I was scouring the web this week looking for DIY ideas for place cards. There are so many out there that I thought I'd pick one theme for this blog: French vintage.   French-Inspired If you aren't knowledgeable in Photoshop, there are great websites out there with FREE templates of table number cards, place cards and more! The Wedding Style Guide Magazine has put together a package of romantic, pastel-colored inspiration for you. Here are their pretty parisian templates. Cut small slits at the top and bottom of the table number cards and tie around the head chair at each table...

I'm sure the first weekend of the New Year was a busy one for all. With all those New Year's resolutions and goals needing to be met! My husband and I decided to make a few small home updates that had been on the "to do" list for much of 2011.   One such update was our half bath. Our design style for the house is French Country. I searched high and low for the perfect wall art for the bathroom but couldn't find anything in the color and design I was looking for. Since I knew in my mind what...

There are so many detailed decisions to make when planning your wedding. While I didn't take part in the cake tasting, as I am gluten intolerant, my husband loved choosing the flavors for our wedding cake. Choosing the decorations and look of the cake were left up to me. I scoured the internet for hours looking for the perfect cake. I did find my cake, but what made it perfect was what was on top.   Cake toppers can be traced back to the late 19th century. However, they did not become mainstream until the 1920s. Originally, wedding cake toppers featured...

My 5 months of wedding planning was amazing and it taught me so much about myself and was so fun! From my experience I would love to share what I learned those five months of engagement.   *Personalize Your Wedding   Make your own theme that fits you…I had a personalized, Midwestern, English Garden, Fall, and Thanksgiving themed wedding in which I incorporated Thanksgiving food, topiaries, white roses, monograms, wheat sprays, and red berries to mention a few.       My ‘something old’ was my mother’s pearls draped in my floral bouquet, my ‘something new’ was my dress, my ‘something...

Thank you all who stopped by over the weekend to enter our contest sponsored by Zazzaretti Bridal. We had an awesome response and enjoyed reading your wonderful comments. The winner of this weekend's contest is: Katie Russell. If you did not win, don't dismay! Christina will be blogging with us through 2012 and she'll have many more giveaways throughout the year.   Zazzaretti Bridal is currently having a holiday sale and don't forget, Shine with Jennifer Leigh blog readers can access an extra 10% off by entering the coupon code of SHINE10.   ...

      As this is the first Christmas for my husband and me, I’ve been searching the stores for a special ornament to portray our love for years to come. Unfortunately, I’ve left empty handed many times and decided a DIY project would be best. Photos of wedding invitation ornaments have been all over Facebook, Pinterest and blogs. I found a great tutorial on from glitter to gumdrops, located my box of leftover wedding invitations sitting in my living room, visited Michael’s and $5.00 later, I had all the supplies I needed. I chose to use ribbon from my wedding...

Christina Zazzaretti of Zazzaretti Bridal is back for her monthly guest blog post and this month she is offering an amazing giveaway! These beautiful, handmade hair pins are perfect for that upcoming Christmas party or even a holiday wedding. I purchased a hair pin from Zazzaretti Bridal for my wedding back in March and it looked fantastic in my hair! She has so many looks and colors to choose from in her Etsy store. Can you believe the flowers below?!    Welcome back, Christina!    * * *   I’m very excited to be offering the first giveaway from Zazzaretti Bridal...

I LOVE my ruffled scarf; however, it took me a bit longer to finish than expected. I initially found the idea on Pinterest and the blog author said it was quite easy. I thought, “I’ll have a scarf within the hour!”. Ha! The easy part was picking out my material, from there, it was a learning experience. Hopefully, my mistakes and trials will help you smoothly through this ruffled scarf tutorial.         Here's what you'll need: 1.5 yards of light/sheer fabric Matching thread Sewing machine Elastic Thread       Step 1: Fold your fabric in half and...

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. It’s not hard to catch the holiday spirit way before Thanksgiving even arrives! I've been browsing Pinterest for wreath ideas for several weeks and found one I just had to make on Living Artfully.           To make a wreath like mine, pick up the following supplies:   About 40 to 50 large sized metallic bulb ornaments (your color choice) About 20 to 30 medium sized metallic bulb ornaments About 15 small metallic bulb ornaments High heat glue gun and glue sticks A 14 inch foam wreath form   Before...

Please join me in welcoming Christina Zazzaretti of Zazzaretti Bridal. She will be one of our guest bloggers once a month and has some pretty exciting information to share with all our brides and DIY readers. Topics to be discussed: "Buying Handmade vs. DIY Projects", "How to Talk About Your Budget with Vendors/Artists", "Brooch Bouquets", "Designing Your Wedding Around a Sentimental Item" and more! Make sure to check back in the second Friday of every month to learn more and to see what awesome product she'll be giving away from Zazzaretti Bridal!   Christina, take it away!   Hi, I'm Christina!...

