Wrap-around Labels

Well, I had my Save the Dates, so I needed to get them stuffed, labeled, stamped and put in the mail ASAP. (As of press time, I have one batch out, a second batch in the works and a few more addresses needed.)
I went to my hometown for my mom's 35th high school class reunion weekend; that Sunday night my mom, aunt and I got to work. They put the cards in the envelopes while I tried to decide if I was going to line the envelopes or not.

Ended up going with not. It was late and I didn't have a lot of envelopes, so I scrapped it. I had also considered stamping and embossing them, but they just were not coming out like I wanted them, so that was scrapped as well. Next, they added the adhesive magnet to the back of the business cards. It was justthismuch longer (or wider, I guess) than the business card, but it was quite easy to trim that little edge.

While they did that, I finished my wrap-around labels. I modeled my template after the DIY bride and this is what they looked like:
Simple directions:
1. Open a new document in Microsoft Word.
2. I got rid of all of my margins and then inserted a text box. My final size after tinkering was 1.43 x 7.03.
3. I inserted 2 more text boxes - one for the guests' addresses and one for our return address. I changed the text direction for the return address just because, you don't have to.
4. I made a template with generic wording to determine my font and size and inserted my monogram that I'd previously saved as a .jpg. You can add any design, background or flourish that you'd like. I left the the light outline around the large box to aid in cutting; you could alternatively go with no outline.
5. I then held down the control key (ctrl) and clicked on all four pieces (you may have to do this a couple of times; Word can be temperamental, ha) and then I grouped the elements as one.
6. I then copy and pasted the labels and was able to get 6 to a page.
7. Filled them out, saved each page as STDlabels1, STDlabels2, etc and printed on my HP wireless. Cut out about 3 pages at a time w/ my paper cutter and ran them through my Xyron.

Easy-peasy.

Soleil 100 Days

Soleil 100 Days: "There are thousands of fun, sharable prizes in the BIC® Soleil® 100 Days of Sunshine promotion. Join now! www.FeelTheSoleil.com"

STD - Ch-CH-CHECK!!!

Whee and WOOT! They are designed and ordered. I think they are cute. What do you think? (Lie to me if you don't like them because I've already ordered them.
I designed them on Microsoft Word and SnagIt Editor and saved as a .pdf according to the specifications from Vistaprint. I also ordered a business card version. I might get the adhesize magnet backing for them. Here it is, too.

Men's Wearhouse - Check!

I went to the Bridal Extravaganza in January and signed up for the Men's Wearhouse's little promotion. You can get $400 towards a suit or tuxedo purchase with at least six rentals. We knew we'd have enough rentals and L had been wanting a new suit.

L and I went back in March to get an idea of what he wanted for himself as well as the groomsmen. We were trying to decide between him buying the suit or a tux. We didn't make it back until June. There was a little confusion the next time we went in when the guy tried to find our information in the computer. We also found out that we wouldn't be able to purchase his new tux/suit until 14 days before the wedding date. What the what?!? This wasn't something that was in the fine print. Basically when we booked back in January, it was a new program. They had since created all of the rules, blah-blah-blah.

Here's the deal. L had already decided that he wanted everyone in tuxes. Fine. But that means you'll have to buy a tux, honey. He really didn't want to, as we don't have a whole heap of events in our lives that require a tux. However, if the guys are wearing a tux, he'd have to wear one.

Well he can rent one, you may be thinking. Umm no, not my overgrown honeylump. He's a big football player-type and still works out almost daily. To get an understanding - he has to order a size 56 - 60 jacket for it to fit his chest and shoulders...and a size 40, maybe 42 for his pants. Are you picturing the big ballooning jacket around his mid-section yet? They can't do any alterations on a rented tux other than moving the inner buttons. Uh, no sir. Not in my pics! So now we have to buy and have altered a tux for the wedding in only a 14 day time frame. (He's already talked to the lady who altered his last suit for him - she said it'll be fine.)

Anyhoo, here are some pics of the tuxes and accessories we've chosen. The tux is the Kenneth Cole Reaction three-button (L's will be a similar style but by Jones New York).

microfiber shirt (this is white) in ivory

L will be wearing this Tuscany Ivory vest.


The groomsmen are wearing the Primetime Wine Vest and Tie (L will be in a wine tie as well. maybe.) The second vest is the Tuscany Regency. I am thinking this might work as well. We will see once the girls' dresses come in!

Engagement Pics

I was feeling very stressed. My STDs (wedding planning talk - Save the Dates) should have gone out at the 6 month mark. That would be around June 18th. It came and went. July rolled on in. Well, I had to plan my pictures around my hair, so we had to wait until I got a fresh relaxer.

