Five baby gift ideas

Posted on March 29, 2012 by handmadebyme| Leave a comment
Christening Gifts

Baby Gifts

Picking a baby gift is rather hard, especially if you would like to give something that shows you truly care. What baby gifts will be cherished later on? Here are five ideas for you.

1. A baby quilt

A handmade baby quilt deserves first place, because quilts take a lot of time and effort and show that you care about the new little one. While babies do grow out of crib-sized quilts, they can be used as lap quilts or wall hangings later on. A beautiful quilt will be treasured forever. You can either crochet a quilt out of cotton (wool can be itchy and cause newborns to overheat), or sew one out of scrap pieces of fabric. Quilts made out of old baby t-shirts have something very special about them.

2. A baby carrier

Traditional Asian baby carriers are extremely practical, and most can be used from birth until toddlerhood — to wear babies on the parent’s front, back, or hip. Mei tais or podaegis are among the best gifts for expectant moms , because these carriers allow mom to comfortably carry the baby while she’s nursing, and can be used in places strollers can’t. Instructions on how to sew these baby carriers can easily be found on the web, but beautiful and sturdy carriers are also for sale on etsy.

3. Stacking toys

Natural and safe toys for kids  are a priority during the first few years. Stacking toys are a favorite among babies from about six months. Making the pole and individual rings is labor-intensive, and requires you to carefully check whether any of the parts can come undone. Those who have the time and skill will be able to offer a wonderful toy. Those who don’t can log onto the web and by a stacking toy made by a talented work-at home mom.

4. Meals

Let’s face it: having a newborn is exhausting. Most new parents would really welcome a break from those mundane household tasks, which become a real challenge to those who’ve only had a few hours of sleep. Nutritious, homemade meals are often the first thing to go for many busy parents. Your friend or relative will really appreciate “meal vouchers” which they can exchange for meals made by you.

5. Felted balls

All babies and toddlers love balls, and soft, felted wool balls are safe. All you need to make one is some merino wool top, perhaps some food coloring to dye the wool, and soapy hot water. Then you shape layers of wool into a ball, add soapy water, and keep rubbing. Make sure to add layer by layer, rather than taking lots of wool at once. Keeping rubbing until you have a nice, firm ball. Once you are happy about the size of the ball, run it through the washing and let it dry.

Olivia is a vegetarian, crafty mom of two. She blogs about fertility, pregnancy and parenting at Trying To Conceive.

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How to Plan Your Dream Wedding

Posted on February 23, 2012 by handmadebyme| Leave a comment

Going back into your childhood, you must have had that time where you were highly obsessed with creating every detail of your wedding day when you grow old. Looking back, it must have been a very enjoyable process as you go through the details of your dress, cake, and with the whole décor of the venue. However, fast forward to about 10 years, you have now come to realize just how grueling of an undertaking it can be. This is especially true if you only have a limited budget for the entire event. Here are some planning tips to ensure that you get your dream wedding with this type of economy.

Determine Your Budget

You might want to spend heavily for such an important occasion but you need to be realistic and really create a budget plan that you will have to stick with and constantly look into as you go over the entire planning process. List the bare essentials and then include the add-ons as your budget allows. Consider leaving out the things that you can do without along with a few other luxuries if you have a tight budget.

Consider Online Shopping

The internet has made shopping very convenient today. The World Wide Web houses the most extensive array of markets that sell just about everything. There are bound to be thousands of stores that sell wedding supplies. Buying from these online stores does not only spare you the effort of having to go from one brick and mortar store to another. It also gives you a chance to avail of great bargains and discounts.

Eliminate Lavishness and Luxuries

Typical weddings start in the late afternoon and end with a lavish banquet for dinner. Today, there are some compromises that modern weddings have employed to cut down on the expenses. Consider holding your wedding in the morning and providing your guests with brunch or lunch dishes which are less expensive than dinners. You can also eliminate dishes in the menu that are too expensive or swap in into a less costly recipe.

Town down Beauty

While it is important that the groom and the bride – most especially – should look their very best in this very important day of their lives; using expensive beauty regimens and treatments might place a toll on your already limited budget. Consider having your hair and makeup done by a friend who is good at it. If you can, you can even just do it on your own. Also, take the additional effort to look for a dress that is cheap but is classy enough to wear once you get out of your gown during the reception.

