Capricious Creativity: Barefoot Sandals - DIY "How to"

Remember when I decided to make the "shoes" for myself and my bridesmaids? Well, I made the demo set's and then mailed them all around the country to my girls so they could figure out which ones they wanted for their fabulous feet.

UPDATE: I actually wrote this ages ago (like October!) and for some reason, never posted it! Whoopsidaisies!

A few months later... I've got everyone's choice... and only 1 set of measurements. I had a couple of girls tell me "my foot's a size 9". ummm... Great. I can go BUY them shoes, but I can't make them!!! Click HERE to be reminded of how surprising it is that I have figured out how to make these in the first place.

Well, I have to start somewhere, so one set of measurements it is! Thus began my Saturday... and now begins my first attempt at how to DIY!!

Note: This makes the grand total of TWO pairs of these I have made. There may be better ways to do this, and I know there are better ways to photograph and explain this... but you aren't on Martha's blog, you're on mine... so bear with me! If you have any questions for clarification - just ask! (All photos courtesy of me!)

Start with a fixed end, a la use a crimping bead. See how it looks like I'm using fishing wire? Its actually not, I used "stretch magic" because I wanted these to have a little give to 'em.

Continue adding beads in whatever pattern you like until you have a large loop that is twice the circumference of the ankle this is being fitted for. Add a clasp to the other end and you've essentially made a big ol necklace. Its the next step that makes it a shoe!
(Contrary to the picture, this doesn't have to be done need an apple keyboard. Though in my house, you are never that far from an apple keyboard. ) :)

Next up, you are beading a single line with a toe loop at the end. I always started with the toe loop because its just easier that way.
Notice JUST below the big dark blue bead is a crimping bead. When I had enough tiny white beads for the toe loop, I crimped it off so that it was done and I didn't have to worry about it anymore. Plus, then I can put it on my foot and figure out how long the top part is/needs to be. Hint: Always use little bitty beads for the toe loop - much higher comfort quotient!
Continue beading the straight line that will run up the top of your foot until you have the desired length. (I think this length is the most crucial to get right.) Just because I thought it looked nice, somewhere in the middle of each top line, I added a much larger bead to stand out. End this line wiht a crimping bead - DON'T CRIMP IT YET - just string it on.

So now you have a big 'ol loop, and a small loop at the end of the straight line of beads. Put the loop on your ankle with the clasp towards the back. Find the beads that will be at the front of your ankle. This is where the top line will intersect and be hooked to the loop. Lightly stretch the beads apart so you have space take the tail end of the straight line, loop it around, and back through the crimping bead.
Now crimp that bead and everything should be connected!

And this is what the finished product will look like.

Ta-da!

Ok - so my instructions sound confusing when typed! Just take it step by step and it really is pretty simple.

UPDATE: So as it turns out, its a zillion times easier to make one with the foot actually there with you. This ended up being the only pair I made by measurements. The remaining four I made within a month of the wedding, and the last pair being finished after the rehearsal dinner. While I had originally given them several options of style choices, I realized that I needed the foot in front of me, and this was the simplest style. So while each one was unique in beading etc, they were all this style. Rae captured such a cute shot of them all and it was even featured on Weddingbee.com's Gallery Photo of the Day!

Anyone else find that the actual DIY is much more simple than explaining it?!

Goin back to Cali

Ok. Really, it's my first time to Los Angeles (outside of LAX anyway)... but am I the only one who still gets LLCoolJ in my head?


:-) Sorry, couldn't resist.

I will be in LA for the remainder of this week, and the beginning of the next. I'll be visiting with bridesmaid *K (aka Minnie Mouse),

(Bridesmaid *K, Stitch, and Me at DW a few years ago)

house hunting, hoping to talk my way into UCLA grad program, and of course - going to Disney Land!Who would have thought LLCoolJ and Disneyland would be in the same post?

Anyway, this obviously means that blogging will PROBABLY be limited. (I saw probably because I am taking my computer and who knows?) But just for fun... look what will be coming up soon!!

My Foot, with *A's too small for my foot barefoot sandal!

I made bridesmaid *A 's barefoot sandals last weekend! And this time I took pictures so I can post a how-to DIY!!! AND....

3 of the 5 bridesmaids dresses arrived yesterday!! I go to see them in T minus 1 hour!!!! I'll take pictures and post a review of the dresses and the shop I've been dealing with.

Stay tuned!

But in the mean time.... stalk THIS blog.. I just love it!

Any LA advice or must-see's as an intro to the city? (I will be moving there this winter, so it's not imperative that I see and do it all now... but advice and suggestions always welcomed!!)

