101 in 1001

I was chatting with a friend about New Year's Resolutions, and I couldn't really think of any specifics for the year. Every year I try to spend less, read more, eat healthier and be more active - but I couldn't think of anything that I could claim was an actual resolution for 2016.

Last week, when I was reading a few blogs over my coffee, I came across Cait's 101 in 1001 list. Completing 101 tasks in 1001 days (or just under 3 years). She did this a few years ago, but for some reason it really hit me as a great way to hit a few goals in this season of life. So here goes nothing!

101 in 1001
January 11, 2016 - October 8, 2018

1. Visit a new continent (I've never been to South America or Asia)
2. Have my hair colored professionally (never done it!)
3. Host a wine tasting at home
4. Make my own Vanilla Extract
5. Bake something from The Great British Bake Off
6. Pay for a stranger's coffee
7. Do something with old cards/letters I've saved
8. PR in a 5k or 10k
9. Be able to do 30 REAL push ups
10. Do 3 home exchanges
11. Organize my basement
12. Snowboard in another country
13. Memorize 10 Bible passages
14. Start volunteering regularly
15. Gain 3 new production clients
16. Compete in an Orangetheory fitness challenge
17. Live in New York for more than a month
18. Landscape our backyard
19. Have professional family photos taken in another country
20. Have a girls weekend reunion with my CAKEJAR girls
21. Re-certification in SCUBA
22. Be featured on another blog
23. Learn a new skill
24. Contribute to a record and be mentioned in liner notes (writing, producing, singing or instrumental)
25. Meet 3 new blogger friends (IRL or online!)
26. Fly overseas in a lay-down bed
27. Attend a black tie charity event
28. Try yoga consistently for a month (3-4x a week)
29. Host a coffee swap
30. Go wine tasting in 5 new places
31. Have my eyes checked and buy glasses
32. Leave a 100% tip
33. Learn all the State capitols
34. Attend 3 or more City Council meetings for my district
35. Start writing my book
36. Take my mom to New York City
37. Keep my niece and nephews for the weekend
38. See a comedian at Zanies 
39. Write a letter to Matt to be opened on our 10th Anniversary
40. Take a vacation with BOTH of our families!
41. See a movie at the Belcourt Theater
42. Visit the Biltmore Mansion
43. Spend time in 5 states I've never been to (I've been to 28 so far)
44. Read kate spade's 'all in good taste' and 2 other books about entertaining
45. Frame photos from my travels and display at local coffee shop
46. Take a flower arranging class
47. Do a karaoke duet with one of my talented friends (who sing much better than i do)
48. Create a book of customs/recipes I've picked up around the world
49. Go through cosmetics & samples and purge
50. Go to a live sports event 
51. Back up all my pictures to the Cloud
52. Create a new tradition
53. Add a guest book to our home
54. Join a networking group
55. Be intentional about going on walks in our neighborhood
56. Take a course on coding
57. Help 5 people plan a trip or vacation
58. Send 10 gifts just because
59. Go camping
60. Go to 5 new countries 
61. Mentor someone
62. See the Grand Canyon
63. Host brunch 4x a year
64. Find out my blood type
65. Get paid to write about travel
66. Be a part of a live studio audience 
67. Hit my UP step goal, 8 hour sleep goal, and 8 glasses of water every day for a week 
68. Make friends with my new neighbors
69. Create my production portfolio
70. Create and stick to a blog editorial calendar
71. Have 4 guest blog posts
72. Improve my french
73. Paint the living room 
74. Learn to fold a fitted sheet
74. Make a 30 things I've learned in my 30 years list
75. Re-organize my spice cabinet
76. Help Matt grow his business
77. Have a stay-cation complete with no cell phones
78. Take a spontaneous road trip at least 1 hr away
79. Learn how to clean my wedding ring at home
80. Find & purchase the missing pieces to the china set Matt's mom gifted me
81. Meet goal weight/size
82. Invest in great pair of jeans in that size
83. Improve blog hits month over month (for at least 6 months)
84. Bike ride on the Shelby Bottoms trail 
85. Find 5 new places to walk/ride bike instead of drive
86. Come up with an idea and actually bring it to life
87. Learn a makeup trick
88. Find the perfect every day lipstick
89. Replace my faux leather jacket with a real one
90. Take an LSAT practice test 
91. Host a murder mystery party
92. Send 1 "just because" letter a month
93. Learn to drive stick shift
94. Learn how to poach an egg
95. Figure out a skincare routine and stick to it
96. Stay in an over water bungalow
97. Learn all the words to "Careless Whisper"
98. Support a Kickstarter I believe in
99. Go to my 2nd show at the Ryman
100. Participate in all local elections
101. Work my way up to a handstand

What do you think, am I in way over my head? I tried really hard to think about things I was interested in, wished I knew how to do, was afraid to do, or have just been in the back of my mind for a while. I may do an edit or two, but I've thought pretty hard about this list and I'm excited to make it happen.

