Awesome Find: Ikea Tolsby Frame

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I love finding products like the Tolsby frame from Ikea. Not only is it super-cheap at .99, but it can be used in so many ways. I try to avoid Ikea (for the sake of my bank account and my husband's sanity), but I might have to make a special trip to stock up on these frames. 

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I first saw these frames featured on Ruffled, which offers an awesome template for creating table numbers and menus to go in the freames.  But then one of my favorite wedding blogs, Gator Bride, also featured them when she used the template as inspiration for her own table numbers.

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I just love the simplicity of these frames (and the price!).  These are great for displaying photos, menus, table numbers, seating charts, and so much more at an event. 

Do you have a favorite "awesome find" that you use for all your events?  Send us an email at info@wevegotitchicago to share your find with us. We might even feature you and your find on our blog (but we'll ask permission first!). 

Hello Lover!

Yes, I'm channeling my inner-Carrie Bradshaw with that one, and for good reason.  I've recently discovered Washi Tape. I don't know where this product has been all my life or what rock I've been hiding under, but boy am I happy we've finally met.  I can't begin to say enough amazing things about such a simple product.  The possibilities are endless!  So sit back and enjoy a ride through Washi Town!

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Washi Tape, for those not in the know, is beautiful, adhesive Japanese paper that comes in a roll just like masking tape.  Simple. Brillant. Washi tape is sold all over the internet, and probably in your local craft store. You can find it on etsy.com too, which is one of my favorite places to shop. It's sold in individual roles, in groupings (like above), and in bulk.

Your imagination is the only limit with Washi tape. We've found so many fun ideas for using Washi at your next event. We can't wait to try them all out ourselves. Here's a few of our favorites:

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With a rainbow of available colors, the possibilities really are endless.

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So what about you? Are you inspired to get creative at your next event? How will you use Washi tape?  Need help making your next occasion extra special? Email us at info@wevegotitchicago.com to see how we can help!

Cooking Up a Unique Wedding Favor

Let's face it, lots of wedding favors are junk!  I can't tell you how many times I've brought home some mass-produced piece of plastic "memorabilia" that sits on my counter for a week before I toss it in the garbage.  Sometimes I wonder why people even bother doing these kinds of favors.  My favorite favors are the kind with a personal touch, the kind that relfect the couple and mean something to the guests.  When I discovered the wedding favor that Emily and Nick gave their guests, I had to share it. 

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Emily and Nick, who have been blogging about cooking for 3+ years now, created a cookbook of family recipes as a gift for their guests. The recipes were from each of their families, as well as ones that they had come up with together.  This was a major DIY project that used 2,500 sheets of paper and 20 ink cartridges. But the personal touch is what makes it such a great project and a cherished gift. 

What about you? What favors did you give your wedding guests? Did you add a personal touch like Nick and Emily? Leave us a comment to share your experience. If you need help creating the perfect favor for your guests, email us at info@wevegotitchicago.com to see how we can help!

The Giving Tree

  

Who didn't love The Giving Tree as a child?  Heck, who doesn't love it now, as an adult?  This endearing tale of love has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. And what better way announce your upcoming nuptuals than by incorporating this sweet story.

Because the groom who designed this save-the-date is so awesome, he decided to share the template and an easy tutorial with Merriment Design.  Check it out for step-by-step directions on how to make this your own!  He also threw in precious custom address labels to match!

And we like the way Merriment Design is thinking.  While this is perfection for a fall wedding, it can easily be tweaked to be suitable for a spring or summer ceremony or even an invitation for a child's birthday party or baby shower.  We absolutely love the whimsy of this save-the-date and the warm fuzzy memories of favorite childhood stories that it invokes, but we also love the hint of eco-friendliness that's implied with the tree theme. 

What's your favorite childhood story? Have you ever incorporated it into an event that you've planned? 

Make It Yours Monday: Drawstring Goodie Bags

Lovely Design has come up with another lovely design that we love!  Last year she hand-crafted these precious drawstring goodie bags for her daughter's birthday party.

And because she's a generous crafter, she's even offered up a simple tutorial for putting these together yourself.  Now, if you're not a crafty person (and we understand not everyone is), you could always purchase the drawstring bags in bulk and personlize them yourself.  With iron on adhesive and ready made appliques, it's pretty idiot-proof!

We love her idea of monogramming the bags for each of the children with fabric scraps from previous projects. Not only did she save some money going this route, but she also saved the leftover fabric from ending up in the landfill.  Other than monogramming, we've found some adorable appliques to make this project perfect for your next event.

Having a beach wedding?  Give your guests a fan to stay cool and pair of flip-flops in a coastal-themed bag. Use two different images to distinguishe between men's and women's sized sandals.

