Eat: 2016 Cookie Swap

I thought really hard about hosting a cookie swap this year as I've been extremely swamped with so much going on at work, with the wedding, I am back in school etc. I decided not to forego it this year because I really do love doing it and so do all of my friends. Compared to last year, this one was pretty small but I am quite happy with the results - especially because it did not take me as much work as it has in the past.

Generally, I send an email out (with a fancy graphic/digital card) to a select group of friends to ask who wants to participate, what dates work etc. After this, I share a google doc with a form for everyone to fill in what they will be making so that we don't have duplicate. I also have them email me their recipes so I can create a book for them to go home with. This year I did none of that, save for the email to ask who would be able to make it. The best way to organize a cookie swap usually involves all these steps but it had to be quick this time! I did not even email everyone until really late in the month and asked if they could attend within two given dates. Although not everyone could make it because of this, I had a great time, ate lots of sweets and still got plenty of cookies to share.

I took lots of photos for some great Cookie Swap inspiration. This year, I got the tags and labels from Confetti Sunshine's  printable and customized them to work with what I needed.

Let me know what you think!

Eat: The bottomless pit of Foodie videos

You know that moment where you get onto YouTube to watch one tutorial on how to do just one quick thing but end up in the black hole of video-watching? Well that's me, all. the. time. I can't stop watching videos or going through an entire channel if I come across awesome food videos.

Watching food videos mesmerizes me, I get all these ideas of all the possibilities of what I can make, what amazing dinners I could have and I just automatically imagine myself calmly chopping away in the kitchen with a beautiful dinner setup, awaiting my guests as I plate immaculate looking dishes. I almost immediately I start making a list of every ingredient and utensil used in the video and take note the garnishes and plating style. Even as I read this, I feel like Becky Bloomwood from Shopaholic - like that time she went all nuts buying dishes, utensils, sauces and spices to make a fab dinner to save money but ended up being unable to cook and spent more money than she would have if she just continued to buy food instead! Call me crazy, but I am still aiming to do this pretty often as soon as I move into my new place. I hope I can cook alright!

So back to where I was - Back on YouTube, I was browsing away until I saw an ad on my page for the PC (President's Choice) Insider's Collection videos. I love PC products - especially the black label of higher end products. They only further my imagination of cooking extravagant meals for dinner parties. I almost instantly wanted drive down the street to my local Loblaw store, hit up the shelves and come home with potential in a shopping bag. 

It's not like I can't cook - I just don't know if I tend to go overboard on my planning phase and realize too late that I have aimed too high....(most of the time that's the case). But if you know me well enough, then you know I love throwing dinner parties, hosting friends and entertaining. This stuff was made for me and I don't think I'll ever get out of that habit!

My next thing is to attempt some of the dishes I saw on the PC YouTube channel. You are also welcome to pretend that my dinners will look exactly like these! Here are some of my favorite ones that I hope to recreate!

 Let me know what you think you would try making from these videos.

Project Wedding: Budgeting

When I said yes, got over the excitement and starting wedding planning, the first thing I put my foot down on was my budget. The best way to budget for your wedding is to be realistic and only use the money you know you have, not what you're expecting in gifts. By 'money you have', I also mean money you would be expecting in income if you're at a steady job. 

Always weigh the options of what is something you want vs. something you need. Remember that you will have to deal with a lot of compromise with parents, your partner, their family and most of all, yourself. Compromising with yourself is the hardest thing to do. There are a lot of things you want to have but you can't have it all - it will always come down to making the decision based on your budget. You want to establish what the full budget of your event should be. 

I decided on this by asking my friends what they spent on their weddings and based my numbers on that as well as what I actually wanted to put as a hard and soft number. The hard number was my maximum and the soft is what the ideal cost would be if I could find the best deals. I started with listing down everything I needed to have while doing the research on costs. I did my research well in advance, called in venues, caterers, decorators etc. to get quotes from places I wanted to consider and copied over the average cost for those line items. I followed that with everything I wanted Make sure you put all the line items - every single one. Put the items you think you might want as well so you can have one large final number of what your cost will be. 

