Okay, okay...

You guys are all right! i listened and stayed on my ever increasing sized butt and prepped these little patchwork hexagon wreaths for a set of Christmas napkins! it took all the patience i could muster up to stay put for all EIGHT of them... hahaha... but, i love them and i think they are really going to add a ton of Christmas cheer to my dinning room table!! :)

i lOVE bright Christmas decorations with lots of twinkles!!

a dear friend is coming over to cut up my fabric for me tomorrow! I'm so excited to put these together!! :)

XO, Heather

Fairy Tale Engagement Shoots

All brides want a fairy tale perfect wedding. Some even recreate their favorite fairy tale or fable in a fun engagement shoot!

We found some fantastical and super creative ways that couples have used fiction for some fun photos:

Princess and the Pea:

Via Wild Flowers Photography

Alice in Wonderland:

Via Three Nails Photography

Little Red Riding Hood:

Via Green Wedding Shoes Via Three Nails Photography

Cinderella:

Via Jill Johnson Photography

I can see where these shoots could get a little over the top, but I think the photos above portrayed the stories in a tasteful and fabulous way!



What do you think of this idea?

really...???

sigh... i felt so much better yesterday. That i sewed a little zippy bag and three sachet bags ( waiting on my lavender supplies to arrive! ) for a friend's Christmas gift and now i feel like sore poop again!

but, what's an addict like myself supposed to do?? It's the holidays damn it and i really want to sew! GGGggrRRrr... i guess it's back to the couch and handwork again ( at least for one more day )... bleh...

and thanks so much for all your well wishes here, texts, FB, and through email! They really brightened up my day... YOU all really are soOOOooo sweet too me!!

Xo, Heather

Maid of Dishonor

Being selected as the Maid of Honor is a HUGE deal. Your best friend forever, your college roommate, your sister from another mister, the beautiful, blushing bride-to-be selected YOU to help her plan, keep her calm, and stand beside her as she says her "I do's."



...but what happens when you go from maid of honor to the maid of dishonor?!

Via Joyous Cascade

We at Masterpiece Weddings have witnessed a few Maid of Honor Faux Pas and we just really really reaaaaally don't want to see them happen again. Especially to you!



So we decided to create a list of what NOT to do as a Maid of Honor.



1. DON'T have a few too many glasses of Pino at the rehearsal and show up hungover and crabby on the day of the wedding. You'll be miserable and it will be a looooooong day. Plus, who knows how many people you told about "that one time when the bride and I skipped class and...." So limit yourself to two drinks. You can do it, I promise!



2. DON'T wait until the last minute to plan the bridal shower/bachelorette party. Find out what the bride actually wants to do early on so you can plan the best event possible with the budget you're working with. It will be way less stressful for you, we promise. Plus, if the bride wants her Bachelorette Party to be a quiet day of relaxation and mani/pedis and you plan for hot pink feather boas and a table at a nightclub...things may not go over well.



3. DON'T give an embarrassing speech. Please. Please please please. As hilarious as your wild college nights were or how you're glad the bride got over that awkward gothic phase..keep it to yourself. Even if you aren't the groom's biggest fan, on his wedding day (the day he's marrying your bestest girl ever)- he is the coolest, most wonderful guy in the room. And please, don't diss the bride and call her a spoiled brat, and remind the groom what a mess he has on his hands.



4. DON'T try and outshine the bride. This is her wedding day. Her. Wedding. Day.



5. DON'T commit and then back out last minute.



In all seriousness, Maid of Honor is named that way for a reason. It really is an honor to be chosen, so please...be the most fantastical, generous and awesometastic Maid of Honor we know you can be!

Thoughts on Numbers

“Hills of Gilead” (David Bjorgen, Wikipedia)

Most Christians don’t like the idea of a God who’s flexible, sometimes letting believers have their way. In fact, it’s a favorite pastime of church leaders to frighten people out of doing anything for fear that it might conflict with “God’s will.” (Apparently, they believe it’s super easy for people to mess up and prevent God from getting His way). Instead they assume that God sets a highly detailed, fixed, permanent seventy-year plan for the average individual, and any attempt by the said individual to make modifications constitutes damnable sin.

Reading Numbers has always been a bit of a chore, even for someone like me who worked as a demographer, analyzing census data. What stood out to me this time around was how Moses, or God for that matter, responded to the Reubenites and Gadites’ request to settle in Gilead instead of the “Promised Land” of Canaan (ch. 32). The people of these tribes cared about their economic prospects and asked that their shares of Canaan be exchanged for shares of land more suitable for livestock.

