{ DIY } Fabric Peony Tutorial

Another flower DIY! Peonies this time. These flowers take a little getting used to. Keep playing and be patient. You’ll get the hang of them really quickly. My first few didn’t turn out the best, but practice made perfect!

Left to right, first, cut a bunch of petal shaped pieces of a semi-stiff fabric. I used a quilting cotton from the local fabric store. Perfection doesn’t matter, just make sure they look like petals! Next, fold a pleat in the bottom of a petal. This will make the petal form a soft cup and make it look more real. Next, stitch the pleat in place.

Take another petal, pleat it, and stitch it overlapping the pleat of the first flower. Make about five of these and stitch them all in place as noted. You’ve formed your base! Continue to pleat and stitch a second layer into your flower. Use these petals to fill in gaps and make the flower take shape and look full.

Finally, choose your center! You can stitch a few petals in the middle to hide your stitching like the center flower by taking one or two fabric circles and fold them in half and then in half again, then stitch them standing up into the middle of the flower. Or you can sew in a button or some pearls like the left flower. Try layering some tulle petals to make your flowers a little flashier.

For my flower, I made a small version with smaller petals, some tulle and pearls. Then I made a larger base and stitched the two together. It made a really full flower! You can attach a safety pin to the back of the flower and make it a brooch. You can scatter them on tables as decorations. You can add a floral wire and make a bouquet… The possibilities are endless! I made mine into a headband…

{ Inspiration } Hair

Without saying too much about my dress (Carl, I'm going to have to start shooing you away when I start posting about that topic!), it has this awesome vintage feel to it while still looking modern. I don't want to do something too crazy or dramatic with my hair, since that's not really me, so I thought I would put together an inspiration board based on what I liked: simple, easy hair. Pretty and soft. Everything I liked had some sort of half back look to it with a braid... So my inspiration became beautiful braided locks.

What do you think? I love the idea of something easy and not too formal. I'm currently growing my hair out after hacking it all off three years ago. I miss my long hair, and long braided looks have always interested me. I think my dress would require something uber formal, or something really easy... and when easy is an option, I'm always happy.

How did you decide on what you wanted your hair to look like? Did you have a plan, or let your stylist have free-range of your tresses?

{ Planning } Readings, Part One

I know that planning our ceremony will be something Carl and I want to put a lot of thought into. As I come across readings that I feel touched by, I have been gathering them so that when the time to plan comes, we have plenty to work with. Among the readings that I have really enjoyed is the Apache Wedding Blessing.

"Now you will feel no rain
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon the earth."

-Apache Wedding Blessing

I love this. I can see it being read by my oldest siblings together, stanza by stanza. Wouldn't that be magical?
Remind me later that I can't have a million readings... Or our ceremony will last until the sun sets!

Did you have trouble narrowing down your choices for wedding readings? How did you choose which made the cut?

{ Life } Break Time

The last few weeks... I've kind of felt like this:

Gimme a break... gimme a break...

Kit Kat / Image Source

It isn't that I got sick of wedding planning, it's that I just felt... stuck. So I took a few days off. That turned into a week. Then it was almost a month... and I realized I should probably get back into it. The month of November will hopefully bring a DJ and a photographer. I'm about to dig into the latter right now!

Did you ever need a break? How did you get motivated again?

{ Life } Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love decorating up the house and planning out my costume. For the last five years (I think!), my brother and I have thrown a Halloween party for our friends that are the highlight of my fall. I always look forward to Halloween baking, cooking, and playing dress up. This year was no different! I was especially excited for Halloween this year -- Last year Carl and I were driving across the country to start our new life together on the 31st! While I was sad to miss the celebrations, I was celebrating my own new favorite holiday -- the anniversary of Carl making the huge leap to move from New York to Minnesota. Halloween just got a little more special! Here are a few of the costumes from the parties over the years I've worn. You'll notice the pirate seems to come out whenever I just feel like wearing a costume! It's my fall back costume for everything!

2006 The first year of the pirate with my college 'roommates' - We all lived in singles, but pretty much together :)

 

2007, the pirate returns for a Halloween comedy club appearance

  

2007, my actual costume for the Halloween party -- Hermione Granger

2008, my dark literature side comes out -- I was Alex DeLarge from a Clockwork Orange

 

 2009, I was originally trying to be Penny from Dr. Horrible's Sing a Long Blog, but ended up being Snow White

2011, the pirate comes out for the Halloween party at work... 

But then I switched into my actual costume for the year -- Kaylee from Firefly.

Carl and me -- Jayne Cobb and Kaylee Frye (my first costume of the night)

Then I became a black cat...

And finally a blue wig because... why not? It's Halloween!

I morphed a lot last night, but it was a great party. I'm already thinking about a costume for next year... Perhaps a Raptor pilot from Battlestar Galactica? If so, I better start on the costume now...

Happy Halloween everyone!