  I had a bride contact me yesterday inquiring where a DIY bride could purchase wedding and reception decorations from past brides. I’ve been meaning to post a blog on this topic ever since March!    I was quite fortunate to be able to sell all my wedding decorations online within a week after our honeymoon. My husband was called out on a business trip to Maryland the day after we returned from Antigua. I used the time to focus on writing thank you notes, organizing wedding gifts and selling our reception decorations.   For those DIY brides out there, purchasing lightly...

Today, I begin what I hope to be one of many blogs by "do it yourself" brides. On this first post, Marie Bucciano, a bride from Keene, NH, shares her wedding details, resource suggestions and DIY projects.   Marie's budget was $5,000. Her vendors included:   Venue: Keene State College Camp on Wilson Pond, Swanzey, NH Dress: Country Bridals, Jaffrey, NH Photographer: Shine with Jennifer Leigh, LLC, Chesapeake, VA Flowers: Anderson the Florist, Keene, NH Justice of the Peace: Terry Cote, Manchester, NH                       Hair: Melissa Cumings, Keene, NH Make-up: Tracy Gilpin, Waterford, CT  Marie's top 5 DIY suggestions:   1) Utilize...

I am so excited about my find today at T.J.Maxx! I needed to run in to find a sweater for my husband and I couldn't help but browse the home decorating section! Of course, I got myself lost in the colorful pillows, decorative chairs and countless knickknacks. My goal was to come out of the store with only the sweater in hand. Completely, lost all control when I found these his and hers wall hangers.     They are French inspired with the look of cast iron. I am planning on using them either in the bathroom for our towels or  on our closet...

Do it yourself (DIY) tips, blogs, books, magazines and television shows are popping up everywhere. This common theme is also the biggest trend for 2011 weddings.   Planning a DIY wedding is not only about being practical and economical. It’s about diving into the details and involving your guests in the big day. It makes those long months of preparation before your wedding more personal and meaningful.   What type of DIY wedding projects are there? The list can include save-the-dates, invitations, wedding favors, flowers and bouquets, table centerpieces, the wedding cake itself, wedding card boxes and much, much more!...

This past month has been a bit tough for my husband and I. We have truly felt that we are deep in the valley and would love to have just a quick moment on top of the mountain. We daily and hourly look to the Lord for guidance and some explanation for the troubles we seem to meet on every corner we turn. At this moment, we don't have an answer. However, God is good and we continue to give Him the glory.   With that said, I am so thankful for the house we have been blessed with. When I walk...

  A few weeks ago I wrote about my love for all things French Provincial. While shopping in a Salvation Army, I picked up a beautiful side table, made by Distinctive Furniture by Stanley, for only $15! It definitely needed a new paint job and it had a few chips of wood missing from the drawers. However, the serpentine wavy drawer front with embellished handle made me fall in love with this piece.   Determining the color for this piece was quite a decision. The most common restoration of French Provincial furniture is to paint it a shade of white. My goal...

When it comes to decorating, I am addicted to all things French provincial. The style originated in the 1600s and has kept its cozy, rustic and warm appeal throughout the centuries. The beauty of French provincial is that it can be paired with a number of different design approaches!   My husband purchased our home a little over one year ago and we are slowly decorating it. We've been trying to determine our combined style. I love elegant, feminine, white, slightly distressed painted furniture. “Shabby Chic” pretty much sums it up for me. Mr. Adams enjoys wood grains, rustic, brown...

A candy bar is the perfect way to offer fun, colorful wedding favors for your guests. I had such a wonderful time matching my candy with my wedding colors and personalizing candy bags, jars and labels. I think it may have been one of my favorite DIY wedding projects!   For my candy bar centerpiece, I made home-made lollipops. It took me two different attempts to get it just right. I called my good friend, Gillian, over to help me out with the last batch. We had a blast laughing at ourselves with candy and food coloring on every inch of...

A few weeks back I was reading through the Sunday newspaper and saw a useful article on hanging art (How to Hang Art - The Right Way by Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, Chicago Tribune). As a photographer I love to display my work for family and friends to see. However, when I get out the hammer and nails to start my project, I never quite know the best way to organize it on the wall. Here are the items you need to get started:   Painting/Photograph (framed, with hanging wire affixed to the back) Hammer Picture hooks and nails or threaded anchors with screws Measuring tape...