The antidote to a cheap wedding, The Broke-Ass Bride delivers bad-ass wedding inspiration to turn your budget wedding into a kick-ass and totally unique wedding… because its not about how much you spend, its how you spend it!
‘Memba those fabulous DIY Louboutin-inspired petal sandals we featured from Love, Maegan a few weeks ago? Well, today we’re feeding to your fix with a matching petal bag that’s as simple as it is sexy. Thanks again to Maegan for sharing! Make sure to check out her fabulous site and love her long time. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did! …..and away we go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Practical Wedding was one of my most beloved daily reads when I was engaged. Meg started her blog just a few months before me, and we were both wed within months of each other… so in many ways I viewed her as a sister during the process. Her down-to-earth authenticity kept me honest and sane when I would get bogged down in the details, or fall prey to equating dollars-out with happiness-in.
Like me, she’s still at it (with a gorgeously redesigned site, no less) and leading the Team Practical cause like the bad-ass fairy godmother of wisdom that she’s always been.
Today, she’s featured us as Wedding Graduates… and my heart palpitates with happiness! Go, check out our story and pics, and make Meg your new best friend. She’s a good’un, she is.
Click over for the full post!
And to those of you who came over from APW today – welcome! There’s cold ones in the fridge, and my sofa is hella cozy. We hope you enjoy your stay, and come back often!
An interactive candyland themed engagement announcement? Ninja PLEASE! Are you kidding me?
This is some of the most creative shiz I’ve stumbled across in all my tours around the interwebs, from a hugely clever blogger and his adorable fiancee. Follow this link for the whole experience, and be sure to explore all the fun multimedia along the way… as Mike tells the story of how he and Michelle met, fell in love, and got engaged!
Ohhhhhh Emmmmm Geeeeeee!
Congrats to Mike and Michelle, not just for your engagement, but for raising the bar for unique and creative broke-ass wedding goodness, everywhere. It’s so inspiring to see people putting their unique skills to work, and making their wedding a real reflection of themselves. That’s broke-ass brilliance at its best!
When Devon from Eco-Proper (such a fabulous site!) contacted us about her heirloom handkerchief rose project, we jumped at the chance to feature it here. It’s absolutely perfect for weddings, affordable as all get-out, eco-friendly enough to earn you serious karma points, sentimentally sweet, and has so many possible applications!
Can you imagine a bridal bouquet made of family handkerchiefs? What a beautiful handmade wedding accessory. Le sigh! Dress embellishments? I swoon! Boutonnieres? Yes, please! Headbands for your bridesmaids? Oh my! Corsages? I die! Or even, (gasp) for non-floral centerpieces? They’d be gorgeous scattered on a table, or attached to manzanita branches. Oh man, I wish I knew about his when I was still engaged!
It would be so simple to find handkerchiefs for this project on the cheap…. at flea markets, thrift shops, or that trunk in the corner of your grandma’s attic. And remember, recycling old handkerchiefs like this makes for a green wedding! Or get really creative and invite your guests to send one from their family which you can incorporate into your wedding for some seriously meaningful decor. The possibilities are endless, and the process easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. So what are you waiting for? Say hi to Devon, then get crafting!
PS – have you completed our survey yet, and entered to win some sweet-ass prizes?! Time’s running out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucky me! I was given an entire stack of antique handkerchiefs that belonged to my grandmother, her mother, her grandmother, etc… (at least, I know they came from family). For my wedding, I wanted to incorporate family heirlooms and what better way to use these than to make a bouquet from them.
What you’ll need:
- Handkerchiefs
- A needle
- Some thread
- Beads of any sort (costume jewelry pearls were used here)
Here are the steps:
1. Fold the handkerchief in half to form a triangle…Fold back over itself until you’ve folded completely, accordion-style (shown above) *this is great way to give the look of more petals, and you can leave a little of the tip hanging out to grab for extra “stem” support
2. Starting at one end, begin with two folds and then start rolling
3. After rolling a rose center, continue to roll while twisting the remainder of the piece away from you. This creates the petals. …Once you get to the end, you can grab this piece to secure the entire flower or use it to create a leaf later
4. At this point, you will need to put a couple stitches through the “stem” of your rose just to make sure nothing will move around. I used a pearl at the end of the thread just to hold it tightly and add a little something.
