Thrifty Thursday

I have one giveaway for you today.

Brenda's Wedding Blog is giving away a $100 gift card to Third Willow Weddings. (Ends 10/4)

Make It Yourself Monday

Where the Wild Thoughts Run made this burlap runner for her head table.

Chelsea Gets Married made this gorgeous pink and green cardbox for her wedding.

Little Miss Wedding Planner also made her own cardbox.

May Arts shows how to make a fabric flower necklace.  Perfect to give to your bridesmaids as gifts.

I Love to Create Blog shows you how to make these love note pillow.  If you're having a lounge area at your wedding, these will be the perfect accent.

"I Do" Boutique at Rue La La

RueLaLa is has a boutique up right now for all things weddings.  They have stuff for the bride, the groom, and even the guests.

So, head over and check it out.  If you're not already a member of RueLaLa, sign up through this link to get instant access.

Thrifty Thursday

 For some reason this did not post when I scheduled it last Thursday.  Here's the post a few days late though!  I added an extra giveaway at the bottom for you.

I haven't seen many discounts or giveaways in the wedding world at all lately.  Guess you can tell that wedding season is slowly coming to a close.

I did want to let you know about this one giveaway though.

Bridal Gown Blog is giving away a personalized hanger from LilaFrances.  So cute!

Extra giveaway that I found yesterday.

You can win a "Just Married" decal from Ten23 designs as well as other prizes from October Wed Hunt.

Make It Yourself Monday

December 27th, 2009 makes adorable flags to put in her cupcakes.

December 27th, 2009 makes these birds for her escort cards.

The Inspired Bride shows you how to add pizzazz to your silverware.

Project Wedding gives you directions on how to make a birdcage bride.

Mel's Sweet Treats makes her own cookie escort cards.

Little White Chapel Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter the Little While Chapel giveaway.

Congratulations to Tabathia!  You are the winner.  Look out for an email from me shortly.

Little White Chapel Giveaway

Little White Chapel, one of the fabulous sponsors for Bride on a Budget, decided she wanted to give away a little something to my readers.  I'll tell you about that a little later.  Let me tell you a little more about Little White Chapel first.

Paige over at Little White Chapel started the shop so that she could provide gorgeous wedding jewelery without breaking your budget.  She also has great jewelry for your bridesmaids, mothers, flower girls, and other special guests.

Here's a few of her pieces:

$14

$18

$20

*Giveaway*

Now for the giveaway.  Paige is giving away this beautiful set of earrings.

To enter, please leave a comment with your favorite item from Little White Chapel.  It's that simple!

This giveaway is only open to US residents.  The giveaway will end at 5pm EST on September 17th.

Make It Yourself Monday

Sorry this is late!  My email got hacked over the weekend, so I couldn't access my blogs.

Little Miss Wedding Planner made table numbers using frames from the Dollar Tree.

My DIY Wedding Day shows how to make this adorable name banner.

A Girl in Pearls makes an anniversary book to document her years with her beloved.

Scatter Sunshine shows you how to dye paper lanterns to match your wedding colors.

Setting Up Your Registry: Bedroom

Even if you already have your bedroom setup the way you want it, you can always upgrade some of the items you have.  Register for higher quality sheet sets and some decorative items to make it even more of your dream space.

Go to a store like Bed, Bath, and Beyond or JcPenney and feel some sheets.  Figure out which you like best.  Egyptian Cotton is a very luxurious fabric that a lot of people enjoy having their sheets made out of.  Register for 2-3 sets so you always have a clean set.

You don't need to have a really expensive mattress to have a great night's sleep.  If you can't afford to upgrade your mattress, register for a mattress pad.  You can get them in memory foam, down, and tons of other options.  Pick the ones that fit your sleeping style the best.

An electric blanket will help keep you warm in the winter and also help lower your electric bill.  Even in the warmth of Florida, we have a heating blanket for those cold winter nights.  You can even get ones that allow both you and your husband to control the heat on your side.  That way if you're always cold, you can crank your heat up, while your furnace of a husband can keep his lower.

Setting Up Your Registry: Living Room

I've noticed a lot of couples don't think about living spaces much when they're making their registry.  They focus more on the kitchen and dining.  The living areas are where you spend most of your day, so why not register for some things to make it more cozy.

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Register for a few nice throw blankets.  Have one that you can use as decoration and leave out all the time and then have some that you can store for company.

