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Last week my husband and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary!  It’s hard to believe that a year ago I was immersed in mini-wedding planning.  We had dinner at the very same place where my husband proposed.  I,  finally, got one of our wedding pictures properly framed.  And I even bought a beloved cookbook to honor the occasion (because paper is the traditional first anniversary gift, right?).

Anyway, I remembered that I was going to post some post-wedding, “non-reception” celebratory photos.  Looking through them, I don’t have very many with actual people; I think I was too busy having a blast to take many photos which often happens!  So, I’m just going to post some of my more craft-related ones.

These pics are from non-reception #1 which took place at our home last October.  Rather, they were taken during preparations before anyone showed up.

Since it was October I wanted a slightly spooky theme but not in a costume-party kind of way (see our party invitations here).  The colors were black, white, silver, pink and orange.  In the photo, above, you can see our pretty bunting crafted with paper doilies, silver glitter card stock letters and black & white striped twine.  The wee cake is pre-wedding topper, silvery glitter initials much like the ones used in the bunting.  Originally I wanted to make a larger 2-tiered cake but became petrified by the thought as I’ve never made one.  But a sweet little cake plus cupcakes galore did the trick.  (By the way, the frosting was pearly and marshmallow-y, while the cake was yellow with chocolate chips.  So good!)

My lovely friend Kara, who came down for the weekend, was very kind and totally game for any party-decorating ideas I threw her way including decorating our high ceilings with paper streamers.

The mantle was decorated with various pumpkins, candles and a fabric-covered accordion-style scrapbook filled with photos from the wedding, backed with craft paper I printed and designed myself.  The plastic cauldron on the coffee table was later filled with candy for the young and young at heart.  (We did have real food, I swear, like cheese and dip and charcuterie, but those things were set out just before people arrived.)

Kara and I spent the previous night making these fun cupcake toppers with Victorian clip art butterflies in October-ish colors.  We (and by we, I mean Kara) put that scalloped paper punch to good use!

My mother-in-law made this beautiful wool rug as a wedding gift.   She let me pick out the shape, size and colors (she even dyed a couple herself).  We didn’t really know what to expect with the grey, yellow and ivory color combination.  Though it seems trendy, I figured these colors would make the rug look more modern while still retaining the old-fashioned feel from a braided rug.  I have to say I was completely thrilled when I open the box!

The photos don’t do it justice, plus you can’t feel how soft it is.  As you can see, even the four-legged member of the household approves!  This photo was taken soon as I unrolled it (you can see the edges are still a little wavy) and Spoo has pretty much claimed it as his own.  Because of this I’ve had to move from the living room it to my office (oh geez that’s a real shame, now i have it all to myself) where I can shut the door when I’m not around.  See, Spoo Kee likes to dig his claws into the wool (as most cats would);  he knows he’s not supposed to.  In fact, while I was on the computer the other day, I heard the faintest of  sounds behind me: *pick* *pick*.  Yes, that was Spoo Kee trying to be ever so quiet while scratching the rug!

Oh, and thank you for the comments on Dress Parade (Yellow, Part 1), I’m glad you love that little yellow dress.  Part 2 is coming up very soon!