The Latest


**Future blog posts will be listed on my personal website at www.katsprint.com/blog**

2 months ago my husband and I sold our first home, and purchased our forever home. This new home, needed TONS of cosmetic work, and TONS of cosmetic work is what we did. We are finally at a point where we can come home and enjoy our house, rather than work on projects all night.

Walking through our new home, there were some projects that definitely needed to be addressed immediately.

The question I get asked the most is "How did you think to do that?" Most of my projects are created because something is bothering me or not functioning correctly. I see a problem, research options, choose one and do it.

For example, at our last home, there was a tiny closet at the end of the hallway that served no purpose to us, so I converted it to a nice shelf, see it here.

Here are a few of the "issues" we had with our home
and how we solved them

The basement and back door run into each other when they are both open and our cats need to access the basement for their litter, food and water 24/7. When both doors are open, it completely blocks off the entryway to our living room.


Cut out a cat door in the bottom of the basement door so it can stay shut when we aren't going in the basement. I was going to use a stencil, but then I thought it may be fun to try doing it free-hand, it turned out pretty good!


 {Finished product to the left}

 Materials used:
+ Wooden door
+ Jigsaw
+ White paint





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Our master bath currently has a huge, ugly, obnoxious tub in it. The door nearly scraped the tub when opening it, and made you feel like you had to scoot into the bathroom. Since we can't afford to gut it at the moment, we chose another route.

Install sliding doors on the outside of the bathroom. I used this blog post to achieve this project, BUT altered it a bit so that I could use two doors that split open in the middle {we have a large dresser to the right, so we couldn't use one large door}.

You must use a wooden door to do this project, no fake crap!


{Semi-finished product to the left, we still need knobs on the doors}


 Materials used:
+ 1 Galvanized pipe to match our bedroom colors
+ 2 Floor flanges
+ 2 Street elbows
+ Eyelet hooks (2/door)
+ Casters (2/door)
+ 6 Screws



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Both bathrooms upstairs were suuuuuper ugly. In addition to the glass doors on the tubs, the old fixtures, the odd window treatments and outdated vanities, the mirrors weren't framed.
Frame the mirrors, I used this blog post for how to do this. My mirrors had the ugly plastic clips holding the mirror to the wall, so to fix that just simply replace the clips with these washers.


{Finished product to the left}

 Materials used:
+ 4 Corner pieces of moulding per mirror {I used white moulding so that I didn't have to paint them myself, see here}
+ 4 Lengths of moulding per mirror {I used white moulding so that I didn't have to paint them myself, see here}
+ Liquid Nails - 1 per mirror
+ Painter’s tape



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Like I said before, the master bathroom was probably one of the ugliest bathrooms I have ever seen. The tub in the corner of the bathroom had gaudy glass doors surrounding it. We ripped the glass doors off, now what?
The tub is positioned in the corner of the bathroom, which means we couldn't simply replace the glass doors with a standard curtain rod. I looked around and found some wire curtain rods, and thought we could try that. I purchased mine from Amazon, because I have prime, but Ikea's has good reviews, too.

{Finished product to the left}

 Materials used:
+ Wire Curtain Rod System from Amazon
+ 6 Screws
{This video helps understand how to install something like this, note this is not the same product I purchased.}


















Thanks for stopping by, look for more projects!
**Future blog posts will be listed on my personal website at www.katsprint.com/blog**
Just when you think it's over, it's not...









THANK YOU CARDS
During the creation of your wedding invites, you should also be thinking of the design of your thank you cards.

1. How many do you THINK you will need?
Assume at least 75% of guests you invite, will show, so you'll probably need at least that amount. Maybe add an additional 15 - 20 on there for those who cannot attend, and still send a gift.


2. What should they look like?
Your thank you cards should take on the same look of your other wedding materials. Same colors, theme, etc.


3. When should I send them?
No later than 6 - 8 weeks after the event.
4. Where do I get thank you cards?
If you're having a designer custom make your invites, ask them to design matching thank you cards, with a specific design and/or picture(s) in mind. Then, be sure to get the perfect pictures for your thank you cards on your big day, and ask the photographer to send those within the first week or two of the wedding.

If you purchased your invites from an online source, they may have matching thank you cards to choose from.

