cute shiny things

at last

2009-08-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

it is official. we are wed. here are a few photos from Inga Finch Photography.

hair: this is it

2009-05-29T02:09:00.000-07:00

these images are gorgeous but more importantly, they are perfect for what i'm looking to do with my hair. i want to wear my hair down and wear a big flower but hadn't decided on the look until now. i love this look. it has a vintage feel and is slightly polished with the wave in the front but still crazy fun in the back with all the curls. love it.

i like the hair below but i want to wear mine down not up.

i caved...

2009-05-27T02:04:00.000-07:00

but i'm happy about it. originally i thought i would make paper flowers for the wedding. i began cutting petals of crepe paper and storing them in little baggies (like floral crack) to bring back to the states. my friends were going to help me put them together and i would construct the centerpieces well in advance of the wedding. they would need no water but i'd have to be careful of flame. they would be like the mexican paper flowers i love so much.

that was then.

this is now. it is not as if i'm running out of time or even craft energy. it is just that as the time nears, i'm so looking forward to hanging out with my family and friends that i don't want to complicate things with making a bazillion paper flowers.

i worked at a florist for four years. i've done wedding flowers. and guess what? i'm going to do my own! i ordered the flowers from an online wholesale florist and they will be delivered on thursday.

i used the dress in the right hand corner as inspiration. i love the red and oranges together. i even ordered tons of red carnations which i absolutely despised just a few years ago. weird how things change....

imagine

2009-05-27T01:35:00.001-07:00

if you add all these together, you'll see what i'm going for. i want garland and lights everywhere for the mexican inspired vintage southern wedding.

got these

2009-05-27T01:31:00.001-07:00

a while back i aske whether i should get colored hearts or silver ones. well, i chose the silver. for two reasons really. 1) they were cheaper and 2) i can always paint them if i want them with colors and i can even choose the colors i want. turquoise and red. i bought 140 so that each guest can take one home if they like. if not, i love them and will keep them and use them for years to come. there are so many uses: hang on walls, hang from ceilings, hang from christmas trees, hang in fruit trees to scare away birds....

funny

2009-05-27T01:27:00.000-07:00

obviously the invitations went out some time ago. we had two different versions which included/excluded a family dinner so there was a lot of printing and cutting. again, they were all handmade out of kraft paper. i thought they looked fantastic and actually didn't take any photos because we sent out every last one. i should print one off for a keepsake but who has the time. anyway, be careful about using kraft paper because the rabid dogs at the post office like to chew on it. turns out because the paper was rather thin that a couple of the invites got caught in the machines and torn up. yikes! i hope everyone got one!

red and white checkered food tray

2009-05-27T01:21:00.001-07:00

i pinched this idea from a beautiful red and white wedding showcased on snippet and ink. because my caterers do not provide plates, napkins or cutlery for the cake, i thought i'd go casual. i'm already having a cake buffet, not a traditional wedding cake, so these cute red and white trays fit the bill. i bought wooden spoons and turquoise napkins from china town for a ridiculously cheap price and i'm all done. the trays come in 500 for about 25 dollars! and i'll never use that many but i'll donate them to the family children for paint dishes and afternoon snacks. cheap and cute!

been away

2009-05-27T01:14:00.000-07:00

i've been away for so long. spent too much time planning and not enough time writing about it. there is less than one month to go and so much has happened. in the last couple weeks i've (and my little helpers) have sewn 130 cloth napkins out of red and turquoise fabric, purchased the remaining items for the cake table, gone shopping for ties, socks, bra, etc., washed and nearly packed all the glass and metal centerpieces, and the list goes on. i thought i'd put up a few posts about what i've been doing.

above is the coozie proof. we order 75 for our guests who are drinking beer as opposed to sangria or iced tea. the proof is in black and white but the coozie will be red with turquoise writing.

rollerskating is cool

2009-04-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

luckily i have friends that are cool enough to still like rollerskating. so i'm planning on renting out the local rink the thursday before the wedding. we can have cake and pitchers of coke, play video games and skate. all ages are invited so the kids that come will love it too. hopefully nobody would get hurt or break anything. if i did, i'd just wrap the cast in vintage lace and walk down the aisle. i think people get too caught up in worrying about having their "day" be perfect. it is the unexpected imperfections that make you laugh at pictures, not the fact that your hair was perfectly in place.

jadite

2009-04-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

my mom has some of this, if she hasn't given it away or sold it yet. she has been offloading a bunch of her vintage and antique china so i hope she hasn't parted with her jadite. i've always loved it. perhaps more that milkglass. but i'm not sure if i can commit to that statement just yet. i wonder when someone is going to repro this stuff. Target should get on it.

i miss florida

2009-04-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

snippet & ink

fabric flowers

2009-04-07T03:19:00.001-07:00

a new take on the paper flowers - fabric flowers. One of my favorite things in life is millinery flowers. i think that is why i like old hats so much. these remind me of those old-fashioned treats.

