Overstock lighting wish list

Last weekend some of my girlfriends and I went over to a friends home for a girls night and I loved a lot of her furniture and outdoor furniture and she said she ordered it all on Overstock. I haven't bought anything from there so I've been checking it out and they have some good deals and a lot of different things to choose from! Her outdoor set was beautiful! Here is some neat lighting I'm checking out!

My Goodwill wedding dress story

There I was at the Goodwill outlet digging through bins, which is a past time of mine, and I pull up this old ivory silk wedding gown. I know what you are thinking, this girl is crazy, and what in the world is an old vintage gown doing balled up with the curtains? It's still a mystery. I really thought it was a curtain at first since it had a huge train. I thought to myself, what if I could do something with this dress? So I bought it. For two dollars.

I called up my client Mrs. Donna, who used to make wedding gowns, and to my surprise after seeing it said she would work on it and that it was even possible to restore it to a new life. I was pretty excited about the transformation it was about to take. It was in amazing shape with literally no damage, which makes me wonder if it was ever worn. It had no labels so someone custom made it a long time ago. All original fabric covered buttons still in tact, puffy sleeves still going strong, long train, working zipper. The before still cracks me up.

After several fittings it really became a dream dress. The length was perfect so we didn't have to change the hem at all. ( Which is a miracle because I'm 5'11 ). She gave it a sweetheart neckline and added some sparkle trim to the top. She did all new lining and boning since the structure inside had to be made several sizes smaller. Then I put together the sash using a grey ribbon and lace and hot glued fabric flowers and a beaded appliqué I had. It was so easy to make a bridal sash. Those things can cost a fortune! It turned out great and brought it all together! I loved having a unique dress that had history to it. It makes it fun to have turned something that most brides spend thousands on be a special one of a kind find.

Don't laugh too hard at the before! ;)

Some highlights from our Big day!

I think I'm still in denial it's all over. Here are some shots of the church and the reception barn. It was a ton of work, but it was all worth it in the end!

DIY Bed Canopy

I have been wanting to change up our bedroom a while now. I think adding fabrics really softens a room. I had seen some pictures lately of bed canopy's, and  I wanted to use the extra fabric I had left over from the wedding. I had two giant Crosscill white cotton curtains I found at goodwill for less than a dollar! I only needed one! They were super long. It's great if you only have one long panel you don't know what to do with. It was super easy.

You'll need long screws, a drill, curtain ring hooks with little clamps, and twine. I wanted the canopy the length of the bed, but honestly you can get creative as you want. Since you screw in where you want to tie the hook from you can do it so many ways! You drill in the screw into the ceiling, tie the curtain hook to the nail with twine ( tie it tight), and pinch the small clamp to the curtain. It only took about 20 minutes to do, and it gives an elegant touch!

Good luck!
- Jen

My Wedding whirlwind has passed, now what?

Our wedding day was beautiful. From the sweet, light hearted ceremony to the dance off at the reception. It was perfect. All the countless hours of crafting makes every detail pay off. Literally every possible thing you can make, I joyfully crafted until my hearts content. It was such a surreal sight to see it all come together with the hard work of family and friends. I wanted to share things with you I made along the way. Obviously I tried to save us money by making everything, but you definitely have to cut yourself off or you'll go broke going to hobby lobby and michael's. Haha.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. To be honest I probably should of had some girls nights with my friends to help put together a bunch of stuff. It's easy to say,"Oh I'm good" and not bother calling people for help, but your wedding is something the people around you want to be a part of. People will come out of the wood work to help you. Take it. The day of the wedding the help we had was unbelievable. It really makes you feel special to see the family and friends come together to help put together your dream day.

It's a weird feeling. You are kind of glad it's all over, but sad too because you spent so many hours planning and anticipating the Big day. It's really like a part time job. Sure you will have a few decorating regrets after you get back on Pinterest, but hey... it's ok. :)