Otherwise...
Wedding Paper Divas
minted.
Shutterfly
Etsy
Paper Source


5. Do I need to send thank you cards to my vendors?
This is not a must, but highly recommended.



REVIEWS
Whether the vendor was great or horrible, post reviews. Think about how helpful they were for you, and how helpful you can be to future brides. The vendors will also appreciate any feedback for future business. If your review is really nice, the vendor may even ask if they can feature your wedding/review.

Reviews can be emailed directly to them, or via any wedding website; like weddingwire.com, theknot.com or any local wedding website.


DRESS CARE
You could be the cleanest lady around, but I promise your dress is filthy. Ask the company you purchased your dress from if they offer wedding dress preservation (preferably when you purchase the dress, they will probably give you a discount).

Get this done immediately following the wedding, or you'll never do it.

The Wedding Shoppe in Berkley, MI charged me $125 and did a beautiful job. My dress is now safely put away until the day I decide to pull it out and look at it or share with a family member.


WEDDING SUBMISSIONS
Hopefully you thought your wedding was the best day ever, and you want everyone to see it. This is nothing to be ashamed of, flaunt it. After you get your wedding photos together, try submitting it to a few websites and magazines!

My suggestions:
Real Bride
Style Me Pretty
The Knot
Green Wedding Shoes
Martha Stewart Weddings

**Future blog posts will be listed on my personal website at www.katsprint.com/blog**

 As I started to go through my budget sheet, I quickly began noticing the small holes of areas I had missed. I became so focused on all of the large purchases (which are very important), that I began forgetting about all of the small items I would need to purchase.

These items seem like they will be cheap little purchases, but begin adding up into thousands of dollars as you go along. I can't stress enough how important it is to write out lists of items you need to purchase, and buy them over a length of time.

Some that come to the top of my head: Alterations, transportation for your guests, marriage license, asking the bridal party, vendor meals, and miscellaneous decor (decor goes beyond nice flowers) and signs. Others include:

Tips (wedding planner, waiters at rehearsal, bartenders)
Even though you are paying some of these people to do their job, they still qualify for a tip, sometimes a hefty tip. My wedding planner did such a wonderful job, we have her a large, large tip for all of her efforts.  Also, don't forget about sales tax and service charges, they will sting you in the ass if you're not paying attention to them.

Helpful hint: Pay you remaining balances (of the vendors) right when they arrive, and if you tip them, they are guaranteed to go that extra mile for you. The night before our wedding, I had pre-made cute envelopes for my wedding planner to hand out to each vendor. There's no time for counting money and figuring out what you owe each person the morning of your wedding.  


Cake Cutting Utensils
Most venues will supply these, but if you want your own, I suggest Etsy, they have so many nice ones that come in a set with your champagne glasses.


Cake Topper
I almost forgot about this one... not every cake has a topper, but keep in mind these can cost $50 - $100 (ours was a cheesy police officer and bride one).


Boutonniere Pins
Just go buy some right now, and put them in a day-of bag. You won't be sorry.



Champagne Glasses for the Toast
If you're lucky, someone will buy you them at a shower, OR a family member will lend you some that have been passed down to them. This could be a good time to start your fine china collection, maybe in your bridal registry?


Stamps
Do not send wedding invitations out without a pre-stamped RSVP. It's hard enough getting people to RSVP, don't make it any harder.

So take your invite count and double it, that's how many stamps you need. Oh and don't forget to purchase enough for all of your thank you cards from your showers and the wedding.




Unity Items
My husband and I had a unity candle that our mothers lit, and then we did a hand-fasting ceremony for ourselves (see the multiple colored ribbon to the left). I was fortunate enough that my Aunt passed down a couple candle holders to me that had been in the family. She even decorated them, and I was able to purchase my own candles that fit perfectly.







Hair/Makeup Trial
My hair/makeup woman was wonderful (Hanna Wagner Design if you're in the Grand Rapids area). Her prices were fair and all of my bridesmaids and mothers looked and felt beautiful. I think it's so important to get a feel for what you're looking for months before your wedding day. They take notes and pictures so when your wedding finally comes around, they know exactly what to do.


