I think most people would agree that in the city, dealing with government offices can be an unpleasant experience. The lines are long, the wait is long and people are unabashedly cranky. Sometimes you get the feeling that the city worker is so miserable that they are nasty to you to make you miserable too. I always try to be pleasant, but sometimes that just seems to make them more nasty.
So I was surprised to see that going to the Marriage Bureau in the City Clerk's office was actually a pretty pleasant experience! We wanted to get there early to avoid any lines, so we arrived about 10 minutes before the office opened. There were already about 3 or 4 couples waiting in front of us. As we waited in line, more couples arrived and some arrived with a few family members. Once we were let in, a huge hallway opened up in front of us, with big, bright windows on the right and large, towering columns on the left. We were asked to have our IDs out, which were checked as we came in. The man at the desk asked us what we were here for and then directed us to the back with a number. We sat on a couch as we waited for our number to be called. We didn't wait very long and the lady at the window that handled our case was very nice and sweet. She greeted us with a happy "good morning" and sent us off with a cheery "congratulations." Certainly not the experience I would get at the DMV! The actual process was very fast, aided by the fact that we had already started the application online. So basically all we had to do was give the lady our SSNs, confirm the information they have is correct, sign a form, pay the fee and voila! A marriage license was printed out for us to take home! So from arrival to departure, the whole thing took about 30 minutes.
Some of the things we saw there was really cool, fun and amusing. There is a Chapel Clerk there that can marry you that day if you wanted. The city store had fresh flowers already bundled into little wedding bouquets and boutonnieres. They also had folders, cases and frames for your marriage certificate if you were marrying that day, as well as silver and gold wedding rings, and even fake diamond ones! I thought about buying the flowers because I kind of wanted to mark the occasion with something pretty, but we ended up buying a bride and groom set of rubber duckies that we will use on our wedding cake. It's silly, I know, but they are really cute! The marriage bureau is definitely a business, with everything you need for a makeshift wedding. Lol! They even have this little photo nook that has a backdrop of city hall! Hahaha!
So I have to say that it was actually kind of fun! Of course, we went really early so I can't attest to a good experience later in the day. Still, I'm sure it is a better experience, even when it's busier, than trying to obtain a passport or driver's license. :-)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Our cardbox
While I was wandering around the Michael's wedding section, I noticed they had a card box for 35 bux. I decided then that I didn't want to spend that much money on a receptacle of cards that I'm most likely going to use once. So I went home, searched for cheap card boxes and found one on Amazon.com for 15 bux! It's not as sturdy as the $35 one, but I think it's prettier and it suits my purposes quite nicely.
Last night, I finally assembled the thing. I had to use tape in some places to reinforce certain parts, but I didn't need any extra cardboard to make it stiffer. Granted, it does seem flimsy without extra cardboard supports, but I think it will be just fine. I'm not planning on doing anything with it except put it on a table and leave it there. I doubt dropping cards into the box's slot is going to threaten its integrity much. Lol!
Anyways, below is a picture of our card box. Our raccoon, Rocky, was hanging out in the background. He'll be at the wedding next to our guest book tree. It's funny when I tell people we're having a raccoon at the wedding. They give me this look and then hesitantly ask if he will be leashed. LOL! Rocky is a well-behaved stuffed animal. He has promised to be on his bestest behavior so no need for a leash! :-)
Last night, I finally assembled the thing. I had to use tape in some places to reinforce certain parts, but I didn't need any extra cardboard to make it stiffer. Granted, it does seem flimsy without extra cardboard supports, but I think it will be just fine. I'm not planning on doing anything with it except put it on a table and leave it there. I doubt dropping cards into the box's slot is going to threaten its integrity much. Lol!
Anyways, below is a picture of our card box. Our raccoon, Rocky, was hanging out in the background. He'll be at the wedding next to our guest book tree. It's funny when I tell people we're having a raccoon at the wedding. They give me this look and then hesitantly ask if he will be leashed. LOL! Rocky is a well-behaved stuffed animal. He has promised to be on his bestest behavior so no need for a leash! :-)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
My first manicure, pedicure and facial
I've only recently decided that I like getting massages and I've only had 3 or 4 massages so far. I guess you can probably say that I'm not much of a spa goer. A few months ago, my friend convince me to buy a groupon to La Peau Day Spa for their Diamond Facial treatment with mani pedi combo. It was a pretty good deal since the treatments without discounts are $205, but the groupon was only like 65. Since we were still expected to pay tax and 20 percent gratuity on the full amount rather than the discounted price, that brought the total cost up to about $106. So in the end, it wasn't cheap, but it didn't hurt that much because we paid the 65 up front for the groupon and then the rest when we got the treatment.
The staff was pretty friendly and nice though I'm not sure I appreciate all the Chinese being spoken around me. It's not that I don't understand it, I just think it's rude. I've always thought it was rude to be speaking another language around someone who doesn't understand it. Even if you're not talking about the person who doesn't understand, it's not okay because it makes the person left out feel awkward and uncomfortable. As hosts, meaning the staff, you should not be doing that to your guests, meaning the clients. This is something I think a LOT of asians don't get. Anyways, back to the spa.
So we do the facial first. The lady tells me that I will notice a visible difference in my skin after the facial is done. She preps my face with some creams and rubs and then wipes it off before starting on the diamond facial. So I'm guessing it's the "diamond" is machine that she used to scrape a few layers of skin off my face. It didn't hurt and it wasn't uncomfortable. After that, some more creams were slathered on my face and some more massaging. Then she puts on a mask and leaves me in the room for about 25 minutes. This is the part that I really didn't enjoy. I was so incredibly BORED! I wasn't tired enough to fall asleep and there was nothing to do but lie there with the mask on and a wet towel over my eyes. I tried to do some meditating, but I kept feeling the urge to sit up to do it. For some reason, I felt it really difficult to meditate in that room in the position I was in. Anyways, eventually, I took off the wet towel over my eyes and looked around. I started to suspect that every time they wipe my face, they've used a plain, wet paper towel. Anyways, so at the end, she came back and wiped the mask off, put some lotion on and sent me to the mani pedi room.
