will you be...a bridesmaid for me?

I. love. stationery. It's an addiction, and a somewhat costly one at that. I love the feel of a new package of beautiful notecards...I love girly paper and holiday paper and just because paper. I love Papyrus and Crane and Kate Spade. Le sigh.

I even have a little nook in my desk just for my stationery:

(I'm also pretty obsessed with underwear, but I don't think you want to see photos of THAT....)

A girl can't love paper without fun pens and pencils too, right? These are some at my desk at home:

I find any excuse I can to purchase new stationery. So when it came time to find a creative way to ask my bridesmaids to stand up with me, I naturally turned to my local paper store to find the perfect spring themed notecards where I could pen something sweet for my girls.

That quick look turned into a really sub-standard poem on the perfect paper, coupled with a small framed photo of me and the bridesmaid, which I mailed to each of them about a year before our wedding. Lucky for me, my perfectionism paid off, because I penned one that I didn't think looked right, and I have it here to show you!

It's a bit hard to read, so I'll re type the little poem I created in half an hour during a grad class one Thursday night:

GIRLS NAME

So you know it's true

I will say "I do!"

May _______, twenty ten

and I'm hoping when

Mr. Pencils and I stand and

say to all the land

we shall be as one,

you will join the fun

and stand by my side!

For years, far and wide,

you've been a true friend

through each twist and bend.

And I just can't wait-

please say, on this date,

you'll joyfully be-

a bridesmaid for me?

I know, it's no Emily Dickinson or e.e. cummings, but it worked! Each of my lovely ladies said yes and I got to have my best friends all join me on my big day!

How did you ask your bridal party to join you?

*all photos by yours truly*