The request initially upset Moses. He was afraid that losing the fighting strength of Reuben and Gad. Weaker numbers in battle would discourage everyone, jeopardizing the other tribes’ chance to inherit Canaan. When the shepherds promised not to abandon their brothers in their conquest, Moses approved their request and even let one half-tribe of Manasseh join the Transjordan settlement.

What struck me about this passage is how Moses never lectured these tribes into accepting what they really didn’t want. If he were a typical preacher today, we might expect a sermon about how greedy people are for asking for what they want rather than being satisfied with what God has already given them. We’d also expect the before mentioned warnings about crossing God’s plans by zealously seeking anything more in life.

Although I’m not settled on the matter, I wonder why Christians are discouraged from petitioning for whatever they want in life and from actively pursuing those things. No doubt there will be disappointments and failures, and God rejecting sinful requests shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone (James 4:3). But this passage in Numbers makes for a good case study: God wants us to make requests (Matthew 21:22, 1 John 3:21-22), and He enjoys fulfilling them because He enjoys seeing us happy (Matthew 7:11, Luke 11:13).

The Shameless Search for Lesbian Martyrs of the Homeschool Movement

I was nineteen years old when I first discovered people’s eagerness to gain from others’ sexual orientation. A fellow college student, Mr. Popular concluded that I was “gay” because that was the only logical explanation his conceited self could make for my disinterest in him. Ms. Social Butterfly was the only friend – now former friend – who believed there was enough corroborating evidence for the rumor. She wanted to be compassionate by publicly accepting me. But she had an ulterior motive too: Having a lesbian friend would complete her social circle and make her appear more open-minded. A couple years later, Ms. Black Woman Power, whom I only knew by sight, persisted in believing that I was dating my sister, despite the constant refutation of other students. She was too busy celebrating black women’s independence. Facts and others’ feelings took second place to her socio-political goals.

One thing that all three of these experiences had in common: The primary instigator can be generally described as Christian. In other words, Christians were perfectly willing to use others’ real or imagined homosexuality to further their own ends. I reached this conclusion years later after seeing more of that nonsense in the “secular world” with non-Christians and genuine homosexuals. The script was very similar. Use someone else’s deviant sexuality to boost your public image.

So a few years ago, I was not surprised when a (married) survivor of the Quiverfull Movement and anti-homeschool activist began hinting that the key to resolving my singleness would be to enter a lesbian relationship. She wasn’t interested in hearing me deny being attracted to women. She didn’t care about my theological views on the topic. What she did care about was destroying conservative Christian homeschooling by having its key product (i.e., patriarchal-minded women) fail.

The conservative Christian homeschooling movement is infamous for declaring all men unmarriageable but a select few, leaving hundreds of women waiting decades for a non-existent perfect husband. A few concerned homeschool graduates had predicted that an epidemic of lesbianism would result, but to my knowledge no cases had been actually found. (Homosexual homeschool graduates tend to be from less religious or non-religious homes.) So someone decided to create one. The suggestion sickened me for a number of reasons, but primarily due to the realization that someone wanted to use my disappointments in life to further a personal cause against Christian homeschooling. I wonder how many homeschool girls are being used this way…for the good of the movement.

Adorable Holiday Cards

Well, it's the day after Thanksgiving. You know what that means (Well, other than a breakfast, lunch and dinner of turkey sandwiches with a side of pumpkin pie)



....4 am holiday shopping! Your favorite radio station playing non-stop Christmas tunes for an entire month! Figuring out where to find the perfect holiday card to send out to all your loved ones.


While we can't help you beat the crowds at your local mall, we can definitely show you where to find some photo holiday cards that are just festively fantastic.



Invitations by Dawn recently sent us some Holiday Photo Card samples and we were very impressed.



Not only were the designs creative and appealing, they offered a plethora of different kinds. Some cards were basic, while others gave you the option of giving a few family updates (which eliminates the need for a separate letter). Check out a few of the options Invitations by Dawn provides:

Via Invitations by Dawn

Via Invitations by Dawn

Via Invitations by Dawn

Via Invitations by Dawn

How awesome and trendy are these Holiday Cards?



What do you do to wish your family and friends a happy holiday season?