I went to the bathroom before going to the next treatment and checked out my face. Did it look noticeably better than before? Not really. Looking closer, I don't think the texture got any smoother and I didn't think my scars and other discolorations got any lighter. However, I thought I'd take another look when I get home and see how I feel then.
So on to the mani pedi! First, let me say I am not impressed with their idea of sanitary conditions. The foot bath has rust on the metal parts and I know for sure they don't clean the bath between clients. On top of that the service I got, though friendly, was not the most professional. Part of that is because of all the talking in another language, know there were people who didn't understand, and part of that was feeling like they were paying more attention to chitchatting than actually making sure they didn't get nail polish on my skin. It's not terrible, but I just feel like they could have done a better job. I really didn't feel more relaxed or pampered after the mani-pedi.
So in conclusion, I'd say the experience was not an impressive one. Lol! I might get another facial some day because I think it feels nice when my face is massaged, but I can't say I see any reason to get a manicure or pedicure. Of course, maybe it just wasn't a great experience at this facility. There might be other places that do a better job. I suppose I can give it another shot some other time and see how I feel then. At least, now I can say I've done it!
The staff was pretty friendly and nice though I'm not sure I appreciate all the Chinese being spoken around me. It's not that I don't understand it, I just think it's rude. I've always thought it was rude to be speaking another language around someone who doesn't understand it. Even if you're not talking about the person who doesn't understand, it's not okay because it makes the person left out feel awkward and uncomfortable. As hosts, meaning the staff, you should not be doing that to your guests, meaning the clients. This is something I think a LOT of asians don't get. Anyways, back to the spa.
So we do the facial first. The lady tells me that I will notice a visible difference in my skin after the facial is done. She preps my face with some creams and rubs and then wipes it off before starting on the diamond facial. So I'm guessing it's the "diamond" is machine that she used to scrape a few layers of skin off my face. It didn't hurt and it wasn't uncomfortable. After that, some more creams were slathered on my face and some more massaging. Then she puts on a mask and leaves me in the room for about 25 minutes. This is the part that I really didn't enjoy. I was so incredibly BORED! I wasn't tired enough to fall asleep and there was nothing to do but lie there with the mask on and a wet towel over my eyes. I tried to do some meditating, but I kept feeling the urge to sit up to do it. For some reason, I felt it really difficult to meditate in that room in the position I was in. Anyways, eventually, I took off the wet towel over my eyes and looked around. I started to suspect that every time they wipe my face, they've used a plain, wet paper towel. Anyways, so at the end, she came back and wiped the mask off, put some lotion on and sent me to the mani pedi room.
I went to the bathroom before going to the next treatment and checked out my face. Did it look noticeably better than before? Not really. Looking closer, I don't think the texture got any smoother and I didn't think my scars and other discolorations got any lighter. However, I thought I'd take another look when I get home and see how I feel then.
So on to the mani pedi! First, let me say I am not impressed with their idea of sanitary conditions. The foot bath has rust on the metal parts and I know for sure they don't clean the bath between clients. On top of that the service I got, though friendly, was not the most professional. Part of that is because of all the talking in another language, know there were people who didn't understand, and part of that was feeling like they were paying more attention to chitchatting than actually making sure they didn't get nail polish on my skin. It's not terrible, but I just feel like they could have done a better job. I really didn't feel more relaxed or pampered after the mani-pedi.
So in conclusion, I'd say the experience was not an impressive one. Lol! I might get another facial some day because I think it feels nice when my face is massaged, but I can't say I see any reason to get a manicure or pedicure. Of course, maybe it just wasn't a great experience at this facility. There might be other places that do a better job. I suppose I can give it another shot some other time and see how I feel then. At least, now I can say I've done it!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Memorials at the wedding
Sadly, my fiance lost his grandmother and I lost my grandfather very soon after we found each other and decided to spend the rest of our lives together. Also, the passing of my fiance's father weighs upon my sweetie as we move forward with this happy occasion. They will be missed at the wedding.
So in honor of their place in our hearts, we've decided to reserve a seat in the first couple of rows for my fiance's father and place a single rose upon it. In the reception area, we're planning to have some memorial "candles." I don't like unattended fires, so instead of real candles, we're using battery-operated ones. I downloaded a lace pattern from Martha Stewart Weddings website and printed the pattern on vellum paper. Then the paper ends were taped together to make a cylinder. I trimmed some of the white space off from the top and bottom and attached them together to make a smaller cylinder. The smaller cylinder is a base or platform for the battery-operated tealight. Then the larger cylinder is placed over the tealight.
Here's what it looks like:
So in honor of their place in our hearts, we've decided to reserve a seat in the first couple of rows for my fiance's father and place a single rose upon it. In the reception area, we're planning to have some memorial "candles." I don't like unattended fires, so instead of real candles, we're using battery-operated ones. I downloaded a lace pattern from Martha Stewart Weddings website and printed the pattern on vellum paper. Then the paper ends were taped together to make a cylinder. I trimmed some of the white space off from the top and bottom and attached them together to make a smaller cylinder. The smaller cylinder is a base or platform for the battery-operated tealight. Then the larger cylinder is placed over the tealight.
Here's what it looks like:
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Crocheting a yarmulke
My fiance has a bag of yarmulkes he has collected over the years, some of which he inherited from his father's collection. Certainly, he could just wear one of those for the wedding ceremony, but we thought it would be cooler if I crocheted one. It's a fast project and very simple to do.
On the way to starting the project, we hit a few snags. I don't know what my fiance imagined a crocheted yarmulke would look like, but the pictures I showed him of crocheted yarmulkes made his facial expression say something like, "Ugh!" I was a little taken aback by this since I had already bought the yarn and was ready to start the project. I didn't want to start it after his reaction because I felt like what was the point if he didn't like it? I mean, what did he think it was going to look like? That's just the texture of crocheted items. His sister crochets. Doesn't he know what it will probably look like when I offered to crochet one? I can always just sew a fabric one, which is probably a much faster project, but I hate it when things are sprung upon me unexpectedly.