Springy birds would perfectly fit a nesting theme for a bridal or baby shower favor bag.

Hosting a party for the big game? Hand out personalized bag with game snacks, pom-poms and other fun treats.

Instead of giving out stockings filled with treats at your holiday party, use this darling stocking applique to turn the goodie bag into a festive holiday gift.

Add a sweet treat to the bag and fill it with delicious snacks for your guests to take home.

Have you been inspired to make personalized goodie bags for your next event? Want help customizing your next occasion? Email us at info@wevegotitchicago.com to see how we can help!

Make It Yours Monday: Earth-Friendly Guest Book

How boring are traditional guest books? I remember as a little girl going through my parents' wedding guest book and wondering, 'who are all these people?' and why do my parents have a list of their names?  More importantly, if this is such a significant keepsake, then why is it stuffed away in the back of a dusty drawer? Shouldn't it be out on display?  Of course, no one wants to display a book of signatures, but this new Earth-Friendly Guest Book is a gorgeous work of art that you'll want to put on your wall for the world to see and admire. Behold, the Wedding Tree!

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As you can see, this is not the typical guest book. It's a beautiful work of art, created by those who are nearest and dearest to your heart. And to make sure it's green, print it on recycled paper, use an eco-friendly frame, and opt for "green" ink (not just in color). 

This is a gorgeous project that Mustard & Sage has shared with the world, but we've thought of a few ways to tweak it to make it perfect for your next event!

• Having a fall wedding? Use an array of reds, oranges and golds when selecting ink colors. You'll create a beautiful fall image reminiscent of the day you wed the love of your life.
• What a charming way to capture all of the guests at a baby shower or Christening!  Opt for pinks and yellows or greens and blues to create a whimsical baby-friendly look, then hang the finished picture in the nursery.
• Hosting a 50th wedding anniversary?  In honor of the golden anniversary, use black paper and have guests stamp their prints with metallic colors (golds and silvers and bronzes) for a unique look.
• This is perfect for a family reunion.  Select a different shade of green for each branch of the family and you'll have a lovely souvenir for the matriarch (or patriarch).  Or make color copies and frame them as gifts for each family branch that attends!

Will you incorporate the Guest Book Tree into your next event?  Need help creating a design that fits your event perfectly?  Email us at info@wevegotitchicago.com and we can help!

Green Weddings Part 4: Flowers

Whether it's flowers for your hair or flowers for your bouquet or flowers for the table, a beautiful arrangement can be one of the details that makes a big impact on your guests.  It's also a detail that can make a big impact on the environment.  If you want to go with real flowers, be sure to find what's in season when you're getting married.  Sites like this one can help.  Flowers in season will have to travel less distance and will take less of a toll on the environment. Additionally, seasonal blooms are much cheaper. 

However, we suggest going green by opting for fake flowers.  I know, I know...fake flowers conjur up images of waxy, plasticy, dust-collecting crap in the back corner of a craft store.  Rest assured, we do not want to go that route! We've found a beautiful collection of unique and inspired blooms that are all reusable. 

Peppermint Cloud (on etsy.com) has a beautiful collection of custom-made floral accessories for the bride-to-be and her maids.

Yande Bride (also on etsy.com) offers an array of ring pillows, garters, and flower girl baskets with gorgeous home-made details.

Feeling creative?  Want to make your own table decor? Check out this simple tutorial to make stunning colorful bouquets.

Looking for a real eco-chic look?  Get crafty with a mix of paper flowers and the real deal.  Tutorial found here.

So why go with fake flowers?

• They are more affordable.
• They can be donated or sold to another bride to be reused.
• They can be repurposed into a fashion accessory or home decor.
• They never wilt, die or need water and sunlight. 
• They can be made months in advance.
• They don't take a toll on the environment by harvesting plants or requiring out-of-season cross-country delivery.
• You can DIY and save even more money.
• You can get exactly the colors/style you want without blowing your budget.
• Fabric is never out of season.
• They are beautiful and will wow your guests!

So what do you think? Which is your favorite eco-friendly flower?  Did you use Earth-friendly flowers at your wedding? Send us a photo at info@wevegotitchicago.com, and you could be featured on our blog!

Make It Yours Monday: Graffiti Cards

Had enough of blah thank you cards?  Then head on over to Merriment Design to see what Kathy has come up with!  She's created these adorable thank you note-cards from a photograph of the Chicago Avenue Bridge.  She's even created a template that you can use to make your very own cards.  Now we love all things Chicago, and we think this is a great way to show your appreciation, but we've also come up with some other great ways to use this idea for your next event.