5. Because the center of the rose was a little awkward looking, I decided to pull some beads through the very center to bring it down into the rose. Also, I was able to use some pearls from my family’s costume jewelry to add an extra touch.
This really became a rose with the last addition and a little fluffing! Even if you don’t add beads to the center, a stitch bringing the center down really makes a difference.
(to see the steps in action, watch this nifty slideshow!)
Also, if you have a handkerchief with a beautiful design in one corner, let that corner be the last bit left when you are rolling and you can use it to create a little leaf. Beautiful! I am well on my way to a bouquet!
*On a side note, I didn’t actually do any cutting of the handkerchiefs. So if I wanted to reclaim them for other use or just sentimental value, all I need to do is just cut the stitching!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peep more of Devon’s eco-excellence at Eco-Proper.com or follow her on twitter: @ecopropoer
Wowza, can I just say I lurve the what outta you guys? Your enthusiasm about my mystery news was so overwhelmingly heartwarming, it kind of puts my actual news to shame! But the encouraging guesses you listed in the comments made cartoon hearts bubble out of my head all day long! No one quite correctly guessed what’s up, but your answers were actually much more exciting.
The truth is…. I put in my notice at work! (insert slow fade to flashback)
Right around the time I went to Making Things Happen, I set a goal to be out of my day job by the end of May, no matter what. I said to myself, “self, I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but you and I know there’s no other choice!” As May approached, I found myself nearing critical mass as it grew harder and harder to maintain a balance between my day job and the blog. I couldn’t seem to finish anything I started, which was making me tense and angsty. I knew that if I could only dedicate the 55-60 hours/week I spend either working or traveling to/from work, toward the betterment of this site, or my book proposal (or everything) we could make up the financial difference through doing. Hunter and I kept talking about how there had to be a leap of faith, and soon, but we were both terrified of jumping without a net.
A week or so ago, a friend of a friend was looking for someone to handle social media strategy and management for a network of 3 websites… part-time, from home… and she recommended me. I interviewed, got a voice mail with an offer, put down the phone, walked into my boss’s office and put in my notice. Just like that. It was a no-brainer.
Two weeks ago, I had my heart set on a goal with no clue how I’d get there. Two weeks from today, I’ll be working part-time as a social media contractor, doing something I absolutely love, and I’ll finally have the flexibility and freedom be able to hone in on some key broke-ass improvements and ideas with Hunter and Michael that we’ve been dreaming up, making things happen in a way that feels more right than ever! So stay tuned, because we’ve got some hecka fun tricks up our sleeves! I’ve been feeling imprisoned in my little cubicle with no natural light for far too long, but call me Richard Pryor, ’cause I’m BUSTIN’ LOOSE!
Here’s me, at my new job:
Oh, hullo, I am a social media maven! rawr!
Bahahaha! Yeah…. right.
Really, I’ll probably look more like this:
Take me away again to margaritaville. / KIDDING!
But I gotta say that hopefully, sooner than later, your predictions for me will be true, too! From your guesses, you were almost completely split between thinking I was either going to have:
1. A book deal, or
2. My own TV show (this won out by 2 votes!)
The book deal I can understand, because its no secret that I’ve been dreaming of, and working toward getting one. In fact… Just last week I submitted for feedback the rough beginnings of my proposal to the agents I met with in NY. ‘Memba how I set a goal to get a book deal by my last birthday, and ended up meeting with book agents that very week? Well how ’bout that? Writing a book has been a goal for many years now, and senseless fear has held me back… but I’m going for it! Balls to the wall, baby
But, the TV thing? That sounds dope as hell! (and yup, those wheels are turning too!) So, you hear this, WeTV, WeddingCentral, TLC and Bravo? You out there Oprah? Tell your OWN network! My friends here think I should be on tv, and I could definitely get behind that! (Meanwhile, we’re plotting some fun web video segments, so hang in there for those. They’re going to be hecka fun!)
And now that I’ve popped the cork on that good news, I have bonus goodness for you too!
