More headband bling!

I crafted these headbands for some of the gals to wear in my wedding. The first and third flowers are “Kanzashi” folded fabric flowers, and are really fun and easy to make. Kanzaski are hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. I learned how to make them from the book, Kanzashi In Bloom, by Diane Gilleland, but there tutorials online as well. There are different shapes and some are easier to make than others (but if you’re really interested in learning how to make them, buy the book. The videos online aren’t the highest quality, in my opinion). Below are just a few:

http://www.mookychick.co.uk/diy_ethic/kanzashi_tutorial.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66WfByAacF8&feature=related

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Wedding finery

Once again, a deeply grateful thank you to my sister-in-law Nancy for sewing my beautiful dress for the wedding. She also crafted a beautiful satin swing jacket and brought it with her that weekend—but since I asked her to oversize it because I wouldn’t be able to try it on in advance, she did so—only problem is, it was an oversized style to begin with. I was swimming in it, but luckily I had a backup plan—this beautiful crinkled shimmery duster from a little shop in Alexandria. I finally got around to getting these shots of the dress and jacket (thanks to my friend Karen for posing for me). It was a bit too hard to wear it and photograph it at the same time. I have to admit it was the first dress I had worn since I was a bridesmaid in my little sister’s wedding over 12 years ago! Pantyhose had even become a foreign concept by this time. 🙂 See how cool my headband goes with the jacket? Bling! Bling! (Thanks to my mother-in-law Sybil for the headband photograph).

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Wedding craft featured on website

I’ve been featured on www.manolobrides.com! Check out the posting here:

http://manolobrides.com/2010/06/14/some-seriously-sweet-wedding-diy-inspiration/

Gimme that night fever, night fever…We know how to show it…

Here I am,
Prayin’ for this moment to last,
Livin’ on the music so fine,
Borne on the wind,
Makin’ it mine.

Brenda teaches my dad some boogie moves to “Night Fever,” while his many admirers cheer him on (left to right: Karen B., Deanna, Lauren, Ann, Roni and Glenda.

Photo © Brian Loflin

Happy feet

Photo 1: Me dancing with my brother-in-law, Brantley

Photo 2: Mom’s brother Charles, his daughter (and my cousin) Deanna, and Mom

Photo 3: DJ Tim Cedillo

Photo 4: Kelley & Brantley

Photo 5: Lauren & Chris

Photo 6: Tim dances with Debbie, while Macie drags Brennan onto the dance floor

Photo 7-8: Macie & Brennan dancing in the yard

Photo 9: We are family, I got all my sis-tahs and me—Lauren, me, Kelley & Debbie

Photo 10: Tom, Judy, Lauren, me

Photo 11: Paula & Ken

Photo 12: Alyce & Bill

Conga, conversation and canoodling

Photo 1: Dance floor Conga line with Roni, Ann, Tom and Brenda

Photo 2: Tired pups Pete and Nancy (she was probably tired from all that wedding dress/jacket sewing!)

Photo 3: Ken, Paula and Sherri engrossed in conversation

Photo 4: Glenda, Lauren and Chris

Photo 5: Sybil and my Dad

Photo 6-8: Tom and Brenda, swayin’ to the music

© Cindy Dyer

Eatin’ and drinkin’ and minglin’ and two-steppin’

Photo 1: Glenda and Debbie

Photo 2: Pam and Emily

Photo 3: “The Vineyard” table—left: Nancy and Norma; right: Roni and Pete

Photo 4: “The Woodland Garden” table—left: Paula and Brian; right: Ken

Photo 5: Dad made his way around the tables, mingling and telling tales. Left: Dad and Kathy; right: Bill, Sherri and Brenda

Photo 6: “The Seaside Garden” table—left: Judy and Carmen; right: Fred and Karen W.

Photo 7 & 8: Two-steppin’ cowgirls, from left: Alyce, Debbie, Carmen, Kelley, Deanne, Lauren and Macie

© Cindy Dyer

Candid camera shots by Cindy

Michael just showed me 297 photos that were shot with his camera during the reception. Most of these were shot by me (unless I’m in them, of course). I had forgotten that I did have a camera in my hand at some point (of course). So, this means lots of fun candids to come…stay tuned!

Photo 1: “The Cottage Garden” table—from left, Kathy & Kevin, Maid-of-Honor (and decorator extraordinaire) Karen B., and Michael. I didn’t eat much (look how much is left on my plate!), but it sure looks good right about now…love me some Macaroni Grill balsamic chicken!

