Affordable DIY Magnets

A lot of the WBC Brides have asked for instructions to make these magnets, which I used for my Save the Dates. It was really very simple.


Supplies:
1) 8 1/2 x 11 magnet sheets - Purchased from Oriental Trading Company
2) Card Stock - Mine measured 5 x 7 to fit into the envelopes I purchased. I bought the card stock at Michael's
3) Photo Corners - Michael's
4) Ribbon - Silver and White - Michael's
5) Glossy finish printer photo paper - Wal-mart
6) Hole punch

I designed The magnet in Microsoft Publisher measuring 3 x 4 and printed them on the photo paper. I cut out the "picture" using my fiskars paper cutter and set them aside. Then I cut the magnet sheets (they are peel and stick) using a heavy duty paper cutter at staples to also measure 3 x 4. The I peeled the paper off the magnet to expose the sticky side, slapped the picture on there and voila! A save the date magnet! I affixed the magnet to to the card stock using the photo corners and used the hole punch to make holes for the ribbon.

I hope this helps you guys!

Wedding Errands.......25 Days

Today I spend many hours writing in purple ink :-)

I FINALLY wrote out my Bridal Shower thank you notes and designed, printed and mailed out my rehearsal dinner invites.


I made the photo-card thank you notes on Shutterfly. I just wrote a quick thank you on the back. I am going to see all of these people in a little over three weeks anyway.

Even though I have to work for the rest of the week, I have a lot to do before Kyle and I go skiing this weekend. I have to get good ski gloves, that is absolutely essential since my fingers get really cold really easily. Even though we are in southern cali, we will be around snow, which from what I remember, can be quite cold haha.

We are going up early Saturday morning and I am having a lesson before we try and go out together for a half day Saturday then a full day Sunday. Kyle has been skiing a lot more then me (this will actually be my first time on skis) so it should be quite the experience.

When we honeymoon in New Hampshire we are going to ski for two or three days at Attitash which is a much bigger mountain then the one we are going to this weekend. I hope I can make it, baby steps...

Jeff Dunham...I Kill You!! 26 Days

Today I was supposed to work a 12 hour shift at the hospital but the census was low so I was sent home at 3. I was excited to get home and spend some time with Kyle because he had the day off. I made fajitas and we had a nice dinner together.

Then we curled up in front of the TV and watched the Jeff Dunham Christmas Special. Jeff Dunham with his great stand-up and awesome ventriloquist skills will always hold a special place in my heart because we went to see him live the day we got engaged.

He proposed, and Achmed blew up....if that doesn't spell life long commitment I don't know what does.

26 Days until I'm married! Today I e-mailed my DJ and my photographer...Tuesday I am making wedding programs.....

Christmas Stocking....27 Days

Thanks Grandma Doris!

Kyle's Grandma made me a Christmas Stocking. It was a wonderful thing to come home to after a 12 hour shift at work. When I called to thank her she said that everyone in the immediate family gets one, and now it was my turn!



27 Days until I am married.......

It's the most wonderful time of the year...28 Days

Today was great, right after we woke up we had a relaxing breakfast then we went to Balboa Park. I wanted to test out my new digital camera and there are really beautiful Gardens in the park. Not to mention that the day after Christmas in San Diego is in the mid-60s with a bright sun shining!

Here are some pics from the Greenhouse...

Cool Palm Tree!

A guy randomly walked up to us and asked if we wanted a picture with the two of us. Yay for Christmas Spirit!

Love my camera!

28 Days until I am married. When we went home we made a big to-do list of stuff for the wedding. I have to start making menus soon! Menus and place cards and programs oh my!

Merry Christmas! 29 Days

This Christmas was one of the best, even though we couldn't be with our families. Christmas Eve I worked and brought in sugar cookies for all of the Nurses and Nurses aids I work with, they were big hit!

Christmas Morning Kyle came home around 9am (he had to sleep on the ship Christmas Eve) and we made huge cinnamon rolls and opened presents on the floor around the Christmas Tree. We got loads of wonderful presents and kyle got me a....drum roll....

A NEW DIGITAL CAMERA!!!

Its a Sony Cyber-shot 8.1 mega pixel camera, and it's PINK!

