The custom gift bags I put together for my ladies :)

I have been SO SO excited to post this blog...
but obviously, I had to wait until AFTER i gave it to the girls..
otherwise that's not much of a surprise is it....
But now its all over and i can share it with you all...
I tried SO hard to make sure it was all handmade.
and i did a darn good job...
and it all looks so great together!!

The only thing I bought were the makeup brushes...
everything else was handmade by my Etsy buddies.
Lets start at the top left and work clockwise...
First... we have the cute little damask Thank You cards and little notepads.
(close up photo towards bottom of post)
They were so super cute...
I attached one to each bag and it really started off the damask theme.
They were made by a friend over at T and Little S Designs.
The prices were absolutely unbeatable...
I got 5 of the little matchbook notepads for just $3!!
My favorite thing I bought i dont have a photo of :(
But they were black and white damask clothespins... totally awesome.
I bought them for the wedding, but loved them too much so I kept them for my office, haha.

Up next in order we have the super rad pouches by Mean Look.
If you check out her shop, you will see she pretty much specializes in pouches.
She has the perfect pouch for everyone...
Now, seeing as shes a buddy of mine from DIYScene, she hooked me up.
I sent her the EXACT fabric that matched the wedding decor...
and she made me 5 of the cute little pouches where the makeup kits now live :)
(Yes, five... i wanted one too :)

Now, were roundin the corner to the KeyFobs...

Awesome right?
The same matching fabric as the pouches... with a little red to POP!
They were made by... hmmm I think her name might be Melanie...
@ BagsByMelanie on etsy of course...
They were perfect!!
I added them to the zipper of the bags and we all used them to carry as clutches!
Then after the wedding, I put mine on my keychain...
and it holds keys, like a good little keyfob should :)

If you peek in the bottom left corner of that photo...
you see a bit of the Pièce de résistance where this entire giddie bag was inspired...
The Makeup by Glittersniffer....

I am a HUGE Glittersniffer fan... HUGE...
so when I started figuring out what kind of makeup i would wear, it was a no brainer...
and of course, what better gift to share with my girls?
It turned out awesome...
We did a Rice Primer... And my version of the Ultimate Smokey Eye kit...
We also added the color redruM, a beautiful sparkley red for highlight.
Oh, and not to forget... a special color she made just for me :)
Its black shadow with red sparkles... beautiful... and she named it Amber...
I urge everyone to check it out!


And, last but not least...
I ordered a whole bunch of her Rub On Perfumes...
in Birthday Cake, Cupcake... and #1 of all, Stripclub.
Stripclub was the best, I gotta say.... and TOTALLY wedding appropriate... haha

Last but not least, (after the brushes) was a cute little pocket mirror by FlirtButtons.

Black and white damask, big shock right? haha
With a perfectly clear and shiny mirror on back, for powdering our noses, tee hee hee.
All wrapped up in a cute little organza bag to keep it clean and free of scratches.

Now really, how lucky are my girls?
I was so proud of my little gift bags...
no Monogramed flasks or jewelry boxes here...
totally handmade... lots of thought... and can be used over and over and over again.
Oh, and we bought their dresses as part of their gift too...
I wanted everything to be as easy on them as possible.

Even the guys got cool gifts!
Not only did we NOT make them wear tux's
But they got their new pair of Chucks they wore in the wedding...
as well as their custom ties from RokGear, remember?

So what do you think?
Id love to hear everyones input!!

Where do I start?

We had the most amazing wedding ever...
It was beautiful...
classy... punky... rock n roll...
damask as far as the eye could see...
fresh potted peace lillies....
I made the girls and myself bouquets...
I used red roses and black feathers...
and then shreads of damask fabric to tie them together...
White linens on the chairs with black satin sashes...
a HUGE candy table...
and the list goes on and on...
For now I want to share with you some sneak peek photos that we got yesterday...
Our photographers, Ashley & Eric of AE Photography were absolutely amazing...
They are a husband and wife team from Chicago area...
young a hip, fun, silly and worth every penny.
If you need a photographer for ANYTHING you gotta check them out...
just in the 6 photos we have seen, we know that they rest will be amazing.

Cute little whispered secret...
and a cute little giggle...
he probably said something naughty... haha
And lets not forget the super rad and amazing Tie :)
Mady by the one and only RokGear
Take a peek below to see all the guys wearing theirs as well...
Hopefully we will get a clearer photo of them all in their ties.


