The Crane Chandelier

I really want to do this!! The Wedding Co. sponsoring a project called The Crane Chandelier and for it are collecting cranes from hopefully 10,000 engaged couples by January 2011 (their 10th Anniversary). I'm just blown away by this. Plus for each crane they are going to donate 50 cents to cancer research (that means if they make their goal, they'll donate $5,000!) So of course I'm in.

More than anything it reminds me of a story (novel?) I read when I was a kid about a little girl, Sadako, who was very sick. There's a local legend in Japan that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes and make the same wish on each one, your wish will come true. I read the book, devoured it actually. It was a great story and one that's always been with me, and has probably continued to support my love for the cranes.

My crane is requested!! I could actually make my own, but I feel like whatever paper I'd pick might look weird. (silly I know, don't remind me.)

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Wedding: Invites

It really is never ending.

We had decided on invites but then it seemed that no one really like them and we were going to have to change everything about them and my mother was upset my parents' names weren't going on them. We could have squeezed that on, but then the Flemings didn't seem pleased that their names would be left off and I ended up with an invite made for a more modern wording ("toghether with their families...") that I was trying to make work for everyone and I was starting to hate it.

So I'm starting over from scratch. Mom found a printer who will make them look how I want, I just have to send her the copy for it. So that's what I'm working on this week. Designing my invites from scratch. I realize this is probably going to cost more but I'm done complaining because it's making the person paying for it happier and really that's what matters right?

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Scrapping: May C2P kit

We've been without internet and cable at home (I know, toture) and this weekend I managed to get quite a few layouts done, in addition to being home sick. (stupid cold)

I tore through the May C2P kit (which if should be available at the end of the week!) which was completely lovely and fun to work with.

I'm never entirely happy with the first layout I do with a kit. I feel like this one ended up to busy now that I look at it. The photos are from way back when (see that ex boyfriend there) at a Band Formal at Tech I went to in 2003 with my band friends (I think I got to go because I was in concert band). It was a fun time even if it was silly. I cherished that photo at the top of me fixing David's tie for a long time (you can see the ring he wore that I gave him which was probably the main reason).

At this point I feel i hit my stride. I love these photos of the girls from my friend Kevin's wedding in Florida last may and the pink of my dress was just perfect with the pink of paper. I actually ended up scrapping a bunch of these photos.

I love how the simplicity of this one just put the whole thing together.

This one is a little different with the paint and etc, but I was going for messy. I think it turned out all right.

More shots from Kev's wedding this one with Kev actually in it. This was sort of a sad LO for me to make, knowing we aren't as close as we used to be, but this is the last shot I have of the three of us looking like best buds (seriously Kev is similing. I'm not kidding he always looks like that in photos unless he's making some sort of face).

Simple, but it gets the point across.

Champ and I again. I try to do at least one random LO with each kit about us (two this month!) so that I can put them in our album which I'm hoping will be on display at the rehearsal dinner/reception.

I've noticed my style has started to lean towards simplistic and minimalistic. I always feel like there isn't enough on the page but then if I add something else it feels busy. Odd isnt' it? Granted I think I'm getting into that bare-bones of scrapping: pictures + story. Now if I could get the same effect in the rest of my life.

I got some more done with the latest little red scrapbook kit (which is so vintage!) and I need to photograph those. Hopefully I'll get them up to flickr at least by the end of the week.

Thanks for looking!! (as always feedback is greatly appreciated)

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Wedding: Favors, Photography and Music - HELP!

I'm stuck.

I've been wracking my brain for a cute idea for wedding favors and I can't come up with anything creative and fun. I need the blog world's help. Someone please, anyone, give me some advice. I've seen a million and one cute ideas, but I need something to spark and I need to hear that someone just loved something.

In addition I need some tips on photography. Certain photos that we should def include in our "must have taken" list. Also suggestions where we should have the bulk of our kT and Champ photos taken would be grand as well.

Finally I'm calling the DJ (actually here and just a second) and I need some advice with music lists so that I have an idea of what I want to add to my playlist before i start digging through, what I'm sure is an enormous collection he has. (Kudos to the DJ for having an online playlist tool!) Recs for cocktail/dinner music (think jazzy romantic, Michael Buble', the Rat Pack, Harry Conick Jr. and etc), dancing music (nothing too hokey!) and general stuff.

