approaching joy

Wedding Wonders :: Invitations

I've already shared how stoked I was for my save the dates.  You can only imagine how excited I was for the invites.

Just like last time the folks at The Moxy Ox rocked it with me and even sat down and talked me through color choices... Twice.  Awesome product, quick service, & an ear to listen to as I hashed out the choice between "desert storm" and "husk"?
Invaluable.  Thanks again guys. 

We stuffed a trifold envelope into the main envelope and secured it with awesome washi (remember: I played with washi here).  Apparently there is only one store in a 30 mile radius that carries washi and their selection was limited. Thankfully it fit this project perfectly.

What I refer to as "the packet of love" inside.  It includeds a map, "registered at", RSVP card, and envelope for returning the RSVP. 

The actual invite. One reaction- "It's cute but it's definitely not traditional"
To this I say- "exactly"

My favorite pieces were a toss up between the map and RSVP.  

I "made" the map with Google Maps and photoshop.  It was a project which stemmed from one of those thoughts that came to me right before going to sleep one night. Super glad I caught and hung on to that one. I'll be posting a DIY soon. 

The RSVP was totally a pinterest find. I think it's cute and quirky and am excited to see what people say. (I've also had a friend tell me that she's sad that they don't make manilla colored white out since she misspelled the word "ecstatic" for the first blank. If I were an inventor I would definitely work on this...)

Like I've mentioned I'm super stoked about these. I think they tie in the relaxed vibe of the barn while staying fun and quirky. 

So: What do you think?!?!

Wedding Wonders :: It's shower time!!

I can not believe it's already time for the wedding showers!!  

I grew up in a small small small country church. I always knew something big was happening when the ladies would get their husbands to set up tables in the back hallway while they brought out the good punch bowl.  I remember sitting at the feet of whatever lovely bride happened to be getting "showered" with love and counting the number of ribbons broken (which everyone knows equals the number of children the couple will have).

I was delighted as my first shower happened over the weekend in East Texas with family and friends.   I am so incredibly blessed to have people that love me like they do.

A few notes:

• All the lace you see was crocheted my Aunt Nell.  It was lovely.  And according to her that daisy pattern only took 25 years to finish.
• The lady who is sitting with me standing behind her is my beautiful mom.
• On the same row to the very right is my mom's best friend and my Aunt/Cousin Lisa who was a big part in getting this whole thing put together; she is so stinking sweet.  She also taught my late bloomer self to ride a bike after I turned seven. I am so very grateful for her.
• On next row is a dear family friend: Peggy.  I'm so glad that she came and that I could catch that smile.
• The lady on the bottom left is my Nana.  The mister took this and several of the other pictures. (Thanks sir!)  I love this one most because she didn't know he was taking it.  Though she has a pretty solumn look on her face I can she the beginnings of a smile in her eyes. Can't you?
• Last thing: This was held in the reception area of Lisa's church (just like I remebered when I was young).  All around the room were murals that her brother helped paint before he passed away.  It was almost like a silent reminder of all the friends and family that were there in spirit. 

 Thanks for taking the time to stop by!!

wedding wonders :: note to self

Dear Paige,
This wedding planing stuff is supposed to be fun.  Don't let your anxieties stress you out.  Take a few deep breaths.  Grab some ice cream if that makes you feel better.  All of this hullabuloo (and yes, money) will most definitely be worth it in the end.
Seriously though- chill out.
Paige

For my readers:  This is a sneak peek at my dress.  I don't want to give too much away.  
Also- Thanks for letting me blow off wedding stress steam.

wedding wonders :: paper pretties

I am slowly starting to realize that I have a thing for paper.

New notebooks at the beginning of every semester?  Love it.
The scrapbook aisle of every craft store?  Heavenly... though I could count on one hand the number of scrapbook pages I've completed. #adultADD
And yes- I'm 90% less likely to throw away a clothing tag if it I deem it "pretty."

It's no suprise then that my wedding would offer me loads of opportunities to fall in love with paper.

These (obviously) are the Save the Dates and I lurve them.
I designed them almost two months ago but was super intimidated by the printing process.  Spruce over at Moxy Ox (a "creative/print company" here in NWA) was super helpful and the process was super easy and fast.  I realize this sounds very, "Hi, my name is Paige and I'm working on my infomercial skills," but I swear it's totally true.

In fact, it's so easy I'm working on round two with Thank You notes.

Yay!! Exciting times over here in paper-lover land.

Next on the list: Invitations, map inserts, RSVPs,  programs, menus... 
Okay, this is me refusing to think about it until the next wedding wonders post.

Here's hoping everyone's week has been relaxing as mine and, if not, that you have a chance to catch up on your relaxation over the weekend!!

wedding wonders :: great wedding inspiration

Image source 1 :: 2 :: 3

Once upon a time (recently) I heard the phrase, "I don't know how people planned weddings before Pinterest." I found this to be a strong assertion pre-engagement since people had been getting married for approximately forever before Pinterest popped up within the past few years. 
Post-engagement I wasn't sure if my opinion would change.  I mean this is where the women of the world (or at least middle class America) comes to document their latest inspiration- How could it not help??  

But I soon realized that personally I was overwhelmed rather than helped.  All the individual images by themselves were just pictures that didn't make a cohesive whole.  I came to realize that I needed meaning and story behind the images since that's what I hope to put together on my wedding day.  

It's with that in mind that I'm sharing these three sites for great wedding inspiration.  All three of these sites have tons of lovely images, but more importantly they tell the stories behind those images.  These stories have given me inspiration in that I look at their stories and can compare it to my own, just like I can look at the parts of their wedding and think, "This is how I make this detail my own."

What about you? Any other wedding sites/ books/ magazines that I need to take a look at?