Our Favors, Part I: The Grandma I Never Knew

Hive, I haven't intended to be so elusive in regards to our favors and I fear I have unintentionally amped them up to be a bit more groundbreaking than they are. They're not quite as unique as Mrs. Tartlet's book charity favors or maybe not as fun as Mrs. Ostrich's CDs, but they come from an important place nonetheless.

And it's partly because of this beautiful lady:

My Grandma Mary

I never had the privilege of knowing my Grandma Mary - she passed at the young age of 56 from pancreatic cancer long before I was born. I can't tell you how weird it has been not knowing this woman - a woman who has touched the lives of so many in my family. Being that I am so very close to Mama Seal, it's strange not knowing the person who brought her into this world and shaped her into everything I aspire to be. Even now, referring to her as "grandma" feels strange to me - as if it's an amazing honor I never earned.

But despite not ever having met her - I feel an intangible closeness to her. Perhaps this is because I imagine her to be a lot like my own mama, or maybe it was all the vivid stories told growing up - I can't pinpoint it, but what I do know is that a day rarely goes by in which I don't wonder what life would have been like with her in it.

 Grandma with Mama Seal and Uncle Seal

My mom and aunties with Grandma Mary

Having already found a way to pay tribute to both my grandfathers and my Nana (more on her later, I promise) at our reception, I had long been thinking of a way to pay homage to Grandma Mary.

And then one night, while celebrating a belated Valentine's Day at what will be our wedding-night hotel, the Sealman hit another homerun. (Recall his previous triumph here.)

We were enjoying some Godiva chocolates and champagne...

...when he asked me a simple question,"Which do you like better, Godiva or See's?" Now, for all of you unfortunate folk unfamiliar with See's Candies, I'm sorry. I really can't describe the candies in a way that would do them justice, so I just won't. However, I can give you the same history I gave Mr. Seal that will hopefully help explain why this was such an easy question to answer.

Grandma Mary worked for See's Candies for years and years and even recruited several other members of the family to work in the factory.

For some relevant imagery, think of this iconic "I Love Lucy" episode:

Image via TvLand/Courtesy of CBS

Grandma was a floor supervisor and after a long night's work would return home to her husband and six children bearing imperfect (yet perfectly delicious) candy rejects and smelling of chocolate. My mom's face still lights up when she talks about that scent and I find great joy in knowing that she and my aunts and uncles need only step foot into a See's Candies shop to be reunited with their mother's fragrant memory.

That affection and appreciation has been passed down and I have nothing but fond (and scrumptious) memories associated with See's.

After sharing all of this with Mr. S, he followed up with another very important question, "Why don't we have a See's Candies buffet at the wedding and dedicate it to your grandma?"

This man? He's a goldmine.

Photo courtesy of The Marin Studio

So, that is exactly what we will be doing. As half of our favors to our wedding guests, we will let them indulge in a buffet of delicious yum-filled chocolates.

Image via See's Candies

I think the grandma I never knew but love anyhow would really like that ;)

What are you doing for your guests? How are you incorporating family into your wedding and/or paying homage to lost loved ones?

Stay tuned for Part II - I'll reveal the last component of our favors!

Money-Saving Methods: The Piggy Bank (Reveal)

We have a winner! (And she will be announced at the end of this post to forever live in BEE GLORY!)

In Part I, I introduced you to Mr. Piggy and asked you all to wager some guesses as to how much he was worth. If you recall, Mr. P was housing the savings for our favors (which I promise to reveal soon, kids) and we set a goal of around $600.

Big Brother Seal is a coin aficionado (a hobby passed down from my maternal grandma) and he and FSIL Maria kindly agreed to help me sort out my change one evening.

We started out with this:

I don't know if you can see that fat stack of cash on the left - Big Brother Seal told me putting cash in the piggy was cheating. I said my Piggy doesn't discriminate - money is money!

After inspecting the coins for hidden gems...

...and adding a couple of special finds to Big Brother Seal's collection...

...and filtering out the foreign coins...

