I know I have said it before, but I adore Twitter! It is so fun to “meet” people worldwide (literally!) who have similar interests. Well, get ready to meet Carrie of Dream Green DIY (who actually lives in my same town!), who is also planning her wedding, which is taking place in April. Pinterest is an amazing source for inspiration for your special day (and also many other things, such as decorating, food, fun… etc.). Take a peek at what Carrie has to say, and follow Hill City Bride’s Pinterest boards by clicking here.

Planning a wedding is hard. Like, pull-out-your-hair-, sleepless-nights- and mood-swing-prone-hard. You are my absolute hero if you have been able to plan your special day with pure grace, no tears spilled and nary a snap at family members. As a bride-to-be myself, I can honestly say that I never expected this process to be so taxing. That’s certainly not to say that it hasn’t also been the best time of my life, but anything I have found to help me along the way has become my best friend.

Enter the bliss that is Pinterest…

I whole-heartedly believe that I would be a puddle of nerves at this stage of my planning process (three months to go!) if it weren’t for Pinterest. If you haven’t already joined, do yourself a favor and head to the site now. Don’t let the “request an invite” requirement deter you – it only takes a few days and is worth the wait. For you ladies who are already familiar with “pins,” “repins,” “likes” and “boards,” I know you can attest to the power of this resource.

Whether you have a wedding planner or not, Pinterest is a fabulous way to catalog all of the visions you have for your wedding. From flower arrangements and attire options, to guest book ideas and hair styles that pique your interest. And don’t even get me started on DIY projects… My event is being crafted almost entirely at the hands of myself and friends and family, and I have Pinterest to thank for all of my motivation and inspiration.

By cataloging my ideas and projects on Pinterest, I am able to keep my wedding to-do’s in one place and handy at a moment’s notice. My hair stylist asks what kind of look I’m going for the day of the event? I print off some of my pins. My florist is curious of what types of flowers I want, but I have no idea what the difference between a petunia and dianthus is? I print off some of my pins, and she can easily identify my favorites.

You know how sometimes getting started can be the hardest part of a big project? Turn your wedding planning into a fun, creative and no-stress project by starting with Pinterest. Watch your dreams come alive and guarantee that your style and personality shine through on your big day.

To follow Carrie’s boards as she is in the swing of all things wedding, just click here. Her pins are definitely “repin” worthy as you will see that I repinned some of her hairstyles onto the Hill City Bride Pinterest board. Thank you again, Carrie, and I wish you all the best with your upcoming wedding!

I am on “blogiday” this week spending time with family and friends. I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that you get a chance to relax and take a little bit of a break, too. I will see you with everything fresh and new in January!

I am so pleased to have a guest posting today by a local, creative designer! This is such an adorable idea, and you may be able to still snag some Christmas balls fairly inexpensively. Thank you, Amanda for contributing this fun, easy, thrifty DIY for our HCB readers!

1. I saw a tutorial on this blog for making moss topiary balls. I loved the idea … here is my own quickie version. Get a package of moss from Michael’s (Use a 40% off coupon, and it will total $3.50).

2. Find some round object to cover. Originally, I thought I would use foam balls, but they were overpriced (I thought), so I found the ugliest ornaments I could. They were 90% off and came to 70 cents a piece, which is great, since they already have the perfect opening for a pole or stick.

3. Then it is just super easy construction. Hot glue on the ornament, and put the moss on the glue. Easy!

4. And voila! So cute!

5. I will probably put them all on sticks eventually, but it’s too stinking cold to hunt for just the right sticks right now. So, in the mean time, I love them on random items from around the house.

6. I was really wanting something fresh and clean looking after removing all the Christmas decor, and this is just right!! I love how it picks up on all the green in my dining room.

7. This took about 20 minutes to do and total cost was about $7. So fun!!

Amanda Carver is a lover of interior decor and most things creative. With a very eclectic style, she focuses on making things beautiful without breaking the bank. She gets immeasurable joy from transforming items from thrift stores and garage sales into beautiful, usable pieces. When she is not hot gluing, spray painting or putting holes in the walls, she is chasing after her two sweet daughters.