Project Wedding: Taking it Easy

Planning a wedding takes a toll on you. Even if you 'don't really care', it is still something that you are thinking about all the time.

With so much going on in my life with work, making time for my friends and family, blogging, planning a wedding a preparing to move out, I need to find time for myself! 

I love having time to myself, just me and no one else. Even if this means I'm eating out of a family-sized chips bag watching Netflix off my phone in my bed - it's me time, and I wish I got more of it! And although I love having lazy days, I like keeping busy with something. One thing I found that really helps is having a DIY Spa Day for yourself. 

Planning out a fun in-house Spa Day is great and really cost-effective! Living in Toronto, you can end up paying a pretty penny for spa services and when you're also managing to save for your new home, wedding and social life, it isn't easy to justify blowing a few hundred bucks on a spa treatment. This means that the next best alternative is to save money on going to the spa is to do what you can, yourself! 

Although doing it your self means you can save money, it's easy to end up spending a lot more than you would think. Just remember that when you're buying things to use on yourself, it's likely you will use it multiple times, not just once. Because of this, invest in good product that is not going to ruin your skin or be too much work to use.

My favorite routine for a spa day starts off by choosing a day you will home alone. This will mean you don't have to rush with anything or get annoying by other people's noise. Sleep in later than usual but not too late as that can make you even lazier. If you can, check into a hotel. It doesn't have to cost a lot, use deal sites such as hotels.com to find a price that works within your budget. You would be surprised how cheap you can get rooms if you do the right research - good rooms too!

Use the time you've put aside for this day to really take care of your skin and pay some attention to it. When having your own DIY Spa Day, get a good body exfoliator, body wash and moisturizer. I love using my Clarisonic to really get into the pores and feel clean! 

Go the full 10 yards and invest in a hair mask, leave-in conditioner and follow up with a shampoo and a good all-natural Argan oil for lasting effects. 

Buy yourself some all-natural face masks - I love the ones you can get from Lush. To remove the mask, use a face towel soaked in warm water and wipe the mask away. This makes it much easier than trying to wash it away. I usually use a Bioré Strip once I remove the mask, followed by a good toner and moisturizer to finish off - I like using the 100% Pure Argan Oil Light by Josie Maran.  

Lastly, grab your favourite book or pull up your latest Netflix binge and get cozy with a coffee, tea or soup!

Project Wedding: Digital Wedding Stationery - Top Tips

When it comes to anything with paper, inks, printing, designing - you know I am in. I will be making my own wedding invitations this winter and will be doing some DIY letterpress invitations to be exact and I am so excited!

The one thing I am struggling with is the amount of invitations that I have had the need to make and send out since I got engaged. I had one for my engagement announcement, another for the party, I will need one for the save the dates and lastly, one for my bridal shower and this is all aside from the actual wedding invitation. How will I manage to make all of these? Go Digital!

I decided to go digital with a few because for some events, you can get away with that. This included my original announcement, the engagement party invitation as well as my save the dates (haven't sent them out yet!). These were easy to create using Photoshop and some online software. The thing you want to make sure with anything you send out is that it still represents you. Digital save the dates don't have to be boring and if you look below, I will prove it to you!

Keep these tips for digital wedding invitations in mind:

• Test our your emails to with your bridesmaids and wedding party
• Upload the image into the body of the message and make sure you do this on the computer you uploaded it from - don't save a draft and send it from elsewhere! I made a big mistake of saving a draft from my home computer and sending it from another computer. It still showed the image the email body when in draft mode but ended up sending a blank email to everyone because there was no actual file on the second computer of the image. 
• BCC everyone so that you can send it all in one shot while CCing your partner.  This makes it personalized and sent from both people while keeping your contact list private.
• Use a good subject line. Most of my friends don't get emails from me so I wanted to make sure the subject line did not look like spam. For a subject line for Save The Dates make sure you put the couples or your name along with what the email is for so that it doesn't seem like spam. For Example: "Tasneem's Bridal Shower". This is easily recognizable and those who are invited will know this is real because they will already know their friend is getting married. 
• Lastly, keep it fun and don't stress over it! If you love paper like me, print off a few copies and give them out to your closest friends for memorabilia or send it via iMessage or Whatsapp to your group chats if that's easier! 

