As Seen on Etsy: USB Typewriter

I was watching the Maker Faire episode of Martha Stewart yesterday and saw too many awesome inventors to count... and then I saw the inventor of the USB Typewriter. And I am still in awe. Jack Zylkin has turned those awesome vintage typewriters we see in so many wedding shoots lately, into totally function keyboards for your computer or iPad! I am head over heels for his idea of mixing two completely different generations into one awesome product. Holy cow! It is quite the splurge to buy an already converted typewriter, but he also offers converter kits if you or your beau are the DIY techy type! If you can afford to drop the time or cash, what an interesting guestbook this would make! The perfect compromise if you love your vintage finds and your fiance loves anything technological. Sound familiar, anyone?

{All Images via USB Typewriter's Etsy Shop}

 Aspiring to Inspire,

Kelly

A Puzzling Pop Art Affair: The Details on the DIY

Yesterday I brought you my entry to the Inspired Creations Contest, where I teamed up with Bellwether Events, Kurstin Roe Photography and Two Brunettes to create a vibrant and super (Ok, I mean really super) fun wedding centered around puzzle pieces and pop art! As promised, I'm bringing you the DIY details on how we created my favorite part of the concept, the placecards turned puzzle keepsake guest book! Here we go!

The Low-down on the DIY:

Our concept had six tables with nine guests per table. Each table got an eight-by-ten puzzle and each guest got a single puzzle piece as a part of it. Of course, you could also design it so that the guests create one larger puzzle instead but for our theme we wanted to have multiple to bring out the pop art vibe.

What we used:

6 8x10 puzzles, Joslin Photo Puzzle Company

Magnetic backing, Michaels

4 White magnetic boards, Ikea

Avery brand Inkjet Magnetic Business Cards, Staples

Magnetic Primer, Home Depot

Canvas, Michaels

Paint Markers, Michaels

1. The Puzzles: We uploaded an engagement photo and turned it into pop art by playing with the colors on Photoshop (you can simplify this by altering the colors on your basic photo editing program, like iPhoto). Each table got a different colored photo. Then we recruited the Joslin Photo Puzzle Company to produce the puzzles. It’s as simple as uploading the photos to their website and choosing the size puzzle you want. With puzzles in hand we affixed a magnet to the back of each individual piece.

2. The Placecards: Carolynn designed a simple placecard to complement our puzzles and sent over the file. We purchased Avery Inkjet Magnetic Business Cards (available online via Staples) to print the placecards on, separated them and voila! Magnetic placecards!

3. The Display: To display the placecards easily and visibly, we used four magnetic white boards from Ikea. You can hang them, lean them against the wall or even place them on easels! A magnetic puzzle was placed on top of each placecard so each guest took both with them to their table.

4. The Guestbook: We bought a large (24 x 36 in) canvas to use as the basis for our guestbook. We laid out the puzzles in the middle and traced around the perimeter to map out the area we needed to magnetize. We put down blue painter’s tape along our lines and painted the inside with magnetic primer (Home Depot). Three coats are required for the best hold and each coat dries in about 30 minutes.

To re-cap how the placecard to guestbook worked... We placed the placecards & individual puzzle pieces on the magnetic boards. Each guest took their puzzle piece to their table where they then assembled the puzzle with their tablemates. The table then collectively placed their puzzle on the magnetized canvas and signed around the border.

Phew, can you handle all that? My favorite part is that both components of the placecards are useful! The card itself is a magnet that you can use on your fridge and the puzzle becomes a keepsake for the couple! There's nothing like being resourceful!

Don't forget, if you love our concept, please take a moment to leave us some love over on EAD by clicking HERE! Have a wonderful weekend!

Aspiring to Inspire,

Kelly

Color Inspiration: Love Letters

It is very rare to receive a true love letter nowadays. Maybe a "love fax," in the words of Carrie Bradshaw? But who wouldn't want to receive a messenger-delivered, handwritten love letter? A girl can dream right? Well, this dream was the inspiration for today's post and I don't think you can find a wedding more inspired by love. I kept it neutral with tan, white and navy and let the romance do the talking.

For the men its simple: navy pants, khaki (or seersucker!) blazer and an adorable little bow tie. Perhaps my favorite find today was this bridesmaid dress- which can be styled in so many different ways. Hello, an actual reusable 'maid gown! Hooray! The "love letter" flower carries a special message and would be fantastic strung on a navy ribbon around the bride's gown. Navy accents, of course, to finish it off!

{1. Couple Shot by Tec Petaja via Once Wed, 2. Love Letter Flower by Emersonmade, 3. Earrings by White Owl, 4. Hat via Anthropologie, 5. Flower Girl Dress Shot via Style Me Pretty, 6. Boy's Blazer by J. Crew, 7. Dress by Butter by Nadia, 8. Shoe Shot via Green Wedding Shoes, 9. Bouquet via Martha Stewart Weddings}

For seating at your ceremony, turn bails of hay or benches into kraft paper-wrapped boxes (or if you can find this fabric, even better)! Kraft gift boxes work for favors too! Ticking stripe linens and sachets on the chairs and a cake as fantastic as this one! Leave a vintage love letter (yes, you can buy just about everything on Etsy) on each table and a vintage mailbox for guests own letters of love and good wishes. You can even put together a scrapbook of memorabilia, letters and photos from the day you met to the day you wed for guests to flip through during cocktail hour. This wedding really is all about celebrating love. True, undying love.

