Engraved Gift Creations

At some point in time, we all can feel overwhelmed.  Either by the pace of life or some other event.  Even something as simple as a noisy street or congested road can make us feel depressed.  According to this study, a walk in nature might just be the ticket.  The view of nature with green trees and grass serves to sooth you mind.  As opposed to an urban walk where you are constantly bombared with adverts of all types.  Give it a try next time you’re feel down.  Even a picture of nature is better than nothing.

This is the post if you want more info.

Guys.  You know you want to be Greener.  But it’s hard sometimes.  You can do your part with your upcoming wedding with paperless invites.  But first, practice with Paperless Save the Dates.  Typicially, Save the Date are sent six months in advance.  If you are planning a destination wedding, then eight months is better suited.   Save the Date is simply a courtesy for your guest to let them know your upcoming event.  There are many sites and apps that allows you to be creative and green at the same time.  So save a few trees and use all the Green resources you can for your upcoming wedding.

Here’s a link for more info to these Green apps.

Don’t do it.  With wedding season on the upswing, the invites sent, there are nervous couples awaiting the final headcount.  Obviously, there are people that don’t reply right away, if at all.  And yea, some of those are your Facebook friends.  You might be tempted to do a public Wall Post to call that person out.  Something like “hey, you doing my thing on August or what?”.   But don’t.  Just don’t.  And here’s why.  Out of all the people that are you mutual friends, some of whom you probably forgot are even friends, are going to be people that you don’t want to be there.  And this public callout will only serve to hurt feelings.  Believe me, I live it.   So what to do?   Hey how about a PM?  Yea, novel idea I know.  

Here’s a post about this very thing.  Think before you hit the Wall.  Really.

Apparently, law firms across the country is noticing an increase of prenups.  At least from couples wanting to know more about them.  There are many reasons for this.  Having both the man and woman in the workplace, it is normal for each one to feel somewhat private about there finances.  In some way, I am glad to hear about this.  It shows foresight of our young people.  We all hope prenups will never come into play, but having proper planning now will save headaches later.  Well done young people of America!

This article gives you more insight on this.

Let’s get this out of the way.  Don’t get in fights during weddings.  Period.  This guy’s story is so funny.  As usual, it starts with some underage drinking.  And then it simply all goes downhill.  There are a number of ways to handle this.  Some kids think that they have a license to party just because it’s a wedding.  Not true.  The venue has a responsbility to check ID’s prior to events.   Cutting out booze for those who can’t handle it is a sure way to cut down the wedding throwdowns.

Here’s more if you’re interested in this story.

Nowadays, weddings can be very expensive. Most of us have a budget that we must stick to. However, there always last minute details that surfaces that will cost you more money. Sometimes this throws your budget out of whack. Thankfully there a number of websites that offers tremendous value for your wedding attendants and groomsmen. Most of these gifts can be had for under $20. That amount is just about right. It will not cost you an arm or a leg but will not appear cheap either.

Some of the fine gifts that can be had for under $20 are pocket knives and hip flasks. A good idea is to give matching gifts for all you groomsmen. If you are going this route then you might want to think about matching cufflinks. You cannot go wrong with these gifts. They can also be engraved with their names on it for that special touch.

Another gift that is very popular these days is that pocket watch. Not only is it functional, but it also can be easily personalize with the name or initial or even a special message. Functionality should be a primary concern when buying gifts for your wedding party. Don’t just buy them any gifts that appears cool. Get them something like a pocket knife or a business card case where you would actually get some real world use.

It is crucial to buy gifts for your groomsman. They play an important role in your wedding. They do everything from serving as ushers, to carry the ring, and to make sure the groom shows up. They handle all the tiny details that no one can really foresee. And that is the reason they deserve a wonderful gift from you. It is a way that you send your thanks and gratitude to these special guys in your life. And finding groomsmen gifts for under $20 is very easy these days. It makes it simple to stick to your wedding budget and appear generous at the same time.

A lot of thought needs to go into picking the perfect location for your wedding, location, cost and convenience among many other things.  Budget is one of the biggest concerns.  A lot of couple start looking around before they even have a potential budget in mind.  This is a big mistake.  The last thing you want is to fall in love with a venue and not be able to afford it.  Your religious views is also a factor.  If neither the bride or groom is of the religious nature, then choosing a venue that can handle a civil ceremony is a must.

