Place Card Holders

Hello lovelies!  I have conjured up some ideas for some inexpensive place card holders that are perfect for your super awesome wedding coming up or your next dinner party.  Cute details like place card holders or food markers don't have to be expensive (heck they can even be free) but they add some adorable pizzaz to any party.

Pine Cones

You can either buy a bag of them find them on trees yourself, but either way they are easy to get your hands on!  If you want to spice it up a bit try using a bag of the scented pine cones! You can find some at your local hobby lobby or home goods store.

{Image and idea from Paper Playne}

Wine Corks

You can easily upcycle your own wine corks or if you don't drink I'm sure it won't be too hard to scrounge some out of your friends!  Put a little slit in them and viola!  One of the pictures is from an Etsy shop selling them with flowers on top.  It wouldn't be too hard to super glue your own flower or embellishment of your own choosing!  Get creative with it and go with the theme...

{Image and idea from Etsy}

{image source unknown}

Airplane Bottles

This could get a little pricey, but depending on how much you were wanting to spend on wedding or party favors, this could be a real treat.  Plus most people will actually take their favor home (or use it at the event- which could make for some silly dancing memories.)

{Image from Melissa Jill Photography}

Animal Figurines
While this DIY could get time consuming if you have a lot of guests, it could be inexpensive and adorable.  Buy a box of animal kids toys and spray paint them and cut a slit in the middle.  Easy Peasy.

{Image and idea from Emmaline Bride}

Greenery
Along the same lines as pincones, these teeny branches can be taken off of your local trees at no cost to you!  It doesn't have to be pine, any sticks, tree limb or flower will do.  Make it how you want it.

{source of image: unknown}

Wooden Spools
If you're having a rustic themed wedding, these are the place holders for you!  I'm sure your grandma has a few lying around that she wouldn't mind sharing!  I think they would be super cute painted gold!

{image and idea from Etsy}

Stick It In A Fork

Literally.  Yup.  By far the most inexpensive idea I've seen and I honestly think it is just as cute as the others!

{Image from Style Me Pretty}

I'd love to hear any other cute ideas you guys have!  Feel free to share! Happy Tuesday everybody...

Beach Wedding Inspiration

This post sponsored by: Mrs. Maid Of Honor!  

Be sure to head on over to mrsmaidofhonor.com for some no-nonsense wedding planning inspiration, tips and resources!

eeeekk!! Ya'll, I am so sad at myself!  I cannot believe I have not done a post in two weeks.  That is just ridiculous and we are going to have to put an end to that!  Indeed much of our two week separation can be chocked up to laziness, but at least PART of it can be blamed on Wil and I moving.  Our stuff.  Our lives.  Our jobs.  Our bums.  To Knoxville, Tennersee.  Yup, you heard it right, Wil and I are Knoxvillians again.  And this time it looks like we are here to stay!

Anywho, More on that later.....

Today I want to talk about Beach Weddings!!!!! Why?! Because my bestest friend in the whole wide world is getting married!  On a Beach! In Myrtle Beach!  And I can't stop myself from helping her look for cute ideas that don't break the bank.  So here is a little compilation of beach wedding ideas....

{I found this idea off of ebay, someone was selling it, but it could easily be recreated.  Wine bottles, candles and seashells: easy and inexpensive!}

{Is that not the most simple and easy idea for beach wedding boutonnieres!} 

Image from Confetti Day Dreams

{This idea isn't necessarily just for a beach wedding, but I love the rustic elegance to it.  It would be very easy to recreate and definitely inexpensive.  Mugs, cans, pitchers and a few flowers.  Love.}

Image from Confetti Day Dreams

{These would be perfect to create an isle way in the sand!  You could paint them your wedding colors as well.}

Image from Wedding Bee

{While this centerpiece idea would be a little more expensive because you would have to buy those big tall pretty vases, it is absolutely stunning.  I love the combination of seashells, pebbles, a star fish and the colored water. }

{Wine glasses are very inexpensive, so using this idea to decorate could fill in a lot of places for very little investment.  Plus, if you don't have any already, you could use the wine glasses after the wedding.}

Image From Invites Weddings

{Did I mention how cute starfish are?!  So cute, you could use salt, sugar, or sand as the filler.}

Image from Etsy

{Signs are always romantic}

Image from Destination Wedding Mag
{Absolutely LOVE!}

Image from bespoke-bride
{I love many things about this.  The fabric isle on the beach (especially chevron fabric, yes, I am on the chevron bandwagon...) The hooks that line the isle way.  You could put anything your heart desires on those hooks too!  Mason jars, lanterns. flower pots, hand-made signs with verses or memories, anything at all!}

