DIY Desserts S'Mores and Cotton Candy

I don't care what party I go to I always, ALWAYS look forward to the interesting desserts that are offered.  Here are a couple of non-traditional choices.  S'mores and Cotton Candy.  Pair them with a rustic or carnival theme and you have a show stopper.

S'Mores Bar

How cool would a S'more bar be at your reception?  Make it even better by doing some DIY marshmallows and packaging them up as favors.  This recipe looks amazing and fairly easy to do.  The instructions are light hearted and clear.  Pair these with the unexpected Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or York Peppermint patties for something even better.

DIY Fluffy Marshmallows via SmittenKitchen

Are the marshmallows a little daunting for your DIY attempt?  Try out these S'more inspired truffles instead. Yummy!!!!

S'more Truffles

Create a signature drink for your festivities.  The Cotton candy Cosmopolitan fits the bill!!!!

Cotton Candy Cosmo

Go sticky sweet and romantic with heart shaped cotton candy sugar cookies.  I like the idea of playing with the colors of cotton candy to match your wedding colors.  Here is a how to on tinting your own sugar to make custom colored cotton candy.  Find a cotton candy machine at Amazon.com here.

Cotton Candy Sugar Cookie Pops

Cookies not your thing???  Cupcakes instead then.  Check out these whimsical cake creations.  I bet you could find a baker to help you create a wedding cake in this style :)

Cotton Candy Cupcakes

Hope you aren't drooling too much.  If you are that's okay.  Just wipe your chin and make sure no one saw a thing.  Discreet is the key.  I hope you enjoy these tasty DIY ideas as much as I do.  My Pintrest.com explorations when nuts when searching this topic.

Krissy

Make Believe'N Wedding Alternatives LLC

www.etsy.com/shop/krissy167

Offbeat wedding planning, free Google wedding organizer, Post your wedding theme

To help you with planning and organizing your wedding, here is a free wedding planner to stay organized.
Google Wedding Planning
Simplify wedding planning
Explore how Google’s free tools can help you save time, stay organized and have fun while planning your big day.

One of your main wedding check list items is a theme? Once, you have picked your theme you are ready to plan your wedding. I had a Vegas wedding which was red and black. Tell me or show me your wedding theme? Post pictures please!

This is a cute idea for wedding favors, I found this on etsy here
This listing is for ten 2 1/4 inch pocket mirrors. Each one is hand-pressed, using a genuine glass mirror and designer paper which is protected by a thin layer of mylar(plastic).

This pretty mirror is the perfect size to keep in your purse, desk, or pocket for quick makeup and hair checks.



Check out my shop here on etsy, MsFormaldehyde
As always please email me if you have any questions or suggestions!
Msformaldheyde@gmail.com

Delight Worthyn - The new face of fashion

Delightworthyn ART/wares

I would like to introduce to you Delight Worthyn (real name unknown).  Our lovely uber creative team member and Twitter director of the Offbeat Etsy Weddings team.  She fearlessly tweets to our masses (don't laugh we know we are new) using the handle @Offbeatweddings.  Delight Worthyn is a re-fashion designer of period piece hats and jewelry.  Check out her Etsy shop here.

Vivienne Westwood   Photo credit Royalwedding2011news.com

Delight Worthyn has a personal style that isn't directed by fads or wild trends.  She loves Vivienne Westwood.  Like the famed Westwood she designs with a flamboyant touch.

Our mysterious DelightWorthyn

Our mysterious maven of millinery masterpieces wearing one of her own creations.  Amazingly she is also self taught.  Wowee!

1910 August McCall's Magazine

Her re-fashioned designs are inspired by the Regency -1920 periods.  Her favorite is 1910.  Not sure what I mean by re-fashioned?  To re-fashion is to create new designs out of previously loved fabrics or clothing.  Each item is then cleaned, the seams ripped out and reused.  An amazing Eco friendly choice that although helps with your carbon footprint probably won't cost you less than your other clothing purchases.  Re-fashioned is designer wear.