The couple in this blog post went through most of the points that I did and finally scored on a 14th century manor house.  Obviously, where you plan on having your wedding limits your choices.  You don’t find 14th century home just anywhere!   One last advice.  Be flexible on the date.  If you can possibly have it on a Thursday or Friday, you will save an enormous amount of money.  And afterf finding the perfect location, you can score of cool guy gifts to hand out to your groomsmen and wedding party.  Happy hunting!

I don’t know about you but I have a tough time with keyrings.  Everytime I need to put a new key on, I dread it.  Probably because I play guitar and I keep my nails very short.  But I always have problems wedging my fingernails to pry it open to slip the key in.  

Then I discover FreeKey.  It make use of a small bump placed on the side of the ring.  It makes a gap that you press on to open it.  Simple.  Easy and painless.  Why didn’t I think of that?  Now I don’t have to fret over new keys again for my next new car.  Yeah right!  Another nifty thing is our sterling silver 2GB USB keychain.  Blend the two things together and you’ll be the next James Bond.  Enjoy!

By Harrison Fray

There’s been a lot of talk about guys and beauty products these days.  While wearing full blown makeup is definitely not manly, taking care of yourself is.  One of the most neglected part of your body is your skin.  It happens to be the largest organ we have.  If you spend time in the sun doing sports, running your miles or honing your tennis game, you need to be taking care and protecting your skin.

There are a number of product out there but one that I find to be awesome is Nickel Bonne Gueule Moisturizer.  It has black cumin oil, vitamin E and oligo.  What that means is that it is perfect for winter damaged skin.  If you suffer from dry, raspy or cracking skin.  Give this tube a look.

Yes, it’s the manly thing to do.  Your woman will love you for it.

By Harrison Fray

It’s all too common.  We travel somewhere fun and exotic and we let our exercise regiman fall to the wayside.  Being out of town is not an excuse for skipping those crunches.  This is especially important for destination weddings where you want to look your best.  So what do we do?  

A great way to to ask the hotel fitness concierge service for their gym location.  Some even have workout plans tailored to your needs.  A great way to change up your everyday routine.  Some can assign a fitness coach or workout buddy to motivate you.  Don’t feel like sticking to the gym?  No problem, these services can recommend a local hiking trail.  This way, you can stay in shape and see some local scenery as well.

This list has some great hotel suggestions if you happen to be in the area.  After getting your six pack ready, check out this personalized Joe sixpack beer belt.  This will definitely get the fun started after your grueling workout.

By Harrison Fray

Confusion is pretty common with wedding invites.  Sure, there are books and websites, but these misconceptions are still overwhelming.  How should your address them?  What’s the deal with “Save the Date”?  Here’s a quick list for you guys in a hurry

• Do design and place your order 3-6 months prior to the Big Event
• Do mail them out 6-8 weeks prior to event date
• Don’t forget to order extra envelopes.  Mistakes are common and bound to happen with so many.  Be smart and be prepared.
• Do include full name info.  The host name included the engaged couple and the parents’ name.  With title, time and date, full location and the RSVP address.   A mild deadline is also a fine idea.
• Don’t include registry info on the formal invite.  This can go out on the shower invitation.
• Do include inner envelopes with formal titles
• Don’t talk about wedding gifts, groomsmen gifts or anything related to the actual wedding party
• Don’t do Save the Date if your event is less than 1 month or more than 6 months away
• Do invite anyone who is also attending your shower or engagement party.  This is huge.  Don’t be rude.\

That’s only a partial list.  Make sure you do your research prior to mailing these out.

By Harrison Fray

Ok guys.  You’re ready to pop the Big Question.  The timing is perfect.  The scenery is ideal.  You are on your knees and you ask the question.  She is melting.  And then you open the ring box and her face drops.  What happened?

Nothing wrecks a good proposal like a crappy ring.  Really.  She goes from thinking “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this guy” to “I ‘m gonna have to wear this THING for the rest of my life…..”.   Some women will not say anything and deal with it.  While others will let you know right then and there.   Here’s a page of a few really ugly ones.  Don’t do it.  Be tasteful.  Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  But ugly is just that.

If you’re looking for a Bow Ring Pillow thing for your wedding.  This one is pretty darn cool.

