I’ve had the idea for the save the dates for over two months. I designed the bulk of the save the date a month ago and ordered all the supplies. And, this past Saturday, the whole family came into the studio to start working on them. As Tom and I sat on the floor, metal ruler and exacto knife in hand, I realized how great it was to have everyone there helping with this piece of the renewal. Tom cut the book board. I cut the book cloth. Avery collected scraps and made her own creations. And Logan was our cheering section (and he played on his DS too!) We got a lot done — and there is so much more to do too — but having everyone by my side, working on “our” paper, was a great experience. Here are some teaser photos for you…more to come!
The Renewal :: Starting the Save the Dates
The Renewal :: DIY Book Page Flowers
Photo by Elizabeth Ryan Photography
Today’s post is a FUN one!!! Why? Well, because it has to do with some of my favorite things (and I hope you favorite things too)…books, paper, DIY and flowers! I originally made these flowers for a shoot for Southern Weddings, which you can check out here. I’m planning on using these flowers at my renewal. I have visions of using these beauties in centerpieces, on the chairs and wherever else I can throw them into the design. Of course, this requires me to make tons of them. I better get started or teach the twins how to do it! In the meantime, I’ll share this DIY project with you and hope that you use it to make tons of these beautiful flowers too. Happy Spring!
What you will need:
Old book pages/Cardstock/Scrap booking Paper
Scissors
Glue Stick
Pencil/Bamboo Stick/Chopstick
Pipe Cleaners
1. Tear a page out of an old book – any book will work – you can even use newspaper, cardstock or scrap booking paper
2. Fold the bottom of the page over to the left side to make a triangle at the bottom and cut off the excess paper at the top; you should have a square when you unfold it
3. Fold the bottom of the square up to make a rectangle and then fold the rectangle in half to make a small square. The square should have a crease running diagonally through it.
4. Fold on that diagonal crease to make a small triangle
5. Cut a petal shape out of the triangle – an arc one direction and then flip over and cut another arc
6. When you open the piece up, you should have a flower shape with 8 petals
7. Cut one of the petals out of the flower
8. Make three more flower shapes and on each one cut out one more petal than the last – on flower 2, cut out 2 petals – on flower 3, cut out 3 petals (and keep) – on petal 4, cut out 4 petals
9. On the first flower (one petal missing), using a glue stick, put glue on the petal to the left of the missing petal and pull the petal to the right of the missing petal over on top and press to glue. This will make a concave flower shape.
10. Continue this same process with the other three flowers and you will end up with four concave flower shapes.
11. Take a bamboo stick, pencil or chopstick and roll the ends of the petals over the stick to round the petals – this makes is look like a real flower! Repeat with the other three flower pieces too.
12. Turn the flower pieces over and cut off the very bottom tip of the point to make a very small hole
13. Take a pipe cleaner – we used white, but green would work well too – and fold the end over twice (1/2” each time) to make a bump on the end
14. Starting with the smallest section first, slide the pipe cleaner into the inside of the flower piece until it stops at the bump on the end. You can put a little bit of glue on the bottom of each layer before sliding on the next larger layer. Continue until all layers are onto the pipe cleaner.
15. If you want, you can take the 3 petals that you cut out and saved in step 12 to make the top/smallest layer of the flower. You can even use the single cut out petals to roll and put in the center of the flower, just to make it look more realistic.
That’s it!!! These really come together quickly and you can make a bouquet in no time! You can also paint them with watercolors or food coloring! Wouldn’t they be so pretty in an array of light and dark pinks…love!
The Hoyle-Royal Wedding!
I’m so excited to share all of the paper we design for Jessica and James! Why? Because I have to admit that I loved this wedding…the classic ivory with pops of royal blue! And, how can you not love that Jess went from the last name Hoyle to Royal and they used royal blue as their wedding color. Really?! Yep!! I’m not sure if that was planned or not, but it doesn’t matter, because it is just so cute! The amazing Kimberly Brooke Photography took the wonderful photos of all the paper from the wedding and I snapped a few shots of the invite too! Enjoy!!!
