Browsing Tag

Wedding

The Uncommon Life

How to Style Agate Centerpieces

June 11, 2012

Whether you are throwing a backyard dinner party or planning a wedding, centerpiece ideas are sometimes a daunting task. They are the focal point of your sit-down meal and can really bring a room together if they are styled right. Although the Agate Cheese Platters are great for serving up snack, they are also versatile and could fit into a number of decor schemes. On the bottom of each platter are three rubber bumpers which creates a nice platform. The jewel-tone platters also have a natural shiny finish so they will glow in the dim light of a party.

I was interested in seeing how the Agate Cheese Platters would work in a centerpiece design, I took them home, put my decorating hands to work and came up with three different ways to style them.

CRAFTY
Some of the cutest centerpiece ideas out there are composed of found items. Make your centerpieces personal with a craft touch. Create a small penant banner with washi tape and neon twine and string it between two tall sticks. I used wooden knitting needles but another great option are painted twigs. Personalize a mason jar by wrapping it in colored yarn or twine. Lastly, I pulled some guitar picks and a harmonica from our collection to add some personality to this table decoration.

CHIC
These eggplant platter just scream glamour to me so I wanted to see a sleeker look. I pulled out some crystal and glass candle holders that would reflect nicely when the lights get low. Around the platter, I sprinkled some white flower petals to soften the entire look. I only wish it was dark enough to test the glow of the platter in candlelight but was pleased to see the reflection of the crystal on the platter.

RUSTIC
I thought it would be an interesting contrast to add some rustic charm to the polished platters so I started with an old honey jar of white flowers tied with natural twine. I set the jar in a bed of dried moss from the craft store and scattered small twigs and stones. I was so happy with the little enchanted forest I created.

Gift Guides

Finding the Perfect Wedding Gift for a Special Couple

June 8, 2012

Someone very important to me is getting married. Weddings are a big deal, and I’m thrilled, but I’m also a bit overwhelmed. Why am I overwhelmed when it isn’t my wedding? Because I’m now tasked with finding the PERFECT wedding gift.

Finding that gift that says it all shouldn’t be that hard, right? After all, I have known the guy his whole life. So before I get into the details of my quest to find that best-wedding-gift-ever gift, here’s a little background info.

Beau (soon-to-be groom), Cassie (me), and Luke (baby brother) sometime in the late ’80s

When I was almost 3 years old, my life changed–big time. I went from being an only child to the proud owner of my very own little brother. Luckily, since I’d only been on the planet a few short years, I hadn’t gotten too used too cozy in that only child role.

Growing up with a brother not much younger than me was great. We went to the same school, share friends, have similar interests, and–on account of the whole same parents thing–can really relate to each other. Somewhere along the way, we even got another little bro to share.

Fast-forward 20-something years. Now I have a husband my own and my brother, Beau, has a smart, charismatic, funny fiance. This wedding gift has to show Beau how much I care, that I’m happy for him, and that I can’t wait for Bobbi to be a part of our family.

Beau and Bobbi

First I made a list of things they like, in hopes of getting gifting inspiration. They both love fishing (they’re actually having a fishing-themed wedding) and other outdoor sports. They also both love cooking. Beau loves history and archaeology and he works for the railroad. Bobbi works in financial management and she loves crafting and DIY projects.

Vases for the candy buffet (fill with Swedish Fish, gummy worms, and Goldfish crackers) / Inspiration for the theme / Card basket and photo for the gift table/ Cattails for the centerpieces. Photos by Bobbi Dahnke

Starting with their professions, I thought Beau might like the Railroad Date Nail Cufflinks, and I could pair them with a necklace for Bobbi, like the Cymbal of Love Pendant or the Links of Love necklace.
Next, there’s Bobbi’s specialty. I could just give them a wad of cash with a nice card and a joke about how she’s in charge of the money. But, on second thought, while they might enjoy the dough, it’s probably not right for this special occasion.They do both like cooking, so something like the Artisanal Bamboo Salt Chest, an Elevate Carousel Utensil Set, or a Recipe Box and Card Kit, while not extremely personal, would be much-used by my brother and sister-in-law.

If I really wanted to focus on “personal” I could make them something myself. I would love to put together a scrapbook, create a quilt (if I knew how to quilt, of course), or paint their portrait (again with the “if I could do that sort of thing” thing). Unfortunately, me creating a beautiful handmade gift probably isn’t going to happen.

The next best thing is finding a lovely handmade gift handmade by someone else, but expressing what I want to say. Something that really says, “Welcome to the family.” A Wedding Wishes Vase is a great choice, because it’s a way for me to share how I feel about the happy couple and let others do the same. I also love the Personalized Tree Anniversary Plate and the tree fits nicely with their outdoorsy wedding theme. Another of my custom favorites is the Personalized Photo Wall Art. Since she’s choosing to change her last name, it would be a fun way to say “Now you’re a part of team Tweten.”

So, which of these wonderful gifts did I decide is perfect for my brother and his beautiful bride-to-be? I can’t say, because the wedding hasn’t happened yet (and because, to be honest, there’s a wee possibility that I haven’t decided). All stressing aside, though, I know they will love the gift no matter which product I choose, because it’s coming from me. (Not in a weird “I’m so great they’ll love anything I pick” way, but in the way that you hang indecipherable drawings from children on the fridge because they were made with love.)

I’m looking forward to celebrating their special day with them, wearing a fancy bridesmaid’s dress, and–like I watched my little brother grow up–watching two people in love grow old together.

Gift Guides

Wedding Decor Picks from Maggie of Rustic Wedding Chic

June 8, 2012

As the founder and editor of Rustic Wedding Chic I constantly hear from brides who are looking for fun, upbeat and unique items to add into their wedding decor. Trying to find the best wedding decor items is no easy task which is why I took the time to collect a few of my favorite uncommon wedding goods.

Squirelly Love
Perfect for a cake topper for a rustic wedding or I think this cute little item would look great on the head table or your sweetheart table right in front of you and your new spouse.

Ceramic Love Vase
A perfect vase to have on your special tables such as your cake table, guestbook table or line a few up along the place card display.

Bucket of Joy & Love
The name says it all. On your wedding day you should be filled with joy and love so why not showcase how you feel with these cute vases which would be really cute carried by your flower girls.

Family Tree Picture Frame
A wedding is all about merging two families together so why not showoff your new family tree. This would be really cute displayed for your guest to see as they eneter your wedding reception.

USA Scratch Map
How great would it be to have this fun map up next to your guestbook with a little sign that ask your guest to scratch off the state where they are from. This would be a fun way to see where all of your guest have travel from.

Lovebirds
Another great looking wood sculpture that could easily be used as a cake topper or just fun to have around on your wedding tables. This item would be super cute located close to welcome signs.

Mango Wood Bowl with Bark
The wood bowl makes for the perfect place to display items at your wedding. I used a similar style bowl to hold personalized napkins at my wedding or this would be a great ring bearer bowl.

State Pillows
Showcase the state where you and your spouse come from by displaying these state pillows at your wedding. At my own wedding I had a CT pillow placed on my chair and a NH pillow placed on my husband chair at our wedding reception.

Sustainable Picnic Plates & Cups
Having an outdoor wedding or rehearsal dinner often means searching for cute paper dining products. These picnic plates are super cute and eco-friendly.

Calla Lilly Drinkware Set
Add some wildflowers to this pitcher and drinking glass set and you have an instant country chic wedding decor item.

Moss Terrarium Bottle
If you are searching for a unique centerpiece idea look no further then these moss terrariums. These bring not only a very tranquil feeling to your table but they bring an eco-friendly feel as well.

Place Card Stamp
Part DIY, part pre-made this place card stamp is the perfect project for a rustic bride. Pick out some great recycled paper or shipping tags and stamp away.

The Uncommon Life

DIY Bridal Survival Kit

June 8, 2012

Hello Uncommon Goods blog readers! I’m Laura from A Girl Who Makes. I am here to share an easy yet necessary wedding day survival kit with you. Wedding days are memorable and can also be hectic. A survival kit for brides and/or bridesmaids will be a helpful gift to keep everyone calm and prepared. I’ve put together a little survival kit of some much needed essentials, but these kits can be customized easily by the contents put in the box.

MATERIALS: Gift Tag Stamp Set, twine or string, hole punch, card stock, scissors, and a box to hold items for the kit.

STEP 1: Fill the box with the chosen essentials. I included tissues, stain remover, cotton swabs, mints, bandages and some lip gloss.

STEP 2: Using the stamp set, ink the stamp and press it onto the card stock, making sure to have full coverage on the stamp. Press evenly when the stamp is on the ink pad as well as when the stamp is on the card stock. When lifting the stamp, be sure to lift straight up so you don’t smudge the paper.

STEP 3: Trim the gift tag using scissors to the size you would like. Also using a hole punch, make a hole in the tag as well.

STEP 4: Using the pencil from the Gift Tag Stamp Set, fill out the tag.

STEP 5: Take a piece of twine or string that measures about 1 yard and wrap it around the box several times. String the tag onto the twine and tie in a bow to complete the box.

The Uncommon Life

Love Songs We Love

February 14, 2012

I love a good love song. I’ll admit I always get a sappy grin on my face when I hear Etta James’ “At Last,” I spent way more time picking music for my wedding than picking out a dress (I ended up walking down the aisle to Tom Waits’ “You Can Never Hold Back Spring” and dancing with my Mr. to M. Ward’s version of “Let’s Dance”), and I have been the gifter of a ‘mixed tape’ more than once.

But I’m not the only one who loves a good romantic tune. With Valentine’s Day on the way, love is in the air around here, and my coworkers were more than happy to share their favorite love songs.

Karen, a purchasing associate, just got engaged a few months ago, and she was happy to share her go-to love song. She’s actually thinking of playing “8 Days a Week” by the Beatles at her wedding.




What is she getting her soon-to-be husband for Valentine’s Day? She’s looking past the chocolate assortment in the the heart-shaped box in favor of his favorite, Peanut M&Ms. She says she’d also like to get him a Growbottle as an inside joke. “I’ve killed his plants before,” says Karen. “He went away for a week once and all of his plants died.”

UncommonGoods buyer, Candace, also wants to get her fiance something with a special meaning. Since she met her fella in Brooklyn, they fell in love here, and they live near the Brooklyn Bridge, she’s thinking the Brooklyn Bridge Pillowcase Set would make the perfect gift.

While her favorite romantic song at the moment, “Bless the Telephone” by Labi Siffre, isn’t about Brooklyn, her dream Valentine’s date takes place here. She and her groom-to-be are planning a Feb. 14 visit to the bar where they met, then dinner at a romantic local restaurant.




And it isn’t just the ladies at UncommonGoods that get a little sentimental around Valentine’s Day. Customer service supervisor, Erik, shared his pick, “Cupid” by 112.




He says he likes love songs that show the how, “when you’re in a serious relationship with someone, it’s all about commitment.” He’s all about making his girlfriend feel special on Valentine’s Day. He says he likes to cook her dinner, because a home-cooked meal has more feeling to it. He also likes giving unique, handmade gifts, like the Glass Heart Vases.

Marketing assistant Rocky also thinks Valentine’s Day is best celebrated dining in and just spending some quality time together. He said he thinks the Bunny Couple Sculpture makes a great gift, because it symbolizes just hanging out with someone you love. And what song would he listen to while spending the night in? Stevie Wonder’s “As.”




Warehouse lead David’s perfect date is just the opposite. He says he likes to spend the day in the city with his wife. “[In New York] you can get off the train anywhere and find something great to do. You don’t have to plan anything.” Since he lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, he loves being able to head to Manhattan to walk in Central Park, check out the theatre, and visit museums.

He also has a sense of humor about romantic gifts, and gave his special lady Porn for Women. This laid-back take applies to his favorite love song too. David chose Frank Sinatra’s “Funny Valentine” because “Sinatra doesn’t talk about how beautiful of perfect she is, but how she has little quirks that he loves.”



Do you still need a last minute gift for your funny valentine? Here are our employee suggestions.


GrowBottle / Brooklyn Bridge Pillow Case Set / Heart Vases/

Bunny Couple on Couch Sculpture /Porn for Women

The Uncommon Life

6 Uncommon Wedding Proposals

February 7, 2012

I love a good proposal story. Something about a well-planned surprise and the element of pure astonishment makes me a little giddy. Traditional proposals are sweet, but this hopeless romantic prefers an original and outrageous idea for putting a ring on it, especially a personal gesture that reflects the interests of the couple. With Valentine’s Day coming I have spent an embarrassing amount of time on YouTube perusing proposal videos. These are my favorite most uncommon proposal ideas.

Matt got really high-tech for his proposal and created a movie trailer about asking Ginny’s dad for his blessing. It aired at a local theater that Ginny and her brother were attending. The best part is getting to see her reaction throughout the viewing of the trailer.

Now this is a proposal that made my Gleek heart sing. A Canadian couple was touring Philadelphia when the UPenn Glee Club broke into song with The Beatles’ All You Need is Love. I don’t think it took too long for her to realize that the song was just for her.

Jeff made his proposal to Caitlin with a mural in Lower Manhattan. What citizen would complain about graffiti as sweet as that?

This guy incorporated some children’s arts and crafts to surprise his school teacher girlfriend. He even made her think she was in trouble by having her sent to the principal’s office so he could get the room ready.

This flashmob proposal stole my heart, he is so adorable, dancing awkwardly while his girlfriend watches. The proposal seems to take her by surprise, I wonder if she knew her boyfriend would be taking part in public dance in the first place.

So you think you wanna marry me? These footloose contestants on Canada’s So You Think You Can Dance got engaged on air!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgHuCJU191Y&feature=related

These romantic dudes incorporated their talent and love for the arts- singing, dancing, film-making and painting- into their proposals. Here are some ideas for a romantic, artistic Valentine’s Date.

1 Kaligraffiti Pen / 2 Cymbal of Love Pendant / 3 Musical Wine Glasses / 4 Sprocket Rocket Camera / 5 Vinyl Record Tie / 6 Film Festival in a Box: Love / 7 Ceramic Guitar Picks / 8 Instrumental Lighting Lamp

The Uncommon Life

Say What? Wedding Bells

August 23, 2011

Copywriter Nina Mozes offers sage advice on the most important of topics: what to write in that greeting card?


Chances are you’ve yet again spent too much money on an item that the happy couple pre-selected for themselves on their registry (unless of course you got something super duper cool and different from us!).

Why not save up a couple bucks and add your own personal touch with a card written just by you?

Here’s what you need to keep in mind for a wedding card:

1. Use words of encouragement.
2. No matter how much you’re dreading this wedding, the bride and groom are dreading it more.

So tell them something nice they can believe. Here are a few ideas:

Congratulations! You guys are so cute, you’ll have adorable kids. Just wait a few years to be sure it sticks, k?

You two are so cool. Relax, we all have in-laws from hell.
Wishing you good health and happiness, or at least good health.

And there are always famous words:

Gandhi: “I first learned the concepts of non-violence in my marriage.”

John Lennon: “All you need is love.”
(And money and sex and – yep, that’s about it.)

Albert Einstein: “Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.”
(It is however responsible for people falling over dead. So don’t kill each other.)

Personally, I like to quote the wise words of comedian Myq Kaplan:
“Fifty percent of marriages in this country end in divorce. That’s one out of every two people. So, it’s either going to be you or your wife.”

Attach your snappy words to a classy gift:

Customizable Wedding Announcement Art Personalized Heart Anniversary Plate Card & gift in one:
Custom Message Grid Art
Design

Calling All Bloggers

February 7, 2011

ETA February 17, 2011: Thanks to everyone who shared their blogs with us this past week. I’ve had so much fun reading! Check out the winning bloggers: Style Substance Soul and Kimberly Michelle.

To everyone else who entered, stay tuned for future opportunities! And thanks for all your support.


This just in: New wallet tools are here to help you out of any jam. These credit-card sized sheets of stainless steel transform into dice, cufflinks, wrenches and a mini photo frame. We think they’re perfect for busy people on the go, a nice gift for someone at the office, and a must-have for a night out. What do you think?

We’ve got a set of these new wallet tools to give to a great blogger. Let us know if you’d like to be the one to review these fun gifts and share them with your readers!

Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to include a link to your blog! Let us know what kinds of products you’re interested in reviewing, so we can keep you posted with future opportunities.