I’m goosebumpitty with excitement to introduce our newest Broke-Ass Team Member…. Joy! (aka HowJoyful, aka Mrs. Poodle, aka the DIY bad-ass of the universe!)
image via Next Exit photography
I met Joy through Weddingbee, but she has grown into a treasured friend who puts Martha to shame with her creativity and moxie. We went to her extraordinarily stunning DIY wedding a few weeks ago, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have her join the team! Each week, Joy will share her broke-ass crafty goodness to inspire your own creations and charm you with her Chilean sass and frass. Her first post is coming right up later today, so be sure to stop back and offer Joy a warm broke-ass welcome!
But before that, I want to thank you for all of your encouragement and kind words. It still stuns me, to be blessed with such a network of love to lean on… and I love y’all so so much right back! Without you cheering me on, I’d never have pushed it this far. Now, because of you really, I get to be my own boss and follow my dreams with all my heart and soul. Schanks, we’re gonna have lots of fun
Two weeks ago, I hopped over to Washington DC to attend the B-list Conference, and snap crackle pop was it ever a great time! I’m still kinda pinching myself over being included with a crew I find so inspiring – I mean, these are some of the best bloggers around – and I’m happy to report that they’re all just the sweetest gals evah!
We all got some seriously royal treatment over the weekend, which kicked off with a massive blowout meet and greet at The Torpedo Factory – an incredible artsy/lofty space in Old Town Alexandria. Vendors came from all over the country to attend, and the whole party was off the hook and so was the venue. It was fun bumping into old friends I haven’t seen in a while, and meeting some of my favorite bloggers for the first time. Let me tell you, I stumbled off that plane, changed into my dress in the airport bathroom, and rolled into this party 45 minutes later… rocking jetlag and airplane grogginess. But the buzz of being there carried me through the night, the party and the afterparty!
The Torpedo Factory was jam packed
Our lovely hosts: Anne (From I Will to I Do) & Vane (Brooklyn Bride)
Elan Artists tore the room up
They scrolled any tweets pertaining to the conference or party across a screen in real time, which would be a fun modern feature at an edgy-techie wedding. But one of my favorite features was the DIY prosecco station – which included fresh herbs, syrups, and other mixers that we could add to flavor our glass as much or as little as we liked. I got seriously addicted to a concoction involving fresh thyme and lavender syrup… that stuff was my jam!
Fresh Herbs and Prosecco? My new favorite!
Another adorable feature was Brooklyn Bride’s Pop Up Bar – showcasing items that POP… everything from various flavors of popcorn to pop tarts and pop rocks. I’d love to see something like this at a wedding instead of a candy buffet.
Once you pop, you can't stop.
They also decorated chalkboard vases with our names, which I loved. But the best was that they drew some chalk ass cheeks under our name See them in the lower left corner there?
Just grab some chalkboard paint and plywood to DIY your own!
Saturday was the official conference, which we spent at the historic Lloyd House in Old Town Alexandria. Sorry peeps, what we discuss at the conference stays at the conference, but I can share with you the freaking adorable lunch they put together for us… which was almost too cute to eat! Almost. Its theme was something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue, and it included embroidered cloth napkins, bamboo flatware, artisan root beer, and special ‘B’ shaped cookies.
Sunday morning, we trucked over to Williams Sonoma for a special brunch featuring some new registry trends, delicious tasty delights, and a fun cooking demonstration. Did you know some couples are registering for his and hers knife sets so couples that love to cook could each get the fit they want? As a gal with a culinary bent, that beats my drum for sure! Oh, PS – WS makes some crazydelicious frozen croissants that would be totally perf for a day-after brunch type event. You ain’t gotta tell no one that’s store bought (it can be our little secret). They are the yum!
WIlliams Sonoma put on quite a show for us!
And we all went our separate ways, toting our special swag bags… with full hearts and heads after such a rewarding weekend with the gals! Take a peek at the loot.
It was all such a blast. I’m so grateful to everyone who made it all possible, and feel blessed to be included in such an inspiring bunch of bloggers! And you know that’s saying something, since I managed to lose my wallet and get sick that weekend. Honestly though, the people at Dulles Airport couldn’t have been nicer about helping me through security without a photo ID. It’s so rare to experience great customer service when traveling, I have to shout-out their TSA department with a virtual high five. I felt very Blanche DuBois – relying on the kindness of strangers And then, the unthinkable… a week later my wallet was returned, completely intact!