colorful weddings: part I

2009-03-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

this is the first in two posts on colorful weddings. i'm loving that others have the idea of borrowing on south of the border style. my favorite parts of this wedding are that they use plastic colorful cups and have sharpies out for people to put their names on them. i also adore the paper flower hair wreaths that the little girls are wearing. cameron + kelly studios.

colorful weddings: part II

2009-03-27T04:49:00.000-07:00

a new mexico wedding. the colors of this wedding are fantastic. reds, oranges and a hint of turquoise. i especially like the sting of lights across the aisle. oh, those big bulbs.

killer rings

2009-03-27T04:42:00.001-07:00

these are killer rings. i especially like the buckle one with the diamond. i'm looking for a wedding band and of course none of these are bands, but i love them. becky kelso

red board

2009-03-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

i seem to be unable to post regularly. it is not that i'm that busy with the planning because i haven't done much more crafting or planning. is suppose it comes in waves.

i love everything about this board. but mostly i like the red. snippet and ink.

silver or color?

2009-03-05T04:53:00.000-08:00

these would be great favors or part of table decoration. slap a magnet on the back and they are even better. i just cannot decide which is better, color or silver?

update on budget

2009-03-03T01:47:00.001-08:00

it has been a while since i've posted about budgets. i'm happy to say that we are still very close to what we originally wanted to spend. i've done some purchasing here and there of decorations, so i will put up a photo soon of all my vintage finds with a price tag of what i've spent.

for the exciting part, i've received my dress from KTJean. i absolutely love it. it is just my style and i cannot wait to wear it. it came wrapped beautifully in wedding color ribbons. thanks Katie!

photog

2009-03-03T01:41:00.000-08:00

i'm getting more and more excited. one of my friends who i've known for several years is shooting my wedding. inga has creativity running through her blood. i used to work for her mom and sis at their flower shop on holidays. that is where inga and i met. i was so happy she found photography when she did and went to some of her first shows. now she is super successful and an amazing photographer and i'm so happy she is coming to and shooting the wedding!

"putting up"

2009-01-24T22:33:00.000-08:00

okay, so we have a neighbor who doesn't live in his house and he has three beautiful peach trees which are bursting with peaches. so j has been bugging me about doing something with the peaches before they fall off or the birds get them. there are only so many you can eat.

i decided to make some homemade peach chutney and try my hand a my first "canning." i haven't ever canned anything before and can only slightly remember watching my grandmother and my mother do it. i remember lots of boiling water and the fun little sound that the tops made when they sealed, but that is about all i remembered. fast forward twenty years and i'm attempting it for myself. i read up a bit online and went looking for what i needed. i'm guessing australians don't can much because i had a hell of a time finding what i needed and even then i don't think i got it right - only 2 out of 8 jars sealed properly. the jars here are not the two piece lids that you get in the states and they hardly look like they have a big enough rubber seal to get a tight fit. i went to every grocery store, dollar store, kitchen store and finally found some jars at the craft store!

the venture wasn't a total loss. it took me ALL day but i did get two jars which i can "put up". i managed to get a pretty severe burn on my hand from the chutney (blisters in one place). that shit is like molten lava! the chutney is delicious and i will be giving most of it away seeing as how we cannot possibly eat 8 jars in a matter of weeks. here are a couple pics of my product!

success? not totally

failure? not totally

lessons learned:

1) get a proper canning kit

2) find the proper canning jars

3) make sure a friend is around to help

this is what i'd like to wear the day after

2009-01-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

how comfortable does this dress look? tucker

diy save the dates

2009-01-17T04:24:00.000-08:00

here are the diy save the dates. i designed them in adobe illustrator using some images and fonts i downloaded for free. then printed them on kraft paper which i tri-folded.

the envelopes are diy too. i found a cool side opening envelope and used it as a pattern.

then i used a good old fashioned calligraphy pen to address them. nothing super fancy but it did the job. i like the way they turned out and am now proclaiming that the wedding colors are red, turquoise and kraft! i love kraft paper so much and it is so economical!

winter doilies

2009-01-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

one of the most creative ideas i've seen this holiday season. i would do this but they'd melt in less than 30 seconds.

back from the holidays

2009-01-10T16:23:00.001-08:00

man, the holidays tend to suck you straight out of your regular schedule. now that they are over, i've realized how close we are getting to the wedding! yikes! i will be posting something about the save the date cards soon, but in the meantime, i better get them out. so here are some great things to look at in the meantime.

I luv garland of any kind and hope to use some kind of garland at the wedding. so here are a few ones that i really like and think would be quite simple yet time-consuming...