Programs
I think this is one of the most overlooked pieces at a wedding. Think about when you're at a wedding, you're wondering who are those people and what is their relation to the bride and groom? Take the time to create something really fun for your guests to read over. See what I did here.



Gown Accessories
So you kept within your budget on the gown, what about your hair piece, necklace, earrings, bracelet, sash, veil, garter, shoes and undergarments? Cha-ching...


Various Outfits
What will you wear to each shower or wedding event? I chose to wear a different white dress to each fitting, hair trial, food tasting, bachelorette party, etc. Yes, it was excessive, but I was able to purchase all of them for really cheap, and had fun wearing them. 

What will you wear to rehearsal and rehearsal dinner? Is there an engagement party? Look good, all eyes will be on you during each of these events!


Place Cards
If you're telling your guests what table to sit at, how will this be presented? Chalkboard, pinned on a board, hanging from a tree, sitting on the tables. Either way, any printed material is not cheap and should be done as soon as you get all of your RSVPs back.





Parent Gifts
We were blessed with having super-supportive parents for our wedding. All of them helped out so much financially, emotionally and physically. I probably called my mom every 2 days during my wedding process to talk about the same stuff 100 times. I dragged Ryan's mom to a few appointments, and had my dad make a few things for me. I can't stress enough how important a little extra thank you was. 

All of my gifts to the parents went hand-in-hand with the wedding, and had a personal touch to them. The picture to the left was a patch I had made and sewed to the back of my dad's tie he wore on the wedding. 


Pre-wedding Pampering
This includes hair cut/color, nails, tanning, waxing, massage, facial, whatever you think you may need in prep.

Helpful hint: Get your spray tan 2 days before your wedding and also do facial treatments months in advance; no need for a nasty rash or peeling skin the morning of your wedding.


Card Holder
Where are people going to place their gifts and cards? I bought my black little bird cage on Tradesy.com. There are hundreds of ideas out there, but they aren't all cheap!



Menu
If your guests didn't get to choose their dinner, put a little menu card on each table for them to read over. You could also use the flip side for an order of events for the night. It's nice to know when the bride and groom are doing each fun thing during the reception.


Bride and Groom's Hotel Room
Where are you crashing the night of the wedding? This can cost anywhere from $150 - $300, depending on the amount of nights you're staying and what type of room you're shacking up in.







Bridal Party Gifts
Don't forget to thank your closest friends and family for hosting the showers, helping plan the wedding, go to appointments, etc. They love you and are happy to do all of those things, but a little something to show your appreciation can go a long way.

Helpful hint: For my wedding, I bought my girls stuff they could use again (NO not like the bridesmaid dress you never wear again), actual nice gifts. Try to supply some of the items they may use on your wedding, like a robe or tee for the morning of, shoes they can slip into at the reception, their jewelry, a bag or clutch to carry items in, the list goes on. There is no right or wrong gift, but getting something each person will like is the way to go. I would even suggest purchasing different gifts to compliment what each friend likes.

Shower Gifts
I thought it was a nice gesture to give the hosts of my shower a little thank you gift. If you've ever planned a shower, you know they are a lot of work. Again, a small token to say thank you (it could be handmade) goes a long way.






Thank You Cards

Sometimes the hosts of the bridal shower will provide you with matching (to your bridal shower theme) thank you cards. If they don't, plan on spending $50 - $150, depending on how many you have to write.

Also don't forget to purchase Thank You cards for your wedding, too. You can find beautifully done ones at Wedding Paper Divas, Minted, Etsy, Paper-Source, and more.

We also chose to do a general thank you sign at our welcome tables as people walked into the reception (seen to the left).

**Future blog posts will be listed on my personal website at www.katsprint.com/blog**

People have a lot of assumptions of what a wedding should be or what is normal.
Unfortunately for them, things have changed:
- Getting married in your 30's - Not wearing a diamond ring - Colorful wedding dresses - No bridal party - Destination weddings - Marriage outside of a church... are just a few of the new trends in weddings.

Here are a few example conversations that should be avoided...
Ring
"That's a nice ring for you, but I would never want that for myself." 
This is probably one of the rudest things I have ever heard. Wedding rings are a symbol of eternal love and a sacred bond shared between the husband and wife. Everyone has their own personal taste in style, and there is no such thing as a "standard" in what the ring should look like. As the saying goes, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all.





