Showing posts with label decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label decor. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Wedding Talk: It's all in the Details


I promise this is the last batch of wedding photos! I really hope you've found them at least slightly interesting :) These are some of the details from the wedding. There are a few things that I didn't get pictures of, so I might try to recreate them at hope and get some shots. That first shot is (obviously) my dress. I think I've already mentioned it, but it was made for me by my friend's mother, Debbie. I basically sent her a picture and she took off! She wasn't able to do the top as we originally planned, so I told her I trusted her to make it look good. She didn't disappoint! I love what she did with the texture around the neckline and down the bust. It's just perfect. My favorit part of the dress is the skirt. I don't know what those little gathers are called, but I wanted lots of them so it would flow really well. I seriously couldn't be happier with my dress! It's 100% totally me, and there's not a duplicate out there :)



I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I LOVED my flower arrangements. You all know I have a ton of milk glass, so we put it to good use. I actually started collecting it to use it for my wedding, so I guess I fulfilled that dream! We used a huge variety of milk glass vases and containers for the centerpieces on the banquet style tables. Each centerpiece was placed on a table runner that was either vintage or handmade by me and my maid of honor (or bought...a couple were bought).


These are my favors. They are magnets, and each one has a little wooden piece with our initials stamped on. I made about 160 of these things, which took FOREVER, but it was fun. I also put little tags on that say "You're Magnetic!" on one side and "Thanks for Coming." This was probably the thing I put the most time into. I wanted something different, that hopefully people will use. I made sure and used strong magnets so they will actually hold things up on the fridge :) I also have a lot left, so if anyone wants one, shoot me an email kristimcmurry@gmail.com.


Went all out on the road signs (sarcasm). Turns out things look a lot bigger in your living room than they do on a country road! I think most people didn't even notice these.




I mainly posted this picture to show the frames along the left wall. I designed 6 typography posters using lyrics from love songs and had them up at the reception. Once I get my studio painted, I plan to hang them all up there!



For our guestbook, I had blank cards for people to either write their name or give us some advice. They would then file their card under the letter of their name in this vintage file drawer. I don't remember where I saw this idea. It may have been a combination of a few different ideas, but I thought it would be really fun! Since it was raining, we didn't get notes from everyone, but I absolutely adore the ones we did get! This is now in our living room :)


I loved my cakes! We kind of messed up the icing on the purple one, so my aunt Lisa fixed it up with some of the flowers we had left over. I think it turned out cute! This cake was chocolate with mint...I think it might have been my favorite.


My plates were another one of my favorite parts of the day! I collected 199 dinner plates from all over the area and carefully washed and packed each one. I also had mis-matched plates for the cakes. I got this idea from a wedding I shot a few years back, and I fell in love with it! Now I'm selling some of my favorite plates on Etsy. I actually really enjoyed collecting these, and if the Etsy shop does well, I might keep looking for them. I think I'd eventually love the have enough that I could rent out sets of them for other events in the area. It would save other brides and planners the trouble of searching for them!


The desserts were displayed on this headboard I found at Goodwill and painted. It had a sliding door, so I put apple pies on one side and pumpkin on the other. I was really pleased with how it turned out!




I have this friend, Lisa. Lisa is the most talented baker I have ever met! She can make a pie that will knock your stinking socks off. I knew I wanted to do little individual pies in jars as my main dessert, and since Lisa is so awesome, I asked her to bake them. I bought all the jars during peak canning season, so I got some good prices. She made two kinds, cinnamon crumble apple (pardon my while I dry up this drool on my keyboard) and pumpkin cheesecake. Both were incredible, but Rhett and I still discuss the apple pie...we kind of wish Lisa was our roommate. She does bake smaller batches though, if you want some for Christmas dinner! The minimum is 6...but if you go in with some friends, you could just get one or two. Check her out here: garnerpies.com.


This is my lavender lemonade! A major theme of the wedding was lavender. We used a lot of it in the floral arrangements, and we used it as our "toss" item. Everyone tossed the lavender on us as we left the ceremony. Anyway, I made the lemonade a couple of days before the wedding. I'm hoping to do a recipe post on that soon. It's delicious!


