Put a cork in it

We have amassed an excessive number of wine corks since moving into our new place this past June.   Our little collecter bottle was overflowing into a nearby drawer.  Awhile back I attended a bridal shower for a dear friend at her new friend's home.  And in that home I saw painted corks tossed into a large vase--apparently I packed that away in my memory because I took that idea as my own:

I chose two purple spray paint variations to match the new throw pillows I got and used some of the dozens of vases I have from our wedding still.  I think it turned out cute and adds some new color to the living room.  Too bad I accidentally sprayed some of the balcony (despite every effort to cover it with garbage bags).  As an FYI corks are kind of a PIA to spray paint but the mantle is high enough up that only tall people will look closely to see how they turned out. 

Really? I care about banquet chairs?

Well, OK. I think I had an actual bride moment this week; I rented fancy chairs for the reception. Now, I do realize that no one cares about chairs. Unless they are horribly uncomfortable do you even notice? Doubtful. But will mine look pretty? Yes. My true thought process behind this was why on earth spend money for linens when they have free ones and why on earth cover chairs with more linens when it's just a chair. Then I saw pictures. Not going to lie, linens make a big difference. Alas, I'm half Dutch and can't do it. But I'm also half Irish and want to have a sweet party. So the compromise is that I found a great deal on these chairs:

And now I'm skipping the fancy table linens. Cheaper to go this route and I like this look infinitely better than chair covers. Officially a bride now!

Side note: the best pricing on the Chiavari chairs that I found in Detroit is at A Moment Forever. Stacy is very sweet and you can tell she loves the wedding industry (the photo is of the actual chairs they own).  They offer lots of other services as well.