Thanks so much!! <3

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Wedding: Invitations

After much deliberation and much back and forth I finally decided on the invites. I'm fairly certain I'm the only person that really likes them because I'm pretty sure Champ doesn't love them and Mom really wanted different ones with a little tux and dress on them, but I put my foot down and made a decision. These were the second choice, but mom really didn't like the first choice invites, and I kept going back to these. They are modern and yet refined.

We'll have the invite, the reception card, response card and note cards with our initials. For us everything that's in brown will be in the bright pink and everything in blue will be in navy. I would have done it the other way around but that felt like too much pink.

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LOs: More April C2P

Here are the rest of my C2P layouts with the April kit. Like I said in my previous post, I really had to stretch my limits with these papers in order to give things my own little twist.
This layout will go in my book of layouts about myself. Sometimes it's nice to sit down and do a reflective layout. I added the rubons in the kit to the chipboard letters after i covered it with patterned paper and ink. The white writing on the picture says "Just another day dream believer" (yes a Monkee's reference).

Another Easter card!

I made this for my friend Rachel who's moving in to her first dorm room this fall. It's simple, but will be something nice to hang up in her new space.

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LOs: April C2P

I finished a few projects with the April Commit2Paper kit!

A cute Easter card:
These papers weren't my usual style, so I felt like I had to strech myself some. Of course that made it easier to tear more paper and ink all over things.

Amy's puppy Jenny, giving her best "fierce" face.

Friends at ABC (Atlanta Brewing Company) one weekend. I actually had a ton of fun with this layout.

Some detail of the tag with ABC on it.

Thanks for looking!! I've got the rest of my layouts photographed, so expect more this week!

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Wedding: baker, caterer and dresses

The bridesmaid dresses are in!! I picked up Jesse and Aly's as soon as I got into town this weekend (They have the two odd out dresses so I guess theirs shipped first) and today when I got up I had an email from the store saying that the other three are in. As it's Easter Sunday and no one really believes me that David's will be open no one will let me sneak out to go get them today, but hopefully Mom will pick them up tomorrow or Tuesday.

So now I'll have five navy dresses hanging next to my wedding dress in my closet at home. My shoes came in as well so those are also stacked in the closet with everything else. One of the last times my parents were in Atlanta, I happened across a Georgia Tech garter at the GT bookstore. I'd not seen one before, but I imagine it's a spring/summer thing they only have out part of the year. I wasn't sure if that's what I want, but I didn't want to miss out if a change my mind or something so I grabbed it (it wasn't too expensive) and that's in the bag with my veil.

I also met with the baker this week and had a really great meeting. I showed her my little scrapbook embellishment and she was so excited about it and of course already had ideas. I think the whole thing will be rather simple but still elegant. Which excites me to no end as that's sort of the look I was planning for the whole wedding.

We had a quick meeting with the caterer who is a family friend and giving us a great deal (full meal buffet for just $19 a person? that's including like prime rib or something I dunno it was a good deal). Mom was excited to save some money I was just excited to be out of the woods for finding a caterer. Now I need to pick a menu (not hard, but Champ wanted to be involved in that decision). The caterer's daughter actually is getting married this spring and little brother is playing in her wedding (with the piano player he plans on getting for my ceremony). I'm a little anxious that I'm not as involved in the music as I'd like, but I trust Josh and I'm sure he'll do a great job.

Whew. sorry about all the updates. I just needed to get my head around it.

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Wedding: Photographer

I spoke with my friend Chris, and he's going to do our wedding. I was worried about having him shoot the wedding as he is technically invited as a guest (given that he's dating one of my bridesmaids), but he did our engagement photos and I know he'll do a good job. Best yet he's giving us a good deal on the whole thing. Which is more than I can ask for in the end.

His website, if you want to take a look. If you scroll down a little you can see our engagement photos listing as well.

Our internet is down for an unknown amount of time. Hopefully things will be fixed by Wednesday, but I do have a stak of LO's I finished up last week to show off, most of them using the April Commit2Paper kit. As soon as I get the internet going again I'll start posting.

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Wedding: the dress

I've been avoiding posting these photos for a variety of reasons, the best being that my face is so not appropriate for having put on my wedidng dress. But since some of you have asked here's the dress from when I tried it on:

It's not going to have those little straps, but rather a beaded sheer cap sleeve (although this week I'm considering taking that part off. They just hook on so it wouldn't be a huge issue.) I can't remember if the veil have I have on is the actual veil i got but it's at least that small or smaller. I wanted something simple to not distract from the back of the dress which is really busy (with a train and emboridery and lacing...)

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