Well, leave it to Martha Stewart to come up with a great idea not only that provides a great conversation starter that also gets people talking about the bride and groom. The instructions, copy and photos come straight from Martha Stewart Weddings. Enjoy this cute, easy, doable DIY!!

Play It
During cocktail hour, each guest sticks a flag into the year she met either the bride or groom.

Make It
Save our clip art on a disk. Have it printed on oversize paper and mounted to foam board at a print shop. Cut flags from origami or scrapbooking paper; punch two holes and thread a corsage pin through. Stick into a fabric-wrapped foam board on a tray. Pins, by Lomey, from michaelsfloralsupply.com.

Here is a tried and true personal favorite recipe of mine. I have been making it for friends and family for years, and I actually started out making it for my dad. I think it would be great tucked into a cute little box as a wedding favor, and although peanut brittle sounds difficult to make, it is AMAZINGLY easy. Truly!!

I do have a recipe that I used to use that I had adapted that was tried and true, BUT it involved a candy thermometer and standing by the stove for a really long time … no fun. I came across this MICROWAVE recipe, which is great … again, I have adapted it b/c I like lots more peanuts than it calls for. I also like the peanut brittle to not break your teeth, so I made the recipe time a little lower than the original recipe called for.

Here is my adapted recipe … enjoy.

Double Peanut Not-So-Brittle

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt (use up to 1/2 teaspoon if you like it saltier)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups lightly salted peanuts (you can really use any nut)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

You will also need a flat surface to place the peanut brittle (like a cookie sheet), and I normally cover my surface with parchment paper. Have handy 2 forks, too.

Instructions:

In a 2 quart glass measuring cup (I use the P Chef batter bowl) combine sugar, corn syrup and salt. Stir until sugar is moistened. Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Stir in butter and nuts, and return to microwave for 4 1/2 minutes. The mixture should be thick, bubbly and pale brown. It will be HOT, so use the handle of the bowl and/or an oven mitt … hot hot hot!!

Stir in vanilla and baking soda (it will make a fizzing sound and cause the mixture to lose a little air). Pour onto your prepared flat surface immediately, and spread it as flat and even as possible using the two forks (pulling at it to increase the surface area it covers). Let stand for about 20 minutes (sometimes I put it into the fridge), and when it is cool break it into bite sized pieces … yum! Store in an airtight container.

I hope that you all enjoy this recipe, and thank you for asking for it. You may need to tweak it a little as I did for flavor and your particular microwave. Yay for yummy, homemade candy … seems hard but is super easy.

Have you heard about our contest for one lucky bride?? We will have a VBB (Very Bella Bride) at Bliss, and that bride and 3 of her friends will attend for free along with getting the royal treatment … click here to check it out!

Every bride can use a little something to keep essentials close by, and bridesmaids would even adore this. I love perusing Flickr for all sorts of great ideas, and I came across this handbag … so cute! I enjoy finding things at places like antique stores and even Goodwill (trust me, it is fun to hunt, and you never know what you will find!!), and little handbags are easy to come by. This project is perfect if you find one that is not quite your style yet still has good structure to it … you can even use it as your “something old” for your wedding day.

I can find all sorts of inspiration for this from a white one for a bride (or even imagine it in a pop of color!) down to a snazzy black or silver one for the rehearsal dinner. No matter how you personalize this project, I hope that you can do a little DIY that you can carry for those dressy occasions … have fun!

Here is the finished product … what a cute purse!!

You need a needle (the strength depends on the type of bag you choose and how hard it will be to go through the existing exterior of the handbag), thread (in a color that will be well hidden when you make your purse), a handbag (clutch style is perfect), scissors and some sheer fabric in your choice of color.

Cut out “leaves” in the fabric … these do not have to be perfect, after all they will be all fluffed up on the bag.

As in the photo below, cut out some “strips” to use as a base for the leaves themselves as are shown on the right.

Then you stitch the bases onto the purse. BE CAREFUL!! Be sure that you have chosen a needle that is sturdy enough to go through the handbag that you have chosen … this is very important for safety. Stitch the base fabric onto the purse, and be sure to gather them slightly (don’t lay them flat).

One you stitch on the bases, fill in the spaces with the “leaves” that you originally cut out of the fabric.

Fill in some more by adding more “leaves” as necessary. You will know when the look is right for you!!

And, voila! When it is finished to your liking, you have an adorable, new bag.

There you have it … a sweet little carry all for your essentials. Here is a link to the original photostream on Flickr by “…lovemaegen“.

Love the blog? Then you will adore Bliss, a fine wedding fair … it is like the live version of our blog!! All for $15, which includes great ideas, workshops, a catered lunch AND a chance to honeymoon in Aruba for 5 nights … amazing! Register online, and I hope to see you on February 26th.

Truly, I can not remember where I found this jewel of a photo, but I just saved it in a little inspiration folder because I adore it! To me, the creative use of something vintage or “found” is so appealing, and I hope that you feel the same way.

I have included the photo along with some simple links to glass etching instructions. I personally have etched glass before, and it is as simple as getting the glass etching compound from a local craft store, picking a font and size for your numbers and doing some crafty work with contact paper and either a cutting knife or scissors. Just remember that you need to protect all of the surfaces of the glass that you do NOT want etched.

You can either use actual vintage mirrors, or if the mirror is broken out, you can replace the mirror with glass cut to the size of the frame. Either way, this makes for a fun keepsake. If you do not want to permanently etch the glass, you purchase non-clear contact paper and cut out and adhere the numbers directly to the surface. Even pretty scrapbook paper would work if it is cut out and the numbers are affixed with nonpermanent glue. The possibilities are endless!!

Have fun with this project, and I hope that it inspires you a little to think creatively with your table numbers!

Check out this glass etching link from about.com by clicking here, and for those of you who like to watch videos, here is a great one on etching from YouTube. Happy etching!

If you want to have someone who can help you add creative touches to your day, why not test out one of our wedding and event planners such as Love Is in the Air, RS Exclusive, At Your Service Events Planner or Ashley Baber Weddings. For more creative ideas, be sure to attend, Bliss, a fine wedding fair … it is coming up in just a few short weeks!

Sometimes I just enjoy perusing different sites for ideas to personalize weddings, and I found some cute placecard holder displays. Some are super easy … a ribbon here, a clip there, a small patch of fresh grass … etc. I hope that you enjoy this little collection of photos!

If you are curious as to where these photos came from … it was Flickr and Martha Stewart weddings. Just scroll over the photos, and you will be able to see where they came from. Enjoy, and let me know if you have heard of any great ideas for displaying unique placecards.