letterpress class

Hi all!!

I am beyond excited because I just signed up for my first basic letterpress class here in NYC. I'm going to learn a ton in three hours, and will leave with 24 personalized note cards. This has been something I have wanted to do for a long time. I had originally wanted to complete a more intense course based on digital images that were then transferred to photopolymer plates, as this is something I am interested in, but those courses just did not seem to fit into my schedule. This basic class will teach me how the original operators of these historic pieces of machinery actually used them - setting the type and composing by hand. Fortunately, I think the basic idea remains the same regardless of the method, and this course is about 1/4 of the cost of that more intense one, so that's good.


And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here is an image of and old letterpress:

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Also, here is a series of short clips from Boxcar Press on how it all works.

The course is August 3, so I'll post pics of my completed cards once they're complete!

from my email, but click here for their site

Merry early Christmas to me!!!!

plan ahead

i just love this little non-planner datebook. i mean, the whole idea of a day planner is to stay organized, but i love that it allows for notes and brainstorming and journaling - other than your next dentist appointment and what time so-and-so is coming over.

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i actually keep extra notes in my current day planner, using post-its or the margins. so the non-planner datebook above is just what i need!

my current planner

big pretty watch

i reallllly like this watch. just sayin'...

april 2010

Sorry it has taken forever to finally get around to this! Life is crazy as usual in the big apple, and my computer died (and was fixed very quickly, thanks to the amazing people at the 5th Ave. Mac Store - and $150 of my hard earned cash). I also wanted to take some time to play around a bit with new ways to frame images in Photoshop or Illustrator. I finally just figured it out! So - at last, here is some of what happened in the weeks before our big day :)

the beautiful dyson vacuum

my parents got us for an

early wedding present

derek "putting the vacuum together"  :)

easter sunday at our church in hoboken

neff family pictures in freeburg

for dave and lisa's 30th anniversary

a fun night in the NJ

apartment - 4/2/10

(making margaritas!)

lunch break on the steps

of the main NYC post office

at 32nd and 8th

working on table place cards

for the wedding reception

norma from work made me

a handmade "bride" card... 

...and some for all of

my bridesmaids (made to

resemble their dresses) - so nice!

More to come soon!

friends, food, and fedex

Oy... rough day at work. The cure? A nice cold Bud Light Wheat, Derek's home cookin', and a good ol' blog entry...

(where I spend 40-50 hours a week)

This past weekend I was lucky enough to spend time with two of my best friends & bridesmaids, Lisa & Corinne. It was just so nice to spend the whole day together. I always feel revived after seeing them. It was also so nice to see Justin & his gal Jordan, Lisa's boy Jim, and meet Nick (Jim & Lisa's awesome friend)! Definitely need to plan another trip immediately after the wedding. We've been doing a pretty good job of meeting up every so often, whether it's here in NYC, at Justin's in Southern NJ, or Baltimore, at Jim & Lisa's current home.

(the whole crew - minus me - out on saturday night. pardon the iphone quality)

So let's see... where are we in wedding planning land? Only 25 days until "the big day". Yesterday was the RSVP-by date, and we still have about 55 people to hear from yet. So... that will be a fun project next week - calling the stragglers. If you're reading this and haven't sent back your response card - please do! :)

Over the Easter weekend, Derek & I stayed in NJ to just take a break from our long drives home. Granted the drive is only 3 to 3 1/2 hours, but it wears on you after a while. And our trips home have been so packed with wedding craziness that it was nice to just go to church and relax at our own apartment. I look forward to post-wedding trips home so we can just veg out with our families and friends.

(Pictures taken on my iPhone on our last trip home)

(Singing to the pup... or trying to get him to howl)

:)

Our Easter feast? Italian Dinner at Benny Tudino's in Hoboken. So good!! We shared a huge plate of bruschetta (none of that wimpy hors d'oeuvres business), and I ordered a crab raviolli a la vodka. Oh my gosh. I definitely recommend it!

Earlier that weekend we tackled a bunch of wedding projects that had been on the 'to-do' list for many weeks. I finally stopped playing around with the ceremony program design and actually printed them. I think in the end, I had about 20 different versions. So I hope you like them! :) We lucked out at FedEx/Kinkos. They printed all the ceremony programs and table menus (1 per table), AND cut them for under $50!

I also picked up some special wedding makeup at the Benefit counter at Macy's with a giftcard I had leftover from Christmas. I'm not one for expensive makeup (Covergirl works just fine for me baby!), but it really was fun getting a little mini makeover and actually buying the things the girl lathered on my face. It didn't hurt that she threw in a bunch of freebies. :)

Also... picked up the bachelorette party dress (also at Macy's - gotta use that discount!). It's a little black and hot pink number. Can't wait to wear it this weekend!! I got a dress for the shower at Target a couple months ago.

