Kitchen Organization in the Tiny Apartment

After I was married and moved out to Las Vegas, I came to the realization that I had no clue how to unpack and organize my kitchen. I called my mother immediately. She gave me wonderful advice that I applied to two different kitchens in less than six months (yay moving). The general idea is to place your kitchen items in cabinets near the area you will use them. Before we get into the organization details, let me share with you what all I have packed into my 147 square foot kitchen.

In my mind, the kitchen revolves around the oven and stove so that is where I start when organizing a kitchen. I usually put the pots and pans to the right since I am right handed, but any lower cabinet near your oven will work. I like to put the glassware either by the fridge or by the drying area; it was more convenient in this kitchen to put them above the drying area. That cabinet was also perfect for my bowls and coffee cups. I save the tall cabinets for J's things since I can't reach that high without standing on a chair.

I don't like to waste floor space with a trash can, so we store ours under the sink along with cleaning supplies. I have my nespresso machine out for easy morning access and the pods are stored in the shallow drawer right there. The large cabinet under the drawer is on the outer edge of the kitchen but near prep space and an outlet, so that is where I store my appliances. J and I can just reach into the cabinet and put the appliance directly where we will be using it without taking any steps.

You can see in the picture above that I have stored my flatware in the drawer under the drying area. This allows for convenient "putting up" (J makes fun of that phrase every time I say it). The flatware and glassware are also right next to my casual dishes. Mom says to store your dishes near where you are plating your meal, which means right next to the stove in this tiny kitchen. I have the casual dishes on the right near the drying area since we use those most often, and the formal dishes to the left. The cabinet above the stove is perfect for keeping my empty glass jars since it is a bit high for me to easily access every day.

I am lucky to have two skinny cabinets on either side of my oven. On side is for cutting boards, near my prep space, and the other is for cookie sheets and pizza stones. I keep my cast irons inside the oven.

My main prep area is to the left of the stove. I find it convenient to have my measuring cups, trivets, food storage, and baking stuff all on that side. I keep my kitchen aid out because it is too heavy for me to lift it from a lower cabinet. When I want to bake, I just pull it forward while in use and my baking stuff is right underneath where I need to work. This side of the kitchen has more storage space, so it catches all the random pieces (hence disaster zone).

Having colanders and mixing bowls either near your fridge or prep space makes it easier to get your cooking done quickly. After the meal, the prep space turns into the cleaning up space so I also keep my food storage on that side. And of course, oven mitts near the oven makes perfect sense.

 Here are some closeups of my counter space. I don't like carrying big bags of flour and sugar out of the pantry whenever I want to cook or bake, so I have three canisters (thanks, Melinda!) to keep those two items and rice near my prep space and stove. The knife block stays out, as does the bread basket and produce bowl. I haven't found a home for my dutch oven, mostly because it is so pretty I love to look at it. I will probably put it into the oven if I ever need more prep space, but so far it's placement hasn't gotten in my way.

I keep everything I need for stovetop cooking to the right of the oven (this is a good thing for right handed people). I keep my vinegars, cooking red wine, and olive oil in old wine bottles with pourers. These bottles are better sized for my hands than the containers these things come in. I have canisters for my wooden spoons and other cooking utensils. I also use my jelly container for garlic. It bothers J that the word doesn't match the contents, but I don't mind it. If I need more space, I can put up the second drying mat but usually I don't need to do that.

I do have a small pantry (not pictured) on the other side of the fridge, which allows all my cabinets to be used for kitchen stuff. The space may be small but I have found a way to make it work for my kitchen habits and belongings. I shifted things around slightly after the preliminary unpacking and organizing as I discovered my most common uses of the counters, and you should too. It really doesn't take that much time to totally swap two giant cabinets full of pots/pans/baking stuff. Trust me, I have done it. If you have an kitchen organization tips, share with us!

DIY Makeup Brush Holder

I've set up a makeup desk out of a tea cart (which I will be styling and sharing with y'all next week!) in our master bedroom with all of my makeup, perfume, and my everyday jewelry.  I've been keeping my makeup brushes in a small cosmetic case, but I've wanted a container to hold them and make the cart look prettier. After looking at a bunch of different options (fancy water cups in the bath section of Target, Marshall's, and Home Goods), I decided to make my own makeup brush holder using an item I already had: a used candle.

