Whatever Weekend – Whimsical Weddings

Okay, so that’s a lot of alliteration in the title.

Really, though, a friend of mine is planning a wedding, and it has me all nostalgic!

Tom and I have been married nearly 5 and a half years now.

Photo by Tom Thompson

Our wedding was outdoors, with simple fall decorations (lots of plum and green,) and a laid back, picnic-style atmosphere, with a pie bar instead of wedding cake.

Photo by Tom Thompson

Mmmm pie.

It also makes me nostalgic for our friend Tiinia’s wedding. She and her husband, Kevin, were married on the haunt grounds where the work on Friday the 13th. Costumes were encouraged, and the style was a delightful combo of horror and glamorous vintage.

My friend, Tessa, is planning a simple, elegant ceremony, and an Alice in Wonderland themed reception. I’m so excited to help her with decorations for the reception! I’ve loved Alice since I was a little girl, and the possibilities are practically endless.

So, I’ve been working on some inspiration boards on Polyvore.com, a site where you can create your own boards for fashion, beauty, or just for fun.

Here’s some inspiration for her bridal and ceremony style:

Then there’s the reception:

We’ll be thrifting for tea cups, saucers, and pots, clocks, rabbits, and mushrooms, next week.

If you’re planning a wedding, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Keep a check list, and focus on marking one thing off at a time. Here’s a great list that helps you finish each to-do in time: The Knot Wedding Checklist.

2. Create a budget. Once you’ve decided what kind of venue you want (indoor or outdoor, formal or relaxed, etc.,) the kind of food you want to serve, and your wedding style, start working on your budget. If you don’t have all the money you need right now, open a savings account that you can add to each pay period to pay for upcoming costs. Use The Knot Wedding Budget along with your checklist.

3. Ask for help. Ask reliable friends and family to help with tasks you know they can manage. If you have a crafty friend, ask them to help with decorations. If you have an aunt who loves to bake, have her make edible favors, or even the wedding cake if she’s that awesome. Delegate responsibilities to your groomsmen and bridesmaids, like tailoring and dry cleaning, and the bachelor/bachelorette parties. You might feel the need to have your hand in everything to make sure it’s perfect, but it will be worth your sanity (and your beauty sleep!) to accept others’ help.

4. Enjoy your engagement. Make it a point to date during your engagement. Take time away from planning (turn off your electronics if you need to,) and just spend time with your significant other. The engagement flies by, so treasure every second!

Married? What was your wedding like? Any inspiration photos? Any advice you’d like to give brides to be?

Share the Love,

Chelsea

December of Giveaways – Week 4!

It’s our last week of December giveaways! This week, we’re giving away this whimsical macaw feather fascinator:

Photo by VanZandt Studios.

This fascinator is handmade from naturally fallen, hand curled macaw feathers, white marabou feathers, a pink, green, and blue button finding with clear rhinestone accents, and vintage Austrian crystals floating mid-air on monofilament thread. The snap clip on the back makes the piece very versatile to wear (it can be turned at any angle.)

Here’s a close up of the piece:

It’s easy to enter:

1. Follow us on Pinterest here.

2. Pin the Pin It To Win It image on any of your Pinterest boards.

3. Comment on this blog post with your Pinterest username.

You can enter a maximum of once a day by completing steps 1-3.

The Week 3 giveaway will last through Sunday, 12/29/13. Open to US residents.Winner will be randomly chosen, and announced Monday, 12/30/13, on this blog page, our Facebook and Twitter accounts, and the winner will be contacted via the email listed with the account they use to comment (if possible.) Winner must respond via email (to buymelovestore@gmail.com) within 48 hours, or another winner will be randomly selected.

Good luck, and happy pinning!

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Chelsea

Tuesday’s Treasure – Yuletide Cheer

Click on the images to shop DFW local, handmade small businesses!

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Chelsea

Weird Wednesday – Goth Gifts

If you’re looking for something on the dark side:

 

 

 

 

 

Make a purchase from our Etsy shop, JuJu Eyeball, and recieve a coupon code for January!

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Chelsea

Tuesday’s Treasure – Have an uncommon holiday!

Have someone on your “nice” list who dances to the beat of a different drummer? Let our latest Etsy treasuries guide you to unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for the season!

For nomads:

For glam rockers:

For horror movie buffs:

Cyber Monday: Shop JuJu Eyeball today and receive a free gift!

Happy Cyber Monday, everyone!

Today is the last day to receive 20% OFF your entire purchase from our Buy Me Love shop – enter EFWHOLIDAYS at checkout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, purchase something from our JuJu Eyeball shop today, and receive a free gift!

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Chelsea

Another Week Away Giveaway!

9/23: Congratulations to our randomly selected winner, Cheryl Pullen Navalinsky!

In light of all the loving support we’ve received in the Martha Stewart Living American Made competition, and the deadline for the first round of voting being extended another week (and two days, to be precise,) we’ve decided to hold our very own giveaway!