It will be put to good use when we go skiing next week!

Good Shots from the morning.....

Presents!

Peeking from Wrappings

Watching over Christmas Morning

My turn to open the gifts!

we're tired from all of the present opening......

29 Days Until I am married.......

Christmas!!!!

The big christmas tree at the mall near my house

I can't believe that Christmas is a few hours away! Tomorrow I am making a big dinner for Kyle. Ham and sweet potatoes! One of our friends is also coming over for movies, hot chocolate and board games!

I gave out my sugar cookie-cut outs today at work with the Dels mix I got from home.

My parents called and left me a musical Christms voicemail, it almost made me cry. Not being at home is really hard around Christmas time...Maybe next year.

Feliz Navidad everyone!

Experimenting with the cell phone blogging

My back porch in the snow......I miss snow.....



(sent from my black-jack)

Christmas Gifts...and cookie dough

Zachary by the fire...

Today I spend almost all morning out and about getting Christmas gifts for people. I have almost everyone bought for except my mom, she's hard! but I'll never tell what I got....

I also made cookie dough for sugar cookie cut outs which I will put together later on this week. Recipe from Heather Drive.

Now I'm going to make some royal icing to frost them tomorrow. I'll post some pics later.

Kyle is wrapping gifts by the fire....life is good

Early Christmas Present.....sort of

So I got a lot of Bed Bath & Beyond Gift cards for my Shower. The only problem? Everything I wanted on my registry was already bought as well! So I really didn't know what to spend all of the gift cards on.....there was only one thing left that I really really wanted



I will make delicious delicious cookies with you.....my out of pocket expense..... $50

Life is sweet.......

I didn't fall off the face of the earth

So I went to Rhode Island, and now I am back again, I just got back from a long day back to work and I promise myself that I will update my blog DAY-BY-DAY so you guys will know about my trip home. I gotta tell you it will take awhile (so of course i'm putting it off)

the project starts tomorrow......

Flight Back home and Christmas Tree

The flight back home was BRUTAL, I left at 2pm Rhode Island time and got back 9pm California time (which is really 12am in Rhode Island). Kyle came and picked me up then we came back to our apartment, the cats were there to greet me and the whole apartment smelled like pine......yay!

We put up our lights outside and on the tree. Some of the lovely ladies at my shower sent us ornaments for our Christmas tree (good thing about having a shower in December) so those went up as well.

Our Christmas Tree!!!

Our first Christmas!!!!!!

BEST ORNAMENT EVER!!!!!!!

Bridal Shower

Hopefully these pictures will make up for the fact that I didn't take any other pictures all week...haha

Three out of five bridesmaids, Kate, Lisa and Kelly,
and me with my bow bouquet on my head

My Family (and future family) : Me, Grandma, My mom (black),
Lynn-kyle's mom (red), Aunt Claudia, Kelly-kyle's sister

Me and lisa

The whole crowd

Kate opening up a mini champagne bottle, I love the fresh fallen snow outside....

Me, Mary-Beth (white) and Amanda (red)

My Aunt Claudia and My mom's good friend, Margaret

Lisa (brown) Kate (green)

My lovely Grandmother and My good friend Elena

Me, My Grandma, and Mrs. Beltz (host)

The shower was incredible, I got so many wonderful gifts and it was really great to see everyone. The favors my mom made were so cute! Mason jars filled with all of the dry ingredients for chocolate chip cooked. The labels were titled "Lovin' from the oven." All in all an amazing day with some amazing women, thanks to everyone!

URI-PC another one bites the dust

66-65, man!

and it happened again, we were ahead THE ENTIRE GAME until the last 5 minuites, then they passed to Jimmy and he missed......man!

but the game itself was really fun anyway. It was up in Providence at the Dunk and I went with two of my Bridesmaids, Lisa MOH and Katie.

After that we went to dinner with adam, chris and haley at Mews Tavern (delicious!) then to rock and bowl with the whole gang

Bridal Shower tomorrow!

And they shall eat CAKE!

So today I had my second dress fitting and (WOO HOO) after 5 months it still fit like a glove, the hem works perfectly with the shoes I got! it's just perfect!