By Harrison Fray

We all know weddings can be very expensive. Everywhere you turn there are expenses to be paid. Of course there also childcare to be considered. But that is the last thing on your right now. With the economy the way it is in 2012 who has all the money to spend on an elegant and extravagant wedding? But nevertheless, there is certain traditions in all weddings that you must keep. And one of them is buying groomsman gifts for your wedding party. What is the best way to find a budget that fit into your fixed finances and still buy some really awesome but cheap groomsman gifts for your guys? The secret is to find out your budget for each person, and then go out and find something for that price.

It is really important to spend roughly the same amount on each person. It is okay to spend a bit more on the Best Man gift. After all, the best man’s duties is a bit more than your standard groomsman. Either you can spend more on the Best Man, or buy him two gifts instead. That is also very common.

Let’s say your budget is $25. The easy thing to do is to do a Google search. Try to find something like cheap groomsmen gifts under 25. A Google search like this will only reply with some cheap and inexpensive options for you wedding gifts. Another thing to try is to shop online and to make use of some of the filtering options. A lot of online stores now allows you to sort by price. Or they have a drop-down menu with a price range. Use those options to fit within your budget. There are a number of ways to save money on a wedding. Just be a smart shopper.

by Harrison Fray

I read this blog post this morning on Esquire.com.  It’s pretty interesting read about how far men has come with their facial hair.  In the Middle Ages, for example, it was very accepted to have facial hair.  Seriously, who has time to shave with all the plundering that needed to be done.  But come your wedding day, should you be clean shaven?  Or should you retain the hairy mop on your cheeks that your lovely bride to be fell in love with.

There are a few ways to think about this.  One is to ask your future Mother in Law.  You can tell a lot of how she feels by looking at your bride’s dad.  Get her opinion and follow it.  It never hurts to get on her good side….like now.  Second is to get the thoughts of your Best Man or groomsmen.  How do they feel about it.  Either way, a quality men’s grooming kit is a nice additon to your wedding day hardware.  Just like what the ladies have, you can tidy up any last minute misplaced facial hair.  And that is worth a lot.

Wow.  I just ran across this project.  I love champagne flutes, especailly personalized ones.  But have you ever shopped for them?  They are crazy expensive.  And they ususally only come in clear colors.  I know it’s because you should see the color of the bubbly, but the ability to tint them to match your wedding colors is just neato!

This post here has some great options and tutorials on how to do it.  I think from a handyman scale, it’s probably about about a 3.   It isn’t any harder than scrapbooking.   The gold glitter one is really cool!   Make me wish that I had gold as my own wedding color.  But it was a fancy peach and I loved that too.  I also had these Bride and Groom Love Champagne Flutes.  No complaints here!  :)  So go for it and turn some boring flutes into these fabulous keepsakes!

I definitely don’t hate tattoos but in some case like a formal event life the wedding having a tattoo can be very quite entertaining for some but for some they despise tattoos. I have read an article about why they both choose to have tattoo and show it off on their wedding day. They both are tattoo fanatic and the tattoo they have was about their love for each other. Sweet.  It doesn’t matter what others will say as long as you both have agreed to it. Will you get a tattoo on your wedding (make sure your partner knows it right?) or did you agreed on have a tattoo.

http://wedding-blog.net/five-physical-flaws-you-should-leave-alone-on-your-wedding-day/

Photo courtesy of first-love-then-marriage.com
This personalized pub sign combines the spirit of the hunt and the love of outdoors. The wood duck graphic is printed directly onto a wooden base for long last quality.

They say our best teacher is our experience, but I say it is the experience of others that is our best teacher. You don’t have to experience what is the outcome of a certain decision to learn from it but just by learning it to another person’s experience. I hate to say this but I have also been a victim of a wedding scam. Before finding the right wedding vendors do  a little investigation of your own about the wedding vendor and always clarify the contract made with them otherwise you’ll end up disappointed on them. Clarify and ask questions regarding your wedding vendor’s product and service to prevent disappointment.

http://wedding-blog.net/how-to-avoid-the-most-common-wedding-scams/

Photo courtesy of huffingtonpost.com
 Do you know someone whose ideal getaway is a cabin in the woods? If so, they’ll love our White Oak vintage pub sign from our Cabin Series of rustic décor pieces.

