Pimp My Ride

Growing up I not only just loved books -- but I simply adored Dr. Suess books.  His wildly funny, wickedly imaginative words & stories that I would read again and again as a little Sweet Cream.  One of my favorites (is there such a word when talking about Dr. Suess??) is "Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now."

via Etsy's ArtandBookShop

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, some man from above tries kicking poor Marvin out and lists all of the crazy ways that he can leave... by broomstick, by Bumble-Boat, by Crunk Car, by a Zike Bike... If you know Dr. Suess, like I am sure you do... you get the picture.

via Etsy's ArtandBookShop

I am sure that you are thinking "Sweet Cream! What the hay does Dr. Suess have to do with all this!!"  

Well... I'll tell you what...  I think that thoughts of Marvin's modes of possibilities in transportation somehow made it into my bridal brain disguised -- and for some reason, I just couldn't let go of the fact that I didn't want just-a-limo to carry me -- or our wedding party -- around on the big day.

There were plenty of other cool ways to get to and from the church.

Like a bus from the UK! / via Wendy Home

Or a trolley / Ever Lovely / via Trolley Kannapolis Tours

This bus rocks! / via Wilsonberry Wedding

I really really wanted a VW bus /  Distinct Occasions / via Kuste Kombis

Maybe even a really cool desert rover/ via California Overland

 A SCHOOL BUS! enough said! / via Bride.net

Until you say "boat!" / via My Wedding

For us, transportation is not a high priority on the list -- I do admit that our budget money wasn't riding on something as cool as a Zike Bike. I tried reaching out to the local VW club to find a VW bus -- with no such luck (although I did mysteriously begin to see them parked around everywhere after I started the hunt! Never with a driver though!).

So after brainstorming and thinkforming...googling and doodling... (Whoa! Getting all Suessy on the hive, huh?)... We arrived on this...

....Wait for it...

via Avis

That's right, my friends.  A Chevy Van that seats 12.  

Well you can't win 'em all.  The clock is ticking and my creative juices are getting used elsewhere.  And with a basket of goodies, some window markers and perhaps a Martha Flower here and there, I think it will be perfection.  And it's a whopping $112 for 24 hours.  Done & done!

Please tell me your super cool ideas that got your wedding party from Point A to Point B, whether they be wicked, unique or thrifty!  I need to live vicariously through you since all we are getting is a Chevy van!!! But know, I do have a little somethin' somethin' up my sleeve for me & Mr. Sweets...

The Super Sweet Invite Suite...Revealed!

I know that I talked about all sorts of aspects of the invitations.  But now it's time for the big reveal!

Before we get to that... I will tell you that Mr. Sweets helped me oh-so-very-much!  Maybe other Mr.'s get into every aspect of planning.  But Mr. Sweet Cream really only likes the parts that involve tools, food & men's attire...and of course the honeymoon!

If it wasn't for him, we would be left without adorable little wooden hearts that I could wood burn our initials into.  Boy, I love that boy!

And if I wasn't for these hearts, how could a girl explain spending hours watching guilty pleasures from the DVR like MTV's Teen Mom or home improvement shows that make a few tears come out?  

Those hearts not only made the invite -- but they gave me an excuse for these sorts of things... but enough with the delay... As they say before the "big reveal..."

via catholic youth ministry

So here they are hive!

Want a closer look?  After carefully opening (or ripping open) the envelope, guests were treated to a fabric-banded, baker's twine-tied, heart-adorned package.

After getting off the band, I know that a few tears were dropped from this beyond gorgeous Bob Marley quote.

Then they got the deets:

And then they got to mail it back to "The Soon-To-Be Mr. & Mrs. Sweets."  :)

I mixed in part Etsy designer with my own design of the quote, map & packaging and think that it turned out perfect.  Especially for the vibe of our laid back, BBQ reception.

Although I couldn't wait to finish these bad boys... I do admit that I was kind of sad to see them go!