Avoid Unnecessary Enhancements

Create a solid balance on all the aspects of the wedding. You might have unknowingly placed so much attention and expenses on the decors that you have failed to give the necessary notice to the food and the band that will be providing the entertainment. Never cut on the food, entertainment, dress, and photographs as these are considered to be the bare essentials that make up a good wedding ceremony.

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Amy C. is a writer and blogger who takes special interest in wedding preparations and arrangements. When she is not writing about wedding plans and schemes, she performs administrative work and blogging activities for Greyside Group, a maritime security and executive protection company. Watch out for her next post for more wedding ideas.

Posted in Wedding Help and Advice

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Unique Wedding Ideas on Etsy

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Guest Author| Leave a comment

Weddings can be very stressful to organize and prepare for, but a convenient and quick way to find the perfect items for your wedding is to look for them online. Last year, even though I was attending law school in Massachusetts, I was able to help my best friend plan her wedding in California by using online Web sites such as Etsy.

We found so many amazing items that were truly one of a kind, and we received so many compliments during my friend’s wedding reception that I would recommend the same technique be attempted by everyone else. I can’t praise this site enough for the great finds we made there, and I would highly recommend that you explore the Etsy before looking anywhere else for weddings accessories.

Here are 5 samples of the type of wedding items you can find on Etsy:

Bride and Groom Hangers 

Bride & Groom Hangers

These quirky hangers are a lot of fun, and can be used both on your wedding day and on your honeymoon.

Personalized Dance Floor Decal 

Personalized Dance Floor Decal

Dance the night away on your very own personalized dance floor decal! These decals have become very popular in weddings as of late and they can help spice up an otherwise run of the mill dance floor set up.

Personalized Vintage Styled Pillows 

Personalized Vintage Styled Pillows

A great item to put on your wedding gift registry, these personalized vintage-esque cushions are a wonderful way to always remember your happy day.

Bejeweled Wedding Shoes

Bejeweled Wedding Shoes

These delicate wedding shoes are absolutely stunning and are bound to inspire a lot of admiration. Made with vintage lace, Swarovski crystals and real pearls –  these shoes are not only pretty but very high quality.

Crystal Headband

Who doesn’t want to feel like a princess on their wedding day? Enjoy feeling like royalty with this crystal handmade headband that compliments many different types of hairstyles and hair lengths.

As you can see, Etsy is chock full of creative and beautiful weddings items. New stuff gets put up all the time, so make sure you shop around a little before you make your final purchases! Good luck!

Posted in Wedding Help and Advice

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Bridal Hairstyle Choices

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Guest Author| Leave a comment

Every girl dreams about her wedding day. She wants the perfect dress, gorgeous flowers and beautiful music. What she doesn’t want is a horrendous mess perched atop her head on one of the most important days of her life. If your wedding day is on fast approach, it’s a good idea to learn more about which wedding hairstyle trends will work best with your type of hair.

Women everywhere understand that hair seems to have a personality of its own, which often resembles that of a spoiled child at times. One day it behaves perfectly well, lies still when necessary or wafts in the most beguiling of ways upon request. Other days, well, the story plays out much differently. A wedding day is no time to trust that your hair will cooperate and help to transform you into a beautiful, glowing bride. It’s much better to take charge of the situation, study hairstyle trends that complement your face, and ensure your wedding day suffers no uncooperative style disasters.

Long & Sleek

Over the last few years, hairstyles in general have trended towards long, sleek and shiny affairs and wedding styles are no exceptions. Many contemporary and fashionable ladies have chosen to exchange the classic up-do for softer, sexier looks on their wedding day. Even Princess Catherine left most of her long locks hanging loose when she tied the knot with Prince William in 2011.

Besides the ultra feminine look, women choose to leave their hair down for a number of reasons. Ladies looking to save a few dollars on their wedding day might decide to fashion their own look and long styles are typically the easiest to create without help. Maintenance is another reason for long styling trends. Once this type of hairdo is finished, it’s a snap to maintain and looks fantastic with most wedding veils. For a shot of creativity, adding elegant barrettes or bows can add some variety to an otherwise plain style.

Classic Up-do

For women who prefer a more traditional approach to wedding day hair, a classic up-do with a modern twist remains a strong contender for brides-to-be. The “twist” can be anything from unusual accessories to trend-setting shapes. For instance, the tried and true bun gets a whole new look when coupled with an over-the-shoulder length of artificial hair braided with seed pearls or flowers. Additionally, hair styled up and securely-fastened typically presents very few maintenance issues throughout the day’s festivities.

