Recipe Book Giveaway!

After posting a quick tutorial on how to make these recipe books a week-ish ago, clever commenter Petals gave me a great idea!

I have a bunch of extras...even after my relatives all took extras home...even after I put three into my personnel collection... and even after I gave a bunch out to coworkers.

So I'm having my first giveaway!

I have five extra extra recipe books that I'm going to give out to you!

Each book comes with 25 of our favorite recipes. Some you've seen here and some you haven't. 

Just leave me a comment telling me your favorite cookie or one you've been dying to try (doesn't have to be one you saw here). 

If there are more than 5 comments :), I'll randomly choose 5 winners. 

If not, you all win!

Good luck!

Contest ends Friday (9/3) at midnight.
Winners announced Sunday!

Welcome to DC!

Welcome bags have become a staple at weddings in the past couple years. And while I usually try to do exactly opposite of whatever's "in" at the time, I really wanted to have welcome bags for all the guests staying at the hotel. 

I started looking for cute gift bags, but anything that wasn't white or tan seemed to be $3 each...and that wasn't going to work. I wish I remembered where I found the link, but when I clicked on it, there was a beacon of gift-bag light.

Canvas tote bags for $1!

How perfect! I could screen print them, fill them with goodies, and guests could actually keep and reuse them! Less waste!

I wanted something that was pretty gender neutral (no cherry blossoms) and I didn't want anything with our names, initials, or dates on it. Who wants to use a "Jay and Renee 24/7!" tote at the grocery store?

 

I found this adorable clip art at iStockPhoto and it worked perfectly!

I Gocco'd the image onto each tote using navy blue ink. TIP: I had a little trouble with the ink bleeding through, so I put a magazine inside each tote before I printed the image. I let them dry for 24 hours then, to make sure that it doesn't wash out, I heat set each print with an iron. 

As I've probably mentioned a few times, most of our guests were from out of town and planned to explore DC a little while they were in the area. So not only did we fill the bags with the usual water, gum, advil, and granola bars, we added business cards from a local cab company, DC Metro guides, and vintage Washington DC postcards.

So definitely think about using canvas bags instead of paper. Who knew they were so cheap! Plus the guests were really wowed!

L O V E!

As in, I LOVE this photo!

As in, I seriously had to stop and catch my breath when I saw this photo.

Our incredible photograhers posted a couple "sneak peak" photos on Facebook and I, of course, had to share. Plus, it's a great example of our balloons in action.

Make sure you check out every website they have - and make sure you hire them for your wedding!

Photos by Rachael Spiegel and Andrea Jacobson of The Observatory

So True, So True

According to my blog reader, I have 5161 unread blog posts. Since I'm more addicted to blogs than magazines (and I'm totally addicted to magazines), I plan on reading each one.

I'm anal retentive and usually read them in alphabetical order by blog name and then from oldest to newest. But on a quick skim, a post on my WedLoft blog reader caught my eye.

"Attention DIY-ers!!" 

OK, you've got my attention.

I clicked on the link I was pleasantly pleased with this hilarious (and yet so true) flow chart. Originally posted on 100LayerCake, and created by Heather of Heart of Light.

If you're thinking about making everything anything for your wedding (which I fully encourage), this is something you'll want to print out and post above your vanity - or somewhere else where you can see it everyday. 

I loved every second of making my wedding, but be warned...this chart is very accurate...

"Estimate how much time this project will take. Double it..." 

How Sweet it Is

We ended up making about 3,000 cookies for the big day. 

...Chocolate chip...

...red velvet...

...sugar...

...oatmeal...

...lemon...

...shortbread...

Well, you know, you've been reading the blog.

About a month before the wedding, I realized that if I went to a wedding with that many awesome cookies, I'd want the recipes. 

With a couple clicks of the mouse, several reams of paper, and some baker's twine, I put together these adorable recipe books for guests to take home.

Each book had 25 (I think) recipes in it, covering all our favorites.

mmm...snickerdoodle blondies

I used Paper Source's text weight eco-white paper in 8.5x11. and printed each within a 3 7/8" by 9 1/4" area (to fit the #10 backing, also from Paper Source)

Let's try explaining that again. I used Microsoft Word and set my document to two columns each measuring 3 7/8" by 9 1/4". That way I could print two per sheet and save a little paper. I typed up all my recipes and started printing.

I designed the cover in Adobe Illustrator using clip art, but as always, you don't need any graphic design skills - draw something or collage and get it photocopied, use rubber stamps, download a free template (try i-do-it-yourself.com), or purchase one if you really feel like it's out of your league.

Once everything was printed and cut down to size. I punched two holes at the top (the #10 backing comes with holes ready). 

A little bakers twine threaded through the holes to tie it all together...and ta-da!

The guests LOVED them. People kept coming up to me and saying what a great idea it was and how they were excited to try *insert name of awesome cookie here*.

So give it a try, make it a favor, it's the gift that keeps on giving...provided your guests enjoy baking.

Blueberry Muffin Fail

With all the *incredibly perfect* cookie recipes I've shared on this site, I feel it's important to share some of my *less than incredibly perfect* recipe attempts.

Meet "To Die For Blueberry Muffins"

Blueberry muffin fail, originally uploaded by UglyKitty.

I'm sure they're great.

I'm sure they're light and fluffy and moist.

I'm sure they're full of summery-goodness and sweet blueberries.

I'm sure if that you follow the directions to "Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture," you'll be spending the next 45 minutes trying to fan smoke out of your kitchen window using the top to a Bed, Bath, and Beyond gift box.

At least the (cooked) edges were good.

Gracias Stickers - Free download!

I had great plans to put these stickers on little thank you bags, but time got away from me and my Mother in Law stepped in and took charge of the favor bags - with adorable results - I, of course, don't have any good photos of them either...and I know she emailed me some.

So I thought, even though I couldn't use them, maybe there is someone out there who can!

Stick them on cards, bags, lollipop wrappers, wine bottles, gift tags, soda bottles, stick them together with a piece of string between them and make garland, whatever else I haven't thought of...

You can either save the photo to your computer and add it to the document of your choosing, or you can download the Word document below. It's designed to print on Paper Source circle labels using a laser or ink jet printer.

Word template

Enjoy and let me know what creative projects you come up with!

Thanks, that was fun!

I'm back...and married!

Now the (blog) work begins.

I've been promising photos and tutorials and ideas and more photos and as much as I want to keep my promise it will be a few weeks before the photos are available, and I want to use only the best photos for my readers. :)

Until then, enjoy this embarrassing photo of me taking a bite out of our giant rice crispy treat/groom's cake (which the bridesmaids and I made the previous night).

(photo credit Paula Atallah aka Maid of Honor Extraordinaire)