Club Wed Continued....

Like I said in the previous post, I didn't document all my DIY like I wanted to, but still want to share them and the tutorials that helped me along the way.  To start, we finally got our professional pictures!!  Our photographer was Aaron Almendral, and any amazing pic you see (vs ones from my phone) are his work.  He was seriously the best...very chill which was a nice counter to my manic panic...and willing to take a shot of anything, including my fur-baby.

Harry's sign was a DIY but from my brain.  A scrap of plywood with two holes drilled on the corners, some chalkboard paint slapped on, twine strung around and then written on with chalk marker made for a superb dog sign.  Ever read the comics on The Oatmeal?  We love the one about his dog and his erratic behaviors which inspired Harry's sign.

 


Chris and I created our own cocktail menu based on our world travels.  It was a fun way of personalizing the event and educated some of our wedding guests that may not have known Chris and I very well.  We invented appetizers from food we actually ate abroad and ran it past our caterer who was more than happy to oblige.  She and the chef loved our creativity.  Above is a tent sign I made using two pieces of scrap wood, chalkboard paint, a hinge, and two eye hooks with twine in-between to prevent the sign from flattening out.  No tutorial on this one but I do have crappy pictures of me cutting wood that I'll spare you from.

 

Guests found their seats via their place cards which I mini-clothes pinned to twine strung across an old frame (trash pick!).  I screwed eye hooks in the interior of the frame equal distance apart and then tied twine across.  The place cards were created via a DIY pack from Michaels--the cheapest option I came across aside from cutting poster board down.  The cards came with an online template to download into word.    Each guest had pre-chosen their meal which I recorded and indicated to the catering staff via a stamp of either a chicken or a fish.  

In addition to getting place-cards, guests were asked to sign in via our "wedding tree" which was hand drawn and designed by our most artistic family members.  Guests chose from an array of green inks to 'leaf a print' (get it?  GET IT?!) and sign below.  We're framing the drawing as a very special keepsake.  

We directed guests with tons and tons of signs.  That's one thing nobody tells you about wedding planning...you need to make a butt-load of signs to direct your guests around like lemmings.  Even with mega signage you'll also need a coordinator to move them around.  It might have something to do with the combination extreme happiness and alcohol.  I attempted to solve the issue with a multi-directional sign informing guests where it all was going down.  It involved cutting scrap plywood into rectangles, defining points to make an arrow, painting, staining, screwing, and yet another use for my chalk paint marker.  Since we weren't allowed to stake anything into the ground (venues have strange rules too) we had to make a 20 pound weighted cement and moss filled bucket to hold this thing in place.  Huzz did that for me in the same way he made the ones for our arch, except this one was permanent.  

Finally!  Time to party.  The hanging welcome sign was a clearance find at Burlington Coat Factory ($4 what up) probably because it was all scuffed and bent out of shape.  It fit perfectly with the vibe, so I used my trusty chalk marker to personalize it.  I googled a lot of welcome chalkboard signs to figure out what I wanted to do and kept the images on my phone while I meticulously copied onto chalkboard as best as I could.  Secret to my success!  

I had no idea what our flowers would look like before the day of our wedding.  I kind of didn't care--as I was more focused on my own flower project (the bouquets).  We found our florist via venue hunting, and he just happened to have a spot in the Rittenhouse Square and Clark Park farmers markets where we could visit him.  We said, "all colors!"  "whatever you think!" and ended up with bright, charming, arrangements with these crazy yellow flowers I didn't know existed.

The arrangements sat on slices of cedar cut by my grandfather on our family tree farm.  Not only did the place smell great, it was such a nice personal touch to the whole tablescape.  The runners were crafted by moi with burlap and white pom-pom fringe (available for resale as soon as I clean them all!).

Tables were identified with handmade nail, string, wooden table numbers--one of the very first things I made for the wedding back in April 2014!  They were a labor of love...and I still stare at them from time to time.  Bonus, they are for sale in my Etsy store (or if you just contact me).  