Speaking of long engagement, I haven’t had the chance of a long engagement and neither will I because I am already married (hehehe..) Anyway, for me long engagement would be for 3-5 years then you finally have the chance to get married. Just like my friends who were engaged for more than 4 years and finally they ended up getting married last December 2012. I also saw the trailer of the five year engagement and boy I think it was really funny and I wil really hit straight to the movie theather this coming April 2012. The cast are Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, who are comedians and I know I will really be having a  great time.

http://www.weddingbee.com/2012/01/25/the-long-engagement-2/

Photo courtesy of collider.com
Use this Personalized Spruce Cabin Sign to help anyone find your home.

When it comes to wedding planning you also have to plan what day you would be getting married and where is the location for the big day and most importantly the weather for your big day. A few years back it was hard to track and know the weather for the upcoming months. But today, due to our technology it makes easier to learn and know the weather for the upcoming few months. I have my own application in my cell phone and I know if it will be a rainy day or the sun will be shining. On my wedding day, I actually haven’t had this weather tracking application on my phone but I guess I was lucky because the sun was shining and smiling on that day for me and my groom. Have you considered using a weather application?

http://www.weddingbee.com/2012/01/23/wedding-weather-4/

Use this Personalized Trout Cabin Sign to not only show what your favorite pastime is but just who´s homestead it marks.

I love the title that I’ve borrowed from the article that I have read. Most of the couples we have known and by tradition we know that it is the female who will receive the engagement ring and not the male. Well, today in our modern lives it is not only the female or the woman who is entitled to receive engagement ring but also the men! Actually, there are many couples now who did not follow the traditional way of asking marriage. Many women of today’s generation are bold enough to offer marriage to their partners.  I guess the woman is madly in love with his man and I think it’s sweet. But I’d rather stay with the traditional way because you’ll never know what the answer you’ll be receiving. Would you choose the traditional way or the modern way?

http://www.weddingbee.com/2012/01/11/man-gagement-ring/

Use this Personalized Trout Cabin Sign to not only show what your favorite pastime is but just who´s homestead it marks.

When I got engaged with my now-husband I was so excited with planning our wedding. actually, before our engagement I was already prepared of what the color I want to have on my wedding but there were two options. The first option was yellow and light blue and the other option was purple and pink. For me it was a big choice to make after we got engaged. He told me that I should choose the wedding color because he wants it to be my wedding and not his (how sweet, but it wasn’t all about me it is all about the two of us) despite of the explanation it ended up to my final decision. Since I was fanatic of purple I chose color purple and pink. It was really hard for me to choose but the color I choose was the one that my heart desires and be a part of my wedding day. Was it hard to choose your wedding color?

http://www.weddingbee.com/2012/01/10/purple-and-gray-color-scheme/

Do you have a hunting fan in your life? If so, he’ll enjoy this classic wood-toned personalized pub sign from our Cabin Series, emblazoned with a picture of a stag along with a family name, location, and date.

Every wedding is directly related to money, when somebody wants to get married they should be able to prepare enough money for the wedding budget. But how do you set your limit for the wedding budget? That is the first thing that came into my mind when me and my husband got engaged. I asked a lot of friends who got married and also my sister and brother who also got married a few years ago of what was their wedding budget for their wedding. Gaining this in mind, we had a clear view of what amount we should prepare for our own wedding. Also, we have asked on hand a lot of wedding vendors their fees so that we can be able to save money from our wedding budget. Setting your wedding budget doesn’t have to be that hard as it seems to be. Have a happy wedding budget setting!

http://wedding-blog.net/benefits-of-using-a-wedding-budget-calculator/

Photo courtesy of crossfitlondon.ca
A moose is a long-standing symbol of the wilderness. Free roaming, tall, and extraordinary, the moose displayed on this personalized pub sign, shows all those qualities.

One of the best choices me and my husband did on our wedding preparation was to hire a calligrapher. And because our wedding preparations were squeezed into a short time- five months preparation, we didn’t have any choice but to hire one. Our first choice was to hand print them all but due to the short time we decided to help us in making the invitations. The cost was not that bad because it was all worth it and everybody loved the designs.  If you are squeezed into a limited time then it is best to hire but if not then do the hand print because it would be meaningful.

http://wedding-blog.net/hiring-a-calligrapher-for-your-wedding-invitations/

Photo courtesy of lawhite.ie
Bring the beauty of a magnificent stag to your home with this Personalized Stag Cabin Sign.