107 Days!!

Alright...I'll be honest, I haven't done anything the last few days that is very exciting. Work, going to visit my future apartment (so I can make sure the kitchen is organized the way I want it before I move in!), and I have been finishing up some gorgeous pictures I took of my friend Annah and her Fiance Justin this weekend!

Just so everyone knows, my Dustin is the most amazing fiance a girl could ask for! After my photoshoot on Saturday, I mentioned to him that I really wanted to get a new bigger SD card for my camera. He took it to heart...and this is what I found in my mailbox today!

What do you think it was?

Yup. My man is the best :)

109 Days!

So close to the 100 day mark!

Alright, so yesterday I missed my promised post about my DIY dessert plates!

Aren't they so cool? On Saturday I purchased a ton of glassware for only $1.50. Among the selection that I picked up were many many wine and champagne glasses!

I also found something else that I think is super awesome at this sale...and it was included in that price tag of $1.50!

It's a milk glass snack set! I am really in love with it...I think I'll use it to serve some kind of food at the reception, but I have to figure out what exactly :) I definitely plan to use it for every day after Dustin and I are married as well!

Alright, I'm totally sidetracked from my original posting purpose! Back to dessert stands!

So, these awesome dessert stands were what I had envisioned when I decided I wanted to have a dessert reception. They are so chic and elegant, and totally vintage! To purchase dessert stands like this online...expect to shell out a few bucks. The first thing that I found online that I actually kind of liked was $70...for ONE stinking stand!

I've been using a super ultra epoxy glue (It's E6000 that I bought 40% off at JoAnns last weekend) to glue the base of my wine/champagne glasses to the bottom of my plates. I have finished most of what I had purchased, but I have spent about $10 on everything I've done so far. If I had 6 of these stands, the retail price would be $420. I will probably need a little bit more for my stands...but I don't anticipate spending more than $20 total. Savings of $400? Yes please!

Alright, that's all for today folks! We are enjoying a GORGEOUS day in Wisconsin...I plan on enjoying some more 80 degree weather :D

Let's pick up where I left off...111 Days!

Wow...Did I really go almost a week without posting? Oops! Sorry to leave ya'll hanging!

I felt like I didn't accomplish much wedding related this week, but in all reality we got quite a bit checked off!
My grandparents made their way up from their Florida house and spent the majority of the week here with my family! My Grandma is a very enthusiastic helper in regards to my flower making, and was very thrilled to help make flower petals! She singed so many edges that I'll be able to sit and make flowers whenever I have time now :)

On Wednesday we made a trip to Dig and Save again...and came out with more glassware! I didn't buy as much as I'd gotten the week before (definitely no need for THAT much all over!), but I did get some great stuff. I would estimate that I spent about $9 on the glassware, the rest of the $15 spent on "misc items" I'll count towards stuff my mom and siblings bought :) But I have to throw a mention in here...Dustin came to Dig and save too! After going through the whole place with me without complaining, mom declared that he'd passed her test.

Thursday! We got the keys to our apartment! It was so exciting to walk in to it the first time together...our first place, not to mention my first apartment :)

We have so much awesome natural lighting in the apartment. It's so fantastic. I'm excited to get everything put away in it's new and proper home and start decorating! (look out home decorating world...Chelsea has a new space!)

So, that is a lot of the major stuff that has been going on around here lately! Tomorrow I'll be sharing my fun new DIY dessert tray idea!

Also, I love everyone's comments! They always make me smile! Thanks to everyone who has let me know in some way how you've enjoyed my blog. I probably wouldn't be as motivated to blog without ya'll!

Rings! 116 Days :)

Hey everyone!

Last night I was taking my brother to his Civil Air Patrol meeting in Madison and got a phone call...Dustin's wedding ring was in at the jewelers! I was absolutely tickled pink :) (Just so ya'll know, Dustin and I agreed that wedding rings are not included in our wedding budget. My ring would have surpassed the budget if this were the case.)

My grandparents are here for the week passing through on their way up north for the summer (coming from sunny Florida!). My Grandma has been helping me with wedding flowers. I have made at least 5 or 6 in the last day. They are so pretty!

I also forgot to let ya'll know...I went back to that garage sale on Friday and bought those dishes! I'm so glad I did...I really love them. I also went back to another garage sale Saturday afternoon and purchased a picture I'd really loved at half of their asking price. Now...to get into the apartment so we can really start moving in! :)

On an un-wedding but bargain related note, I found this gorgeous (REAL) coach bag at a garage sale for $24! 

I'm a sucker for anything coach. So this made me swoon! 

Til tomorrow!

More Deals and Steals...117 Days

I chose to take the weekend off from blogging...I felt like I had earned a break :)

So, I know this has nothing to do with my own budget, but my parents are working on a budget for wedding expenses too! 

While garage saleing on Friday, my mom and I ran across a super adorable dusty pinkish purple long full skirted dress that looked perfectly sized for my little sister (my flower girl)! And...it was $15! 

Isn't it sweet? I'm so excited for her to wear it in a few months! I'm just praying she doesn't have a major summer growth spurt!