2011-11-24: Sunny days are back – Os dias solarengos estão de volta

 I woke up to a beautiful sunny day, after too many days of rain, strong winds and thunderstorms, and I was glad to finally be able to take a few outdoor shots without the risk of getting wet. I may say I was feeling edgy and in the mood for something on the daring side, lol. Most of what I’m wearing today was made by me and it’s not the first time some of these garments are featured in this blog. The fur coat (click here for the sewing review) is shown today without the matching snood; the lace dress (click here for the sewing review) is also wearable in cold weather just by layering it over a turtleneck sweater in the same color. I also added a knit bolero and these OTK boots to break away from the prettiness /sweetness of the ivory lace dress and balance the look a bit. Hope you like it!

PS1 - Thank you all who comented on my new hair color! I'm glad so many of you liked it!

PS2 – I’d also like to wish all my readers and friends in the U.S.A. and their families a Happy Thanksgiving. Also to my younger sister, who is in Phoenix Arizona visiting her boyfriend, hope she has a wonderful first Thanksgiving as well!

Hoje acordei para um dia lindo, após demasiados dias de chuva, vento e trovoada. Finalmente é possível tirar algumas fotos cá fora sem arriscar acabar toda encharcada! Devo dizer que acordei bem-disposta e a sentir-me irreverente, com disposição para usar algo audacioso, hehe. Grande parte deste conjunto foi feito por mim e não é a primeira vez que alguns destes elementos são vistos neste blogue. O casaco de pelo (cliquem aqui para os detalhes de costura) desta vez é usado sem a gola (“snood”) a condizer; o vestido de renda (cliquem aqui para os detalhes de costura) pode perfeitamente ser usado em tempo mais frio sobre um top de gola alta, neste caso da mesma cor. Também sobrepus um bolero de malha e estou a usar umas botas “sobre os joelhos” para contrabalançar um pouco a doçura do vestido de renda. Espero que gostem!

PS: Obrigada pelos elogios à minha nova cor de cabelo! Fico contente que tenham gostado!

Grateful

I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving full of family, fun, and food!

I could go on and on about all of the amazing things and people that are a part of my life, but I really think this sums it up:

Via Oh Lovely Day via The Crafting Chicks

So count your blessings, enjoy your day and all of what and who you have in your life to be thankful for!

Creative Candle Uses

Candlelight is super romantical; its a fact. But there are many different uses for candles on your wedding day than to simply "set the mood/tone/whatever."

For instance, candles can be used as centerpieces:

Via Martha Stewart

Candles as centerpieces are not only beautiful and elegant, they also give off extra light for an outdoor wedding or a space with dimmed lighting.

Candles can also be used as favors for your guests:

Via Wedding Collections

Adorable, right?! Your guests will love this sweet and personal wedding favor. Candle wedding favors come in a variety of designs and many can even be custom made, so you'll be sure to find the perfect fit for your big day.



In addition, candles can be used to light the way:

Via Ormonde Productions

Not only is this candle lit pathway beautiful, it's also functional!

Candles have so many different purposes on your wedding day that it's almost impossible not to use them.

Via The Wood Wife

...and okay, they can still be used to set the mood.

Is the King James Version Only Crowd Causing Others to Sin?

“Frontispiece to the King James’ Bible, 1611” (Wikipedia)

Because of my economics course assignments, I rarely get a chance to cover market structure, but when I do, one of my favorite monopoly examples to use is the British Crown’s perpetual copyright over the Authorized Version of the Bible (i.e., the King James Version). Needless to say, American rebels fighting against the Crown during the American Revolution really didn’t care about going through the appropriate legal channels for printing political tracts, let alone Bibles. Today, some effort is usually made to follow the copyright restrictions of American publishers when using and copying the text, however few people know or care about the Crown’s claim.

Unless you own a copy made by an approved printer, like Oxford or Cambridge, then you’re pretty much an accomplice in stealing. No, you’re not committing a crime here in the United States. From the perspective of our Federal government, the text has been in public domain for years. However, the interests of the owners have been pushed aside by our government. You might argue that your use of the KJV is solely for honorable purposes. You might claim “fair use,” but keep in mind that American publishers are selling the text, whether for profit or not.

