Sustainable Crafts: Fabric Scrap Guest Pillow

A few days ago I got to talking about uses for fabric scraps.  This morning I discovered this lovely project on Cluck Cluck Sew:

The project itself is for a fabric scrap pillow, but Randy and I have an alternative idea: as well as having our "guest painting" for folks to leave messages, we are going to cut out leaves from the many scraps I have lying around from previous costuming projects so that guests can sign them.  After the wedding (possibly on our honeymoon) we will sew all of the leaves from our guests onto a pillow as a tree with our wedding date on the trunk.  I already have plenty of fabric, stuffing and markers to make this a reality.  It will be a functional piece as well as something to hand down to any child we may have in the future.

Secondhand Crafts: Fabric Scraps

One thing I've been thinking about late is accenting my dress.  I want to embroider either a strip or wide ribbon in red to make into a sash.  Does that mean I'm hightailing it to Joann or Hobby Lobby?  Not exactly.

Here's a bit of a tip: some secondhand and thrift stores sell bags of fabric, ribbon and hardware scraps.  In Chicago the best place to go for such treasures is Unique Thrift Stores.  They are in different places in each store so go hunting!  They are usually under five bucks and often have entire yards of fabric.  I have been collecting bags of fabric for not only my dress, but also decor and favors.  I plan on exploring this website for ideas and inspiration:

30 Fabulous Fabric Scrap Tutorials

Well, that's a brief update but I've been busy with school and work at the moment.  ^_^

Pass the Jello Salad! Getting To Know Your Potluck Reception.

On average, food for a reception can set a bride and groom back a good $4,339.  Most of this has to do with the cocktail hour and a traditional three-course meal that has become standard in the industry.  While this is the norm and proper for a lot of couples, the idea of the "potluck reception" is gaining popularity as of late.  In many cultures this is already tradition and I'm happy to see more Western weddings grasping on to this concept.

One bride wrote into "Offbeat Bride" asking if it was "tacky" to have a potluck reception.  The moderator response was spot on: "It's YOUR wedding so if it feels good do it."  I agree.  There are too many couples and families out there who use a wedding to flaunt status or "one-up" other weddings they have been to.  That's not what a wedding is about.  If you want to go back to ye olden days, weddings were used to bring families and sometimes cultures together through the union of two people.  It's time we get back to that.  Guests get to sample and taste a variety of dishes that may be unique to them.  It's what a wedding should be all about: sharing and togetherness while enjoying new experiences with new members of one's family.

Randy and I decided a long time ago that a potluck reception is fitting for our needs.  We are fortunate enough to have friends and family who love to cook and love to share their talents.  Plus, to be honest, we are on limited funds and cannot provide a lavish sit-down affair.  We do not want to take out loans or max out credit cards to bring our special day to fruition.  And besides, people potluck for parties and get-togethers all the time, so why not a wedding?

This also falls within our sustainability model.  Food production contributes to a lot of waste.  Home cooks in general produce less waste and might be more inclined to recycle packaging that ingredients come in.  Containers are more likely to find their way into homes rather than in a landfill.  Smaller dishes with a greater variety provides guests with more food options.  There are also places for people to grill if they feel so inclined to do so.

I know some guests, particularly out of towners and those who feel a bit alien in a kitchen, will balk at such a request.  Every potluck has a few inexpensive store bought items and that is perfectly fine.  Some guests might see this as a inappropriately cheap way out and that we lack some sort of organization in our reception.  Some guests might not even show up at all thinking that they are "expected" to provide food.  That is their right, just as it is our right to make this part of our day.  We will not apologize for what we have decided.

I do not want to end this entry on a down note.  We personally love this idea.  As I've told a few friends, it's very "Methodist church Sunday picnic."  Here's hoping for less Jello salads.  :)

Confessions of a Junk Food Junkie

I'll be the first to admit to my poor eating habits.  Being a full-time worker as well as a part-time student plays a big role in this, but there's also that little issue of me just liking crap food.  I enjoy my fast food, snack cakes and soda.  And it's got to stop.

Two years ago I lost 45 pounds.  I looked and felt great.  Since then I found Randy and got "fat and happy," putting about 25 of those pounds back on.  It's easy to blame a wonderful relationship, but the reality is that it was not the relationship that escorted me into McDonald's during my lunch hour.  That was all me.