Mr. 3's mother-in-law gave me a nice Tocca candle which I really enjoyed burning (it has a cucumber grapefruit fragrance that is wonderful) and the candle was in a pretty, opaque white glass container that I knew could be reused, but just needed a bit of cleaning up.  This project is super simple and easy to do with any old glass candle containers.

Tocca Cleopatra Candle
$38
Image Source: Amazon (also available here and here)

Here's what I started with:

The candle had a bit of soot around the top portion of the container that needed to be cleaned.  I first tried spraying Method kitchen cleaner on a paper towel, but that just smeared it around mostly and didn't really get a whole lot of the soot off.  So I then grabbed a Scrubbing Bubbles wipe that I usually use for bathroom cleaning and it came off much easier.   Here's how it looked after:

The remaining black residue is stuck to melted wax and would need to be scrapped off.  Since I was just putting makeup brushes in it anyways and the container it likely to get a good coating of makeup dust anyways, I didn't bother trying to remove it.  I then popped the candle in the freezer (setting a timer for 30 minutes so I wouldn't forget about it) to remove the wax and little bit of wick remaining in the bottom.

After 30 minutes had past, I took the container out and ran a knife around the edge to loosen the wax and it popped out cleanly.  Here's how it looked after I put my makeup brushes in:

Pretty cute, right?  Best part about this project is that it was (1) free! and (2) fast.  It's nice to sit down to put on makeup with such a pretty container and the candle still lingers a bit so I'm still getting to enjoy the fragrance.

Anyone else have any fun uses for candle containers?  I think they are a great way to keep something from going to the landfill and prettying up a space!

Prepping for Christmas 2014!

Y'all don't kill me now, but a good way to get started on saving money for Christmas 2014, is to start saving today!  One of the expenses that everyone has, but most people forget to add into their Christmas budgets is the cost of decorations and gift wrap.  You can easily cut your costs for next year with a bit of careful planning over the next 2-3 weeks.

First up, decor!  I have had my eye on a few decorations, but just couldn't swing them with the cost of buying all the ornaments for our first Christmas tree.  Shop the after Christmas sales at your favorite places, where stores like Target have traditionally marked their goods down by 50% beginning the day after Christmas.  If the thought of getting out in the crowds on December 26th terrifies you, go later in the day.  Chances are there will be a decent selection and the early bird, marathon shoppers are usually tired and head home around dinner time.  However, the steepest discounts usually begin in mid-January.  Typically, I start looking at Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma during that time frame, because I can find things 50-75% off.  If you are looking to upgrade your current tree skirt or stockings, this is a great time to buy and save some money for next year.  I know I really want a few mercury glass trees to set out as a centerpiece for next year.

Next up, gift wrap!  Paper companies make a ton of money during the holiday season and I find it ridiculous to pay their high price tags.  That said, I absolutely love high-end gift wrap and I refuse to buy cheap paper, ribbon, and gift tags (stick on bows are different - a stick on bow is a stick on bow no matter how you price it, so go cheap on those).  Don't judge!...everyone has their own "thang"...and mine happens to be paper snobbery.  However, I should mention, that to me, high-end paper means thick and rich looking (i.e. foil, metallics, beautiful prints), but not necessarily any ol' roll that comes from an expensive store (ahem, Papyrus).  The weeks after Christmas are the best time to buy my high-end paper (although, Home Goods has lots of high quality rolls for the $4-5 mark if you should need to purchase it in season).  I also tend to gravitate towards wired or satin ribbon as I think they make the best bows.

For sources, check out Target and Walmart (they often have paper labeled as "premium" and its original price is usually 50-100% higher), but also department stores like Belk and Dillards and unconventional places like the drug store (people rarely think to look at drug stores, but they usually carry Hallmark's beautiful papers and gift wrap!).  Discount stores like TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and Home Goods are usually stripped out of holiday items in general and I rarely see them offer additional discounts or after Christmas sales.

