Creativity!

I just received an invitation for my boss, and it's probably the coolest invitation I've ever seen:



Can we say...inspiration? There is a ticket that came in the velvet pouch, the wording is all hippie-esque...THIS is the kind of creativity that inspires me! I love this! Amy and I are first focusing on weddings, but eventually we want to expand that into all kinds of celebrations. I love a good theme party, and it starts with the invitation!

And a progress report: we each have one more test to take and then the final project before we move from Novice to Consultant with the ABC! So exciting. Up next, securing a loan!

stay fab,

care

So....

We need a "first bride." Who's in?


.....anyone?

A little tip

Attention brides: Before you buy stamps for all of your wedding material, check to make sure that the postage rate isn't going up any time soon. Like, the week after you order the stamps, for instance.

Also, don't order stamps through the postal service. They suck. I know, they're the postal service. You'd think if any company could sucessfully mail something, it would be them. Well you would be wrong. Go to a branch (preferably not one in the city...trust me) and purchase them right there.

Just a word to the wise, from me to you. :)

amy

Green is the new black!

This is my friend Catherine's wedding. We went to high school together, and she was just one of those super-cool girls I admired. Her wedding? GORGEOUS! And also very green and environmentally friendly. Here are some photos, feel free to swoon:

The adorable, recyclable invitations:


Most guests put flowers in their hair:


The organic cotton dresses that Catherine and a local seamstress designed together:


If this isn't happiness, I don't know what is. I love his overalls, it's too cute:

Custom made bibs!


Does it get prettier? Yes.

The reception. The colors!


How cute are these Thank You cards??

All in all, one of the most stunning weddings I have ever seen. This is the kind of event that inspires me. It's so very unique and shows the couple's personalities through and through. This is the kind of wedding I hope to design one day. Many, many kudos to Cat and Dan, and here's to a long and happy life together. ::Raises coffee mug in lieu of champagne at work.:: Love love love.

stay fab,

care

My Beautiful Brides

Carolyn's promise of blogging about her friend's wedding inspired me to post some pictures. Here are some of my friends who have gotten married in the last few years. I find their wedding day beauty blog-worthy. :)


Alysha had this exact grin on her face all day long. She looked so incredibly happy and gorgeous.


I love this picture. Sometimes I stalk Shannon and Joe a little and flip through their wedding pictures, and this one is always my favorite. She's stunning! And Joe doesn't look so bad, either. ;)


Watching my childhood friend marry this beautiful woman was an amazing experience. Lauren should be on the cover of a wedding magazine.


This picture of Brian and Lucy is such a fantastic representation of their relationship. And Lucy looked so effortlessly pretty that day.


Lexy had this great dress with a side bustle, and she decided to have her hair and makeup done to create an awesome 40s look. She was beautiful and calm and relaxed throughout the wedding and reception.

I am so obsessed with weddings. My favorite part is seeing how pretty the bride looks. All of my friends are gorgeous (no really, I don't have unattractive friends) so its amazing to see them on their prettiest day. I can't wait until Carolyn and I can post pictures of "our" brides, whose weddings we've made happen. But for now, my pretty friends will have to do. :)

amy

reading reading reading

This weekend I took an Amtrak train to visit Jesse in the Wisconsin Dells. It was actually a really relaxing and fun way to travel. But the best part: 3.5 hours to do absolutely nothing but read. When we first started the ABC course, I was mostly reading it at work. I had literally no "work" to do at "work," so I just read and that's how I got through the first (and so far hardest) section. But I can't do that at my new job because, you know...I work. So anyway, the point of this story is that I haven't been devoting a lot of my time to the course lately. And those test questions are HARD. If I spread the reading out too much, I really struggle through the test at the end.
As Carolyn mentioned, we've been powering through and making some serious progress. But because so much hinges on us finishing the ABC course, we keep finding ourselves talking in circles - everything leads back to getting it done. So this has given me even more motivation to get through it. Point of the story - I read a lot on the train this weekend.
In the Wedding Day section, we're learning about the basics of putting together a wedding (obvs) but we're also learning about different cultures. So far I've read all about Jewish, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Sikh and Muslim wedding traditions. I took World Religions in high school, but it's been interesting to learn more about how different cultures celebrate love, as well as how they view marriage.

Here's a tidbit: "In a traditional Jewish ceremony, a wine glass is wrapped in a napkin and the groom breaks it with his foot. There are many interpretations of this symbolic gesture but, the most common symbolizes the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and is a reminder that, even in the midst of happiness, life is not always serene."

I've always wondered why they did that. Not the most uplifting note to end on though, so...

"The Sikh (Hindu) ceremony's high point is when the couple is bound together with a sash and led around the alter five times, to signify their vows to walk together through life."

That's better. And it seems like something non-religious couples could incorporate into their ceremonies as well...just to spice things up.

amy

Oh noes.

I don't know anything about Finance.

It's the most important part of the business plan.

This is going to go well.

stay fab,

care

Moving Right Along!

Alright!

Amy and I finished another section of the course, got a really good chunk of the business plan done, scheduled three more meetings before we hit the bank for a loan, scheduled the day we go and apply for the loan and the day we should finish our course.

We got a lot done last night and I for one am SUPER motivated! I also made a vow that I will be blogging at least every day. To look forward to: a blog on my friend Catherine's gorgeous, unique wedding.

You will be stunned. I sure was.

stay fab,

carolyn