A lot of brides use their impending wedding to drop all of the dress sizes.  This just causes way too much stress.  I just want to lose those 25 pounds with maybe 10 or 15 more and tone up for the big day.  This means actually getting up in the morning and hauling my ass to the gym which I have not been doing as of late.  I also need...need...NEED to stop shoveling unhealthy food in my face and get back on a better diet.  More fruits and veggies, lean meats and healthy grains. I need to take my food to work and school so that the temptation to get fast food is minimized.  I gotta keep my eye on the prize...which is looking and feeling my personal best on that special day.

What Really Grinds My Gears: The Guest Book

Welcome to the first of what might become MANY of my big complaints about the wedding industry and just how many people get suckered into stuff they don't need or can do better.  AKA:

Today's big beef: the guest book.  

I know of very few couples who even look at their guest book after the wedding.  And if you're having a pretty small affair then you maybe fill two pages and that's it: done.  It's a huge waste and can be done better.

Thankfully we're not the only couple who feel this way and the Internet has spoken.  Fingerprint people, posters, butterfly or balloon cutouts, river stones, wine corks, vinyl records and recipe cards are some of the alternatives to the guest book.  Randy and I have started kicking around the idea of creating an original piece of art together for our guests to sign at the wedding.  Afterwards we can have it professionally framed and hung in the house so we have the pleasure of looking at it everyday instead of being tossed in a drawer like most guest books.

"But, Angi," you may say, "I want to know who actually came to the wedding for thank you cards!"  No prob!  A simple notebook lying around in your junk drawer (I know you have one) or a Notepad app on your tablet device can take care of people signing in without the waste and expense of the traditional guest book.

So that's it for "What Really Grinds My Gears" today.  Haven't decided what's gonna grind my gears next, but the wedding industry is a HUGE business with plenty to grind so stay tuned.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Weddings contribute to a lot of waste.  Between invitations, flowers, favors, catering, travel and clothing it can result in quite a carbon footprint.  Sustainability is defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."  A sustainable wedding isn't going to change the world, but it's a good start to show that weddings can be possible without the waste and expense that traditionally comes with it.  Thus this is the game plan:

• Go to thrift stores and flea market to get ideas and hunt down supplies.
• Check Craigslist and eBay for other used items for the wedding.
• Use recycled or sustainably produced paper for the invitations and provide an email RSVP rather than add more paper.
• Make the "Save the Date" cards out of handmade seeded paper made from old newspaper pulp to be grown in a garden; these are going to be made by us as an experiment.
• Forgo real flowers for paper flowers made from old comic books and maps as well as brooch bouquets.
• Utilize solar lighting for accent lighting (charge lights then cover solar panels for light before ceremony).
• Find alternatives for catering and provide compostable dinner, drink and flatware; in addition, provide recycling facilities for glass, plastics and metals.
• Keep purchasing of new items to a minimum; sadly buying new is sometimes a necessary evil.

This might be a lot of work for some, but considering this was my major in college it is going to be a labor of love for both of us.  For more info on Green weddings, check out this website:

Green Bride Guide FAQ

Will you do me the honor...

Twenty-four hours ago today I watched dumbfounded and stunned at the zoo as my boyfriend of two years Randy shift from the bench we sat on to his knee to fumble a ring out of his pocket and onto my finger as he tripped over words through tears.

His grandmother's ring now sits on my finger in anticipation of a wedding whose date has not yet been set and plans just being set into motion.  Thus I have created a blog to chronicle the insanity that will be our planning of a wedding while we are three hours apart and while we also work towards me moving into our new home in Peoria, IL.

It's going to be a rough go.  We are both tight on cash so we will be using our money-saving skills to bring our dream wedding to life. A friend just recently had a wedding that totaled a whopping $45,000!!  That will not be us.  Randy and I plan on having a wedding that will be utilizing the sustainability rule of "reduce, recycle and reuse."  This will not only keep the price of the event low, but also be friendly to the environment.

This is going to be a very exciting, terrifying and frustrating time of our lives.  We invite you to join us in the madness that is planning a sustainable hippie wedding.

Angi and Randy