Note: we are not encouraging you to go graffiti up your beautiful city.  However, many cities do have areas that are designated for urban art expression. (My home-town has a great wall for this . . . I'll definitely be creating some works of art for this project next time I visit!) So if you can't find the perfect words already on a bridge (like Kathy did), go grab a can of spray paint and create your own.

• Scribble out "You're Invited" for an art-themed kid's party
• If your town is famous for an area of graffiti, use different images for escort cards at your wedding
• Write the names of your guests on the wall and snap photos to use as place-settings for your next dinner party
• Put all the details of your next event on the wall and use the image as a post-card invitation. (Warning: be sure to paint over this when you're done or you may have party-crashers on your hands.)

What about you? Have you ever found the perfect graffiti? Will you use this project for your next event?  Tell us about it in an email or a comment!

Make It Yours Monday: A Year's Worth of Gifts

Who wouldn't love a year's worth of gifts?  LaurenMakes has inspired us once again with a great DIY project.  While this was originally meant as a gift for her husband, we see a world of possibilities for your next occasion.

• Give as a gift for a friend or loved one for a birthday, Christmas, or Valentine's day. Really, any holiday would work!
• Treat your employees to a year's worth of perks at your next office party
• Present your clients with 12 months of discounts or extras at a customer appreciation event
• Create a year's worth of easy go-to date nights for your sweetheart
• Give your bridesmaids a year's worth of fun surprises as a thank you for being your best gals
• Know someone who's new in town? Help them explore their new neighborhood with 12 months of local activities.

There's two ways to put these together.  Lauren did hers with customized cards describing the date.  But My Mix of Six went a different route. She included the needed items, like tickets and gift cards. This can get costly, but remember, you don't have to give a major gift each month.  There are tons of free and affordable activities available throughout the year in Chicago. Search a site like ChicaGO for some fun ideas. Get creative and find fun and inexpensive ways to treat someone to a special day each month.

Need help pulling this together?  We've Got It! Chicago offers design services to help you create custom DIY projects for your next special occasion. Contact us today at info@wevegotitchicago.com for more information.

Make It Yours Monday: Valentine's Day

We love customizing projects for our clients in order to put a personal touch on their events.  We realize not everyone is as crafty and creative as we are, which is why we love to share simple DIY projects with our readers when we find them.  Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and we wanted to share a couple of easy and cute DIY projects that you can make for V-Day, or any day. 

Project #1: A Little Book of Love

While this is designed to be a mini-Valentine, you could easily tweak it a bit to be suitable for any holiday or occasion.  Who wouldn't love a pocket-sized profession of love for a birthday present.  Or, how about singing the praises of your employee-of-the-month?  Basically, it doesn't have to be filled with hearts and an out-pouring of love to work. 

Check out this tutorial done by Lauren over at Lauren Makes.

Project #2: Love You Bookmarks

We love, love, love this idea.  There are a multitude of ways in which this project can be adapted to suit your occasion or event. Here's just a few we can think of off the top of our heads:

• stocking stuffer for a book-lover
• save the date card for a literary (or other) themed wedding
• Valentine's Day gift
• write a message on the back and have it double as a greeting card
• try different cut-out shapes and messages to fit the theme of your event
• add a favorite recipe to the back and use it as a cookbook place-marker
• gift tags
• use red and green fabric and make Christmas ornaments and keepsakes
• add them to goodie bags for a child's birthday party

What about you? Let us know if you've thought of another way to incorporate these bookmarks into your event.  For a tutorial on this project, head over to mmmcrafts.

100 Wedding Blogs (and Twitter) To Follow in 2010

The BrideTide.com list is up! Take a look at the 100 Wedding Blogs to Follow for 2010. So many good ones to help inspire and support your wedding planning efforts.

Don't forget to check out the Great Eco Section - conveniently reposted below for your enjoyment!

ECO


Earth Friendly Weddings
An inspiring resource for planning environmentally and socially responsible green weddings for today's modern bride.

Eco Chic Weddings Blog
Ethical. Thrifty. Chic. This blog takes green weddings to a whole new level.

Recycled Bride
The RB blog is your place to get the latest scoop on eco-chic wedding and lifestyle trends. Updated daily by Tracy DiNunzio.

Eco-Beautiful Weddings
The Daily Blog is the resource for eco-couture weddings and is the first and only quarterly online magazine and daily blog dedicated to eco-friendly weddings.

