A Darling Day: Pretty Wedding Things Blog

hot air.

I am still in the middle of “project digital”, scanning all of our family’s negatives, slides and photos into digital format (with the help of my little Wolverine). We keep discovering more and more boxes of photos, but I am finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Until then, I will share a glimpse into the Burchard archives every once in awhile.

I take you to 1979, St. Louis (weird, my parents had a life before I came along…)

So many little balloons coloring the sky (the muted, grey 70s sky).

Have a wonderful weekend!

doggie in the window

My sister and her family have been in the south for the past week, getting everything in order to close on their new house in Charleston, SC. Neil and I (and Murphy) were able to meet them in Augusta yesterday. Miss Murphy is quite happy with her new playmate…

buying less, buying handmade

Since Neil and I got engaged a little over a year ago, I have been picturing our lives together in the future- what do we want it to look like, what do we want to do, what do we want to spend our time and money on? Needless to say, this has caused me to spend a lot of time researching, thinking and praying.

I quit my job about 9 months ago in the pursuit of working for myself. I probably did this backwards- most people would first decide how to support themselves and then quit, but I quit and then had to figure out how to make it work (I have always been a bit impulsive).

Before I quit my job, I wouldn’t think twice about going out to eat or purchasing something I “needed”. One of the first things I quickly realized was that I didn’t “need” any more “stuff” (can’t overuse the quotation marks here). I had more than enough “stuff” as it was. It sounds obvious, but the less you spend, the less money you need. Being frugal helps lift some of the financial burden of needing a 9 to 5 salary. Spending less helps me be able to pursue a career I love, instead of pursuing a paycheck.

In America, it seems we have a tendency to accumulate more and more and more until we have built a life so dependant on our incomes that we are forced to work a job we hate. If I had to choose between the “stuff” and spending time doing things I enjoy, I would forego the “stuff” every time.

And, the less you spend, the more you can save (Neil’s favorite part).

But wait a second- my entire business plan depends on people spending money (specifically on the things I make and sell!) and I just promoted frugality. It seems like a contradiction. Or is it?

The way we save and spend our money is determined by the respect we assign to it. When you respect your money, you are more likely to save it or manage it responsibly. You are more likely to spend it on products you believe carry the greatest worth. In my opinion, when something is made by hand (especially made by hand locally or nationally), it intrinsically comes with more value. Does it cost more sometimes to buy a handmade product? Does a handmade card cost more than one from WalMart? Of course it does. Shouldn’t it? You are paying for a crafter’s individual design and touch. And every handmade item is essentially one-of-a-kind. Buying handmade asks us to think and spend differently than we’ve been told. You can’t buy a handmade item two-for-one off the sale rack. You can’t buy handmade if your goal is to get as much as you can for as cheap as you can (have you ever noticed how buying cheap things can get expensive?).

Let us also consider the money we save and spend as an extension of our values. If you value saving, you are more likely to spend less. If you value the quality of a product, you are more likely to spend your money on the handmade. If you value your community, you are more likely to buy local (or locally).

In a country where we are constantly told to buy more and more, we end up owning a lot of things we treat with disregard. I recently read the definition of “hedonic adaptation,” a phenomenon in which people quickly adapt to new situations and enjoyment is deadened. Basically, if you buy a new sweater you quit getting enjoyment from it after a couple weeks. It becomes routine and blends in with all your other “stuff”.

My dear friend Kristin (over at GooseTaxi) posted a link to the NY Times article “But Will It Make You Happy”. The article said “people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects”. It seems obvious, but in a society overrun with clichés like “you can’t take it with you” or “money won’t make you happy”, we sure do live like we can and like it will. So stating the obvious might not be a bad thing.

