At long last - my SHOES!!!

Left work yesterday feeling pretty tired after 9 hours in front of a computer (and catching up after a fun/beer/deep dish-filled weekend in Chicago). Got on the subway, and realized we didn't have anything for dinner, or for the rest of the week for that matter, so I grudgingly went to the grocery store to pick up some stuff. "Some stuff" turned out to be 5 full bags, which was a good workout for my biceps on the walk home.

But all of this is just a distant memory, for as I approached the front door of our apartment, I saw a beam of light at the foot of the door. A package.

My shoe clips!!!!!!

Needless to say, I picked up the package and fumbled for my keys (while still holding 5 bags of groceries), desperate to get inside so that I could introduce my shoes to their new clips.

The moment I paired the two together, I knew I had the perfect pair of shoes for the big day. And yes, I wore them around the apartment for a good 20 minutes, waiting for Office Groom to come home so he could see them.

Nine West Luceros ($39 CAD) meets Etsy's TwistedCrystals ($16 US).

Get away with your fiance!

The Office Groom and I just got back from a short vacay in Chicago! It was a first time there for both of us but definitely not the last! Everything from the beautiful architecture, the fun musuems, and the good food - we loved it all. Since we're on a budget this year, we couldn't do our usual week away for fun-in-the-sun. However, with all the craziness that comes with organizing a big wedding, we wanted to at least get away from it all for a few days and enjoy each others' company. And let me tell you - it's the best thing we could have done! If you and your FI can afford to get away, near or far, for just a few days, I highly recommend it! Here are some pics from our trip!

A night of laughs at The Second City



"Fantasea" at the Shedd Aquarium



A view from the top of the John Hancock building

Away from my desk...

Taking a little break from the office (Yesterday) and today!

My FI and I are in Chicago for the first time!!! We the upcoming months undoubtedly hectic, we wanted to give ourselves a little break and get away!

From the Desk of... Marcie

Nothing says "Love" more than matching outfits and a Sears photo shoot. Read how Marcie and her husband Jon pulled off one of the best and most original wedding invitations I've ever seen...

"Ok. Here is how it started. Jon came across a Christmas calendar with David Hasselhoff. It was hilarious! Jon finds these types of pictures really funny, the kind that are super cheesy and ridiculous. We also saw these pictures in American Pie, Juno, and some other funny movies.

We decided to make a Christmas card that was really cheesy and similar to these types of photos. Our first card was the two of us, sitting by our tree, in silly sweaters and santa hats, holding all three of our cats. This became an annual Christmas tradition.

When the wedding was approaching, we wanted to save money and do a wedding invitation that was similar to our Christmas cards since we got such positive feedback every year for the hilarious pictures. Jon thought that it would be a good idea to get the pictures professionally done.

We went to Sears and asked the photographer to do really cheesy poses. We got our outfits from Value Village and just happened to find a pair of yellow shorts and a yellow skirt that matched perfectly. We found two white turtlenecks and two pairs of white golf shoes. We were a matching pair.

I decided to do my hair and make-up like I was from the 80's. We changed at the photography place, although I had to walk around with my 80's hair and make-up, and the photographer was awesome with understanding the exact cheesiness we wanted. We had the photos on a CD and just placed them on card in powerpoint and printed it off on blue paper. We kept the large 8x10 photos, framed them, and displayed them at the wedding.

It will haunt me until the day I die."

FRONT OF INVITE



INSIDE OF INVITE







From the desk of Marcie

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DIY Shoe Clips - Fit for a Princess

I love Etsy for the same reason as most others; because of all the great one-of-a-kind items you can find, created by very talented artists. But I think I love the arts n' crafts site more for all the ideas it gives me for my own DIY projects.

Yes ladies, I admit it. I am a "Getsy" artist - Getting ideas from the site and trying them out on my own, lol.

When I first started doing my research on pizazzy shoes, the idea of shoe clips came up. "Brilliant," I thought. Shoe clips meant that I could get a great pair of reusable shoes, and give them a little something extra for the big day.

Naturally, I started perusing through Etsy for shoe clips and was happy to find a great selection - everything from rhinestones, to feathers, to fabric flowers. LOVE IT. I ended up going with a seller who was able to create my perfect pair (and matching hair clip) to the T - but I was curious to see if I could make another pair on my own, just for the hell of it.

$16 dollars later - I ended up with this:



(I couldn't help it. I had to take it with my Prince Charles / Princess Diana tin box, LOL)

Not too shabby, if I say so myself! Granted, it helps that I paired them up with a fabulous pair of Guess shoes, but they make a huge difference!

Interested in making a pair for yourself? Here are the deets. Note that I bought all of my materal at a bead store on Queen W, Toronto, so prices will vary, but you can find all of them through Etsy supplies sellers.

MATERIAL
- 6-8 feathers (PLUMULE, Etsy)


- Pair of shoe clips (themyseticalgarden, Etsy)


- Pack of large rhinestones (Toffeehouse, Etsy)


- Pack of small rhinestones (Twinkledropz)


- Glue gun and glue sticks ($8)

- Cardboard or felt

INSTRUCTIONS:

- Glue small rhinestones all around one large rhinestone. Allow glue to dry completely.
- Glue 3-4 feather on the back of the large rhinestone. Make sure they are places in slightly different directions. Allow glue to dry completely.
- Glue small piece of cardboard or felt on the back of the large rhinestone. Allow glue to dry completely.
- Glue completed piece to shoe clip - make sure that it is placed on the very bottom edge of shoe clip, otherwise the spring mechanism will not work properly.
- One clipe done! On to the next one!!
- Best part is, if you bough material in bulk, you can make more!

Soon you will find yourself with (hopefully) a shnazzy pair of shoe clips which you can pair up with any shoes, for any occasion you see fit!

Happy crafting!

From the Desk of... Miss JY

Living proof that you can plan a huge event from the comforts of your desk :) Introducing Office Bride, Miss JY!

"Aside from my 2 hour stint at the dress boutique and a 1 hour consultation at our reception venue…

I have done all of my planning from the place I call my second home: my cubicle/desk at work!

It started off small, just researching a few pics of wedding/BM dresses to take with me to the trunk show sale. Then, I randomly stumbled upon MyWedding.com, thus beginning the creation of our wedding website. From there, the ball just kept rolling.

I honestly think it’d be a shorter list to tell you what I haven’t planned, than to go through everything I’ve accomplished in my cubicle haven.

From

- researching vendors via the internet,
- creating invitation templates via Microsoft Word,
- blocking off hotels via my office phone,

To

- keeping up with my pastor, bridesmaids via on-line chat,
- setting up our three registries via online tools,
- getting real-life advice/references via recently married coworkers,
- setting up DIY projects via our exclusive printing department…

I have literally planned everything up to this point sitting in my office chair, staring into the abyss of the internet wedding world.

I guess it works that I’m an efficient person. I’m not too picky, so my decisions about the wedding have been quick. I’ve figured out my office/workload habits to actually find the time to log onto WeddingBee for wedding inspiration or blog on my journal for personal amusement, all in the midst of completing a “full-day’s work.”

It’s worked out really well for me, because without these resources, I would be completely lost in the planning process!

Happy Planning!"

From the desk of Miss JY