The biggest way to save money, is not to spend it.  If you have already invested in high quality gift wrap for this season - reuse it.  My mother will often give me back my ribbon, so I'm able to fold it nicely and store it in a ziplock bag for next year.  If your paper is in good condition, re-roll it around an empty tube  (My mother has been doing this for years...I have one favorite roll that's pink with angels on it.  My mother used it when I was little for all my gifts and reused and reused, so that it became "MY present paper".  Now there is barely any left, but I still sometimes get a small present wrapped in my angel paper which is a very great family tradition.).  In my case, I also reuse the good quality gift boxes, so a  lot of this paper will already be pre-cut for next year!  Department stores usually have the best boxes, so if you just bought a cheap multi-pack, feel free to pitch those and keep the others (Nordstrom, Sephora, and Anthropolgie carry the best ones!).  The cheap ones rarely keep their shape and the glue that holds them together gets very weak, especially if you store them in your hot summer attic.  If you have nice gift bags that are still in good condition, remove the gift tag label and fold the bag nicely.  Buy tie-on gift tags so you can reuse the bags next year!  The only thing I pitch in its entirety is tissue paper.  If it's been used in a high quality shirt box and can easily be compacted down with the box, then that's probably ok.  However, if you've used it to stuff bags or it's gotten too wrinkly in the shirt box, PITCH IT.

Storage items are also on sale post-Christmas, so if you bought a new wreath, look for a wreath box to protect it!  Or get a plastic box meant for storing wrapping paper.  These things are rarely part of the promotional sales that are offered during the Christmas season, which means they are almost always full price until after Christmas, so it's a good time to stock up! You can also use one of your reused gift boxes to store any stick-on bows you buy to keep them organized and prevent them from getting squashed.

Lastly, I would highly recommend that you buy your Christmas cards for next year now.  At 50-75% off, you can definitely buy the most beautiful foiled lined envelopes, letterpressed or engraved cards to send out to your loved ones and business contacts next year.

This year, I will need to grab gift tags, gift bags, tissue paper, and Christmas cards.  I'm also interested in getting a few more pre-made decorative boxes because they are super sturdy, which came in handy when I shipped my wonderful aunties their gifts to Florida and Arizona.  If I see a beautiful roll or three of ribbon I will probably pick up those too (they came in handy for decorating my magnolia wreath!).  Don't buy more than you need or can store, but make sure to take advantage of the discounts so you can avoid paying full price next year!

Any good shops I missed to check out their markdowns post Christmas?  Let us know!

Paying for Your Wedding: Benefits to Putting It on the Credit Card

I really don't advocate paying for a wedding on credit or loans.  It's a bad idea to start a marriage saddled in debt from a day's worth of fun and every time you look at the interest rate on your credit balance it will tarnish your wonderful memories from your happy day.

That said....I am a full believer that you should charge as many of your wedding costs to your credit card as you possible can, making SURE TO PAY IT OFF IN FULL EVERY MONTH.   There are a number of good reasons for this:

1)  Disputing charges.  It's much easier to dispute charges if a wedding vendor doesn't fulfill the terms of the contract if you charge the expense. (Be sure to ask if the vendor charges a fee for a credit card payment.  From my experience, these can range from 3-5% which can wind up being a significant amount for expenses like catering and rentals.)

2) Tracking expenses.  If you can devote a credit card to wedding only expenses, you'll find it very easy to figure out how much money you are spending overall.

3) Rewards points.  This is my favorite benefit to using a credit card.  Try to find one with either a really good cash back rate or decent travel perks.  Mr. 3 and I are going to use my rewards points to pay for our 10 day rental car on our honeymoon, our airport transfers, and a sunset cruise!  Make sure to also check to see if your credit card offers any traveler benefits just for being a cardholder.  I didn't discover until we started planning our honeymoon that Visa Signature offers free wine tastings at over 60 wineries in Sonoma County! 

Have any tips?  Send them our way!

Wedding Leftovers

After all the fun is done, weddings usually have a lot of leftover food that needs to be distributed.  Many venues have rules against taking food with you because of liability concerns (i.e. food poisoning from leftovers that weren't properly refrigerated).  In my case, I'm free to do with leftovers as I wish.  Which means I'm going to have a lot of leftover cake and desserts to deal with.  I decided to make these leftovers a part of the favor for our guests and let them take the doggy bags home full of our delicious treats.

I didn't want to do a paper plate wrapped in syran wrap and a bag wouldn't be appropriate to put cake in, so I came up with the idea to use pink bakery boxes for all the leftovers.  Pink is one of my wedding colors and since we are having a lot of desserts, it fits in with using the bakery boxes.

I found a fairly large selection of boxes at Paper Mart.  I decided to order a small sized pastry box that pops up automatically.  The automatic boxes are just kind of pushed into shape rather than having to mess with putting the tabs together which I thought would save on time and headaches.

Image from PaperMart

I decided that I wanted to add a little decoration to the box so I began looking around for stickers that I could use on the boxes and the candy bar bags.  I found out that stickers are really pricey especially if you want any sort of personalization (range from 25 cents - $1.00 each!!!).  Because I needed about 300 stickers even at 25 cents each that would be $75 for stickers!!!!  I looked into other options and I decided to purchase a stamp from etsy that I could reuse for future thank you gifts and I could also use for the candy bar bags.  This is the one that I loved because of the doily pattern since I'm using throughout the wedding (doilies are so cheap!  more doily projects to come later).

$30 Stamp from Etsy
Image from Vendor StampOutOnline*

*The ordering process with this vendor was really easy, but the only thing I will say about StampOutOnline is that I requested a handle be added to the mounted block and the vendor promised to add it in for free, but when the stamp arrived there was no handle.  I didn't bother to follow up on the handle and just decided to "make do," but stamping without the handle definitely hurt my hand more.

I also decided to alter the stamp and just have the text written without our names on it so that I could reuse it for future gift giving (depending on the gift recipient, the gift may only be from me or Mr. 3 and not both of us).  I used a stamp pad that I already had from pre-engagement craft projects and I stamped the tops of the boxes for 135 people for a special extra touch while watching Toddlers and Tiaras.

Stamped Pastry Box

To finish everything off, I also found pink bakery tissue at Paper Mart to line the boxes. The cake will be cut early in the night, which means that the servers can box up the leftovers and have them ready to hand out to guests as they leave.

Here's a breakdown on cost-

Pink pastry boxes - $47.20 for 250 boxes
Pink bakery tissue - $8.20 for 1000 sheets
Stamp - $30 (which will be used on the candy bar bags and also reused for future projects)
Ink Pad - Free (already owned)
Total: $85.40

Not exactly a small cost, I know....but it helps eliminate a problem and keeps beautiful, yummy, fondant-free cake and desserts from being thrown in the trash and it is doubling as a part of the favor we are giving our guest.  If you breakdown the cost of these materials, it's about 63 cents per person (based on 125 guests and 10 children).  If you go with an all white box and liners, which are slightly cheaper at Paper Mart, you can save a little bit of money and you can add your wedding color through your ink choice for your stamp and perhaps a bit of baker's twine to tie the boxes together.  Also, bear in mind that these supplies were ordered in the smallest quantities available, and I will have a lot of extra.  However, these is extremely affordable if you really do need boxes for all 250 guests (about 34 cents per person).  I'll be using the leftover boxes that have been stamped for future baked good presents and the blank ones I'll use to package up small gifts like jewelry and cosmetics for Mother's Day, birthdays, Valentine's Day, etc.  This was also a really quick wedding project, it only took me about an hour to stamp the boxes I needed.

What do you think?  How are you dealing with leftovers?

Guest List Google Doc

My Save the Date post got me thinking about how people organize the massive beast that is the guest list. Since I have three people working on the guest list - Mom, J, and myself - it made perfect sense to create a google doc so we can all edit whenever it is convenient. I created this template for myself since it organizes the guests perfectly for us - feel free to download and alter things as it suits you! It has a page for the Bride and for the Groom, and on each page there is a section for family, friends, and mom's friends. I have a summation for each page and a total on the bride page. I keep adding in columns for various things so that I only have one location to check when I have a question. I hope this doc will keep me organized about gifts and thank you notes, too! We are having the gifts shipped out to Josiah in Vegas, so he will have to open them (sad, I know but he will do it over facetime so I can enjoy the gift opening - then he will close it up so I can reopen when I get there) and then type the description of the gift in the doc so that I can write the thank you note.

Of course, my template won't work as well for people who have a lot of shared friends or those who have a guest list with minimal parental additions, but it works great for us. Did you make your own guest list doc on google docs? Or did you go another route? We would love to hear about what works for you!

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Save Those Envelopes!

I'm writing this as Mr. 3 and I head south for Christmas (7.5 hours in the car people!), but I figured this is a time sensitive post, so I wanted to get it out to all my favorite readers and brides!

dI've been getting stacks of Christmas cards over the past couple of weeks (hate wasting pretty paper?  see our Posh Purpose ideas for reusing/repurposing greeting cards here and here) and I've been saving all the envelopes with return addresses so I will have the most current address for my upcoming save the date/wedding invitation extravaganza!  I figure keeping these envelopes will save me a ton of time in having to call up my guests or stalk them on whitepages.com to find the appropriate address.

So as your cards come rolling in or you think about your post Christmas clean up, make sure to keep your envelopes in a central place instead of chucking them in the trash with the leftover egg nog, fruit cake, and mistletoe!

Wedding Tip Wednesday: DIY Craft Storage

One of the reasons why Melinda's wedding planning is so exciting for me is that I know she will be doing a bunch of DIY crafty projects. She is so creative! Of course, this also means that I will soon find myself with a glue gun permanently in hand. Oh! the things we do for family (love you, Melinda!).

Now since I love to know things, I have been searching for lots of craft ideas and thinking of the logistics for Melinda. During one of my google searches, I came across a brilliant idea for storing your crafts. Martha Stewart, like always, never fails to disappoint. She suggests using the clear storage containers to hold the pieces for each craft. Create the labels by taking a picture of the assembled project.

This is such a great idea! It is especially helpful because it allows your lovely, amazing, lifesaving helpers to assemble your vision without you having to direct every detail. This system will make that day of scramble so much less stressful! In the very beginning of decorating, you simply place each box where you want the items to be set up and then your lovely, amazing, lifesaving helpers know exactly what to do. My only suggestion beyond Martha's is to include typed assembly steps for the more complicated crafts.

Another benefit is that, during your crafting sessions, you can see what you have already accomplished and easily visualize how all of your projects will go together. Seeing your crafts organized and labeled with a lovely picture will give you satisfaction and motivation to keep crafting!

Fresh Idea Friday: DIY Magnetic Makeup Portrait

My friend Ashley always sends great links my way. She knows my makeup collection in all it's massive jumbled glory, so she suggested a few ways to organize. I thought this DIY magnetic makeup display was super cute!

It is definitely great for those items you use every day. However, I doubt I could find a frame large enough to contain all my purple eyeshadows (I own about every shade of purple Urban Decay has to offer). I'm thinking a smaller frame for my more popular eyeshadows and a couple cute cups for my tinted moisturizer, eyeliners and mascara placed in front would be a great addition to my future bathroom.


Check out the instructions at Laura Thoughts blog and get crafting!

Thank Goodness for BBQ Sauce

My Sigma Kappa little Cynthia returned to Boston this past weekend. She had spent the previous school year abroad, so you can imagine how excited I was to see her. We went to J's apartment late in yesterday afternoon to cook supper and giggle about how she did not know her class schedule yet (MIT class started today). We are not the most focused set, so it took a long time to defrost the chicken. J came back a few hours later to find a half chopped onion and only two defrosted chicken breasts.

Since J was very hungry, I decided to start the pasta and just serve the chicken whenever it was done cooking. However, we all got distracted. J realized I had left the chicken in the oven after it had been cooking for more than 90 minutes! Obviously, it was far too dry to be eaten in the current state (not for a lack of trying on J's part). But instead of tossing it, I realized it could easily be turned into pulled bbq chicken thanks to Melinda's delicious recipe. After sitting overnight in my concoction of Sweet Baby Ray's, (a ton of) mustard, tobasco and Worcester sauce, the chicken is edible!

Thanks to Melinda for saving four neglected chicken breasts! Next time, I will definitely set a timer!

Fresh Idea Friday: Redecorating On a Budget

So, I confess, I have severe ADD when it comes to home decor. I'm not sure if it's because I have been living in the same 1 bedroom apartment for the past 3 years or if I look at too many decorating articles...but I love to pick out new toss pillows, throws, pictures, etc. However, I also don't like to spend a whole lot of money on redoing my apartment. That's why I loooove back to school time.* Besides my obsession with school stationery (I dearly love a pretty Post It), places like Target stock a huge selection of dorm decor at low price points which usually aren't available the rest of the year. Now, I may no longer need a shower caddy or a marker board for my dorm door, but I think this is a great opportunity to change up your bathroom, living room, and bedroom with a few new pieces in different colors...all while saving a little moo-lah.

The easiest way to change the look of your bathroom, but not invest too much $ is to buy a new shower curtain. This will have the biggest impact as it is usually the largest visual in the room. Try and find one that pairs well with your bath towels, tile, fixtures and paint (all of which are more expensive to replace). If you have a little extra money to spend, invest in a new bathmat and guest hand towels. I helped a friend buy a new shower curtain at Target in the college section this past weekend. She picked out a really cute plastic curtain that came with the shower hooks for $8.50 and a liner for $2.34. She wasn't planning on buying anything else, but then we found a matching bath mat for $4.99 and tossed that in too (Target.com does not have these available online, otherwise I would include a link). We looked at the shower curtains in the regular bath section and found that they ranged between $15-$30 and didn't include the shower hooks. So, she spent around $16 to create a coordinated look for her bathroom for the price of one regular shower curtain! I redid my bathroom last year in shades of blue from top to bottom (including towels, sigh, I couldn't resist), but I was still reaaaaally tempted to buy this fun pink flamingo shower curtain and considered even "putting it by" for a future bathroom (i.e. when I move out of DC's hideously expensive housing market and can actually afford better amenities like a second bed/bath, not to mention a dishwasher...and a washer/dryer set up that doesn't run on quarters). But, in light of my previously mentioned ADD decor issues, I decided it was best to put it back...

If you want to redo your living room or bedroom, look for new toss pillows. These can get ridiculously expensive, but there are definitely more options around back to school time. A new throw for the back of the couch or a couple of new lamps can also really brighten up and change a room. Your eyes are naturally drawn to color, so if you put the focus on these objects the old couch gets a fresher look!

Dorm room color schemes also tend to be bright, so you should have a lot of color options that may not be available at other times of the year. To avoid color overload, keep it from being matchy matchy by pairing your brighter colors with lots of neutrals (grey, beige, cream, white, black, navy, etc.). Finally, if you need additional closet storage and don't mind the look of nylon in your closet, there are lots of shoe and sweater solutions as well as some under the bed options at this time of year as well.

Most of these decor items will go on sale at some point and you might be able to save a few more dollars after school has started (usually around Labor Day), but the selection might not be as good. Also, look for deals on shampoo, soap, toothpaste, blankets, shaving cream, deodorants, cleaning supplies, and hangers. Manufacturers are putting out lots of bonus product deals, gift with purchase, or bigger sized products together...mothers will want to send their kids off with plenty of supplies as students may not be home until fall break or Thanksgiving. Check out other retailers like Bed, Bath, and Beyond, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls as they will also have dorm room sections around this time of year! Here's a few of my favorite picks (You'll have to click on the links to see...Target.com only let's me save some pictures. Most of the time, you need a magnifier to see them):



Wall Shelves: Turquoise, wooden. Set of 2. Regularly $14.99, On Sale for $9.99

Closet Storage: 2 under bed storage containers, shoe rack, and sweater organizer. Price: $39.99

Flower Pillow: Regularly $16.99, On Sale for $12

Green Ceramic Lamp: $19.99! Love, love, love. It also comes in turquoise, pink, and purple.

*Congratulations and good luck to my baby cousin Natalia (she's Briana's baby sister too)!She's off to Georgia Tech this fall to conquer the quad and the boys :)

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Wedding Planners

Thank you so much for all the kind words on my engagement! I could not be more excited about marrying Mr. 3 and starting a different chapter of our lives. Mr. 3 is truly one of the "good guys" and I feel very lucky to have him in my life.

The excitement still hasn't ended for me, but I feel a eensy bit calmer, enough to get in planning mode. That said, the wedding countdown has begun. Mr. 3 would like to get married next week, but I'm hoping for next summer. We currently are running around trying to figure out the who, what, where, when for the affair. Despite writing this blog and reading/researching so many other wonderful blogs out there, I've always looked at these things more as "pretty pictures" and "cute ideas." It dawned on me (and slightly overwhelmed me) that I will now have to make decisions, including big financial decisions. That's a little scary for me and I'm hoping that I make all the right ones (well, right for me).

I'm about to get hyper organized out of necessity. I'm generally an already organized person, but I refrain from alphabetizing my spices or ironing my sheets. Not that I judge or anything if you do. In addition to planning our wedding, I've also just been assigned a project with a six month turnaround time at my 9 to 5 (projects usually run 9 months or longer in my office)...and I'm in charge. Our wedding will also be outside of the DC area, which means I'll be planning from afar and spending lots of time in the car. Yikes! I've decided that as much as I love electronics for things like guest addresses, I really need to write things down...like with pen and paper, not an ipad. So, I ran over to Barnes and Noble after work yesterday to begin my wedding research and find something that I was certain would be like the Holy Grail of wedding planners.

