Happy Thanksgiving!

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Searching for the perfect tree inspired wedding invitation....

Wow. I say wow. The is something I imagine would be in a fantasy filled children's book. Love it.

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If you ever watched Six Feet Under on HBO, you will know why I adore this one.

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This is just one seller on Etsy I am obsessed with since deciding on using trees to tie in the details of our wedding. Her work is beautiful. No, flowers don't always grow on trees, but they should! Her work is customizable too! Woot Woot! I wonder how I can get a customized wooden tree box on my registry? Hmmmmmmm....

{image: etsy seller - SixthandElm}

You are now a witness to the fact that I have always had a hard time making up my mind. So I just let go of this "to-d0" on my planning list so I don't have to make a decision. When it came to picking out an invitation, which is what reflects the central theme of your wedding by providing a few details of the type of event guests can expect, I was lost. Having a fall wedding I couldn't ignore my love for fall foliage in pulling and invitation together.

So, my Step Mother is having her niece, Laura, who is a student at an art school in Los Angles, take all of the elements that I have been lamenting over and create a wedding invitation just for me! What a fantastic way to have something unique while saving some money by giving an up-and-comer a chance. I CAN'T WAIT to see how they turn out.

Melangerienyc's fantastic geneology trees!

This is such a neat idea. The company melangerienyc creates these one of a kind wedding geneology charts which display your relationship with all of the guests you invite to your wedding. Each chart details the relationships of the bride and groom to their various guests, calling out interesting connections between guests, and the occasional little-known fact. The charts are offered in three, distinct design styles: a modern aesthetic (6 degrees of the bride and groom), a traditional aesthetic (wedding lineage), and an illustrative design (a wedding tree).

A top ten list to get me back on track!

So life has been a bit crazy between school, redecorating the house, and life. Even though finals are creeping up I thought I better buckle down and get back on track with planning my wedding. Because my first step towards organized chaos always inludes lists, I thought I would share my favorite wedding planning blogs with you. I find the ideas discovered on blogs are much more unique than those found in books or magazines and the majority of brides just don't know what they are missing!

10. Victoria with Roses

9. Southern Weddings Magazine

8. The Bride's Cafe

7. Polka Dot Bride

6. Once Wed

5, Style Me Pretty

4. What Junebug Loves

3. Lucky Me!

2. In this Instance

1. Snippet and Ink Daily Wedding Inspiration

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Happy Halloween!

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Get ready to make your opinion count!

Don't forget we have less than a week to vote! Make sure you know your polling location so you aren't wandering around aimlessly with an uncounted vote. Download this great print (and others) from Tomorrow Partners and distribute it to your friends and family.

Get your free downloads for free here.

Get out and VOTE!

Lucy Maud's creation... Anne

I admit I LOVE the films produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea are especially precious to me. Here is a scene in which Anne, portrayed by Megan Follows, daydreams her way through a day that would bring most of us to the "depths of dispair."

Thank goodnes someone else has a problem "holding her tongue". Anne must apologize to Rachel Lynde even though she was quite rudely insulted by her comment that Anne's hair was "red as carrots." Oh, the things we will agree to do just to have a place to call home.

Anne enjoying the many beautiful sunsets of Prince Edward Island. I wish Icould just pop into this picture to see more of the view.

(images- all were found at immortals.net )

Hidden Inspiration

Lately I have been running into inspiration in the strangest places. I have been cleaning out the house of "stuff" I just don't need anymore and ran into something that has been a hidden inspiration in some of the beautiful things I am finding myself gravitating towards while planning my wedding: Anne Shirley. I have always loved "Anne of Green Gables" and almost anything associated with L.M. Montgomery's fantastic series of books about the most wonderful, redheaded, optimist I have ever had the pleasure of "meeting." Because my Mom just reminded me how my Grandmother always used to ask me when I would find my "Gilbert," and my matron of honor told me about a bride she knows who used "Anne's Theme" in her wedding ceremony, I thought it appropriate to delve back into the series as a treat for doing well on my midterms.

Cake in a Box

Today I wanted to pass on some excellent information I found at good ol' Ritzy Bee for those of you who have the Super 8 MM bug as I do. Layer Cakes has a great package for those capable DIY'ers out there. They send you everything you need. All you have to do is have someone reliable record the memories, send back the footage and they do the editing for you!

Venue, Venue, Venue

So on to my own personal day for a little while. The engagement party reinvigorated my wedding planning. We had an atypical engagement in the sense that we picked everything based on our venue's availability. Hopefully you can see why just by looking at these great shots of the site. My mother and I checked out a couple of places but when my fiance and I drove up to Laurel Hall, we knew immediately that it was the place.



"The impressive 1916 Jacobean Revival manor combines history, beauty, and character with modern convenience to create a timeless backdrop for any special event. Described as private, comfortable and stately, Laurel Hall is designed for people with high standards and discerning taste on most any budget. The building's exotic hardwood floors, antique wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, limestone fireplaces, grand staircase, and expansive windows that capture natural light and views of the surrounding landscape make it event-ready or the perfect setting to bring your individual style to any gathering." - Laurel Hall Homepage

I am hoping to see this idyllic picture in person sometime next year! After choosing the venue, everything else has been easy. Well, honestly, choosing Laurel Hall was pretty easy too.