Liz’s DIY: Rustic Monogramed Wood Block

Celebrating the Everyday, Liz's DIY  //  2nd October 2012

A few weeks ago we asked our fabulous intern Caitlin to help us brainstorm some fun DIY projects we could highlight on the blog!  She came back with like a million super fun projects that we could do!  However, when she showed us a block of wood with writing on it, we got super excited!!  Anything with raw wood that could be turned into something chic… we are on it!  ;)

It just so happens that my cousin Kaylene and her now husband, Matt, also have a love for all things rustic.  When Caitlin and I were planning the details for this DIY, I couldn’t stop thinking about creating something fun for Kaylene and Matt to have on their wedding day and beyond! We decided to create a monogramed wood block for them!

The results of this project still blows my mind!  My friends…. this project is super duper easy and the finished product is definitely something I would display in my house forever!

SUPPLIES WE USED:

• Elmer’s Glue
• Mod Podge
• Paint Brush
• 1 Piece of white Card stock
• 1 Wood Slab (I had no idea, but they sell these real wood slabs in all different shapes and sizes at Michaels! Who knew?!)

ALSO NEEDED:
A design (We used Adobe InDesign to create Kaylene and Matt’s monogram, but you could easily use Microsoft Word or similar program.)

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1:  Paint a solid layer of glue across a full blank sheet of card stock.  Leave the painted card stock to dry overnight.  (It might be helpful to paint 2 or 3 sheets of the card stock just in case you mess up.)  When the paper is dry it will look like the picture below on the right.

Step 2:  Design a graphic that you would like to include on the wood slab.  This does not have to be a monogram.  It could be just 1 word or even a full quote!  The possibilities are endless!!!  Once you have a design made on your computer, use the design program to reverse the image so that it prints backwards (as seen below).  Put the dry piece of card stock in your printer so that the image will print on the glued side. Print the image. (Our printer is a little crazy at times so we had to help guide it through!  But it still worked just fine!)

Step 3:  Cut off the excess white space around the edges of the printed card stock.  Paint a solid layer of Mod Podge onto the wood slab.  Before it dries, place the card stock (design side down) onto the wood and press firmly.  Use your fingers to rub over the design and release any air bubbles.

Step 4:  When the paper feels firmly against the wood without any air bubbles, flip the wood over onto a flat surface.  Add extra weight to the top of the wood to assure a constant pressure.  Leave the project to dry for 8 hours.

Step 5:  This is where the magic happens!  Run the wood slab with the card stock attached under hot water.  (As hot as your hands can take!  Don’t burn yourself!).  After a few minutes you will begin to see the card stock bubble.  Don’t force the paper away from the wood… just let the water continue to make it bubble.  Eventually the paper will come loose from the wood and fall off.

The end result is an awesome looking rustic wood slab!  We gave this to Kaylene and Matt the day before their wedding and they ended up using it for some photos on the day of! It is such a great little piece of decor that they can always have in their home to remind them of their special day!!

I love this project and can’t wait to do it again!  I am thinking a simple quote would look super awesome and would be great decor for our home!  Let us know if you try this project!  We would love to see what you do with it!  Have fun!

 

Liz’s DIY: Personalized Rope Hanger

Celebrating the Everyday, Liz's DIY  //  2nd October 2012

I am super excited today… not only because we have taken over Bucknell University‘s Career Center’s twitter feed (@BisonINCareers) to share a Day In the Life of being an entrepreneur and photographer!!  (Wahoo!!… be sure to check it out and get a glimpse behind the scenes of all of the craziness over here!  ;) )…. but I am also super excited because I get to share not one, but TWO DIY projects with you today!!  Both of these projects were made especially for Kaylene and Matt’s special day!

This first project is the personalized hanger my cousin Jenna and I made for Kaylene!  Jenna and I had been chatting about a special gift for Kaylene and the idea of a personalized hanger came up!  There are TONS of super cute wire personalized hangers on Etsy, but we wanted it to be extra special.  I had seen a super cute DIY project that included rope words… so I figured why not make it into a hanger?!  Jenna was up for the adventure and we made up the steps as we went along!  ;)  We are happy to say that we are pretty excited about the results!  This Mrs. Francis twine hanger fit perfectly with Kaylene and Matt’s rustic wedding decor and it was the perfect way to add a special touch to their wedding day!