I'm also going to do another post on my invitations and programs. I designed them all, and I was pretty proud of them! I am kind of a minimalist when it comes to design, so they are very simple. If you can't read it here are the songs we used: Processional was the instrumental version of "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix. I walked out to my friend Brian singing a verse of "Not Fire, Not Ice" by Ben Harper (it was lovely), and we left to Otis Redding's "Cupid." I couldn't be happier with our song choices! I should probably also share our reception playlist soon too, because it was quite awesome. I also had my good friend Stephanie read a letter that Paul Newman wrote to his wife on their wedding day. It is so sweet, and I even had it printed in our wedding album.

I guess that's it! If you are a bride who found this post and have questions, let me know. I'd love to share how I did things :) I have to say, even though the weather was super crappy, I did have an amazing day. I poured my heart and soul into preparing for the wedding, but I never let myself get worrisome. I can remember one or two times when I started getting worked up about things, but I was always able to talk myself down. I think that's super important when you're planning a wedding, especially if you're doing most everything by yourself and with family! If you don't feel like something is going to come together in time, you just have to step back and ask yourself if that detail REALLY matters. Most of the time it doesn't. Here's what matters: you, your groom, your officiant, and your guests show up. You don't even have to have enough chairs for everyone :) Just as long as they are there...it will be a splendid day indeed.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Organizing the Chaos


I was planning on posting a recap of my weekend in Nashville today, but since it rained ALL DAY LONG on Saturday, I took exactly zero pictures. Despite the rain I did have a great day. Alanna and I met Libby for breakfast and had pleasant conversation. We braved the torrential rain and traffic and went out to Opry Mills for a bit of shopping and to see the Katy Perry movie. I'm a Katy Perry fan, so I very much enjoyed the movie! I thought it was very well made, and it didn't have the silly, pointless vibe I was expecting. It was really cool to learn more about her. After all that we went to Local Honey, Thriftsmart, Grimey's, and Urban Outfitters. None of those places are really close to each other...so we drove a lot...and got rained on a lot. I managed to not spend a small fortune though, and for that I am grateful.

On to the point of this post: jewelry organization. 


I have quite a bit of jewelry, but I'm sure I don't have near as much as some of you. It got to the point that I needed some sort of organization without spending a ton on a jewelry armoire (maybe in the future though). I found these hook shelf things from IKEA and had my friend pick up a few for me and they are perfect! I use the top one for shorter necklaces, the middle for earrings (only one hook on each end with string between them), and the bottom one for long necklaces.


For the earrings that won't hang, I put them on the ledge. I haven't lost any down the vent in the floor yet, so that's a plus. I don't really wear bracelets so those are in a box in my closet, but I do have a few on display along with a bowl of rings and a headband on my dresser. My next step is going to be organizing the necklaces and earrings by color instead of just randomly hanging them.  What do you guys use to organize your jewelry?


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Bedroom Wall Display


A week or so ago, I pretty much emptied my bedroom to make room for a new bed and a new wardrobe, both of which are HUGE. The only other piece of furniture in there is my dresser (also huge) so I actually have a nice, simple bedroom now.  I actually enjoy it being kind of minimal in there. Anyway, the point of this post is to show you the wall next to my bed, which I've been gradually adding things to. I have some larger prints that used to be on there, but I'm going to put those elsewhere, because I like the look of smaller pieces all grouped together.


I see these gallery walls in lots and lots of homes online, and I love the way they look. The great thing is that it can constantly evolve. If I get a new piece, I can either add it on the side or completely re-arrange everything. I have tons of the paint that I used on that wall, so re-painting is no biggie. Since a lot of these pieces came from Etsy, I want to share links so you can create your own gallery wall!

The top right Twin Pops image is by annatillettdesigns on Etsy, and she has tons of adorable things! The PB&J print is another one of my favorites from her. Right below that is an embroidery piece by ItsAStitch (Malarie), whom I've gotten to know through twitter and Etsy. She's incredibly talented, and has many many more gorgeous pieces in her shop. The piece right below the muscle embroidery + the one to the right of my engagement picture both came from this website: Feed Your Soul. They haven't updated in a while, but there are still lots of free downloads available from some wonderful artists (like Leah Duncan).