You can follow Amanda on Twitter, check out her Facebook page or her website. She is one creative gal, and thanks again, Amanda for the post!

I am on “blogiday” this week spending time with family and friends. I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that you get a chance to relax and take a little bit of a break, too. I will see you with everything fresh and new in January!

Weddings have always been about love and about celebrating that love with friends and family, yet today’s weddings also incorporate getting to know the bride and groom. Never has there been a time when the true spirit and personalities of the couple can shine through in everything from the overall theme to the invitations. Here are a few fun, yet trendy tips to have your wedding be a day where your uniqueness shines through.

Vintage Touches

It does seem odd to start off with all things “vintage” when talking about modern weddings, but one of the biggest crazes is to have a throwback wedding. Whether you choose an era (say the 40s or the 60s … each of those would be such a blast!) to model your wedding after or whether you choose to just add a few vintage elements into your day, this trend is one that I absolutely love!

Think about adding a few “something old”s into your day. Wear your grandmother’s jewelry, carry your great grandfather’s handkerchief, or even have a “family tree” at an outdoor wedding by hanging framed photos of generations both past and present on the tree trunk itself.

Other ways to incorporate a vintage feel are to choose a color palate that goes with the antique vibe you are going for. I am picturing soft, muted pinks and creams as the bride carries a bouquet of heirloom roses and fragrant peonies. The sky is the limit … how fun! I would like to stress that if vintage isn’t true to yourself or really doesn’t make a statement for you as a couple, then shy away from the whole overly done “vintage wedding” trend … I fully adore this when it’s real for the couple and not when a couple just chooses vintage because of trending.

DIY

For those who do not know, DIY stands for “do it yourself”, and no I am not talking about being your own caterer, officiant and dj all in one. I am speaking of those small touches that wow your guests that may not take as much time as you would think.

Think about snipping your own flowers from your garden for stunning centerpieces, or how about learning how to make some fun floral headbands for your bridesmaids? If you live where fresh fruit is grown and in season, try making some jams or jellies in small jars to give away as favors. Many DIY projects can be done several months in advance so that you can have these little, special touches out of the way long before crunch time! Even so, be careful and do not DIY yourself to death … a few touches is fine, and don’t get too bogged down. Enjoy the process of planning your wedding, and don’t cause extra stress with too detailed of projects.

Nontraditional Cakes

A lot has to be said for the traditional, beautiful wedding cake (especially when eating it … yum!), but many couples are opting for cakes that border on fun. Cakes now express interests of the bride and groom (say hiking, theatre or even bowling) along with being edible works of art. For those who want a true nontraditional cake, cupcake towers and carefully stacked donuts or cookies always offer a little bit of fun at the end of the reception.

Pre-Reception Entertainment

We have all been to weddings that have been beautiful only to be followed by the boredom that comes in between the wedding and reception. Why bore your guests?

One fun trend is to have a caricature artist. This not only helps to pass the time, but it also gives your attendees a fun keepsake from your wedding (even if it is only a little something to laugh at for a while!).

Many photographers now offer what they call a “photo booth” where they bring a fun backdrop and a ton of props, and by props I mean wacky stuff! Oversized sunglasses, boas, mustaches and the like are there for the wearing, and guests and groups can get in on the fun and have a photo to take home with them. Also popular is the actual photo booth … you know the kind where you actually get in a booth and have a series of photos taken? Renting one of these also makes for some fun memories while guests pass the time.

Theme Weddings

Weddings are a theme in and of themselves. Many brides just choose a color scheme and go with it … after all, that is what I did! Nowadays couples are so creative in really letting their interests and hobbies shine through in their weddings.

I have seen themes such as cowboy, nautical and Indie that were all very tastefully done. You can draw your color inspiration, decorations, invitations and so much more from your theme if you choose to have one for your special day.

No matter what you choose to incorporate in your wedding, just remember one thing … it is about you and your spouse to be. I would say do not go crazy and overboard because it is important to pull off your wedding with style and grace. That being said, YOU need to shine through. Besides being married after the day is done (yay!), there is no greater satisfaction than knowing that your day was uniquely yours from start to finish.

