Me in Melange

17 Years, and Counting!

There's a strange new feeling I get when I mention our latest wedding anniversary of 17 years, celebrated last Saturday. 17 seems much longer somehow than 16. I have a sense of pride in having made it so long, given all the sometimes herculean challenges a married person faces, but also immense gratitude for having found the love I needed so many years ago, and loving him even more now...but this year, honestly-- I also feel old. 

It's undeniable...we are getting old together. It's what the songs sing about, it's what they say in the movies, "I want to grow old with you", and yes, I do want to grow EVEN OLDER with my dear Mister Rios. But it is strange, approaching your 50's and your 20th wedding anniversary. Watching your daughter turn 16 and learn to drive, watching her graduate from high school, and fly...away. It's a transitional time, these years around our 17th wedding anniversary, but then again, when is it NOT a transitional time in life?

I am overwhelmingly grateful for sharing all of these life's transitions with my husband. Long live love! And in the words of Elvis Costello,

"What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?"   xoxoxoxo Diane

Need bridesmaids anyone?

I think this is the cutest way to ask your friends to be bridesmaids!  Found this randomly while surfing the net...now I just need someone I know to actually get married!  They are only $6.50 and I think would a sweet way to memoralize the "asking"!  Found them on www.estiloweddings.com --a GREAT wedding site!  Signed, ME {lv}

Once a Bride, Always a List Maker!

I haven't talked about weddings in a long time, actually since mine last year... but I guess I just can't get enough because this year I'm helping a few brides on their way to stylish wedded bliss.  One of them sent me this site for muse weddings, this is such a cool site and totally free!  It helps you organize, you can make checklists with tasks, then prioritize them ie. 'do this week', 'do later', etc. It also helps keep track of your budget, ideas, and schedule as well.  It's such a handy tool... and if you do actively use it, I think it would minimize your chance of getting overwhelmed and becoming a bridezilla!  I think I'll use it for just everyday life. ;)  signed, me {CA}

wedding snippets...

So I thought I'd share a couple of wedding pics with you gals... but first I thought I would 'answer' a couple of things on LV's top ten.  First of all, thank you LV, for the praise on my dress, that means a lot coming from you!  But I have to say the best compliment was when my new hubby asked if I had brought it along on the honeymoon, ;) then I knew for sure it was a winner!  Second, no valium... I really was just happy to be in the moment!  And finally... our song was "nobody knows me" by Lyle Lovitt.  :) That man can sing like nobody's business!  So, here is a little collage of pics, wish I could have invited all of you!!  But thanks to all that did come, it was truly a memorable weekend!  signed, me {CA} 

 

Cara's Gorgeous Wedding!

We are back from Cara's amazing wedding and I wanted to fill everyone in on a few of the precious details....so in the spirit of Cara's own wedding top 10, I thought I'd do a "post-wedding" top 10!  These are in no particular order......

1.  Cara's dress!  She looked like a rocket in a silky sheath dress, fit perfectly and she looked positively GREAT!  After the ceremony 3 of the women at the table I sat "had" to dish just a little with her and get the scoop on how she manage to get away with absolutely zero undie lines....the answer was the Commando Undies (by Her Look).  I thought for sure she really HAD gone commando!

2.  The personal details!  The very best thing about Cara's wedding (besides the obvious love in the air) was all the precious personal touches.  The result of lots of creative talent and her ambitious efforts.  There were childhood photos on the dinner tables of both her and husband ....wonderful rustic wood boards with chalk draw message along the walkways....everyone had their own appointed mason canning jar for drinking (nicely tucked in this nifty cubby thing that was already built into a wall of the lodge in the dance area)....there were white lights....a kids craft table of activities.....the list of extra "touches" could go on and on.

3.  Cara was one of the first totally sane brides I've ever seen.  She seemed totally on top of it, not stressed, and actually looked like she was having fun (the bridezilla term was totally lost on her).  I never saw her snapping at anyone like a dragon (I still have teeth marks from my sister's freakout the day of her wedding)...no tantrums, no drama....it was like she was on valium the whole time (I can't verify she wasn't, but I highly doubt it :-) ).

4.  Cara's father-in-laws final words of this toast..."may all of Cara & Ryan's ups and downs be between the sheets".  FUNNY!!  I plan on using that toast sometime during my life!!

