Gift bag storage

I currently have a lot of gift bags on hand right now. Some were bought very cheap on clearance, some are from gifts we have received and the most recent ones are from some of the many gifts the bride and groom received. All the ones I saved are very sturdy and look good as new. From a green point of veiw and from a thrifty point of veiw, it only makes sense to reuse them.
I got this idea from Meridith at http://likemerchantships.blogspot.com/ She used a bracket and says it holds her stash of 50 bags. I did not have a bracket but I did find some large nails in hubby's tool box. The nails were free too!

I hung them in the bottom of my craft closet and the container full of roll wrap sits comfortably in front of them on the floor.
Just an FIY though, if you reuse bags, be sure to remove any to and from tags that might be on them. I once got a Christmas gift in a reused bag from my church secret sister, she had got a gift from her aunt in the same bag and she left the tag on. I had already kind of guessed that she was my secret sister but I knew for sure when I read on the tag "To Cindy, Merry Christmas from Aunt Brenda"

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!

I might should of titled this post "wedding leftovers" Nina used whole coffee beans at her reception. We bought large vases and filled them with coffee beans and then had blue and brown balloons coming out of the top of every one. The reception room was very large but the twenty five arrangements of coffee beans gave just a beautiful scent to the room. Nina bought 60 pounds of beans from a discount coffee seller in Oklahoma City. When we filled the vases, 30 pounds were plenty to fill them all. We thought guests would take center pieces home with them but I guess they were all happy with candy boxes and no one took coffee.
So now we have lots and lots of coffee beans. I don't drink coffee and neither does the bride but my husband does.
He says it is really good coffee too. We don't have a coffee grinder and I did not want to buy one because we won't use coffee beans normally. My Kitchenaid food processor does a good job of grinding them though.
We have been giving beans to all our friends, family and co-workers that like coffee but we have only gotten rid of half of them so far.

The 30 pounds still left.
Fresh ground coffee for Jeff, the in laws and the groom. And some bags for the inlaws if they want to grind more.

more wedding.....

happy little guests, (yes, they are twins,) enjoying their coloring books on the dance floor.
Guest book
The guest book table in the foyer of the church.

The guest book was printed by Shutterfly.com and is their engagement story and photos. Guests signed it like a yearbook and it is so much fun to read. Nina and her dad designed and printed the programs.
There were lots of children at this wedding and the candy made them very happy. But they also stayed very busy with the coloring books Nina made. The crayons are in the little brown buckets decorated striped ribbon.

Brown and blue, polka dots and candy

The Candy Bar

it was a huge hit with guests. They ate lots of candy at the reception and filled their little Asian food takeout boxes with more to take home as their favors.

Nina bought all the candy in blue and brown and found most of it online. The containers were mostly bought at thrift stores and garage sales.

another shot of the candy bar


The grooms cake with football theme , of course!

Nina put lots of planning in this wedding. She spent lots of time on TheKnot.com getting advice and ideas from other brides. Her wedding was so much fun and really showed her and John's personalities. Their colors were chocolate brown and all shades of blue.

Beautiful wedding for a beautiful daughter and son in law

Mr and Mrs. Weaver

I love the blue hydrangeas! The entire wedding party on the church stage
having some cake
Before the wedding, this momma helping her daughter get ready.

leaving the reception in a shower of bubbles.