Wedding Invites

 I finally got my butt into gear and sent out my wedding invites.

I managed to create them fairly well on the cheap - with postage costing more than the invites cost to make.

I went online to http://www.downloadandprint.com/ and downloaded a free template. I then tweaked the settings to make it into what I wanted and needed. I didn't want to have to write names on my invites (because lets face it - my hand writing is atrocious!) so I manually put the names into each invite and saved it as a PDF to ensure when I went to a different computer to print it it would look exactly as I had planned.

I ended up creating too pages, one with the standard invite - and another which had a few more details enclosed with it. I got these printed at my local printing shop (only 2cents more than office works was charging for the same thing - and no travel costs because it's within walking distance). They charged .90c per page and I had 26 pages to be printed (as I'd put two invites per A4 page) which ended up costing me a mere $23.40. I already had a pile of nice coloured cardboard which I used as a back piece to the invites.

  I then proceeded to purchase a paper trimmer, some metal pins to hold the lot together as well as wedding themed stamps ($36) and plain envelopes ($5).

The process of putting them all together was simple - albeit a little time consuming. For all those times people have complained about their invites, I now understand. I would consider my invites extremely simple. They could only have been simpler if I just stuck the printed paper into the envelope. My construction was - cut the paper into desired size, cut cardboard into desired size, pin pages together and write names and addresses on the envelope. Simple! But still time consuming. Particularly with a $8 paper trimmer that is nowhere near as sharp as it should be!

But I persevered and I am quite happy with the end result. My wedding theme is "fun". I just want it to be a beautiful big party with friends and family. So


bright colours - even if people may not realise all the invites are different colours - I know they went out to people with bright beautiful colours on them :)

Update

Ok, I've been absent for over a month here. Things have been hectic. Firstly I got to spend three weeks quality time with my fiancé over Christmas - which was awesome to say the least. He has since headed back up to Townsville which leaves the wedding planning back in my sights.

I must admit with my fiancé being home I did stop doing my daily exercise and cleaning routine, then after he left it was stocktaking time at work. I have come to realise with stocktaking I have to do it out of work hours - so I've started going in two hours early and just smashing through the stocktaking section by section. Which means waking up at 4.30 to be at work by 5.30. Then working through till 3.30. Add in wedding planning and I haven't had much time to do anything else but sleep! As stocktaking is drawing to a finish and some time in lieu being owed to me - things should start getting slightly less chaotic (hopefully).

I did get my invites out this week - the invites cost less than $50 to make and print - and around $20 to send out via post (with a few being hand delivered).

I'll go into detail of how I created my invites in another post. But for now - it's bouquet making time!

Weekend

The fiancé loved the hanging pans although he pondered for a time how it was constructed. It was a really good weekend with him here. We put a deposit down on the wedding bands we've chosen, just a little bit exciting! Then we did a mock up invite, which I just need to print out to see how it goes. I dare say it's not a traditional wedding invite, but I don't want a traditional wedding!

Hanging pans

Further relating to the last post I made with some great household ideas - I completed one of them. Yeah for once I didn't just sit back and think, "what a great idea!" I actually did something about it.

I saw a tip that suggested hanging pots inside a deep storage area. I've been trying to convince my fiancé to put in an extra shelf in our rediculously deep/tall storage area for my pots and pans as so far they've just sat nestled amongst each other.

This project involved $31 and a trip to bunnings. In which I bought a screw up extendable pole - there was difficulty in finding it - it was in the plumbing section. That cost me $16 for the length I needed. And then some S shaped hooks to hang the actual pots off. I ended up finding the quantity and size I needed in the landscaping area (designed for hanging planter pots). They did have S shaped hooks amongst the hangings area but they were $3 for one and I wanted about 10ish hooks for this project. They sold a pack of 4 S hooks for $5 do I bought 3 packets giving me $12 hooks in total. Then at home I just sized the pole up (found it easiest to put it in at the length on an angle and then push the pole into the desired place - gave a tighter/stronger fitting. The hooks is bought where a little snug on the pole so I ended up placing them before putting the pole into place - again this has worked in my benefit as I'm far less likely to accidentally knock hooks off.

I'm quite chuffed with the end result although I still need to find some way to hang my pots which at this point don't have a hanging hole in the handle. I have intentions of putting a small rail into the door for storing the lids into in the future. I'm also thinking of possibly getting another rail for the skillet and the wok (that I rarely use) to store those further at the back of the cupboard.

So here It is for your viewing pleasure. I'll keep you updated over its functionality and the fiancé' reaction incoming days.

Really great ideas

http://www.glamumous.co.uk/2013/03/101-household-tips-for-every-room-in.html?spref=fb&m=1

I'm definitely going to be doing quite a few of these tips! 

Manic Monday

And so Monday rolls around again. I'm finding now I'm struggling to clean for 30 mins in the morning because there just isn't much cleaning left to do (just one more junk pile then the never ending task of dishes and vacuuming up after my little feather balls). This is good though because I feel so much more relaxed when I do actually kick my feet up. 

The exercise has also gone well - I'm trying to do a plank a day. My first day I felt like I only held it for maybe 10 seconds. My ribs seemed to agree on the second day - but nevertheless I tried again through the pain - only this time I used a stop watch. Turns out I held it for a minute! Pretty proud of that effort. Today I have done 80 squats and again managed to hold a plank for a minute.

I did notice one interesting side effect from my diet too. Usually I'm a sugar fiend - there is no such thing as too much sugar for me. Or so I thought. I made some fudge the other day (you know - cooked sugar...) and I actually am starting to feel sick eating it. I think it's the fact that I've been cutting back on sugar in general (and trying to replace it with fruit) but it's definitely a good sign! If my body starts giving feedback like this maybe my brain will kick in and realise that the quantities of sugar I've eaten in the past is really bad (before diabetes becomes an issue...)

Cleaning update

From this -

To this - 

Told you there was a jigsaw puzzle under there ;)