This idea comes to us from Ashley and her fiance, who have a very unique idea for decorating the tables at their wedding reception. But be forewarned - their idea is a bit fishy. :)

At each table Ashley and Darren are placing fish bowls with, none other than FISH in them! They have discovered that they can buy glass fish bowls at Michael's Craft Store for $0.99 per bowl. They are then going to buy some goldfish from Wal-Mart (did you know Wal-Mart sold fish? I didn't!) To top it off, they will place a couple of votive candles (they found a bag of 60 for $2.00) around the fishbowl to make their room romantic, sparkly, and very conversational.

Then, to the delight of the children present (and the possible dismay of the parents at the logistics of getting it home) they will let the kids keep the fish and are even going to supply them with some fish food, as well.

Their costs? Under $2.00 per table decoration! And, they have kept their total costs for their entire room to under $25.00 for the table decorations and around $200 for the room, including linens, glasses, and silverware by having their reception at their local American Legion Hall.

Way to go Ashley and Darren! You prove to us all that creative thinking is the answer to keeping a budget under control.

(03/24/03) Note to consider: Michelle writes to me that, "We used the "live fish" idea at a reception. But, unfortunately, many of the fish went "belly-up" before dinner was even served (they were put out just before everyone came into the room - not a long time!)" And Amanda tells me that goldfish or beta fish are the best option, but be sure to provide their water with lots of surface area - this ensures they will get plenty of oxygen. Thanks Michelle and Amanda for these great tips!

With Christmas coming fast around the corner, I have been trying to think of some craft projects to give as gifts. I actually did this project and found it to be pretty simple. I think it would be a lovely idea to give as favors at your Holiday wedding if you have the time to complete it between now and then.

I am decorating glass ornaments with red, white and green, but you can make them more wedding-themed by buying different colors or by doing your own creative ideas to the outer decoration of the ornament. So here is what you need (all can be found at your local craft store):

• Plain round glass ornaments
• Acrylic paints (sold in small bottles you don't need a lot of bottles, but you may want to buy a couple different colors.)
• Paint Brush (Optional)
• Thread (or Ribbon)

Now, all you need to do, is drop a bit of the paint down the side of the ornament on the inside. Rotate the ornament and do this a couple more times. Then, choose another color and do the same. When you have a pool of paint collected at the bottom about the size of a dime, you have enough paint. Now you need to place the ornament on its side and rotate it every 5 minutes or so. This will spread the colors around and create a marble effect. It may take as long as 2 days for the paint to dry completely and you should continue rotating the ornament as often as you can during that time.

To finish, all you need to do is tie the thread on the ornament so that it can hang, or if you like you can use ribbon and make a pretty bow at the top. If you are especially creative, use a paintbrush to paint a message, your names and wedding date, or a picture on the outside of the ornament. Make sure the paint on the inside is dry, however, before doing this. You don't want to ruin your hard work by rotating the ornament and smearing the paint on the outside of it.

As always, have fun with these craft ideas and don't forget to use your creativity! You will be amazed at how far you can go and what you can create when you put your mind to it! Good luck!

Sincerely,
Kelly Kons, kelly@bwedd.com
http://www.Bwedd.com/TrueCompanions/