Anyways, when I saw him balk at crocheted yarmulkes, I unhappily offered to sew him one instead and at the time, he insisted that I stick to my plan of crocheting one and he promises to wear it. This didn't make me feel better about the project. Now I know how he really feels about it and it doesn't make me feel like this is going to be a much loved item. However, his not-so-soothing words means that I can continue with my original plans, which I suppose was some comfort.
Still, as I started on the project, I wasn't happy about it. I just didn't feel like he would appreciate the finished product. So finally, I confronted him about it and he said to send him pictures of the crocheted yarmulkes again. Since I already started on the yarmulke, I told him if he didn't like it, he can wear one from his collection and I'll just finish off what I have and have our raccoon, Rocky, wear it at the wedding. (Rocky is not a real raccoon. He is a stuffed animal and will participate in the wedding because raccoons have special significance in our relationship.) In the end, he again reiterated that it's fine and that he'll wear it if I make it.
In any case, crocheted yarmulkes are really easy to make. I chose a navy blue yarn to keep it in line with our wedding palette of navy blue and lavender. Most tutorials will tell you to chain 4 and the slip stitch the chain closed to make a circle. This will result in a tiny hole at the top, which reminds me of an oculus. Instead, I opted to use the magic circle (at least that's what I think it's called). It's basically a slip knot where the thread you pull to tighten the circle is the tail and you work with the other piece of yarn.
Pattern:
To begin: Make a magic circle.
Row 1: 1 sc into the circle, then tighten the circle by pulling on the tail.
Row 2: 2 sc into each stitch
Row 3: *1 sc crochet into stitch, then 2 sc into next stitch.* Repeat from * to * till end
Row 4: *1 sc crochet into the next 2 stitches, then 2 sc into the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * till end
Row 5: *1 sc crochet into the next 3 stitches, then 2 sc into the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * till end
Row 6: *1 sc crochet into the next 4 stitches, then 2 sc into the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * till end
Keep going with this pattern until you reach the desired size and finish off. Do not chain and turn. Crochet in the round. You may use a stitch marker if you like to mark the first stitch in each round.
Remember to block the yarmulke. You can block it on the back of a bowl or other domed surface. It won't look like a yarmulke until you block it.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Favors
I love getting favors at weddings and I love giving out favors. However, I can't stomach the idea of spending thousands of dollars on favors for one event. The truth is, favors aren't necessary. A friend of mine chose to forgo favors and nobody missed them. Still, it would be nice if we could give our guests a little something extra. I thought about chocolates, but having lots of chocolate delivered during such a hot summer.. well, they might arrive half melted. Eventually, I got sick of thinking about favors that people would like, but wouldn't break the bank. So I had every intention of skipping favors. That is, I had every intention of skipping them until I ate at the Mermaid Inn.
At the Mermaid Inn, you get something called a Fortune Fish after your meal. It's a thin piece of red plastic shaped like a fish that you place in your hand. You wait for it to curl and then read on the packaging what it means, depending on how the fish curled. My fiance and I always have fun playing with the fish, and we often bring it home to play it with again later. So one day, we had dinner at the Mermaid Inn and wondered how much one of those cost.
As it turned out, they don't cost much at all! So then we thought, "Wouldn't it be cool to give these to our guests?" Thus, the idea of using these as our favors was born. It's actually quite appropriate. It's red, which is a symbol of happiness and fortune. It's also a fish, which is a symbol of plentiful food. In Chinese, there is a saying that goes something like, "Every year there will be fish," which means that you will always have food and never starve. That is why a fish dish is traditionally present at weddings and other festive banquets.
Another item is now off my list! If you're curious, I ordered them online from here:
http://www.fortunetellerfish.com/?gclid=CMCrtciMj6MCFZdL5QodETkodQ
At the Mermaid Inn, you get something called a Fortune Fish after your meal. It's a thin piece of red plastic shaped like a fish that you place in your hand. You wait for it to curl and then read on the packaging what it means, depending on how the fish curled. My fiance and I always have fun playing with the fish, and we often bring it home to play it with again later. So one day, we had dinner at the Mermaid Inn and wondered how much one of those cost.
As it turned out, they don't cost much at all! So then we thought, "Wouldn't it be cool to give these to our guests?" Thus, the idea of using these as our favors was born. It's actually quite appropriate. It's red, which is a symbol of happiness and fortune. It's also a fish, which is a symbol of plentiful food. In Chinese, there is a saying that goes something like, "Every year there will be fish," which means that you will always have food and never starve. That is why a fish dish is traditionally present at weddings and other festive banquets.
Another item is now off my list! If you're curious, I ordered them online from here:
http://www.fortunetellerfish.com/?gclid=CMCrtciMj6MCFZdL5QodETkodQ
The guest book
I'm not the biggest fan of signing guest books, mostly because I never know what to write. I'll usually stick to the generic stuff like, "Best wishes" and "Congrats." It's hard to think of something clever and meaningful on the spot. On top of that, just because someone wrote something really sweet in your guest book doesn't mean you'll be friends forever. If we'll be friends forever, we'll be friends forever and no amount of yearbook and guest book signing or not signing will alter the course of our friendship.
Still, having a guest book of some sort isn't a bad thing. There are many versions of the wedding guest book that I've seen. Some asian weddings will have a red silk cloth for people to sign. I'm not sure what happens to this cloth afterward. Many brides opt for a pretty book with blank pages as their guest book. I can certainly go this route but I can guarantee that I won't be touching the book very much after the wedding. So it may very well end up as another object around the house to gather dust, eventually being tossed because it holds no meaning for anybody but me and my sweetie. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's not like I go and read my yearbook very often, but I did get one and I did get people to sign it, and I have no plans to throw it out anytime soon. However, a conventional guest book just doesn't tickle my fancy. So I went searching for something extraordinary online and on Etsy.com.
