The Adventure Begins

Last week I received a fun package in the mail...

 

Receiving packages in the mail is always a treat, and, while normally it's just the latest sample from Wal-Mart, this one was extra fun.  

Some weeks ago, I won a "Southern Adventure" giveaway on the Southern Weddings blog.  Yes, this blog is quickly becoming the auxiliary SW site.  Well my prize arrived, and I officially love them!

I won two customized leather luggage tags from the Etsy shop Of the Fountain for our honeymoon.

 

Aren't they cool?  I love the richness of the leather (oh, the smell!) and the unique, personal message.  I don't think anyone will mistakenly pick up our bags now.  But I might be tempted to leave on my other favorite luggage tags just in case.

Available from Inventive Travelware

I added the message "the adventure begins" as a reference to one of my favorite movies Up and the adventure book that features prominently in the plot.  

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Truth be told, while John likes the movie too, he mostly likes to tease me about acting like Doug because I have serious conversation ADD sometimes.

As I was saying, SQUIRREL!!

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Wedding Resources: Etsy and Heartsy

While we're waiting to set a date and venue, I thought it would be fun to feature some of my favorite sites for wedding resources and inspiration.

Have you discovered the magic of Etsy yet?  The creativity on this "place to buy and sell all things homemade, vintage, and supplies" is incredible!  It's a great place to get unique, personal (and often personalized) gifts.  I recently bought a few gifts and I've been so happy with their quality and the sellers' professionalism.

You can find anything under the sun on Etsy, particularly related to weddings.  I've already "hearted" so many stores for when it's time for all the fun details.  From wedding dress labels, to wedding invitations, to a North Carolina cutting board, Etsy's got it all.

Not only do they have everything under the sun for sale, the inspiration on the site is endless.  We're hoping to do a lot of paper items and decorations ourselves, so it's the perfect place to gather ideas or pieces of projects.

Stack of felt...

 .... meet cute old man photobooth prop!

My love-affair grew even deeper last week when a friend told me about Heartsy, a Groupon-like site for Etsy.  I'm feeling extremely indebted, and my wallet is hoping this site will keep it from feeling the same way.

Today, I picked up a discounted credit for Parcel and Paper, and I can't wait to pick out some of their cute paper goods for wedding crafts. Maybe some post-ceremony treat bags tied up with string?

So, visit Etsy soon and be prepared to fall down the crafty rabbit hole!