Funny Fortunes Disguised as Tradition

I am not a fan of tossing the bouquet. One too many weddings where I was called out by a DJ and dragged out onto the floor where I promptly dove out of the way. And that was when I had a date! Needless to say I really had no intention of incorporating that or the garter toss in our wedding. (Don't get me wrong, I think the garter thing could be some sexy fun.... if my parents weren't going to be there!!!! I just think thats weird.) And then I saw this from Martha Stewart...
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The traditional toss bouquet, when caught, tells one lucky receiver little more than that she will be the next to wed. But this distinctive toss bouquet is made up of a cluster of smaller bouquets, each bearing its own secret fortune that offers more detailed information about future husbands to a few agile guests. And for the bride, they form a lush bouquet of blossoms.

Fortune Bouquets How-To
Separate flowers into small bouquets; you can use one variety or combine several (we used roses, calla lilies, and ranunculuses). Wrap the stems of each bunch with seam binding, securing with a bow; leave ends trailing. Prepare predictions about future husbands -- "You will marry the boy next door"; "You will marry your true love" -- for the
bouquets. Print the fortunes onto a sheet of fine paper, and cut the paper so that each fortune appears on a single strip; finish the ends in an inverted V. Use a straight pin to affix each fortune to its bouquet.

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I think I might make them quirkier fortunes:

• You will gain admiration from your pears.
• Help! I am being held prisoner in a Chinese bakery!!
• Confucius say, man who eat crackers in bed wake up feeling crummy.
  

=D

Can't get through a whole wedding without a little snarkiness and I certainly can't be sarcastic in my vows! ... or can I? ;-)

Capricious Creativity: Chair Signs

I like the idea of these chair signs. I saw the one above on Sparkliatti, and the idea sort of stuck in my head. As I have mentioned before, I am not detail oriented and I really have no patience for looonnng tedious repetitive tasks... hence the capricious before the creativity in my DIY series. So while I liked the chair signs, I certainly wasn't about to make them our escort cards. And then Jessica of Tying the Knot posted this:

hmm.. signs just for the Bride and Groom. I like it! And while the bird theme is NOT a part of our wedding (I grew up on the gulf coast - lots of seagulls; thus, in general, I hate birds), but the double layer of paper and the ribbon really looks nice! Its very neat and tidy, which is very Adam, but I could make it in our blues and making add a little sparkle to make it very me. So when Adam had a late flight, I went to Hobby Lobby. (I should never be allowed to go to a craft store alone. Great ideas! ... that tend to sit in the corner and go unfinished.) I found plain ol' 8.5x11 paper in the scrapbook aisle in our blues! Sweet! And then I found pretty sparkly ribbon. Score!

As pictured above, you can notice that I printed on regular paper 1st to get the spacing and size right. Highly recommended. Also from above you can infer that I am not a craft oriented person. See my tools? Oh yeah. Thats a box cutter and a cutting board and a 90 degree "L" ruler used for carpentry.

No cutting here! (Did I mention I am TERRIBLE at straight lines... in anything!?) I just used glue dots to attach the ribbon to the darker blue sheet.

Then I trimmed the light blue paper and added more glue dots to attach. I left the ribbon rather long so it can be adjusted for whatever looks best on the chairs.
VOILA! Chair signs!
Incredibly simple, I know. It's not exactly goccoing your own invites, but its something I made that represents both Adam and I that will be featured in our wedding. So I am proud of them darnit!
One problem... I showed them to my mother... Now she wants one's for the parents seats too! ok - back to Hobby Lobby for me!

(Ah - and for any inquiring minds - thats Zapfino font, which we will use throughout our wedding because its a little pizazz without being curly-girly, and EVERY computer program has it.)

Anyone else proud of a really simple DIY? hmm.. come to think of it, 2 out of 3 of my DIYs have been pretty simple. Oh well! (Barefoot Sandals, and guests Flip Flops)

Capricious Creativity: Flip Flop Fanatic

Since our wedding is in the sand, and guests have to walk a long ways down an old dock that isn't exactly high heel friendly, AND I'll be barefoot and don't want anyone's spiked heels piercing my foot on the dance floor; I had this great idea....

(Images from Sparkliatti, VUE Photography, Weddingbee, and Weddingbee)

Ok. So I obviously didn't come up with the idea, but I sure like it! So we knew we wanted a basket of flip flops for our guests, and then I saw these on Its a Jaime Thing....
I love the labels on the heel! At this point I've been tempted by many a Weddingbee to get a Xyron machine and make some personal labels. I was looking at where to get them and how much they cost when my sister pointed out that stickers in shoes tend to peel off and then adhere themselves to the wearer's heels...hmmm... I think I'll avoid that potentially sticky situation (pun intended! =) ).

Enter a Joanne's summer sale. $3.99 for 3 pair of flip flops... count me in! My mother wiped out the Panama City Joanne's and I put a dent in the Pensacola's stock.

Still unsure of exactly what I wanted to do, I grabbed a puff paint thing I had around the house and with "When We Left Earth" playing in the background...

oops - Now one where I knew the picture was being taken...

Anyone notice that these match my colors? =)

About an hour later... voila! All 25 of the pairs I had were done!

Not exactly a creative or difficult DIY, but I did it myself! On to creating signs and figuring out what baskets to put them in.

Anyone else really proud of a really simple DIY?

Sewing Seductions

Ok. This makes me wish I could sew!! This bride MADE her own dress!!!! How amazing is that? Its completely unique and EXACTLY how she wants it, but with more of an emotional attachment (and probably smaller price tag) than if you had someone else make it for you. Check out Paul Johnson's Blog for the rest of the wedding photos.

Capricious Creativity: Barefoot Sandals

Anyone who knows me does not connect DIY with me. Creative? Sure. I can make duct tape do anything! Innovative? Sure. Give me a couple of random ingredients and I can make a costume, a centerpiece, or fix broken gizmos! Attention to detail? .....ummmm.... notsomuch. Actually, its not that I don't pay attention to the details, its just that "close enough" is pretty much my motto. Meticulous? ....heheheh....I'm sorry....hahhhahh!!!... yeah notsomuch me.

So with that in mind, imagine my friend's reactions when I said I was going to make my barefoot sandals... and theirs!!

After deciding that I wanted to wear barefoot sandals, and that the girls should be able to join me I started looking at the options available. There were some beautiful options! Some are cheaper than others, but I realized that I wanted to be able to personalize them for each girl. So why would I pay for the "shoes" and then pay for the materials to customize them? Enter my first wedding DIY!!

This one will be somewhat lacking in details because my camera and I had not yet entwined when it came to creating. (That and I wasn't so sure I would be successful!)

So I came up with 3 design options... which I made up as I went. So really, this is a DIY tease, since I have no designs , sketches, or pictures to post.....yet. Each of my girls has very different size feet - from a teeny tiny 5 1/2 to an 11! Different feet mean different shoes look good. So I sent the ones I made to each of them to try on and choose which style they want. When I make their "shoes" I herby pledge to take more detailed pictures and post instructions!
Images courtesy of me! ...hmm.. courtesy doesn't quite seem to be the right word considering the bad lighting, messy background, and lack of quality. ... Images my fault!Anyone else surprised a few with their DIY?

Wedding Location Pt 3: Location. Location. Location!

For my avid stalkers, you know exactly where we are at in the decision process. For any newbies, read these quickly for recap:
Part 1
Part 2
Ok - everyone up to speed? Good.
The reality of holding the wedding in Adam's hometown was that it was going to be a pretty intimate wedding with a down home on the farm feeling. (He's from Amish country PA. Literally - the field that backs up to his parent's backyard is an Amish farm... with an electric fence! No, I'm not kidding. He found that out one day as he hopped the fence to grab a wayward football.) Travel costs being what they are, and Amish country not really being high on anyone's vacation list means that we would be missing a lot of friends and family that might otherwise combine vacation with wedding.

In case I didn't point it out enough before, there is no central location for even a large group of our friends or family. Our parents friends are someone confined to our hometowns, but our friends are scattered throughout the country from school and careers. From Hawaii to New York and everywhere in between.

I actually said that I was ok with having the wedding in his hometown IF it was Amish themed!! Straw hats and bonnets as guests walk in? I think it sounds fun!
...Adam gave me a bizarre look and just walked away.... refused to even acknowledge my suggestion! hahahah - i love those moments.

And then there were two.......
As I pointed out in my first post, I am an avid bridal blog stalker. And if no one else has noticed - there are a lot of SoCal and LA brides-to-be posting up a storm! So I was getting a good idea of the range of possibilities that could happen in California. I was beginning to in love with winery style inspiration boards. Adam and I are wine lovers. We aren't exactly sommeliers, but we know what we do and don't like. And how could you not be thinking vineyard with amazing fun, funky, vino inspired boards like this one from Sparkalatti:and knowing that it could mean really fun DIY projects like these I saw on Its a Jamie thing.
The other aspect to to the being bridal blog informed is that I also have an ideal of costs in the area. So, I am not exactly an uber budget in either extreme. I am impressed by those who pull it of for $10,000 or less, but I also don't have a sky high "average" American bridal budget. I am the only daughter and my parents are footing the bill, but I think even spending the "average" 30K is unreasonable. With the amount of people we want to be able to be there to celebrate with us, we quickly realized that our not-so-vintage-vino was going to break the bank.

And then there was 1... Panama City - my hometown. (Yes, as in Mtv's spring break mecca. For any of you reading this who partied there for spring break - I was one of those beach lifeguards who tried to ignore your drunken swaggers in the sand, but came to help you when you found out that, as I had told you when your buddy dared you, you could not actually make it out to the buoy and back.

Now.. to find a venue.....