Make Your Own Napkins!

Yes It could be as easy as ironing napkins!

For no cut napkins you could buy fat quarters.

For no sew napkins use heat bond hem tape.

Or do it the good ol old fashioned way like me

Both sew and no sew Tutorial by stone gable

This project is seriously taking forever! I found some gold satin at a thrift store. I paid pennies a yard. If you ever had the pleasures of working with some kinds of satin...like ribbon it unravels very easy. I had to heat seal every raw edge. This was such a pain! The napkins look fantastic but, if I would do it again I would use cotton.

Know when to quit

So, his parents house is beyond our help. The roof has holes that have caused damage to the ceiling and support beams. The bathroom floor is rotted and well needs replaced. Structurally the house is hazardous. On top of everything is filthy...I mean hordes filthy.  We rent a house to have thanksgiving in because it is that bad. What the heck was I thinking?! 

Did I have a massive bridezilla breakdown realizing my wedding may not happen on the date we had chosen ...nope. I now accept defeat.  Off to plan B...which should have been plan A. I have chosen to rent a lodge in a park ....I have no clue if I can find one for the original date or if it will fit the people I need or even a Saturday. I very well may end up with a Friday or Sunday wedding.

Stepping Stone Charger Plates

I thought it would be super cool to make my wedding favors duel purpose. I was thinking stepping stones. If you can mix ,pour and wait then this project is right up you ally (It is for me!!). I decided to make them out of plaster of pairs its cheap and has a fast dry time. Making it ideal for a person with limited time and molds.   Down sides to using plaster.They are for indoor life and will not last outside for more than a year.

You will need:

Plaster of Paris (aka moulding plaster)
Cooking Spray
A Mold
Water

WARNING: Although plaster is fairly safe to use it can cause chemical burns if left on skin for long periods of time. Use a lubricant always. Use common sense use a mask don't breath in dust. Use gloves and goggles. Don't put your plaster in the oven to speed up things...it will crack and can explode!

Step one
Prepare your mold with cooking spray

Step two
prepare plaster according to directions (some people add white glue to the plaster for extra hardening...I have never tried this)how to make extra strong plaster of paris

Step three
Slowly pour plaster into mold. (Want add extra strength? Fill mold halfway and insert a round piece of mesh chicken wire. Cut the wire just a few centimeters smaller than the mold. Then fill the remaining plaster.

Step four
Wait until your plaster has changed color and has hardened to unmold. It may sill be hot and delicate It is best to wait over night for it to fully cure but not necessary. Don't force your cast out of the mold. Sometimes it is necessary to use a knife around the edges.

Step Five
Paint. This step is optional. If you are painting make sure your piece is fully cured (not hot or warm at all) I plan on using metallic spray paint. You can get as creative as you would like.

To Register Or Not To Register

Some part in me thinks it is incredibly tacky to register for wedding gifts. Another part of me says Sophie what the heck are you thinking! You already have more junk than you can handle. And then there is that tiny naughty part of me that says omg hand me one of those scanner guns now.

Honestly, what I really need is a house. Is it incredibly tacky and rude to ask my guests not to give me gifts? Would they understand that we have two kids and have all the household things we can handle.

At this point Eamon and I have decided not to register. We have one of those cheesy wedding websites. I thought we could set up a PayPal donation for a house fund on the site. I still need to talk to my mother and grandmother about the idea..but, I want a house not towels.

Vintage Valentine Place Cards

Weddings are a day to celibate love. Why not give my guests a little love too...not in a dirty way! I, the crafty person I am decided to print out vintage valentines for my guests place cards. I originally was going to write names in the sand at the beach..but decided that it was too much work and the kids kept messing up my names. Eamon agreed that this was a fun approach to the transitional lets face it name tag. 

My Wedding Dress Has Arrived!

After 47 emails between the Chinese dress company and me, my dress is finally here! It is better than I expected it to be. I am sure glad I asked for pictures of the finished dress. I had all the problems fixed before it left the factory. They extended the train by 2 times what they originally made. It was very well made and the fabric...although not as heavy as the high end ones at the bridal store ...it was not a major difference and they looked the same. I do need the top fitted just a little more other than that it is perfect.  Heck $200 shipped and I received an extra petticoat..  I am one happy bride :)



The dress before they altered picture taken with out a petticoat. It still looks good to me. 

DIY Ice Sculptures

So, I really want an ice sculpture on my buffet table. Unfortunately an ice sculpture is not in my budget. Why not DIY? Who has time or experience carving ice? Thanks to my wonderful friend silicone I don't have to! Basically just pour it in...freeze it and peel it off and you have an ice sculpture for way less than 1/3 the cost.  The molds are reusable and come in all shapes and sizes. Heck I can make multiple small ones and have them on each table if I want! I also plan on making ice bowls yep...bowls made of ice. I plan on put shrimp cocktail in. I also was considering picking up blocks of ice from my local ice company and stacking them like the picture below... but lets test this all out before we give this a green flag. I ordered a few molds for $40 lets hope it works out :)


Ice bowl instructions:


***Added note freeze bowls slowly to prevent cracking A sleeping bag works great. Also do not take bowl out of freezer straight to room temp it will crack! Leave in sleeping bag and put in fridge for a few hours to warm up. The secret to crystal clear ice is pure distilled water and boil it.





 So many possibility so little freezer space!

Ice sculpture instructions to come: ((((PLEASE DO NOT USE LATEX MOLDS))))))
Latex molds will explode when frozen with ice. Some sculptor companies will not ship them below freezing because it will ruin the mold. Try to freeze a condom water balloon and see what happens...disaster.

Silicone mold pictures from a a ice sculpture supply company. I personal don't like swans but if you do you can purchase a mold for $20-$60. Your only true limitation is your freezer size(It's helpful if you have a deep freezer or know someone who has one) Just normal sculpture molds that can be used for ice!

Some inspirational photos: