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Bride on a Budget: the Escort Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:30:00 +0000

Half of the fun of planning the wedding, for me, was all the little details.

I had a plan right from the start for most of the items, but being the procrastinator that I am, many did not get executed until the final two weeks prior.

One project however, was ongoing, and involved some serious secrecy. The escort cards. My absolute favorite project.

I decided early on to feature photos as a theme of sorts throughout the wedding. So from the beginning my escort cards were going to be photos of our guests.

I played around with a few display options, and at the 11th hour {literally, a day or two before the wedding}, picked up a large corkboard and covered it with the same wrapping paper I used on the card box.

Propped up on an easel {provided by the venue} I was just able to squeeze in 80 faces.

Here's the breakdown:

1. Photo of each guest. I used wedding photos where available/appropriate, for everyone else I went back in time. Our friends photos were all within the time span of our friendship, some of our aunts and uncles went back before our birth.

I found 90% of the photos in family albums borrowed from our parents, the rest were courtesy of facebook. Each was scanned and a 4 x 6 was ordered through Shutterfly {they'd recently had a deal on to receive free 4x6's, so I spent the cost of shipping on these.

I cropped each photo to remove background distractions, etc.

2. Using white cardstock, I cut 80 4x6 rectangles. I kept these all the same for consistency, as the photos were now all different sizes.

3. Photos were glued to card stock. I would recommend glue tape, as that won't cause distortion.

4. Using a set of alpha rubber stamps and teal & brown ink, I had stamped each card with the table number.

Tips: Have some "and guests"? I simply used the brown ink and stamped "and X" {when I knew the name of the guest} on their date's card.

Have more than 80 guests? Some of my guests were doubled up on cards, I probably had closer to 65 cards - but it was still a tight squeeze. My board was 24"x36". If you've got a larger guest list, get two!

How much did it all cost? I'd bought the stamps to use on a few wedding projects, and will no doubt use them again in the crafty future. With two inks and some great coupons they cost about $25. The cardstock I borrowed from my business stash, and the photos cost $3.99 shipping. If I include some of the cost of the stamps & ink, the total project would still be under $10. Nicely done!

Thirfty Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:17:00 +0000

I was visiting my aunt last week to check out some of her local fabric mills {we're still using too small curtains in the livingroom, which I was hoping to rectify while shopping}. I discovered fabric heaven, but alas nothing I loved for the livingroom...

My aunt is well practised in the art of thrifting, once scoring a $300 quilt rack for a mere $11. So we decided to check out a few of the local shops.

Sure there are thrift shops everywhere, but I love the ones in more rural areas... you just never know what will get uncovered when that old farm house finally gets cleaned out!

I picked up four fabulous glass top mason jars for $1. They now sit on my top shelf, two of them housing bits of ribbon and colourful buttons:

And I snagged two sweet little dessert plates, for $1 ea:

One of my plans for the summer is to scour the local antique markets and thrift shops to create a fun collection of old china plates. The mister has agreed to the plan, provided they aren't all covered in pink flowers {so yellow flowers are ok, right?}. As we both love day trips, it's going to be a fun project!

From Country to Contemporary: the Bathroom, almost finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:34:00 +0000

We have a working bathroom again, and it's fabulous! The pedestal sink and yellow walls {and ceiling!} are history.

Now we're surrounded by a refreshing pool blue with white accents, and a fabulous new warm floor!
The walls are painted Pacific Coast by CIL, and the ceiling is back to a fresh white:

The floor is resilient. And we love it! It was super easy to put down...

It comes in long planks, very similar to a floating laminate floor. And it just sticks together. No tools needed other than a heavy-duty utility knife, a straight edge and a measuring tape {and some serious patience for those rounded cuts}.

The mister and I tackled our first flooring project with ease, and are super pleased with the results. The floor is comfy to walk on, and best of all - it's considerably warmer than any other non-carpeted floor in the house!

And the vanity... ah I love our new Lillången.

It's not 100% perfect. The amazing faucet we bought, combined with the existing plumbing doesn't allow for a full second shelf. But we've left enough room to the left of the vanity to add a set of Lillången drawers for more storage.

Plus, we have to drill holes in the aluminum drawer frame to add pulls... you know, in case we actually want to open the doors. Ah Ikea!

We still have some finishing bits to do, like trim and add new outlet and vent covers. Plus a new light and mirror. But until then, no more running to the basement to use the facilities, and the mister is well on his way to becoming a super-handy-man!

Happy 2010!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:09:00 +0000

2009 was an amazing year chez nous... we welcomed a new nephew, got hitched and bought our first house. I can't wait to see what 2010 brings!

All the best to you and yours for a fabulous 2010!

Bride on a Budget: I do!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Neither the mister or I are religious, so we wanted a ceremony focused on our commitment to each other. Our officiant was a humanist and couldn't have been better. He provided us with a few sample ceremonies which we took and made our own.

A poem was read...

LOVE By Roy Croft

I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.

I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can't help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good,
And more than any fate
To make me happy.

You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.

Our short and sweet vows were said...

"Nicole, today, without reservations,
I make to you this vow.
I promise to understand and accept you,
To support you in your dreams and aspirations
To share in both your laughter and your tears,
To always learn more about your strengths and your weaknesses,
To love you with an honest, open, and true heart.
I welcome you, Nicole, as my friend, my lover, and my partner in life,
With whom I will live, love, and grow forever."

"Eric, today without reservations,
I make to you this vow.
I promise to accept, honor, and respect
The many facets of you,
To stand beside you in the face of obstacles,
To encourage and support you in attaining your goals,
To laugh, play, and cry with you,
I welcome you, Eric, as my friend, my lover, and my partner in life,
With whom I will live, love, and grow forever."

We sealed it with a kiss...

photo by the grooms cousin Luc

Then we made our exit... to Another One Bites the Dust by Queen. Oh yeah!

Our ceremony was not more than 20 minutes from entrance to exit and was absolutely us. It was certainly one aspect of the day that was indeed perfect.

To catch up with past recaps, click here. Up next, our fabulous guests and all the little details.

Bride on a Budget: the Ceremony Setting

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Sadly mother nature did not co-operate and we moved from our ourdoor lake front site to the main dining hall. I'm so glad I didn't spend time on aisle décor for outside!

We used the same room our reception was being held in, and as we were not having a cocktail hour most of the tables were set up, aside from a short row of chairs down the center of the room. We didn't use ushers, so aside from a few reserved seats front and center for our parents and grandparents guests sat wherever they wanted.

The previous weekend's wedding had left white tulle and twinkle lights over the dance floor, score for us! Add in $60 worth of white Ikea candles to the fire place mantle and we had a romantic ceremony setting.

The initials you see on the mantle were ones I picked up at Michaels and painted {with at least four coats!} of craft paint. They were intended to hang at the back of the aisle to indicate which sides guests should sit on, but moved inside they looked pretty cute on the mantle!

Our entire wedding party walked down the aisle to the Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite no. 1, as performed by Yo-Yo Ma. First up was the mister's attendants, followed by him escorted by his parents.

Next my little cousins, our ring bearer and flower girl ~ typically rambuncious little munchkins, the ring bearer had an attack of shyness once he saw all the people he had to walk by, and his sister followed suit. A few nudges later I think my aunt ended up ushering them down the aisle... and I can't wait to dig the photos and stories out when it's their turn {many many years from now of course!}.

photo by my aunt Jeannine

My attendants walked next, followed by me sandwiched between my mom and dad {who are divorced, btw}.

See the cute "reserved" sign waiting on my mom's chair!

The music ended, the mister came to collect me {there was no giving away, just lots of hugs} and we were ready to make it legal!

To catch up with past recaps, click here. Up next, the vows!

Bride on a Budget: And We Toast!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:35:00 +0000

It's been a few weeks, but there are still a few more wedding recap posts to wrap up! When we last left off we had just finished snapping family and wedding party photos.

We decided early on to do all of our photos pre-ceremony for two reasons. I've never been a fan of that time period between ceremony and reception, when guests get bored and hungry. Plus, we didn't want to cut into precious dancing time!

So after getting together for our first look and photos we went our separate ways with our parents and wedding party for one last pre-wedding toast.

My side packed into the honeymoon suite to enjoy a mimosa and a few laughs pre-ceremony:

Toasting with my grama, as mom and aunt D look on.

While the mister's side went back to his parents cottage for a traditional whiskey toast. Best man T and good friend A have both gotten married within the past two years, always with a pre-wedding whiskey toast.

The guys toast, FIL, the mister, best man T and good friend A.

Could either of us look more relaxed?!

After our toasts and killing a short bit of time, it was time to head over to the main lodge for the ceremony!

To catch up with past recaps, click here. Up next, we say "I do!"

From Country to Contemporary: the Bathroom

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:48:00 +0000

All we wanted to do was paint! And add a simple vanity. But we now find our selves mid-bathroom reno.

Here is our bathroom before shots... we'd already removed the chunky wood towel racks and patched up the walls a bit:

Yellow walls, light yellow ceiling. White and navy linoleum floor {which wasn't in horrible shape}. No mirror and no closed storage.

The tub, with white tiles and toilet were good to stay. The floor we would have lived with... until we discovered that the linoleum had been cut around the bottom of the pedestal. Nice.

So off we went, early last week to pick up our new sink, vanity and new flooring! We spent yesterday repairing {everything that could be caulked was... toilet to floor, trim to tub and light to wall!}, painting and installing the new floor.

Now we're just trying to connect the new sink to the existing plumbing and figure out how we can make the second shelf work with all those pipes in the way {of course!}

Crossing my fingers we'll have a working bathroom again by the end of today!

Happy Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:30:00 +0000

A Snowy Day with Family

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:45:00 +0000

Yesterday the mister and I took a drive up to Muskoka to visit family. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we had our snowshoes in-tow ready to take on the almost 3 feet of snow!

Santa and a reindeer were waiting to greet us when we arrived:

After lunch we strapped on our snowshoes and headed into the back forty:

This old abandoned shed was spotted just beyond where a small family of deer had chosen to camp out for the night:

My mom's old cedar canoe has found its' final resting place, my cousins were digging through the snow so I could snap a photo to show her what lay beneath:

And we capped off the day with some boogie boarding! I just love my cousins monster hat!

A great day spent in snowy Muskoka!

Handmade Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:18:00 +0000

I love trying out different crafts, and of course giving said crafts to family and friends ~ especially around the holidays!

So this year I tried out sewing... my big project is still 'top secret' until after gifts have been given, but here's how I started out:

Fun little festive cocktail napkins!

I made myself a large set for when we have guests this time of year, and I've also got a stack ready-to-go for year-round use.

They were fun and easy for a beginner to make, but oh boy do I need to work on my sewing skills! *lol*

Bride on a Budget: Bring on the Family!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:30:00 +0000

After my soon-to-be husband and I finished with our portraits, we went into the main lodge to regroup with our wedding party for some fun outdoor group shots.

And then it started to rain. Cold, October rain.

Our venue was a cottage resort, with a 100 year old main building. Sounds pretty quaint right? Except said main building had not been redone since hunter green and pink were the colours du jour. Ick.

I quickly decided on the Boat House ~ a pub above, what else? The boat house! Expecting it would be open {as I was told it would be} we headed over to it... to of course find it locked tight.

Fortunately our venue was willing to unlock it and let us do our thing!

I wanted some fun, informal shots of our group together, and set everyone up at the bar. When I asked my photographer if he could see everyone and if it "worked", well that would have been a great time for him to have spoken up that it did not in fact "work"... not to mention the lighting umbrella haloing my brother's head. Ha!

Our wedding party, along with a lot of behind-the-bar clutter!

We did get manage to get a few fun shots, even if not frame-worthy ones!

So we moved it to the fireplace and a couple of big comfy chairs. This is when the nightmares started. Yes, post wedding I had a couple of sleepless nights over how these photos would turn out. I've since spent an average of 45 minutes per photo removing shadows and distractions from the background, followed by a background blur.

left to right, seated: ring bearer C, flower girl A, groomsmaid L, MOH, me & the mister!
left to right, standing: best man T, groomsmaid S, bridesman R

I'm still not in love with them, and a few are down right unsalvageable {mainly the ones of mister and his best man}. But they're what we've got... so here goes:

E and his sisters, a.k.a. the groomsmaids!

Our fabulous MC {and my very long time friend} with her fiance!

Me and my daddy!

And the rest have yet to be edited, or are sadly, just not even worth the trouble.

To catch up with past recaps, click here. Up next, we go our seperate ways for a toast!

Baking: Gingerbread Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:53:00 +0000

I whipped up this delicious cake a few weeks back, and would highly recommend it, especially as a winter holiday treat!

The recipe is from Baking with Julia, with only a few tweaks.

Ingredients:
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 c. instant espresso powder
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger {I cut this back by 1/2 tbsp.}
2 c. unsulphured molasses
1 large or 4 small candy canes, crushed {my addition}

Melted butter, for greasing pans.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in center position.
Brush the inside of your cake pan with melted butter; dust with flour and tap out excess.