You could argue that God’s Word can’t be owned. How convenient! Deny people right to their product, developed through years of people’s studying, copying, translating, and so on. This argument creates a problem for any human output. Why? Because it implies that there can’t be property rights over anything produced with God’s raw materials (i.e., any and all natural resources). Yes, many political conservatives, libertarians, and anarchists have argued against protecting intellectual property. Although I agree that the patent system has been corrupt and inefficient, I rarely give credence to claims that copyrights or patents are inherently wrong. They usually just echo the weak arguments calling for the abolition of physical property. In addition, the movement is filled with hypocrites who file or declare copyrights (even on Facebook profiles) or utilize Creative Commons, in attempt to limit other people’s infringement on “their” property. The whole situation just stinks of covetous protestors trying to get their greedy hands on other people’s stuff.

The fact remains that millions of American Christians possess illegitimate copies of the King James Bible. Worse, the “King James Only” movement encourages this. Americans are encouraged to purchase these unauthorized Authorized Bibles, due to some belief that reading any other English translation, even one based on the same Hebrew and Greek manuscripts or translated with the same ecclesiastical biases, is immoral. Adherents then patronize publishers who are essentially stealing from the British Crown. Any way you look at it, disagreements over politics and religion doesn’t make something any less of a sin. There’s to be one law for believer and unbeliever. I challenge the “King James Only” crowd and their leaders to take responsibility. They should denounce the purchase of unauthorized copies. Maybe they should consider burning them, since they probably are an abomination in the sight of God. Anything less would be collaborating with the Evil One.

Newspaper Leaf Garland

Being Eco-friendly is always a plus in my book. Everyone knows that recycling is for the cool kids, so when I found this wonderful way to recycle my newspapers and create a beautiful garland, I was so excited! It's perfect for a creative and whimsical touch at wedding receptions.

photos via Life with Little Ones

This awesometastic newspaper leaf garland from Life with Little Ones is just unbe-leaf-ably (yep. I went there) cool and completely DIY. You can find the instructions right here.



What are some recycled wedding decorations that you've seen?

somedays...

you have to get your appendix removed. those days stink.

have a great Thanksgiving week!

Xo, Heather

Silhouette Decor

Although we have a soft spot for fall weddings that are rustic and full of foliage, they can be just as autumn-tastic when celebrated with more sophisticated, classic decor.

That's why we are completely captivated by this silhouette pumpkin we found at Oh Lovely Day!

Via Oh Lovely Day! Via HGTV

Not only is this pumpkin a perfect addition to your wedding decor, it is completely DIY and you can find simple instructions right here.

As an added bonus, if think silhouettes are as classical-istic and chic as we do, you can compliment your darling DIY pumpkin with a just as wonderful cake topper from April Foster Events!

via April Foster Events

How sweet and sophisticated are those?! It gets better...they're DIY, too! (too good to be true, I know) Make your own by clicking here and you can create a completely one-of-a-kind cake topper that is sure to be a hit at your celebration!

Would you guys make your own decor for your wedding? 

2011-11-18: New hair color

 Sometimes a woman needs some change, and the easiest way to achieve it is to change the hair color (and it’s also reversible, as opposite to a new hair cut). So yesterday, during my monthly visit to the hair salon, I decided to dye my hair darker and add some dark red/violet hues (rad, I know…). I like it, but as any radical change it takes some time getting used to, lol, and I know this hair color is not everybody’s cup of tea either…

Today I’m wearing burgundy and blue (I’d prefer a vibrant shade of blue like the one shown in this article, but I have yet to make/buy a vibrant blue coat, lol). The Burberry inspired coat that I’m wearing was made by me (click here for the sewing review). Wishing you all a great weekend, have fun!

Às vezes uma mulher tem necessidade de mudar o visual e a forma mais fácil de o conseguir é mudar a cor do cabelo (uma mudança que tem a vantagem de ser reversível, em comparação com uma mudança de corte radical). Então ontem, na minha visita mensal ao cabeleireiro, decidi mudar: optei por esta cor mais escura com tons de violeta e vermelho (radical, eu sei…). Para já gosto bastante, mas como qualquer mudança radical leva algum tempo a habituarmo-nos, hehehe, e não é para todos os gostos…

Hoje estou a usar cor-de-vinho com azul-marinho (preferia que o azul fosse vibrante como o top do conjunto mostrado aqui, mas ainda não fiz/comprei um casaco nesse tom, fica para uma próxima vez). O casaco inspirado em Burberry foi feito por mim (cliquem aqui para os detalhes de costura). Desejo a todos um óptimo fim-de-semana, divirtam-se!

Inspired Cake

Getting married is a big step (or giant leap. po-tay-to, pa-tahhhh-to) into the big world of adult-hood. Starting a new life with someone you love is without a doubt a very mature decision.



