Drool Worthy Dresses the Spring 2010 Line

(Amsale)

(Alfred Angelo)

(Vera Wang)

(Monique)

Mmmkay, I know I'm not in the business but the 2010 bridal collections have me drooling... Which designer had your favorite collection?

I DO Letters

I got such a great feedback for these letters at my bridal show, and they are really easy and inexpensive to make! They give a great wow for your decor. Similar letters can sell for 10-15 per letter and up!!

Items Needed

• Wooden Letters (I find mine at Michael's, but Wal-mart and Hobby Lobby has them)
  
• Scrapbooking Paper of your choice


• scissors


• adhesive (I use Martha Stewart's all purpose gel adhesive with the sponge applicator)

**You can also use Mod Podge which protects the paper and creates a decoupaged shiny look.

Here we go (Approximate Time of Project 5 minutes per letter)

Clean your letters of all dust and debris with a dry towel

Trace the letter on the side of the scrapbooking paper that you don't want to use. I usually trace my letter face down on the opposite side of the paper to give a clean edge on the other side.
Cut your paper along your guidelines (feel like a first-grader again, good!! This project brings out the kid in you, my 8 year old often times helps with it!!) It was too hard to cut and take pix so I am showing the cute cut out!

Apply the glue to the letter

Stick the paper on the letter

Voila! You've just made customized letters for your wedding.

These also look good as wall hangings for your living room, children's rooms, and candy buffets!! Are any of you ladies willing to take the letter challenge? I'd love to see how you make this project your own and become a frugalista, because remember, it's chic to save!!

(Photo courtesy of pb kids. These are wood, but you could fake it with great paper)

(Taken from The Knot, these appear to be painted, but again with great scrapbooking paper it can be faked)

Here are letters taken from my living room to make sure they look okay (excuse the crooked letters, I promise I didn't leave them like that!!)

COUPONS!!!

I have discovered another obsession, I LOVE clipping coupons!! Today I had to grocery shop and over the last two weeks I clipped coupons from my Sunday paper, well I saved a whopping $15.38!!! Can you imagine if every two weeks I save that amount? That is like 360 per year!! Every little bit ads up! M just grinned because of my utter excitement with the coupon clipping!! I also received my deposit check back from the utility company (we've recently moved). So the moral of this post is NEVER forget to update your address with the utility company AND make sure you clip coupons, even .55 helps!! It's still your .55 cents! It may not seem like a lot, but I'm sure no one has ever passed up two quarters sitting on the ground, how about a dollar bill? I didn't think so, coupon clipping gives me the same satisfaction! It's like found money!!

Do you clip coupons? What is the most you've ever saved?

I love Aqua and Poppy!!!

I love this color scheme and think it would be so fun and vibrant with other brights added into it!! The center picture is courtesy of Amour Toujours Event Design (yes, that's me!!). The forgeous invites are courtesy of Moira Events. The other pictures have been gathered through my perusal of the internet over the months, etc. If any are yours, feel free to let me know, and I'll give credit where it's due. I think this would be perfect for a 4th of July bbq or picnic or a summer/spring wedding. Heck if done right it can slide right into winter/fall with white faux fur and a bit of bling. What do you think of the aqua and poppy color scheme? Is it a trend or a great twist on a classic?

The most wonderful time of the year!!

It's almost Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!


My mommy is Mrs. Christmas herself! And I love love love love Christmas! For me it brings to mind my sister and I acting like 4 year olds under the tree looking for our gifts and watching my son, nephew and niece open their gifts and the look of sheer pleasure and amazement on their faces, not to mention my mom's yummy Lemon Meringue Pie (I keep asking for the recipe and every year my mom forgets. It's hilarious and a family tradition for me to ask, her to forgot and then the yummy pie show up on our table and me to hoard it from everyone else). I totally give the evil eye when someone tries to take a piece....

Since I am the self-proclaimed Mocha Frugalista, I can't fathom purchasing store brought Christmas cards, I mean where's the frugality in that? I am totally DIY'g my own Christmas cards this year with an embossing tool and other items bought from (you guessed it) Michael's! But of course, I'll use my coupons to get the best deal of all because as David's Bridal says "It's chic to save" and well I must be the chic-est of 'em all! I will be using the below video tutorial to make my cards. I am pretty sure I'll be passing on the water color portion though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJXKkLmiSFk

I am also uber excited because M and I will also be traveling all the way from Louisiana back home! My mom called today to say that she has reserved our hotel room (isn't that a great gift?!) And she gushed about the room, so I can't wait to see! We will be spending two wonderful nights and three days at home! And it's M's very first visit home with me, Lord I hope he isn't intimated by our Biggie Sized Family!

Do you all have any holiday rituals? Are you DIY'g any crafts or gifts in lieu of buying a more expensive counterpart? Have you started thinking about it yet?

Frugalista Worthy Treat Bags

These adorable treat bags can be used for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's day, Easter, or as a great fun DIY project for your wedding favors

Easy Halloween Treat Bags *these are also great for favor bags*

Total time: Approximately 30 seconds per bag

Make sure you check the Sunday's paper for the coupons for Michael's or your receipt from your last purchase. There are usually 40% off coupons in Sunday's papers and sometimes your receipt will have a coupon as well. Also check the sales ads for Michael's and Hobby Lobby because their seasonal stamps, etc oftentimes go on sale!!

