme:

A free monogram....yep, I said free! This monogram I created on Wedding Chicks (they have more!). You can pick colors and then use this on all your DIY items! Pretty awesome!!

Maybe you want to use these keys for your save the dates - just add a hang tag to it and mail it off! Would be a unique save the date for sure! Also, you can use them for your seating chart or escort cards! These keys are actually made from wood!! They are much more affordable than actual antique keys as well ($6.95 for a set of 12):

I also adore bouquet charms! I found this one on Etsy for 39.00. This could actually be used after the wedding to (in a pretty photobox).

And, finally if you are looking for something blue to add to your wedding....or you happen to be doing a tiffany blue theme I thought these earrings would work well. These actually could work for the bride or as a perfect maids gift! They are only $22.00 from Etsy seller Bionic Unicorn

Bridesmaid Dresses - One Size Fits All?

So, here is the scoop...at twobirds bridesmaids the answer is YES! The concept: one dress than can be worn 15 different ways. It's not the cheapest bridesmaid dress, short dresses run $270 and full length $290, but when you consider you can get multiple looks it might be worth it! The dress comes in lots of pretty colors....

The dress is sold in the US (Los Angeles & New York) as well as international (Australia & UK). You can order online through their website as well. The line just introduced sizes up to 24.

Another addition you may look into if you have busty maids or maids who want a little more coverage: their bandeau. Pretty cool overall and this dress just may solve that little problem of everyone not liking one dress!