3.  Whatever song she chose for her first dance with her husband was wonderful.  Hadn't heard it before and I can't wait to find out who it was....sounded a little country, but subtle, and incredibly romantic.

4.  The scenary.  She chose a really beautiful spot along the McKenzie river.....rustic and quaint, absolutely serence.  The entire lodge with adjacent cabins were rented so it was like their very own wedding oasis.

5.  During their ceremony the couple joined sand from North Carolina and Oregon to merge their lives together....honestly, I teared up, it was really sweet.  Could be the pregnancy hormones, but I definitely was near tears.

6.  I loved that it was informal, but still all put together.  It was informal, but not THAT informal...meaning we didn't look weird in nice dresses and heels, but we also sat on rustic wood picnic tables for dinner.  It was the perfect environment, relaxed, but lovely.

7.  All the great people!  Ever notice that creative interesting people seem to attract more of the same?  Besides all the amazing people that I already knew (most courtesy of Melange), I felt fortunate to meet some really neat people that were fun, down to earth, intelligent and that all seemed to genuinely love Cara (and/or Ryan her husband).  Seems simple enough but I can't believe how many weddings I've been to where half the guests barely know the bride/groom (vague friend, business and family obligations).

8.  Cara's cute husband.  For as often as I've heard about Ryan, I've never actually met him before this weekend.  He is a doll, and you can instantly sense why they are perfect together.  Couldn't really put it in words, but they definitely fit.

9.  All of Cara's creative helpers.   The wedding was such a DYI project, from start to finish, and I was so impressed by how faithfully all of her dear friends were ready to help her and make the day perfect for her.  She is a wonderful, so it is no surprise that she would have so many friends, but it was awesome to see that kind of friend dedication in action.  The results were amazing, and if you saw photographed for a Martha Stewart layout you wouldn't think twice, you'd assume it was the expert eye of the diva herself!

10.  I've been to a lot of weddings....from small and super casual, to huge and lavish, and I have to say in all honesty this was one of the best weddings I had ever been to.  It was just a treat.  The atmosphere was relaxed, loving, and everything was so tasteful.  No stereotypical cheesey wedding touches, no stuffy traditions that had no personal meaning to the bride/groom.  Instead everything felt like an extension of them and their love, and I think that feeling made it incredibly special!

Signed, ME {lv}

 

my wedding top ten

I have a week to go... and I believe this is the time that I need to stop and breathe and look at the big picture.  Although, I think I'm doing quite well... checking off the list and whatnot.  But it seems everyone else is getting ants in their pants. (maybe I should have made lists for everyone?)  Anyhoo... in the spirit of "lists" I thought I'd make a top ten of things that I love (and hopefully come to full fruition) for my wedding, here goes...

#1.   no vendors.  that's right ladies... I'm not using a single one. no caterer, no set photographer, no florist... might seem crazy.  But I'm going to get exactly what I want and not have to pay the "wedding price".  All you need is creativity and some friends.

#2.     Speaking of no vendors... a girl has still got to have flowers!  Rehearsal dinner, you have seen previews of the paper tissue flowers.  But for the big day, my friend, Cory is going to be the first to arrive at the Eugene Saturday Market (a gorgeous display of local farming talent) and get all my flowers!!  I can't wait to share pics... they're going to be lovely!

#3.   JAM.  I have been busy this summer to say the least... but one of my favorite projects was making homemade jam for my guest favors.  I bought different berries each weekend at the infamous Saturday Market and went home, cooked up some jam, bottled, and packaged them up with little linen covers and copper tags that are stamped "enjoy".  How could you not enjoy a favor as sweet as that!

#4.   The kids' table... maybe not the most necessary thing.  But I had a lot of fun gathering/making things to put on it... and I do believe that happy kids make a party much more fun!

#5.  Off the rack.  That's right... this little Melange fashionista bought her dress straight off the rack.  And I'm so glad that I just didn't stress about it.  It met all the criteria... it was a natural fiber (silk), it was simple, and it fit perfectly.  I dressed it up with touches of "me" to make it my own. love it!

#6.   Speaking of dresses... I love my 'maids' dresses. I got them all from Velvet, my favorite!  Each is the same color, different style... (my goal was to get something for them that they WOULD actually wear again.  So many brides say those words... but they must not mean it cause I know almost everyone has a bridesmaid dress in their closet, never to be worn again.)  Hopefully I did a good job and everyone will look radiant!