Happiness in a machine - Refashionconfidential

Visit her personal blog Refashionconfidential.wordpress.com for more tidbits about re-fashioned style.  This post on a vintage Singer sewing machine is a favorite of mine.  You can see the passion she carries for her work.

Eco Weddings - Best Wedding Sites style

March 2010 The Best Weddings Sites E Magazine  Go check out this months e-magazine by Brenda of Best Wedding Sites.  She has chosen to dig deep into the Eco/Green wedding culture and came up with some brilliant ideas/inspiration.  Our own 10eisha and VintageFrockofFancy grace page 27!!!!!  If you like her magazine you should stop by her blog too!

Eco Friendly Spring Table Scape

Thank you Brenda!!!

Krissy

Make Believe'N Wedding Alternatives LLC

www.etsy.com/shop/krissy167

Confessions of a Seam Ripper

Bustle

Consider this a very brief primer on upcycling /recycling dispelling a common misconception..

Recycled items should cost less.

This is probably one of the most common. You can go the DIY route then and yes it will be smaller cash outlay.Upcycling ,however, is a labor intensive process and as we’ve all heard ‘time is money’.

If you are working with textiles the amount of ‘woman hours’ that go into finding what you need is staggering .I go to my local thrift stores sometimes several times a week because good stuff gets purchased right away.(okay I like going too!) Usually I have a mental list of what I am looking for but keeping an open mind if I see something worthwhile. For me this tends to be any silk garment with an interesting color and sometimes pattern, though I usually go for the solids. For someone else it might be lace, or broken jewelry but you get the idea.

ecoblingcouture

Once purchased and after cleaning you sit down with the most important tools in your arsenal-the very high tech seam ripper. And a good pair of scissors. If you have ever had to take out stitching then you know how tedious it can be. It is a time suck to be sure but there is no way around it. Again-time is money.

It is easier to buy yard goods and cut your pieces from a nice flat consistent width fabric but they just don’t make fabrics like they used to or if they do they are prohibitively expensive, possibly milled in sweatshop conditions and spewing chemicals in to our environment.(Moment of gently preaching here)

So you see how much time and care goes in to preparation for an upcycled garment. I haven’t even gotten into the design process and the making process so you see that this is a large amount of labor. A labor of love.

LondonParticulars

Has the Tradition Always Been White?

Vera Wang

The wedding dress has inspired women for generations…most assuredly what it will look like but most definitely white.

The thing is…white is a recent phenomenon! With the advent of Queen Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert in 1840 one of the greatest love stories of all time took the imaginations of women by storm, and the Queen wore white thus setting the fashion for years to come.

It used to be that women would wear their best dress to wed in – no matter the colour. In the 1400’s blue was considered to be the colour of purity.

Today we see a happy mix of styles, colours and textures to choose from for our wedding day. Many women are choosing dresses that are versatile enough to be worn again for other occasions.

Here is a small sample of what you can find out there for yourself from vintage to rock star to simple beauty…

Romantic Threads



Isadora Clothing


RoselaniJasmin



Vicious Threads


Vintage Frocks of Fancy

by Stephanie Farley
La Coco Rouge, LLC
www.lacocorouge.com

Entertain us - Reception Comedians

                Clean Comedian Magician

You've listened to the string quartet during the cocktail hour.  You've danced your heart out to every wedding song imaginable, performed by a top notch live band.  But have you ever sat back at the end of the evening to laugh your ass off?  What better way could there ever be to welcome a new married couple into the hilarity that is marriage?  My suggestion to you....hire a comedian!  Gigmasters.com has rated professionals willing to travel to your local town.  Check out their videos, YouTube accounts, and press all before you submit a request for a free quote.  Yep that'll work!

Krissy

Make Believe'N Wedding Alternatives LLC

www.etsy.com/shop/krissy167

Light up your nights with luminaries

The days are getting longer but when night arrives it is balmy and peaceful.  Lighting a wedding ceremony and reception with luminaries gives a romantic, almost ethereal quality.  The dinner glasses full of ice sparkle.  Every guest looks kind and rosy cheeked.  Candle light flickers, giving you a hint that there is something magical just outside of your field of vision.  I love that glow.  Here are some wonderful Etsy finds for you.  

Twinkle and glimmer on!

illuminera

Green Baboon Designs

Mason Rabbits Paperie

Forest Candle Studios

Damask Diva

My Haley Girl

Krissy

Make Believe'N Wedding Alternatives LLC

www.etsy.com/shop/krissy167

Accessorize with SHOES

SHOES.

Every bride needs them.

Not every bride finds the right ones for her.

I'm Kristi from NorthwykeCreations, and as an upcoming bride myself, I've been embroiled in the Great Wedding Shoe Hunt, and I want to share some of my most favorite sources with you!

How about some French Revolution style?

These gorgeous, upcycled flats are made by OxfordHeaven, and are jaw-droppingly gorgeous! She does custom work, so stop by her Etsy shop and show her some love!

Floral Fantasy

NoraKaren does some amazing artwork on her shoes, and in all sorts of styles! Check it out, and prepare to be stunned!

Shoe Clips

VespertineHollow makes some really gorgeous pieces that could be turned into shoe clips!

And I can't help but to share some of my off-Etsy sites for shoe possibilities as well!

PinupGirlClothing.com has the most awesome selection of pinup girl shoes!

And of course, ModCloth has a really sweet collection:

Thanks for reading, and I hope I was able to give you some ideas for one of the hardest-to-choose parts of your wedding outfit!

Madly in Love With: Tea

Maybe it is because of hours spent pouring over Alice in Wonderland when I was a child, but I’ve always been a gal who enjoys a good cuppa tea. From the delicate cups to the pomp and circumstance of an English high tea service, what’s not to love?

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found a whole world of tea drinks that would make the Mad Hatter proud. Why not stray from the usual offerings at showers and receptions with some of these nifty tipples?

For the spring shower:

Gin Tea & Lemon Fizz

1 cup water

4 teaspoons black tea leaves or 4 tea bags (such as Darjeeling)

1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 cup gin

2 cups sparkling water

Ice cubes

In small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to boil. Add tea leaves. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep 15 minutes. Chill overnight. Strain tea mixture into pitcher; discard tea leaves. Add lemonade concentrate and gin, then sparkling water to pitcher; stir to blend. Serve over ice.

For the post-wedding pre-dinner mix and mingle:

Sage Advice

Tea simple syrup:

1 cup brewed black tea

3 tablespoons honey

For the Cocktail:

3 fresh sage leaves

2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

3/4 oz. fresh orange juice

1 1/2 oz. rye

1/2 oz. Averna bitters

Make the syrup: Combine the tea and honey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Reduce until syrupy, about 10 minutes, then let cool.

Make the cocktail: Combine 1/2 ounce tea syrup, 2 sage leaves, the Peychaud's bitters and orange juice in a cocktail shaker. Gently muddle the sage with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon. Add the rye and Averna and fill the shaker three-quarters of the way with ice. Give it a short shake, then strain into a martini glass and garnish with the remaining sage leaf. Serves 1.

For you, when putting stamps on the invitation envelopes:

Green Tea Martini

1 1/2 oz. Charbay green tea vodka
1 1/2 oz. Zenn green tea liquor
1 oz. ginger vodka
1 oz. soju or sake
1/2 oz simple syrup
Juice of half lemon
1 dash habanero Tabasco sauce
Crystallized ginger for garnish

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker that has been filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sliver of crystallized ginger. Serves 1.

Recipes from:

http://teapreneur.blogspot.com/2010/04/white-tea-martini-or-gin-tea-lemon-fizz.html

http://www.saveur.com/article/Wine-and-Drink/Green-Tea-Martini

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sage-advice-recipe/index.html

Edible Artwork Wedding Cakes by FairyCakesandFaces

Fairy Cakes and Faces is ran by Nic (Nicola) Shipley.  Mother of three and wife to a British soldier Nic lives just outside of London England in Surrey.  Nic started her cake creations on a whim.  A couple of family birthday cakes for inspiration and a drive to create wonderful artistic cakes got her started.  What I love about her story is every bit of what you see is natural ability.  She is not 'trained' in culinary arts or in painting techniques.  Every piece of hers is a creation, a piece of edible artwork.  They seem almost too beautiful to eat.