Image from Perfect Florida Beach Wedding
{Using fake flowers or paper flowers is a growing trend for weddings, and I don't mind the idea at all.  Especially if your venue is hot and the flowers might wilt, or if a certain flower is out of season.  I love the display of the paper flowers on the long sticks in this picture.}

Image from Unknown
{Burlap is always an elegant choice for any rustic or beach themed wedding.  I also love the use of the crates for a cake display or even as a gift or card table.   And I think by now you know I'm all for the starfish decor :)  Also, remember that any art and signs you use to decorate your wedding are perfect to reuse as decorations in your house!}

Fall Engagement Picture Ideas

This post sponsored by: Mrs. Maid Of Honor!  

Be sure to head on over to mrsmaidofhonor.com for some no-nonsense wedding planning inspiration, tips and resources!

{Via theblondesalad.com}

{via, http://myheartbelongs-toyou.tumblr.com}

{via, http://mallorymorganphotography.com}

{via, http://studio637photography.pass.us}

{via, http://www.paulaohara.com/}

{via, http://www.rvacreative.com}

{via, http://www.umeusstudios.com}

{via, http://www.taylorlordphotography.com}

{via, http://www.minted.com}

{source unknown}

{source unknown}

{via, http://www.taylorlordphotography.com}

{via, http://www.flickr.com}

Military Engagement Photos

This post sponsored by: Mrs. Maid Of Honor!  

Be sure to head on over to mrsmaidofhonor.com for some no-nonsense wedding planning inspiration, tips and resources!

I guess you could say I have a huge soft spot for Military men.  Many of the men in my immediate and extended family have served or are serving in the Armed Forces and I could not be more proud of their courage and selflessness.  That being said, as I was researching for my next engagement photo post and because it is the week of July 4th,  it was only perfectly fitting to do a spotlight on military engagement picture ideas.  Here are some of my favorite ideas.....

 {World War II Inspired Engagement Shoot, photo by Dulce & Bellezza Photography}

{What is it with the feet photos?  Can't help but like it, photo by Nikita Gross Photography}

{Photo by Laura Yang Photography}

{photo credit unknown}

{photo by Samantha Hebert Photography}

{Man standing at attention and the woman holding him, photo by Coleman Photography}

 {sorry it is a fuzzy picture, but you get the idea.  I love that she is wearing the hat in the second one; photo credit unknown}

{I love the stairs, Photo by Visionyard Photography}

I also think it would be such a cute idea if you did a military engagement session on a military obstacle course.  With the man dressed in his uniform and the woman dressed in a cute military outfit and they are doing the course together.  Especially one where they are hanging upside down on the "monkey bars."  Those could make for some cute pictures!  I couldn't find any pictures with that being done, so if you decide to try it out or if you find some pictures where someone has done that I would love to see them!  

Oh to Pic....

Day 17: Favorite Picture of Yourself and Why

Ok, so bear with me on this post.  My favorite pictures I have ever had taken of me are from my engagement shoot.  I still remember very vividly how nervous I was.  Nervous that I wouldn't look pretty.  Nervous my hair wouldn't work right.  Nervous I would have zits on my face.  Nervous the trees wouldn't be colorful enough.  Nervous it would be raining.  Nervous I would have weird smiles.  Nervous my outfit wouldn't look cute.  Nervous our personalities wouldn't show up in the pictures.  Just plain nervous about almost ANYTHING that there was to be nervous about.

I have loved engagement pictures my whole life.  I love looking at them, whether it is someone I know or some random person.  I just think they are so darn special.  It is at an adorable exciting time in your life and you are so much in love with your fiance and that always shows in the pictures.  Plus you will have those professionally done pictures for the rest of your lives to display in your homes to remember how good you used to look before you had kids... :)...

What if after all that, I didn't like my own engagement pictures?!?!

Well,  The Lord blessed me yet again.  I absolutely positively adore my engagement pictures!  Our photographer, Emily Rodgers (whom I would totally tell everyone to look up and hire if she wasn't retired), was amazing and captured us perfectly.  I love the colors she enhanced and the ideas she brought to the table.  I was so relieved to get the pictures and to love every one of them.

Sooooo, all that being said.  My engagement pictureS are my favorite pictures of myself.  All of them.  I couldn't choose.  Lucky you gets to see them all.....

And there you have it Folks! My favorite pictures...