The two round embroidery pieces came from another friend of mine, Devin, who runs OooohStitchy. It's been really hard not to buy like 20 things from her shop, but I definitely couldn't pass up "I know, right?" and the crazy cat lady :) The piece on the clipboard is from the Etsy shop Jellybeans. I love the print, but honestly it took forever to ship from Canada, and the seller got snippy with me when I asked about it like a month after ordering it. Oh well, still her work is cute. That cat print at the bottom there was a gift from my wonderful friend, Gabrielle. It came from tinyconfessions, which is one of my absolute favorite Etsy shops. I can't even tell you how much I love that print, and I know that is totally something Dudley would think (it says "I am concerned about my own unstable behavior").

The photograph in the tan frame and the one with no frame both came from Etsy, but they were free gifts so I don't remember what shop they were from. The one between those two is a piece by a photographer in Charleston, SC. I picked that up as a souvenir when we went there. Of course that one on the far left is an engagement shot that I framed.

I hope to add more pieces to this collection, and maybe even start a gallery wall in my studio upstairs if I ever re-floor and re-paint it!  Do any of you have a wall like this in your home?

Friday, December 23, 2011

Being a Waitress

I hope my title isn't misleading. Being a waitress is something I could never ever do...in a million years. I'm impatient, I'm not compassionate, and most of all I'm clumsy. But a while back, I got the chance to give it a go when T and Pop hosted a rehearsal dinner at their place.



Those are the three tables that me and Kelsey waited on. I think I did ok, but I did almost fall into the pool a couple of times. I also poured water into the bride's seat...luckily while she wasn't sitting there. Apparently when I pour with my left hand, my right hand mimics the action. Since I know how clumsy I am, I didn't even attempt to carry more than two plates at a time. I was also glad that it was dark by the time we were serving so people couldn't see my face as well. I'm not good at holding a smile, especially when I'm concentrating, so people always think I'm not friendly.



I think all the red looked really nice in the outdoor setting. I'm pretty sure they used the rose petals for the wedding too, so it was a cohesive weekend...decor-wise. Don't you love those lanterns?! I wish I had a pool so I could put those around it...because they look awesome.


The waitresses (minus my mommy) enjoying the quiet before the big dinner. That's Kelsey in the red, me in the black, and Paige in the yellow.  We always have a good time when we hang out. I think Kelsey was the best waitress of the night. She's the only one that was asked for her number.


After everyone left, T and Pop gave us our own little desserts! Honestly, it's been a while, so I can't remember exactly what was in them. I think it was some kind of pudding with berries and such. Whatever it was...it was GOOOOD! I always say, if you're going to eat dessert, don't waste your calories on something mediocre. Well this was definitely worth the calories!

I really enjoy doing things like this. It's just nice to get out of my routine and away from the house. I know it's not some grand adventure, but even being a waitress can be a nice little relief from ho-hum life!

Also, I'm off work until January 3rd...be jealous :)

Friday, December 2, 2011

Holiday Cheer

I've had a rough-ish week, guys. I don't want to be a bummer on such a beautiful Friday, but my Papaw Jerry passed away this week (step-mom's dad...don't let the "step" fool you, they are absolutely my family). He has been sick for over a year, and just the last few weeks have been really bad. Anyway, I needed a little cheer in my week so we decided to decorate the house last night.

We put up the old tree in the living room and a few ornaments. I'm still building up a collection, but I love the ones I have. I think over half of my ornaments feature cats :) I also put some stockings up and some little figurines around the room.



I'm planning on making a curtain to cover the fireplace since we don't use it. It's on my to-do list! Also, don't you love the tree skirt?! My Granddaddy's sister made it years ago...I think it's absolutely gorgeous. 


I also tried to put Dudley's Santa costume on, but in true Santa fashion he was too big for it. Sometimes I forget that my cat is twice the size of a normal cat! Anyway, we also put some lights around the porch outside and garland on the stair rail. I made a wreath last week and I'll post all about that another time. I'm really proud of it, I just wish you could see it from the road. It blends into the door...I'm tempted to paint my door. Is that a little extreme? (Yes...it is, I'll answer my own question).