Do you want to  101 things with me? Let me know in the comments!
xo

Travel vs. College

Yesterday, an article titled 6 Lessons Travel Teaches You That College Never Will was floating around the web. Several of my friends shared it on numerous social networks, and I read it as soon as I saw the title. As a travel addict, I of course loved & agreed with every single word. I agree that college is forced on so many that aren't interested, and travel is barely offered as an option to most. I'm a huge advocate for traveling, and have never understood why a 'Gap Year' was such a faux pas in the United States (when it's so common in the rest of the world). My semester in London changed my life FOREVER, in ways I struggle to put into words when asked about it. This article didn't only make sense to me, it explained a part of my soul in a way.

However, the more I thought about it throughout the day, I realized that there are definitely two sides to this story. Two sides I've experienced personally and simultaneously: travel & college.

I attended college in the traditional sense; I started the Fall following my high school graduation, I completed it in four years, lived in a dorm (for a time), had a full coarse load, participated in campus events, ate terrible food from the cafeteria, joined clubs & organizations, was completely broke most of the time, pulled all nighters and made life long friends. I also learned about true community, hard work, and a lot about being an adult. I wouldn't trade my four years for anything.

I spent a semester abroad in London, and during that time, I traveled to 10 different countries throughout Europe and Africa. I returned to London the following year to live & work in the city. I've continued to travel the United States & visit Europe. I'm constantly searching for the next adventure and love everything this big beautiful world has to offer. I truly get sad thinking about how many wonderful places there are in the world, and that' I'll never have enough time to see them all. The best four years of my life were extended to five, when I was able to have all these incredible experiences. I can't imagine my life without this time... both as a tourist and a resident of a different corner of the earth.

There are so many things that a college experience teaches you that travel can't. I could say that farming teaches you things you'd never learn as an investment banker, and vice versa. But is that the point? Not everyone needs to know how to milk a cow or play the stock market. We all have passions, gifts and strengths that can be developed in many different ways.

The truth is, it's not travel vs. college. You can have BOTH. You can have neither. I think both sides are worth exploring, and both can offer amazing experiences, unique to themselves. All experiences & paths in life are different and can be equally incredible and beautiful.

There's no magic formula. Everyone is different. Learn about yourself and decide what's important, interesting, and turns you into the person you want to be (both personally & professionally). Don't go to college if you truly don't think you want to. You have to decide what you want and make it happen, whatever that that might be.

Don't let money discourage you from travel or college. If they are important to you, find a way to make them happen. They aren't enemies, I think they go hand in hand quite well.

I know plenty of college graduates that are struggling financially and in their career. College does not guarantee you a job, it just provides you with extra knowledge and experience. In the same thought, I know plenty of people who have traveled and are still intolerant, closed minded, and devoid of culture.

Stamps in your passport & a framed degree have this in common: they are only proof of the experience. It's truly up to you to learn about life, culture, community, yourself, others, how to contribute to society, how to love, budget, make hard decisions and who you are going to be.

Like I said, I loved this article and everything it highlighted! I just happen to think life is more à la carte than prix fixe, don't you?

Did you go to college? Travel? Neither? Both? 

CSA Veggies: Potato Gnocchi

Doing a winter CSA, you're basically guaranteed several pounds of potatoes each week, and perhaps a few other vegetables. To be completely honest, I don't remember the last time I bought potatoes before we signed up for this CSA, so the abundance has been a challenge to use up!

so many potatoes.

I should also mention that I had Yukon Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, and Red Japanese Sweet Potatoes (what?!)

After making mashed potatoes (coming soon) and several soups, I tried to think of any other meals that were primarily made of potato. Finally it hit me - gnocchi.