In order of appearance confetti system, rebecca thuss, pamgarrison (these are made of coffee filters), Martha Stewart Weddings.

so many adorable weddings lately

2008-12-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

please click on these images so that you can see them full size. this wedding is absolutely adorable and has a really sweet story to go with it. you can read the full story here. i especially love the hayrides they gave the kids (as i'm fond of my hayrides when i was little). i also very much love the use of vintage table clothes on top of the boring old white ones. the wedding was held on a farm where you can pick your own blueberries and flowers. luv it!

next up...

i love the glamour of this fall wedding and especially love the shrug she is wearing. i wish i could pull that off in the summer but i'd likely look like a drowned goose if i attempted it. i've never associated myself with the word "glamour" so i should stay clear of things that i give that lable. more here. this is the wedding of christine from pretty.pretty paper.

that's what i'm talking about

2008-12-05T16:00:00.001-08:00

yep, that's what i'm talking about. this is the exact type of container collection i'm going for on the tables. milk glass, shiny bits and cut glass or clear vases. now just imagine bright red paper flowers overflowing from them and you'll get the picture. photo: creature comforts via perfect bound

just when you thought you were orginal

2008-12-05T15:50:00.001-08:00

i've been really slack lately about writing anything when i post pics. it has been exceptionally busy with work and life so i've just been trying to stay afloat. anyway, good news all around. i passed my fresh meat roller derby trials and am now allowed to start "real" training. i was super excited about that! so we have a break over the holiday and start back to training two days a week in January. woohoo! but back to the post. you know, just when you think you have an original idea, somebody comes right along and tells you they've already done it. i've been admiring for some time a local antique shop's salt and pepper shakers and thought that they would be really cute on top of the cakes and pies at the wedding. since we've decided to go with several good cakes rather than one day old crusty wedding cake, i've been thinking about toppers. i would say "wouldn't it be cute if you put a set of shakers on top of each one," but you can see for yourself how cute it would be. from wedding chicks

a mexico inspired wedding

2008-12-02T03:48:00.001-08:00

this is a great wedding that was inspired by mexico. i like the bright colors and the loteria cards. found it on style me pretty.

bridesmaids in boots

2008-12-02T03:44:00.000-08:00

this makes me want to have bridesmaids!
from offbeat bride

list of things to do:

2008-12-01T04:59:00.000-08:00

1) stencil porch

2) make lights with egg cartons

design sponge

whip up

ponytails are hot

2008-12-01T04:54:00.001-08:00

when they look like this. images from design sponge.

i know it's thanksgiving and not easter but....

2008-11-26T04:14:00.000-08:00

is this not the cutest thing you have ever seen. that bunny's tongue is precious. can i just say that i'm 'thankful' for bunny tongues? Happy Thanksgiving! from peonies and polaroids

teal and red

2008-11-26T04:04:00.000-08:00

from creative odds n ends

porcelain beer cans

2008-11-21T03:26:00.000-08:00

these are kickass.
although, i'm sure if they were in the middle of our table and the guy came home, he'd say "who was over drinkin'?" okay, perhaps i've underestimated him - he'd probably say, "can i have the last one?"

for mom

2008-11-21T01:03:00.001-08:00

she would like these. check out the other cool driftwood art at Yalos Alanya

via Black Eiffel.

more red and blue - enjoy!

2008-11-20T04:40:00.000-08:00

well done

2008-11-17T23:46:00.001-08:00

i think she has managed to pull of the flower in the hair very well. que adorable! I have about the same shape of face as her and similar hair...so...

if you haven't seen the details of this wedding, you really should

southern bride blogger and unconvention

2008-11-17T02:20:00.000-08:00

exciting news. i've been asked by Southern Weddings Magazine daily blog to put a link to my blog on their blog. that was a mouthful. anyway, if you go to this link you will see a little square called 'cute shiny thing'. if you click on that - it will take you straight back here!

unconvention - i love it!

photos by mi belle inc.

cheeky monkey

2008-11-17T01:56:00.001-08:00

i love the phrase "cheeky monkey" which i've learned since moving to oz. used to describe someone who is acting a bit sly or smarty pants. anyway, it might be used to describe my collection of milk glass and other containers for the wedding centerpieces. so, you know how i've been collecting them? well, i keep having people ask me how i'm going to get them home. that's not the cheeky part - i'm packing them all in one suitcase and having the guy carry them as one of his two luggage allowances. he might find that cheeky...

the cheeky part comes in when you consider the exchange rate. now i should preface this by saying the exchange rate from aus to us dollars NEVER works to my advantage. NEVER! particularly since now all the money that we've saved for the wedding is 66 cents to the us dollar! crap! anyway, i just thought about it the other day that i will be selling these pieces as one lot once the wedding is over. i intend to package every last one up in a large box and sell the whole lot to some bride who wishes to get a good deal on beautiful, carefully selected vintage centerpiece ware. the good part - i can sell the whole lot for the same cost i spent for them in aus dollars which gives me a mark up of 34 cents to the dollar. does that make sense? should i do the math. you should check mine, because i'm horrible at math!

vase = $2.00aus or $1.32us if i sell it in the us for $2.00us, the $2.00us exchanges at $3.00aus and i come out a dollar richer!

now, i'm not trying to be greedy and a dollar hardly makes me a serious entrepreneur. but at least i get a bone or two now and then from the exchange rate!

pic of milkglass not mine: feather in my nest read here about her collection.