I love my necklace in this photo...
it matched SO perfectly...
I mentioned this before but I got it on etsy.
from Pinking Edge Designs...
It was exactly what I was looking for and looks PERFECT with my dress...

The "converse" shot...
had to showcase those...
i loved mine SO SO much :)

a sneaky little kiss before the ceremony...

I THINK i have to say this last one is my favorite...
Were so silly... arm wrestling in our wedding gear...
Totally "us" though...

So thats it for now...
as we start getting the rest of the wedding photos Ill be posting more details...
Lots of detail shots requiring lots of etsy shout outs!
Stay tuned!!

INSANITTTTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Yes - its true...
absolute insanity over here...
The boys are napping...
mommy is running around like a crazy person trying to get things in order...
thought id stop for a quick blog...

So - honeymoon is booked...
YAY!
4 nights at the fabulous all inclusive El Dorado Royale...
Thanks Nana Terri and Papa Chad for watching the babies...
Can't wait... its time for a vacation for sure!
Heres the catch...
we are waiting on our passports which will be showing up the day before we leave...
we hope...
everyone PLEASE cross your fingers for that one...
cuz if not... were in big... BIG trouble...

All the guys have their Converse finally...
including all the little boys... :) Aymee and I got those last night...
and me of course, as you all saw before...
OH, and I had a $10 coupon for DSW shoes...
and gave it to Aymee since I couldnt use it in time...
she got a pair of black slip on flats for the wedding...
with the coupon it only cost her $1.98!!

Mandy is making the girls some AWESOME necklaces...

At an absolute steal of a price...
She has been so helpful through this whole thing...
always offering to lend a hand to anything...
Thanks so much Mandy :)
Also, Check out more of her necklaces here...
www.beedot.etsy.com
She is a fellow etsy-ian too!

And, totally inspired by the necklace Mandy designed for the girls...
I went on an etsy hunt and found the PERFECT necklace for myself!
It is made my the designer @ Pinking-Edge Designs on Etsy
You can find her stuff here: www.PinkingEdgeDesigns.etsy.com
She has alot of really cool, funky vintage pieces...
perfect for the bride that wants to mix tradition with uniqueness.
Ill be sure to post some more when Im wearing it...
but here is a sneak peek of my necklace.


Beautiful right? Right... :)
Stop by her shop and show her some etsy love by marking some of her goodies as favorites...
i know i did!

In other good news...
I returned a bunch of feathers I paid WAY too much money for...
and with Aymee's help came up with a new idea... a better one i think...
and a $60 cheaper idea as well... yay for DIY!

So thats all for now!
Ill be posting more soon!
Thanks for reading guys!

It coming along!

RSVP's are starting to come in!

If you havn't gotten a chance to fill out your form...

we would really appreciate you do that somewhat soon. 

Heres a shortcut to the link where you can do so :)

We at at a whopping 69 guests so far.

All the girls' bridesmaids dresses came in!!

They're really awesome... theyre black wrap dresses.

you can wear them 15 different ways...

(if we can figure them all out, hahaha)

like this but in black... 

we had a small gathering of friends, margaritas and daiquiri's...

and tried to wrap them all the different ways...

we got a few... but might they might be the perfect excuse to do it again :)

They are SO cool that I even bought one for myself, 

and wore it when we got our engagement photos taken... 

Speaking of which... 

Yesterday we got out engagement photos taken...

by the fabulous Gary of Image Group...

Wait till you see them, I know there will be some winners...

We had a really cool idea with a trashy elevator and dress clothes :)

AHHH!! so excited... will post a sneak peek soon. 

We are having a heck of a time tracking down little boys dress pants...

any ideas anyone?

They are wearing black pants...

white short sleeve button front shirts...

and Dawn is making them little damask vests.

Itll be super duper cute...

I have almost everything now for the girls' gifts...

But, I can't tell you what everything is, 

cuz I know theyre reading this right now...

Mandy... JodY (<-- see that? Its a Y)

quit peeking :)

And Jody, get back to work... haha

Austin made us a cool arch to get married under...

he is such a sweet boy...

We started planning out the ceremony...

as well as music to walk down the isle to... 

I wanna give you a sneak peek...

but maybe we should keep it s surprise :)

Thanks everyone for all your help making everything come together.