All the holiday cheer did make me feel a little better, but I know the holidays just won't be the same this year. Rest in peace, Papaw! I'm glad you're no longer suffering.

Monday, October 31, 2011

District Devin: Art for your Home

I'd like to introduce a new series to the blog! I'm calling it District Devin because...ALLITERATION IS ALL THE RAGE! Anyway, enjoy. This will be an end-of-the-month segment for you all to look forward to. 

---
Hi all! My name is Devin and I run OooohShiny over on Etsy. I’m one of those people who love to write and chat and all that good stuff but have tried and failed approximately twelve times to keep a blog of my own, so Kristi has graciously offered me a monthly spot on her blog to do what I want. Within reason.

Since you’re a reader of Kristi’s blog, I assume you either like art / photography or just like Kristi. All of those things are awesome, but I want to focus on the art side of things today.

I’ve recently been on an art spree over in Etsyland, collecting items for the new house that is going to happen one day in the hopefully near future and wanted to share with you some of the amazing things I’ve found.




Sarah is the genius behind Sometimes I Swirl and I’m in love with just about everything in her shop. She has turned doodles into beautiful works of art, ranging from embroidery pieces to vases. We share a love of all things black and white (and gray) but there are some pieces in her shop that are so vibrant and full of color that they’re hard to resist. I’ve picked up five items from Sarah recently and imagine I’ll be back soon.


Little Bean Prints is named for Marie’s daughter. Her shops boasts “Art prints for nursery, child or adult,” and it’s true. There’s a sort of whimsical quality in all of her artwork. Her nature-inspired drawings are nothing extravagant, but there is definite beauty in her simple lines and subtle colors.



On the opposite side of the spectrum is Lisa from Ellemoss. Hers was one of the first photo shops I ever found on Etsy and I’ve been absolutely infatuated ever since. Her photos are absolutely incredible - dreamy and dark and surreal. There’s a bit of mystery in her art and I believe her images mean something different to each person. 



And lastly, we have Trafalgar's Square. My best friend had a daughter earlier this month and I went a bit crazy in Kit’s shop. I mean, seriously - one look at her sweet paintings and you can’t help but smile. And want to hug the nearest fluffy thing in sight (in my case, it’s my dog, who returns the favor with tons of kisses). No nursery would be complete without a piece from this shop.



That’s it for me for now! I hope you enjoyed a peek into some of my favorite things. Go forth and be creative!

xo
Devin

Monday, October 17, 2011

On the hunt: Curtains

Well guys, I recently rearranged my room, got a new desk and started painting (started...not finished). I am keeping my blue accent wall, but the other walls needed a fresh coat. I really want to post pictures, but I need to get some curtains first! I've been looking around and here is some curtain inspiration that I've found... enjoy!





That's just a few that I like...I'm definitely not set on anything yet. I might just go shopping for fabric and make my own in the end. Of course, I need to magically know how to sew to do that...or know someone who will sew them for me. Either way, when I finally get some, I'll post pictures of my room!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Sublime Stitching


A long (long, long, long, long, long, long) time ago, I won another blog giveaway. It's been so long now that I honestly can't remember which blog the giveaway was on. This fact doesn't come as a surprise to people who know me outside of blogging...I have a terrible memory. Anyway, this other giveaway I won was some fun embroidery patterns from Sublime Stitching. I had done some embroidery on paper before, but I'd never tried patterns. I was really excited to try it out! I did a couple of designs before I got too busy, but I actually bought several more patterns after I tried out the ones that I won.


The patterns in the first picture are the ones I bought, and the ones already embroidered are some I did with the patterns I won. It was a collection of fun crafty patterns. I love it! I'm planning on displaying these somewhere eventually. I cut the excess fabric and covered the back, now I just have to decide where to hang them. I also need to do some more with my other patterns! I think they'll be fun to use for gifts and cards and such whenever I get the time to sit down and do it again.

Speaking of time, I'll be out of town until next week, and I'm not sure if I'll have internet or not. If I'm not about to post, I'm truly sorry...but I'll be back soon!