(bachelorette party get-up!)

We're not going to really nail down seating charts or those sorts of things for another week or so, but I got really excited after we'd gotten a good chunk of the response cards back and started writing out table place cards without the table numbers. I think (and hope) everything will look really nice when it's all finished. It's been a lovely year of planning, and it will be so rewarding and exciting to see it all come together.

(getting a start on the place cards)

Next weekend - home for a jam packed day of bridal shower & bachelorette party amazingness!!! Can. Not. WAIT!

little star

super random, but the cutest thing i've seen all day

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I would love for my hypothetical future children to look like this. haha

I liked one person's comment on the blog where this photo first popped up:

:: "How nice to see a child dressed appropriately instead of a walking billboard for the latest cartoon or toy being sold" ::

pinch me!

oh. my. goodness!

(sorry if this doesn't all fit in the screen... so not claiming to be a bloggin' pro over here)

same amazing formula as the 6 seasons and first movie, but why fix what's not broken. i love them!!

reminds me of all the best girls i've ever had the pleasure of knowing and being friends with or related to - from kindergarten through college and into my adult life - you all know who you are! it's wonderful to meet the man of your dreams, but even that won't always be able to replace the connection you have with your best girlfriends. :)

"We made a deal ages ago. Men, babies... Doesn't matter. We're soulmates." - Samantha

can't wait to be surrounded my all my soulmates (of every kind) on may 8!!

just another tuesday

three orders of business today:

#1 - if someone, anyone would care to comment on any of these fine blog entries i write, i would be over-the-moon excited... i've been hearing from a lot of people that they read my blog, and it always shocks me, so go ahead and comment! write anything you'd like: good, bad, or off-the-wall. suggestions and thoughts are welcome!

#2 - i am in love with this wall letter... there is something about big hanging letters that i love, but this mossy one just took my breath away:

it's $35.00 on etsy.... definitely needs to be an addition to my future home. 

#3 - got 7 of these little beauties for the wedding today in "smoke", "yellow", and "off-white"...

can anyone guess what for?? use the "FEEDBACK" box to answer!!  :) simply click "feedback" at the end of any entry, enter your thoughts, then, in the  "COMMENT AS" drop down menu, just select "name/URL". enter your name (no need for URL, unless you'd like to enter a website), click "continue", then "post comment". 


comment made = emily's day is complete!

just be

Develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. Learn to be content with what you are.

— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

6 weeks left!

hello :)


just a quick recap of everything that we jammed into this fine weekend:

• dropped dog off for grooming at D & J Kennels
• applied for marriage license at the Snyder County Courthouse
• wedding dress fitting at Brides Bouquet
• tax appointment - government owes me... yay!
• Mother and Daughters "spa day" at the seediest spa in State College. Mom is not allowed to pick the spas anymore
• Family friend's graduation party
• Spontaneous home cooked breakfast at midnight with a ton of friends - so much fun!
• Month-before meeting with our awesome photographer, Jess and her hubby, Lucas
• Mini family photo shoot at Neffs for Dave & Lisa's upcoming 30th wedding anniversary (with our wedding photographer)

carrie, samantha, miranda, and charlotte

I've been so excited about all of this wedding planning, and registry organizing, and reception decor, that I allllmost forgot that the movie of the year is soon to be released (May 27 to be exact). My absolute favorite on-screen girls are back in Sex and The City 2, and I will be the first in theaters after we return from the honeymoon. No, I will not be going to a theater in Hawaii to see it. (Ahem... You ask: Would I, if I had the choice? Yes. :) Would Derek? Don't think so.)  So no one spoil it for me (or... put in a hint to Derek that it would be a really awesome surprise while we're there) ;)

xoxo,

E

 

P.S. I just love how eloquently SJP speaks. Love her!!

while D was at his bachelor party...

I traipsed around the city in the pouring rain with my friend Tori! I'm currently on the subway now, which is taking far longer than it should have due to a "power failure along 4th Avenue". Anyway, since D is away on his bachelor party with his buds at Ski Saw Mill in PA, Tori took me to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum on the upper East side to check out the Rodarte fashion exhibit. Here's a pic I snuck in (and got yelled at in the process). We were originally going to go see the Tim Burton exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art but it was completely sold out! Must be a good one, so I'm goin to try to squeeze it in before it leaves on April 26th. :)

Then, we headed to H&M and I managed to concetrate long enough to pick up a couple cute things with a giftcard I got over Christmas, despite the fact that my sneakers and feet were completely soaking wet and freezing. :) Going to pick up some wild mushroom risotto now at one of my favorite restaurants, Film Center Cafe.

quote of the day

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face... You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

2 months to go!

Derek and I just finished up a great weekend full of city exploring and good company.

