Charlie "erosion style"
(opalo umber with fire treated romeo grey and blue details)
available at AOT

Candy Bar or Cookie Table?

Quick, you're craving something sweet.  Do you reach for the Mike & Ike's or an Oreo?  I can't decide either but both are a good option for a reception snack.  Both are also cost effective ways to feed your guests and keep them having fun at your party.  Get started with your brainstorming by looking over the ideas below.

Candy Bar
First your basics.  You'll need suckers, mini candy bars, licorice, bubble gum, and chocolate.  For a list of places you can buy candy in bulk, click here.  The cost can add up but if you space out the expenses by buying a little here and a little there, you can probably handle it.  Remember, it's candy so the shelf life is longer and most of it should be fine even if you buy it a few months in advance.  Don't forget some small brown paper bags for guests to take some sweets home.  You can even add stickers for a small price.  Click here to see an example.

Cookie Table
This one might be harder but could also be more personal.  Ask 10 friends/family members to whip up three dozen cookies.  Buy or bake a few dozen yourself.  Spread them out on the table with big silver platters and the same brown bag idea from the candy bar.  This time though, get the recipes from your friend and family bakers and make copies for guests to take with them.  They'll love it, the bakers will love it, and it's an easy and super cheap party favor for your guests.  This by far is your cheaper option.

Another option is to skip the wedding cake all together and pick one of these ideas as your dessert.  Or you could do a small wedding cake that's just for you and your new husband/wife for pictures and the head table, and let the guests stuff themselves with cookies or candy.

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Pottery Barn wall clock knock-off

I'm looking for living room ideas for our new home and ran across this idea.  I thought I'd share because I know how expensive these huge clocks can be.  They're kind of perfect for a living room or family room but if they're not in your budget (I understand that, they're not in mine either) then give this tutorial a look.

Check out this awesome Pottery Barn-inspired clock.  Great idea from Cheap like a Birdie.  I love a fellow cheapskate!  See her idea here.


By the way, Cheap Like A Birdie is in our free blog directory, is your blog?

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Centerpiece Cents: $2 Candle Holders

Centerpiece Cents is back!  The rule is:  No centerpiece must cost over $5.00 each.  What if you have a lot of tables?  Vases and flowers are your best bet however, individual vases can be pricey, even cheap glass vases bought in bulk can be between $10 and $20 a piece and that's just the vase!  What are you going to fill them with?  Let's get creative.

Check out these pretty candle holders from Momtastic.  Easy easy easy and all of the materials can be found at the dollar store and hardware store.  Click the link below for the quick tutorial.


DIY: $2 Candle Holders | Momtastic

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Wedding Hair, volume 3

We've compiled another addition of wedding hair ideas for the DIY brides looking to save some money and still be gorgeous on their big day.

We'll start today with this very cute up-do.  I'm not a fan of overly tight and complicated up-dos.  I think a lot of brides have the tendency to go this route because they want a look that will stay put all day long.  I admire the strategy but many brides walk away looking like figure skaters.  Loosen up ladies and try this idea from It's The Small Things.


If you're doing a summer wedding and you want simple but functional (the heat and humidity can be brutal!) think about the braided bang.  Look at LC's picture below for inspiration and then click here for the easy tutorial.


How about a beautiful hair-down look?  These are my favorite.  I love hair that's down for a wedding because it feels more natural and classic.  It's pretty but casual, goes perfect with a flowing veil, and takes less time to "fix" or repair as the night goes on.  Look at these pics and click here for some inspiration.



Want more DIY hair ideas for your wedding?  Click here for more pictures and tutorials.

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Easiest frosting recipe EVER: 2 ingredients, three minutes needed

So it's summer time.  Swimming lessons, soccer games, moving in to our new house, starting a new job, the months feel like minutes.  But you know, you got a family and you can't paint rooms forever so I took a break and made a chocolate cake.


Not having the time to whip up my favorite butter cream frosting, I quickly had to improvise and came up with the slickest little frosting recipe ever.  So simple, ready?

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions
Put into a microwave safe bowl.  Cover bowl with a small plate or paper towel.  Microwave on high for one minute.  Stir thoroughly and spread on cake.  I then sprinkled the top with a few more chocolate chips and put it in the fridge for five minutes so it could set.  Took it out, served it up, and got compliments galore.  Enjoy!

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"Erosion" wallets and belts
"Erosion" wallets
"Kim" tri fold wallet/clutch