#7.   I'm getting my hair cut the day of my wedding.... gasp! I know. Seems *crazy*!  But it's really not.  My hairdresser/good friend is flying from the east coast to come to the wedding.  And he's cutting my locks the day of... and I'm SOOOOO excited to have a brand new 'do!

#8.  Surprising my Mom... I've made my Mom a surprise gift to give her the day of the wedding.  Something that I know she'll love.  :)

#9.   Kauai... when this is all said and done. Ryan and I get to run off to Kauai and stay and do absolutely nothing if we want to.  ahhhh.... so nice!

#10.  Ryan... I'm so lucky to be marrying my best friend!  I just love him so much! :)

see no stress ;)  wish me luck!  signed, me {c} 

mmmm.... sangria!

A friend of mine found this Bobby Flay recipe for white peach sangria... it's going to be our little signature wedding drink.  (perfect that it's white... because I'm very clumsy!)  We tested it out last month on the fourth of July.  It's fantastic!!  And perfect for summer.  ENJOY!  signed, me {c}

A Recipe from Bobby Flay's From My Kitchen to Your Table
Bolo's White Peach Sangria

Summer brings white peaches, which complement white wine.  Any time of year, peach nectar is a convenient substitute for the fresh fruit.

2 bottles dry white wine
3/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Triple Sec
3/4 cup simple syrup, or more if needed (see instructions below)
3 or 4 white peaches, skinned and pureed (3/4 cup puree), or 3/4 cup peach nectar (available at supermarkets)
3 oranges, sliced into thin rounds
3 green apples, cored and sliced thin
2 lemons, sliced into thin rounds
4 peaches, pitted and sliced thin

SIMPLE SYRUP: Combine equal parts of sugar and water in a saucepan.  Cook over low heat until clear, then boil for one minute.  Cool.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pitcher.  If using fresh peaches, taste for sweetness and add more syrup,  if needed.  Serve over ice. 

DIY photo booth

So I'm really excited about this idea, it was kind of last minute but I think it will turn out to be one of my favorite wedding details.  Thanks to ideas from Martha Stewart... we're going to set up an outdoor photo booth.  Easy setup... hang a vintage piece of fabric (I'm using my strawberry duvet cover from the 1970s, split so that it's nice and wide) between two trees or poles. Then just set up a table with a Polaroid camera and lots of film.  TA DA!  Photo booth.  MS' idea was to then setup a french style bulletin board so that your guests could post their pics. Cute, but I'm opting for a clothesline of twine and clothespins.  :) Anyhoo, a friend of a friend donated a Polaroid camera to the cause.  Thanks, Carrie!  I tested it out last night, it's really old and gives photos a sepia look to them... absolutely love it!  signed, me {c}

   

color me with love

So I have 5 more working days left until I leave for the wedding hoop-la... so I'm going to share the projects as they start to wrap themselves up.  :)  Last night after 4 hours of running errands I put these together.  They're 8.5"x11" coloring books for the kids' favor table at the reception.  They will be accompanied by packs of crayons and hopefully lots of little happy hands.  I think it's important to have some kiddie entertainment, because let's face it, "grown-up" parties can be such a drag. ;)  I'm lucky enough to have a wonderful friend who just happens to illustrates children's books... she did the sketches for these "critter couples".  They turned out adorable!!!  Thanks Ivy!  Anyhoo... a very cute and very easy little wedding detail.  signed, me {c}

labor of love

I'm thinking about opening a tissue paper florist shop... ;)  But really, if I had extra time in my day I would just sit around and make these.  But alas, here is the fruit of our labor for Saturday.  We went off Martha Stewart's beaten path and came up with lillies, daisies, and peonies, oh my!  Enjoy!  signed, me {c}

   

craft happy!

I had to share with you gals that my craftiness bloomed last night!  A couple of my key wedding helpers and I got together and started experimenting with Martha Stewart's online guide to making tissue paper flowers.  Now as we all know Martha's 'easy' guides are never quite so easy (and we decide last night that she must omit certain steps or change supplies just so yours don't look quite as good as hers ;).  But! With that said... I think our prototypes turned out pretty darn cute!!  My friend sent me home with a bag of our blooms and on saturday afternoon we're getting together to make my bouquet for the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner center pieces.  (On the night of the reception I will use the paper blooms on the kid's favor table, cute!)   Anyhoo... I will post pics of our end products but here are the first attempts... some paper blooms, basking in the morning sun to brighten your day!  signed, me {c}

 

gifties for the gals...

