futuremrstgun

these are SUPER cute! bravo on a job well done!!! R~

coconoir1908...THANKS for the blessings, love!!! i'm SUPER excited and can't believe that i'll be in sunny jamaica next week...oh boy!!! many blessings to you and yours.... until next time, happy planning!!! R~

well, girls, this week is my final full week in town and i can't believe it! i'm down to tying up loose ends, weighing luggage to ensure i don't go over the 50lbs limit (my hubby will kill me if i do)..and finishing up all of my projects...i've got two small things left to do...and i'm dying to get them done...i can't wait to post my final (after my big day) thread..and to share details on EVERYTHING i did for the wedding...i'm bursting at the seams with excitement to share details with all of you...i'm hoping everything lives up to mine and your expectations. for those of you who want templates, etc...my templates are really big..so most exceed the limits here...if you want them...just PM me and i'll be happy to share. before i go...i have to send another very special THANK YOU to the powers that be..my thread is still featured on the homepage..almost a month after it first appeared AND as of now, my thread is the number two most viewed planning thread of all time...WOW..i still can't believe the amount of love, fellow BDW brides have shared with me...wow! wow!!! wow!!!! i can't even begin to tell you..what a truly humbling experience this whole thing is for me...so THANK YOU... now, i'm off to get some beauty rest...until next time, happy planning!! R~

good evening, bruceg05! ok..so about the starfish... its pretty simple..i used wilton food coloring..you can find it in your local grocery store and/or walmart, etc. i followed the directions on the box for dyeing easter eggs and voila...my starfish are now a beautiful shade of purple. take a peak at post 288, page 29 for pics and details. you'll need to take into consideration that your starfish will need to be dyed a deeper shade than usual because they will dry lighter than when they are wet...after i dyed them, i used martha stewart glitter paint to bling them out..i highly recommend it...it has just the right amount of bling in it...and its SUPER easy to use. until next time, happy planning!! R~

i'd love that! i just PM'd you with my details...i look forward to meeting. R~

stunning!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! R~

ashaun.. yes, girlie, i'm pretty much ready to go..winding down all of my DIY projects.. my group arrives on thursday and most depart on monday (columbus day)... i'm SUPER excited!!! woo hoo!!! R~

hi, michcraw! cut the ribbon on an angle with SUPER sharp scissors...i don't use my 'ribbon cutting' scissors on anything but ribbon...that way they stay sharp... or you can fold them and cut down for a nice clean double edge... good luck!! and as always, until next time, HAPPY PLANNING!! R~ ps...my starfish couple tied the knot. (you can see the angle cut and the double edge cut on the ribbon in the pic)

where did you hear that there was a beach party on thursday nights? i was told differently and my wedding is scheduled at the beach.... we're doing a welcome dinner...basically the whole group is meeting in the lobby bar for drinks then heading to the japanese restaurant for dinner. R~

congratulations, love!!! can't wait to hear ALL about your big day!!! R~

hi, nikki17... i'm glad you enjoyed it, love! yeah, the big day is around the corner and my DIY projects are winding down...so far, most of my projects are complete and i'm almost done packing everything up... woo hoo!! well, until next time, happy planning!! R~

good evening, skygirl!!! yep..food coloring should be fine..just follow the instructions on the food coloring box.. keep in mind that the coloring will dry differently..also, i think martha has a glittery turquoise color to add some bling...spray painting real starfish can be tricky..they tend to look washed out and don't absorb the paint well...i prefer paint on the fake ones only... good luck, skygirl...sounds like a super cute idea...please post pics so we can all be inspired. until next time, happy planning!!! R~