1. In a small bowl, whisk flour, espresso powder, ground ginger. baking powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Put the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer with paddle attachment; beat on medium-high until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Mixture must be very light and fluffy and may take 3 to 4 minutes of beating.
3. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating on high for 30 seconds to a minute after each egg. The mixture may look curdled, but that's ok.
4. Beat in the fresh ginger and molasses, mixing on medium for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth.
5. With a spatula, fold in dry ingredients, until incorporated.
6. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is springy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen and unmold. Turn the cake over so it cools right side up.
7. When still slightly warm, top with crushed candy cane. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

The Colour Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:46:00 +0000

As it turns out, blue is my favorite colour. I didn't have a wedding colour scheme per se, but blue turned up a lot. And of course, I wanted to co-ordinate with my groom... so after spending waaaay too long in a single fabric store with both moms trying desperately to offer helpful fabric suggestions.

I finally decided on the lush blue silk you see above, which my mom turned into a "couldn't have been better had we tried" jacket {and we didn't, she sewed most of it without me, and it didn't go near the dress until the big day!}.

So in my procrastination today I discovered a new trick...

Yes, I was that girl who loved those kids and coloured roses pictures back in the nineties. I don't plan on printing the above colourization, but I think it's fun!

The Beauty of the Blur

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:55:00 +0000

Of all the photos taken at our wedding, the ones I was most disappointed with were the family photos.

We took our wedding party and immediate family photos directly after our first look, but by that time the skies had opened once again and we had to head inside. We didn't have many choices for 'nice backdrops' so we headed to The Boat House, a pub literally above the resort boat house.
We ended up in front of the fire place in two big comfy chairs, and I wasn't thrilled with the poses that we were guided into... but then seeing the end results with giant shadows looming in the photos... well I was ticked to say the least.

Enter GIMP, a free photoshop-type program. I'm by no means an expert user, but I can get rid of a shadow or two...

Better, but still not good enough.

So I googled, and thanks to this handy tutorial, I can now blur a background:

Much better!

It took me about 45 minutes to tackle the edits, but to save a photo of me and my bro? Absolutely worth it. I'll be working through all the 'formal' wedding party and family photos over the next week, to make them work.

{photos by J. Hashimoto, edits by me}

Bride on a Budget: the First Look

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:33:00 +0000

Early on during our planning we decided to things a bit differently. We wanted to get right to dinner after the ceremony, which meant doing all of our photos before hand.

Unfortunately, due to the weather we had our ceremony in the main room so there was a short change-over {had we known it would have been a bit longer than "the short" our venue told us it would be, we could have had muchies circulating... lesson learned!}. But back to the photos!

I scheduled the photos to start around 1:30pm with the mister and I alone. The weather held up literally just long enough for us to get out shots done... and these are pretty much the only photos of the whole lot we're happy with, a few we even love!

So let's get to them!

The mister waited for me out on the dock, back turned until I let him know it was ok to turn...

We kissed, I pinned on his bout, and we kissed some more. Then he helped me put on my fabulous shoes {because I literally couldn't bend that far, courtesy of the bones in my dress!}

Then we got down to serious photo-taking...

This is our favorite shot of the lot!

More kissing!

So happy!

Same dock as above, but from behind. It was SO windy, my dress would just not lay flat.

Up next, we escape the rain with our wedding party and family!

To catch up with previous recaps, click here.

{all photos by J. Hashimoto & assistant}

Bride on a Budget: The Boys Tie One On

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:30:00 +0000

While I was busy getting pretty, the mister was chilling with his family. Once the photog's assistant showed up though, it was time to get down to business... a.k.a. drinking beer on the dock!

We decided early on that we would have our siblings stand up for us, so my brother was a groomsmaid, and the misters sisters were groomsmaids. I was super touched when the mister told me he'd gone and {literally} dragged my bro out of bed to join them for prep shots...

The boys ties were from Cyberoptix Tie Labs with the Topographical Pattern on them {we also had a mini one for our ring bearer}. This is the mister's second Cyberoptix tie and we both love them! I particularly loved that I could co-ordinate the boys with the gals and still have quirk.

the schedule I emailed our wedding party, that didn't stay on target

All the boys wore suits they already owned, with our new ties and shirts. The mister and I hunted his fabulous {Hugo Boss} shirt down, determined to find the perfect black french cuff shirt so he could wear the cuff links his grandpa gave him just for this occasion:

{photo by me }

best man T. ties FIL's tie

Once they'd tied the ties, they went and tied another one on...