Some of the things I found were really creative and very pretty. One bride gave each guest a tag with a ribbon attached and when the guests finished signing the tag, they hung the tag on the branches of a tree. On Etsy, I see a lot of hand-bound books and thumbprint trees. The thumbprint tree is basically a poster of a tree drawn or created by an artist and guests use green ink to place their thumbprint on the tree to make it look like leaves. It's a very creative idea, but I don't really want my guests walking around with green thumbs and my fiance doesn't like the idea of fingerprinting all our guests. Eventually, I found an artisan on Etsy that made tree posters, but instead of thumbprints, she printed out leaves for guests to sign. The leaves are stickers and guests, after signing their name, can stick the leaves onto the tree. It fits in perfectly with what we were looking for. It's unique, fun and pretty enough to frame and display somewhere.
If you'd like to see if this something you'd like for yourself, you can check out the Etsy store here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignbyMadison
Still, having a guest book of some sort isn't a bad thing. There are many versions of the wedding guest book that I've seen. Some asian weddings will have a red silk cloth for people to sign. I'm not sure what happens to this cloth afterward. Many brides opt for a pretty book with blank pages as their guest book. I can certainly go this route but I can guarantee that I won't be touching the book very much after the wedding. So it may very well end up as another object around the house to gather dust, eventually being tossed because it holds no meaning for anybody but me and my sweetie. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's not like I go and read my yearbook very often, but I did get one and I did get people to sign it, and I have no plans to throw it out anytime soon. However, a conventional guest book just doesn't tickle my fancy. So I went searching for something extraordinary online and on Etsy.com.
Some of the things I found were really creative and very pretty. One bride gave each guest a tag with a ribbon attached and when the guests finished signing the tag, they hung the tag on the branches of a tree. On Etsy, I see a lot of hand-bound books and thumbprint trees. The thumbprint tree is basically a poster of a tree drawn or created by an artist and guests use green ink to place their thumbprint on the tree to make it look like leaves. It's a very creative idea, but I don't really want my guests walking around with green thumbs and my fiance doesn't like the idea of fingerprinting all our guests. Eventually, I found an artisan on Etsy that made tree posters, but instead of thumbprints, she printed out leaves for guests to sign. The leaves are stickers and guests, after signing their name, can stick the leaves onto the tree. It fits in perfectly with what we were looking for. It's unique, fun and pretty enough to frame and display somewhere.
If you'd like to see if this something you'd like for yourself, you can check out the Etsy store here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignbyMadison
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Qipao
I happen to love qipaos, which is a traditional chinese dress. You know, the one with a mandarin collar and slits up the sides. There are several reasons why I love this dress. First, it's a dress that is very specific to my culture and heritage. Second, it looks really good on asian women! Third, I feel really sexy in it!
The issue with the qipao is that so many touristy, westernized establishments dress their hostesses in qipaos to increase the exotic allure towards westerners that nowadays, you can't wear one without someone trying to order food or some kind of service from you. Horrible, isn't it? I mean, if an Indian woman can wear a sari and a Scottish man can wear a kilt, why can't I wear a qipao without looking like I'm trying to provide a "service?" It is our own fault, as a group, because we have been marketing our services in qipao wrappings. So now, the one time a woman can proudly wear a qipao is at a wedding.
Wedding qipaos are very special. They are usually handmade to the person's measurements. A really good qipao simply cannot be mass produced because it must fit the person perfectly. It is a very form-fitting dress and it takes a bit of skill to make a dress look good on certain figures - like mine! Lol! Unfortunately, nice handmade qipaos can cost from $600 to thousands, depending on how intricate you want it. It's usually made from silk, with bias binding and/or very fine piping along the edges and intricate handmade buttons. A friend of mine was lucky enough to have her mother bring her measurements to a shop in Hong Kong to have it made there and then her mother brought it to the U.S. The qipaos are cheaper if you can get it made in Asia. I am not lucky enough to have an opportunity like my friend's.
As much as I desperately want a qipao for my wedding, I blew most of my dress budget on the white wedding dress last year. So I had to settle for either renting one or making my own. I hate the thought of renting a dress, popular as it is, so I decided to make my own. I had the basic paper pattern cut out, the fabric bought and was just about to embark on another sewing adventure when one day, I decided to visit my mom, who had a great surprise for me!
Apparently, she was recommended a store that sold custom-made qipaos for really cheap. They take your mesaurements at the store and send 5 or more orders at a time to China, where the dress will be made. Then the finished dress is shipped to the U.S. and any last minute alterations will be made here. That's why it's so cheap. It's because they've outsourced the labor. Anyways, when I visited my parents, my mom dragged me out to the store to look at their selection. It wasn't much, but what they had was better than anything my novice skills could have made. I tried on a few different styles and was amazed that even in my current, fattened state, I still looked pretty good. Lol! My mom really wanted the red and gold one they had hanging on the wall. I didn't really like it. I didn't think it was my style at all, but my mom insisted that I try it on. My favorite was actually a black and sparkly purple one, but it's not wedding appropriate. As a bride, I have to be wearing red. So I tried on my mother's choice for me and lo and behold it was perfect! I mean it fit me perfectly as is! Plus I loved how I looked in it! So I bought the qipao right then and there and since it was a stock dress, I didn't have to pay extra for having custom-made. My wedding qipao turned out to be cheaper than if I had rented! Way to go mom! Thanks!
So that's another project I don't have to slave over and another item off my list! Now the thing I'm worried about is if I lose weight. I probably don't have to worry about it since I haven't been able to lose much in the last couple of months, but I am aiming to lose a bit more. There's not that much time left and I didn't have that much to lose to begin with so it may not happen. Still, I'd like to at least have some muscle tone show up before the end. We'll see, I guess.
