Starbucks Time of Year

  It is that time of year again.  The coffee shops and libraries are full...that's right, it is the beginning of school.  Whether or not you are happy about that (I can guarantee you that I am not), it is indeed here.  Today has been our first Starbucks Study Saturday...which is really awesome if you are like me and get free refills with your Starbucks card.

  It looks like a tough semester...with a ton of reading, lots of long papers to write, and more to learn than I'd like to admit.  I'm not really a scholar at heart, so I could be somewhat content with what I already know and craft and housewife away the rest of my life, but unfortunately that is no longer the role of modern women.  Grabbing that diploma will not necessarily mean achievement to me, but relief.  Maybe is is just a case of prolonged senioritis.

  Wedding planning is moving into more of the fun steps, like actually crafting some of our future decorations.  Even as overplayed as burlap is, I've got many plans with it for our rustic lodge venue.  I'm very excited about how these decorations are turning out, and also excited about how crafting our wedding is already showing great decreases in our budget.  All over the blog world I read about how many people discourage DIY weddings because your crafts can add up to just as much as paying for it to be done for you...but so far I must disagree.

  For example:  I've been asked countless times what flowers I'll use for my wedding.  I don't really like any of the flowers that are sold in flower shops...my favorite flower is the Indian Paintbrush...which most people consider a roadside weed anyway.

Me with some Indian Paintbrushes Tyler picked me before a picnic date. :)

For so long I've wondered what flower I'll use, if I really need to use flowers in my wedding, and how much money that would cost.  Then, I stumbled upon this pin of Burlap Flowers and decided to test it out. I won't post my pictures until another time, but I really liked them!  I also tried making some out of some old lace that has been lying around my house for the past 10 years, and love it mixed with the burlap.

Original Photo from SnugasaBugBaby

Check her out, her tutorial worked perfectly!  I'll post my photos of this project when I decide if I want to post them before or after the wedding.  Can't ruin too many surprises, right?

  I'm also thinking of having the groomsmen pick wildflowers the morning of the wedding to put in vases, as this will serve double for some cute pictures of them picking flowers, and some pretty wildflowers of course.

  If you're planning a wedding and you either don't like traditional flowers, or can't afford them...or don't want to afford them, then try making your own flowers from a fabric you love.  I would overestimate that the total cost of this type of fabric flowers for everything couldn't cost over $40.  I'll definitely update you on that when I complete the project.

Good luck to any other future brides out there crafting it...don't be discouraged by people who say you can't make it yourself!

With love and Starbucks Coffee,
-Saxon

Post Wedding Update:

Check out my actual DIY wedding flowers HERE!

Some are made with burlap, some with lace, some with ribbon, and some are artificially bought.