My first thought was how unhealthy they were. My second thought was how terribly long they would take to make! Not to mention I was hungry RIGHT THEN, and didn't want to wait hours to eat. Once i checked out a few recipes, I combined them to make my own. I ate a handful of almonds to tide me over, and got to work.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi
45-60 min prep time, 5 min cook time
Will make 10-12 servings of gnocchi

4-5 Medium sized potatoes. or 10-12 small ones (if using the baby gold ones) - we used the Japanese Red Sweet Potatoes (they were delicious for this)
1 cup flour; additional for dusting surfaces
2 beaten eggs
salt
optional: 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1 - Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Put into a large sauce pan and boil until soft. Potatoes should easily be poked by a fork. About 20 minutes.
2 - Drain potatoes and return to pan. Use potato masher (or ricer if you have one!) until very smooth.
3 - Add flour, eggs, and pinch of salt. Use hands to mix everything until you have a big bowl of very sticky dough. Add parmesan if desired (after initially mixed). Do not use electric mixer.
4 - Put another pot of salted water on so it will be ready for you in a few minutes (if cooking now - if not, skip this step)
5 - Cover flat surface with flour, and begin to make long, skinny tubes of dough. These should be about the size of a nickel around.
6 - Cut the tubes into 1" chunks and set aside until all dough is finished.

If freezing, place on a flour covered cookie sheet or wax paper, and place in freezer overnight. Transfer to freezer bags after 12 hours.

If cooking, place the desired amount of gnocchi in the boiling water. Once the gnocchi float to the top, allow to boil 1-2 more minutes, the remove from heat.

all ready to be frozen

We ate ours with vodka sauce and really enjoyed it. I will say, they are UGLY. I didn't take any photos of them in sauce because they just looked awful (seriously, see above). I will have to work on making mine look like something edible, but they really were tasty.

I'm also really into the idea of these, because it was super short on ingredients, didn't take that long, and made us extra meals for a while! Now we can have 'home made dinner' in 5 minutes on a busy weekday night. YES!

I'd like to experiment with these, see if I can come up with a wheat-free option, perhaps a vegan one as well.

Have you ever made gnocchi before? Any other tips for making them look nicer?

Big Sky, Montana

When I married Matt, I married into his traditions - which is fine with me, because one of them is going snowboarding in Montana with family and friends after Thanksgiving.

Well... if i have to... :)

Admittedly, I barely took any pictures this year because it was freezing and I only went snowboarding once.

this is not a joke.

But Montana is certainly one of the most beautiful places i've ever been.

at the top.

This was the second place on our tour de world this November... so we went from 93 degrees to -20 degrees in about a 24 hour period. Did i also mention that we packed a carry on each? That meant my sundress was tucked in a thermal shirt. So crazy to subject your body to such a temperature change! 

Matt's family always takes this trip because they own time share at the lodge, and also because the first and last week of season are insanely cheap. You buy one $79 pass, and you can snowboard for 14 days (the first 7/last 7).

We pay the cleaning fees on the condo, and we eat in every night. It is the cheapest trip ever, and it's awesome.

Have you ever been to Montana? Do you love it like I do? Have you ever jumped 100 degrees in temperature in a short amount of time?
xo

DIY Natural Laundry Detergent

So i'll admit it. I'm kind of becoming a hippie.

Maybe not an actual one, but I'm far too aware of all the chemicals in things we use on a daily basis, which has triggered a change. I've been seeking natural alternatives to household products and personal care products.

I started with the detergent because i've heard of friends doing this before, and having wonderful results!

It takes about 5 minutes, and what you make last over 6 months. Not to mention it cost me about $8 for all the ingredients.

Some people use Fels-Naptha soap, but I love Dr. Bronner's everything. Plus it smells amazing! They have lavender, almond, and a bunch of other scents, but we like the peppermint. I also use a cheese grater to shred up the soap. I've read about using a food processor, but mine is a little hard to clean, so I don't want soap bits leftover :)

That's literally it. I put mine in an old Oxy Clean tub and shake it for about 10 seconds to make sure everything is mixed, but you could easily use regular tupperware or any other type of bin. I found that i need about 1/8 cup for a normal wash, 1/4 cup if it's really large or really dirty. You could mark an old laundry scoop or use a leftover measuring cup you don't use anymore. 

You could make as large or as small portions of this as you wanted, just stick to the 2 parts Borax, 2 Parts Washing Soda, 1 part grated soap. The baking soda isn't even completely necessary, but it's naturally anti bacterial and doesn't hurt :)

Have you ever made your own cleaning supplies before? 

First Anniversary

A year ago, this happened

For some reason, my favorite pictures from our wedding are the candid ones. Probably because i'm better at acting normal than trying to pose :)

I was going to write a long story, but i am truly no expert and I won't know if my advise is any good until it's been tried about for about 20-30 years. So i'll hit you back then. 

I will say that I've learned a TON this year about myself, Matt, and marriage in general these last 365 days. 

Our first year was admittedly not hard. It was a lot of fun. Full of random weekend travels, breakfast dates, our first pet, remodeling (blah!), community, and a lot of laughter, sprinkled in with learning, misunderstandings, attitudes and selfishness. I know we'll face our big trials sometime and I welcome them - because I know what we have is worth fighting for.

Happy Anniversary, my love. You are my favorite thing.

(Some extra wedding photos are located here)

picture day.

My talented friend Abby was in town this weekend, so I thought it was a good time to have some pictures taken for a Christmas card! You know when you're in high school and you say "I'm always going to do ___________ when I'm an adult", and now that you are, you probably do two of those things? Yeah, well sending out a Christmas card/having family photos taken was on my absurd list, and it's probably the only thing i've stuck to.

Abby is the photographer and designer behind Conteur Co., and also the woman responsible for my engagement photos which i LOVED.

She's probably the only person I don't feel awkward around with a camera pointed directly at me.

Speaking of vulnerability, i could probably find something wrong with myself in every single one of these pictures. I'm working on not doing that anymore, and accepting my quirks and self-proclaimed flaws.... but it's a process.

(I'm looking at you, crooked smile.)

So if anyone out there feels the same way when seeing themselves in pictures, I hope you'll join me in trying to accept your quirks, too :)

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from the 1 million she took this weekend at Shelby Bottoms Park.

this one sums us up pretty well i think :)

The full set can be found here, and I'd highly suggest Abby for your weddings, babies, engagements, christmas cards, and so on! Also, any insight to the best photo for a Christmas card.... suggestions welcome! :)

Brussel Sprouts: Not the Enemy

Poor, poor brussel sprouts. They have such a bad wrap.

And to be honest.... I have no idea why! I'm going to blame TV shows for this one, because I seem to remember most characters turning their nose to brussels.

Or something like that.

I remember being a kid and thinking THANK GOODNESS MY MOM DOESNT MAKE THOSE. Even though I was not a picky child, the idea of brussel sprouts made me nervous.

I'm 27, and I will admit - I just tried brussel sprouts for the first time about 2 months ago. In those 2 months, I've ended up eating them 1-3 times a week. Because they are DELICIOUS. And i can't believe i spent 26 years without them, thinking they were disgusting!

If you think they are disgusting, you're totally entitled to that opinion. HOWEVER - I'm guessing they tasted disgusting because they were mushy and gross. And i agree, that sounds awful.

When brussels are cooked properly, the taste is to die for. Plus they are hearty, filling, and full of good for you stuff. WIN!

My Brussels Recipe

- 1 bag of brussel sprouts (mine were from Trader Joes. They also have them at Publix, Whole Foods, etc). This bag probably contains 20-25 brussels.
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil/coconut oil (or whichever oil you prefer to cook with, those are just the ones i use for high heat!)
- 1 tbsp (or less) of grated parmesan cheese.
- sea salt and pepper to taste

I cut the bottoms off of my brussels, then cut them in half. Throw them in a bowl with the oil, salt and pepper. Mix them around, then throw em on a large skillet.

I turn the stove on HIGH and let them cook as it heats up (i also have a gas stove). For the first 3-5 min, i move them around a lot. After they start to soften up, i try to flip them all so they are cut side down.

Then i grate a little parmesan cheese on top. Not too much even, but the smokeyness opens up so much over heat.

They should be done within 7-10 minutes total. Once they start to get juuuuuust a little brown on the bottoms, they're done! Remove from heat and transfer into serving dish. Grate a little more cheese on top.

YUM.

When i'm talking about the cheese, it's really a minimal amount. it does not need to be covered in cheese for you to get the flavor! It's so smokey and delicious with just a little.

Come on, give them a try! If you don't believe me that they're delicious, just let me know when you want to come over for dinner so I can make them for you.

ENJOY!

xo


PS - to any Nashvillians reading this - try the Brussel Sprouts at Virago. They are absolutely divine.

Clean Eating

A few months ago i was just feeling really tired and blah. I wasn't feeling like i was in great shape, but didn't really have the energy to do anything about it. I was also feeling lazy in the cooking department, and either resorting to eating out or quick processed fixes. I've never really eaten this way, but it just seemed to be what was happening. I was really tired of feeling this way, so i knew i needed a change.

I've always read labels and nutrition facts, known what is healthy and what is not, and lived loosely under this information. Now, this isn't to say that i've gone completely to the other end of the spectrum, i'm just trying to be more selective about what i eat.

The easiest way to know what you're eating, is to eat things in their natural form. All fruits, veggies and nuts are great examples of this. So for the first part of my new journey, i only ate whole foods like these. I also added eggs, steel cut oats, and quinoa. I was being the most strict in order to curb the way i ate. This cut out anything processed. Or anything with more than ONE ingredient. It's insane, but it's not as limiting as you'd think! Trust me - when i even *considered* doing this, all i could think about is how limiting it would be. Or how intimidating it was to come up with different things to eat all the time!

Then i remembered what i always tell people when they ask me, "What? You're vegetarian? Do you only eat salads?" (i've been one for almost 6 years... and i don't even think about it anymore).

I always tell people it's not as limiting as you think. i eat all the same things as you.... except beef, pork, chicken or turkey. 4 basic things, when there are hundreds of foods out there! And there are things that you'd make right now, and you wouldn't even realize they are natural vegetarian. Yes, more things than salad.

I started to realize that clean eating was the same thing. A small amount of thought and a little planning, and clean(er) eating would be totally attainable!

photo credit goes here

And after about a month of this, I've realized that there is so much you can do with whole products. And with very little effort (just the will to try!), you can make so many things at home that you'd buy in the store.... and almost every time, you save MONEY and you eliminated CHEMICALS.

Over the next few weeks, i'll be documenting recipes i try that are completely clean eating and home made with whole ingredients. This includes everything from milk, to chips, to cookies, to snacks!

Just a side note, i don't want this to be read as extreme. This is completely about doing what is best for my health. I believe that everything in life has to be balanced, and i'll be striving for the 80/20 rule in health (that 80% of what you eat should be clean and whole, and that 20% can be closer to the "treat" side of life). Because there's no way i can give up Double Stuffed Oreos or pasta forever :)

A Little About Our Wedding

Yes... crazily enough... i am now a married woman. 7 months and 4 days of dating, 63 days of engagement. If you haven't spent time around me with Matt, you probably think we're crazy. But i think it's the right kind of crazy, because i simply adore him :)

If there's anything i've learned over the past 4 or 5 years through my own experience and through doing life with friends, it's simply this - everyone has their own story.

and i *love* ours.

If it was my decision, you'd be reading a blog about how matt and i eloped and ran away to greece!!!!!

But alas, he wanted a real wedding. And i know if it was the other way around, he would have made sure i had the perfect wedding - so i practice that compromise thing everyone is always talking about in marriage ;)

I'm writing this blog because i've had a lot of people ask me about the planning aspect of our wedding, especially with a short engagement and not spending a fortune! I've never liked spending a lot of money, unless it's on a plane ticket. Here are some of the details that went into our big day.

Our Short Little To-Do List.... :)

1 - The style

Although it's what's popular right now, i've always loved vintage stuff. All of my furniture is my grandparents, from a yard sale, or quite frankly found on the side of the road. So, all of my natural tendencies are to go for something slightly worn over something new and shiny. So i trusted my gut (and i'm SO GLAD i did!)

All of the furniture we used for the wedding was ours already or Matt built it. He built about 20 pallet benches, that we actually sold after the wedding. Otherwise, we used my dresser (gifted to me from my grandpa's house), my vintage trunk (found on the side of the road). Plus candles, candles, candles. I bought all of the pillar candles i could find, because i LOVE candles. They make everything cozy.

2 - Invitations

After going back and forth on designs, colors and everything else.... we both decided we wanted something beautiful and simple. I didn't want a flashy colorful invitation, but i wanted something that reflected our style - vintage, shabby chic. So after a great idea from Matt, we checked out stamps on Etsy. We ordered two custom stamps (one of our logo - M+R in a heart, and one of our actual invitation details), bought stock paper from the craft store, and we made the invitations.

M+R Stamp - http://www.etsy.com/listing/89481555/personalized-solid-heart-hand-carved?ref=pr_shop

Wedding Invite Stamp - http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovetocreatestamps?section_id=5677892

Total Cost: $95 + 2 hrs of creating/addressing

I absolutely loved them. Not to mention, i used the rest of the card stock and M+R Stamp to write thank you notes, and in other aspects of our wedding

Our Mad Libs - an alternative to the guest book!

Customized Vino - created by yours truly

Labels for food - it's important to know where the peanut butter cups are on the dessert tray!

3 - Flowers

This was a fall wedding, so it was hard to find the things i wanted that were in season. I wanted "dusty" colors, all very light, as that was the developing theme. 

I chose garden roses, because they are HUGE - similar to peonies (which are not a November flower). I used the purple lionium instead of lavender, which was also out of season. And the greens were sage and eucalyptus - they were both chosen because they were almost a faded green, and not super bright. My bouquet had gardenias in it - my favorite - and were the most expensive part of the entire process.

I was also lucky to have a friend volunteer her flowers arranging services. Megan did the most amazing job arranging our bouquets, boutonnieres, and misc. arrangements throughout the wedding! We ordered the flowers from Import Flowers, and they were designed by our dear friend Megan! - www.impfl.com

Our Flowers: $215 total. And we had tons left over!

5 - Cake

I wasn't set on a traditional cake. I also didn't want to do cupcakes. My friend Pam suggested a friend of hers that does cake pops! I LOVED this idea. We ended up ordering oreo (my favorite) cake pops and cheesecake (matt's favorite) as well. We also got a small, red velvet rose cake for us to cut (per matt's request!). 

They were delicious, as well as adorable.

Cake pops: 75cents each, + cake + delivery - $200 (note: we probably had 100 pops left over!)

To order from Sam (she does small and large orders!) - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Sam/338201469622230?ref=ts&fref=ts

7 - Bridal Party Wardrobe

Personally, i've never had to spend more than $50 on a dress to be in a wedding. And i think that's awesome. I feel very lucky to also have always felt comfortable in the dress i was asked to wear - bonus! So, with that in mind, we let our bridal party pick their own outfits in a color scheme.

The Inspiration

Dusty, light pinks and purples for the girls

Grey cardigans or vest for the guys... with dark jeans

The Outcome

I was pretty happy with the way it looked :)

We got the ties for the boys, and we got them from http://www.solidcolorneckties.com/ - which sounds insane. But seriously, the ties were about $6 each and had free shipping. WIN!

7 - Venue

This one was the biggest thing for us. I was dying to get married outside. Even though it was a total gamble in November (btw - we couldn't have been luckier, with a sunny, 70 degree day), but i was hell bent. I also was furious that most venues, ie a patch of grass with an electrical outlet were trying to charge upwards of $7000 for 8 hours. And it didn't include anything. This might be typical for a wedding, but i KNEW there had to be a better way.

We stayed about as local as we could - and got married on the front porch of a bed and breakfast that shares a backyard alley with matt's (now, our) home. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Afterwards, we moved the party to our backyard - which was my favorite decision we made.

We spent money re-doing the backyard and making imporvements to it, rather than renting a space. We now have a beautiful backyard for hosting friends and family! It was win-win. 

before the party started

8 - DIY Photo Booth

I have a dear friend who deserves credit for allowing me to borrow his camera set up (in exchange for me promising to take very very good care of it!). I bought a handful of dress-up items (pirate hat, feather boa) and printed out some funny phrases, as well as some celeb faces (let's be honest, i just wanted justin timberlake at my wedding) and matt and i's as well - because i thought it was funny :)

Cost: Probably like $20 on props and printing.

I should also probably mention, the most important thing on my radar was our PHOTOGRAPHER! And we made an amazing decision with Eden! The photos above are by her, and i love them :) 

www.edenfrangipane.com

Those are probably the questions we've been asked about the most. Everyone has their own style, and i felt like our wedding was ours! It was a great day, and i'm glad it turned out the way it did :)