Handmade Bridal Shower Invitations Under 18 Dollars!

It's been wedding central here in the Practical Prepster household.
One of my best friends is getting married in November and one of my close friends is getting married next weekend! So with all the lovely nuptials around the corner my wallet has been hit hard with wedding gifts and bachelorette party reservations.

For the wedding in November, I am a bridesmaid and  I've been so exited to get crafty and inventive as the other bridesmaids and I come up with fun ideas for the bachelorette party and bridal shower.

......Obviously I volunteered to decorate and do all the fun crafty things. So first things first were the invitations!!!!!!


We are having a cute little bridal tea shower in a tea room here in southern VA, so I decided to theme the event "Love is Brewing"



I wanted  to hand-make the invitations for a personal touch. and to make things low-cost!






I printed the logistical information on the back of some beautiful card-stock I picked up at Michaels.

I chose card-stock with a little sheen so it would stand out and look more expensive.

I traced an outline of a teapot on floral scrapbook paper,
which I also purchased at Michaels.

Next, I cut little bows out of lacey ribbon and hot glued them on the floral teapot cutouts.















Next came the fun part!  I used two different sized sharpies to put a curly "Love is Brewing" text on the front of the teapot. I used craft glue to glue the teapot to the cardstock and then added little hearts to the spout! .......( side note I spent about a day figuring out how I wanted to write this)

Finally it was time to lick some envelopes and address them in a fun way! I searched on Pinterest for creative ways to address envelopes.

Lastly, I used old stickers from my manny years of Lilly Pulitzer agendas to seal the envelopes!


And TADA, handmade invitations that cost me next to nothing! Just time and crafty cutting.



Stay tuned for more wedding updates!

Family Reunion. Two Parties & A Decor Budget of 80!

Hello my favorite readers! Hope all is well. I'm sorry I've been absent.. but post-grad life has been kinda crazy. I've gone from GMU to NY to VA to PA to IL to IN to VA ..back to PA and finally to VA again. Its been a whirlwind of a summer but I'm glad to finally be settled in for the next couple of months and be back to blogging!
So.... we had our annual Stover Family Reunion two weekends ago, and because my aunt hosted this year, she asked me to help out with the decor. 

I set a color scheme of blue, yellow, and white and then added some personal touches. I wanted a simple picnic feel and went with a lot of DIY decor options that were based on my color scheme and the letter S! Check out my decorations below!

Night 1 &2 @ Margret's House.


A pretty entry way, with a personalized banner and tissue ball flowers.















A little welcome banner at the front door!

I love this light up "S" I found at Michaels on sale for 2 dollars!

These tissue pom-poms were great for adding a pop of color, I used them in the entry way, on the buffet table, and on the picnic tables. The best part.... they were .50 cents. 

I  hand painted this banner and then used it at both locations. By changing the way it was hung I kept it fresh and new!

I cut out foam "S's" to put around the gates of the house and also at the mailbox to direct people to the correct house!
















More of the "S's".  I added little paper lanterns to the outdoor umbrellas to bring in the color scheme.

Day 2 @ Pavilion- It was HOT, HOT,HOT!


Here is the banner rehung at the pavilion.

The picnic tables- simple blue runner.  tissue balls, some decorative napkins, and a glass jar with a floating daisy.

 
















 Close up of the table decor.


















I added yellow and white paper lanterns to the corners of the pavilion to add a bright and colorful touch!

















Look at all the food.. and how cute are those cake pops?























When I was finally done, I sat back and enjoyed a cake pop...or two..

















I had such a fun time making the decorations. DIY is my favorite, and I love being able to add a personal touch to such a fun event.  Staying under 100 dollars for two separate locations was a fun challenge and I enjoyed bargain hunting ribbon at Michaels, exploring the dollar store,  and digging through my shed to find decorations I could alter and use!

How do you decorate and stay on a tight budget?

New Summer, New Dance Organization!

Hello Everyone!

I'm so excited to announce that I will be working with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago this summer as a Dorm Chaperone for their Summer Teen Intensive! I head to Chicago on Thursday and I couldn't be more ready to explore,live, and eat..in a brand new city!

* All photos were taken courtesy of Grant Halverson at American Dance Festival 

(Also when I was blonde and tan..)

Last year I worked as a Festival Services Intern at American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina, and it was the most amazing summer of my life. I can't talk about this organization enough and looking back I learned so much about non-profit organizations and dance companies through working at this festival.

Also I learned what it really means to be an intern and how to delegate, communicate, and appreciate!

So as I head to Chicago this summer, I am looking forward to exploring the city.... when I can.... and dancing with the students at Hubbard Street and the staff. I've never been west of West Virginia so it's gonna be a fun new adventure.

My mom bought me luggage for graduation and I am all packed up for a month and ten days....it was a challenge packing.. but thanks to Ziplock Space Bags (they are miracle workers) and a lot of sitting on my suitcase to zip it..... IT ALL FITS!

Side Note-Im a classic overpacker...






So I will keep you updated on my practical adventures in this new city. I'll be a busy bee, but will try to keep y'all updated on hidden treasures and exciting experiences!

Well Ta Ta for now friends.. Im off to Chitown!!!

Do you have any favorite places to go in the Windy City?

I wore a prom dress THREE TIMES!!!! ( how to make the most out of what you already have)

Hello all!
So I've actually been thinking about this post for a long time and can't believe I haven't written it yet.

So obviously I like being practical, but you know something that's hard to be practical with.... PROM DRESSES. I mean lets be honest we spend lots of money on them and, unless you are going to several black tie events, long prom dresses are hard to wear again and again.  UNLESS.... you buy smart.
I bought this simple XSCAPE black prom dress from Lex's of Carytown in 2011. It is a very classic shape, no sequins, no overexposed skin, and its a simple color. I think these elements all contributed to why I could wear it more than once.

Now I have a boyfriend in the military so I've gone to my fair share of formal events which all call for long dresses, so I've actually needed to break out the formal dresses again, and again!

So here's what I did.

1)I wore this dress to prom my junior year-2011

2)wore it again to military ball my freshmen year of college-2013


3) then I altered it to make it look completely different and wore it again!-2016

*excuse the mirror shots...


NOW THAT'S PRACTICAL!





I used about 6 inches of 2 inch elastic and sewed it in the underarm of the lining to keep the dress up when taking the mesh away. Next, I tacked the mesh at the top down to the inner lining to make it strapless, and the best part? I did no harm to the dress!!!! There was no cutting, and all I have to do it take out the loose tacks to make it good as new!


Sometimes you have to just reimagine the things in your closet to make them into something completely new, and the best part is I spent 0 dollars on my gown!

Side note-I wore the same Steve Madden black sandals and those silver drop earrings all three times!

Side Side note- Shout out to my boyfriend Drew who was there through all three dresses and always looking dapper.

Side Side Side note- Puberty Rocks.

Audition Time: Radio City Rockettes... and the End of my NY trip.

Today was my final audition in New York City. The audition was for the Radio City Rockettes for their Christmas Spectacular.
I was really happy I had previously gone to the female ensemble auditions on Monday because I knew the routine of the Radio City audition process.

The audition began at 10. So I arrived to wait in line at 7:25. I met some great girls in line and we chit-chatted the whole time we were waiting. I learned that most of them had gone to the Rockettes summer intensive or had auditioned upwards of 5 times for the Rockettes.  I was glad to get some insight on the specific process, and meet some great people simultaneously!

I also lucked out because it was a beautiful day in New York, it was 90 degrees!!!







What I wore:
I wore a high necked leo, tan fishnets and once again tan character shoes. I put my hair in a classic Rockette french twist and big diamond studs. And of course, a classic red lip!

Audition:
After once again filling into the warm-up room, like on monday, they took us in groups of 70. I was number 35 so I was in the first group. Up the elevator we went and straight into the rehearsal studio.
We lined up and learned a kick combination with precise head rotations and arm motions, and the combination ended with a double pirouette and arm pose. Most of the girls were very familiar with the steps.
We then went 4 at a time, picked randomly,and then they made a cut.
While I felt extremely confident about my performance, I was cut...womp... but I learned a tremendous amount.

*waiting in line!

1. They apparently do the same/similar combinations at the audition
2. I need to practice dancing in heels...(its more of a challenge than I thought)
3. Precision is KEY!


While I didn't make it past the first cut, Im not discouraged. Auditioning is a specific skill and with something so precise as the Rockettes, its not something that you always nail the first time. Now that I understand this process a little more. I am defiantly looking forward to coming back for the next round of auditions.

After the audition, I was lucky enough to be in a hotel right next to the only ChickFilA in the city.( How lucky am I? ) I grabbed a celebratory sweet tea and then headed back to my room to shower. I also finally ate my cookie from the Momofuku milk bar I had visited on Monday night! ( SO good)



 









Then, I grabbed a coffee later in the day with an alumni dance major from Mason named Nicole, and then I met up with Allison later for dinner.






Allison and I went to Chelsea Market for dinner, which is a really unique place to eat! They have so many different food options and little boutiques. We went to a cute little farm to table restaurant called That Green Table.

To cap off the trip Allison and I went to the Loopy Doopy bar in lower manhattan. It was a rooftop bar in a beautiful hotel, and their speciality are these spiked popsicles in a glass of prosecco. It was so cool and bubbly. It wasn't cheap ( the practical prep, wasn't very practical) but, it was a fun way to end my time in New York City, and the view, along with the gorgeous weather,  was OUTSTANDING

Now I'm headed back on a train to southern VA, where I will spend a week before I head to Chicago to work with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for a month! I'll keep y'all posted on this new adventure. but as for now I'm gonna enjoy this relaxing train ride with a good book and a power nap :)

* Side Note- the Maze Runner series is great I'm on the last book now!

New York, New York.. Continued..

So my New York trip continues!!!!

Because I got cut from the first audition, I had a free day to explore the city.

I slept in a little, and then Marisa and I headed to Maison Kayser for lunch . (Delicious French Food and a decent price for a quality meal!) Also I grabbed a Chocolate Au Plie for dessert! YUMMM!!!

*French Onion Soup

After a quick power nap and shower, Marisa, Allison, and I headed to OmFactory for an ariel yoga class. This was one of the coolest things Ive done so far...It was so amazing!

We took a level 1 basics class and it was defiantly more fun and challenging than I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed the friendly staff, fun music, and fabulous instruction. 

The class was only 18 dollars and if you show your student ID you can receive a student discount for a 15 dollar class! Defiantly worth every penny. I can't recommend it enough.

After class, we wanted to grab a quick meal so we headed to Roasted  ( basically the salad version of Chipotle) 

After a healthy dinner we went to Magnolia Bakery ( not so healthy) to grab cupcakes for dessert. Once again I was throughly pleased with my choice,  I got the classic red-velvet and also got a coconut cupcake!

Overall it was an amazing day!!!! Check back to hear about the rest of my trip and auditions! 

Audition Time: Radio City Christmas Spectacular!

Hey Everyone,
A huge component of my life is obviously my dance career. I want to include my audition experiences as part of my blog! I'll talk about how I afford staying in cities, traveling, my audition experiences, and of course what I wear-( all while being practical of course;)
It's still the Practical Prep-just with a spice of my dance audition flare.

So....
This week I headed to New York for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Auditions. There were two separate auditions, one for the ensemble dancers who dance in-between the Rockettes and one for the actual Radio City Rockettes.

TRAVEL:
I took a Bolt Bus with my friend Marisa from DC to New York. This is now the second time I've taken this bus it's super easy and cost efficient! My ticket was 23 dollars!

LODGING:
I stayed at "The Hotel @ Times Square" it was  a super convenient location and had a free continential breakfast. I used booking.com and found a great deal.

SUNDAY DINNER:
My best friend Allison is a New York native and always knows the greatest places to eat. Marisa, Allison, and I all headed to Gotham West Market and went to Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop.  It was a perfect light and delicious meal! We then went to Cupcakes by Melissa (cutest little cupcakes) and then headed back to the hotel to catch up on Game of Thrones!!! ( noted* I'm a fan girl)

AUDITIONS:
Monday was the first audition for the ensemble dancers, and I woke up early and got ready. Because it was an open call I knew there was going to be an abundance of girls there. The audition started at 2pm so I got there at 11:30 to stand in line, and Allison met up with me just a bit later. It didn't really  get crowded untill around 12. At 12:30 they took us into Radio City and we filled out some paperwork. We were taken into a big waiting room where we gave our headshot and resume and they let us know that there would be about 80 people in a group. We were told to be in heeled character shoes, and we pinned our numbers to our leos.

*Pictured- Allison taking a little squat as we waited in line!

I was in the second group, and once we were taken inside the studio we were given a quick 16 count phrase. We then went in groups of 4 until all had performed the combination once.

I got cut after the first round but I learned a lot from this first experience with Radio City. The organization is extremely organized and I am looking forward to my Rockette audition on Wednesday!

WHAT I WORE:
I kept with classical Rockette attire and wore a leotard, but wore black tights over my leo. Many girls wore black skirts, but I found most were in leotards and tights.  I wore my hair in a high curled pony and topped of my look with a classic red lip!

Stay tuned as I post more about my New York Visit and my second audition experience!!