Country charming … love love the look of mason jars as wedding decor! They’re so versatile- and great for adding sweet and budget-friendly DIY touches like these wedding centerpieces.

Spray paint … it’s our friend! Its inherent ability to transform and renew has helped me on many occasions.  Here are  a few ideas to show off how transforming using spray paint on mason jars can be…

Share your country flair in your wedding colors!

image via {Joy’s Hope}

Painted white and used as hanging luminaries, these mason jars have an ethereal glow to them – that is just so pretty.

image via {re-nest}

Eclectic and creative.

image via {colour her hope}

Bright and cheery!

image via {curbly}

What do you think of using mason jars as wedding decor?

Happy Friday!
It’s the weekend. A three-day weekend.
A three-day holiday weekend.
A three-day holiday weekend, that’s bursting with savings!

Have fun. Celebrate our freedoms and let the sparks fly!

In between the boating and the BBQs, be sure to pop on over to MagnetStreet Weddings and take advantage of this weekend’s 20% discount! Did you know that every design can be personalized with any color you want? Choose from over 60 popular colors in Design Studio or create a custom color if you’d like.

We’ve got gorgeous, brand-new save the date designs {from peacock … to watercolor … to floral illustrations} and 5 different types of wedding invitations to choose from. Every thank you card can be coordinated with your invite suite. Oh, and have you seen our sweet new rehearsal dinner invites yet?

Beyond the wedding … personal stationery designs and address labels and seals to round out your look.

Plus … I can’t forget about bachelorette invitations and for the guys~ bachelor invites. I could go on and on but if you want to just follow me over- you can see everything for yourself.

Get 20% off ALL your stationery items this weekend- through 7/5/11. Use promo code WEDHAPPY at checkout.

Have a great 4th of July everyone!

Guest blogging today is Lindsay, who last week spoke from her expertise as a graphic designer–about using color to transform your stationery. This week, Lindsay is speaking from her personal experience with planning a themed-wedding … a July 4th themed wedding! Too fun and here is Lindsay to tell us about why a themed wedding is the way to go!

July 4th always has me thinking of wedding vows.

Maybe you’re thinking … What? That can’t be right – July 4th is about parades and fireworks, not weddings! Well for me, it was. Mike and I got married on the 4th of July with a full-out Red, White and Blue wedding. Complete with a barbecue reception in the park.

Here is why I think themed weddings are the way to go … they are cheaper, easier and all around more fun!

Cheaper
In many cases, having a theme makes it cheaper to decorate your wedding. Seasonal themes work great and you can usually find decorations on clearance the year before. You can also find ways to emphasize your theme through your food choices- which typically end up being cheaper too. For instance, we served apple pie instead of expensive wedding cake!

Easier
It’s much easier to put together a themed wedding. As you talk with each vendor, you get the opportunity to announce your theme and then they can get creative with the options they offer you. I walked into the bridal shop, told them my theme and they presented me with a red, white and blue dress! That was easy!

It was also also easier to hand over control to some of the vendors. Our hamburger and brat reception meal was easy for our caterer, so I could trust that they would get it right. We didn’t need extra tastings or long discussions about the menu. Having the theme narrowed down the many options.  Because we already knew we wanted our reception at a park, we didn’t have to look at every reception site.

You don’t have to pick your favorite of everything – just pick your favorite theme and everything will fall into place.

More Fun
I think that themed weddings can be a lot of fun for everyone. At our wedding, there was a dress code of Red, White, and Blue. Some guests even gave us wedding gifts with the theme in mind, most notably a revolutionary war chess set, a handmade red, white, and blue bedspread, and even from some jokester relatives- the movie Independence Day.

We also had activities at the park like baseball, volleyball, and card games- along with the traditional dancing.  Our guests remember our day as fun and relaxing. What more could any bride wish for?

There are a lot of really great wedding themes out there today. I recommend finding one you love and going for it. Whether it’s a fairy-tale theme, vegas or playing card theme or the ultra hip retro theme, you’re sure to find a memorable wedding theme.

Thanks Lindsay!

Want more of Lindsay and Mike’s wedding? You can read details and see additional pics from their July 4th wedding here.

How about for you? Are you planning a themed wedding?

Ready to whet your virtual whistle?

Summer is here and the time is right for perfecting summer parties and outdoor celebrations- with homemade frozen desserts! And what I love about these sweet treats, is that they are easy to make and budget friendly {they might even remind you of childhood}. From DIY yogurt pops, pudding pops and fruit popsicles to fruity ice cubes … Choose containers and flavors to match your wedding colors or your theme.  So fun!

chocolate pudding pops + recipe via babble.com

frozen yogurt pops + recipe via Fudge Ripple

strawberry lime popsickles + recipe via Zoku

frozen watermelon pops + recipe via The Hungry Housewife

pure fruit ice cubes + recipe via Oh Vegan recipes

Which is your favorite?