One Year is coming up!!

My one year wedding anniversary is coming up next month!
My darling and I will be taking a long weekend to stay in a secluded treehouse about 1.5hrs from us. We want to get away entirely so we will totally unplug and even read real books (how novel!) as opposed to my nook and his iPad.
I am really looking forward to the time to reset and enjoy each other without school, work, etc.

In anticipation of our one year, I started thinking about fun paper related gifts as that is traditionally the symbol of the first wedding anniversary.

I found some really fun ideas!! Whether you and your hunny are interested in adhering to the traditional symbols or not, these are some pretty things to look at.

Paper Anniversary Gift Ideas:

A paper flower bouquet, of course! These perfect peonies by MazziFlowers
come in full bouquets, garlands, and sets of three blooms.

Whether you're thawing out the top layer of your wedding cake or getting a fresh one,
dress it up with a custom paper topper like this one from FirstSnowFall on etsy

May be the oldest idea out there for the Paper Anniversary but it's still valid:
Custom stationary like this from  In Haus Press

Personalized address stamp! You can find them in so many different styles!
I like this one from Typo Boutique

Encourage wanderlust with this scratch off world map!
I've seen it at Urban Outfitters. Also available from Uncommon Goods

Jewelry is always a good romantic gift. This one is paper-ey without being made of actual paper!
You can find it in gold, silver, and rose gold. This one is from MXM Jewelry & Design

For more ideas, check out my Paper Anniversary Pinterest board!

Mark Your Calendar!

My (now husband) hates the term 'Save The Date'. So we didn't have those to prepare people for our wedding, we had 'Mark Your Calendar's. :)

I was going to do away with them all together because everyone that needed to know our date early for travel plans, etc. already knew so I considered it an unnecessary expense. However, my darling had such a good idea and was so excited that I liked the idea as well that I felt we had to send them.

My husband could be termed, what I refer to as, an Über Nerd. He has extensive knowledge of space travel, past and present, listens to lectures and podcasts on astro physics for entertainment, enjoys tinkering with legos on a regular basis, reads comic books (Marvel not DC... heaven forbid you should confuse the two), etc. I love all of these things about him and encourage him not to hide his 'nerdy' interests. (He also is an avid mountain biker, has his private pilot's license, and has other more active (and expensive) hobbies. I love a very multi faceted man).

With that explanation through, he suggested using a comic book cover with likenesses of us as our Save The Date Mark Your Calendar. I had him pick a cover he liked and my art school sister went at it in Photoshop.

I had it printed on post cards with our wedding date info on the back (I used Alphagraphics and picked them up locally) and we received a huge amount of positive feedback! And my husband was so excited that I used his idea. Win win!!

Here is the original cover that we chose:

The Defenders #4

And here is ours:

Pretty good for amateur work, no? (notice the ring detail)

Here's a pic of us for reference:

My Perfect Fireworks-less Wedding Dress

I had a very interesting time with my wedding dress. I was hoping for an obvious, tearful, fireworks moment when I put on 'the one' but I never got that. If this is the case with you, don't feel like there's something wrong with you (or your dress selection!). You definitely shouldn't have to settle, but not everyone has that magical moment. I read an article that I wish I had bookmarked that helped me a lot. It said that sometimes what makes the dress special and 'THE dress' is that it's the dress you've chosen to get married in. It's not always the dress itself that is inherently meaningful, it's the meaning you give it. I clung to that when I was going through my wedding dress journey.

I really didn't know what I wanted starting out but as I began trying on gowns, I quickly started seeing what I didn't want with no noticeable pattern as to be any help at all. I realized that I probably wasn't going to find something that I liked off the rack. It was going to take some customizing before I really felt like it was 'me'. After several dress shop visits, I eventually decided that I wanted a fairly poufy dress with a calf length high/low hemline so I could swing dance at the reception.

I ended up making an appointment at the last minute for a sample sale at Bliss Bridal Salon in Fort Worth, TX. The girls that worked with me were personal, cheerful, and upbeat and, since it was a sample sale, the prices were very reasonable.
I cannot emphasis clearly how anti-climactic my decision moment was. When I had the dress on, I felt pretty and comfortable. There were lots of other dresses that I had tried on that looked good on me but were just inexplicably wrong. Basically, this was the first one I had tried that wasn't a 'no' so I went for it! I was so nervous about my decision that as soon as I got in the car I burst into tears. I think it was partially relief at having that huge decision over, but also how unsure I was because I didn't have 'a moment'. My mom didn't burst into tears when she saw the dress, I didn't get misty eyed. I just calmly said, "Yeah. This one's good". And there it was. The material was my favorite part. It had a natural linen-like quality while remaining sheer and dainty. It's hard to see that in the photos.