  
The offbeat part of me appreciates the quirkiness of her style and the adult content section of her web site (think bachelor party cake).  So I'm excited to share with you this wonderful 'artist' and 'culinary genius'.  Fairycakesandfaces.co.uk !!!  

My only regret is that we are too far apart for me to see her cakes in person!


Krissy
Make Believe'N
www.etsy.com/shop/krissy167

The Etsy Wedding Team

The Etsy Wedding Team is our traditional sister team on Etsy.com.  I lovingly call them the sweet and creamy vanilla to our dark chocolate.  Like us they are a collaboration of artists specializing in high quality handmade wedding products.  The Etsy Wedding Team is just as picky about its members as the Offbeat Etsy Weddings Team is.  They only allow members with outstanding customer service and top of the line products.  Their blog is a great go to place for wedding inspiration treasuries, spotlights on interesting vendors and some of the best giveaways out there.  If you like your wedding info in short and sweet blasts join the 11K others and follow them on Twitter.  Or, get your daily dose via Facebook.

Powder Blue Bijoux

Oh So Sweet Prints

The Social Seam

Krissy

Make Believe'N

www.etsy.com/shop/krissy167

March Madness Wedding Bloggers Face-off!!!

Vintage Sailor LOVE

Events by Sarah had a super cute idea to do a March madness style mash-up with wedding bloggers and inspiration boards.  The Offbeat Etsy Weddings blog is facing off in the first round against sweet competition: Spun Sugar Suite.  They have a great blog so I hope we have a chance :)

If you want to help us kick some wedding blogger booty please 'like' Events by Sarah and then 'like' our Vintage Sailor inspiration board in her March madness round 1 photo album.  (Get it?  booty, sailor - I crack myself up)

Thank you!!!!!

Krissy

Green Beer - Not just for St. Patrick's Day Anymore!

If the city of Chicago can turn a whole river green, who's to say you can't add a little color to even the most domestic of signature drinks to liven up the party?!

Of course you can always go classic...

But why not go class-act and with some fancy or a-typical glassware like these little shooters from Michelle and Greg's New Jersey wedding?

Either way, a fun twist on a tried and true guzzler is sure to keep your guests toasting long into the night!

Mother Daughter Dances - A song list

Go off the beaten path.  Try a Mother Daughter dance at your wedding.  Here are some songs you may like:
Get the tissues now.  I mean it!!  Seriously!

Martina McBrides - In My Daughter's Eyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLS0Y40WwlA

"Every Mother's Dream" (www.weddingmusiccentral.com)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBjcCk-uIZQ

Christina Aguilera - I Turn To You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4q05resEvc

Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxrX42WcjQ

Taylor Swift - The Best Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq4W68_h6rw

Reba McEntire - I'll Be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4IBsqzawlQ&feature=related

Rascal Flatts - My Wish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxjVCBSa-Vs

Wedding makeup tips

I did my own makeup when I got married many years ago.
If you plan on doing your own makeup for your wedding day, this is a great idea. Go to a professional make up artist and get your makeup done before just as a walk through for the big day. It will give you a boost for your wedding day and every day makeup.
Eye brows, spend the money to get them shaped by a professional a few days before your wedding.
Also, make sure to take a picture with your makeup to see how some pictures turn out. Mineral makeup is usually not great for photographs.
Here are some cool wedding hair pieces I found on etsy.
Romantic white lace band

The Oceana

If you have any questions or suggestions please email me at msformaldehyde@gmail.com
Check out my shop msformaldehyde
Check out my blog http://msformaldehyde.blogspot.com

Toms Wedding Collection - Green & Charitable!

I did a little happy tap dance when i found out that Toms was coming out with a wedding collection. Soft, flat soled, comfy, do-gooder wedding shoes!? Awesome.

And did you know that for every pair of Toms shoes that are purchased a pair is donated to children in need? Eco friendly and charitable!

They even have wedges!

Happy shopping!