This may sound a little familiar to you if you read The Favour Shoppe’s blog because I first wrote this article as a guest posting. I hope you enjoyed it!

I am on “blogiday” this week spending time with family and friends. I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that you get a chance to relax and take a little bit of a break, too. I will see you with everything fresh and new in January!

Something has to be said for the combination of budget shopping and creativity … call it resourcefulness, thrift or thinking out of the box, but this project definitely exemplifies all of the above! When Emily Kim Bart found some planters on clearance (I love it when things are budget friendly) for just $1.25, her thoughts started churning, and she was able to turn the planters into adorable little markers for the food at her wedding.

I am not expecting you to go out and find exactly what Emily did, but a lot of the secret in doing DIY projects is personalizing it and making it your own. So, I encourage you to think about things in a new way and appreciate them for the possibilities like is shown in today’s post. Enjoy this little DIY, and hopefully it gets your mind’s wheels turning, too!

Here are the planters before the project was started. Not too bad, but repurposing them is definitely a great idea at $1.25 each!!

The pieces were disassembled, and both can be used for other projects somehow. The wooden planters are sturdy, but they need some sprucing up.

Cream colored paint was lightly applied to the wood in order to give it a whitewashed look for a vintage, garden wedding.

Emily added extra moss to cover the top of the planter. Small signs were printed off of the computer onto cardstock. I love how the handwriting adds a personal touch … of course it helps if you have nice handwriting! Holes were punched into the paper, and Emily used sticks that she found in order to impale the paper. What a cute effect this has … perfect for a casual wedding.

Thank you, Emily Kim Bart, for sharing these with us. I love to look at items and think about what they could be turned into with a little bit of effort. The fact that she combined a DIY with a small budget is a definite plus. I wonder what this will inspire Hill City Bride’s readers to do. Any ideas?

Well, it’s almost Christmastime … the season where we all do last minute shopping, go on Christmas light hunting rides and enjoy time with family and friends. I hope you enjoy these Christmas “blogiday” postings as I review some oldies but goodies from the vault.

I know I have said this before, but I love Twitter! While Facebook seems to be a network that keeps Hill City Bride grounded in and around my local area of Lynchburg, VA, Twitter provides a venue for HCB to connect with others both far and wide across the globe! I recently “twet” (as in “twitter met”) RoseMarie from Home Confetti on Twitter, and when she kept tweeting the most adorable ideas, I asked her to guest post for HCB.

Hi Hill City Bride Readers!

My name is RoseMarie from Home Confetti, and I am SO super excited to be guest blogging here on Hill City Bride!  Jennifer and I met on Twitter, and we are fast becoming blogging BFFs!  I love her blog and the beautiful inspiration she offers each day.

The blog I edit, Home Confetti, is a collection of ideas that you can use to throw a great party … like your wedding!  I often turn to wedding sites, like this one, for inspiration and ideas.  I hope today, I can offer some of you a little inspiration for your own celebration.

I am guessing many of you are preparing for an upcoming winter wedding.  A winter wedding provides endless opportunities for beautiful white wonderland tablescapes … I have to say one of my favorite winter themes is a rustic white wedding.  If this is the direction you’re headed, here is a beautiful centerpiece that will enhance your wedding décor. If it’s not, this dreamy centerpiece may change your mind!

This centerpiece was made with birch sleeves that can be purchased at your local flower market, or you can also find them on www.save-on-crafts.com.  Save-on-Crafts.com is a great resource for wedding supplies.  If you haven’t yet—check it out asap!

Once you have your birch vase done, embellish it with pins, fabric flowers, ribbon and even real flowers.  Use this on each guest table or a collection of these together as a buffet centerpiece.  To get the complete tutorial, click here. And if you have the chance, visit me at Home Confetti here.  I’d love to see you!

Enjoy!

If you would like to follow RoseMarie’s Home Confetti tweets, just click here … you will be glad you did … I am! Thank you again, RoseMarie.