it's finally here...roller derby

2008-11-16T03:23:00.000-08:00

after waiting over a year to try out for the roller derby, i'm finally in town long enough to participate in the "fresh meat" intake. i have to admit a tweaked knee and bruised ego after my fourth practice when i tried out my first double knee slide. i expect to become familiar with the position above. i think my roller derby name will be "dixie dynamite." what do you think? i think it satisfies two attributes: my southern sensibilities and my "dynamite comes in small packages." photo credit: cig harvey

cake

2008-11-11T02:22:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite subjects to talk about. cakes. i like cakes. cakes are good. cakes make me smile. cakes are usually the objects of my affection regardless of who or what else is in the room. have i made my point clear?

the last two images of cakes are how i envision the wedding cake table. i would like to get many cakes. the more cakes the better instead of one big cake. i'm not a huge fan of wedding cake because it is usually made well in advance, usually dry and the icing is nearly always that detestable fondant. so to avoid this scenario, i will either have several of friends and family members make a good cake to bring or have a local bakery make eight cakes. i like cakes.

credits: 1)vicky crease via absolutely beautiful things; for the rest, i believe a few are martha stewart, please forgive me for not knowing.

dresses to dye for

2008-11-11T01:45:00.000-08:00

elizabeth dye makes the cutest dresses. she uses old dresses and new fabrics to create these treasures. i think the one above is my favorite. it has the old-timey feel - it's perfect. and the one below is so snazzy. i love the ruffles around the neck. mind you, if i put that thing one i'd look like a defensive end for the miami dolphins. i think this bride pulls it off perfectly with her small frame.

pin cushion love

2008-10-27T03:58:00.001-07:00

i never thought i would lust after a pin cushion. i always thought the strawberries and the tomatoes, but was a wrong. so wrong. these pin cushions beat anything i've ever seen. from beth's bagz via the constant gatherer.

similar but different

2008-10-27T03:47:00.000-07:00

these look similar to the smock necklaces below but they are much more doily-esque. now you know my penchant for doilies ...i do like these wonderful little crafty treasures. from muntedkowhai via the constant gatherer.

things i missed

2008-10-27T01:11:00.001-07:00

when i left for the field for two weeks i managed to miss quite a few cute and shiny things on my regular blog haunts. it took a while to catch up but here are just a couple things from oh joy! that i missed:

1) finally! we can wear smocking as adults! i was beginning to think i would never be able to wear smock again. i luv smock but unfortunately, it appears as if you have to be under the age of 10 or dressed as alice in wonderland for halloween. these necklaces are super fab from tinctory on etsy.

2) fantastic hair and lovely accessories. styling by ting ting ling

red and turqouise/blue

2008-10-27T00:58:00.000-07:00

if i haven't said it already. by the end of this you will see all of the red and turqouise/blue/aqua things i can find online. here are some beautiful pics from bride to be via once wed.

thank youuuuu!!!

2008-10-21T04:42:00.000-07:00

a really good friend of mine was traveling through the southeast on a work trip a couple weeks ago and found and bought these for me! they are so totally freakin' awesome. i luv, luv, luv them. thanks pee. you are the best! what a hawk eye.

the octonauts

2008-09-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

my new favorite thing. octonauts! i have one of these images on my computer screen saver. aren't they adorable. i want the children's books.

more paper flowers

2008-09-29T06:03:00.001-07:00

these look real! from lalalaurie via once wed. she dips her individual petals in beeswax. i guess that is what makes them look so beautiful.

boots and weddings - a great combo

2008-09-29T06:00:00.001-07:00

this from Jessamyn Harris via a practical wedding. boots with dresses on the bridesmaids are super cute.

peacocks

2008-09-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

peacocks on hosiery. yippie. from ModCloth.

Heather Bailey fabric and pin cushions

2008-09-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

Heather Bailey has the cutest pin cushions around. that almost sounds perverse. but she does! those strawberries look good enough to eat. she has also just opened her new online store and i've been drooling over her latest fabrics. below is just a sample - boy, does she know color. i like the idea of a fabric backdrop for photos and would love to have one of these are about a dozen others. i really should take up quilting again. first i'd have to finish the one i started in 1995 then i could move on to one with some HB fabrics.

more paper flowers

2008-09-14T04:03:00.001-07:00

by next june you will have seen every paper flower there is to see on the internet. i promise. i bought some crepe paper the other day to try out the difference between crepe and tissue. i prefer crepe. it is like the difference between bad toilet paper and good toilet paper or pleather and leather. crepe is so much easier to work with and you can shape it to look more like real petals and flowers. as an example, i've put some pics up of Martha's crepe papers. she sells kits for making crepe paper flowers but luckily she puts the instructions on how to make them online. so for those who diy, we can use our own supplies and make them ourselves rather than having to buy the kit. i'm really adoring the peonies and dogwoods.