Between wedding planning and the 10 crib sets I have to make...

its a little stressful over here...

but everyone chipping in is a huge help... 

LUCKIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD!! CONVERSE!!

Yeah - of course Im lucky...
I have zaq - hes great.
Great daddy... great fiance... great guy...
And the boys...
theyre amazing...

but lets be serious here...
when you see what Im talking about...
you TOO will agree...
just why it is I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Those of you that know me, know I am obsessed with Converse...
so it was no question that all my boys are wearing chucks...
big boys & little boys...
and of course... I need a new pair too!
Well, I found them...
They're perfect...
Classic Chucks with a little wedding "flair"
Yup - i tracked down a pair of black sequin mono chucks.
Impossible to find online, but they are @ DSW!!!
And just $45 compared to the $70-$90 they go for online...
I ran in yesterday totally randomly, and there they were...
I had to have them, and zaq being the amazing man he is...
bought them for me.

Check em out...



I can't wait to rock them on my wedding day.
Theyre just perfect....
and THIS is why Im the luckiest girl in the world :)

Its true! Its finally happening!

FINALLY! After all the time and money issues... its happening...
were getting married! YAYAYYYYY!!!
Im so beyond excited I can't even explain...
Things are going great...
We have so much in the works, I can't wait to see it all come together....

Were getting hitched in my grandma Browns backyard...
It will be special... alot of good memories have been had back there...
Im sure it will be emotional, as Grandpa Bob wont be there to share it with us...
But, being there will only guarantee that he will be there in spirit.

My #1 Uncle, Uncle Gooser is handling the meat...
haha... that sounds funny...
anyways, he will be COOKING the meat...
is making us all a fantastic feast of BBQ chicken and pulled pork...
just wait till you taste it... Its amazing...
and there will be a random array of other BBQ favorites there as well.

A huge tent to hold some of the guests...
Pretty white linens on the tables and chairs...
with big black bows on the back of each one...

And for then centerpieces... I had the awesome idea of using little trees...
Wrapping the pots in my damask fabric...
with a big huge red satin bow...
and tealight candles scattered all around.
Then, when the wedding is over...
all the closest friends and family can plant the trees in their yard...
Not only will this look adorable...
But, its totally eco-friendly...
No waste... No cut flowers or plastic ones to pitch....
Just another tree growing in the world...

And for me? Well, Im still on the hunt for a dress after the previous diaster...
I have my eye on this one, by Jessica McClintock...

But we will see... Ive had a REALLY hard time finding one I love...
and I think this one might be it... Classic... vintage... sexy... with a bit of black...
Perfect for an outdoor BBQ wedding, right?
Just say yes, cuz I want this to be the one...
Oh, and its on sale :) It was $470... and now its on sale for $180 in the store...
Now, thats a steal for the perfect wedding dress :)

Invitations are going out any day now...
I so BADLY want to show you our image...
but Im afraid someone is going to steal it...
I wish I knew how to do that cool watermark thing!

Well, I guess thats all for now!
Can't wait to see some of you there!

So far... when it rains it pours...

So - due to the reality of the cost of a wedding yes, everything had been postponed...
Slowly but surely were trying to make things happen...

We still have no clue about a venue...
I guess even to get married in a park around here you have to pay $500 for a wedding permit...
LAME!!!! Anyone want to share their backyard?
Or just give us about $5000 so we can go back to the plan of getting married at the W?
Thatd be nice, and much appreciated...

Oh, and my dress... yah - total fail...
we thought we were making a smart move... getting a good deal...
WRONG!!
It came with rips, tears, and holes in the black layers...
lace on the layers instead of satin...
pink/red stains on the white faux satin...
the fabric was insanely cheap...
crooked stitches everywhere... chunks of hanging fabric untrimmed...
it was terrible. I wanted to die... If I wasn't so furious I would have been crying.
Dream dress... yeah... gone.
So now on an already insanely tight budget, I have to fight to get my money back...
AND find a new dress...
I assume something generic and off the rack to get it in time.
Sad, very sad....

On the plus side.... we got our bands!
I was going to get something custom from Etsy...
but the cost was just as much for 3 tiny diamonds as what we paid for this bling...


