tears of joy

So you're at your friend's wedding. You're in your folding chair. You've got your program (it's rolled into a telescope). Your eye makeup looks pretty. Your under-eye circles have been masterfully camouflaged. You're enjoying the show... then the vows. You get choked up before they even start. The tearing reaches situation critical very quickly. You're dabbing repeatedly at your eyes with a wadded up kleenex so that you don't get mascara streaks down your face. But dabbing never works. No, never. Always with the streaking.
You know what does work? Evaporation. The fanning works. Fanning, not streaking. I swear.
You know what else fans are great for? Cooling hot wedding guests at outdoor ceremonies. Pretty sandalwood fans work well. They're great as functional favors, just distribute before the ceremony rather than after.

labels anyone?

Anyone got anything they need to label in a jaunty fashion? I think I might sense a placecard brainstorm coming on. Or perhaps an escort card epiphany? Fancy wooden tags and red and white striped bakers twine both available at Bell'occhio.

BTW: Escort cards sit all together at a table near the entrance to the reception space, telling your guests which table is theirs. Placecards sit at the dining tables, telling your guests which seat is theirs. As someone who deals with this distinction on a daily basis, I notice that the two names are often used interchangeably. They are indeed different. I realize that this fact will only be important to you for a very short time in your life, but I thought you might like to know. Please excuse the smarty-pants moment.

love to label

These adorable labels from Remake would be perfect for labeling favors, table numbers, or as part of a place setting in a place-card type fashion. I love that they're each a bit different, but all look great as a collection. Via Oh Joy!

dresden trims

I have lots to be thankful for, yet I am NOT thankful that my pants are ALREADY feeling squeezy, and I have an entire holiday season of delicious home-cooked fun ahead of me. It annoys me that I would even entertain the idea of avoiding my mom's white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies in favor of my slender jeans. I'm ashamed. *hangs head, changes subject*
Dresden trims are die-cut, embossed, three dimensional, paper embellishments that have been made for about a hundred years in Germany. Mounted on cardstock, these would look amazing as favor tags or hung from a wine glass as a placecard. I'm sure Martha could think of a million other things to use them for... I found these gorgeous examples at The Tinsel Trading Company, along with several other varieties in a range of sizes and shapes.

wedding style goldmine

I came across the portfolio pages of photo stylist/crafter/designer Rebecca Thuss via Oh Joy!, and couldn't resist posting them here. Her site is truly a treasure trove of wedding related photographs and ideas, (mostly due to the fact that she's the former style director of Martha Stewart Weddings), and would be a great style resource for any bride. Check it out!

lanterns in the shape of the eyes

OK. I'm back. Whoever, (Mom?) made the comment about morning sickness, HA! Not so much. I'm fine, just a touch of the flu maybe? Anyway, got a great tip today from Luna Bazaar about their awesome lantern collection. I love, love, love their selection of shaped eyelet lanterns, and think they all would look amazing hung low over guest tables, lit from within in groupings of three or so? At these prices, you can afford to get a bunch. The light coming through the little holes in the eyelet will be fantastic!