So after that trip to Davids Bridal I went to Cappuccino's and booked them to make my wedding cake. It is going to be 4 tiers with a swiss dot pattern, white cake with chocolate and raspberrybutter cream. I'm telling you it's the best cake I ever tasted!

and again, i didn't take a picture.....man i suck!

Big Day of meetings....

So I'm going to just map out my day today timeline style because so much happened I can't even keep it straight

10 am: Meeting with wedding ceremony organist. My organist Ann, has been the organist at my Church at least ever since I started going there in the seventh grade. I worked with her when I was in bell choir in high school and when I was the "choir mom" for the youth choir there my junior year in high school. We walked through the ceremony and I provided her with the list of music that I am thinking of using. She mentioned the use of a soloist and I immediately remembered my friend Chris had mentioned that he wanted to sing way back before I moved to San Diego. I decided to call him as soon as we were done at the church.

Ann and I finalized the music choices and she played examples of them to make sure I was happy with them, and I was! She is so talented and I am very excited to have her play. The we hugged and she gave me a bridal shower gift! YAY

11 am: Meeting with Minister. My Church minister, along with Kyle's minister at her church and my Grandfather (who is a retired minister) are all presiding over my ceremony. (People are joking that we are going to be married three times over!) We went over the ceremony piece by piece and got a rough outline completed. My grandfather will be doing the vows and the rings, Kyle's minister will be doing the opening prayer and My church minister will be doing everying else...confused? haha It will all make sense that day, and it will be beautiful.

1230 pm: quick lunch at McDonald's on the way to the florist. Called Chris and he will be happy to sing at the wedding...YAY!

1 pm: Metting with the florist. Everyone has flowers now yay! My bouguet is white and cream roses, white lillies, hydrangeas and dark purple orchids.....man I wish I took a pic of the example she made for me......damn

2 pm: Dropped by the hair stylist to pay the deposit and book the appointments for me and my five girls

3 pm: First cake testing at fatulli's bakery in Middletown. Fatulli's has made my graduation cake for my highschool and college graduation. It my profile pic the massive cake I am standing next to was my chocolate strawberry cake from my graduation from nursing school. The cake was amazing of course.

4 pm: back at home for a nap

6 pm: out for drinks with my friend Laura, my best friend (and best man) brian also was flying in that night from GA to visit and he met us out for drinks too yay!

1130: ASLEEP

quite the day huh? but now I have a wedding planned!

Mom's Dress and My shoes

So today was an "extra" day for me because originally I was planning on using this day as my travel day before I changed my flight to suprise Lisa. So I was going to go up to Fall River and look for some shoes to match my wedding dress.

First stop was Party Dress express in Fall River Mass, which was where I have gotten dressed for Kyle various military balls in College. It actually turned out to be a good idea for my mom who came with me, because she ended up finding a dress that she really liked. Its dark blue with a really cute matching jacket. too bad I'm a loser and forgot to take a picture of it......

Flight home and LISA!!!!

So today I might the 7 hour trek home, complete with a two hour layover in Chicago midway. That airport is actually not at bad as a thought, I guess all of the nightmarish stuff I have herd about Chicago's airport is O'hare.

So anyway my dad had to work teaching students that night so it was just my mom at the airport. It was so nice to walk down the stairs and give my mom a big hug

then we went outside.....BRRRRRRR I forgot how cold it is in Rhode Island in December! haha 5 months in San Diego has turned me into a total wimp.

I went home and said hi to my dad and brother, then showered the airplane off of me and got into my old 97 carolla to drive to my old local hang out O'Brien's to surpirse lisa.

I called her when I got there and pretended I was on a break from work and called to say hi. She actually went outside because she could hear me and I went over and was like "hey!" on the phone. She looked up and gave a huge hug. It was really nice to be there and surprise her. All of the usual crowd was there. Five minuites after I walked in the door Grace started throwing quarters down my shirt

It feels good to be home.......

ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!

Rhode Island HERE I COME!!

Honeymoon Hotel Booked!