(I bet Miss Gazelle and Mrs. Cinnamon Bun could tell you more about this one)

...we ended up with:

Bills

$1 x 62 = $62

$5 x 12 = $60

$10 x 6 = $60

$20 x 5 = $100

Coins

Pennies x 850 = $8.50

Nickels x 360 = $18

Dimes x 400 = $40
Quarters x 240 = $60
Half Dollars x 6 = $3
1 Dollar Coin x 2 = $2

GRAND TOTAL...

Not too bad, eh? Only a couple hundred shy of our total goal and over four months left to save ;)

Thanks to everyone who played along!

The winner, with a guess of $413 is...dinajean! Woohoo! Congrats!

And...if she doesn't claim her prize (of virtual high-fives from yours truly), the booty will go to the lovely Miss Pony with an amazingly close guess of $412.89.

How are your piggy banks doing? Are you close to reaching any of your "mini-goals"?

Shoes it or Lose it: a Mail Order Misstep

As I promised in my first shoe post—I am reporting back to you after now having tried on a couple of contenders.

Yesterday, my favorite UPS man dropped off this box:

Tucked away inside was...

Kate Spade's lovely "Lora" shoes via Zappos

And...

Badgley Mischka's "Dazzler" heels via Zappos

I was beyond excited (finally—some shoe excitement!) to officially begin the hunt for my perfect pair of heels. I first tried on the Kate Spade heels (and couldn't help but think of Miss Candy Apple and her affinity for Kate Spade and pretty bows).

They're pretty, but I was underwhelmed and uncomfortable (and it took like 15 pictures to get a shot that wasn't completely unflattering). I don't normally have width issues and all the reviews I read claimed this shoe fits true to size, yet somehow the shoes felt too small in every way. Sigh. I'll admit it was a bit heartbreaking packaging these back up - I really wanted them to work!

I was not completely discouraged though - I still had that blingy pair of Badgley Mischkas to try out!

 

Meh. 

They were definitely sparkly but, as brother Seal put it, "Too much foot and not enough shoe." I was inclined to agree - they were super uncomfortable anyway. Plus they were a huge pain to buckle up - it took the combined efforts of Mr. Seal and me about ten minutes to put on and another ten to take off!

So, back to the drawing board it is. Hopefully the next time I check in with you on the shoe front I'll come bearing good news (and cute shoes)! I think I might take the search offline next and head to the stores.

How's your shoe hunt fairing?

Mickey and Minnie Get it Right: a VIP Invite Update

Eeep! So just when I began to suffer from "OMG I want to send out my invitations right now" syndrome, I received something in the mail to help hold me over until September.

Remember a couple of weeks back when Mr. Seal and I invited Mickey and Minnie and the Obamas? Well, just the other day we got this:

After hearing of Miss Mac's smudged Disneyland keepsake and the Mouses' misspelling of Mrs. Lioness's name, I was a bit apprehensive to tear this bad boy open. Given that I have two first names, I was fairly certain something would have gone awry.

Luckily, I was totally wrong—Mickey and Minnie got it right!

And it's totally gettin' framed and put next to one of these dorky pics:

Now we're just waiting on the Obamas!

Have any of you heard back from your VIPs?! Are any of you anxiously waiting to send out your invites?

"Look, Ma! No Plates!": Dressing Up the Tables

OK, hive—I need your advice! Apart from my post on choosing our caterer and our menu, I don't think I've mentioned that our meal will be served buffet style. I know, I know—a "black-tie" wedding...buffet style? Well, yes, dagnabbit!

We chose to go this route for a few reasons. While the price was right, cost effectiveness was truly not the only reason—I liked the idea of my guests being able to try a bit of everything and loved the idea of not having to fuss with keeping track of who's eating what.

My only concern was the dreaded buffet line but once my lovely catering coordinator informed me that we'd be running two, separate, double-sided buffet lines, I was sold. Considering she has done several weddings at my site before, I was confident there would be none of this:

Image via DetroitNews/Photo by Clarence Tabb Jr.