But almost immediately the RSVPs began appearing in my mailbox and I didn't miss them so much anymore.  But I sure do love them!

Did you DIY your invites?  Did you buy invites from somewhere & add your own touches just because you couldn't resist yourself?

Shower Me With Love: The Books

So I've told you about the shower, the invite that I just had to craft myself & what a super marvelous, incredibly amazing experience that my bridal shower was.

But I haven't shared the deets on these little pretties.

I am a crazy fool who absolutely loves to cook.  Not only do I love to cook, but I love the story of recipes.  I love the way a recipe can be shared across the country and made and enjoyed and will bring the love & soul of that person straight to your kitchen table with you.  When I made Cuz Sweet Cream's Pinot burger (made with Pinot Noir & stuffed with blue cheese) it was like she was with me.  And when I make Gmom Sweet's pierogies or Texas sheet cake, memories of all our family functions as a kid come flooding back.

So that was why I thought a cookbook would be the perfect touch to a great shower favor.

So on the invites I requested that favorite recipes be sent to BM Sweets before the shower.  The insert  said:

Email the bridesmaids your very favorite recipe. It could be your grandmom’s famous cheese pie that she made every time youcame over. Maybe it’s the chocolate chip pancakes that your mom created for you every birthday. Or perhaps it was something that you know people die over even though it only takes 3 ingredients. Whatever it is, send the recipe, along with the backstory to BM Sweets (BMSweets@me.com) by August 1st.

And the recipes came pouring in.  Things like Irish potatoes from the 1920s that my aunt's great grandmom made (with a potato(!) & 10x sugar), a pie recipe that my friend's mom messed up in her middle school home ec class that became a favorite and recipes that people were simply famous for bringing to parties or BBQs!!

I included a quote from the Great Julia Child, pic from our engagement sesh & a thank you note as the second page: 

And created an index in the front of all of the recipes:

And I am in love with the results.  Treasured recipes from all of those near & dear to me.

Everyone loved their copies!  And for all of the time it took, it certainly was worth it! It's funny because Aunt Sweet Cream gushed to me about Mr. Sweet's aunt's BBQ chicken recipe & Gmom Sweet's 24 pickles have been made by many since the shower.  Guests are now seriously using those treasures that I crafted with my own heart & soul.

And all it took was a word doc, some time & the handy dandy binder my office manager let me borrow from work one night.

Lovely ladies enjoying parusing through their copies!

 This is one thing that I would do again & again (& again), despite the frustration at times.  And I can just imagine Baby Sweet Cream (who doesn't even exist yet) making something from it one day.

Do you have a labor of love that you were over the moon by how it turned out?  Even the reaction and appreciation of your guests?

PS - Special thanks to BM Sweet Cream for pulling through and helping me with the laborious cutting of those 50+ recipe books!  I still do owe you a dinner feasting on several things from that labor of love! :)

BM Sweet Cream helping with the choppin' of the books... 1 down... 50+ to go!! :)

*NOTE: All pics are from me!

Shower Me With Love: The Grub

So I started telling you about my oh-so-lovely shower, where I wasn't only showered with gifts -- but certainly with the care & affection of family & friends...


But I didn't share the deets with you!  Shame on me for teasing you and then falling off the planet.  Although it certainly is by no means an excuse, my day job has got me bouncing around the country non-stop -- on top of a wedding that is almost here!!


So let me get back to business bees!


Just for a refresher of the invites were my (yes my) labor of love...

Source for the Uhh-dorable milk and cookies graphic: Jess Fink

So besides telling you about the menu in the "Mr. Sweet Cream & Mrs. Sweet Cream Go Together Like..." themed shower... Let me show you!!!

 The scene of the beautiful presents!

 Appetizers that made everyone's lips smack!

 Aunt Sweets made little cut outs of me & Mr. Sweets to adorn the bar...

with wine, beer, punch & homemade lemonade (with vodka to add yourself, of course!)

 A "Cheese & Cracker" bar... Because like the sigh says...