If spending money on experiences brings happiness to consumers, this should change the way we shop. We should look for experiences (and good customer service!) Buying more “stuff” made on a factory line in China from a chain store is not an experience. I would argue that buying a handmade product from an independent business or local craft fair IS an experience. When you buy handmade you know where the item came from, you know its story. You also know the individual you are supporting and what their story is. That kind of information helps you respect things you purchase.

(enter promo here) And I am in the market of creating experiences! Whether it is an invitation, a party favor or a cake topper, each item I make is custom designed specifically for you, with your specific needs and tastes in mind. I work with you to create an event (experience) that, no matter how big or small, will be remembered for years to come!

I think “buying less” and “buying handmade” are two spending guidelines that can live in harmony with each other. If we consider the money we save and spend as an extension of our values, it stands to reason that they could go hand in hand. What about you?

My legs are getting tired… I guess I will get off my soapbox now.

Croquet Anyone?

Croquet anyone?

Ok, so I have Alice in Wonderland on the brain.

I have been making some fun party accessories for a a little girl’s 4th birthday party in Wonderland! A paper teacup cake topper seems appropriate for a Mad Hatter Tea Party…

Have a wonderful weekend!

swing along with me

I apologize for the lapse in posts this week! Things have been getting busy around here, trying to get the retail space move-in ready. I am also building up some stock to showcase as examples. I wanted to share one of the nest cake toppers.

What sweet little love birds, sharing their swing like that! xoxo

Make It- easy weekend project

Remember the photo booth from our wedding?

Well, I kept the frames and was unsure what to use them for. They had no glass, no backing and we had drilled holes through them. But they were too gloriously gawdy to give away. I decided to turn one into an earring display. It was really easy and I think the result looks pretty cool.

All you need is a frame, a piece of aluminum screening and a staple gun. I measured the outside dimensions of the frame and cut my piece of screening 1″ smaller on each side. Then I began stapling the screening to the back side of the frame. It is important to stretch the screening tight as you go.

At first I stapled the screening at about 3″ intervals and then went back and added another staple in between, being sure to pull the screening tight.

The whole project took no more than 10 minutes. It is an easy project to use up the extra picture frames you have laying around.

I usually keep my jewelry in small boxes, so it is nice to have them displayed in such a way where I can see them all. Except I think the frame I chose is a bit too large for my jewelry collection!

a new coat.

We just finished giving our dining room and kitchen “nook” a fresh coat of paint. Well, not just A coat of paint. More like 7 coats of paint, but that is another story. The dark red of the dining room made the space feel small and dark and was just not us. So we primed. And primed. And painted. And painted. We are happy with the result- the earth tone palette is much more our style. The dining room is no where near done, but I wanted to share our progress with you.

And here is a look at the ‘before and after’ of the connecting kitchen “nook”. We painted it the same colors as the dining room, for an easy flow into the kitchen (it was also probably motivated by the stark transition from red to yellow that was there originally). The orange-ish yellow in the ‘before’ picture felt so heavy.

The best change was the work we did prior to painting- caulking cracks around the moulding and spackling holes in the wall. It is an easy step to do and makes a big difference.

Ellie is 1!

My niece, Ellie, turned 1 this past weekend. You might remember her from her starring role as “flower baby” in our wedding.

I am so sad to have missed out on a week of birthday festivities (the by-product of living 700 miles apart), but I thought of the birthday girl often. Happy birthday Little One!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for fresh flowers and rain streaked windows.

What’s hiding under there?

While painting our kitchen nook, I removed the vintage telephone that was mounted to the wall. Underneath the phone was the color the wall used to be, before the previous tenant painted it yellow. It was a yellow and brown and green sponge painted… mess. Yikes! I liked getting to see what the wall was before the yellow… like discovering a little secret of our house. That phone. Silly phone! Sharing a secret like that. I think our house felt a little embarrassed to have us see under her skin like that.

When we took the telephone off the wall we moved it to the office, where we have a phone line. And wouldn’t you know… that old phone works! Now we don’t have to buy a telephone (and I can feel very important each time I use it).