However, that does not mean that your inner child cannot come out a play from time to time, which is why we are absolutely enamored with this adorabler and super fun cake,by  Dream Day Cakes This cake was designed for the opening of a play at one of our local theaters, but we find it so inspiring for many aspects of crazy cakery deliciousness!

This cuteness is via Dream Day Cakes

How fun and just plain adorable is this cake?! It's so playful, carefree, and most likely ridiculously delicious.

Does anyone else suddenly have a strange craving for coloring books and cake?

Invitations by Dawn Winner!

We are super excited to announce the winner of the Invitations by Dawn Giveaway (It's been a long-time coming) We took all of the comments from FaceBook, Twitter and the Blog and randomized them....



And the winner is....

After combining all of the comments on both posts, we owe a huge congratulations to Mo! Please e-mail me, Melissa{at}MasterPieceWeddings{dot}net to claim your prize!




We look forward to hearing which of the amazing Invitation by Dawn invites you choose!

question...

for all my Sister Sergers... one of the benefits of buying my serger was the new ability to serge my pillows during their construction, (after sewing the front and the back covers together), except... that i ran into a small question, do you all still snip your corners if you serge them??

I'm a little fanatical about my products that i sell and with my craft show creeping around the corner... i'd like to feel comfortable that my items are made thoroughly and worth everyone's hard earned money. Maybe you snip them and then serger???

What's your opinion on this... anyone?? :)

i really don't see any obvious advantage to snipping them, but i'd still like to be sure of the correct way! :)

luckily, i tend to give away LOT's of pillows as gifts, which always leaves me with extra pillow forms laying around... needing some clothes! LOL

i'll practice on my own, until i get it perfect for the craft fair though... hey!  this may be a win/ win situation!

Thanks for your help friends!! I just know you'll all have the answer!!

Xo, Heather

ps... Emily from Crazy Old Ladies is having a give-a-way on her blog for her brand, spanking, new fabric line... you should totally check it out! ;)



Hall of Fame!

2011-11-16: Mustard yellow coat (made by me)

 I’ve made this coat back in 2009 or early 2010, I’m not sure. I don’t think I reviewed it on my sewing blog either… The pattern is from the September 2009 Burda Magazine, model 122. I made it as a short coat instead of the long overcoat version with a belt. I also added facings, an under collar and lining, since the original had none of these (it was supposed to be a “blanket coat” of sorts). I also added big snaps. The fabric is a mix of polyester and wool in bright mustard yellow.

Since mustard is such a big hit this fall, I thought I should take this coat out for a spin. I’m wearing it with black and grey and also starring my new Mongolian fur bag that I ordered from eBay. You all have a wonderful day and thank you for visiting!

Fiz este casaco em fins de 2009 ou início de 2010, não tenho a certeza. Também não creio que o tenha mostrado no meu blogue de costura… O molde é da Burda de Setembro de 2009, modelo 122. Fiz uma versão curta em vez do original sobretudo e adicionei vistas e dois panos à gola (no original a gola era apenas um pano, rematado com pontos à mão), forro e molas de pressão à frente. O original não tinha nada disto, atava com um cinto e seria feito de um tecido estilo “cobertor” e rematado com pontos “luva”. O tecido que usei é misto de lã e poliéster de cor amarelo mostarda vivo.

Já que a cor mostarda é uma tendência forte este outono, resolvi levar este casaco a dar uma volta! Estou a usá-lo com preto e cinza e também a estrear o meu novo saco de pelo da Mongólia que encomendei no eBay. Tenham todos um óptimo dia e obrigada pela visita!

Preserving Leaves

Fall is in full force, which means harvest and fall themed weddings are an extremely popular option for brides!

Via Emmaline Bride Via Martha Stewart

Fall Foliage is a great way to incorporate all of the gorgeous colors of Autumn into your wedding, but leaves tend to crumble and lose their vibrancy by the time your wedding comes around. That's why, when we stumbled upon a wonderful D-I-Y leaf preservation tutorial at Emmaline Bride, we were ecstatic!

Via Emmaline Bride Via Martha Stewart

It's super easy to do, and the tutorial gives you a variety of options and a ton of inspiration that will suit your wedding timetable and theme.



This is just one of the many examples of how fantastical your preserved leaves can be utilized at your special day:

Via Emmaline Bride Via Better Homes and Gardens

Find out how to preserve your own leaves here.

What are some ways you would incorporate leaves into an autumn wedding?