I absolutely love it... and its really cool how the two metals contrast off eachother...
(titanium engagement ring & white gold band)
and zaqs is so super amazing...
totally him... black... pinstripes...
and one of his favorite features was the silver inlay...
Its so perfectly traditional yet modern & indie rocker dude.



So yeah... another thing off the checklist, so thats good...
but all the biggest stuff...
venue, dress, etc. etc. etc....
still yet to be determined.
Would love some advice!

Our Makeup, Photographer, Hair post :) Know anyone good!?

Hey guys!
Its sneaking up on us and its time to get some details finalized... The budget is tight but PLEASE email all inquires to ZrustWedding@gmail.com All offers will be considered...
What are we looking for in an email: Your portfolio... some photos... some experience, etc. The normal info... also, your rates...

The Wedding is July 18th @ 7pm. We will OBVIOUSLY need you here before then... Photographer... I would say between 4 & 5pm? To get photos of us getting ready... You will be bouncing between two rooms @ the W... during that... then some wedding party photos before the wedding... the ceremony... wedding party complete after the wedding... and reception photos as well... All the normal wedding goodness Think of it... were @ the W!!! The FOSHAY! This is a huge experience for you as well. Not to mention some AWESOME shots at the tip top of the building, the Prohibition bar... etc. Any discount you would give would be MUCH appreciated... lets team up and get some great shots... we are also going to try to get the photos in The Knot Magazine, and then if all goes well... we will use you for our "Trash the Dress" shoot after the honeymoon Which is gunna be WAY fun...

Hair: For me (shoulder length) and my flower girl (shoulder length) Very basic... straight swiped bangs... curly/wavy and classic with a punky twist. Id love to see/hear your ideas


Maybe something a little funkier than this... but not much :)

Makeup: For me and my 4 girls... so 5 of us total.. OUR makeup... they are getting smokey eye gift sets from Glittersniffer. MANDY! I know you read this... DO NOT click this link... haha
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?li … d=21516985
and then will bring their own preference for base and mascara. So, I mainly need you to create the perfect smokey eye Wedding is @ 7pm so I would need you around 5pm in order for us all to get done and have an hour or so for photos before the wedding.

Pay: Please email us with your rates for each thing... We are offering an advertising swap as well. WE would totally exchange a blog review and advertisment on the blog (here) in exchange for a discount. And obviously it would be more than one as more photos would be posted after as well... As I said email here: zrustwedding@gmail.com

So... as I said in the last post...
we have LOTS of good stuff in the works..
lots of ideas...
and a few things set in stone...

Some awesome gift sets for my girls (which i can't talk about till AFTER the wedding, duh, haha)
Some Super rad mint books for the reception...
That Ill get a photo of soon...

AND the ties are done!! THEYRE AMAZING!!
I love the red... but man, the white is sharp!!!
Zaq hasn't decided if he wants red like to guys or white to stand out...
so Im gunna buy him both :)
Cuz Im a nice fiance :)




The clan over @ RokGear have TOTALLY hooked us up...
WE are SO lucky to have found them for the wedding.
Its the details like this that really make this wedding all about us...
Thanks again guys...
Check them out here.
www.RokGear.etsy.com


We also have photos of Gianna's exact dress... YAY!
Its sooo amazing and adorable...
I can't wait to see her wearing it!





I also ordered some labels for the invitations...
Garrett has ALMOST finished our design so we can get ordering all or that stuff...

And did I mention... WE WENT TO THE W ON THURSDAY!
Its so fantastic... I can't wait to see everything put together.
The have a stage set up in there AND an awesome black and white background on the wall...
Of all these classic 50's icons... and the Foshay tower in the back... super cool... love it.
They have all black linens... and tons of candles for me to use... which saves a bunch of money..
so thats cool. So I think I might just make some table runners for the tables instead... Or maybe some lace... or maybe to some of each? Mix it up on the different tables?

Hmm what else... Jody's dress came in... so thats super cool...
So did Aymees... and she looks SMOKIN! haha
Dawn wants to peek around though, and see if we find anything else we like better....
where they all match... so we will see... maybe those will be rehearsal dresses, haha...
But yeah, i think we have seen 4 on Deb's site that are cute and mix n match... so we will see :)
Wish us luck on our hunt!

So has anyone else seen anything that we MUST HAVE for the wedding!?

Oh the suspense!!