The Renewal :: An Interview with Annapolis Formal & Tuxedo
I’m so excited to share today’s renewal post with you! Why? Because it is my interview with Flavia from Annapolis Formal & Tuxedo! If you read my “Yes to the Dress” post and my “10 Things I Learned About Dress Shopping”, then you know how wonderful of an experience I had with Flavia and her mom, Dora, while shopping for my renewal dress(es) {NOPE, still not telling what/which dress(es) I chose!} So, I wanted to know more about this amazing shop, and Flavia was kind enough to answer all my questions! And, Liz and Ryan from Elizabeth Ryan Photography, took some great shots of Annapolis Formal to share with you too! Enjoy!
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about how your started Annapolis Formal?
A: Well, actually my uncle Andy Dziekan started Annapolis Formal almost 30 yrs ago! My mother Dora has been working at Annapolis Formal & Tuxedos since then.
Q: How long have you been in business?
A: I bought the store 3 yrs ago and love it!
Q: How do you suggest that a bride prepare for her first dress shopping appointment? Should she bring anything? Pictures, undergarments, shoes?
A: First, we believe it’s important when making an appointment to keep the number of your group to one or two individuals whose opinion you value the most. If you bring too many people, you end up leaving with your head spinning due to so many different opinions. Next, come in with an opened mind. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had brides against a certain style or fabric and end up buying exactly that! A good strapless bra and some heels are always a good idea for trying on wedding gowns. Pictures are good to give us an idea of what you like, but personally, I like to start from scratch. I watch to see what the brides pull from the racks and then I go from there.
Q: Do you need an appointment to try on dresses?
A: Yes appointments are a must…Our shop is a small and personal boutique and we want to give you our undivided attention!
Q: How long will the appointment last?
A: Appointments are 1 hr long, but don’t worry you’ve got plenty of time for decision making. Second appointments are common.
Q: I experienced the dress shopping “moment” at Annapolis Formal first hand. It was an amazing afternoon that I won’t forget. Can you share why you feel your shop is different than other, perhaps more commercial salons?
A: Well, our boutique is very small and we make it a point to be very personal. We’re definitely accommodating in terms of time, if you have a hectic schedule and can only come in after hours, no problem! We can stay open late for the working bride or open the shop a little earlier if need be! Also, the ladies in our shop have been doing this for a long time! Combined, we have over 27 years of experience! We have seen it all and are happy to share ideas and experiences with you. We also do not work on commission. We truly want you to be happy with your purchase, so we do not pressure you into anything. We want you to buy from us because you WANT to buy from us, not because you feel pressured. We don’t like pressure, a wedding is stressful enough!
Q: Since I fall into this category and I know there are probably a lot of brides that have this question, I want to ask how you handle situations where the bride might be concerned about the sample size dresses being too large or too small. Do you have a variety of sizes and styles for brides to try?
A: Designers send our gowns in sizes 10, 12 and a few 14. We clip the gowns in the back or hold them for you to get an idea of what the gown would look like. For the most part, you can get an idea of what the proper size will look like on you.
Q: Do you counsel brides on best fit/style for their body type?
A: First, I like to hear what they have in mind, and then I go from there. I ask them to pick out 3 or 4 gowns that they like and then I will pull gowns that I know will fit their shape best and have the brides try those on as well. Nine times out of 10 they end up choosing the gown I pulled :)
Q: What is the best piece of advice you would give a bride when choosing her wedding dress?
A: Don’t ever feel pressured into buying a gown and don’t talk yourself into liking a gown. It’s a huge investment and you have to LOVE everything about it!
Q: Do you have bridesmaids dresses too?
A: Yes we have long and short gowns.
Q: What about tuxes?
A: Do we? Yes and we’re so excited to have new styles for the spring! We have several wedding suits in charcoal, navy (which looks fantastic with our khaki pants..very nautical). Tuxedos are definitely fashion forward. We have new Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and few others that are European trim fit with flat front pants and the fabrics are super 100′s!
Q: And, attire for the little ones in the wedding too?
Q: Yes, we carry flower girl dresses and ring bearer tuxedos.
Q: Do you have a favorite dress or new trend in wedding dresses to share?