I'm in the midst of putting together my bridesmaid and other honored gals' packages and there is one component that I thought I'd share with you ladies, because it's pretty darn cute!  My fiance found this little "recipe" when we were looking for readings for our ceremony, we both thought it was so cute that I had to find some way to use it.  So, one of the things in each of the girls' bags will be this poem....

A Good Wedding Cake

4 lb. of love.
1 lb. butter of youth.
1/2 lb. of good looks.
l lb. sweet temper.
1 lb. of blindness for faults.
1 lb. of self forgetfulness.
l lb. of pounded wit.
l lb. of good humour.
2 tablespoons of sweet argument.
1 pint of rippling laughter.
1 wine glass of common sense.
1 oz. modesty.

Put the love, good looks and sweet temper into a well furnished house. Beat the butter of youth to a cream, and mix well together with the blindness of faults. Stir the pounded wit and good humour into the sweet argument, then add the rippling laughter and common sense. Work the whole together until everything is well mixed, and bake gently for ever.

I'm going to print it out on nice paper and on the back will be my favorite cake recipe (mango upside down cake) and that will be attached to a sack of yellow cake mix.  All-in-all the favor will cost less than two bucks!  Great idea even for a shower or anniversary.  signed, me {c}

 

Picture This.

I love beautiful photography... pictures that capture real expressions and the beauty of the environment that surrounds you.  Wedding pics are of course an important part of the day... and I'm delighted to have many talented and artistic friends who will all be snapping shots that day.  One of which is Scott Witter... a very gifted photographer from North Carolina (and hubby of one my beautiful bridesmaids :) Check out his portfolio!  And here are a few of my faves.  signed, me {c}

the side affects of wedding stress...

#1 Not having any fun... This is the main affect that I'm trying to avoid.  Brides-to-be get way too caught up in every single detail that it becomes no fun to plan at all.  I remember one of my friends who got married last year... as we were getting ready on her big day, her cousin asked her a mindless question of "which family member should have the camera at the wedding"... my friend looked at her and said "I don't care and I'm done making decisions"... I was so proud of my friend, to finally let go of the control and just enjoy the day. You could actually see the weight lift off of her shoulders.  I'm trying to take baby-steps toward this and let people take over tasks for me... and whatever they decide will be just fine. :)

#2 Getting mad at Mom. Everyone can relate to this I'm sure... I love my Mom like no other, but we are very different and it's taken me 28 years to learn how to give and take with her.  But we're both getting better at it.  Still, as I plan the thought of my Mom is in the back of mind... trying to pick a reading that has just enough 'religion' to appease her... working in the 'ave maria' into the ceremony... having ribbons on the bouquet that "fall like tendrels"... all things that I'm doing for her because after all, no matter how hard I fight it, for some reason it's her day too.  And I'm just glad I didn't give in and let her plan the whole thing back home for me, because then it would in no way resemble me or my husband-to-be at all.  Give and take.

#3 Worrying too much.  I'm a worrier... the sleepless nights have already started (which have side affects of their own!)  I skip meals (not good cause then I loose weight in all the wrong places... aka the bust, but no where else)  my mind races around without staying focused (which makes me wonder if maybe I just have A.D.D.)  Anyhoo, not much I can do to change this... except just let it go.  It won't be perfect, I've come to grips with that.  But if one more person says "it's going to be okay", I might hit them... of course it's going to be okay... but I'm still going to worry about it!

#4 Drinking.  :)

So among all of this craziness, I'm trying to take a note from {LV} and just enjoy the moment, because soon it will all be over and then I'll worry about what the heck I should do with all my free time.  signed, me {c}

smores cont....

And while we're on the subject... (and since we are in the midst of summertime!!)  Why shouldn't there be cute marshmellow roasting sticks, placed in a nice size galvanized bucket of sand.  Perfect for guests, who probably don't want to romp around in the woods at that point looking for a suitable roasting stick... and super cute to boot!  love it!  Here are some candidates that I found on the web, but you gals know me, I'll probably just try to make my own. ;)  signed, me {c}

a roasting tree! the cutest!! buy it here.