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Frames are a common wedding gift, so make sure to register for some so you don't receive a bunch you hate.  Try to stick with a common frame color so that all the frames don't look strewn together.

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Register for a few baskets that fit with you decorating theme.  They're great to store items when not in use and also make your home look more cozy.

What are some items that are must haves on your registry for your living room?

Unique Jones Soda Favor Idea

I have always loved to drink Jones soda when I find a restaurant that sells them.  They have such unique flavors and they have a great taste.  Well, now you can take that delicious Jones soda and use it as your wedding favors.

With myJones, you can take a personal picture of you and your fiance and put them on the label of your favorite Jones soda flavor.  You can even pick a flavor to match the color of your wedding!

I got the chance to try out the myJones soda and it was really easy to design the labels.  You can upload your picture from your computer or take it from a website like facebook.  You can also include photo credit if you want to use your engagement pictures taken by your professional photographer.  There's an area on the back of the label where you can include a personalized message.  This would be a great place to thank your guests for coming.

My sodas got to me in about a week and they were very well packaged.  When I opened them up, I was very pleased to see our picture on the label.

We tried the Strawberry Lime soda and it was delicious.  It has a light and fruity flavor and was a perfect drink to end the night. 

If you're looking for a cute and unique flavor to give to your guests and the end of your wedding, I would highly recommend using myJones.  These will be a delicious favor that your guests won't forget.

I was provided with a sample of Jones soda to review.  I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Setting Up Your Registry: Dining

A lot of couples try to decide whether they want to register for china in addition to their every day dishware.  We decided not to because we don't entertain that often, but if you like to have people over for holidays, I would definitely recommend registering for a china pattern.

Since china and dishes are a very personal choice, I am not going to include that in this post.  I'm just going to include every day and entertaining dining items.  So, make sure to include plates, bowls, silverware, and glassware into your registry.

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A trifle is a quick and easy dessert you can make for any time of the year.  My mother-in-law is famous for her trifles.  She loves to make red, white, and blue ones for the fourth and pumpkin trifle for Thanksgiving.

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Register for a few different designs and colors of linens for your table.  You can dress up your table with tablecloths and napkins for any event.  It will add a touch of class without much money.

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Pick a few different shaped and sized serving platters in neutral colors.  That way, they'll complement any theme.

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A chip and dip platter is great if you like to host groups of people over for sporting events.  You can use it for potato chips and dip, fruit and dip, or even veggies and dip.

Blooms for the Budget Savvy Bride Contest

Here's a great contest for all the budget savvy brides out there!  

The Budget Savvy Bride and Blooms by the Box have teamed up bring you a contest to help save some money on your nuptials.  All you have to do is write an essay on how you're planning on saving money on your wedding.  What DIY projects are you doing?  What advice can you give to other brides that are going through the wedding process?  What worked for you and what didn't?

The winning essay will win a $500 gift certificate to Blooms by the Box!   

With Blooms great prices, that's ALL your wedding flowers!

See official rules and details below.

Essay Contest Period

Launch: Monday, August 30^th, 2010 at 12:00:01 a.m. CST.

All Entries must be submitted by: Sunday, September 19^th, 2010 by 11:59:59 p.m. CST.

(We (BBTB and BSB) will review entries for a few days and collectively pick the top 5 we think are the most deserving)

Voting Period: Thursday, September 23^rd, 2010 at 12:00:01 a.m. CST and ends on Thursday, September 30^th, 2010 at 11:59:59 p.m. CST.

Winner Announced: Friday, October 1^st, 2010 via blog post on BSB and Blooms By The Box’s Facebook Page.

Official Contest Rules

Eligibility: All participants must be Brides-to-Be and legal residents of the United States (excluding Puerto Rico and other territories and possessions of the United States) at the point of entry. All participants must have a valid e-mail address.

Entry: Limit one entry per person. All entrants must provide a valid email address in order uphold the official rule of one entry per person. All entries will be submitted via email to danielle@bloomsbythebox.com by the times stated above and will then be posted. Any entries submitted after the deadline for submission will not be eligible. Entries must be entrant’s own original work, must not infringe on any third-party rights and must be deemed suitable by both The Budget Savvy Bride and Blooms By The Box.  Entries deemed lewd or offensive might be disqualified, at the BSB and Blooms By The Box’s sole discretion.