So I just got off the phone with the Inn at Thorn Hill in Jackson New Hampshire, where Kyle and I will be spending our Honeymoon! We are going up for 4 nights after our wedding to ski and cuddle by the fireplace (we have one in our room!) Attitash Ski resort is 10 min away and next door is a really cute lake for ice skating and sleigh rides. We wanted to go somewhere wintery since snow pretty much doesn't exist

They grow up so fast don't they

This was taken on Sept 1st 2008


And this was taken this morning , barely three months later


They got so big really quick huh? More to cuddle with (and more to be a pain in the ass haha)

60 Days, and Jobs

There are only 60 days left until I get married. And between that there is Thanksgiving (this week oh my) and Christmas! And I go home to Little Rhody in 8 days!!!! I can't wait for that. I am going home for 6 days and in that time I am meeting with

the florist

the pastor

the organist

the baker

...the candlestick maker...haha just kidding!

But seriously it is going to be a packed couple of days. I still don't have shoes to wear so I want to go shoe shopping during that time as well. There is a huge shoe wearhouse in the boston-metro area around 1.5 hours away from my RI house so I am thinking about going there as well.

I also need to find another suitcase to bring home with me for the bridal shower gifts. YAY my bridal shower is next week!!!!!!!!.

So about my job, it's been going well so far. I have officially been working for Scripps Health for 3 months, and it's been O.K. I am working as a medical surgical nurse, which basically is just a way for me to collect a pay check. Dont get me wrong I like to learn and I like the people I work with, I just never wanted to work with this patient population. I wanted to be in a more critical area of nursing, and I think I want to work with newborns and neonates. So I have decided to stay at my current job for the next year (while kyle is deployed) so with my next job I will have I year of experiance and no longer will be labeled as a "new grad." From then I think I want to go to a Labor and Delivery Floor, or possibly a NICU. Over the last couple of months I have decided that I think

DIY Photo Frame Card Box

Last night I made the card box for the wedding. You can get directions for it on Heather's Blog Road to the aisle. I think it came out pretty good. This Saturday Kyle and I are taking one of our friends, Jess, to Balboa Park to take some pictures for the card box and for our signature matte. The after that we're going to see TWILIGHT!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

So right now in the pictures the photo frames are the generic flower pot that came in the frames when I bought them at Michaels. I still need to get a lazy susan for the bottom of it so it can rotate.

Next task is ordering the favor boxes so I can add the message inside. The guests are getting boxes filled with purple and silver Hershey Kisses. On the bottom I'm going to put a little message like "a box full of kisses from the Mr. & Mrs." very cute, and just a little cheesy....

What the F....?

I have two days off from work so I have decided to be productive and make my aisle runner monogram. My church doesn't allow the use of the aisle runner for liability reasons so I am thinking of using it as a sign for our table or for the cake table. Or for the buffet line, but i'm not sure I want 180 some odd pairs of feet walking on it.

Today I designed the monogram, printed it and traced in onto the aisle runner I purchased weeks ago from joanne's fabrics. I am finally done painting the purple F.

UPDATE** I finished it!! Here it is!!!!!

A nose in need.....

I have a cold......bah!

I woke up this morning without the ability to breath out of the right side of my face, I hate feeling sick.

I don't think I am that sick enough to call out of work, but if I get any worse I might call out tomorrow. Right now I think the affrin nasal spray and halls i'm sucking down are helping....slightly.

I went to the post office today to mail out the invitations. People should start recieving them by the end of the week. Next two DIY projects are the sign for the cake table and the signs for some of the bridesmaids gifts. I want to finish the sign by

Sweet Sweet Acomplishment

That right there, is 110 cut, scored, embossed, glued, folded, sealed, and stamped invitations!

What an amazing feeling to have them almost done!

Day Trip to Julian California

So today kyle and I drove up north to Julian CA for lunch and to check out the town. It was about 1 10min drive up north so we left early in the morning to get there around 9:30 10:00. It was really nice to spend the day together because usually we are working so much that we rarely get to spend the day together. We both wanted to take advantage of this weekend we both had off.

The town itself is really small and quaint. It has like one main road with a general store and a few shops. The town hall is reminisant of a one room school house and the entire town is nesteled in the mountainside, very postcard old New England, made me miss home.