I started with the magazine section and I came across a GREAT magazine from the U.K. on flowers. I've decided it's easier to bring in magazine pictures to show vendors than try to print them out online. So, I shelled out the $10.99 for Wedding Flowers magazine. Not the most creative of titles, but the inside is what counts! The magazine is FILLED with great arrangements (bouquet, centerpiece, corsage, etc.). There is also a guide to the language of flowers (who new that yellow roses conveyed jealousy?) and a seasonal guide to flowers with pictures. Although, I'll be honest, I was completely sold on this magazine after I saw that they had documented the royal wedding flowers (I <3 you K. Middles for your church trees and elegant style!).

The second magazine I picked up was Brides. I chose it because I literally thought "Hey! That's me!" Also, the $5.99 price tag made it more affordable than another $11 magazine. I should have saved my money. The magazine is filled with wedding dress and honeymoon ads. Normally wouldn't have problem with the ads, but the wedding dresses looked like bad white prom dresses. The bridesmaid ads were even worse. The honeymoon information was tempting, but I'm not even close to planning that part of the events.

Finally, I headed over to the wedding planning section and started searching. I looked through many planners and found that none of them had the 100% solution I was hoping to find. Spiral bound notebooks mean that you can't hole punch magazine pictures or handouts. Heavy planners will probably throw my back out or at the very least give me an unflattering Quasi Modo hunch. There were also many planners that were bogged down with every last piece of wedding advice and knowledge...which since I have Briana, I'm pretty sure I don't need. I also came across planners that had built in folders and even an accordion file folder attached, but they added a lot of bulk to carry around. Finally, I came upon the Martha Stewart wedding planner. For $30, I can get a 3 ring binder (yay! hole punching), in a reasonable size/weight (I so dislike a hunch), and with a limited, but useful amount of wedding advice (so poor Briana can have a break). The best part about this wedding planner is that there are clear plastic pouches in the back for holding receipts, samples, and possibly my sanity. There is also another clear plastic sleeve for storing business cards (think like the ones you used to hold your baseball cards). Now, I'm not one to spend $30 if I can find it cheaper someplace else (especially since my mom wants us to have identical ones for maximum organization). So, after a quick google search I found that you can get the planners on Amazon for $19.77.

I'm excited to get started on the planning and just hoping I don't get too overwhelmed. I'll keep you posted as I go along. However, now that I have a planner picked out (my first wedding purchase!), I'm suddenly overwhelmed with the need to alphabetize my spices and iron my sheets...

Thrifty Thursday: Reuse Greeting Cards Part I

If you are like me, I HATE throwing cards away. I'm a total sucker for pretty cards and it seems like such a waste to toss them in the trash after you are done reading them. I know that I spend a lot of time in the card aisles trying to find the perfect card for the occasion, so I assume that everyone else has put a lot of thought into it too. I tend to keep my cards around for a few months after I receive them, either standing them on top of my TV or posting them on the fridge. Eventually, I toss them in my mail basket, because I still can't seem to throw them away. It takes a full-scale apartment purge for me to part with them and those only happen twice a year during my spring and fall cleaning spree when everything I've been hoarding for the past six months (i.e. clothes, beauty product samples, etc.) gets tossed out or donated to Goodwill.

FINALLY, I've come up with a few ideas for reusing the cards. I'll let you know how they go...but my first idea has been swiped from my dear Nana who loved to save $ anyway she could. Nana used to take her greeting cards and rip them in two, chucking the part with the sentimental message in the trash. Then she would keep the blank side from the left side of the card (which rarely gets written on) for making her "to do" and grocery lists. I especially like this idea for funny cards or anything without a pretty picture. I'm hoping this will also keep me from getting into trouble during the back to school season when I tend to stock up on post-its as I tend to lose control around anything related to paper and stationary.

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Google Wedding Planner

The Google Wedding Planner is an absolutely essential organizational tool. You can download (or use in google docs) an amazingly thorough spreadsheet that contains practically any expense you may incur for your wedding. The spreadsheet was created by google with the help of the Style Me Pretty ladies so there are helpful tips as well.

It has pages for budget estimators, actual budget, guest list, all types of vendors lists, specific photograph list, and music list. This spreadsheet will keep all the important information in one location while reminding you of various details to consider.

