man this grad school business is no joke. i have two reading intensive courses this quarter and surprisingly i actually feel compelled to do the reading. where was that feeling during undergrad? part of me hopes the boy doesn’t propose until close to when i’m finished but then the other part of me is all, “girl, you are crazy! you want to wait even longer to marry him?! REALLY?! are you insane, woman?!”
i can be kind of mean to myself sometimes.
anywho, so i finally finished my cupcake liner pomander project. so i dumped the idea of doing a garland in this instance, but haven’t given up on the garland idea entirely! it has a chance of being reborn in a different setting. still working on the logistics of that project.
but the pomander thing. taking a hint from mrs. sushi [and oddly another one of my old inspiration photos i had dismissed once i latched onto the whole garland thing] i finished working on two more pomanders and attached them together.
i really do like the look of the cupcake liners on the styrofoam balls. they look all fluffy and lovely. and my mom kept commenting on how she wanted to eat them.
oh mom, how i love your silliness.
she did suggest adding some color in, so i swapped out the white ribbon for a blue test ribbon that came off a package of ghirardelli chocolates [i’m a hoarder of all things] but she didn’t like it [i also didn’t take a picture of it]. i was thinking though to just stick with white since the chairs in our church are a forest green so pretty much any color would clash horribly. and while i’m not trying to match, i’m just trying to work with what i got. and white is the easiest to work with.
anywho, where’s the final product. please forgive the fact that i had to take a picture of it in the bathroom. it has the best lighting.
i really like it and as time went on, the process became easier and quicker. also, the number of liners fluctuated. not sure why but it did, so i’m averaging the number to a round 45.
here’s the price breakdown [as much as i can remember…i accidentally tossed my receipt yesterday as i was clearing out my room]:
6-pack of 2 ½ inch styrofoam balls [i don’t remember the exact cost so i’m guessing it was this much]: $3.99 – 40% coupon: $2.39
100 white candy liners (2): $2.98
glue gun/glue: already own
floral wire: already own
ribbon: already own [but i did get 3 spools for a dollar once upon a time – but i won’t be included that in the overall cost]
total, without tax: $5.37
not bad at all. of course, provided i have the right amount for the styrofoam balls. i’ll confirm it next time i roll through michael’s. next time i’ll put out the cash to pick up a 350 count of liners. i can decorate 7 balls with one package! anywho, what do you guys think?
so again, i’m rethinking the garlands.
i finished my tissue paper pomander alternative [which i will take a picture of, i promise!] with the cupcake liners and i really like it. then i started wondering how flexible it would be when in garland form.
then i saw this:
so maybe i’ll use this as inspiration for pew decor instead? i can attach three of my globes and hang it from the side of every other chair. and then i can easily construct a different garland for the canopy i want to build [i had a brainstorm about that too...more details once i figure it out!]. i mean, i am all about working smarter, not harder.
interesting.
i shall investigate this further.
i was tagged by paperhouse to fill out a pretty cute meme about things that make me happy. so let’s get to it, yes?
of course, there are rules to this game [no hurly burly nonsense here]:
tag and link back to the person who tagged you. list six little things that make you happy. tag six bloggers and let them know they’re “it.”
i don’t always follow the rules so i’ll start by saying that i don’t know six bloggers so i’ll be shirking that part of the rules because i said so. but i will include pictures!
so the things that make me happy:
1] the boy
of course this is a given but i love and adore this guy. he makes my heart happy. he’s been very patient with my nonsense but he’s good at letting me know when the nonsense has gone on long enough. you need someone like that in your life. plus, he likes to make me breakfast and is more than willing to sit through a baseball game with me even though he doesn’t care for the game. now that’s love.
2] baseball
i probably shouldn’t list it second but i do adore the game. i was first introduced to it by my dad when i was much younger and have been hooked ever since. i love hanging out in the bleachers of the local team [luckily for me i have two major league teams to check out since i'm far from my beloved new york yankees] with friends and watching the game with a hot dog and soda. there’s something about the game that makes me sit back and relax.
3] puppies
especially puppies that look like this:
well, more specifically, ben makes me happy. tell me he doesn’t make you smile. i can’t stop swooning over him. i just want to take him home and cuddle with him for forever. want more of ben? check him out here at dailypuppy.com. careful, you may want to steal him too. consider yourselves warned!
4] being outside
i love being outside, which is not to be confused with being outdoors. i don’t really have an opinion on hiking or camping or biking even though i’ll do it. i just like being outside and feeling the warm weather. i love being near the ocean [perfect for a californian] and have recently taken up surfing. it’s such a fantastic feeling floating in the pacific ocean on a saturday attempting to stand up on your board, but failing and giggling with friends instead.
5] napping
oh how i love to nap. let me count the ways: a friend of mine has nicknamed me rip. yes, as in rip van winkle. i always say that if naps were a person, i’d marry him. that if i have a lot of things to do, i get my nap out of the way first. that…well, you get the picture. the next best thing to a nap is sleeping. le sigh.
6] being creative
which, like being outside, entails a lot of things. like writing [i used to write short stories...most of them about unrequited love. apparently i had only one thing on my mind. ha!], and arts and crafts and baking. definitely baking. i think it’s more fun than cooking. probably because i get to be exact with the measurements and i don’t feel like a dork for measuring exactly 1/2 teaspoon of something. none of this “pinch of this or that” for me!
and here are a few honorable mentions [in no particular order]:
a] planning and researching [as if you didn't know that]
b] cake. oh how i love the cake!
c] my mom. she is a ginormous goof ball. and i am so my mother’s daughter
and my lucky bloggers:
1] anna and the ring
2] the frugal fabulous bride
3] kimberly michelle
4] the sunset house
5] fashionista at play
i am proud to say that i’m an army brat, having my dad serve our country proudly for 20 -some years. without the army, i literally wouldn’t be here as my parents met while he was stationed in south korea.
that said, while at the most recent bay area bee meet up, one of the lovely readers, bean, had mentioned that there was a bridal shop giving away free wedding dresses to military brides. how awesome is that?! originally the event was going to be a one day only thing but the promotion has been extended.
as a thank you for the many men and women serving in iraq and afghanistan, unique bridal in burlingame, california is offering brides who either served active duty themselves or who’s fiances are currently serving in iraq or afghanistan a free designer wedding dress!
all you need to have to take advantage of this awesome opportunity [provided you met the requirements of active duty service] is bring your id, a copy of deployment papers, orders or other qualifying proof. you don’t even have to live in the area!
this event has been extended until this friday, the 17th so make sure to check it out if you’re qualified to do so. contact the boutique to set up your appointment!
i think this is a fabulous idea and i’m grateful that the wedding community has opened their hearts to those who chose to serve and are risking their lives for our sakes. it’s not always easy being a miltary family but a little understanding and compassion goes a long way.