 

I really wanted a BAR marquee anyways for our eventual party basement and I thought it couldn't hurt to create one for the reception and keep it afterwards.  I used paper-machee letters from Amazon, drilled just enough holes for the string of lights I had gotten at an after Christmas sale ($2!), and spray painted a glossy red.  We had a full bar, but the most memorable drink was the groom's cocktail of honey whiskey, lemonade, and thyme.  It was gone before cocktail hour ended!  Ok we also have really boozy friends.

Across the dance floor behind the DJ booth was a festive tissue paper tassel garland I made from the millions of tutorials online (such a cheap and easy decoration).  In front of the DJ booth were these ridiculous LOVE letters I made.  They're very bold, but they turned out to be a really fun party prop as you can see.  They made it into the conga line too.  These were made via a tutorial from Green Wedding Shoes.

Last but not least, dessert!  We ordered a ton of donuts from our favorite spot in Reading Terminal Market.  I made a quirky Love is Sweet sign from foam board and string and a hot glue gun that was pinned to the table cloth in the dessert room.  The process was the same with the Mr. & Mrs. chair hangers....although I can't find pictures of them in action at the event.  I had used Fedex/Kinkos to print the words for me, and I traced them onto foam board.  Cut out with a serrated bread knife (it works great!) and strategically wrapped.  I got the words to stick together with a toothpick--that's how the S is attached to the L and the i is attached to the e and the w.  I ended up reinforcing with popsicle sticks behind.

And the LOVE letter display I had made on our return from Europe was placed in the dessert room too.  I was really really really happy to have everything created be out and about. That tutorial can be found on this blog, here.

And of course somewhere along the way our cake topper made itself onto donuts.  Harry and I made these with bamboo skewer sticks, string, and triangles cut out of our Europe maps.  Those maps were useful!  From boutonnieres, to signage, to cake topper...I think they got some wear.

And now...I think I'm done talking about the wedding!  Back to home projects and the like, of which I've been doing a lot of so hoping to share soon.  We were so fortunate for our bridal party who really put in a lot of sweat unpacking and packing up all the decor.  The amount you need even for a basic wedding is no joke, and thanks to specific instructions psychotically labeled on each bin of decor, the bridal party went to work.  It was unnerving for me to not assist, control freak that I am, but when I saw everything out I was extremely grateful.  Thanks guys!

 

First Day of School

There's a thing that's sprouted in Philadelphia.  It's called "Dog School".  It makes me want to clap my hands Molly Shannon style and do a Dog School chant it's so fantastic.  For $30 your dog is in daycare and can be there from as early as 7:30am to as late as 7pm.  They sold a Groupon a little while ago that we promptly bought so we could treat Harry to a fun day with new friends...while we got the house painted.

Walking to school!

Because it was Harry's first visit, he had to be one of the first dogs there so he wouldn't be overwhelmed.  None of us were nervous, we were all really excited...especially Harry who immediately made friends with the arriving dogs.  Dog School extends as far back as the first floor in a row home and has some stairs and platforms for your pooch to climb up, jump from, use as base, or command their clique.  

It also features (at least the one on 2nd street) a street level window where you can see them playing from outside.  Harry watched us walk away from said window. 

Throughout the day, Harry played and we received updates via text or through the Dog School Instagram account.  These were the two we found of Harry:

From their second post of Harry yawning, we knew he was having a good time.  He probably didn't know when to stop playing!  During the day the Dog School employees will take the pooches out for walks with a buddy and they also take that time to text Mommys & Daddys to let them know that everything is ok.  No snacks or meals are served at Dog School which was fine for us since Harry's diet is all specialty hypo-allergenic for now.  Apparently classmates can get jealous over treats, so all special treats and even toys need to be left at home.  The employees keep track of dogs, leashes, and collars on the chalkboard by the wall.  It reminded me of cubbies from pre-school.