Each time you vote for a nominee in the competition, you enter to win prizes from MSL, like an American Express gift card. Now, every day you vote, you can enter to win prizes from us, too!

Vote now through 9/22/13. One lucky winner will be randomly selected on 9/23/13 to win this fantastic prize package of unique, American made gifts, a value of over $60.00!:

1 $25 Etsy Gift Card; 1 Luchador Mask Pillow by Studio Longoria; 1 Bamboo Calendula Bar Soap by Clover Hollow Soaps & Sundries; 1 Blue Rhinestone Bracelet by Leslie Anne Levine; 15% OFF Your Next Purchase at Buy Me Love or JuJu Eyeball on Etsy; 1 Surprise Gift From Our Store, Buy Me Love!

Two Ways To Enter:

1. This step is mandatory. Simply vote for us, using any number of your 6 daily votes here:

Then, comment that you voted below, and include the total number of votes after you voted UPDATE: No need to keep track of the total number of times you’ve voted, personally! Just include the total number on the screen after you’ve voted for the day. For example, if the number is 2,222 before you vote, and you vote for us 6 times, the total you’ll include in your comment will be 2,228. Easy peasy. Sorry for the confusion! Please leave only one “I voted!” comment per voter per day, not one comment per vote. For example, if you use all 6 of your votes on our profile (wink, wink,) there’s no need to comment 6 times – just comment once.

2. For extra chances to win, you can Pin this giveaway on Pinterest , and leave a comment below up to once a day that you pinned, including the pin URL. (After you pin, click the “see it now” button to copy and paste the pin’s URL into your comment below.) This entry method is completely optional.

IMPORTANT NOTES: If you leave more than one “I voted!” comment, or “I pinned it!” comment per day, only one of each of those comments will count toward your chances of winning. You do not need to have a WordPress.com account to enter. This contest is in no way affiliated with Martha Stewart Living/MSL American Made, or Etsy. Contest valid only in the Continental U.S.

How To Know If You Won: 

The randomly selected winner of the prize package will be announced in this post on 9/23/13, and we will also contact the winner via the email address listed on their account. If you do not have a valid email address listed on the account you use to log in/comment, you must leave your email address in your comment(s.) (The $25 Etsy gift card will also be emailed to the winner.) If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, we will choose another winner for the prize package.

Thank you for supporting our small, handmade, and American made business, and good luck to all our voters!

Share the Love,

Chelsea & Karyn

Tuesday’s Treasure: With Mom In Mind

Mother’s Day is coming up fast on Sunday, May 12! Take a look at the beautiful new Etsy Fort Worth Mother’s Day Treasury:

 

 

Share the Love,

Chelsea

All bound up.

It may seem a little weird, maybe it conjures up images of whips and chains, but there’s no need to be scared – body harnesses are harmless (unless you’re just really into that “50 Shades of Grey” stuff.) You can find everything from leather to chain, plain to outrageous, to suit your level of comfort. Harnesses can be worn under or over your clothing, or layered between a shirt and jacket. They can also be worn in the privacy of your own home in lieu of lingerie!

The last time I talked about venturing into the world of harnesses, I mentioned I was using vintage crochet pieces that my grandmother made while she was alive. The effect is just like I hoped: a perfect mixture of soft and hard, edgy and sweet. The pieces are lightweight, they can be easily pinned to clothing, and the style works in any season.

Here they are, listed in the shop:

Handmade Holidays 2012 & What I’m Making

So excited to be a part of Etsy817’s Handmade Holidays again this year! Last year we had the show in one of the gyms in the UTA activity center, but this year it’s in Arlington’s Lincoln Square, which is a large shopping center on the north side of the city. The team leaders were able to find a couple of spaces available for rent, and are currently hoping to upgrade to the larger space due to the massive amounts of vendor applications sent in this year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the bigger space comes through, because it’s going to be an awesome show already. If you’re in the area and interested in more info, check out the Etsy817 blog here.

Since the show is going to be here before we know it (in early December,) Mom and I are both in serious creative mode. I’ve been hanging on to some pretty crocheted pieces my grandmother made and left to us, wondering what I should do with them, when it hit me. I’ve been into the trend of body harnesses and jewelry for a long time now. In fact, one of my favorite treasures is a beaded hand harness (ring/bracelet combo) that my grandmother gave me for Christmas years and years ago. Now, of course, it’s this huge trend, and I’ve been thinking of ways I could make the trend my own to sell in the shop. Enter the crocheted squares, hearts, teardrops, flowers, and circles that have been taking up space in one of my many plastic storage containers! So, I started hand beaded each of them, adding charms and buttons, picturing how each piece would lay as jewelry. Add chain, and you have very fall & winter appropriate shoulder and body harnesses.

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So, what do you think? It takes a certain person to brave body harnesses, I think, but I’m one of those people! I hope that these pieces are distinct enough that people will want to wear them over sweaters and blazers as the weather gets cooler. If you’d like to make your own, easy and understated chain body harness, take a look at this easy to follow tutorial.

Share the Love,

Chelsea