A-DOR-A-BLE

2008-09-13T18:48:00.001-07:00

i guess i'm on a run with stationery. check out these adorable wooden cards. i really like the raccoon - he is super cute. his expression and attitude is much the same as mine when i'm facing a big ear of corn on the cob - yum! and the squirrel below would have gone with the idea of "just a squirrel who found her nut." These darling little things are made by Night Owl Paper Goods but I found them via Oh So RB.

while we're on the subject of invitations

2008-09-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

i spent a couple hours (okay, more than a couple but i won't admit how many) trying to work out what i'd like the save-the-date (i refuse to use the abbreviation "std") cards would look like. and here is what i came up with. a combination of photoshop and word allowed me to create this. i did the calendar and heart in photoshop and then imported it into word and did the rest of the lettering. what do you think? i think it kind of sets the mood for the event with the "el corazon" heart and the vintage-ish cowboy lettering. it also has those two colors i adore so much. i'm thinking postcard. i will run this by the guy and see if he has any suggestions or objections. but i think i like it. i'm still considering if i need to take out the stars and put in a bit of scroll work instead. also, i'd like to print them on brown kraft paper but i don't know how that will look. which do you like, top or bottom?

diy invites

2008-09-12T04:34:00.000-07:00

i've been collecting fonts. yes, you heard it correct - collecting fonts. i know i collect a lot of things for no particular reason. but this time there is a reason. there are websites where you can go and download certain fonts for your word processing program. i downloaded these two the other day Pentagon and Captain Howdy (respectively). they are the vintage cowboy look that i think is super fabulous. pretty soon i'll try my hand at designing save-the-date cards and other types of paper goods. i'm thinking of using the old brown kraft paper. fun stuff.

tomatoes and invitation ideas

2008-09-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

i've always been attracted to vintage cowboy print. looks like there is somebody else who shares my taste. check this stationery out from YeeHaw. i so much want to take this farmers' market poster and turn it into a save-the-date card. tomatoes will feature in the wedding because we both love them so much. my guy and i can easily sit down and eat a bag of chips and a jar of salsa for lunch or dinner and we have several times! initially, i thought that i would make homemade salsa for each guest as a wedding favor, but then i looked up the recipe. do you know how many tomatoes are needed for a jar of salsa? a gazillion! plus you need to have nice ripe ones and i have yet to see those sold in the stores these days. i'd have to grow them myself and i just don't have the time or skill it takes to do that. if my papa were here he could do it. he used to grow the best tomatoes in the world. we used to get a salt shaker and take it outside and eat 'em like apples when we were little. about once a year i can replicate the taste of a tomato and mayo sandwich like i used to eat when i was a kid. there is no mistaking a homegrown tomato.

cupcakes make me happy too!

these would be really cute sitting at each place setting with a note on the back. i like the gracias ones because they are spanish but i love the thank you ones because they are red. choices, choices.

i won!

2008-09-12T04:03:00.000-07:00

i won a contest on a blog! all i had to do was answer a couple questions and I won these beautiful earrings from noaki. fantastic surprise! i just received the earrings today and they are absolutely perfect gold, shiny, dangly, bits of beauty.

everywhere i look, more paper flowers

2008-09-04T06:58:00.001-07:00

it seems everywhere i look, i see paper flowers. i keep seeing all kinds of designs which gives me more and more ideas about making them. here are the latest ones. these i found on Design Sponge and are by Zoe Bradley. they are actually part of an art exhibit. somehow i doubt mine would be considered for an art exhibit. but i do like the angular design of these.

and these are from a wedding featured by Brooklyn Bride. the bride made them herself. what is even more exciting is that she also had a mexican-inspired wedding and had a mariachi band and pinatas. yeah! AND the wedding was in central Florida. weird. i was trying to figure out from the pics where the wedding was held, but couldn't tell. if she is from cenFLA then that would just be weird. two girls from cenFLA deciding to have a mexican-inspired wedding with paper flowers. i asked my guy about a mariachi band but he drew the proverbial line in the sand at that one. he also wasn't too keen about the pinatas. oh well.

guilty pleasure

2008-08-31T07:27:00.000-07:00

i like doilies. i've always liked doilies. and i will not apologize. no, i'm not 90 years old. i don't know why i like them, i just do. i have bags of them in storage and some on my shelf. i found a few uses for doilies that i thought were clever. here is a doily-like lace bracelet by Grandma Was A Floozy...

or how about this cute diy project to make doily bowls out of those doilies you've always wanted to do something with (design sponge). i actually have a couple of these that i bought at thrift stores.

and my favorite, doily lampshades. aren't they adorable? (craftzine)

plans

2008-08-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

sometimes the best plans are those that are adaptable. i did another run to the thrift store and found some more cute things. but i've expanded my containers to include any white fun vase, any fun shiny vase and also cut or pressed glass. above are just a sampling of the beautiful little vases i bought. and i picked up some red and orange (for contrast) tissue paper to simulate the paper flowers. not my finest job but it was my first go.

i bought the orange paper to give some contrast to the red because i couldn't find a second shade of red or even pink. but i kind of like the orange with the red. what do you think? above is the red and orange and below is the all red. i do like the all red too. i cannot decide. i haven't worked out quite yet where the turquoise is going to come in. any suggestions appreciated.

here are a few more of the little vases. they are all about 2-3 inches high. not big at all. 17 pieces in all for 16 dollars. score!