I can’t wait for next year’s conference. Keep up with and learn more about The B-List in the meantime, by following the B-List Blog!
Unfortunately I can’t be with the whole B-List crew at the conference in D.C. this weekend. So here is a little shout out to all the Ladies of the B-List, Fresh Hubby Style. (Oh and if you’re not a B-Lister, in my book, today you are an honorary one )
What happens when you mix two colorful actors with personalities as big as their hearts, and a photographer with style unique enough to fit? You get these kick ass pictures, people. We’re talking unique, delightful, drool inducing photos… saturated with color, charm, and creative spirit… and shot by one of our faves, Kelty at Steep Street.
Khali and Potsch snuggle up on a vintage couch and make themselves feel at home.
I speak from experience when I say that Kelty hit the jackpot with this bride and the groom, my dear friends Khali and Potsch… a simply fantastic couple, teeming with energy and creativity, and hypnotically stylish. Believe me when I tell you that these are two of the most effervescent, inventive, and utterly fun people we’ve had the pleasure to call friends. Khali is a cross between a blonde bombshell of the fifties, and a colorful style maven… and Potsch looks like he just crawled out of an urban outfitters magazine or marlboro commercial. They’re one of those magnetically fabulous couples, you know what I mean? They have such a strong perrsonal flair and are 100% authentically true to their signature style… their personalities and energy are radiant in every way. (can you tell I adore them?)
This picture reminds me of an old silent film. Khali is a damsel in distress and Potsch is going to save the day!
Khali found Kelty through a wedding blog (stalking pays off!) and fell in love with Steep Street’s trademark style of mixing color and texture in vivid and exciting ways. So she decided they had no choice but to road trip it up to Portland with a car full of clothing for some outfit changes, and meet with Kelty for her very own engagement pictures. And now we all get to enjoy the gorgeousness that resulted!
The new and improved "American Gothic" painting. Now complete with a blue vintage hat!
Color me in love - with this vibrant feast for the eyes!
Khali also helped Kelty know what kind of styles she liked by creating a collage of old sepia photographs from the twenties for inspiration, and clearly these photos evoke a similar energy. They first shot at a vintage furniture store that gave them full access: they staged furniture, created their own prop set-ups, tried on old hats and were really making the photos their own. In Kelty’s words, “It was almost difficult to approach them for close-ups because I felt like I was intruding on a scene — they often had full dialogues and took on new characters in each location!”
In one word? HOT.
Creating and staging little vignettes is an easy way to incorporate your own unique style into the photos as well. You can do it anywhere that suits you as a couple, but before you start taking snapshots and re-arranging the displays, just be sure to get the owner’s permission.
They paid homage to their kitty with a prop tiger head they found.
I love all of the colors and elements in this photo. I've been playing "I Spy" with it.
They later shot in a tree lined meadow, rich with the colors and textures of nature and evocatively epic looking trees. This dreamy backdrop looks like the couple went deep into an enchanted forest, but really they are just right off the road! I love how the colors really pop against the nature around them.
Potsch & Khali. Now complete with their very own ampersand.
This picture is full of energy....and makes me want to go play hide and seek or tag.
The ever-artsy Khali worked her super creative mojo to use of these outdoor shots and create a postcard save the date that’s huge on charm but small on cost! Mine’s hanging on my fridge right now!
How's that for broke-ass with sassafrass?
I sure hope Kelty’s photographs of Khali and Potsch makes your eyes and heart as happy as they made ours! If you’re like us, and can’t get enough of Khali & Potsch, be sure to check our her blog Boots & CatEyes and their shop, Honey B wearables and usefuls. And if THAT’s not enough, well fine. Here’s a bad-ass stop motion video Kelty made of K&P dancing it out, to make you love them even more!
We’ve been head over heels in love with Steep Street for a long time, but seeing how Kelty captured our friends vibrant, infectious energy just made our jones to meet and work with her like a zillion times stronger. And awww yeah, we’ll get to meet her at K&P’s wedding this October! You can see more of this session on the Steep Street blog, or visit her website for even more eye candy and inspiration!
Are you doing anything special to let your true colors shine, in your engagement shoot?