I'll be back again tomorrow!

Budget Review and Garage Sales!! 120 Days

Wow, I can hardly believe it is Friday already! Where did the week go?

Today is the day for the weekly budget review! I spent $79.06 this week on wedding things:

Card Stock	$15.08
Seal Stamper	$3.15
Wax	$3.15
Girdle	$30.50
Main Unity Candle	$3.15
Unity Tapers	$0.63
Floral Wire	$3.15
Glassware (vases, etc)	$16.25
Earrings	$4.00
Total Week 2:	$79.06

So, the 3 largest purchases this week were undergarments for me, invitation supplies, and glassware.

The other fun thing I have to share from today is garage saleing! I set out at 9:30 this morning with my mom and brothers and sisters. I found some awesome stuff for our new apartment, and some more vintage jewelry for flowers.

I found this awesome dish set at the first sale we visited. It was 9 plates and 8 settings of everything else for $20. I didn't buy it...but it is nearly identical to what Dustin and I registered for, only it's green over red. But saving $100 I would say is worth it. I'm going to go back today and see if it is still there. After all...I do like green!

One of the next sales we visited had this really awesome wall clock for $5. It looks like it was never opened, and I was able to purchase it for only $3!

All of those earrings only cost $4! I really am excited to put them into some flowers :)

Tomorrow I'll be back with possibly more awesome money-saving finds!

Evaluating the glassware - 121 dias (fancy word for days!)

Today was a quiet day here in the land of weddings.

This morning my mom, sister and I worked together and washed every piece of glass that I bought yesterday! I was also able to categorize all of the things I'd got, and make a total price count :)

To begin things, I took every candle holder that had a yucky candle in it and melted all of the wax out. Kinda looked lava lamp like!

The set up...a knife and boiling water.

We have a bookshelf in our basement now dedicated to the storage of glass!

I purchased a total of 53 pieces for the wedding which made every piece cost $0.30! I would most definitely call that a budget bride deal!!

Yesterday I made a stop at Hobby Lobby to pick up some candles with a 40% off coupon (great deal, by the way) and intentionally sought out vases that were similar in shape to mine. Regularly they cost $5! I had a total of 15 vases, which would have amounted to $75! 

I also found those cute dessert stands yesterday too. I love them! I'm so excited to find more! 

I really am enjoying finding all of the mis-matched glass for the decor. I can't wait to post about more! I am going garage saleing with my mom tomorrow and on Saturday. Hopefully we'll find more awesomely fantastic deals! (I definitely plan to milk the "I'm getting married!!" thing when I ask for less on a price!)

The bargain of a centruy - 122 Days

So, what is the latest bargain? :)

Today I went shopping with my Mom, Aunt and Sister at the Dig & Save St. Vincent De Paul store in Madison. Now, this isn't just a normal regular thrift shop. This place is hard core. If you don't dig through piles and piles of stuff...you don't want it.

Thant is just in the clothing/linens area. You should see the back are that is filled with games, toys, glassware, furniture, etc. It would blow your mind. No, really.

MOVING ON.

The bargain! In the back area, we found piles and piles and piles of glassware to use at the reception! I purchased 44 lbs of glass! Now, the important part! How much did it cost? Any guesses? If you guessed $0.35 per pound, you were right! Now, if you are a math genius (I'm not), you'd know that the grand total would come to $15.40 (sans tax. Add tax and you've got $16.25). I didn't do an exact count on the number of vases and candle holders...but I'm very nearly set for all of my glass needs. It's pretty darn exciting! We even found some beautiful raised cake stands that will be used for serving desserts :)

Isn't it amazing? Plus...it's FUN!! :)

On a side note, Dustin and I signed the lease for our Apartment today! He will be able to move in by the 11th! Hurrah!

DIY Unity Candles - 123 Days!

Hey ya'll!

Last night Dustin and I spent some time in Madison. We picked out and ordered his wedding ring (hurray! That tax return came just in time), then spent some time at Hobby Lobby (after enjoying Orange Julius in the food court).

Silly in the food court :)

Dustin and I agreed that we wanted to have a unity candle in our wedding ceremony. Naturally, I have been keeping my eyes out for deals in that realm! We happened to hit up Hobby Lobby when candles were 50% off! We purchased a tall cylindrical vanilla candle that is Ivory for only $3.15! We also purchased 12 taper candles for $3.68, but we are planning to only use 2 of them for the wedding, so I'm only counting it in our budget as $.63 :) Got that totaled up yet? Yeah, you smarty pants, it IS $4.41!

I plan to make our unity candle beautiful through the application of photoshop and a printer. Some ribbon will also come in handy! I think it would be neat to have some Bible verses on the velum along with our names, a big and beautiful W and the date. But...we'll see! I'm not 100% on it myself yet (plus I'm letting Dustin have some say in this ;) )

So, right now what is my savings estimate on a unity candle? The unity candles I see online that I like cost near $20! And that is before the glass holders (which I plan to pick up at goodwill or garage sales for cheap!). Over $15 extra clinking in my pocket sounds good to me!