Pay Yourself First Contest

Posted by Khris in Contests, Opportunties

Hi DIYers,

I wanted to pass along contest information from FNBO Direct, an internet bank.

Pay Yourself First is a challenge to encourage people from across the country to save money. We’re inviting prospective challengers to create and post a one-minute video on YouTube about what they’d like to save for — in your case — that dream wedding.

The first 500 entrants will receive a $10 gift card. The top 20 finalists will receive $500 in cash. And everyone who submits a video has a chance to win a portion of the more than $45,000 in cash and prizes including a free honeymoon on us!  More important, contestants will acquire money-saving tips they can carry with them long after the close of the challenge.

FNBO Direct will judge the video submissions and select five finalists — maybe even some of your readers — who will move on to participate in the actual six-month Challenge. If selected, America will watch them try to save as much as possible by depositing their money into an FNBO Direct Online Savings Account.

Participants have until July 31 to post their video on YouTube. In the meantime, visit www.pyfchallenge.com to check out video entries.

DIY Cake Month: Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes

Posted by Khris in DIY Library, DIY Projects & Tutorials

If you’ve browsed Amazon or cruised through the cookbook aisle of your local book seller, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that there are lots (and lots and lots) of wedding cake books on the market. Not surprisingly, there are gems and there are clunkers hidden in the vast pool of offerings.

In my book search for this series I found that some cake books are outdated and, well, just plain frumpy. Others are meant to be inspirational eye-candy with no recipes or how-to. Some books deal only with decoration. Some are a combination of decor how-to & recipes. While many books have neat ideas or solid instruction, few books are truly outstanding. Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes falls into that outstanding category. A combination of inspiration, decoration how-to, and recipes this book exceeded my already high expectations.

What I loved about this book:

• Beautifully photographed cakes by the fabulous Wendy Kromer are truly inspiring.
• The book is very well-laid out from the basics of cake components and tips on selecting your perfect cake to recipes and decorating instructions.
• The range of cakes is diverse from Martha-esque classic and elegant to fun and whimsical (without being cheesy).
• The yummy recipes are scaled appropriately for wedding cakes, taking some of the guesswork out of the baking process.
• As with all of Martha’s DIY, the instructions are clear and concise.
• The cake display ideas are fabulous, creative, and within the skills/reach of most DIYers.
• Did I mention this is a gorgeous book? It is worthy of display on a coffee table.

Other notes:

• I’ve seen most of the cakes in MS Weddings. While it doesn’t take away from the quality of the book, I would’ve loved to see some brand new cake ideas.
• This may not be the best book for 1st timers. It is, however, a great companion if you’re taking decorating classes or have some experience under your belt.
• The list price is $60.00 though one can find it cheaper via Amazon or other discount retailers. I think it’s worth it because it’ll be on my shelf forever. Your mileage (and budget) may vary.

Pacific Weddings DIY Contest

Posted by Khris in Contests

One of my favorite magazines, Pacific Weddings, is having a DIY contest! The winner will be featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine and will receive a collection of design books.

Pop over to their blog for all of the contest details and check out the gorgeous inspiration and ideas they share.

If you’re not yet familiar with Pacific Weddings, go out and get a copy NOW. It is one of the most beautifully done mags on the market.

Help A Reader Out: Hot Air Balloon Theme

Posted by Khris in HADO

DIY devotee, Ann, needs some help with her hot air balloon themed wedding. I thought I’d turn this one over to you awesomely creative people.

… My fiance proposed to me on a hot air balloon last March.  We are trying to continue this by making the theme of the wedding hot air balloons.  My sister is a graphic designer and is making all of our stationary with a beautiful monogram/logo using a hot air balloon and our names.  We are getting married at a pretty formal reception hall, so we know that the decorations need to match the formality of the room.  We have been thinking of finding rice paper lanterns made to look like balloons.  We would light all of the lanterns with candles or battery operated lights.  I am having so much trouble finding plain or light blue rice paper balloon lanterns.  Any idea where I could get them  or any other ideas for centerpieces using that theme?
Thanks for your help!

Can you help Ann out with centerpieces, lantern sources, and other hot air balloon inspiration?

DIY Cake Month: Boxed Mix or Scratch

Posted by Khris in DIY Projects & Tutorials, Food + Catering

Your next major cake decision, and one that tortures many a would-be DIY cake maker, is what kind of cake to make. In a later post we’ll go through flavor and filling options but this one’s devoted to the boxed mix or scratch dilemma.

There are few debates as heated in the cake world as the use of boxed mix versus scratch cakes. While I am a strong advocate of the latter, I do want to give a fair look at both sides to help you discover which option is best for your needs.

Box Mix Pros:

• Convenient, pre-mixed packages mean little measuring and no guesswork with ingredients yielding a pretty consistent result from cake-to-cake.
• Packages can be purchased way ahead of time and stored until needed.
• Box mixes are inexpensive, especially when purchased on sale.
• Most people are very familiar with box mix flavors and have fond associations of those kinds of cakes (reminds them of childhood, for example).

Pros of Scratch Mixes:

• Unlimited flavor options. If you can dream it, there’s likely a perfect cake flavor waiting for you to discover it.
• You control the ingredients and can add to or modify recipes to suit your needs. Wheat allergies? Vegan? Organic ingredients only? Carrot cake without nuts? No trans fats? Diabetic options? No problem!
• Freshness. Made-from-scratch cakes don’t need chemical stabilizers or preservatives. (Take a look at the ingredients on a box mix cake.)
• Pride. There’s definitely a satisfaction that one gets from making something that takes creativity, patience and skill that can’t be experienced with shortcuts.

Many box cake devotees argue that box mixes are faster. Over at Apartment Therapy’s The Kitchn, they proved that wrong. [Do check out their other article about scratch cakes as healthier than boxed mixes.]

As for cake mix being less expensive than scratch, you may be surprised at what we found in the DIY Bride Test Kitchen. That’s another post, though.

My best advice is for you to do a taste and bake test with scratch cakes and box cakes to find the ones that fit the taste, texture, and budget that you’re aiming for. (Check back for the DIY Bride Test Kitchen results.)

Remember: a wedding cake needs to taste great, no matter how clever or fancy it looks.