The gown I chose: Watters Austin

The dress I bought was several sizes too large and full length with a train so next were the alterations. That in itself was a journey! They made a mistake on the hem and the high and low were not centered. After they removed the whole bodice from the skirt and centered the levels (also waving the fee for the whole thing) I finally had my dress!

The article I read was right. The fact that it was MY DRESS made it so special!! And my husband loved it!

My sisters helping me get my dress on

My shoes are Poetic Licence. I had custom ankle straps made.

My veil was custom made by GlamorByDesign

First Dance

She lives!

Aha! I'm still alive!
I've been married for almost 5 months now and it looks like I'm ready to rejoin the world again. :)
I am loving being married and we have been spending all our free time doing nothing together which, after a year of wedding planning, has been EXACTLY what we both needed.

My excitement has been building about posting all the DIY projects I did for my wedding to the point that I can't wait any longer!
For a little sample of how it all turned out, check out where we were featured on Green Wedding Shoes.

It was a huge honor to be featured as I had looked at a lot of the Real Weddings on the GWS blog for ideas while planning our wedding, which basically ended up being my Pinterest board come to life! (And I'm not ashamed to admit it)

Of course, I could not have done half of what we did without the help of my amazing friends and family. It really was a group effort. I can't say enough what talented and amazing friends I have!!!

<3 Caitlin

Engagement Photos

Here is a sampling of our engagement photos!
Our friends were gracious enough to let us do the shoot with their Stearman bi-plane.

Please go and visit the wonderful, amazing Evie Marie Photography's site to see the other stunning photos that she has taken! Better yet, hire her for your next photo opportunity! In addition to being over-the-top talented, she is a dear friend of mine.

(click on photos to see them larger)

Onward

We are getting so close to our wedding date!! Only 74 days!! So many things are coming together so beautifully. I have such wonderful help and support! Now, that doesn't mean I haven't had a few tearful moments of frustration and stress or at least one night of actively and purposefully casting my worries and cares on Jesus so I can get some sleep (1 Peter 5:7). It has been an exercise in refusing to fret or let worry and stress take over and choosing to trust. And deciding to think about how thankful I am that my Father is almighty and He loves me so much, has put such wonderful people in my life, and wants my wedding to be wonderful (Psalm 37:4). So in spite of what is still not settled, I know that everything is going to work out wonderfully and my wedding will be a beautiful testimony of how wonderful and lovely my God is.

With that written, please agree with me in prayer that any issues with our venue will be settled now. I know that my God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20).


Linking up for Living the Journey:




A photo of me and my perfect fiancé from our engagement session:

Wedding update

Dress purchased!
Off it goes to the tailor for some major surgery!

Wedding Update

I was in a friend's wedding last week and put this Emergency Kit together. There's a few things I want to add for my wedding but this was rather spur of the moment so I think I did quite well. I put it all in a little bin with a handle for easy transport.

A few items were asked for and I was happy to have it all in my little kit! It feels great to be prepared.

Here is my Emergency Kit Ingredients list:

Sewing kit

Buttons

Fasteners (snaps and hook & eyes)

Safety pins

Body tape/double stick tape

Stapler

Febreeze

Static guard

Tide pen

Deodorant
Feminine products
Mouthwash
Floss
Listerine pocket pack
Tylenol or other pain killer
Alka-seltzer or Tums

Baby powder

Blister pads
Clear band aids
Hydrogen Peroxide
Makeup wipes
Hand wipes
Lint roller
Nail file
Nail clippers

Tweezers

Q-tips

Not shown:

Stick on instant hemming tape

Clear nail polish (for runs in stockings)
White chalk (for marks on dress)
Tissues
Hairspray
Hand mirror
Nail polish- the color you're wearing
Matches


Update:
We booked our honeymoon flight last night!!! We're that much closer!
And I have an appointment after work today at a Bridal Salon. We'll see!

Love, Caitlin soon-to-be married