Here's to new beginnings...

No, this isn't marriage that i'm speaking of (yet). This is about my journey to finally put my handy, crafty, money-saving skills to good use, not only for myself, but for others, like you! Let me fill you in.

Firstly, let me introduce myself.
Greetings! My name is Melissa, I was born & raised in wonderful, eclectic Brooklyn, NY. I'm the 2nd oldest of 5, spent the last 15yrs in a household of 8-10 people (varied, depending on who was crashing at our house at the time). I have my A.A.S. in Fashion Merchandising and will soon begin my studies to become a Certified Wedding Planner (uber excited!). I currently reside in Northwestern Florida with my better half, who's in the Air Force.

Coming from a large family, I've always been a bargain hunter, one who would rather buy ink and paper than buy a boxed set of event invitations, one who would choose 5 $20 dresses over 1 name brand $100 dress, I prefer fake everlasting flowers over expensive flowers that last all of a week. How did this lead to me wanting to start a blog? Well I'm in the process of planning my own wedding on a serious budget, less than $10,000 serious; no wedding planner, no extravagant caterers or dove releases, no live bands or anything of the sort; just the necessities, but don't get me wrong, it WILL be a glamorous bash! I've practically been glued to the laptop researching money saving tips, what former brides wish they didn't spend so much money on or waste so much time worrying about, and also what details I can manage to handle on my own and save some money, while still making a statement.

If you think about it, we can save a ton of money if we chose to do more things on our own. The work may seem tedious, which is why so many are quick to pay someone else to do it, but I feel if you want something done right, do it yourself (after some research of course). Also, the feeling of satisfaction and pride when you see the finished product that YOU created all on your own, indescribable.

For instance, I've created a list of things I plan to create on my own for our wedding day:

Nothing too expensive, but all very important items. I'll be posting step by step tutorials & keeping you guys updated on my progress, as well as letting you know where I get my cheap finds and how much the total projects set me back, so that hopefully you can see how much money you'll be saving by making your own crafts. So, as the title says, here's to new beginnings!