Complicated

In the last few weeks alone, I've gone through several rounds of ideas for centerpieces, always landing on a DIY option that will inevitably require a TON of work given we'll likely have around 30 tables of guests to decorate. I'm holding strong to my paper flowers, and I continue to search for a way to hold them that not only looks good, but also isn't just a random vase from the store.

I talked about collecting different cut glass vases and painting them all the same to make them look similar overall. I talked about adding baby's breath in as a base around the paper flowers. What I didn't mention anywhere in blogging was my original idea of gathering salvaged wood from New Orleans (where we fell in love) and building flower boxes out of it. Clearly, this would have involved somehow getting a ridiculous amount of wood from a city that just happens to be, um, a 15 hour drive from home, and that's just not feasible (although I definitely attempted to figure it out).

The wood from New Orleans idea stems from my being completely stuck on every possible element of our wedding being personal and having some kind of "meaning" to us and our relationship. Perhaps just as difficult, but not requiring a road trip halfway across the country, I saw an image tonight that sparked new inspiration -

Allow me to explain -

When we bought our little house a couple of years ago, we inherited two massive pine trees in the backyard, that a friend of my dad's promptly removed for us given they blocked out any chance of grass or sunlight, and crossed through power lines causing a potential hazard. The logs from the trees have since been stacked under the back stairs for future use in our still non-existent firepit. 

Last year, my dad attempted to cut the logs into slices for my good friend Lauren to use in her own wedding centerpieces, but since they were old the bark quickly stripped off, and the rustic feel she was going for was completely lost. 

But what if they could be used without the bark? Say maybe, sanded down smooth and painted a fun color? And hollowed out like the above image to hold my precious paper flowers? Yes my friends, I have figured out my ideal perfect centerpiece. And yes, it will require a crap ton of work, which I can assure you Dan is just thrilled about. :)

I'm forcing myself not to get too excited about this just yet, as the wood has now been through two solid winters and I honestly have no idea what kind of shape it is actually in. But trust me when I say I'll be dragging a couple logs inside as soon as I can to do some inspecting and brainstorming. Keep your fingers crossed for me!