The issue with the qipao is that so many touristy, westernized establishments dress their hostesses in qipaos to increase the exotic allure towards westerners that nowadays, you can't wear one without someone trying to order food or some kind of service from you. Horrible, isn't it? I mean, if an Indian woman can wear a sari and a Scottish man can wear a kilt, why can't I wear a qipao without looking like I'm trying to provide a "service?" It is our own fault, as a group, because we have been marketing our services in qipao wrappings. So now, the one time a woman can proudly wear a qipao is at a wedding.
Wedding qipaos are very special. They are usually handmade to the person's measurements. A really good qipao simply cannot be mass produced because it must fit the person perfectly. It is a very form-fitting dress and it takes a bit of skill to make a dress look good on certain figures - like mine! Lol! Unfortunately, nice handmade qipaos can cost from $600 to thousands, depending on how intricate you want it. It's usually made from silk, with bias binding and/or very fine piping along the edges and intricate handmade buttons. A friend of mine was lucky enough to have her mother bring her measurements to a shop in Hong Kong to have it made there and then her mother brought it to the U.S. The qipaos are cheaper if you can get it made in Asia. I am not lucky enough to have an opportunity like my friend's.
As much as I desperately want a qipao for my wedding, I blew most of my dress budget on the white wedding dress last year. So I had to settle for either renting one or making my own. I hate the thought of renting a dress, popular as it is, so I decided to make my own. I had the basic paper pattern cut out, the fabric bought and was just about to embark on another sewing adventure when one day, I decided to visit my mom, who had a great surprise for me!
Apparently, she was recommended a store that sold custom-made qipaos for really cheap. They take your mesaurements at the store and send 5 or more orders at a time to China, where the dress will be made. Then the finished dress is shipped to the U.S. and any last minute alterations will be made here. That's why it's so cheap. It's because they've outsourced the labor. Anyways, when I visited my parents, my mom dragged me out to the store to look at their selection. It wasn't much, but what they had was better than anything my novice skills could have made. I tried on a few different styles and was amazed that even in my current, fattened state, I still looked pretty good. Lol! My mom really wanted the red and gold one they had hanging on the wall. I didn't really like it. I didn't think it was my style at all, but my mom insisted that I try it on. My favorite was actually a black and sparkly purple one, but it's not wedding appropriate. As a bride, I have to be wearing red. So I tried on my mother's choice for me and lo and behold it was perfect! I mean it fit me perfectly as is! Plus I loved how I looked in it! So I bought the qipao right then and there and since it was a stock dress, I didn't have to pay extra for having custom-made. My wedding qipao turned out to be cheaper than if I had rented! Way to go mom! Thanks!
So that's another project I don't have to slave over and another item off my list! Now the thing I'm worried about is if I lose weight. I probably don't have to worry about it since I haven't been able to lose much in the last couple of months, but I am aiming to lose a bit more. There's not that much time left and I didn't have that much to lose to begin with so it may not happen. Still, I'd like to at least have some muscle tone show up before the end. We'll see, I guess.
Final thoughts on bouquets, bouts and corsages
So here's a breakdown of my bouquets, bouts and corsages.
- 6 real touch lavender lotuses ($12 each)
- 9 big hydrangea balls ($2 each)
- 1 bag of Marabou feathers ($1.60)
- 50 yards of ivory ribbon ($11)
- 13 cream gerbera daisies ($0.65 each)
- 1 set of mini lotus blossoms ($5)
- bouquet of daisies with 72 heads ($7)
- 20 lavender roses ($0.50)
- 1 reel of navy blue ribbon ($6)
- 1 package of 380 pieces of 20 gauge floral wire ($9)
- floral tape, package of 3 ($3)
- corsage pins for the bouts ($3)
This totals up to about $154.05 without shipping. I'm not sure how much I paid for tax and shipping since my orders usually had other items in it. I estimate that the shipping was about $50 to $60 total. It's a lot, so if buying flowers online, be mindful that tax and shipping can jack up the cost by a third of the price.
Another reason why the shipping and tax was so much is because I bought the flowers from separate places, so I had to pay shipping twice. Putting everything into one shipment is ideal. Try to finagle it so that your stuff comes just under the next cost bracket. If you end up with extra flowers, you can always use it as hair ornaments and/or decorations.
Considering the cost of wedding flowers in NYC can be about a thousand dollars, I'd say spending just over 200 bux on flowers that I can keep for a really long time is a pretty good deal! On top of that, I get exactly the bouquet I want how I want it, and I get to have it done way ahead of time. No worrying about flowers being delivered on time or wilting for me! :-)
As you may be able to virtually hear, I have been and still am patting myself on the back very happily! :-)
- 6 real touch lavender lotuses ($12 each)
- 9 big hydrangea balls ($2 each)
- 1 bag of Marabou feathers ($1.60)
- 50 yards of ivory ribbon ($11)
- 13 cream gerbera daisies ($0.65 each)
- 1 set of mini lotus blossoms ($5)
- bouquet of daisies with 72 heads ($7)
- 20 lavender roses ($0.50)
- 1 reel of navy blue ribbon ($6)
- 1 package of 380 pieces of 20 gauge floral wire ($9)
- floral tape, package of 3 ($3)
- corsage pins for the bouts ($3)
This totals up to about $154.05 without shipping. I'm not sure how much I paid for tax and shipping since my orders usually had other items in it. I estimate that the shipping was about $50 to $60 total. It's a lot, so if buying flowers online, be mindful that tax and shipping can jack up the cost by a third of the price.
Another reason why the shipping and tax was so much is because I bought the flowers from separate places, so I had to pay shipping twice. Putting everything into one shipment is ideal. Try to finagle it so that your stuff comes just under the next cost bracket. If you end up with extra flowers, you can always use it as hair ornaments and/or decorations.
