WOOT!

And the honeymoon is BOOKED!!! Yeah, baby! We will be spending 5 days/4 nights at the Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun. I am uber-excited! These are a few photos from the website:

I have already found the Facebook page and check it pretty much daily, ha. I am sure I will be glued to Trip Advisor for the next 90-some-odd days. #cantwait

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!

1st DIY check! WOOT!!!

What is DIY? Do-It-Yourself. Thanks to the knotties and their wonderful bios, I have created quite an extensive diy list. A few things I plan to do are invitations, save the dates, monogrammed aisle runner, sweetheart table banner, reception decorations....the list definitely goes on and on. I also LOVE the Mrs. hoodie (and undies, but I haven't attacked those yet.) Anyhoo, a knottie posted that Old Navy had white hoodies on sale for $10 about a week ago. It's this one.

I actually ordered 2 - one in white and one in purple. Didn't really care for the purple, but you can make returns at the store, so it's gone now. Now I have seen several versions of directions for creating your hoodie. They pretty much all involve the same things: making your pattern on the computer, printing it out so it's backwards, using mylar paper, attaching rhinestones and then ironing onto your hoodie. Here are some of the different directions I had saved to use as a possible guide: try these, or these and here is a video.

All of this was fine and dandy and how I planned to make my hoodie. But the thing is, you have to order this mylar transfer paper from online. (A lot of people get it from ebay.) I have a problem. When I decide I want something (or in this case, want to do something), I want to do it then!

I looked around thinking there must be something similar that I could use found in stores, but I actually had no luck. (I did later find this link from someone, but I had already completed my hoodie! She found something at Hobby Lobby that worked similarly to the mylar paper.) I had just about resigned myself to the idea that I was going to have to order the mylar transfer paper and just wait. yuck. And then I found a knottie (through a board search of 'hoodie') who did hers differently. Her directions are perfect - it's how I made mine after all - but here is how I did it.

You need:

your pattern/what you want it to say
tape
a pin
a pencil
iron-on rhinestones
iron or hotfix tool
teflon pressing sheet (optional)

I used the font Edwardian Script for the Mrs. Lastname and High Tower Text for the est. date and printed it out. I taped the paper down where I wanted the saying to be.







Then I took the straight pin (I actually used a thumbtack; easier to hold onto) and perforated my letters through the paper.








Next trace through the perforation/holes with your pencil. This will put your pattern on your fabric when you remove the paper. (Look closely; you can see the outline on my jacket.) Now just place your rhinestones, lining them up with the outline. I used a pair of tweezers I had already; no need for some special rhinestone grabber thingy (imho). I only did a letter (small ones) or part of a letter (if there were a lot of rhinestones) at a time, and would then iron that section before moving on. Just didn't want to end up with some out of line.


I laid the teflon pressing sheet on top of the section and held my iron (set according to the directions on the rhinestones) ON the letter for about 15 seconds. Don't rock; just place. Repeat until it's all done!

I did the initials on the front and like a complete dodo I put L + W, which are fiance's initials! Of course I did not realize this until I had completed the entire hoodie, so I just threw that C up there and kept it moving!

Jenny also changed out the white drawstring on her hoodie to a color that matched her colors on the hoodie. So I switched mine to one that is a wine color. Just as Jenny did, I just tied my new ribbon on one end of the white string, pulled the white through and the wine in and knotted the ends of the wine.

I am so happy with it!

<3 CRod