One issue I have with this spreadsheet is that it is set up so that you must enter in a percentage of your wedding budget for each category (such as 47% for the reception) rather than the dollar amount you want to spend on the category. However, this is a quick fix depending on your preferences. Also, there is a bit of redundancy - the Ceremony category has expenditures for things that are also included in the Flowers category.

Google also has a great and easy to use website building service if you want to create a wedding website for free! And don't forget about using google docs for real time collaboration with your bridesmaids and other members of the wedding planning committee!

Fresh Idea Friday: Bridesmaid Agenda Gift Idea

Looking for a cute and easy way to ask your closest friends and family to stand up with you at your wedding? If your wedding date is more than a year away, find a cute agenda and mark the date in the calendar with a cute bookmark or simply a post-it tab. Write a personal note or simply say, "Will you be my bridesmaid?" on the date. If you know the other important wedding dates (i.e. showers, rehearsal dinners, bridesmaids luncheon, etc) go ahead and write those in as well. You can get all matching planners or mix it up based on your bridesmaid's personality. I love the ones Lilly Pulitzer makes! You can get them in two different sizes (price point $15.95 for the small and $24.95 for the large) and they come in so many fun prints! I’ve been using my Lilly agenda throughout 2011 and I LOVE it. The Lilly agendas are so pretty and colorful and there is plenty of space to write, which makes it fun to stay organized and easy to plan out your social calendar. I think it’s a useful and inexpensive present your bridesmaids will love! 

Lilly Pulitzer 2012 Agenda:
Hot Pink Luscious

Cost Saving Tip: If you choose to give your bridesmaids a hard back agenda, like those from Lilly Pulitzer, they may be heavy to ship. For bridesmaids that live out of town, chose an agenda that is small enough to put in a flat rate box. A small, flat rate priority mail box is $5.20.Looking for a cute and easy way to ask your 

How Much Does A Wedding Really Cost?

Weddings are expensive! I know this isn't exactly a newsbreaking story, but do you really know how much a wedding will cost? One useful resource, LearnVest Daily, is one of my favorite email subscriptions geared towards providing women with lots of intelligent advice on financial matters, including weddings. LearnVest has helpfully put out an article on the costs of a wedding. According to these ladies, the average engagement lasts 16 months which is probably to save up (or find a buyer for your kidneys) to fund the $30,000 average cost of a wedding (Check out this handy dandy tool. You can enter your zip code and find out the average cost of a wedding in your city.) Yikes!

Now say you aren't planning on having any high ticket items like having a horse and carriage, doves set free as a sign of your love, or filling every available surface with orchids and peonies - have you considered all of the hidden fees or underestimated your costs? For example, say you have 150 guests and you pick out basic cake that can feed that all of your guests. Cake decorators or venues will often charge a cake cutting fee of at least $2 per person. That's an increase of $300! If your cake decorator doesn't charge you a cake cutting fee, they may include a delivery fee that can be expensive.

Florists will also charge you a delivery fee. I have a friend who had both the wedding ceremony and reception at the church. She was quite surprised to receive a final bill that included two delivery charges for one location! Read your contracts, make sure you know what you are signing, and never be afraid to ask questions about what services or products the fees are going towards. Also, make sure to review your final bill and compare it to your contract, luckily for my friend she hadn't agreed to pay for these "two deliveries" and was able to reduce her bill.

For those of you who dearly love a good checklist...

I recently picked up a copy of Real Simple Weddings after deliberating for about 5 minutes in the grocery store about the fiscal responsibility of shelling out $13.95 (+ 5% VA sales tax) for a magazine. I didn't have time to read the articles, but based on the pictures I was sold (I have a really bad case of shiny ball syndrome).

Cover to cover, the pictures are beautiful, the articles are timeless, and the suggestions and advice are sound. The magazine is filled with great features that will come in handy for planning your wedding including a guide to seasonal flowers and lists of helpful links for writing your vows, finding a DJ, and choosing favors. The magazine is organized according to wedding subject and provides etiquette guidance in each area as well as tons of inspirational photos.

Now for you ladies who cannot imagine life without checklists (or for that matter, checklists of your checklists), Real Simple has included a pull out insert with a planning calendar, a wedding budget worksheet, a photographer shot list, and a Big Day survival kit checklist. Also included is an alcohol purchase guide based on the number of guests and a reception soundtrack list with song suggestions.

Overall Assessment: Worth every penny (+tax)!