Considering the cost of wedding flowers in NYC can be about a thousand dollars, I'd say spending just over 200 bux on flowers that I can keep for a really long time is a pretty good deal! On top of that, I get exactly the bouquet I want how I want it, and I get to have it done way ahead of time. No worrying about flowers being delivered on time or wilting for me! :-)
As you may be able to virtually hear, I have been and still am patting myself on the back very happily! :-)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Hair flower
I also made myself a hair flower. It's quite easy, actually. Just take a flower and snip the stem as close to the blossom as possible. Using a hot glue gun, add a dab of glue to keep the petals from coming off the stem and then add any leaves, feathers or other adornments to the back. Using a stray leaf or piece of felt or fabric, glue that to the back and then glue a clip to the backing.
Brides bouquet, bouts and corsages
So here are the rest of the photos of the bride's bouquet, bouts and corsages.
Bride's bouquet
Groom's bout
Fathers' bouts
Mothers' corsages
Groomsmen's bouts
The toss bouquet
Bride's bouquet
Groom's bout
Fathers' bouts
Mothers' corsages
Groomsmen's bouts
The toss bouquet
Photos of bridesmaids' bouquets
Okay! So here are the promised photos of the bouquets and bouts!
Step one: Gather all the flowers.
Step 2: Remove the leaves and attach to floral wire.
Step 3: Cut off the lower set of leaves from the roses.
Step 4: Cut stems to desired length.
Step 5: Compose bouquet and wrap stems in floral tape.
Step 6: Fold down a corner of the ivory ribbon and wrap stems. Tape to keep in place.
Step 7: Voila! Finished!
Step one: Gather all the flowers.
Step 2: Remove the leaves and attach to floral wire.
Step 3: Cut off the lower set of leaves from the roses.
Step 4: Cut stems to desired length.
Step 5: Compose bouquet and wrap stems in floral tape.
Step 6: Fold down a corner of the ivory ribbon and wrap stems. Tape to keep in place.
Step 7: Voila! Finished!
Friday, July 23, 2010
The veil
A couple of weeks ago, I finished making my veil. While trying it on in front of the mirror, I realized that I didn't like it. It was too poofy! I went online and bought some more tulle to make another veil, thinking this is going to suck because it's more work!
Then, the seamstress came to do my second fitting. I tried my veil on with it and the seamstress thought the amount of poof fits nicely with the shape of the dress. So then I felt better. Lol! Well, I admit that I welcomed her saying that cause it means I don't have to make another one! I am my own worst critic sometimes.
Again, I promise pictures of the veil will be posted soon. Actually, I'm hoping to post all the promised photos this weekend.
Then, the seamstress came to do my second fitting. I tried my veil on with it and the seamstress thought the amount of poof fits nicely with the shape of the dress. So then I felt better. Lol! Well, I admit that I welcomed her saying that cause it means I don't have to make another one! I am my own worst critic sometimes.
Again, I promise pictures of the veil will be posted soon. Actually, I'm hoping to post all the promised photos this weekend.
Finished with the flowers... mostly.
I didn't have much to do so last night work ended earlier than the previous night's. I made two corsages and one bout. It was tricky figuring out how to do the corsages because I didn't really like how the stems stuck out. I tried to finagle it so the ribbon would cover the stems, but then the flowers were a bit off kilter when tied onto the wrist.
In the end, I resorted to my trusty hot glue gun! After attaching all the daisy blossoms to floral wire and then taping them together, I pulled the lavender rose head off its stem and hot glued it to the V in the daisy stems. The lavender rose head was big enough to cover the daisy stems and I didn't need any additional hydrangea blossoms to cover up any big gaps between the flowers.
The next step was finding a way to attach the flowers to the 2 inches wide navy blue ribbon. I supposed I could have used elastic or one of those snazzy beaded corsage bracelets, but I had ribbon, which is cheap, low-tech and just as pretty. Lol! So since my hot glue gun was still pretty heated up, I just hot glued the flowers to the ribbon. I know it creates a hard spot in the ribbon, but after trying it on, it wasn't noticeable and was still pretty comfortable. I thought about pulling the wire out of the ribbon, as it was a wired ribbon, but the wire was so thin and fine, I didn't find it uncomfortable and so therefore, that extra step was unnecessary.
Now the last thing I have to do is to make a toss bouquet. I don't have anymore lotuses for the toss bouquet, so I'm thinking of just making a bigger bridesmaid bouquet. I suppose I can add in the remaining wired feathers to differentiate the bridesmaid bouquet from the toss bouquet. I haven't fully decided yet. I'm still trying to coast on the fact that I'm mostly done now. Lol!
In the end, I resorted to my trusty hot glue gun! After attaching all the daisy blossoms to floral wire and then taping them together, I pulled the lavender rose head off its stem and hot glued it to the V in the daisy stems. The lavender rose head was big enough to cover the daisy stems and I didn't need any additional hydrangea blossoms to cover up any big gaps between the flowers.
The next step was finding a way to attach the flowers to the 2 inches wide navy blue ribbon. I supposed I could have used elastic or one of those snazzy beaded corsage bracelets, but I had ribbon, which is cheap, low-tech and just as pretty. Lol! So since my hot glue gun was still pretty heated up, I just hot glued the flowers to the ribbon. I know it creates a hard spot in the ribbon, but after trying it on, it wasn't noticeable and was still pretty comfortable. I thought about pulling the wire out of the ribbon, as it was a wired ribbon, but the wire was so thin and fine, I didn't find it uncomfortable and so therefore, that extra step was unnecessary.
Now the last thing I have to do is to make a toss bouquet. I don't have anymore lotuses for the toss bouquet, so I'm thinking of just making a bigger bridesmaid bouquet. I suppose I can add in the remaining wired feathers to differentiate the bridesmaid bouquet from the toss bouquet. I haven't fully decided yet. I'm still trying to coast on the fact that I'm mostly done now. Lol!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Almost done with the flowers!
So I had all the flowers and other floral supplies ready in the apartment, just waiting to be put together. I waited and waited, first playing with this combination and then that combination. Eventually, I decided I just had to get them done already! So I did a bunch last night.