A: This is so hard to answer! I love all my gowns. There is a lot of lace this season and sleeves and straps are coming back! I do have a favorite fabric….. SILK! It feels like heaven!
Q: Describe Annapolis Formal in five individual words.
A: Friendly, Experienced , Honest, Intimate, Personal
And, there you have it! If you are getting ready to start dress shopping or have struggled in finding the perfect dress, I would definitely make an appointment with Flavia at Annapolis Formal! Happy dress shopping everyone!
10 Things I Learned About Dress Shopping
So, yesterday, you got to see my “Say Yes to the Dress Post” and today, I’m giving you a list of ten things that I learned about dress shopping — 10 years later!
1. Try on all styles of dresses – just because it looked good on the model in a magazine, doesn’t mean it will look good on you! I definitely didn’t think I would end up with a strapless dress the first time around and didn’t realize this time around that a sweetheart neckline looked amazing on me. Remember what your mom always said, “Try it, you might like it!”
2. Use your resources – okay, for those of my friends who knew me in my “former life” when I worked for Accenture, this little motto was drilled into our heads. Who knew it would apply to weddings too?!?! For dress shopping, using your resources means that you should lean on the experts!!! If the person who runs the bridal shop, in this case, Flavia at Annapolis Formal, pulls dresses for you, then give them serious consideration. They see hundreds of brides and know what looks best on different body types.
3. Don’t be afraid of the number – you know what number I’m talking about…the size of the dress. Who cares?!?! It’s not like the size is emblazoned on the side of the dress! Buy the right size that fits you today. Don’t say, “oh I’ll lose 20 pounds, so I can buy the smaller size dress.” Why stress about it? The dress should look amazing on you, no matter the size. Be happy with you, not the number!
4. Expect the unexpected – if you know going into the dress shopping experience that their might be bumps in the road, you won’t be overwhelmed when they occur.
5. Speak up – you will have questions or moments of indecision during this process. When these moments happen…speak up! Perhaps it is that the skirt of the dress is too full or pleats are too big. Ask if they can be altered. You never know unless you ask!
6. Bring a cheering section – you will want support from a friend, bridesmaid, maid of honor and/or mom. Have a few people there to cheer you on, be a sounding board and to take notes! A side note to this item: have the RIGHT people by your side…the ones that want you to look amazing, know your facial expressions and can put aside their own likes and dislikes to know what is perfect for you!
7. Have fun! – I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that this dress shopping experience was F-U-N!!! I tried on tons of dresses, smiled until my cheeks hurt, spent time with friends and drank champagne! Amazing! I feel that this is how buying your wedding dress should be!
8. Don’t get discouraged – I know that my experience might not be the same as everyone’s. I have been lucky to find THE dress easily, but I know there are plenty of brides that have a hard time finding their dress. I guess because I know what it feels like to find the perfect dress, I know that the moment is worth the search. Take your time, try a new boutique, ask other friends where they got their dress and know that your dress is waiting for you!
9. Document the moment – I was so lucky to have Liz and Ryan by my side to take photos of my dress shopping experience. I’ll be able to share these with my daughter before her wedding and point to the dress and my face and say, “See, that is how you should look when you find the perfect dress!” You might not have your professional photographer in your pocket, but pick someone to take pictures of all the dresses you really like. It might even help solidify your decision after you get home and can see what you look like in photos.
10. Get excited! – I didn’t get excited about shopping for the dress until after it was over. If I could go back, I would have been more positive about the whole experience from the beginning. I would have counted down the days, pinned dresses on Pinterest and been jumping up and down before I tried on dresses. Be sure to let the worries slip away and just get excited for this once in a lifetime moment!
Again, special thanks to Elizabeth Ryan Photography for the photos and for being such wonderful colleagues and friends! Also, thanks to Flavia and her mother, Dora, at Annapolis Formal, for making my dress shopping experience one that I will remember for a lifetime!
Allison Barnhill Designs
Allison
Annapolis, Maryland
Allison Barnhill Designs specializes in couture wedding and special event invitations and coordinating accessories. We combine your vision with our passion to design and create one-of-a-kind stationery for the most important events in your life. Unique and refreshing, artistic and stylish, our couture creations set the tone for your special occasion.
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