Here are the details and step-by-step process Jenna and I used to make Kaylene’s personalized wedding hanger!  It was actually pretty easy… but it is definitely messy! ;)

SUPPLIES WE USED:

• 1 Wooden hanger (from a photographer’s perspective, the notches on the ends are super helpful to keep the dress hanging!  ;) )
• 2 Eye Hooks
• 1/2 Cup Corn Starch (Check the back of your cupboards for this one… Ours expired in 2008… lol, but it is perfect for crafting!)
• Rope or Jute
• 4 oz. Elmer’s Glue
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Parchment Paper
• Pencil

You will see a trend in all of my DIY posts… they always seem to include the help of other people!  ;)  Crafting is more fun with friends!

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1:  Screw the eye hooks into the bottom of the hanger.  I just used my hands (no tool required).  It does take some patience to get it started, but once you make a hole it gets much easier.  Screw it in far enough that the hook feels secure.

Step 2:  Lay out enough parchment paper to cover the length of the hanger.  Place the hanger onto the parchment paper.  Use a pencil to draw the name/word that you want to hang from your hanger.  For us, we wrote Mrs. Francis.  It was helpful to write it out as if it was one continuous word (as it will show when you use the twine to actually make it).  We used lowercase cursive letters to make it look best. Please note: you are using a pencil for a reason!  ;)  Don’t be afraid to erase and start over if you need to!  Once you have your name/word written, place your hanger to the side.

Step 3:  Mix the cornstarch, water, and glue into a medium sized bowl.  Mix until the mixture is no longer clumpy.

Step 4:  Unravel the rope/jute and begin to run it through the cornstarch mixture.  The rope/jute should be completely submerged and covered.  However, be sure to leave about 2 feet un-dipped at each end of the word to make it easier to tie around the eye hook.  (We learned this the hard way!)

Step 5:  This is where it starts to get messy.  Squeeze off any excess cornstarch mixture and begin to use the rope/jute to trace the name/word you drew onto the parchment paper.  Feel free to use some force to create creases and folds.  Be patient and hold the rope/jute into place when needed.

If the letters begin to look funky or illegible, feel free to go back and tweak it!  You have several minutes until it begins to hold firm.  It worked best for us to complete the name and then go back and tweak it to make it perfect.  You can add extra cornstarch mixture to specific spots where it needs a little extra stability.

Like I said… it gets messy, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!  ;)

Step 6: Once the name/word looks good to you, leave it to dry for at least 12 hours.  And yes, it does take that long!  Believe me, I started to doubt that it was going to stay in its shape, but the next day it was good to go!!  Once it is dry and firm, clean up the word by removing any flaky pieces of the dried mixture.  If you have any flimsy areas that need extra support, feel free to use hot glue to make it stand firm.

String the extra rope/jute at the beginning and end of the word through the eye hook and tie a knot to hold it in place!  Then Voila! Done!  ;)  How cute would this be to make for all of the bridesmaids in your wedding?!?… or of course for a Bride-to-Be in your life!

Below is the finished Mrs. Francis hanger in action on Kaylene and Matt’s wedding day!  ;)  Cute right?!?  Check out more photos from their amazing rustic PA wedding here.

Let me know if you have any questions at all!  I am more than happy to help if I can!  ;)  I would love to hear if you can think of any other fun uses for this! Have fun and don’t forget to check back in later today for another super fun and rustic DIY project!

 

AMAZING Life Manifesto: Say I Love You

Amazing Life Manifesto, Dreaming  //  1st October 2012

Do you remember the first time you said I Love You?  It is usually a pretty big deal the first time you tell a significant other that you are in love.  I Love You are three tiny words that hold some significant weight.  They can change a life.

We are here today to encourage you to say I Love You more often.  Sometimes it is so easy to focus on the negative and forget about the love that is surrounding you.  Instead of arguing over something small this week, we would love for you to take the high road and tell your significant other that you love them.  Forget about the insignificant small things in life and focus on the big.

Say I Love You!

Love Story: Kaylene and Matt’s Rustic PA Barn Wedding

Love, Stories Documented, Wedding  //  28th September 2012

The tears were flowing as we stood at the top of the hill inside of the barn waiting for Ryan’s cue that Matt had arrived.  We chatted about this big day and how it was finally here.  I gave Kaylene my best advice: to soak it all in!  This was the moment that she had dreamed about for so long.  The man of her dreams, the one who completes her was standing at the bottom of the hill.