We finally set up for last Thursday. Our photographer, Ms. Anne Marie Darcy, scouted some locations for our early evening shoot. She had chosen a little local area park with trees that lined a walkway, a bridge (I can't remember the name) that has the Houston skyline in the background and then downtown for some urban-scape shots. I was trying to do all I could to maintain my hair and make-up in the Texas humidity! Well, it rained and was humid ALL last week and Thursday was no different.

We ended up having to push pause. However, we did get some good shots. Andplusalso, Anne Marie knew that I was desperate to get something to use so I could create my STD. She sent me 2 that I could use at like two in the morning! Whee! Here they are. I can't wait to get the rest or to finish the rest of the shoot sans rainstorm!
Will post my Save the Date shortly!

Venue VENT!

I am a bit annoyed with my venue at the moment. FYI: We are having both the ceremony and reception in the same location - a hotel in our hometown. While I always planned to be married in a church, it just ended up making too much sense to have everything in one central location.

The ceremony will be in the atrium by the waterfall, cocktail hour in a foyer-open area with lots of windows and the reception in the ballroom.


Why am I angry?

Well, I hadn't heard anything from them since the end of February/beginning of March. I had emailed the lady in charge of set-up: I need the length of the aisle and I also have a different way I would like the reception to be arranged.
I need the aisle length so I can start working on painting my aisle runner. Most hotel receptions are similar: round tables with white tablecloths, maybe an overlay, some chair covers. However, the hotel has rectangular tables and black stretch linen and chair covers that I loved, so I had a different arrangement in mind. Never heard from her.

Emailed her again.
Never heard from her.

No biggie, as I had gone waaay downhill in planning energy. I'll get in touch with them once the school year ends, and I really get back in the swing of planning.

Cut to last Monday, 6/7; we were in town and decided to go by the hotel and just check in. The main chick was gone for lunch. Turns out the other lady I'd been dealing with no longer worked there and had been gone for about 2 months. Okay, that would explain why I never heard from her.

Anywho, I'm catching up the new lady up with our plans so far, and we start discussing the rectangular tables and stretch linen. As I'm showing her some sample set-ups, she starts in on how she doesn't think they have enough stretch linen and chair covers to use for a reception, have I thought about the white linens they have, have I looked at some other linen companies, etc. I politely explain that no, I don't care for the white tablecloths - very restaurant-like and that I hadn't gone to linen companies as part of the reason that I chose this location was because they had the stretch linen and chair covers already.

Around this time, the main lady got in from lunch and said she'd finish up with us. So we head into her office and run through the same information with her. So I mention how lady1 was all unsure about the number of black linens available and she says, "Yeah, we only have 7." The hell you say. "Yeah, I mean we can order more from the linen company we work with, but we would, of course, have to pass that cost on to you."

Wait. What? We discuss it a bit but not in depth. She doesn't know how much it would cost, blah, blah, blah. After we leave, I ask FI if he remembers that this is not how this chick originally presented the options of the black linens. I get home and check with my mom, who went with me on the 1st visit. I later check with my MOH who also went with us. Everyone has the same response as I did: Wait. Now say what now?!? I 'm quite pissed about having this new additional cost to consider.
I was trying to convince myself that maybe we all had just changed the way we thought about the information over time, but I found a blog post from December 28, 2009. It reads as follows:

So I decided to stay in hometown today and try to set up some appointments to see some venues. I knew it would be hard to make time once we're back at work; I'd have to take off.

I am soooo glad that I did it! I put a tentative hold on the ballroom (1/2) and atrium at the Hotel hotel. I was actually leaning towards the other hotel, but the room was smaller (would hold max 150) and had a $5000 minimum for the month of December (HH's minimum is $4000 and can hold up to 350). The HH has these sleek black stretch linens and chair covers that are included in the rental price! ( All I would need are sashes (maybe). When you look at that and the fact that you are getting a bigger room for less money AND you have the waterfall - the HH had to take the lead. Here are some shots of the room.

I have not been able to get myself ready to talk them about this yet. ugh.

<3CRod

Frick. 188 days...

Well, how did that happen?!? It's time for me to buckle down and get back on this planning thing. I didn't "stop," but I certainly did slow down. But (*singing*) school's out for summer!

***UPDATE***
I plan to get going on my DIY projects. I have purchased a lot of items over the last couple of months and have just placed everything in what is slowly turning into the wedding room.

A newly married bride in the Houston area was selling her candy bar set-up and 10 cylindrical vases. I jumped in and snapped those up! What do you think?

I'm quite excited! I have more than enough containers now and the scoops/tongs.
I have everything I need to paint my banners and aisle runner. I am just waiting on someone from the hotel to let me know the length of the aisle. sigh. More about them in the next post. Here is my trial Here Comes the Bride banner:
More posting. more frequently!
Let's go!!!
<3 CRod