Attendance
"Am I invited to the wedding?"
I remember several people making comments after we sent our invites out about not being invited. I wasn't really sure how to answer why they weren't invited, but thought that was pretty rude as it put me and my fiance in a really awkward spot with them.

My tip for the bride and groom: It's never easy having to cut people off of the list, and I'm sure it did hurt their feelings, BUT it has to be done. I always encourage my engaged friends to start their list quickly after being engaged, then adding and subtracting as you get near time to order your save the dates. Relationships with people can change in a year's time, so be prepared for your list to be altered.

Money
"How much are you planning on spending on your wedding?"
This is like asking someone what their salary is. Sure, if you're planning your own shin-dig and are looking for advice, maybe ask what they spent on individual vendors, but an overall budget is personal.

My tip for the bride and groom: If someone asks you this, shoot them spots you looked around, but do not feel like you have to tell people what you spent, they are just be nosy.
Involvement
"I'm standing in the wedding right?"
Choosing a bridal party is probably one of the more stressful points in wedding planning. You should never assume you're standing in a wedding party, because the bride and groom may have other plans. Plus, once you make a comment like that, you may be asked out of pity, is that what you really want?

My tip for the bride and groom: Some people ask right away, and some wait until just several months out. Personally, I would wait. As I stated above, relationships can change drastically within a year's time, and someone you thought was one of your best friends, could be more of an acquaintance come time of the wedding.

Weight
"Are you planning on hitting the gym before the big day?"
Most woman are self-conscious about their weight on a day-to-day basis, let's not add more pressure to that topic than there already is. The most important thing is that the bride feels stunning on the wedding day, no matter the size.

Even as a bridesmaid, you should be supportive of the bride and her appearance throughout the entire wedding process. Feel free to make suggestions on what you think may look good on her, but don't press it, a suggestion is fine.



Next time you meet someone who is getting engaged, keep an open mind, and remember that they're planning a celebration that is a reflection on them, not you or any other person.

**Future blog posts will be listed on my personal website at www.katsprint.com/blog**

 You get "being honest" mixed up with "being rude."
Your friend gets a haircut and you feel the need to tell them it's pretty awful without being asked your opinion.










You're jealous of your friend's happiness
What's worse than telling someone you got a new car, and then have them tell you all of the reasons they don't like that car.








You don't ask about your friend's life, but expect your friends to know everything about yours
Remember that any relationship is a two-way street.







Your life revolves around drama
Not every conversation should start with... "Ugh."







You live selfishly
Your friends seem so willing to do what you want all of the time, why not get mad at them when they feel like doing something else, seems right.








You give, expecting to get
Don't give your friend a gift, with the expectations of them throwing you a thank you party.






You one-up everything they say
"I just bought a new pair of shoes!" "Yeah, I just bought 2 new pairs of shoes."







You dig for compliments or pitty
Stop telling me about how you're so fat, when you know you're not.

**Future blog posts will be listed on my personal website at www.katsprint.com/blog**

 In high school, a Honey Bun and chocolate milk were my breakfast, a chicken patty and mayo for lunch, then maybe even a bottle of pop with Starburst in the afternoon.

When college came around, my diet switched to Qdoba, soup, candy and beer. 

My first big girl job
I was sitting on my ass for 8 hours a day. Unfortunately, my food consumption got worse, when my now husband, and I moved in together and shared chocolate covered pretzels, Diet Coke, Doritos and other various delicious foods.

I remember my current clothes began fitting a little tighter, putting jeans on became a little harder, and t-shirts becoming unflattering.

The day I purchased jeans 2 sizes larger than what I had in my closet
This was the day I knew the life of food luxury was gone for me. 

Any way, I've done all sorts of "diets" (juicing, counting calories, cutting carbs, etc.) and none of them seem to have worked for me. Everyone's body is different, I cannot stress this enough. We all know people who can eat whatever they want, without exercise, and not gain a pound. 

That's not me, and that's OK.

A couple months ago, my hair dresser suggested simply "Eating Clean", not as a get skinny quick diet, but as a life style change. Basically eating food that can be picked, grown or killed, you always know what you're eating. Can't pronounce it? Don't eat it.