Photo 2: Michael with our fabulous DJ, Tim

Photo 3: “The Meadow” table—from left, Kathy and Tom (Best Man). Right, back to front: Brenda (Tom’s wife), Sherri, and Bill

Here comes the better-late-than-never bride…

© Paula Danko

Candid camera shots by Paula

Top photo, from left: nephew Brennan, Uncle Charles, cousin Deanna, niece Macie, Carmen and my sister Debbie. Back, far right: Brother-in-law Brantley and my sister Kelley

Middle photo: the Woodland Garden table

Bottom photo: far left, Brian (photographer); front: Larry and wife Sylvia (my best friend in junior high). I hadn’t seen her since high school!

© Paula Danko

Candid camera shots by Norma

Photo 1: Karen and Judy enjoy a drink after the ceremony while watching the photography sessions. Also pictured, far left: Pam; center: Ken and Paula, Larry and Sylvia; far right: Lynda and Brad, brother-in-law Bill

Photo 2: Kathy and Kevin at Friday night’s TexMex Fest

Photo 3:From the sidelines, Pete and Kathy watch the karaoke participants at Friday night’s TexMex Fest

© Norma Wark

Craft project: Bird nest necklace

I made these bird nest pendants for the gals in my wedding. They were made just like the cooper wire ones I made for Michael and his groomsmen here. My friend Kathy models one I made for her in the photo below.

Silver wire and dyed freshwater pearls were woven to form a bird’s nest. Special thanks to blogger Cathe Holden for posting her great tutorial on how to make these sweet little bird nests.

Once I make the loops to hang them on chains, I’ll be distributing them to all the gals in the wedding party—Karen B, Debbie, Kelley, Lauren, Deanna, Nancy, Carmen, Norma, Karen W and Macie. Unfortunately, I didn’t have them finished to give to them out that weekend. Hence our wedding theme—“better late than never!”

Many more photos to come!

Kathy & Kevin

Kathy and Kevin are Mom & Dad’s neighbors and now our very much treasured friends! I photographed their eldest son’s wedding in Key West last June. You can view those photos (as well as our other Key West photos) in the links below:

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/weekend-in-key-west/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/much-more-of-the-muchemores/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/muchemore-redux/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/chantell-and-austin-on-the-pier/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/yes-another-wedding-photo/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/what-20-bucks-will-get-ya-in-key-west/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/amazing-tree-in-downtown-key-west/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/here-lizard-lizard-lizard/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/the-key-west-butterfly-and-nature-conservatory/

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/a-few-more-butterflies/

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Janie & Mike

© Cindy Dyer

Vested!

© Cindy Dyer

The Talbert family

© Cindy Dyer

Lauren & Landen

© Cindy Dyer

Lauren

© Cindy Dyer

Macie

© Cindy Dyer

Macie’s wildflowers

© Cindy Dyer

The Saunders family

© Cindy Dyer

Macie

© Cindy Dyer

Macie & Brennan

© Cindy Dyer

Rings

© Cindy Dyer

Brennan

© Cindy Dyer

Sybil & Dick—Michael’s parents

Michael’s parents drove from Sarasota to join in the weekend celebration!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Cover Girl Ann

Michael’s younger sister Ann was in town this week for training for her job as an engineer (she previously designed brakes for business class planes and is now in a supervisory position). She added a day on to visit us and we spent the afternoon exploring the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum/Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport. If you like the Air and Space Museum on the Mall, you’ll love this center—it’s spectacular! Steven Ferencz Udvar-Hazy, owner of ILFC, the largest owner of aircraft in the U.S., is responsible for a $65 million grant to the Smithsonian Institution. This grant allowed for the building of the Udvar-Hazy Center annex, which houses more than 120 aircraft and 140 space-exploration exhibits.

Later in the evening I photographed Michael and Ann together for our wedding album (since there weren’t any photos of them together at the event), and cajoled Ann into posing for a quick “cover girl” session afterward. And it was quick—we got our session done in less than 20 minutes—and that’s a record for me for a portrait session like this. She was excited because she was able to take 4×6 prints home to surprise her husband. I made the prints on my little Epson PictureMate printer that I picked up for just $25 at Ritz when they were closing last spring. That little printer is fast and although prints are a bit more than getting them done at Costco, you can’t beat the convenience of printing images you just shot 15 minutes earlier and at almost midnight, too!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Michael and baby sister Ann

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Your parents must be so proud…

Ann discovered that she and Michael share a family trait! How about Nancy, Kathy and Roni? Are they as talented as these two are?!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Kathy & Sherri

Michael’s sister, Kathy, and Sherri came down over from Houston to celebrate with us. It was Kathy’s birthday the day of the wedding (Oct. 24), so now I’ll definitely remember her birthday. I celebrated my birthday that previous Tuesday on the 20th of October.  🙂

© Brian Loflin

Michael with his parents

© Brian Loflin

John + Barbara + Cindy + Michael

John (our wonderful minister), his wife Barbara (cake-baker extraordinaire) with Michael and me after the ceremony

First dance

Happy hugs

© Brian Loflin

At the Vineyard Table…

Norma (far left), Roni and Pete at the Vineyard Table

© Sybil Schwehr

Nancy & Pete

© Sybil Schwehr

Hobby halo

Photo © Sybil Schwehr

Hitched!