So why do I need your help? Well, in choosing to to have a buffet this has left me PLATELESS! Ahhhhh. Well, we'll have plates—pretty ones in fact, just not set out on the table. (I'm really still not clear why—I guess because it's easier for everyone to grab their plates at the buffet station? Bride brain! Must...remember...to ask caterer.) For the sake of giving you a mental image, I should mention that, though there will be no plates, we will have our centerpieces, table numbers, silverware, and three different types of glass drinkware pre-set at the table.

Anyhow, this is where you come in. Which would be the best way to dress up the table to make up for the lack of plates? Here are a few of the options I am considering.

Option 1: Chargers

 Image via TheKnot/Photo by Tamara Lackey Photography

I absolutely love the look of these chargers—they're classy and elegant...and fit my vision perfectly. However, they are very costly. If I had room in the budget to add them on (which I really don't), I'd feel much more responsible spending that money on food or videography. Sigh. So pretty.

Option 2: Napkin + Menu Card

Image via Choco Studio/Edited by me

This image was taken at our venue (and I think I've blogged it like a billion times already). I didn't even notice that there weren't any plates on the table the first 356 times I stared at this image, so I'm thinking that bodes well for this option, no? The only issue I have with choosing to go down this path is that I had originally planned to put only one menu on each table—if I go this route, I would need to print menus for everybody. 

Option 3: Get creative. Doilies anybody?

Image via Geographics

Image via StyleMePretty/Photo By Heather Elizabeth Photography

I think the doilies are absolutely adorable, but I could only feasibly afford foil or paper doilies (like the ones above). Do you think they would look out of place in our big ol' ballroom?

So what do you think, hive—is there an option you like best from above? Have any creative ideas I haven't thought of?! How are you dressing up your tables?

Exploring the Superstitions of a Wedding

The Sealman and I like baseball. I have a mild (although Mr. Seal would argue it's not so mild) form of OCD. Mr. S, too, suffers from his own compulsions. When these things are compounded you can surmise that the Seals, well...

 

No walking under ladders, no opening umbrellas indoors and we're both really careful with mirrors - you get the point. 

Cue the Stevie Wonder background music:

 Video via YouTube

Our beloved baseball is a sport of superstitions and we play into it. For example, Mr. Seal won't come to my mom's house any more for dinner while the Yankees are playing because "The Yankees are 1 and 6" when he's there. And you know what? Call me crazy, but I understand it and let him be.

 Mr. S wearing his rally cap while watching baseball + baseball news on two screens.

I, myself, am pretty convinced that all of my family's rituals helped the Giants win the World Series last year. My "rally babushka" outfit (basically me with a Giants scarf wrapped around my face) NEVER failed. Seriously...this babushka made our boys hit homeruns. 

In terms of my OCD, it mostly manifests itself in my need to keep my loved ones safe. When saying goodbye, I have to tell my family members: "Bye. I love you. Drive careful. Ride careful. Walk careful. (Fly careful if it fits). Have fun!" to which they must respond with "OK" (not "all right", "you got it", or any other variation). 

Yes, hive, this keeps them safe. I can't believe I just admitted that to you all - see how close I feel to you guys?!

Anyway, to the point - weddings are not without their own superstitions and I'd like to explore some of them.

1. Seeing the Bride before the wedding is "bad luck": As far as I know, this belief stems from ancient times and arranged marriages. The Groom wasn't to see the Bride before the wedding so he couldn't be all, "Oh no, she's ugly. I don't care how many goats her dad gives me, I'm not marrying that." Therein causing bad fortune for the family. 

Image via The Fun Times Guide

I think the pug is pretty cute actually.

Anyway, this superstition has evolved into more of a tradition—many a bride and groom, though perfectly aware of what their SO looks like, prefer to wait until the altar. 

Our decision: While it would be beneficial to snap pictures before the wedding, Mr. Seal will not be seeing me until I step through the church doors with my father. I told you we were superstitious!

2. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...and a silver sixpence in her shoe": All of these items are seen as good luck tokens for the bride - each representing something. The "something old" is supposed to symbolize the Bride's past and her family, while the "something new" represents optimism for the future. Ideally, the Bride would get her "something borrowed" from someone who is happily married in hopes that some of that fortune rubs off on her. The "something blue" stems, most probably, from Roman times - brides wore blue as a representation of love, purity and fidelity. And lastly, the sixpence coin is a token of financial security.

