I just wanted to show you that this DIY teacup bird feeder is not just adorable – it attracts cardinals! These two gorgeous creatures have basically moved into my front yard. As long as there are sunflower seeds in the feeder, they’re around. Awesome wedding favor indeed! Go make one!

And Happy Canada Day to all of my fellow Canadians!

I will be celebrating Canada Day tomorrow, but I do love this fourth of July flag bunting by Saltwater Kids and I just had to share it with my American readers. So clever and it looks easy to make.

Happy long weekend everyone! Hope your weekend is filled with summer delights!

Lawn games are perfect for a summer wedding. They hearken back to a simpler time – and they make for amazing photo ops!

Lawn games are great fun to play and they help guests let their hair down and get to know each other better. They also keep your guests entertained during cocktail hour while you are busy getting photos taken.

To make your lawn games successful, do what this couple did: make adorable signage with instructions on how to play the games. That way your guests won’t have to be assisted and the signs are a great keepsake from your wedding.

Chalkboards as signs are a great idea.

Bocce ball is a great way to get your guests moving!

If your reception is at a park with lawn bowling, take advantage! You could even find someone that plays at the park regularly to give your guests a short lesson.

I’m completely in love with everything from the graphics to the colors of this mini golf themed reception. My favorite part is that the couple made stops along “the green” with signs and tokens from their story to tell their guests more about themselves.

Horseshoes and bean bag toss are classic games that you can do in smaller spaces if need be and I love the silhouette of the bride and groom on the bean bag toss (a game also know as Cornhole). It’s great that they used not only their faces, but their wedding colors as well on the games!

If you’ve got a game that needs further instruction or assistance, designate a friend to assist with that area to help guests retrieve their beanbags or horseshoes and to describe game rules for more complex games like bocce ball or lawn bowling. Flea markets, garage sales and ebay are great places to find the vintage games sets.

Photo One: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Two: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Three: theweddingac.com; Photo Four: mthreestudioblog.com; Photo Five: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Six: stylemepretty.com; Photo Seven: stylemepretty.com

Want to make an adorable cake bunting for next to nothing?

This DIY wedding cake bunting is extra awesome because you don’t need a sewing machine to make it. You can make the cake bunting to match the colors of your wedding. It would also be perfect for a bridal shower.

Here’s what you will need for the double strand cake bunting:

• fabric (we used vintage second-hand fabric)
• string or baker’s twine
• Heat’n Bond Adhesive or Wonder Under (we used Wonder Under)
• iron
• darning needle or safety pin
• 2 bamboo skewers or 2 dowels
• pencil

For this bunting we used three different types of fabric to make a total of 22 flags; 7 plain, 7 stripes, and 8 floral. The top strand has 10 flags and bottom strand has 12 flags.

Cut two strips 4″ x 10″  for plain and striped fabric; cut one strip 4″ x 11″ for pattern.

Fold each in half lengthwise and iron.

Cut two strips of Wonder Under 1 5/8″ x 10″; cut one strip of Wonder Under1 5/8″ x 11″. Make sure your Wonder Under does not overlap fabric. You don’t want the glue from the Wonder Under touching your iron.

Open folded fabric strips and place Wonder Under glue side down about 5/8″ from the top to allow for casing. Iron with a dry iron.

Remove paper. Fold top over and iron again.

You are now ready to cut out your flags.

Create a template by cutting out a 1″ x 1 1/2″ triangle from cardboard. Place flag template along fold. Trace flags with pencil.

Cut out flags and lay them out in desired pattern.

Cut approximately 75″ of string for each bunting; this will leave 30″ on each end for tying.

Use a darning needle or small safety pin to thread flags onto your string.

Once all flags have been added, tie bunting to bamboo skewers or dowels and insert into cake on an angle.

Feeling extra crafty? Make a matching wedding bunting to hang on or above your dessert table!

Want to know how not to piss off a bridesmaid? Be kind. Be grateful. And read Siri Agrell’s Bad Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Brawls and Taffeta Tantrums–Tales from the Front Lines.

Bad Bridesmaidgives an inside glimpse into the mind of a bridesmaid. How does she feel about all of those obligatory bridesmaid outings? What does she really think when she hears you obsess over napkins, pew bows and cake toppers? How does she feel when she walks down the aisle in a dress that’s too tight, too sweaty and really not her colour?

If you’re a bride-to-be, Bad Bridesmaids will remind you that a little appreciation can go a long way. Sure, your ladies are there to help, but it’s good to keep your demands in check and realize that your wedding is not likely the most important thing in their lives.

Agrell wrote the book after she was stripped of her title as bridesmaid in her friend’s wedding. The reason for her dethronement? Penning a newspaper column in the National Post that highlighted some of the absurdities that go along with the bridesmaid role.

Although there are two sides to every story (I would love to read the column that infuriated her friend), Agrell makes a strong case that bridesmaids are oftentimes used and abused all in the name of wedding day perfection.

Not only does Agrell discuss her own experience as a jilted bridesmaid, she interviews dozens of other bridesmaids who had a less than stellar experience as wedding attendants.

Some of the experiences relayed are pee-your-pants funny, while others are almost painful to read. Sadly, friendships are not an uncommon casualty of wedding planning madness.

Thankfully, I am one reader and former bridesmaid who does not have any horror stories about being a lady-in-waiting. (I just had to buy the dress and show up.) I’ve never planned (or even attended) a bachelorette party and I’ve yet to partake in a ‘themed’ shower. Before reading Bad Bridesmaid I was rather ignorant about the duties that so many bridesmaids are forced to graciously accept – many from brides who have lost their manners along with their marbles. These poor souls have my pity.
Although I found the book a bit gossipy at times (there were moments when I felt like I was stuck inside a bathroom stall  inside a college dorm jammed with sorority sisters), for the most part I enjoyed Agrell’s writing style. She’s brutally honest and very funny. That said, I can’t help but want to hear her friend’s side of the story. Maybe she’ll be the next to write a book: “Bad Brides: How to Fire Your Bridesmaids in One Easy Step.”