Me & Mr. Sweets...we go together!

 A sandwich bar... with little signs like "Mr. Sweets & Miss Sweets Go Together Like...

Ham & Cheese...BBQ Pulled Pork & Apple Slaw..." You name it - it was there!

 The deviled eggs with bacon was not only perfect for "Bacon & Eggs,"

but I don't think I can have deviled eggs sans bacon ever again!

Look how sweet those signs are! BM Sweets wanted the font 

to go perfect with the invites!

 And the cherished cookie bar! The crew had vintage milk bottles filled with milk

and they thought nobody would drink it... And had to keep refilling them(!)

• Cold veggies & dip
• Cheese & cracker bar
• Chips & salsa
• An AMAZING salad bar (with a bread & butter bar -- yes...all different breads AND spreads!)

Sandwiches like: Pork chops & apple slaw sliders, chicken salad with grapes & walnuts, turkey & cranberry sandwiches with a mayo spread, apple & cheese open faced sandwiches,

And the cookie bar!! The cookies! Snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar cookies & PB&J cookies all were devoured.  And for those that weren't?  The left over take home boxes that will be used for the wedding served as the perfect container for a take home treat!

My mouth is now drooling looking back on all of this.

What was your favorite thing to feast on at your shower? Did your crew go above and beyond your wildest dreams???

Shower Me With Love

My oh-so-lovely loved ones weren't totally hating me for wanting my shower not to be a surprise, nor were they mad about me wanting oh-so-badly wanting to craft the invites.

I shared with you, the hive, about our adventures in registering - including at the home improvement superstore - Home Depot.

My shower day is a day that goes down as one of my favorite days in the history of my life.  I know that it sounds silly - after all it is just a party to shower me & Mr. Sweets with nice things... but to me those things weren't things, they were kindness, love & true all-out-soul-sharing from friends and family that gathered at our house on a recent Saturday to show us how much they care.

Since I was hoping for a non-surprise, I got to help pick the date.  And I was obsessed with the theme "We Go Together." And I was so happy that it was at our house so that everyone could stay as late as they wanted and we didn't have to worry about dragging packages back & forth.  But that is where me being "in the know" ended.  

There were secret meetings (that I somehow knew happened) and lots of fun planning behind my back.  That day I was forced to retreat from me & Mr. Sweet Cream's humble abode & I got another trial (hey! I didn't have anyone to hangout with since everyone I would normally hang out with was at our house prepping for the festivities!).  Needless to say, my idea of the trial taking up the whole morning, didn't happen & I fled to the local Rite Aid to by fun new nail polishes to entertainment myself with at Mama Sweet's house.

About an hour before the shower was to begin I got the phone call it was time to come over.  So off I went!  In my brand new dress I made with this amazing Michael Miller fabric to boot! (Know that I originally had planned on making a romper without a pattern and the craziness of work & wedding plans didn't allow me to take on that challenge!).

Michael Miller "Dear Damsel" fabric / via eBay's QuilterAlice

After I got to soak it all in of what my backyard had become, guests showed up and I was able to greet them and chat.  There was homemade lemonade & vodka to add.  There was a delicious menu (& a cookie & milk bar!!!).  There were little tags on all the food -- BM Sweet Cream actually tried to find the font I used on the invites to surprise me.  There was also a bonfire with smores!  And all those near & dear put together a giant scrapbook of our history with each person that is beyond beautiful.  And the heartfelt gifts.  Sigh.  I still get all tingly thinking of my shower day.  

I can't wait to share the favors that mean the world to me, the menu & the details!

Until then... enjoy some of the teaser pics from a day that I will always remember I felt like my heart was going to burst it was so full of love.

 Is a shower a shower without some TP wedding gowns? 

I LOVED my cake!!

 Mr. Sweet Cream's Aunt is FAMOUS for her cakes!  I was SHOCKED!

You might remember some of her inspiration from our engagement pics... 

