#683: doesn't take much.

photo by raya carlisle via oncewed.

#620: twenty dollars.

that's how much alllll the materials cost. i'm making 5 real bouts plus several other bouts-y type things.

twenty dollars.

holler.

#597: oh for "love & lace".

i was inspired in a major way today by stephanie of love & lace. who i'm starting to feel is kind of most definitely my crafty kindred spirit.

so. i will be constructing a teeny poof of fun color for the guys' bouts. can't wait to get my hands on the goods. that's what she said.

and yes. etsy is addicting. like way.


from etsy seller seven arrows shoppe.



both from etsy seller little vintage violet.


from etsy seller book nook creations.

#593: they sure don't.

he looked so groomy with the ivory tie and white shirt.

kind of made me want to jump him.

#577: i like these.

alrighty. i think this is it. no really.

so. is organza expensive? and where can i find coupons for joann's fabrics?


photo and project by reese dixon via practically married.

for the guys to wear as bouts, of course.

but also for the moms and my best friends. can't wait to adorn them with these.

#573: option #293810438.

via ritzy bee.

#569: got any misprints?

because then you could make some of these.


a flower pin by linda & harriett via the SCOOP.

#562: my first etsy purchase ever.

via tie lab.

and now i can't wait to hear back from bethany (the one who prints each and every tie to order).

anyways, it was way too easy. ha, i laugh at myself for thinking it was going to be hard.

though. now i'm thinking...this could be kind of dangerous.

#546: pins.

llubav via design sponge.

thanks to a comment left by victory bird, i'm now headed towards a different direction for the bouts. and lovin' it.

felt flower pins? never thought of that.

but i'm glad it's been brought to my attention. i mean. this pin would totally have a life after the wedding.

in my hair. or on a dress. or on a bag. or _________.

know what i mean.

#543: bouts.

i thought i needed 5 bouts.

groom: 1
groomsmen: 3
father of the bride: 1

but i think i need 3 more.

groom's brothers-in-law: 2
bride's brother: 1

that's a total of 8 bouts. and i desperately want to get them from myra but i haven't heard from her in almost a month, after i sent her two etsy convos. she's way in demand, i get that, and i know via her recent apologetic posts that she's been super busy.

i would give up altogether but can i just tell you. 3 trips to michael's later and i'm still stumped as to how to get the materials she uses. so. i guess i'll just have to wait.

unless. i decide fabric bouts are the way to go.


diy instructions via once wed.

#531: the colors.

the fiance has chosen the graphic.

so now we're on to the colors. he had initially picked sage. but after he told me he wasn't tied to it (get it?), i suggested dove grey ink on ivory for him (as in the solo shot below) and dove grey ink on charcoal for his boys (tie on the far left in the first picture).

because correct me if i'm wrong. but i figure there's a higher chance that the guys will sport the tie again if the color is more muted than loud.

groomsmen gifts? check.



via toybreaker.

#524: eastside, this is for you.

heh.

actually, it's for me.

actually, it's for the fiance and the boysies.

i asked him to pick a design to be printed. colors TBD. and i didn't tell him to "THINK ABOUT THE THEME". because.

we don't have a theme.

and he picked this one.


via toybreaker.

swoonsers.

#508: the groomsmen.

remember my open letter?

well, i will have to pay close attention to this thread.

#484: okay...

...so, like, maybe i CAN just make these on my own.


martha stewart via auburn & ivory.

#482: next obsession.

i'm getting burnt out on garlands. although, here's another one. made entirely of cupcake liners. couldn't resist.


you are my fave via emilia of auburn & ivory. <-- p.s. love her blog!

anyways, so on to the next collection of inspiration.

lay bouts!





all bouts via twigs & honey.

so i was just going to post these for inspiration but now i'm starting to think that maybe i should leave the bout-making to a professional. and specifically to myra.

what would you do?

#465: oh em gee.

i think i found my centerpiece. mercy me.

step-by-step instructions on once wed. (twice in one day. seriously, emily's awesome.)

imagine all the wonderful table conversations that are waiting to be had around these rock candy (!!!) centerpieces.

"i wonder if this is crystal."
"maybe they're rough cut diamonds."
"i don't know why but i feel like licking one."
"it tastes like candy."
"sweet."
"dude."

oh. and i've also decided to DIY our guys' bouts.

inspired by the uber crafty chelsea of oh my deer.

p.s. i didn't know i would end up wanting to DIY so much. but with 5 months left, and having seriously caught the crafty bug, i'm more than ok with taking these on. in fact, i'm really excited to have found these projects...projects that will definitely help us make the wedding more "us". the aesthetic as it is right now (aka BLANK) leaves much to be desired...so i'm hoping these little handmade bits will infuse a whole lot of us-ness into the day.

it's getting personal.

#446: dear gentlemen...

via eastsidebride.

thanks for agreeing to stand by mr. tto as he commits to yours truly for the next 100 years of his life. good luck mr. tto.

we will not be going the traditional route of renting tuxes. please don your own black suit, white shirt, and black shoes. we will supply the tie.

if you don't have a black suit, let me know and we'll figure something out.

the soon-to-be-mrs.