The absolute hardest part was cutting the stems. I had a wire cutter, but it was difficult to use on the really thick wired stems. I had to draft the help of my fiance in the end, but I did most of them myself. All in all, I think they turned out very nicely. I finished the bridesmaids' bouquets, my bouquet, the groom's bout, the groomsmen's bouts and my father's bout. I still have to do one more bout and the corsages for our moms. So I'm mostly done with the flowers. I thought about also doing corsages and bouts for our siblings, but my fingers and hands are bruised right now and the thought of doing another 3 corsages and 1 bout is just too much work right now. Anyways, I'll be posting photos as soon as I get them off my camera.
So for the bridesmaids' bouquest, I used:
- 3 cream gerbera daisies
- one bit hydrangea ball that came with three big leaves
- 4 lavender roses
- floral tape
- floral wire
- ivory ribbon
The first thing I did was pull the leaves off the hydrangea stem and using floral tape, attached them to floral wire. The lavender roses came with two sets of leaves, so I snipped off the ones that were lower on the stem. Those will be used for the bouts. I composed the bouquet and decided to cut the stems about two to three hands' width down from the flower heads. Once the stems are cut, I placed the gerbera daisies into the hydrangea ball and stuck one lavender rose in the middle of the bouquet. With the remaining lavender roses, I bent the heads until they were almost a 90 degree angle, then fitted them to the outside of the bouquet, where there were gaps. They generally ended up against the gerbera daisies. Once that's put together, I wrapped the stems tightly using floral tape. You can tape each stem, one by one, which I did for one of the bouquets, but it takes more time and effort. Once that's nicely wrapped, I fitted the leaves to surround the bouquet and then attached them using floral tape. The last thing to do was wrap the sticky floral tape part in ivory ribbon. I folded the tip down to make a triangle at the end and wrapped the stems going up. Once at the top, I folded the ribbon down again at an angle and wrapped the stems going down. Then I taped the end. I tried to use a corasage pin, but it was too hard to insert.
For my own bouquet, I used:
- 3 hydrangea balls
- 6 lavender lotuses
- and marabou feathers attached to floral wire using floral tape.
I used the same process as the bridesmaids' bouquets. I particularly like the effect of the feathers in the bouquet.
For the bouts, I had to wire the individual blossoms onto floral wire. The groomsmen got one small daisy blossom and two hydrangea blossoms. I used the rose leaves I cut off from before as the backdrop for the flowers. I ended up attaching the blossoms one by one with floral tape. The groom's bout has one larger mini lotus blossom and one smaller mini lotus blossom, 3 hydrangea blossoms and a set of rose leaves. My father's bout is one lavender rose and one set of rose leaves. I have to make another lavender rose bout for my fiance's stepfather.
For the corsages, I'm thinking a lavender rose and two small daisy blossoms with hydrangea blossoms as filler flowers, if needed. I'll need three of these. I'm planning to attach them to navy blue ribbon that they can tie onto their wrists.
Once all this is finished, I'll have some flowers leftover. I'm thinking I can use them in the centerpieces. I'm not sure I'll get around to making centerpieces, but if I have the time, at least I already have some of the supplies. :-)
The absolute hardest part was cutting the stems. I had a wire cutter, but it was difficult to use on the really thick wired stems. I had to draft the help of my fiance in the end, but I did most of them myself. All in all, I think they turned out very nicely. I finished the bridesmaids' bouquets, my bouquet, the groom's bout, the groomsmen's bouts and my father's bout. I still have to do one more bout and the corsages for our moms. So I'm mostly done with the flowers. I thought about also doing corsages and bouts for our siblings, but my fingers and hands are bruised right now and the thought of doing another 3 corsages and 1 bout is just too much work right now. Anyways, I'll be posting photos as soon as I get them off my camera.
So for the bridesmaids' bouquest, I used:
- 3 cream gerbera daisies
- one bit hydrangea ball that came with three big leaves
- 4 lavender roses
- floral tape
- floral wire
- ivory ribbon
The first thing I did was pull the leaves off the hydrangea stem and using floral tape, attached them to floral wire. The lavender roses came with two sets of leaves, so I snipped off the ones that were lower on the stem. Those will be used for the bouts. I composed the bouquet and decided to cut the stems about two to three hands' width down from the flower heads. Once the stems are cut, I placed the gerbera daisies into the hydrangea ball and stuck one lavender rose in the middle of the bouquet. With the remaining lavender roses, I bent the heads until they were almost a 90 degree angle, then fitted them to the outside of the bouquet, where there were gaps. They generally ended up against the gerbera daisies. Once that's put together, I wrapped the stems tightly using floral tape. You can tape each stem, one by one, which I did for one of the bouquets, but it takes more time and effort. Once that's nicely wrapped, I fitted the leaves to surround the bouquet and then attached them using floral tape. The last thing to do was wrap the sticky floral tape part in ivory ribbon. I folded the tip down to make a triangle at the end and wrapped the stems going up. Once at the top, I folded the ribbon down again at an angle and wrapped the stems going down. Then I taped the end. I tried to use a corasage pin, but it was too hard to insert.
For my own bouquet, I used:
- 3 hydrangea balls
- 6 lavender lotuses
- and marabou feathers attached to floral wire using floral tape.
I used the same process as the bridesmaids' bouquets. I particularly like the effect of the feathers in the bouquet.
For the bouts, I had to wire the individual blossoms onto floral wire. The groomsmen got one small daisy blossom and two hydrangea blossoms. I used the rose leaves I cut off from before as the backdrop for the flowers. I ended up attaching the blossoms one by one with floral tape. The groom's bout has one larger mini lotus blossom and one smaller mini lotus blossom, 3 hydrangea blossoms and a set of rose leaves. My father's bout is one lavender rose and one set of rose leaves. I have to make another lavender rose bout for my fiance's stepfather.
For the corsages, I'm thinking a lavender rose and two small daisy blossoms with hydrangea blossoms as filler flowers, if needed. I'll need three of these. I'm planning to attach them to navy blue ribbon that they can tie onto their wrists.