more cute shiny things

2008-08-28T02:34:00.001-07:00

more cute shiny things. these are refashioned out of vintage jewelry. aren't they awesome? the earrings are my favorite. made by Noaki Jewelry on Etsy. and what about that bracelet.

hilarious

2008-08-27T05:04:00.001-07:00

check out the site called cake wrecks. it is a blog that pulls together some of the funniest cake wrecks i've ever seen. here is a sampling. but it is funnier if you go see them for yourself and read the text that goes with them.

flowers in the hair

2008-08-26T06:36:00.001-07:00

what do you think, can i pull this off? i've always liked the flowers in the hair look and often worn one behind my ear. but on top of the head and oversized? i'm not sure i could pull this one off, although i do have similar hair and a slight dimple in my chin. i reckon her forehead is smaller. i guess i'll have to practice.

spring is near

2008-08-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

spring is so coming. we've had about 5 days of sunshine in a row and i can hardly contain myself. here are a few of the aussie beauties in the front yard. there is so much blooming going on, there are flowers on bushes that i didn't even know would bloom.

is it fair to have a backup?

2008-08-25T05:03:00.001-07:00

is it fair to have a backup? i think this would be it. if i had known there were knitted wedding dresses. oh well, i'll look it up when i'm ready to renew. found it on nibsblog but it is actually a pattern from Shirley Paden.

"metal and milk glass" is the new "leather and lace"

2008-08-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

okay, so if you know me, you know that the fun part of the whole wedding is on the forward end where i get to crawl through all of the local thrift shops for things i can use. the better the bargain, the happier i am! i've contemplated what i would do on the tables for centerpieces since i decided on paper flowers. what containers could i use? i wanted something that was inexpensive and reusable. since i will be throwing away or giving away the paper flowers, i wanted to reduce/reuse/recycle the containers. i've always loved milk glass and these days it is relatively inexpensive to get second-hand. the other thing that you can pick up for a good bargain is aluminum products. i've always had a thing for those aluminum juice glasses.

so the idea combo i came up with is "metal and milk glass" stuffed with paper flowers. the milk glass is a simple, understated and a blank canvas while the aluminum is shiny and will reflect light (and we all know how i feel about shiny things). so check out what i've managed to acquire so far:

5 pedestal bowls, 1 pedestal vase, 2 plates (28 dollars = av. 3.50 per piece)

11 aluminum cups (less than a dollar each!)

and an aluminum tray with roses (5 dollars).

so i brought them home and gave them a good clean and separated them into centerpieces and i got 5 centerpieces out of combining them. that is 8 dollars and 20 cents per centerpiece. if you add the paper flower supplies which will be about two dollars, you are looking at 10 dollars 20 cents a centerpiece. you would be hard pressed to find a florist willing to do a centerpiece for that!

new rule, new challenge = i will not buy another centerpiece item that is more than 3 dollars. the tray was 5 and the pedestal vase was 5 and i think that is just too much. if i want to add a few candles, i'll have to cut back on the container prices. my goal is 10 dollars a centerpiece. at 13 tables that is 130 dollars for flowers/decor.

so here is a picture of a possible centerpiece, you'll have to imagine the flowers (you know, if you put candles in these instead of flowers it would look just as great):

and now for the brilliance of all of this!!! i've achieved my reduce/reuse/recycle goal. i can keep or give away all of these items (i love these things in *real life so i would be very happy to keep them). or i can resell them on one of those wedding resale websites like Recycle Your Wedding or Bride to Bride Boutique.

*i'm not sure what i meant by "real life"

south-of-the-border inspired

2008-08-21T04:57:00.001-07:00

i put together these images for a little bit of inspiration. it almost looks like a turqouise/pink combo instead of a turqouise/red combo. i'll need to be careful.

credits: dress: KT Jean; paper flowers: Barcelona Photoblog; boots: Back at the Ranch; De la Rosa: Manda's Photostream Flickr; suit: JCrew; cookies: Mischief Mari Cookies; clothes line: Melangerie; taco: Coastal Living; monogram: Creative Montage; cake plates: Clara French; ring: Sarah Perlis Jewelry.

guy's outfit

2008-08-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

i like this (jcrew) and so does he. a vest can be formal and casual at the same time. plus this look is timeless. take this photo and make it black and white and you'd be hard pressed to tell if it was one hundred years old or today. forget wearing a jacket in the summer in Louisiana. you'd be mad. besides since i'm wearing a short dress, i cannot be upstaged by a guy in a coat.

heaven

2008-08-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

the last time i was in New Orleans for a wedding, we did a little shopping on Magazine St. we happened into Sucre a sweets shop which was like walking into heaven. the counters were stacked with confections, gelato, cupcakes with glitter on them (yes, edible glitter!), and a counter of chocolates in the back. i REALLY thought i had died and gone to heaven. the thought and taste of that shop has never left me. i want to go back there and i also want to find that edible glitter. they do their own marshmallows and french macaroons which are all the hype these days. i wish there were pics of the cupcakes. mmmm. cupcakes...