We made our way outside of the barn and down the hill.  With tears still streaming down our faces, we soaked it all in together.  The sky was a bright blue and the sunshine was beaming through the big white puffy clouds.  We noted that PopPop definitely had his hands in making that weather so perfect for that special day.

Matt was now in site and with a deep breath, Kaylene was ready for this.  Matt’s smile got bigger and bigger as the anticipation of seeing his beautiful bride grew.  The moment he had been waiting for was finally here.  He turned around and his expression says it all.  He is one lucky guy!

As they soaked it all in, Kaylene’s tears were wiped away and their smiles were bigger than they ever have been before.  This was their time!

Whew… as I cry happy tears just writing this, I can’t help but be incredibly grateful that Kaylene has found the man of her dreams in Matt and that he has blessed our family in such a special way!  I said this in my MOH speech and it could never be repeated enough… Matt, thank you for bringing that smile to Kaylene’s face!

Kaylene and Matt, THANK YOU for the honor to play such special roles in your day.  As the photographer and MOH, Ryan and I feel incredibly blessed to have been a part of such a magical day and such an amazing love story!  You two amaze us and we could not be more grateful to have you in our lives!  We love you!

We would be remiss without saying an incredibly HUGE thank you to Kaylene and Matt’s parents and close family and friends who played such a HUGE role in making their day so AMAZING!  Between all of the incredible woodwork & other handywork, Ed (Kaylene’s dad) put into the barn (so worth every single minute of work!  It is gorgeous!), the daylong marathon of caramel apple making (all of the guests give you an extra big thanks for that one! ;) They were tasty!!), the making of the centerpieces, the leaf cutting and so so so much more… you all made their day extra amazing!

We also wanted to give our good friend and third photographer Brendon a HUGE thank you for filling in for Liz while she performed her maid of honor duties!

Photographers: Ryan and Brendon, Liz and Ryan | Ceremony Venue: Private Residence | Reception & Catering: The Williamsport Country Club | Brides Hair: Savoir Haire | Tuxes, Bridal, and Bridesmaids Gowns: Tanya’s Bridal | Flowers: Nevill’s Flowers | Officiant: Rusty Wolfinger

This slideshow is extra special… we hope you enjoy reliving Kaylene and Matt’s wedding day to the live performance of “The Prayer,” by Jenna and Sean Lorson (Kaylene’s cousins… and I am proud to say they are my cousins too!!!, but not so proud to say they took all of the music talent in our family! ;) )  They are amazing!  (Please ignore the background sound of children crying, they were moved to tears… lol… this was the actual recording from Kaylene and Matt’s wedding day!)  And it is nothing but MAGICAL!!  Please note:  Tissues required. ;)

 

Friday Favorites: Fashionably Chic – Blue Sperry Top-Siders

Celebrating the Everyday, Friday Favs  //  28th September 2012

When it comes to shoes, I have nearly as many as Liz.  Ok, maybe not quite, but it is definitely close.  Now that summer has officially drawn to a close, we thought it would be fun to share one of my favorite pairs of shoes from this past year.  They definitely got a work out and probably don’t look quite as clean as the picture below anymore! :) I pretty much wore them everywhere.

Friday Favorites: Fashionably Chic – Blue Sperry Top-Siders

Since we moved to Baltimore, we have become spoiled living near the water.  On nice nights during the summer and early fall, we LOVE to sit up on our roof and watch the sailing school race around the harbor. One day, if we don’t get a boat, at least maybe we will learn to sail! :) But first things first, if we are going to live near water and one day learn to sail, a guy has to have a pair or two of Sperry Top-Sider boat shoes.  Plus, what other shoe can you  wear without socks and still look dressed up!  They are definitely the perfect summer shoe and the blue matches our new brand perfectly!  Now we just need to start making friends with people that own boats! :)  As summer slowly fades away, one thing is for sure, I will definitely be trying to incorporate my blue Sperrys into my wardrobe for at least a few more weeks.  Blue Sperrys and Pumpkin Spice Lattes sounds like a perfect pair to me! :)

Congratulations to Sophie, the winner of last weeks contest!