Here are some I created for my announcement and party:

Project Wedding: Budgeting for weddings as the bridal party

Both asking your closest friends to be a part of your wedding party and accepting the proposal from a friend when it's their turn in the hot seat is really exciting. When I am in a wedding party I get really pumped with ideas, projects, hearing all about the details, how it happened and just generally being excited for my friend. The flip-side of this is the financial commitment that comes along with accepting the position.

As a bridesmaid or maid of honour, there are tasks you have to fulfil, dresses, jewellery and shoes you have to buy, parties you have to financial contribute to and trips you have to make out for celebrations. These things all seem small but can very quickly and easily add up. It's always good to keep this in mind when accepting the role and let your friend know of a financial situation if there is one, as quickly as possible. This will be a big help to them and let them know that you're not just skipping out on things, rather you are unable to attend or may need a different dress due to this.

According to a TD survey released this past summer, one in five people attending weddings this year say they are not well prepared for the associated costs and expect them to be a considerable drain on their household budget.

As a bride, I am really trying hard to ensure I make being a bridesmaid the easiest process for my wedding party. I made sure to consult them on a cost for their dresses and got the wedding clothes made while shopping in Pakistan. This was a pretty great way to get the best bang for their buck and also help hem spread out the spending. The dresses were ready by the first week of November and I took half the amount of their budget before I left so that I could put that towards the purchase and also have them spend money gradually. This way, although they will end up spending the same amount of money they would have done in the past for other weddings, they are able to spread it across a span of a few months to help alleviate the costs that can funnel down from weddings. 
TD Canada Trust has shared some useful stats that can give you a little bit of perspective when it comes to planning for the financial commitment of being part of a wedding party or simply being invited to a summer full of weddings

TD survey shows being in a wedding party may cost more than you expect

TD advises how to stay in love with your budget, even with wedding-related expenses 

Have any advice to share when it comes to spending while in a wedding party? I would love to hear it! Alternately, I would love to hear some horror stories you ay have had during your time in a wedding party!

Blog post: Social Media and your wedding day

With social media playing such a big role in everyone's life, its inevitable to sneak it's way into every event in your wedding. Now I think there are two types of people when it comes to social media and hashtags for a wedding. First, there are people who don't care or prefer nothing to even be online and there is nothing wrong with that, but I fall in the other category - I want everyone to share away!

As a professional communicator who works within the social media realm, I know I will have my wedding online and on social media because that's just what I do! I have already created a hashtag, shared it with my friends at our engagement party with signage, tacked it along all my social media plans related to my wedding and will also have it on signage at the wedding reception and on my wedding invitations. I have also downloaded the WedPics app and created a profile under the same hashtag (#TKap2016). The app is great - it lets your guests upload all their photos from the wedding so that the couple can download them all for their own memories. It also means it will not flood their own social media platforms with every single photo.

A friend of mine had used this app this past summer and created a game for her guests to make sure they took photos of specific things during the event including photos of the bride speaking with her mom, photos with her bridesmaids, a photo of the couple laughing etc. This made it easy to get the guests to get onboard with actually uploading photos that the couple could cherish from their wedding day, from their point of view while also giving the guests something fun to do.

Source: SouthernWeddings.com

I also love the idea of having creative signage with he hashtag displayed. They can be on menu cards, wedding invitations, chalkboards etc.  I've shared a photo of the sign I made and browsed Pinterest to share some of the ones I liked best.

Let know what you think!

Source: Nella Designs via Etsy

Source: ElegantWeddingInvites.com 

Source: Etsy via Keep Life Simple Design

Project Wedding: One Vase, Five ways

I am back with another! A few weeks ago, I took the main stage at the Nikah Convention to share some fun ways to spruce up a regular old cylinder vase. I decided to make five versions of the same vase for the show but ended up with six!

These are some fun and easy ways to get creative and make dollar store vases look more expensive.

You can use these for showers or even wedding centrepieces for cheap. All it takes is some creativity and a few extra materials that will go a long way. Take a look at the photos below for some fun ideas. 