General Conditions: All participants must “Like” Blooms By The Box Page on Facebook and The Budget Savvy Bride on Facebook in order to qualify and be eligible for winning the prize. All essay entries submitted after the specified dates will not be eligible. Voting will be conducted on The Budget Savvy Bride via comment where as the voting participant will comment on what essay they liked the most and their reasons why. Comments on the BloomsBlog will not count towards the contest votes. All comment votes submitted after the specified dates will not be counted. Both The Budget Savvy Bride and Blooms By The Box will review all entries and choose the Top 5 essay entries we feel are most deserving. Then the public will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite essay, which will determine the winner. The essay with the most comments (votes) will receive the $500 gift certificate from Blooms By The Box.

The Budget Savvy Bride and Blooms By The Box are not responsible for malfunctions of electronic equipment, computer hardware or software, or any other technical problems related to website entries. Any attempt at entry as above stated is void. Entries become property of The Budget Savvy Bride and Blooms By The Box and will not be returned. By entering submissions, entrants are agreeing to have their submissions published and promoted on both www.TheBudgetSavvyBride.com and www.BloomsByTheBox.com and any affiliated websites. The Budget Savvy Bride’s computer will be the official clock of the Contest.

The Budget Savvy Bride and Blooms By The Box both reserve the right to disqualify any individual they find to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest, or any web site related to the Contest; to be acting in violation of the official rules; or to be acting in a non-sportsmanlike or disruptive manner.

Prize details: The winner will receive a $500 gift certificate from Blooms By the Box. Cannot combine with any other promotions or discounts. The awarded $500 can be spent on any items available at www.BloomsByTheBox.com. BloomsByTheBox.com will only ship in the United States. Prizes are not transferable. No cash redemptions or prize substitutions are allowed. If the prize or any part thereof is unavailable for any reason, as determined by Blooms By The Box in its sole discretion, Blooms By The Box reserves the right to substitute the prize with another prize of equal or greater value.

Winner Notification / Selection: The winner of the contest will be announced on Friday, October 1^st, 2010. The winner will have 7 days from notification to respond to Blooms By The Box via email (danielle@bloomsbythebox.com) to accept the prize. Failure to accept the price within 7 days from the notification, the winner will then forfeit the $500 gift certificate. In the event that no one claims the prize, the participant who received the second most votes will receive the prize and the same rules apply. Odds of winning will depend on the total number of eligible entries received during the Contest Period. The drawing of the top 5 essays to be voted on  will be conducted by The Budget Savvy Bride and Blooms By The Box, the judges of the Contest, whose decisions on all matters related to these official rules shall be final and binding.

To enter: Email your essay to danielle@bloomsbythebox.com

Setting Up Your Registry: Kitchen

Setting up the registry is one of the hardest parts for some couples.  They're combining two households and aren't sure what they need.

This week, I'm going to be featuring a different part of your house every day and featuring some items that I think every household needs.  I would love it if you could leave your thoughts in the comments about other items for that room you think people should register for.

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Everyone needs a good cookware set.  Stick with well known brands like Calphalon and T-Fal for the best quality.  The better brands are going to be more expensive, but worth it in the long run because they cook better and more even and they also last you a lot longer.

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A good knife set is also essential to a kitchen.  It will make food preparation a lot faster and will also let you have a better presentation.  If you don't cook enough to get an entire knife set, pick up a few essentials knives.  A chefs knife is a basic that everyone should have.  You can cut everything from meat to produce.  You should also have a paring knife and bread knife to cut more specialized items.

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If you do a lot of baking, I highly recommend getting a KitchenAid mixer.  I received one for a bridal shower gift and not sure how I ever baked without it.  It you can easily multi-task and bake a lot faster than mixing items by hand.  Definitely a great investment for the money.

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A utensil set will help make cooking a lot easier.  You can register for each piece individually or register for the entire set.  Some items that you need are a few spatulas (slotted and flat), pasta stirrer, whisk, a few different kinds of spoons, and a potato masher. 

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Cutting boards will help protect your counter-tops and can also help you from cross contaminating.  Register for different colored cutting boards for different items, so you never have to worry about contaminating your produce with raw chicken.

What kitchen items are absolute must haves on your registry?

Make It Yourself Monday

Happy Labor Day everyone!  Hope you're enjoying your long weekend.

Livvy Loo Who made this gorgeous moss covered monogram to hang on your doors.

My DIY Wedding Day shows how to make unique boutonnieres for your groom.

Style Me Pretty has directions on how to make your own homemade vanilla favors.

Style Me Pretty has these adorable favor bells to ring you in the evening.

Mint has templates to make your own birdseed packets.