Sonsorship/Vendor Agreements

When planning any event, it is good to get things down on paper.  This helps avoid problems later for both you and your vendors.  There are many different types of contracts/agreements out there and it can sometimes be confusing. Keep the following things in mind when reviewing contracts/agreements:

1. READ THOUROUGHLY
Don't ever sign anything without reading it in it's entirety.  No contract/agreement is ever perfect on the first draft. There will always be something that you need to strike through and change. 

             a. Initial Changes
When making said changes, as always happens with contracts/agreements, be sure to initial by each change that you've made. Be sure to send back to your vendor and have them initial each portion as well. This will serve as a confirmation that both parties are aware of the changes made and have agreed to the new terms.

2. Check Dates & Times
This may seem like an obvious step when reviewing a contract/agreement, but be sure to double and triple check all dates and times outlined.  Be sure the contract/agreement states at what time your vendor will arrive and how long they will stay at your event. This section should be very detailed and outline exactly what you're expecting.

3. Deposit
Be sure to check over the payment plan.  You may discuss one payment schedule over they phone, but another may be defaulted in your vendor's contracts/agreements. Be sure that all terms discussed prior to the drafting and signing of the agreement are in fact outlined on paper. The last thing you want is a fee for not paying on time!

4. Clean Up
Who will be in charge of clean up? If you're working with a caterer, who will be in charge of disposing the refuse? Will there be a separate container and drop-off for recyclables? Will they also provide the cans and bags for collecting the waste, or is that up to you?

5. Set Up
Be sure that all materials needed by all vendors will be provided by the actual vendor. Most photographers have their own equipment right? Well cameras and film, yes, but what about tables, chairs, table cloths, etc? Be sure to list all materials that you expect a vendor to provide in the agreement.  If you are supplying certain items, put that in the agreement as well.

The main thing to remember when signing any contract/agreement is the DETAIL!!  Every word needs to be read and understood to ensure you get what you pay for and what you expect. The last thing you want is to show up on the day of your event and be surprised - trust us!

WGIC also provides al la carte services, with contract/agreement negotiations and review being one of our specialties. Give us a call at 312-285-4544 if you're unsure about something in your vendor agreement and we'll be happy to assist!

Green Cupcakes

Dessert bars are hot these days for all types of events: weddings, showers and birthdays alike. Here's a great way to stay green when including cupcakes with your favorite sweets. Found on the Earth Friendly Weddings Blog.

Dream Green sells eco-friendly cupcake wrappers in packs of 100. Each design is printed with soy inks on recycled paper. This is a great find for the DIY bride and party thrower. If you're working with a local bakery, be sure to ask if they would be willing to use the wrappers you've purchased - most bakers should have no problem making this adjustment!

Yum!

A Colorful Kids' Party

ere's something that's sure to brighten your Monday: a spectacularly colorful kids' party. While you'll see practically every color of the rainbow in these pictures, the most important color is green! This party is as eco-friendly as it is kid-friendly.

This is an absolutely adorable kids art-themed party. For the full post, check it out here at One Charming Blog. But here's a quick peek at our favorite ideas.

The party hostess served organic snacks and drinks on reusable plates and cups.

With a little scrapbook paper and paint, these old containers were repurposed into cute holders for art supplies.

Festive fabric banners were made with old clothes and rags. Check out the tutorial for a how-to.

Perhaps my favorite touch: the kids' aprons were made from old men's workshirts!

What a creative hostess! Instead of spending big bucks at the store for plastic favors and junk food, these kids were treated to special home-made (and green) fun. Makes me wish I was a kid again!

Eco Chic

We recently discovered Merriment, a great craft/design blog filled with wonderfully creative ideas. Our favorite find so far is these DIY napkin rings.

These rings are so creative, but the best part about them is that they are made from recycled cardboard tubes, like toilet paper rolls or plastic wrap tubes. This project is a great way to customize your next event for little cost at all.

I like to do craft projects, so I keep a basket of fabric scraps that would be just perfect for a mix-and-match set of napkin rings. Or check out sales at your local fabric store for a great deal so you can always have rings to match the decor of your event.

With projects like this, it's easy to be eco-friendly and still have a chic event! What a great way to be a Socially Responsible Butterfly!

Paper Souce

Paper Source is a great resource for the eco-friendly party planner. They offer an amazing array of beautiful paper products, craft projects and gifts, and they've recently gone green. Their webpage sums up their view of the environment with this:

"Our commitment to you, our customer, is to balance the equation by giving you choices, allowing you to enjoy paper as a wonderful vehicle for creativity without compromising your desire for stewardship of the earth."

To read more about their Eco-Story, check this out. Another reason we love Paper Source is that they are a local Chicago company too! Founded in 1983 by Sue Lindstrom, Paper Source is a great place to find luxurious original papers, perfect for one-of-a-kind invitations and event decor. Here's a few of our favorite products to make your next event beautiful: