Mr. & Mrs. DIY from Yours Truly

Last night Keith and I got to talking about simple pleasures. I had a less than great day and decided to focus on the tiny things that bring me joy. Now, before I go on, I need to state a disclaimer: I count seeing my husband at the end of the day a major pleasure. In fact, it’s the moment I look forward to when I walk out the door every morning. Now, back to the simple pleasures. I think we underestimate them and we’d all be happier people if we spent more time recognizing them. My biggest simple pleasure (oxymoron alert!) is a neatly made bed with clean sheets. I mean, fresh-out-of-the-dryer-and-are-still-warm sheets. Ahhhhh. Another one of my favorites is a clean room. Over the weekend we cleaned our guest bedroom, which had been doubling as the wedding gift/props & accessory holding space since, um, December. It was so cluttered that I was afraid my overnight guest would be tempted to hold a midnight cocktail party with all the housewares I had piled up. (Luckily, the overnight guests were my parents and they love cocktail parties!) After we cleaned, I couldn’t stop walking into that room and admiring our work. I was surprised how good that clean room made me feel, and that is why I classify it as a simple pleasure.

Why am I rambling on about simple pleasures? Well, they are the details in life that are easy to achieve. I can’t watch a fireworks display every night, but I sure can pick up my mess and enjoy a clean room as often as I choose. The details you incorporate into your wedding are simple pleasures, too. The dress, the happy couple and the kiss are the major pleasures of the wedding. Your guests expect that much. The monogramed cocktail napkins, drink stirrers and mustaches on sticks are the simple pleasures. Wedding bloggers today are all about the details, and I think too many brides stress over them. They claim they aren’t creative enough, or they don’t think they have enough time. Well, I’m here to tell all you brides you can have your cake and eat it, too. Stop making excuses and check out this easy to execute wedding detail! A detail that is sure to pleasure your guests, the Mr. & Mrs. Chair Letters.

ta-da! Photo by Cynthia Brown Studio

If you read Follow the Bride over at Creative Odds ‘n Ends, then you saw my original how-to. If you missed it, click on over and have a look. I’ll wait.

Ok, by now I assume you’re planning your trip to the Hobby Lobby for wooden letters and ribbon. Paint ‘em up, wait till they dry, then tie them to the back of a chair for a test run. I had some trouble keeping the “S” from spinning around and adding a second ribbon seemed to secure it. What do you think? Are you feeling great already?

It’s ok if you don’t like them. Maybe you already ordered chair covers! The point I’m trying to drive home is that it’s important to spend a little time (seriously, a little) thinking about the details. You’ll love them and your guests will love them!

Tell me, what are your simple pleasures, in day-to-day life and at weddings? Anyone else have any easy DIY projects?