{1. Kraft Paper Fabric via Designer's Library, 2. Ticking Stripe Sachet by Alice's Looking Glass, 3. Handwritten Love Letters via Shop Nancy, 4. Scrapbook via The Society Inc., 5. Mailbox Shot via Ruffled, 6. Cake via This Is Glamorous, 7. Ticking Stripe Table Runner via Style Me Pretty, 8. Calligraphed Envelope via Oh So Beautiful Paper, 9. Kraft Gift Boxes by CDK Designs}

Aspiring to Inspire,

Kelly

Etsy Wedding: Retro Diner Inspiration!

A lot of people live for those special nights when they go out to a 5-star restaurant and order the most expensive thing on the menu... Well, I'm not one of them. In fact, my favorite place to eat may just be a diner. They're often open 24 hours and serve breakfast all day long. Life just doesn't get much better! So today's Etsy wedding was inspired by a retro, 1950s style diner. I decided to veer away from red and do a little black, white and teal and used this image from City Light Photography (Have you entered the giveaway yet?) as my inspiration!

This vintage floral dress is so perfect I could cry-- great for a maid of honor! A little bow action for the bride and flower girl and some record inspired accessories for the whole bridal party (men included)!

{1. Vintage 1950s Dress by LipStick Whisky, 2. Record Cufflinks by Dabble Designs, 3. Record Cuff by Eye Pop Art, 4. Record Bowl by Deliverance05, 5. Flower Girl Dress by Elsje Boer, 6. Bow Dress by ShugaRose, 7. Anemone Hair Clip by DK Designs}  8. Hat Box by Sarah Anntiques, 9. Checkered Bow Tie by Xander Design Shop}

Serve a signature cocktail in vintage coke bottles with a fun striped straw! Set up a photo booth with these diner-style stools and provide tons of records for your guests to sign with their well wishes! Stick to black and white for the florals (couldn't resist throwing in those anemones) and place cards and then pop the table with teal accents-- like plates, napkins and table numbers!

{1. Aqua Stools by Johnny Vintage, 2. Anemone Photo by Kari Herer Photography, 3. Vintage Coke Bottles by My Sweet Savannah, 4. Vintage Cadillac Ad by Arcanium Antiques, 5. Toy Record Player Print by City Light Photography, 6. Place Cards by The Posh Event, 7. Record by Mod Podule Vintage, 8. Wall Phone by Zen Hen, 9. 1950s Radio by Johnny Vintage}

Giveaway Reminder!! See that fantastic record player photo? YOU could win a print of it (or another of your choice!) in our giveaway from City Light Photography! Click HERE to enter!

Aspiring to Inspire,

Kelly

Weddings, Etc.: Creative Guest Book Alternatives

Confession... I don't like guest books. Guests don't like them (I know I'm not the only one here!) and couples just tuck them away on a bookshelf or in a box labeled "Wedding Stuff." Well, that isn't the case any longer. Guest books are no longer just books but can be pieces of art and decor for your home and I couldn't be happier to bring you a few of my favorite guest book alternatives for this edition of Weddings, Etc.

Type It, The Old Fashioned Way... If your middle name should be vintage, than your guest book should be a typewriter. A vintage typewriter that is. Etsy is brimming with them and vintage aficionados have begun to put these near extinct type tools to work at their weddings. Not only does it make a great prop, but if you find a working one (see these Etsy gems below), guests can type their message for a unique way to send their well wishes.

{From Left: Typewriter Guest Book Photo by Olivia Leigh Photographie via Ruffled, Manual Typewriter by Thrifty Lucy via Etsy, Corona Typewriter by Old World Order via Etsy}

Paint It... I saw this next idea in Modern Bride a few years ago and it's probably my favorite idea on here, especially if your a creative couple. For this fascinating alternative, your guests won't write their well wishes on paper, but rather collectively contribute to a painting, each painting a square on a gridded image. This is so fun for a cocktail hour activity and makes a great piece to hang in your home post-nuptials. Artistically arrange the paintbrushes and provided fun paint colors, like these eco-friendly options from The Bees Knees.

{From Left: Guest Paint Project via One Love Photo, Paint Brush Display via Apartment Therapy, Eco-Friendly Paint by The Bees Knees}

Write It, With A Twist... If you still like the idea of a guest book then consider doing this: replace the traditional book with a coffee table book. Let me explain... Purchase a coffee table book on a topic you and your fiance like, see a few suggestions below, and have your guests sign inside the cover. Then you have an interesting book to place in your living room, rather than a small one nobody will be looking to pick up.

{From Left: Vanity Fair: The Portraits: A Century of Iconic Images, Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips, A Passion for Blue and White, Italy From Above}

DIY It... Not interested in those I pictured above? Well here's a few little DIY projects (and other ideas) that can also work fantastically for remembering the loved ones you shared your celebration with. Wedding wish trees are very popular right now. Try this DIY wedding wish tree  or this twist on one from Lovli Day. Martha Stewart offered an idea that isn't so much a guest book, but an interactive way for guests to remember and reveal when they first met you by placing flags (with their names) on the year you were first introduced. 

And this last idea (far right) is very different, a little pricier, but can act as a memory that hangs somewhere besides your wall. It's a chandelier from Pottery Barn, that comes with just the bare bones-- and 35 clips. The purpose? They suggest hanging photographs or holiday cards, but I immediately thought "Guest Book." Why not provide different sized cards on different delicate papers (It comes with a few, but I recommend crafting your own) where your guests can say their thoughts and clip it to the chandelier. What a great conversation piece in an office, guest bedroom or even your dining room if your daring enough!

{DIY Manzanita Wish Tree via Wedding Chicks, Flag Conversation Starter via Martha Stewart, Wedding Tree by Lovli Day via Etsy, DIY Chandelier by Pottery Barn}

Aspiring to Inspire,

Kelly