The future in-laws and another couple of family friends came to visit us in our tiny apartment. Our sleeping situation was: Derek, Jake & I in our room, two on the living room floor, one on the lazy-boy, and one on the couch. Quite a full house. Definitely can't wait until the days when Derek and I have a spare bedroom. :)

We went to Macy's in Herald Square to see my brand, JM Collection, in-store. Then I took them to the design floor at 11 Penn Plaza, where I work. Then we headed to Ground Zero to check out the construction site. After weaving our way around the subway system (why do the trains always have to be under construction on the weekends?! it's confusing and embarrassing when you can't figure it out and have guests following you around. hello!) it was off to dinner at an awesome little italian restaurant (I got the veal marsala with portobellos and mashed potatoes special... yum!!), followed by drinks at Derek's and my favorite NYC bar, Barcelona Bar.

In wedding news, tomorrow will mark two months until the wedding. I am so ready to just be Mrs. Neff (the second)!

In closing, I just came across this blog, Marta Writes, and I have... Fallen. In. Love. What a talent! I love finding blogs that are the actualization of everything that is going on in my head. It's hard for me to totally express to friends and family what it is I want to do, but it's easy to show them. My head is screaming, overflowing, bursting with ideas. How can I channel that?

Here is her office. This looks like... creative heaven!

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I liked this quote from one of her recent entries:

I'd say life is too short not to follow your passion. Start small - start by setting up some time to create your goods or prototypes and take photographs. Then start selling your goods on etsy.com, then go to a regional craft or market tradeshow, then approach some local retailers who might have an interest in carrying your products. Create some space in your schedule to "create" or work on your business. It might be for only an hour a day. But that's better than nothing.

- jenny | LobotoMe.com

G'night for now,

Em

pretty little bird

I just came across this little guy at Candied Fabrics, where owner, Candy Glendening dyes all the fabrics herself. This creation is 5" x 5" and so cute! I could see this hanging on a wall among a collage of frames, a la Art Wall, a blog I love to read every so often. I'd love to do something like this when we own a house and won't have to worry about all the holes in the walls when we leave. :)

projects and postcards

So much getting done in the land of weddings. While I was in New York City for some interviews last week, I picked up blank flat cards (as opposed to folding ones) and envelopes so that I can make my own thank you notes. I went with the flat cards because it uses less paper, and they were a lot cheaper. I also got a stamp from impressrubberstamps.com, as well as ink for the project.

I also picked up velvet ribbon from M&J Trim that will most likely be tied in a nice little bow around the mason jars that will be planted here, there, and everywhere around the reception tent and farm.

The cardstock I ordered from Cardstockheadquarters.com also arrived, and I am cutting each sheet myself into 12 table place cards and stamping them with the above-mentioned stamps. After we send out invites and get all responses, I'll hand-write each card and we'll be hanging them from twine and mini clothes pins in little trees we're renting from the caterer. I love working on these projects. They're mindless, so I can watch my newest TV show obsession, "A Lyon in The Kitchen", while working on them, and I really love seeing handmade things at any party, wedding, etc.

Derek and I have also already finished making about 125 of the LED "throwies" that will be used to light up the lanterns in the tent! Only about 100 left!

In other news, I think I'm going to work on this project someday soon (using all postcards that were sent to me over the years... yes I've kept all of them!) and hang them in our new place, wherever and whenever we move:

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Also, I totally just hit the jackpot of do-it-yourself projects!!!! Check this out!

heaven on earth

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Is it just me, or does this look like a snippet of heaven? Laura Resen's photos are so beautiful, especially the interiors. I think i'd never ever leave my bedroom if it looked like this...

hammock in the city

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I was really happy when I saw this blog entry by JoAnna Goddard over on 'A Cup of Jo'. A hammock is one thing I think Derek and I need to really invest in. They're relaxing, sort of romantic, simple, and super comfy. With us most likely ending up in a city setting due to my career path, I was sure this would have to wait until our move-to-the-suburbs-and-buy-a-house days. No, no, no. Just find two trees, and.... that's it! Why did I not think about this before?!

hobby = $

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Something I hope to get my hands on some day... In my dreams I work for a while then break off and do my own thing (with lots of success). I always love a challenge. I could see myself decorating interiors in the next, oh I don't know... 30 years?

daily dose of randomness

This has nothing to do with weddings at all, but we all need a break right? There were other things I had interests in before I started planning my wedding! :)

Just found this totally awesome site, Knock Knock. It is too fun (especially for a girl who could spend three hours in Staples).

Check out this library cataloging kit, like back in elementary school when you actually had to use your brain to find a book! I know it's super dorky, but it would keep things in order and help you remember who you lent books to. Perfect for someone with bajillions of books:


And this cracks me up because it's so true!