Once all this is finished, I'll have some flowers leftover. I'm thinking I can use them in the centerpieces. I'm not sure I'll get around to making centerpieces, but if I have the time, at least I already have some of the supplies. :-)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Jillian Michaels rocks!
For a while, I was pretty faithful about doing the 30 Day Shred every day with Jillian Michaels, and yes, I was seeing results! Not in terms of weight, but I was getting visible muscle tone in my arms and abs and I was definitely feeling stronger and more fit. Then I got a respiratory infection and was hacking up my lungs every day and night for about two weeks. It's been two weeks since I recovered and I still haven't managed to consistently get back on track. Of course, getting off track for me also meant I lost motivation to watch what I eat and so it was no surprise that I gained all my inches back already.
I decided I really want to do more Jillian Michaels because every review I've read of her DVDs says how much she totally kicks your butt and I admit to having become addicted to an intense workout. It just feels so good, as you're lying on the floor recovering, to know that your ass was beaten down to a sweaty mess! However, after having done almost a month of the 30 Day Shred, I was getting bored of the workouts. I needed some variety if I was to keep my motivation up. So I decided to try the 30 Day Slimdown program. It involves acquiring two more DVDs: No More Trouble Zones and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. I tried the Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism last Friday and I couldn't finish it! Yes, it did feel rather pathetic, but I am looking forward to the day I can say, I did it!
So anyways, I did Day 1 on the program, which starts with Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred and you know what? It felt too easy! Can you believe it? I mean, it was a good sweaty workout and all, but I felt like I could definitely go more intense and push myself harder. This is great! I definitely feel like although I don't feel like I look any better, I still must be improving my fitness to be able to feel this way. Yay! So today is another segment of Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred, but since it was so easy for me yesterday, I think I'll do a Level 2 today.
Here's the 30 Day Slimdown program schedule:
DAY 1 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1
DAY 2 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1
DAY 3 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 4 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1
DAY 5 - BANISH FAT, BOOST METABOLISM
DAY 6 - QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 7 - OFF!
DAY 8 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1
DAY 9 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2
DAY 10 - QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 11 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2
DAY 12 - BANISH FAST, BOOST METABOLISM
DAY 13 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 14 - OFF!
DAY 15 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1 & QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 16 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2
DAY 17 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 18 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1 & 2
DAY 19 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 20 - BANISH FAT, BOOST METABOLISM
DAY 21 - OFF!
DAY 22 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2 & 1
DAY 23 - QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 24 - BANISH FAT, BOOST METABOLISM
DAY 25 - QUICK TROUBLE ZONES & 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2
DAY 26 - OFF!
DAY 27 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES & 30 DAY SHRED LEVEL 1
DAY 28 - BANISH FAT, BOOST METABOLISM & QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 29 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2 AND THEN LEVEL 1
DAY 30 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
I decided I really want to do more Jillian Michaels because every review I've read of her DVDs says how much she totally kicks your butt and I admit to having become addicted to an intense workout. It just feels so good, as you're lying on the floor recovering, to know that your ass was beaten down to a sweaty mess! However, after having done almost a month of the 30 Day Shred, I was getting bored of the workouts. I needed some variety if I was to keep my motivation up. So I decided to try the 30 Day Slimdown program. It involves acquiring two more DVDs: No More Trouble Zones and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. I tried the Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism last Friday and I couldn't finish it! Yes, it did feel rather pathetic, but I am looking forward to the day I can say, I did it!
So anyways, I did Day 1 on the program, which starts with Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred and you know what? It felt too easy! Can you believe it? I mean, it was a good sweaty workout and all, but I felt like I could definitely go more intense and push myself harder. This is great! I definitely feel like although I don't feel like I look any better, I still must be improving my fitness to be able to feel this way. Yay! So today is another segment of Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred, but since it was so easy for me yesterday, I think I'll do a Level 2 today.
Here's the 30 Day Slimdown program schedule:
DAY 1 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1
DAY 2 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1
DAY 3 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 4 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1
DAY 5 - BANISH FAT, BOOST METABOLISM
DAY 6 - QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 7 - OFF!
DAY 8 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1
DAY 9 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2
DAY 10 - QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 11 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2
DAY 12 - BANISH FAST, BOOST METABOLISM
DAY 13 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 14 - OFF!
DAY 15 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1 & QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 16 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2
DAY 17 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 18 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 1 & 2
DAY 19 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 20 - BANISH FAT, BOOST METABOLISM
DAY 21 - OFF!
DAY 22 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2 & 1
DAY 23 - QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 24 - BANISH FAT, BOOST METABOLISM
DAY 25 - QUICK TROUBLE ZONES & 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2
DAY 26 - OFF!
DAY 27 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES & 30 DAY SHRED LEVEL 1
DAY 28 - BANISH FAT, BOOST METABOLISM & QUICK TROUBLE ZONES
DAY 29 - 30 DAY SHRED: LEVEL 2 AND THEN LEVEL 1
DAY 30 - NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES
Friday, June 11, 2010
DIY Cupcake dome and tree
Somehow, I've accumulated a lot of those small soup take-out containers. Apparently, they make great cupcake domes and can be hung or stacked into cupcake tree! That is sooo cool!
http://giverslog.com/?p=7787
http://giverslog.com/?p=7787
A different kind of rice sock
It's really a heating pad filled with rice, but when I saw this, I thought, "rice sock!" There's a bit of sewing involved, but basically, you're taking a big, long pocket and sewing segments into it. Then you fill the pockets with rice. It's just like the rice sock, only a different way of doing it and more work.
http://www.thegreenwife.com/frommetoyou/tutorials/heating-pad-tutorial/
http://www.thegreenwife.com/frommetoyou/tutorials/heating-pad-tutorial/
Postcarden
I totally love this! I would put one on my desk if I could but unfortunately, they don't ship to the U.S.!
http://postcarden.com/
http://postcarden.com/
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