The pact
My husband and I made a pact to try this out for 7 weeks, and see how we felt mentally and physically. The first few days were a little tough, but not too bad, since I was not cutting calories, I was cutting carbs (I ate A LOT of pasta and bread). After the 3 weeks, we both felt pretty good, and decided to continue on (we made the change in mid February).

Let's be honest
  • Eating clean is not for the lazy. Meals need to be made, no processed food. Some people cook all of their meals on one day, that's fine, but I am picky about leftovers, so I make mine every night.
  • Our "lunches" are a mix of leftovers from the night before and other various fruits and vegetables.
  • We treat ourselves sometimes, and that's fine.
    • Sure, maybe you shouldn't treat yourself every few days for the first several weeks in order to prove to yourself you can be without that pizza every weekend.
  • Your friends, coworkers, family may become frustrated with you. 
    • Friends will get irritated with you because they feel YOU are making them self-conscious about what they are eating. That's their issue, not mine.
    • Family will try to guilt you into eating their homemade meals because it's family night. 
  • This is not a get-skinny-quick deal. Make this a lifestyle change and you'll feel better forever, instead of for the next few weeks.
    • It's so funny to me how many people buy into these ridiculous 7 day diets, or 30-day workout plans. These barely work short term, and never work long term. Why not try something you can do for the rest of your life?
  • Know your body. Some people have to work harder than others to keep the weight off, know this about yourself, and do what YOU need to do to feel comfortable.
    • Psst, also stop talking about the change you're going to make, and actually do it.
FAQs
  • What do you eat?
    • Chicken, red meat, fish, veggies, spices, fruits, and even a little popcorn (sans the butter of course), homemade kale chips, and more. Extra virgin olive oil will be your best friend!
    • To save time, I typically oven-roast my veggies, and grill my meat.
  • What food do you avoid?
    • Anything processed, canned food (depends on what it is), bread, most cheeses, rice, sugar (this excludes fruit), dressings, dips, chips... etc.
  • What are some examples of food you eat for dessert?
    • Brownie Bites, Banana + Natural Peanut Butter, Apple + Natural Peanut Butter
    • I mostly combine fruit with PB or just eat some fruit to help with any sugar craving. Try to get your sugars from natural resources, don't add sugar to your food.
  • What do you eat when you go out to a restaurant?
    • Salads without dressing (include a meat if possible), anything grilled, veggies, and water
  • Is there anything you did not give up?
    • Yes, at work we have K-Cups, sorry, not giving those up
  • Do you still exercise?
    • Yes, not excessively, but I like to be active, so usually 3 - 4 times a week
  • How often do you eat?
    • People seem to think when you eat clean, you never eat. Well the opposite is true. I eat 6 times a day typically. Not huge meals, but I am eating something every couple of hours throughout the day. 
The general rule I abide by
  • If I don't know what it was made with, I probably won't eat it
    • Can you name the ingredients? If not, avoid.
To be clear, I'm not saying I am a know-it-all about any of this, but a few people have asked me about my change in eating, so I thought I would share from an "average person's perspective". By no means am I model material, or competition ready, but I am comfortable in my own body and feel this lifestyle change has been great for me and my husband.

Some helpful websites:
**Future blog posts will be listed on my personal website at www.katsprint.com/blog**


 What's next???????
When you're dating, people want to know when you'll be engaged, when you're engaged, they want to know the date of the wedding, after the wedding they want to know when you're having a kid, then you have a kid and they want to know when the next one is on the way.

I have come to terms with the fact that I will not be meeting the expectations of others, and... that's ok.


Are you getting a dog or cat?
So, since we are not supplying a human child, we should have fur children? Poor parents think having a "fur child" is filling the void of not having human children. We have 3 cats, sorry not dog people.


How's married life treating you?
Awful, what a mistake.
I'm kidding, what do people think we're going to say? For those of you who ask this and know us, this is a dumb question. We were together for 6 years before getting married and lived together for 5 of those years. We are good. 

Don't get me wrong, being married IS different than dating or even being engaged, but it seems like a ridiculous question to ask when you probably know the answer.


How's the old ball and chain?
This question never gets old, especially since we've only been married for 5 months.