© Brian Loflin

Oh, the places you’ll go!

One of my favorite highlights of the ceremony was when my father read “Oh, the places you’ll go,” by Dr. Seuss. Thanks to Sybil for getting this nice shot of him during the reading. Photo © Sybil Schwehr

Oh, the places you’ll go! by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the couple who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “We don’t choose to go there.”
With your heads full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down, any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there
in the wide open air,
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.
OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to great heights!
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have all the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang, and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because sometimes, you won’t.
You’ll get mixed up of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with so many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with great care and great tact
and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
KIDS, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So, be your name Buxbaum or Dowrie or Bass
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Craft Project: Boutonniere

Above: Michael models the boutonniere I made for him to wear at the wedding. The groomsmen wore them as well.

Craft notes:
Seafoam blue velvet ribbon hot glued onto brown grosgrain ribbon (all from Michael’s)

Velvet craft leaves applied at top of ribbons (from a great embellishments online store): http://www.vintagevogue.com/onlinestore/item6846.htm

Copper wire and dyed freshwater pearls woven to form a bird’s nest and hot-glued on top of leaves (special thanks to blogger Cathe Holden for posting her great tutorial on how to make these sweet little bird nests: http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/2009/03/little-wire-bird-nests.html

Fiddlehead fern-shaped swirl created out of thin gauge copper wire and tiny seafoam blue seed beeds, then hot-glued into place around the bird nest.

I made bird nests out of silver wire with seafoam blue pearls for the ladies in the wedding party. I didn’t have the loops made for the chains in time to distribute at the wedding—but you all will be getting them soon; I promise!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Toast!

© Brian Loflin

Debbie & Kelley…

…my two beautiful sisters!

© Brian Loflin

Shake your groove thang, yeah yeah

© Brian Loflin

Karen

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Craft Project: Headband bling

I made a bunch of headbands for the gals to wear—and most were put to good use! Karen is modeling a skinny Dollar Store headband that I covered with a velvet ribbon, velvet leaves, two metallic paper scrapbook flowers, a rhinestone button for the center, and a dragonfly button accent.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Well-behaved women never make history

I’ll bet a dollar Carmen started it! 😉

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Meet the Parents

© Sylvia Rose (Thanks, Sylvia!)

Karen, Matron of Honor

Very special thanks to Karen for her unlimited and resourceful creative help with the wedding—from the logo to the favor bag stamping to the chair sash bling bling stars to all the table design and prep work and the countless trips to Michael’s Crafts for supplies to the planning and sketching and seeing things to fruition and all that sage advice, too—couldn’t have done it without you, KareBear!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Before the wedding…

From far left: Pete (at the table), Brennan, Brantley, Michael and Macie

© Sylvia Rose

Candle lighting team

Pete, Carmen and Nancy lighting the floating candles during the reception

© Ann Johnson

Norma & Karen

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Karen W.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Carmen

Carmen models the velvet & bejeweled headband I made for her to wear.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Angelic Norma

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Mom & Macie

Mom & Macie at the Friday night Tex-Mex Get-Aquainted Karaoke Fest

© Brian Loflin

Brennan & Macie

© Brian Loflin

Macie & Brennan

© Brian Loflin

Bill, Kelley & Lauren

© Brian Loflin

Tom & Karen

Love the shawl, Karen! (I didn’t do too shabby on combining the fabrics, did I?)

© Brian Loflin

Such lovely ladies…

I must commend “the girls” on their dresses—letting you pick out what you wanted to wear (but from the brown/beige/blue palette) really made for a great photo—each of you stands out as an individual. What a beautiful group of ladies! Thank you for being part of our ceremony. I am so blessed with wonderful sisters and friends!

© Brian Loflin

The Schwehr family

From left: Kathy, Roni, Sybil, Michael, me, Dick, Ann and Nancy  © Brian Loflin

The Schwehrs & the Dyers

From left: Nancy, Roni, Ann, Kathy, Dick, Sybil, Michael, me, Janie, Hershel M., Debbie and Kelley  © Paula Danko

Hup 2-3-4

© Sybil & Dick Schwehr

Michael & Tom before the wedding

© Brenda Rakoske

Handsome bunch ‘o guys

From left: Michael, best man Tom, brother-in-laws Bill and Pete 

© Brenda Rakoske