just a squirrel who found her nut

2008-08-18T02:36:00.000-07:00

i showed this cake topper from Me.la.bo. at Etsy to a friend the other day and told her that i thought it would be cute to use it and put a little sign by the cake that said, "just a squirrel who found her nut." she said it would be cool to use it on a save the date card and as a general theme.

then i found these pins at ohmycavalier at Etsy. they are super cute. you could put a bowl of these out on a table or pin them to the napkin as a favor. according to ohmycavalier, carrying around an acorn is supposed to bring you luck. but look at these sea creature pins.

and this super adorable bear tag. i just want to squeeze the bear. she has stuff on poppytalkhandmade.

here it is

2008-08-18T02:13:00.000-07:00

i'm so pleased with the way it turned out! i don't know if you can see but he was able to leave all of the feathery detail on the ring but add strength to the band. i really like the way the setting turned out too. it highlights the diamond even more and does not sit too high which is what i was worried about. for those who may be living in South Australia, Chris Green is who worked on my ring. i would highly recommend him to anyone. he was very perceptive as to what i did want and didn't push me to do anything i didn't want to do. sorry about the pics - poor quality and i should have dusted the lint off ring. yeah! now i just need to get the wedding band sorted.

ring

2008-08-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

today i go pick up my ring from the jewelers. i'm so excited. it got a small face lift. the story of the ring is really sweet and i won't go into it other than to say that it is from Ghana where my guy was working on a project and brought it back as a surprise and it was hidden in my fishing tackle box for me to find when he popped the question. since it was from Ghana and the setting was non-traditional, i just wanted to have it checked for strength and i had noticed the diamond, as of late, seemed loose. so with the idea that after i get married i still want to wear it with the band, combined with the fact that i am VERY hard on equipment (probably me that knocked the diamond loose), i took it in to the jeweler to see what his opinion was. he suggested that i alter the setting slightly to a bezel setting which would, ehhm, protect the diamond better and reinforce the band on the inside with another layer of gold to strengthen the core of the ring since it was very thin and petite. i was super cautious and told him that i did not in any way want to alter the ring so that it no longer reflected the preciousness of being brought all the way home from Africa. he assured me he would be very careful. i'm scared but excited. maybe i'll take pics when i get home with it. crap! i wish i had pics of it before. i wonder if i do somewhere?

notions

2008-08-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

French General has some of the best notions around. if you want to be inspired spend about an hour thumbing/clicking through the store looking for little treasures. i looked through most of the store and picked out the turquoise and red things that i could find. how beautiful they are. i put them together in this little inspiration board. if you don't have hours to spend, don't go to the website! once you start clicking you will not stop. it is a little treasure trove of cute, shiny things.

i ordered these serving napkins for what reason i do not know. they are pretty little opaque paper serving napkins with a charming little printed red border. i thought i might be able to use them as save the date cards or some other fun little thing. i could used them as place settings. i could write some quote on them for each setting. i could use them for their purpose, to serve a bit of cake or sweet. help me out - i don't know what to use them for, but i have 150 of them. leave me a comment if you have an idea. need to add to budget expenses if i use them. don't let me forget.

check out this darling set of fisherman and fisherwoman. these would make really cute cake toppers. especially if the couple has a connection to the sea or is getting married by the sea. check out French General's blog, the Warp and the Weft.

budget

2008-08-16T20:23:00.001-07:00

in terms of a budget, i'm going to do something i really do not want to do. i am going to make the wedding budget transparent for everyone to see (okay, the one or two people who will read this and the five that accidentally happen upon it for thirty seconds). you may ask why i don't want to make it transparent? for several reasons.

if i put it in writing, i will spend less. it is kind of like the whole idea of keeping a food journal when on a diet. people have a tendency to eat less if they have to write it down. i will be more cautious spending if i have to keep a record and you all will see what i spend.
my guy will be reading this on occasion and will pay careful attention to the budget listing. this means i cannot hide any expenses from him like glitter letters that spell our names.
some of the vendors i use may read this and they will see how much i want to or do not want to spend.

but the whole reason i am doing this is so that others who might find it useful, can see what a real wedding budget looks like. not one dreamt up by the wedding industry with percentages and totals. i find those example budgets they have created confusing and elusive. they give you just enough rope to hang yourself. plus they do not allow for the diy factor. plus, each one is different on what they include in the wedding budget (dress, rings, honeymoon, etc.). when some brides quote their budget, i can never tell what that actually includes. therefore, it means nothing to me.

i've always fancied myself a bargain hunter, diy, homemade, vintage, thrifty gal so i am in a sense challenging myself to do my very best. in a day in age when weddings are AVERAGING 20-25,000 dollars, i and my guy are attempting to throw a wedding of less than 10,000 dollars. depending on what you count towards a "wedding budget" ours will likely range from 6,000 - 10,000 and i am seriously hoping it will be closer to the 6 than the 10!