Looks like a pretty relaxed groom, doesn't he?! Meanwhile, FIL was watching from the cottage deck.. I love this photo, it's so him! *lol*

Up next... our first look!

Catch up with previous recaps by clicking here.

{unless noted all photos by J. Hashimoto's assistant}

Bride on a Budget: Getting Beautified

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:25:00 +0000

After a pancake breakfast I rounded up my long-haired girls to head across the lane to the spa.

Joyce, our hairdresser was fabulous, she alternated curling us and whipping up fab 'dos inspired by photos we brought with us {Scarlett Johansen and Jessica Alba were the top two choices between the three of us ~ totally unplanned!}

{and this is where I get to embarass MOH and baby-SIL}

A bit of a bummer, we had to fight for our make-up artists attention with a group of ladies who'd booked spa appointments that day... and the products they used on me were mush before I started dancing {ladies, I do NOT recommend cream shadows!} But I looked pretty for the main photos, and that's what really mattered!

mom waiting for her turn at the make-up table

Middle-SIL joined us for her make-up session just in time to snap a few photos... MIL didn't make it to the spa until after we {and the photog} had left.

After our spa appointments, mom, MOH and I returned to my room, photog in-tow, to snap those fun "getting dressed" photos...

one thing the venue did do right - the huge honeymon suite! we were in the livingroom ~ there was also the bar, and two-sided fireplace that went through to the bedroom which featured a giant corner jacuzzi tub

the stunning silk jacket mom made me! we also made a hair flower out of the same material {see above}

Followed by a heart-to-heart from mom...

Once I as all done-up, I slipped into my rainboots {because it had been raining all week, and there was no way I was going to wreck my beautiful new shoes!}

Then MOH and I were off for the first look at the docks!

rainboots? check! two giant clear umbrellas incase it pours again? check!

Up next... the boys tie one on!

To catch up with previous recaps, click here.

{all photos by J. Hashimoto}

Bride on a Budget: Breakfast of Champs

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Saturday morning we woke up to an overcast, drizzly day. We'd made the tough decision the night before to move the ceremony inside... but with pancakes on the horizon I wasn't complaining too loudly!

Both of our moms had a big cottage rented for the weekend, and both had delicious drop-in breakfasts available for our guests... they may be out there somewhere, but I've yet to see breakfast photos in MIL's cottage {anyone?!}, where I sent my then hubs-to-be for his breakfast. So here's what went down chez my mom:

Pancakes, pancakes and more pancakes!

mom whipping up some pancakes

cousin D begging to be blogged!

my sassy little flower girl, enjoying the view

dad enjoying some a.m. grub!

And a bride in rain boots heading to the spa {hey, it was mucky out!}

giving my cutie-patootie ring bearer a squeeze

To read previous recaps, click here.

{all photos by friends & family}

Bride on a Budget: Let the Recaps Begin!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:55:00 +0000

We're still waiting on photos from a few family members, but our pro photos have arrived ~ so let the recaps begin!

Before I start in, I've gotta say it... our wedding wasn't perfect. *gasp* I know! There were some significant "oopses" by our venue, and as I feared {based on the experience of posing for them} I am not at all pleased with how the majority of our pro photos turned out. But we had a fabulous weekend, and received great reports from our guests... it was a great party after all!

So let's get into it!

The party started Friday night... with so many guests coming from out of town {like all of them, our closest guests we're 1.5 hours away, the furthest flew across the country for us!} we figured what better time to start the party than Friday night?!

mémère, uncle C, dad, stepmom, aunt J.

grama, mom, aunt D, {mom's} cousin D

Our venue was a lakeside cottage resort, with either rustic cottages or regular hotel rooms available., so guests were able to kick back and relax the entire weekend without having to worry about driving to and fro. I'd guess 90% of our guests did stay at least the Saturday night.

best woman Shira

Following our quickie rehearsal, Friday night was a super causal buffet dinner hosted by MIL & FIL. MIL works in the food service industry, so the treats were delicious and abundant!

MIL with grandbaby {our nephew!}

It was great to kick back Friday night and catch up with so many friends and family members! And despite and early morning, the mister and I were amongst the last to say goodnight.

bride & groom enjoying a cigar on the veranda

{all above photos taken by friends & family; apparently most of our guests escaped being photographed!}

Warm Up with Off the Hooks

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:48:00 +0000

It gets C-O-L-D in Canada in the winter... what better way to warm up than with fabulous handmade goodies made by someone who knows!

