Your BFF --> The Bridal Emergency kit

I saw this article and video posted on yahoo about what to have in your emergency wedding day kit and it reminded me of an excellent post topic. I was just discussing this topic with my *newly married* friend prior to her wedding; the article on yahoo just gave me that push!

Let me start by saying the best thing in your kit is a wedding planner - they will have EVERYTHING you could ever need and the know-how to use it. The worst thing you could have? Items that waste space- this kit should be easy to assemble, low in cost and take up minimum space so you can take it with you with ease.

The list on yahoo was great, but below is my personal list of items that I think serves you and your wedding party best (listed in the order I thought of them):

• Tissues
• Chalk - white! for the brides dress
• Fashion tape - keep things in line!
• bobby pins - like 10 max, don't go crazy because somebody else already did with your hair
• hair spray - a great idea because it keeps your hair in place and can help with static cling
• extra pins- for pinning flowers as the men will never think to have this
• extra lipstick or a lip stain - keep them lips pretty!
• safety pins - of various sizes, please
• Those awesome mini-toothbrushes for on the go - they freshen your breath and clean your teeth
• Small pair of scissors - they have traveling safety scissors that fold into itself and it costs $3
• super glue - just in case
• Blotter tissue - you will need them

Items I find useless in an emergency kit

• Pantyhose - Really? It just seems so stupid to me. Do you wear hose the day of your wedding? Most of my brides do not. If you do, is your dress so short that people will notice a tear?
• Emory Board - I have never seen someone in a situation where they have to use this item. Never. 
•  Needle and thread - If you have a tear, I think the safety pins and fashion tape should get you though quicker
• Dental floss - what are you eating, popcorn with cilantro sprinkled on it? Go for those traveling toothbrushes instead which can also double as a breath freshener
• Bringing too much makeup - you will probably need to touch up some, but once the photos start, you don't have much time for anything. Don't bring everything on your face as it will take up space and tempt you to spend more time in front of a mirror when you should be celebrating.

Guest Blogging!

 Sorry for the lack of wedding posts, but it is wedding season! To take a break from working events, I took a stab at guest blogging over at BrandiNell the Southern Bell for an upcoming home improvement project. Check it out! I will be sure to cross-blog the results!


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While Brandi is busy handling some unscheduled home repair, I offered to step in and do some guest blogging. My name is Serena (@TheFriz11) and I've been a follower/admirer of Brandi's projects since we started working together. You can find me blogging over at Venue Vibe where I share wedding and event planning advice. Unlike Ms. Neil, I am wordy, stink at taking before pictures, and tend to do more cosmetic work than hammer and nail stuff.

In a few weeks, I'll be starting a project I've wanted to do for a while - transform my bathroom, which is also the guest bathroom, into a spa-like retreat. To make it interesting, I'm trying to do it for only $100. But before I jump into that, I wanted to show you some of the work I have already done so you can get to know me.

One of the first projects I did at my house was shaping up the backyard. Remember what I said about before pictures? Yep, I don't have one so you'll have to trust me when I say the finished project is better.

Our backyard had these stones, but they were pushed together in a smaller patch and had some rotting wood creating the trail leading into and out of the backyard. I started by ripping up the rotten wood and rearranging the stones to be more spread out.

 

After I placed them, I took them back up so I could place this "fabric" underneath to prevent plants trying to spout between my design. I use to know the name of it, but I forgot. 

Because I was filling the gaps with pebbles, I used garden trimmer to line my pattern so the pebbles escape less.

From there, I just had to add the pebbles!

And the finished project was...

 Awesome!

Double project bonus! Here's an example of my inside work -

Once again, no before before shot, but here's the room with the original paint color and I just finished stripping the popcorn off the ceiling

 My cats are often the overseer to my projects. I hope Sushi approves...

Anyway, another day of painting and I get these awesome results!

 That's a quick sample of my work! I look forward to sharing more with you guys in a few weeks!

Bonus Point Palooza

Even though I'm in the middle of wedding season, my mind is focused on the home. With spring in the air, I am repainting, re-cleaning and reorganizing my entire house. And I do all my bargin hunting, it got me thinking about a great blog post to help make your wedding pay for your honeymoon so here starts Bonus Point Palooza!

You're about to spend a lot of money, so make sure you make the most of every day and how you pay with those dollars with a little up front planning.

1) Delta Skymiles bonus points - Being in Atlanta, this is a no-brainer. Most facilities and caterers will accept credit card, so why not use a card that can help pay for your plane flights? New cardholders get bonus miles for their first purchase to help you achieve points faster. You probably will not get a flight on points alone, but you can at least get them discounted or use the points for some in-flights perks. Warning- Just be sure not to take on charges you can't pay off - otherwise it will cost you more in the end!

2) Visa extras/ rewards points/ possibility points - Whatever you bank calls it, you probably get bonus points for using your debt card as a credit card. For big purchases, stick with your skymiles card. For small purchases like favors, program supplies and wedding party gifts, order the items online through their market place. This way, you'll get 3, 4 or 5 points per dollar you spend and sometimes free shipping. Then, use those bonus points for gift certificates for car rental or statement credit to cover your expenses for food and fun while on vacation. Warning - this requires advance planning to have the items ship through the retailer and the points to appear on your statement. Shop early!

3) Work your registry - Before you pick your stores to register at, visit more than you think! Incentive programs are on the rise that can get you bonus gift certificates or 10% off items people do not purchase for you. Some resorts like Sandals allows you to register with them so your guests can contribute to your honeymoon costs. My favorite registry idea though is to partner up with the I Do Foundation - there's no cost to you or your guests and up to 10% of gifts purchased through your registry will be donated to a charity of your choice. In my head, that is a no-brainer!