What you'll need:

• White/Brown sack lunch bag (Wal-mart, usually 1.00-2.00 for 50)
  
• Pumpkin or Seasonal Stamp (Hobby Lobby with a 50% off coupon 2.00)
  
• Ink pad (I used Giant Ink Pad from another project, 2.50 Hobby Lobby)


• Scissors with a fun edge (2.00 Michaels)

This will be the easiest project EVER!! And is so darned cute for the kids' in the classroom or the guests at your event if you decide to use it as a favor bag for your cookie, candy, or popcorn buffet.

1. Use your nifty scissors and cut about an inch to three inches depending on the size of your stamp and how many items you are putting in the baggies.
   




2. Press your stamp firmly into your ink pad







3. Press your stamp firmly and evenly onto your baggie



4. Don't worry if the image wasn't perfect, it brings more character and cuteness into your bags.
   
5. Fill your bags with goodies. These will be used for my son's classroom as Halloween treat bags so they will be filled with rubber Halloween rings (50 for $1.00 from Dollar Tree) and other yummies from Sam's.

Martha has these too!! However, she doesn't use the scissors and prefills the bags with candies, folds it over with a paper cord in the fold, and uses double sided tape to affix it... another great way to make an EASY and affordable favor bag!

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/good-things/stamped-bag-favors?&backto=true&backtourl=/diy-favors?&contentid=4388c5f0ba381210VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD#slide_12

I am the 1st Featured How (Housewife of the Week)

I'm soo excited!! Yours truly has been featured as The Harvard Housewife's First HOW (Housewife of the week! Check her blog out and see me in all my fabulousness!!!

Smoochies!
http://www.harvardhousewife.com/2009/10/featured-how-housewife-of-week.html

Jumprope for hearts

My son is so excited. He is participating in the jump rope for hearts campaign at his school and is very passionate about it!! His goal is to reach $100.00. So if anyone is so inclined, please click on his webpage and donate for him! I haven't seen him this excited in a while, and well it's for a good cause so here ya go!! I included a picture of my cutie patootie kid as a way to encourage you to donate by guilt. I mean how could you tell those double dimples and eyelashes no?! (photo courtesy of Allison Rodgers Studios)

http://honor.americanheart.org/goto/PZrocks

Bitch Anyone?

My current mood has completely left me in silence all day, and it's all because of an inadvertent click on the picture of a beautiful dress while searching for ceremony decor for a bride. In honor of my mood I would like a glass of wine. This glass of wine from http://www.gopherwine.com/ sounds perfect in honor of my mood... I wonder if they can overnight it!

Futon Replacement Comes First!!

Sorry Ladies! I don't know if I'm going to get to the letters today. My replacement futon from Rooms 2 Go just got here!! The other one had a defect and they were kind enough to exchange it for me!! I love the new one, isn't it so chic?! This was only $200 and it folds flat into a bed for the 'rents or nieces and nephews when they visit!! I am also running errands for that cutie pie guy in my life, but we'll see if I can't get one done for you! Btw don't you LOVE the mocha color of the futon?!

Fun With Letters!!!

Tomorrow I'll be completing Letters for my Living Room. Live. Laugh. Love. I'll show you how if you're interested too!! BTW Brides, these letters are awesome for putting on your sweetheart table or cake table!! Here's a sneak peak of the ones that I created for my son's room.

Roasted Chicken

Okay this is loosely based on the Engagement Chicken Recipe from Glamour.

1 whole chicken (approx. 3 lb.)

Lemon Marinade

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

One Medium Sized Onion

Defrost Chicken. Take out the gross innards (okay yeah I gagged). Marinate it with the Lemon Marinade and Seasoning for 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400. Put it in a regular roasting pan and stick the onion up its ummm arse for lack of a better term. Cover the entire thing in the roasting pan, roast for about 45 minutes and voila yummy roasted chicken! Be sure to check the temp. It should read 180 degrees. M loves to prick it with a fork to make sure the juices run clear...

The diaries of a Mocha Frugalista

Hmmmmm... I am not one known for being at a loss for words but for some reason my first blog post evokes a blankness that I have only felt when taking a test during Chemistry at Vanderbilt, Freshman year (yes Vandy Gals it's that bad).
I suppose I should tell you a bit more about me. My personal philosophies are: Laughter is the best medicine to any problem and Carpe Diem. I am known to crack up in laughter if something is going terribly wrong. It isn't the cute giggly type either. It is the more insane Victor Frankenstein, the bwah ha ha ha ha type of laughter. Lmbo!! I can also be insanely dense (I mean really was it tuna or chicken, I sure as heck didn't know either!!)

I'm a mommy of a precocious and darling eight-year-old son and the girlfriend (hopefully soon fiance) of the most beautiful soul I have ever encountered. I call him M for short. I also own the greatest event design company in the world (okay that was a bit of self promotion lol!!! I can have delusions of grandeur, right?!) Other than my event design company and a part-time job at a local hobby store I stay at home and try to figure out ways to keep the house tidy and dinner yummy.

In this blog you'll see a lot of varying and sometimes contradictory items: yummy recipes, vents and rants, great DIY projects on a budget because hey we're in a recession and every dollar counts!! But the diva in me will also lust after Manolos, Jimmys, and Louboutins. And I'm sure there will be extravagant purchases because I'm a recovering shopaholic and I am sure I will have setbacks!! There will also be an evolution of myself from my 29th year through my 30th and the fabulousness that my 30th year will bring. Hopefully on July 2nd, 2010 I will be sipping an amaretto sour from a beach during a trip to Miami (M you did read that right *hint hint*).... and you'll have a wonderful picture of my OPI pale pink toesies and the ocean behind them... until then .... HERE'SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Mocha Frugalista!!