Ashely of Off the Hooks whips up an array of fabulous, cozy and eco knits and crochet pieces.

Suffer from cold fingers like I do? These would keep 'em warm and still let you type:

Perfect for figure skating, of just keeping warm while looking cute in your favorite skirt ~ leg warmers are back with a vengeance:

When not knitting up a storm, Ashley collects and repairs vintage & antique spinning equipment! How cool... I'm dying to see a picture of that collection!

And while my knitting skills amount to long rectangles {a.k.a. scarves} I am drooling over the beautiful array of hand-spun and hand-dyed yarns available. All of Ashley's dyes are eco-friendly and non-toxic, btw!

Keep your eyes on Off the Hooks in the new year ~ Ashley just picked up a drum carder, which means you'll be seeing some fabulous art batts for spinning and felting!

Pop on over to Ahsley's blog Crafty Ash to learn more about her, and the next team member in our Trans Canada Etsy Team round robin!

Bride on a Budget: Pro Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:37:00 +0000

Our pro photos have arrived! Here's a sneak peek {and my favorite photo of us!}

A full wedding recap to come soon!!!

From Country to Contemporary: the Guestroom

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Our current guest room / the mister's office was formerly a teenager's bright red bedroom:

Originally just going to be the mister's computer room, we were given a guest bed and so now it's a combo.

The mister picked out the colour {Mansard Stone by CIL}, with only a little guidance from me, and we both love the end result!

We decked the room out with two wedding gifts from his sisters, a hand-dyed duvet cover and a large airplane print in the same colour theme. Not at all what we'd been originally planning, but sometimes you just have to roll with it!

Add in a couple of other airplane pieces, a print of the Chicago skyline {we're hunting for a San Fran one to go with it} and a computer nook courtesy of Ikea.

The side table was a family hand-me-down ~ along with another side table and a coffee table it used the grace my grandma's living room back in the 50's and has for a long while held center stage at the cottage. Come spring I plan to refinish the set, but until then they're doing quite nicely!

We still have a few paint touch-ups to do plus hang the rest of the art above the bed, and will eventually re-do the floor {it's finished plywood with horrible seams} and replace the door and window. But for now, this room can be considered done!

Oh, did I call this out guest room? Excuse me, it's actually the cat's room!

Decking the Halls

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Our new house has neither a mantle or stair baluster. And while I'm happy to have only six steps to go up or down, when decking the halls for the holidays I realise just how much I wish I had either one!

I have a small, but very sentimental collection of battered old vintage ornaments, which last year graced our mantle. This year I couldn't quite decide how to display them.

I tried a few vases, but they weren't the right size or shape. I tried laying them on a pretty white cake stand, but that didn't work either. Then I dug out the "present box."

A pretty gold box my MIL gave me a few years back for my birthday {a long with a selection of pretty ornaments I typically fill it with}. Well those pretty ornaments got the heave-ho {mostly to the tree, not to worry!} to make way for my great-grandparent's mercury glass Christmas baubles...

A pretty solution which also keeps the ornaments safely contained, and currently graces our coffee table!

In Progress: the master bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole R.J.) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:24:00 +0000

We're still in a state of primer in our bedroom, but it's slowly coming together!

Last week I picked up some lush curtain fabric for 50% off at the local fabric store {seen below, across the end of the bed}.

Originally we'd planned to wallpaper the headboard wall in a big bold floral. But at around $180 we quickly vetoed the idea. I was thrilled when I found a fabric similar to the wallpaper we'd been eyeing! It's rich and textural, and oh those blues! If the stems & leaves were lighter/white it'd be absolutely perfect!

Then this weekend we picked up the playful but neutral {and reversible!} duvet set, by Brian Gluckstein on a mega sale. I love the polka dots on the reverse side, they were a surprise when I pulled it out of the package!

We also used a wedding giftcard to pick up this chandelier {Sisi collection, by Gen-Lite}, which we're hoping to suspend as close to the ceiling as possible.

I love the soft shade and the chrystals, and the misters loves that there aren't too many crystals! Best of both worlds really.

Now the hunt is on for the perfect paint colour to tie it all together. I'm thinking a blue-grey... but who knows what will happen once I get to the paint aisle with fabrics in hand!