good evening, fellow destination brides!!! so, today has been a super long day...up at 4:00am...maniacal day at work...in addition to planning a wedding, i'm transitioning out of my current job (THERE IS A GOD!!!) into a new job..which i'll start after the wedding....so i'm training my replacement and NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP..which means....i'm exhausted AND i have to clean up my kitchen... while the hubby assumes his position in front of the TV to watch MNF...for those of you not in the know..that's MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, people...my living room is the epicenter of all things NFL from now until february...its part my 'contract'...i won't subject the husband to anything... other than...what's the score, love or wow..what a play!!! NOR WILL I ROOT FOR ANY OTHER TEAM BUT THE BALTIMORE RAVENS (despite being from Cleveland -- #ravensfanbymarriage...#brownsfanbybirth)!! ..no matter what day of the week...my honey will watch FOOTBALL...eh...it was in the fine print. lol!!! but...i did get some things done early this morning..including the following DIY items.... lakers inspired garter belt for the hubby then i made myself a bit of bridal luck...to 'coordinate' with my color scape... AND..i received my personalized hanger from one of my favorite etsy.com sellers...the ORIGINAL lilafrances.com...she's a real beauty..here's a peak. well, girls...i'm going to try my darndest to get some sleep..but first..i've gotta bust some suds. until next time, happy planning!! R~

awww...yws2012! I LOVE THE COUNTDOWN!!! thanks, love!!! i'm SUPER DUPER EXCITED!!! and yes, your guests will LOVE your goodies..and they'll feel like WOW...YOU DID ALL THIS JUST FOR ME!!! that's what i got OVER AND OVER AND OVER again..it was great! until next time, happy planning!! R~

hey, jamaica2012... i'm bringing one carry-on bag which will be full of shells and starfish..the bag that's pictured is full of my lanterns and other decor and our welcome kits...most of my decor items are paper based so their light weight. i'll be checking two bags..one for decor items..the other chock full of shoes, clothes, etc. the best thing i ever did was deliver my OOT/welcome bags prior to travel..i called them a wedding survival kit and it included our pre-travel boarding passes, itinerary at a glance, plus all the other goodies...now, that cut down on alot of packing/shipping to jamaica...plus it helped generate excitement and buzz among our guests..now they're all SUPER DUPER excited about our wedding. if you can do that..i'd highly recommend it...its one less thing to have to worry about packing plus most of the items i included, hand sanitizer, playing cards, etc...guests can use and appreciate during travel, etc. who says they have to get the bags at your destination? i'll tell you, it was the best idea i've had thus far...if your guests are local, recruit some bridesmaids and make trips around town to drop off the bags...unfortunately, i had to travel across the country to deliver my bags but my guests were thrilled that i'd taken the time to come see them before our trip...it was so much fun seeing folks open and discover all of the goodies...i'll tell you, i felt like a kid on x-mas... until next time, happy planning!! R~ Quote: Originally Posted by Jamaica2012 So, I'm just curious how many bags you will be bringing to Jamaica. I would think will all your wonderful DIY items that you might need a moving company to help :-) Are you having people in the wedding party help you carry some of it down? Good luck packing :-)

good morning, amjohnson! as you can see, i'm up well before 5:00am my time..ugh?!? still not sleeping as soundly as i'd like. ok..so about your question...i dyed the (real) starfish purple/lilac using food coloring then used martha stewart glitter paint to bling them out. i have three different colored starfish (lilac, amethyst and silver)..pictured below...all blinged out using martha stewart glitter paint. i painted the silver ones using a metallic silver paint from hobby lobby then blinged them out with silver martha stewart glitter paint. now, for my fake starfish i simply spray painted them then blinged them out..with..YES..you guessed it..martha stewart glitter paint. just follow the instructions on the food coloring box to "perfect" your turquoise...if you're using real starfish they are porous and should absorb the color quickly....fake starfish won't dye well with food coloring..skip that step altogether and just use spray paint...its much easier for the fake ones...now, when using food coloring, i highly recommend making your color very deep because when they dry, they will dry a lighter color...then paint them with the glitter starfish and you'll be all set! by the way, there are other glitter paints on the market and i tried them..trust me when i tell you that martha's glitter paint has the best bling... good luck, love and as always...HAPPY PLANNING!! R~

hi, yws2012... LOVE the flowers...beautiful autumn colors!!! until next time, be blessed!! R~

hi, tink! yes, at home canon inkjet.... R~

thanks, love! i hope to get some ZZZZZZs tonight... until next time, be blessed!! R~