So I guess Julian is famous for its apples, everything is apple themed there. So we made sure to get some apple pie, apple cider, and we bought some apple butter to take home! All in all it was a really nice day, we had lunch, went to a local winery and did some wine tasting, then did a hike on one of their nature preserves near their apple orchards.

Julian Cafe, where we had lunch, and the BEST APPLE PIE EVER!

Caramel Apples we had to stare at while waiting for a table, what a tease....

THE BEST APPLE PIE EVER!!

Where we went on our hike, sound kind of ominious huh?

View of the apple orchards from the top of the hill

Me! (with my eyes closed...oh well)

Come Fly with me....

Last night Kyle and I bought our plane tickets to go home for our wedding in January. I am soo excited I can't even stand it. In a little less than three months we will be married!

Only 27 days left until I go home to visit!! I haven't been home since I moved in June. (which is a while considering I have never been away from home for that long) Don't get me wrong, I love living in SD, but I miss RI too, I want to go home and hug my family! and see my old buddies! 27 Days!!!!

I am excited because one of my old friends from High School (and the best man at our wedding) will be in town the same time as me! I was a little concerned about going home so early in December because I know most people will go home over Christmas, only this year I can't take a lot of time off because I am saving all of my vacation time for my wedding. So it will be nice to have someone to hang out with

This is our answer america!

"If anyone has doubts, tonight is your answer"

So we have a new president! Barack Obama! Our nations first African American President, a voice of change.

I couldn't be happier. We made history on Tuesday, thanks to everyone who helped make it happen.

I was also really pleased with John McCain's speech that night, you know, both candidates really did a good job with this campaign. Too bad one of them chose a complete dingbat as their running mate, better luck next time Republicans!

Kyle and I watched the election coverage together, I made black bean and corn quesadillas and worked on invitations while we were watching MSNBC. We are hoping to have them done by saturday....here's hoping!

Yesterday I went to the post office to buy the postage for the invites. $120.00 later I walked out

GO OBAMA

I am glued to MSNBC, I can't do anything else.

I am waiting to crack open a beer and toast our next president.

Barack Obama.

Like my mother told me this morning....it's time for a breath of fresh air to travel through this country....

GO OBAMA!!!!!!!

Bridal Necklace

Here is the Necklace I bought yesterday to wear at the wedding, kind of a weird pic I know but I wanted to show how it falls on my neck, beautiful no?

Long Week

Yeah so I haven't had time to post because work has been RIDICULOUS and all of my free time has been spent on the invitations. I am excited to say that they are actually kind of close to done.

My next project is the Aisle Runner for the cake table and the DIY painted letters. I need to think about what I want to do with my hair as well as decide on a centerpiece floral arrangement.

I am going to post pics of my invitation

No work!

So I got the day off. I spent most of it embossing the response cards.....74 and counting. I did get the grocery shopping done and my meals planned for the week.

It was nice to have a random day off today to get stuff done. I'm going to try and get to bed earlier tonight (like before 1am) so I can get a workout in before work tomorrow.

No work??

So work just called and told me I might not have to come in today because the patient census is low. So now I have to hang around the house for 4 hours and if they call, I have to go in

but if not.....yay unexpected night off!!


So obviously I am going to probably end up at staples to get my invitations cut

I have been busy embossing the Reception Cards today....24 and counting....

a snapshot.....





I'll post later to let you know what happens with work, keep your fingers crossed!

Invitations!!!! ARG

So I have been hard at work (for what feels like forever) at the invitations for my wedding in January. I am hoping to have the insert cards done and printed this week. We'll see what happens...

I wanted to post pics of what I have done so far....(again thanks for the amazing instructions Heather!)

This is the completed pocketfold. Instructions can be found at www.roadtotheaisle.blogspot.com

Inside of the pocketfold. I have 111 completed but I think I might need more, so of course I need more paper. :-)

These are the belly bands. These took me most of the week. I have 120 completed.

This is my first draft of the invitations. Notice my fixed spelling error :-D. I need to finalize the time before I print them out and take them to staples to get cut. Our names were blacked out for privacy.

These are really similar to Heather's Aqua Invites, but I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them on her blog. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? :-)

Like I said. The project for this week is to finish the