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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Vintage Inspired Wedding Ballerina Bouquet

As I'm planning my wedding I have also been searching high and low for cheep alternatives to just about everything. I found myself worried that I was going to have a tacky wedding! My 'dream' wedding was to be married at a Pioneer Village near my hometown.  That venue dream was squished because the buildings are not heated, and my wedding is in October.  So that idea was shot down.  We found another venue that fit in our price range as well as I would rather my money go to them then a hall.  Our reception will be held at one of the Royal Canadian Legion Branches.  The hall (which is a large Edwardian House) is very nice with military hero pictures and history.  Two things I'm in love with.  So the wedding theme was changed to accommodate the venue to 'WWII Era Wedding'.  I'm in love with this theme! As you don't know me very well yet,  you won't know that I am very passionate about military history and the men and women who give up so much of themselves to keep us safe know and in years past.

Anyways, back to the flowers.  I was researching wedding bouquets that women would have used during the 1940's and I came across a bouquet called 'ballerina bouquet'. Because flowers were expensive and scarce due to the war, tulle was used around the bottom edge of the bouquet to make it look fuller. I thought this would be the perfect style of bouquet for my wedding, it fits the 1940's war time theme and it's inexpensive.  


I decided to use carnations for my wedding flowers for a few reasons, the first being they remind me of my Gran, she loved red carnations; the second reason being they are a very hearty flower and wont wilt as fast as other flowers; lastly carnations are a very inexpensive flower.  

I raided my fabric stash and found a cream coloured tulle with shiny beads and crystals sewn into it. I watched about a hundred videos on how to make a bouquet and I was fanially ready to have a go myself to see if I had bitten off more than I could chew.  As I was placing each flower in my hand in the shape I wanted, I wrapped a strip of tulle about 3 inches long around the carnations.  I also used florists tape to keep the carnations together.  Then I wrapped the tulle down the stems and used a couple of my sewing pins to keep the stem wrapping in place.  I think for my wedding I will use ribbon to wrap the stems.

 I think the bouquet turned out very lovely if I don't say so myself. I'm going to make the bridesmaids out of the white carnations and my bouquet out of a deep purple of the bridesmaids dresses, which we have not found yet!  Less than six months to go!!!


I also made a corsage






















 

Saturday, April 14, 2012

My First Post - Inspiring Thoughts

Hello, and welcome to my blog.  I started this blog because of an article I read in my Weight Watchers magazine titled "What are you, Chicken" Written by Sandra Gordon.  I know what you are thinking now,  this is going to be all about wight loss and how chicken is the only thing to eat.  Well you are wrong!  The article is about facing your fears, putting yourself out there and changing your life into something you are happy with and proud of.  

This hit the spot with me for sure.  I lost my job a couple of months ago due to restructuring of the place I worked.  I spent the first month and a half feeling sorry for myself and crying just about every 10 minutes....Pretty sad existence if you ask me.  I was just worried about everything being all wrong and not focusing on what was right in my life and what needed to be changed. I would go to interviews and think I did great only to hear back that I don't have enough experience.  Once again where do I get experience if no one will hire me.  So I sunk deeper into the slum I had made for myself, started to gain the weight I had lost back and hid in my house.  

The sun, what an amazing thing that sun is.  The sun came out mid March and I started to feel good inside.  Mostly because it was nice out,  the birds were chirping the weather was warm, I couldn't help but feel good.  I started to work out again, made lists of what I wanted to accomplish that day, making healthy meals for my fiance and myself (even thought he is pickier than most kids).  But I'm still in a rut, unemployed and have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.  To top it off Colin and I moved 200km away from our family friends a year and half ago to make what we thought was going to be a better life for ourselves.  There is something about spending time with people you have known for years and shared so many memories with. 

But back to the article, the premise was that I was standing in the way of my happiness, by not taking chances and always chickening out.  I made a list of 10 things I wanted out of life in the next 5 to 10 years, and then asked myself what am I doing to make these things happen?  Well nothing! And it was excuse after excuse reasons why I'm not doing things like selling my knitting, or sewing, trying to help others. Most of it was I, like most people, am afraid of failure.  But then i read this " When things don't go your way, you didn't fail. The experiment did." It was like a bright light signalling to me! I have been told this in different words before, but last night the meaning finally dug in and I understood.  


So here I am putting myself out there and hopefully I can inspire someone else today.