hello, ladies! so today being NATIONAL PASSPORT DAY...meant, i got to spend two hours in line at the post office thinking i needed to see an agent to renew my passport..i'm DOWN to the wire and so i MUST expedite it and well, i wasted two precious hours this morning...good grief!?! needless to say, if you have to renew a passport, you can simply send it off with the application and your fees... a few good things happened today though...i found some super SERIOUS bargains..like flameless LED tea lights at the dollar store. they come three to a pack...all for a buck!! woo hoo!! AND i grabbed a few flameless LED votives too...they come 2 to a pack..again...ALL FOR A BUCK...gotta love Dollar Tree!!! then, i packed most of my decor items...another BIG feat! AND i'm down to just two DIY projects left..programs and reception items...O M G...brides..i can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!! and its getting brighter. ok, so the other GREAT thing i did today was purchase yet another bob marley t-shirt from walmart for the low...LOW...LOW..price of $7.50..those babies retail for upwards of $15-25 bucks in jamaica..so i've been collecting them all summer long...and i'm super excited that i'll be wearing my walmart shirts while in jamaica, mon! boy oh boy... well, ladies...i'm off to bed...hoping i can get in some good rest...until next time, happy planning!! R~

i incorporated starfish into my wedding and i'm so happy i did..i dyed them to match my colorscape and even blinged some out too... woo hoo!!! R~

yeah, that green is awful..but i love me some vick!!! go vick, GO!!! #ravensfanbymarriage!!! #brownsfanbybirth...CLEVELAND ROCKS!!! R~

hi, cdc150! purple is my husband's favorite color and he tells me about it being the color of royalty too... i just told my honey last night that i thought it was strangely funny that ALL the colors of his favorite football team (the baltimore ravens) have made their way into our wedding colorscape. i could blame him..but i picked the colors and it just worked out that its all his faves... lol! thanks for the kudos, love... hi, kfarkas26!!! iberostar is a lovely resort. its truly the best resort in jamaica. i've stayed at sandals, breezes, and sunset jamaica grande..while they're all nice resorts they pale in comparison to iberostar. the resort includes three equally fabulous (at various price point) hotels...my wedding is scheduled at the beach hotel, i stayed at the suites last year (lovely) and this year i'll be staying at the grand (i MUST have the butler service)...i highly recommend iberostar and will definitely post pics, etc. good luck with your decision, love. Quote: Originally Posted by kfarkas26 this is such a great thread! I am considering getting married at the iberostar in 2013 and i can not wait to see your pictures/reviews from the wedding!!! good luck! until next time, happy planning!! R~

good morning, lovelies! i wish i could hook myself up to a caffeine drip this morning..I AM SOOOOOOO TIRED... those who know me know that when i'm SUPER excited, anxious AND/OR nervous, i have trouble sleeping...and so, for the last few weeks, insomnia has been KICKING MY BUTT! good grief!?!? ok..there i was..up at 3:00AM..DIYing..like a crazy fool..but, hey..if you're up..you might as well DIY, right???... lol! anyway, my husband woke at his usual time and met me at DIY Central with a big hug and a pat on the back...along with these encouraging words..honey, i love everything you're doing..but you really should get some sleep... gotta love my husband..ALWAYS pointing out the obvious... so..fast forward a few hours...i'm at work and i look down at my keyboard and discover an old chinese fortune..which, i dunno how long the darn thing has been either on or under my keyboard but it just seems so fitting RIGHT ABOUT NOW...especially as my DIY projects wind down. take a look... well, brides, i'm going to tuck this fortune in my pocket and grab another cup of coffee..since i'm pretty sure my boss will look at me crazy if i proceed to lay my head on my desk to catch some MUCH NEEDED ZZZZZZZZs... until next time, happy planning!! R~

i'm wearing a cathedral length veil and a birdcage veil..have two dresses..need two veils. originally, i wasn't going to wear a veil then Mom convinced me otherwise AND i found a cathedral length veil earlier this year at david's for a steal..so i had to get it and now, i'm ALL about the veil!!! plus i want pics of the veil blowing in the wind...woo hoo!!! R~