I have added photos, instructions and materials needed for each kind of DIY vase at the end of the post.

Let me know what you think and pin away to keep them handy for your next event! Get more great ideas for DIY projects on my Pinterest boards. 

Follow me on Instagram for more fun DIY projects and on Facebook to stay in the loop! 

Enjoy!

For instructions

Project Wedding: DIY Floral crown

With one project done, another begins. I completed (& got to use!) my floral crown and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It was much easier than I thought and todayI am sharing how to make a floral crown with fake flowers below! 

I used flowers from Micheals and few smaller ones from the dollar store as fillers for any small gaps. I was able to make the fake flowers look real by using specific kinds and being very picky of which ones I chose as well as which ones I paired/grouped together. 

I used ranunculus, eucalyptus stems, a peony and a hydrangea stem. I ended up using less than I thought I would but it was better to have extras instead of running out. My floral crown base was made using the stems of some faux roses for my wedding flower wall. Since I had so many extra stems that were going to be tossed out, I made use of the wired, already-green stems.

For this project I also used floral tape, a glue gun, scissors and kept some thin wire on hand in case I needed it. For the base, twist two stems together to ensure it is sturdy and can be extended in size if needed.  measure around your head and add an extra half inch of space. This will be needed as the base of the flowers and floral tape will add bulk round the base. When using floral tape, be sure to give it a bit of a stretch so it gets tacky. Floral tape sticks to it's self so don't worry if at first it does not seem sticky at all!

I started with the large pink flower and arranged how I thought I wanted my crown to look. Arrange the crown so that it tapers out at the back and the bulk is off to one side. You don't want your entire forehead to be blocked by bulky flowers. I kept the peony one side with other white ranunculus while on the side I added a single pink ranunculus. I thought I would have used more of the pink but it looked better on it's own. I also used the hydrangea and smaller flowers to fill in small gaps as well as some yellow/green hydrangea bits from a Dollar store stem. 

Start by removing the flowers from the stems and cutting them to have about an inch to a half inch stem that you can glue to the base. Add floral tape around to secure. Go around from the front to back on each side so that all the flowers are facing the front, gluing and taping along the way. At the end, use the smaller flowers to fill in spaces where you can still see the base. I also glued down some of the actual petals to the base if needed. Below, you can see photos with step-by-step directions. 

Do you plan on making one of these or want to try some DIY? I will be at the Nikah convention sharing some tips on the main stage around 3:00 p.m.! Get your tickets online or at the door.

Follow me on Instagram for more fun DIY projects and on Facebook to stay in the loop! 

Photos of me taken by Belinda Burtt Photography.

Step-by-step photos below

Project Wedding: Sports-Themed Engagement Party + Giveaway!

Yes. I had a sports-themed event and it was great! I was able to get really creative with the details, decor and even with the food. Once again, a lot of DIY sports-themed projects that can work for weddings, engagements and any elegant party. Another fab perk of having a sports-themed wedding is that you can easily get your fiancé excited about planning an event - a great way to prep them for the upcoming wedding planning process!

Before I got into the thick of things, I set up a Pinterest board to gather ideas and inspiration. There are not a lot of very elegant sports-themed ideas out there but I took bits and pieces from everywhere (including children's birthday parties, weddings, restaurants etc.) before gathering the pieces I wanted to keep for myself.

I've shared some photos below with inspiration for a sports-themed wedding, engagement party or event. Our party was also featured on The Wedding Co. Blog! See the post here.

The best way to have a unique engagement party idea is to be open to everything. Get ideas and inspiration from places you would not really think you would find any and always see how you can use one thing in multiple ways.

On October 3rd, I will be demonstrating this exact concept at the Nikah.ca convention. Join me on the main stage to see how I use 'one vase in 5 ways' . I am also giving away tickets to the convention on my Facebook page so head there now and enter away!

Have a specific project in mind but don't know where to get started? Sign up for the DIY workshop that's free with admission to the convention. Space are limited so I would hurry! Simply sign up, email us what you plan to make and we will work with you to create a list of project materials to bring. At the workshop, we will have all the tools you need as well as a personal tutorial to your project with guidance along the way. This is a great way to incorporate your Bridesmaids into your wedding planning so they have a fun time!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter & Instagram for more inspiration & ideas!

Photos by Belinda Burtt Photography. 

 

Eid-al-Adha Inspiration & DIY

 With the summer still with us, there really is a chance to celebrate Eid outdoors without any rain or cold weather (fingers crossed!). For the last Eid, we celebrated outdoors and it was really fun! We brought all our gifts outside, decorated the yard and had a relaxing  time without having to worry about sitting at the kids table about how many people would fit on the table.

Below I have shared some photos from Eid including gift wrapping ideas for Eid gifts and Eid money envelopes. I got these great printables from an Australia-based graphic designer, in my studio. You can download them for personal use here.

The great thing about printables is that you can use them in many ways, not just how they are intended. I used the lantern print out to decorate the plain bags and printed the tags on clear sticker paper to put onto plain envelopes. You can take a peak at the custom bags and cards on my Instagram feed here. All using the same printables in many ways.

What are your Eid plans? Do you exchange gifts on this Eid as well or just on the first?

Project Wedding: Here I go!

Now that I am past that ' more than a year left' mark on the wedding planning ship, I seem to be in a weird overdrive to have anything ready and done by the end of this year. I am (IA) getting married in May of 2016 and of course, having a lot of DIY elements to my event. Since this is the case, I don't think that's the right timeline.

I plan on continuing this series until next year in order to share and post all my wedding-related projects on my blog. It's likely that a lot of it may get posted after the wedding since I do want to keep some things a surprise for my guests!

Below, I have listed all the things I know I am going to be making, but I would love to hear if you guys have any questions on other DIY projects that you may want answered or even shared on here.

So far, I know I am making:

• A Floral crown for my e-shoot
• Kim Kardashian-esque flower wall/backdrop. I will be likely keeping this for myself and my new home which is why I decided to make it vs. rent it via a decorator
• Invitations
• Menu cards, place cards, program cards etc.
• Wedding favours for guests (I will keep what they are a surprise until after the wedding) 
• Centerpieces 

I will also be sharing some great advice with Nikah.ca over on their blog as well as hosting a fun DIY workshop for brides and their wedding party. I can't wait to attend the convention this October. Are there any brides/grooms-to-be or bridesmaids/groomsmen attending?

I would love to meet you there and hope you get a chance to attend by FREE workshop! Keep an eye out on their website and my Facebook page for an announcement and additional details! 

Last minute Eid Shopping + Free Printable!

With Eid only a few days away, I've been surrounded by bits of paper, gift wrap, tape, tags - you name it! I also have this wishlist of baking to get to and feel like I should have done this SO much earlier, but you know - life.

I am also helping my parents prepare envelopes for Eidie and thought to create some fun stickers to seal the envelopes with. Alternatively, you can also just print directly onto the envelope. I am sharing the graphic you can use in Microsoft word or any design program for download. I have created a sample #10 envelope Microsoft word document here and the png of the graphic here. Calligraphy graphic source.

To make it easier for other last-minuters, I've rounded up a list of easy, ready-to-pickup products that you can gift for this year's Eid. These are based on pickup from various GTA locations. I've also included a preview of my gift pile to spark some inspiration! My favourite part of this pile is the Blossom and Bean S'mores gift pack, it's pretty much packaged and ready to enjoy on someone's backyard grill after a nice Eid feast!

What do you plan on giving? Share your gifts by tagging me on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Enjoy!

1. S'mores Kit from Blossom & Bean found at Modah
2. Customizable halal gummy gift packs from Blossom & Bean found at Modah
3. My Fresh Kitchen mason jar chutney available for pickup from various locations in the GTA
4. Mugs from Hafsa Creates found at Kaamilah Boutique
5. Holiday cookie cutter set from With Spin ready to purchase at Salam Shop
6. Ilm Kids subscription box available at the Salam Shop
7. Jewelry treasure box from Silk of Paradise, available for pickup in the GTA
8. T-shirts from Muzlyfe available for pickup in the GTA