Blended Looks

Even many modern women choose to have their hair up in classic form on their wedding day. To soften the look and add a touch of femininity, have your stylist pluck a few tendrils loose so that they frame your face in soft waves. For an even bolder look, encourage your stylist to give her creativity free reign.  Many stylists are trained in techniques they never have an opportunity to use. With the use of gem-studded braids or simple off-set buns, you can face your wedding with a trendy haute-couture hairstyle seen only on model runways or the high-fashion streets of Paris.

Other types of style trends for the big day include a half up and half down style, pin-curl ringlets gathered at the nape of the neck or a simple and elegant ponytail hanging loosely over one shoulder.

Since the dawn of time, brides have yearned for ways to stand apart from the crowd on their big day, and hairstyles have helped make this possible. As your day approaches, get together with your stylist in advance to explore the vast array of styles at your disposal. Whatever look you choose, make sure it complements your face shape, skin tone and wedding dress. Making a little effort ahead of time will ensure that your groom is nothing short of stunned when he greets you at the altar on your wedding day.

Olivia Nicholas is a writer for Storkie in the wedding industry. On her wedding day, Olivia chose soft curly locks, loosely half-up, with beaded accessories.

Posted in Bridal Hair

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Check out these creative ideas for wedding bouquets without live flowers.

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Guest Author| Leave a comment

Fresh flowers are always beautiful, of course, but they are not for everyone. More and more brides these days are opting for non-floral bouquets. They can be every bit as gorgeous as live flowers and offer a lot of possibility for personal expression. Check out these creative ideas for wedding bouquets without live flowers.

I recently saw a truly lovely bridal bouquet which was handcrafted from fabric flowers.

We are not talking about silk florals from a craft store, but rather individual hand rolled blossoms. The flowers were created in soft hues like blush, mauve, and cream using fabrics with raw edges. The result was a bouquet with a marvelously romantic shabby chic vibe. Imagine how pretty such a bouquet would be on your wedding day and as a keepsake to cherish long after. It would be absolutely stunning with one of the blush or pale pink tulle bridal gowns that are so stylish these days.

For a wedding bouquet with an abundance of homespun charm, consider a button bouquet. All you need to make it yourself is a large collection of buttons, floral wire, and some pretty ribbon to wrap the stems. A button bouquet will look especially nice if you use buttons in a variety of sizes. For the bride, look for buttons made from mother of pearl, faux ivory, and pearls. The bridesmaid bouquets can get more colorful if you like. One really fun idea is to surround your button bouquet with a felt ruff. This would be a terrific bouquet style for a wedding with a lot of DIY elements.

The most glamorous kind of non-floral bouquet has got to be the brooch bouquet. There are many approaches you can take, although most brides will either make a commitment to mostly clear crystals or a very colorful bouquet. You can source the brooches almost anywhere, such as vintage shops, yard sales, rummage sales, and even your grandmother’s jewelry box. Build a brooch bouquet around one special family heirloom, if you like. There is nothing more spectacular than this type of nosegay for the bride. This same idea can also work very well for bridesmaids. Pick brooches that complement the general hue of their dresses. So if they are wearing plum, concentrate on jewel tone pieces, while if your attendants will wear pastels, opt for softer shades. Definitely plan to give your friends bridesmaid jewelry gifts that complement their brooch bouquets.

Bouquets without live flowers can also be made from natural non-floral elements. For a fall harvest wedding, for instance, the bride can carry a sheaf of wheat tied up with a luxuriously wide satin ribbon. Very eco-chic! Greenery is very popular for bouquets this year, and you can even design an arrangement that features only the greenery, without any flowers. Another neat idea is to wire a pine cone bouquet for a winter wedding. Add some sprays of crystals or even a little glitter to give pine cone bouquets some sparkle. Any of these natural non-floral bouquets are very affordable, which should leave more in the budget for fabulous bridesmaid gifts!

Last but not least, is the idea of a paper bouquet. If you are the crafty type, it would be very cool to DIY paper flowers made from the pages of your favorite book. It will be really fun to see little snippets of a beloved story every time that you glance down at your bouquet. For something more colorful, it is easy to create festive paper flowers out of crepe paper or tissue paper. One thing is certain, which is that fantastic options abound for pretty wedding bouquets without live flowers.

Bridget Mora writes for Silverland Jewelry about wedding planning, DIY projects, design, and more. Find beautiful and affordable bridesmaid gifts for your wedding at Silverland Jewelry today!

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