I like the idea of personalizing these, of course... 

and these look reusable... which is great!

now I'm hungry!!!

late night wedding smores...

The plan is to have a bonfire late-night after the reception has winded down.  I love campfires... not only are they romantic, but it provides good bonding time for family and friends who will be staying with us... (and everyone looks great fireside so I'm sure they'll be some lovely pictures!)  Anyhoo... I plan to provide some smore-makings for the crew and I super excited for this idea... 'personalized chocolate bar wrappers!'  I found some that you can order online here.  But to tell you the truth, I'm going to Costco, buying chocolate bars in bulk and printing my own personalized labels at home.  Just use the old label as a template and when attaching new label, just use some tacky glue to seal it closed.  Super quick, easy and will be really cute. :)  Here's some examples...  signed, me {c}

blooming pom poms!

Just had to let you gals know... it only took about 5 minutes and voila!  signed, me {c}

DIY party decor!

So I'm pretty excited to try to make these... if they work they will hang in the barn rafters of the dance floor at my wedding.  But I think they would also be super cute at an outdoor birthday party... or store decor!  (watch out for them Eugene gals, we're testing them today!)  They're giant tissue paper pom poms!  Which are just adorable and look fairly easy to assemble... although Martha tends to make things look a bit more simple than they really are. ;)  Anyhoo... they are so great in all different shades and sizes, can't wait to test one out!  signed, me {c}

personalized from card to stamp!

So I finally finished my pretty wedding invites... took a long time but the end result was worth the effort.  But, my spirit was a little crushed when I went to the post office to purchase the stamps.  Seems that with the postage amount changing, there is now a severe shortage of cute stamps... like, zero.  And a girl just can't slap on an american flag, liberty bell or a triangular ship to her custom-made envelopes... that would be so sad!  So I turned to the internet and found photostamps.com!  A fantastic and VERY easy way to personalize your postage!  I plugged in some little art snippets from the invite itself... perfectly coordinated = happy girl. My only advice is to get them expedited, because they do take a while in production, so it seems...  signed, me {c}

let them eat cake!

Just wanted to drop a note, I picked out our cake and I wanted to share because well, I'm excited! :)  It's from a yummy place in Portland, called the Bakery Bar. They do amazing sweets there, and I gave the taste-testing responsibility to LV. (She is VERY good at tasting cake ;)  Ours will be a lemon cake, with raspberry curd inside, buttercream frosting on the outside, and then topped off with these cute-as-can-be strawberries!!  Perfect for summer.  Thanks LV for all of your hard work!  signed, me {c}

let the planning begin...

So we picked our date and place! Our wedding will be in the late summer at a lodge nestled on the McKenzie River here in Oregon.  A perfect spot for what I'm donning as my own 'home-grown wedding'.  The concept is that everyone is involved... kind of like a big pot-luck full of family, friends, and a little creativity!  The ball is already rolling on many clever endeavors that I'll share with you gals over the next 4 months... but first we start with paper.  Save-the dates will of course need to coordinate with the invitations! J  And the more stylish the better... invitations are the first impression, so to speak.  And no matter how casual the wedding (mine is picnic style with BBQ, sweet tea, and homebrewed beer) the invite should be foretelling of the memorable time ahead!  I have been a fan of Paper*Girl for a long time... her designs are artistic and truly inspiring. If I could afford her pretty parchment, she would be first on my crew list. Alas, she will have to serve as an inspirational goal in my own DIY project. signed, me {c}

ps... just an idea to pass along. Seeing as I'm already at the four month mark, my save-the-dates will be via email. An html file to be exact, much like the ones we send you from Melange. A pretty image to get the point across.  Saves time AND money!  Web savvy friends can help you accomplish this.

Where to begin?

So now that we have your attention... Gals, I need your help!  Ryan (my fiancé, don't you wish there was another word for that) and I, are in the beginning stages of planning our wedding.  The only parts that are set in stone are that it will happen this year, it will be small, and we are on a very modest (but creative) budget.  We need to start by deciding on a place. We're from the east coast (NC to be exact) which is gorgeous, we live in Oregon now... which also very scenic and pretty. And we have danced with the idea of a destination wedding in Mexico or Belize.  Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with such matters??  Help please!  Signed, Me {c}