Mrs. Cardigan's lovely silver sixpence/Photo by She-N-He Photography

Our decision: Seeing as how I've already admitted my flair for the superstitious—I will definitely have all of the aforementioned items come wedding day. (Plus, I think it's kind of a fun challenge to work them all in somehow.)

3. Rain on the wedding day: Depending on who you ask this can be either "good" or "bad" luck. In many cultures, most recognizably in Hindu tradition - rain is considered good luck because a "wet knot is harder to untie". Some think of rain on wedding day as a symbol of the many tears a bride will cry during her marriage.

Image via Metrolic

Our stance: While it seems as though this can fall either way, we'd still prefer if it didn't rain on our wedding day. This really has nothing to do with superstition and everything to do with vanity - my hair goes nuts in the rain and I'd love to not have to worry about my gown getting soaked before the ceremony. (Though we're having an indoor ceremony/reception...we have two different venues and are traveling by open trolley...there is still potential for disaster.)

There are tons more, but I won't bore you with them all. I just think it's interesting how some superstitions have evolved into full on customs! 

What about you guys - are you feeding into the wedding-related superstitions? Do you have any quirky ones of your own?

Oh and...Bye. I love you. Drive careful. Ride careful. Walk careful. Have fun!

Say OK! ;)

DIY Table Numbers: Easy as 1, 2, 3

I figure, with about 5 months to go, it's time for me to actually start doing all of the craft projects I have planned. In my last post I mentioned how my dining room table has turned into the table of temporarily abandoned projects and, while such a description is still accurate, I've managed to make progress.

Wanna see?!

I've completed about half of my table numbers and it feels goooood. The project has taken a bit longer than I anticipated (and trips to four different Michael's stores to track down all of the wooden numbers), but it's been pretty simple and fun. I decided against naming our tables and stuck to the basics.

For some incredibly adorable and endearing reason, Mr. Seal took an interest in this project and I really enjoyed both his company and his creative input! Together we tracked down all 41 numbers, looked for frames and decided on the background paper (and let me tell you, he had quite the opinion about that background paper).

With all of my products in-hand, it was time to get down to business. I first spray painted all of the numbers and frames and let those dry for a day.

  (Yes, that is R2D2 and one of my Dad's Grammys serving as paper weights.)

I felt like the frames needed matting so I hand cut all those bad boys using sketchbook paper, an X-Acto knife and a ruler (this was pretty time consuming, but I couldn't think of an easier way to do this). Using a paper cutter, I cut all of the gold background paper down to size).

After cleaning the glass from the frames, I layered the gold paper behind the matting.

Finally, using Krylon spray adhesive, I affixed the numbers to the glass. (As a sidenote: the spray adhesive doesn't spray like a can of spray paint does—it more so shoots out adhesive like Spiderman. Hehe. I got the hang of it soon enough, but it was surprising nonetheless and I thought I'd give you a head's up if you're unfamiliar.)

After cleaning up the extra adhesive from the edges of the numbers, I wound up with this:

It's not often that one of my craft projects lives up to my initial vision but this one did, so I'm quite pleased with how these turned out ;)

Here's a cost breakdown for ya if you're interested:

• 25 frames from the Dollar Tree: $28
• 41 wooden numbers from Michael's: $46 (YIKES! Those little guys added up!)
• 2 cans of Antique Gold spray paint from Michael's (purchased with 40% off coupons): $8
• 1 can of spray adhesive from Michael's (also purchased with coupon): $4
• 13 sheets of pretty gold filigree cardstock: $15
• 1 pack of sketchbook paper for frame matting: $4

Total Cost: $105 for 25 frames (or $4.20/frame)


What are you doing for table numbers? Are you going the DIY route?

Oh You Pretty Things!: Procrastination at its Finest

Rather than working on the unfinished wedding craft projects that have currently rendered my dining room table useless (seriously, it's a disaster), I am daydreaming about my bridal shower and rehearsal dinner outfits. Care to contribute to my procrastination and look at pretty things?