Mom?  Dad?  Is that you?  Are you picking me up already?

We know Harry had a wonderful time because when we picked him up his tail was wagging and by the time we started the car he was already laying down.  After his dinner he promptly got himself into a proper Sound of Music Live viewing station, and passed out.

Dog School is tested and approved by us!  They have three locations in Philly with the same business model and hours.  Definitely treat your dog to a few days!

Doggy Dining: Unleashed by Petco

This weekend was our last before the boo and I explore Europe and drop our pooch off with his fur-cousin and human-Aunt.  We vowed to make it extra special and Harry filled, which pleased Harry but in my opinion made him extremely suspicious given the concerned expressions I received this morning.  

The Granary (located off the Ben Franklin Parkway) is finished and leasing, and the retail spaces below have started to open up.  Over the weekend we visited Pizzeria Vetri sans Harry and saw that the new pet store, Unleashed, had opened up as well.  While we waited for a table at Vetri, we perused the store.  There were so many grand opening deals, I returned with Harry the next day to pick up a present for his fur-cousin Jager as a thanks for putting up with me wanting to play with you for 264 hours gesture.

Although we are huge loyal fans of the Fairmount Pet Shoppe, Unleashed offers more room for your pet to walk around without bumping into displays.  There's also a less likely chance that your dog will unintentionally shoplift a bone or jerky stick since they have more room to store those items up high while Fairmount Pet Shoppe uses every bit of their small space.

Harry began his shopping adventure by perusing the aisles of pet supplies.  We started with the ample array of water bowls, food bowls, and filtered water fountains.

Moving onto things that smell better, Harry veered towards the dog food.  Unleashed has all the brands you need including ours, Blue Buffalo.  There was no price difference between the Fairmount Shop and Unleashed on our brand - in case you were hoping for a new deal.  

We also smelled all the doggy shampoos just like I do when I shop for human shampoo (the best part of buying shampoo).  Petco had a huge selection - an entire aisle - dedicated to grooming.  They also offer a $10 do it yourself dog wash.  This is free in my house and called a bathtub, but for those with a shower only situation, this is a great option.

Eventually we made our way to the toy aisle and picked out a present for Jager.  The toy section was heavy on the stuffed animals, which is good for Harry's fur-cousin...a giant German Shepherd with a preference for fluffy toys that he takes care of for years...but not the best for Harry the destroyer.  As you can see behind him, there are definitely some heavy chewer Kong items, and there are less of the rubber chicken/rubber foot/rubber hot dog type toys.

The absolute best part of Unleashed is their candy store style cookie bar.  The treats are all labeled with ingredients and their special features - like bone health, or gluten free - and they're made with all natural ingredients.  They even taste good!  I tried them.  Harry will do anything you say for one of the treats in the cookie bar, and the staff at Unleashed had fun watching him swallow cookies whole.  

On opening weekend, our purchase included a free 1lb bag of a variety of cookie bar treats...we took advantage of this twice in one weekend...a free frisbee, a free tote bag, and our purchase of Jager's toy (a stuffed Chewbacca) included an additional free item that Harry kept.

May the force be with you!

We're definitely going to visit Unleashed for treats on a regular basis.  It makes for a good walk, and if Pizzeria Vetri ever gets outside seating it will make for a perfect doggy date.

Harry Paints the Town Red

Schuylkill Banks Dog Park has become a weekly stop for us.  It's the easiest way for us to completely exhaust Harry without exhausting ourselves.  Last week we made a bonus stop on Thursday, and Harry frolicked and sprinted with a brindle pit mix named Bella and a teenage boxer named Logan.  While we were there, I noticed a flyer posted to the dog park fence for a Phillies Pup Rally on Sunday as part of the Phillies "Paint the Town Red" week.  On a whim at the end of the baseball season last year, I picked up a Phillies jersey for Harry at our favorite stop Fairmount Pet Shoppe.  We decided since we were bringing Harry to the park on Sunday anyway, we might as well dress for the occasion.  As you'll notice, it's a little snug.  Harry has grown.

