DIY Photo Album

Today I'm sharing the photo albums I made for my lovely bridesmaids.  In addition to the typical thank you card, I wanted to thank my girls with a photo album filled with pictures from all of the wedding events (bridal shower, bachelorette, rehearsal dinner, and wedding.)  Here's what I used for the albums:

-Four photo albums (I feel like I lucked out finding these at Walmart for $5 each!  They are sturdy and came in great solid colors- meaning they were ready for me to decorate.  I also liked the fact that they were meant for 4X6 pictures, but the album itself is larger and square.  They were just what I was looking for!)
-A package of silver gems (I found mine at Walmart in the craft aisle.  I don't remember the exact price, but they were under $5.00.  Possibly $2.99)
-A package of scrapbook letters (I got the hot pink glittery ones that I used from Target's scrap booking aisle for $.99!  They were perfect!)
-A hot glue gun

My plan for the albums was simple.  I knew I wanted each to have their name, and I knew I wanted each to be "bedazzled."  When I was ready to make them, I started by sorting through the letters and spelling out each girl's name.  I wanted to make sure I had enough letters before I did any gluing.  Once I saw that I wasn't going to have to make a last minute dash to the store for more letters, I started with the first album.  I placed the letters evenly spaced below the picture slot on the album cover.  Then, I took out my gems and played around with their placement.  I arranged different sized gems in the left hand corner and liked the simplicity, but I still thought that something was missing.  Light bulb!  I quickly ran to my box of stuff used for the wedding and found leftover lace that we had used to wrap around mason jars.  I thought that it would be the perfect touch, since lace was such an important aspect of my wedding.  I wrapped lace around the right hand side of the cover, and knew I had finalized the album covers.  It was time to glue!

Here are the photo albums after decorating:  

Note: I had not printed any pictures for the albums yet, hence the lame picture that comes with the albums.

Another great thing about these albums was they came with a blank page (like a cover page) right when you open them.  I used this page to write heartfelt thank yous to each of the girls. 

After the albums were decorated, I went through all of my pictures and ordered the ones I wanted online through Costco's website.  I really like their quality and prices, plus it's convenient to order online and pick up at my local Costco. Here are a few pictures showing the albums after I had filled them with photos:

I really had fun with this DIY project, and I adore how they turned out.  

Thanks for reading!

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Wedding Details: Shoes

It's been awhile since my last "Wedding Details" post, and today I'm getting back on track with... shoes!  I had done a lot of online shopping, just trying to narrow down the search, and it was pretty overwhelming.  Lace, solid, peep-toe, pumps... I knew I was going to have to go shopping in person to try different options on.  So, with positive thoughts of finding the perfect wedding shoes, I hopped in the car and traveled to Seattle.  I was very fortunate because my first stop ended up being my only stop:  Nordstrom Rack.   I highly recommend shopping here for shoes- the deals to be found are endless!  After looking through rack after rack and trying different styles on, I was starting to think I was going to have to save my high hopes for the next store.  And then I saw them.  Soft pink Badgley Mischka heels with ruffles.  I had seen these shoes on Pinterest and couldn't believe I had found them hidden at Nordstrom Rack, in my size!  I quickly snatched them up and tried them on.  They fit!  After examining them for the price, I noticed that the right shoe had some scuff marks.  I looked at the price tag and saw that they were $60 (way less than the original price.)  They were affordable!  I quickly called my sister in law and told her the situation.  She assured me that she would help me take care of the scuff marks, and we both decided they were too perfect to pass up. I took them up to pay for them, and they rang up at $30!  Yes, I got Badgley Mischka shoes for $30!  I still can't believe it.  Needless to say, I highly recommend Nordstrom Rack for anyone in the market for nice brand shoes at an affordable price!  Here are some snapshots of my lovely wedding shoes:

Photography by Stephanie Fry Photography

Photography by Stephanie Fry Photography

I had found an idea that I loved where the bride's "something blue" is found on the bottom of her shoes.  My lovely bridesmaids helped me pull this off by purchasing little blue gems and using a hot glue gun to adhere them to the soles of my heels.  I love how they turned out!  And, the gems stayed on the entire time!

Photography by Stephanie Fry Photography

Good luck to all the lovely ladies out there searching for those perfect wedding shoes!  

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Happy Friday!

TGIF!  I turned 23 on Thursday, and am so excited to celebrate with my family this weekend.  Here are some things that made me smile from my birthday week!

Date night this week consisted of Wazzuopoly- monopoly themed after WSU, the university I graduated from.  Go Cougs!

This was the weather on my birthday- beautiful January sunshine!

...and here is a birthday card from a lovely friend.  Made me smile!

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Happy Friday to all!

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Remembering Lost Loved Ones

Sometimes in life, we lose people who are close to us.  Things happen, and tomorrow is promised to no one.  One year ago today, a dear friend passed away.  She was such an inspiring and positive person, just being around her made me want to be inspiring and positive too.  Although she's gone, I still think about her every day.  I am so thankful to have known her, and I am trying to follow her lead in life as a helpful, selfless, friendly, and happy person. 

Losing loved ones is a very hard thing to go through.  One thing that we did in dealing with our loss a year ago is let balloons go.  It's a very simple idea, and though this may not be the case for everyone, it really helped me feel better.  Here's the concept:

Purchase a bunch of regular, helium-inflated latex balloons- however many you want to let go.  We did ours at my brother's house at a gathering where we all shared great memories.  Then, we each got a balloon and a sharpie.  We then took our time in writing a note to Katie on our balloons.  After our notes were written, we went outside to let our balloons go.  Here's a picture:

We all stood together outside holding our balloons until we were all ready to let them go at the same time.  Then we got to stand out and watch them go up and up, until they were barely visible.  

The best part?  Our balloons stayed together the whole way up.  

♥♥♥

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all!  It's so nice to have a day off of work during the middle of the week-- especially after ringing in 2013 at midnight!  One of my favorite things about new year's eve is deciding what to wear.  It's the perfect night to put on a lovely dress!  The options are endless: little black dress, bold red, sparkles... I decided to go with the always classic LBD.

I made this set from Polyvore.  The dress is from Forever 21, and it's one of the best deals I've found in a long time.  I ordered it online for $15.00!  And, that is the regular price!  The lace is soft and it is very comfortable.  I love the length, and the fact that the skirt is flowy rather than form-fitting.  It was the perfect choice for my NYE.  I paired the dress with a simple black wristlet from Coach, and I wore the sparkly red Essie, Leading Lady, on my nails. 

 

confetti + pink champagne + sparkly red nails = new year's eve

 



 Here's to 2013!



 

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