Of course you do!

My French-inspired bridal shower look:

Clockwise from top: "Oui" Necklace via Etsy seller ArtWark; Miss Dior Eau de Parfume via Sephora; "I Lacquer A Lot" Dress via ModCloth; Enzoani Sandals via Zappos

I have been eyeing that "oui" necklace for months and I think I might finally bite the bullet this week and scoop it up. Mmm and the Miss Dior perfume is one of my scent staples!

Alright, so I haven't actually made any plans for the rehearsal dinner yet, however, I have given quite a bit of thought towards my outfit for the evening. I really like the idea of wearing white for the rehearsal so that's exactly what I intend to do.

Clockwise from top Left: "Love" ring from Etsy seller keoops8; ABS by Allen Schwartz dress via Nordstrom; Badgley Mischka "Lissa" shoes via Endless; Silver bangles via Forever21; Beaded headband from Etsy seller BethanyLorelle; Sequined "Audrey" wristlet by Coach

The ABS dress, Badgley Mischka shoes and the Coach wristlet are waaaay out of my budget but I'm pretty confident I can find some comparable items for a fraction of the price.

Alright, time to stop fantasizing and get back down to business. Mr. Seal really hates when our dining room table is a mess.

How much thought have you given to your pre-wedding looks? Have craft projects for the wedding taken over your home?

Shoes it or Lose It: Apathy is Afoot

Schuhe. Zapatos. Scarpe. Chaussures. обувь. Kutsu. Or you may know them as...

Call me a bad bride but no matter how I say it, I just can't really get into shoe shopping for the wedding. I find this to be particularly peculiar because I really do love shoes. Back before we got engaged I'd spend a hefty chunk of each paycheck on funky flats or sessy stilettos - so WHAT GIVES?!

I look at sites like Zappos and Endless and, while both are excellent sources (with awesome return policies), I find myself completely...uninspired. I mindlessly click through the pairs of shoes in hopes that something will jump out and say "BUY ME! BUY ME! YOUR FEET NEED ME!" But nothing happens. Nothing. No desire to keep looking. No excitement. Just the occasional, "Oh, those aren't terrible."

Here's what I do know and perhaps this is contributing to my apathy. In my everyday life, when I'm not wearing cute flats or flip-flops, my taste in shoes tends to gravitate towards high heels (4" and up). This normally isn't an issue except, for whatever reason, I just don't want to be taller than Mr. Seal on our wedding day. I'm 5'8" and the Sealman is 5'10" - which means if I rocked a 4" pair of heels I'd be hovering over him. I think my reservations on this front mostly have to do with my tendency to bend my knees when I'm taking pictures with people shorter than I am (sonotcute).

Anyhow, here are some "too high" shoes I don't hate so you can get an idea of my taste:

Badgley Mischka "Babette" (4.5'') Sandal via Nordstrom

Rose Gold Brian Atwood Leather Platform (4.75") Pumps via Saks (Also seen as the rightful subjects of Miss Sparkler's adoration)

Badgley Mischka (4") "Babette" Heels via Zappos

These are only about 3" which is a bit more do-able.

Claudia Ciuti 'Janine' d'Orsay Pump via Nordstrom

Proof I can get excited about wedding day shoes: I am totally coveting Mrs. Tartlet's Louboutins. 

Photo by Craig Paulson/Image via Mrs. Tartlet

Really, I think there is a simple solution to the above issue. Say I do fall in love with a pair of super high heels, I could always join the "Two-Shoe Bride" club and invest in some adorable flats for the pictures and for the reception.

Badgley Mischka 'Dainty' Flats via Endless

But I guess I should first fall in love with one pair before deciding I'm capable of finding two. I just don't know hive. Maybe I'm not getting into the whole bridal shoe shopping experience because I haven't actually tried any on? I'm totally a hand's on gal and this searching online through 2D images thing just isn't doin' it for me.

Anyhow, next time I check in on the shoe front I promise to have tried on at least three pairs! I really think that will help facilitate my excitement.

Yay?

Did you have a hard time getting into the shoe hunt? Where did you find your shoes?