Harry burst into the park with endless energy.  Sprinting like crazy in his jersey, he managed to get the top button undone, showing off his manly heavage.  Only one other dog in the park had Phillies gear on, so I immediately assumed we would win the costume contest at the end of the parade.

Around 1:00 we made our way over to the playground next to the dog park where a crowd was forming.  Upon our arrival, there were plenty of pooches donning Phillies gear to the extreme.  Not only were there jerseys just like Harry's, but there were t-shirts, homemade costumes, dogs wearing socks, even a dog painted green (not that I condone painting your dog).  My only hope was that Harry's whiskers and in your face personality would win over the judges.

I signed us up by filling out a waiver and getting our sticker that the judges would use to score us.  Then what seemed like endless waiting ensued.  Having not had the chance to exude all his pent up energy in the park, Harry was psychotically pouncing, jumping, and pulling toward every dog in costume.  Perhaps it was a tactic to ruin their outfits and increase our advantage, but I think he was just being overly outgoing.  If the judges were witnessing this, then surely we weren't going to win for good behavior either.

Being the dog freak I am, I circled the competition and took pics of my favorites asking strangers if I could take pictures of their dogs.  These were my kind of people, as they were happy to oblige and even returned the favor by snapping some shots of Harry.  Then the crowd shifted as the red Phanatic made his way into the parade.  More people were snapping photos of their dog with the phanatic than of their child with the phanatic.  Again, my kind of people.  I swooped Harry up into my arms (swooped is actually making that process sound easy...it's more of a squat, adjusting his arms onto my shoulders, wrapping my arms under his bum, and using my legs to lift myself up.  Then I support all of Harry's 45+ pounds on my lower back) and waited patiently in the crowd for our turn to snap a pic with the Phanatic.  

In a dramatic turn of events, Harry abruptly squirmed which threw my grasp off balance causing me to DROP him in front of everyone.  And he didn't fall gracefully like a cat, he fell like a clumsy dog right on his back.  Of course he flipped over, was fine, and attempted to get in everyone's face again.  I on the other hand, was mortified and convinced that everyone thought I was a bad mom.  Shamefaced with hot eyes, I escaped from the crowd to the back of the parade line and proceeded to make Harry sit in my meanest mom voice.  The boo pointed out that most of the dogs were much better behaved than Harry and we didn't have to do this parade, but I was set on competing with Harry even though our chances were pretty slim given that 8 other dogs were wearing the same thing as Harry except behaving like heavenly gentle therapy-like dogs.  

Eventually, the parade began.  We all lined up behind the Phillies ball girls and in slow progression, made a tiny loop around the Phanatic.  And then we all stood there not knowing where to go.  My grip on Harry's leash was fierce, but somehow the boo captured me looking quite calm cool and collected.  The entire process was completely worth the struggle when Harry and Phanatic met.  The Phanatic squatted down on the ground and Harry crept towards him with ears perked in curiosity.  Then Harry danced forwards and backwards, not sure if this beast was A. a dog, B. a toy, or C. a monster.  Surprisingly, he didn't crash to the ground in his fear pose which he does when we pass the statue in front of the old GlaxoSmithKline building.  The whole moment was captured by Comcast SportsNet cameras, so I'm obviously stalking them to see if they'll post a video of my baby.

After the touching moment, the event announcers determined the winners over the loudspeakers.  First place went to a bulldog dressed as a $1 Dog Phillies hot dog.  His parents made his costume, and he looked happy to wear it.  2nd Place went to a Phillies eye patch wearing beagle (see pic 5 in link).  His parents made his costume as well....and apparently the dog did need an eye patch which makes me sad.  And third place doesn't ring a bell, because in the words of Ricky Bobby, "If you ain't first, you're last".  Harry came in last.  We'll be back next year, hopefully with better manners, and definitely with a serious costume.