Cuz Sweet Cream made a game with vintage kitchen finds

that she shipped all the way from Portland!  Guests SIMPLE LOVED IT!

If I had to pick just one part of my shower that was my favorite -- I couldn't even decide.  I felt asleep late into the night & a severe strike of thunder woke me up in the wee hours.  I kept Mr. Sweet Cream up telling him every last detail of the day.  

What was your favorite part of your shower? Were you overwhelmed by all the love that knocked you off your feet? 

RING-a-ding-ding: A Story about What's Written Inside

So I told you about Mr. Sweet's band & then I shared the details about mine.

But before talks of wedding bands even began, me & Mr. Sweets both knew we wanted beautiful words to each other written inside of them.  I loved the idea of having some sweet language carved in the bands that would remind us of our feelings for each other that are bound to grow throughout our marriage and life.

I know that I've shared with you the idea of having the cinema serve as inspiration, and while I might not having any "movie" idea woven into our big day, I did get a little idea from a little picture from the big screen I'd like to call "License to Wed."  (I promise I don't just watch silly romantic comedies... but my love for thrillers don't exactly fit into inspiration for weddings -- although I am sure that it's been done... and probably been done beautifully!).

In the movie "License to Wed," John Krasinski's character gets an engraving on Mandy Moore's band to surprise her on the big day, but as many of you know, a little sloppy handwriting turns a sweet sentiment into something silly that Mandy Moore winds up telling him never to change...

{Such a cute pair in this chick flick!} via IMDB

So while I was in love with the idea of me & Mr. Sweets surprising each other with engravings that we would be so excited to slip off our bands the minute we left the church to see what the other wrote, this wasn't something Mr. Sweet was equally excited about.

Mr. Sweet Cream has a way with words and always writes the most beautiful things in cards or notes to me, but for whatever reason these words being carved into a band that would be on my finger forever made him more stressed than it should.

So while I knew what I was putting in his (and knew he'd love it), he begged me to give him small hints.  Then one evening after a relaxing couple wines (wedding planning is stressful, hive! As I am sure you all know), Mr. Sweets begged again.  And I gave him a hint.  Then he tried to guess.  Then I just came out and told him.  I don't know why I did... the boy obviously was dying to know.  And let's face it, me & Mr. Sweets find it so, so hard to keep a secret from each other.

{We try to keep surprises from each other -- but it's hard!!!}

via fotosearch

I reminded Mr. Sweets the story about the recent time he scored amazing tickets to a Phillies game since one of his clients and his buddy couldn't make it to the game and threw my mister the tickets. Instead of taking anyone else, he called me at work and asked if I could make the game that night, to a seat behind the dugout with him.  I was honored that Mr. Sweet Cream could pick anyone to go with - but he picked me!  At the game I told Mr. Sweets that I couldn't believe that he'd pick me and he looked at me all puzzled and said, "Sweet Cream, I pick you every time."  I told him that I know, but this was amazing seats to the Phils.  Mr. Sweets said, "Sweet Cream, if I had 1 extra ticket on space rocket to the moon, I'd pick you!" We went back and forth a few times saying the things we'd pick each other for -- even though these amazing situations we were trying to top each other with would never likely happen.  I'll tell ya, Mr. Sweets still knows how to make a girl's heart skip a beat.

{Me & Mr. Sweets would have such an amazing time together on the moon!}

via cartune land

That little story stuck in my head a few months & when we talked about engravings I just knew that I had to have that inside Mr. Sweets' ring.

So when I told him that, he looked and me and smiled and said, "Wow. You're good."  He thought it was such a great idea, he was going to steal that inscription for for my band.

Now my ring will have "I pick you, every time" and Mr. Sweets' will have "Every time, I pick you."

So much for surprises, huh?  But I love it & so does Mr. Sweet Cream and although it's not the surprise I had in mind, I think that it's just perfect!!

Did you have anything sentimental engraved in your rings? Were you able to keep your lips zipped to make it a surprise?