You guys hanging on there?
Cuz let me tell ya...
we got ALLLL sorts of Jaw dropping stuff in the works...

and of course... all handmade. 

With your help, were gunna make it happen...

were gunna support handmade, support, diy...

and in turn... support our plummeting economy by supporting jobs in the US!!!!!!

My Bridesmaid Mandy has been an AWSOME help already and offered to screen ALL of our invites... *handmade* We are ALSO working to make them ECO-FRIENDLY! The Paper Source here in MPLS offers a new line of Recycled red paper... PERFECT!

We got ORGANIC candles in the works... swirled with black and red from my girl Nina over at DreamyPleasures.  (www.dreamypleasures.etsy.com)

I got my buddy Glamasaurus on etsy (www.glamasaurus.etsy.com)
coming up with ideas for a super rad necklace for me, and possibly the girls...
*handmade*

I found an awesome seller on etsy ExQuisiteInVitation...
shes making us 100+ Damask mint books... for our candy stash... *handmade*

We have an idea for super huge wineglasses to hold the candy stash for the loose candy :)
Which I will of course decorte... *diy*

Chocolate Skeleton lollipops from JustBakin on etsy *handmade*

PLUS, My engagement ring came from Shade Jewelry on etsy... and so will our bands!

did I mention our graphic is being designed by our tattoo artist, Garrett!?
Two kissing skele.... nah, nevermind youll just have to wait and see!

Ya know, on that note... im just gunna stop there...
all this stuff is in the works and no photos yet... but i promise... soon enough!
Just hang in there!!

I guess a little something for the guys too :)

So we have decided were getting ties screened on etsy...
from this super Ran and amazing seller... RokGear
www.Rockgear.etsy.com
So, ZaQ, Tom, and the 3 wise men will all be wearing them.
Probably not the little men though... too expensive.

Black pants, jacket, shirt & a red tie...
and either Converse shoes, or Vans...
havn't decided that part yet...
He is giving us a great deal for ordering bulk.
And he also gives the option of the gift box... or no gift box.

No gift box = more eco-friendly...

less trash!

Whatcha think?





It ties it all together...
haha get it... ties... yeah, lame, i know...
really though...
most of the damask in the wedding will be black and white...
while we are bring in lots of other things in black and red...
so black and red damask is perfect...
Check out his shop...
tell him RockerByeBaby sent you...
and maybe he will give you a good deal too!?!?

GREAT NEWS!

So, I found someone to make my dress...
YAYYY!!!
Happiest future bride in the world... i cant wait to see it!!
ITs gunna be SO amazing...

Speaking of dresses...
theres TONS of good dress new flowing around here....

I fell in love with a dress from "Sweet Plume" on etsy.
www.SweetPlume.etsy.com
Sticking with my handmade, DIY trend... :)
Spreading the etsy love...
The dress was ALMOST perfect... except...
it had leopard spots... oh, and was $90.
Boy did I luck out...
I sent her an email saying, hey if you ever have a sale let me know...
I need a custom dress with black and white damask.
The next morning I had a message back...
she was working on a sample EXACTLY like that...
and said that if my flower girl was the model's size..
I could buy the sample for $54...
it was perfection... they both wear a 4/5..
I was meant to get this dress :)



Now remember... It will have Black and white damask to tie in with the rest of the wedding.
Im SOOOOO happy... my little Doodle Bug is gunna look SO cute in this dress :)

AND - Ive been on the hunt for bridesmaids dresses...
I found a super sexy pencil dress for Aymee.
IT really fitted, strapless, has pintucking and a sexy lace panel down the center.
Oh, and did I mention it wass brand new, with the tags... for $8??? YEah... crazy.
I think I want all of the girl to be in all black, with SOME sort of lace...
and then they can doll the dress up however they want, with whatever jewelry they want.
Throw in their own personality... ya know?

SO yeah... all about DIY... loving etsy wedding ideas right now...
and all about EBay... because I just cant make a sexy dress like aymee's for $8...
And this wedding is all about Champagne taste on a beer budget...
Ill make it happen :)

I think Im in love... My dream dress...

I saw it last night...
I fell in love...
Saw it was only made in France...
I was heartbroken...

Its a love/hate relationship...

But, I think I have a few tricks up my sleeve...
Seeing as were doing everything to make this out DIY punk wedding...
Im sure I can make it happen... or at least something damn close.

Whatcha think?