so here is what i propose to do. in the right hand column, under budget expenses i will list everything that we buy or spend money on. if it was free or hand-made out of materials already on hand, i will list it but not count the amount it would have cost. since we live overseas, i am not counting shipping in the total of purchase only because i think it will throw some off. besides, we may be shipping some things to family in the states so that we can save on shipping internal US shipping. in some instances i will post on my purchases and if i do this, i will link the expense to that post so you can see the goods.

i just want to shout out to the few that inspired me to talk candidly about budget. A $10,000 Wedding (click here for her original post on budget, people gave her lip about it in comments, but i believe), 2000 Dollar Wedding (who actually did it and did it brilliantly-way to go!), and A Practical Wedding who appears to be one of the only ladies keeping it real. when i'm feeling overwhelmed by the wedding industry and budget, i just check out her blog and it gives me the perspective i need.

ideas

2008-08-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

so i've used a bit of scrap tissue paper that came in my French General package the other day to try my hand a paper flowers. i didn't do too bad. i took this pic for a friend of mine who wanted to see the boots i was talking about wearing for the wedding if i couldn't afford (which i can't!) the day of the dead boots. a really good friend of mine bought these for me years ago at a thrift shop hoping the would fit me and they did. i wear them all the time and they look cute with shortish skirts. i stuck the flower in there to show her what she would be helping me do closer to the date. fold and poof, fold and poof, fold and poof.

the dress

2008-08-14T04:25:00.000-07:00

so choosing a dress for the wedding day is usually a very long and sometimes arduous but often exciting process. it almost always is a happy ending. i have to admit that i've never been one to dream about what kind of wedding dress i would wear, or even dream about getting married. so when we decided to set a date, i thought "sh-t, i need a dress."

what i did know was that we would get married outside either under a tree, on the beach or on a porch and that it would occur in the afternoon. i also know that i am a short gal with a decent set of gams (thanks to the years of softball, volleyball and soccer, and good genes) who has never really liked long dresses or skirts. just to prove how clueless i was about wedding dresses - i had NO idea that short dresses were "non-traditional." so when i started looking for dresses via wedding blogs i was disappointed to find so few short dresses. i thought a short dress was perfect for an outdoor wedding. i mean, who wants to drag a dress through grass and dirt?

luckily, i found something on a blog that absolutely made me shout and jump for joy. the dress combined the things i absolutely love: etsy, hand-made, vintage, romantic, flirtatious...and most importantly short. i love, love, love the dress. so i contacted Katie at KT Jean and she was super helpful and sweet and has taken my order. i am beyond excited and cannot wait to see the dress.

i am seriously considering wearing boots with it like the model. i just have to see how the dress and my short little legs will look with the boots. it is crazy but for some reason this dress and boots doesn't seem "non-traditional" to me, just really fun and perfect.

one for the registry

2008-08-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

these oyster plates are excellent and simple. it is actually pretty difficult these days to find oyster plates unless they are vintage and they usually cost an arm and a leg. i really love the vintage ones but i don't have the money to purchase one for 39.95 when i can get 4 for 39.95. so why not buy a set of four of these and then a few vintage ones and mix and match them. that of course necessitates a party of 8 who like oysters. i wouldn't have a problem finding 8 who like oysters. and if i couldn't, oh well, more for me. there is nothing more fabulous than sitting a half on the half in front of your guests.

yes, yes, yes, paper flowers

2008-08-12T03:28:00.000-07:00

everytime i see paper flowers i'm going to link to them. technically it is stretching it a bit to call these paper flowers, but i don't care. i am going to be making and using paper flowers for the wedding. i absolutely adore fresh flowers but after having worked in the floral industry for several years i know: 1) that they are overpriced and 2) that i wouldn't want anyone to do them for my wedding but me. so in lieu of the real thing and because the wedding is 'mexican-inspired', i will be folding and poofing paper flowers days before the wedding (hopefully with a little help from my friends). these are from Artfool via Once Wed. check out the making and hanging of these beauties at Artfool's new blog.

these are more what i was thinking for the table decor but there will definitely be some hanging. probably not as artfull as Artfool.

what do you do with all those teacups?

2008-08-12T03:12:00.000-07:00

these teacup lights are spectacular. i wonder if you could alter some track lighting with this idea. or i bet these would look sweet all in a single row hanging over a long kitchen table. great idea by Domestic-Construction and thanks for sharing this Constant Gatherer. the Constant Gatherer is running a birthday/thankyou special - oh i do hope that i win the pink/red wreath! i've been eyeing her things for some time now on etsy.

craft is beautiful

2008-08-12T02:33:00.000-07:00

just found this blog Crafty Synergy by Patricia. she is doing great work with her interviews and with finding beautiful things to showcase. i just love these whirly/lacey/gears. the colors are super nice.

and this juicer is darling from Lily Pottery. there is more where this comes from. lots of beautiful pots that would make gorgeous containers for bunches of flowers. check out these hairclips. i luvvvv the bright cheery colors. i'd throw a bunch of these in my hair, especially when it is rainy outside.

turquoise and red

2008-08-10T23:04:00.001-07:00

have you ever noticed that once you focus your attention on something that you previously haven't, you begin to see that thing everywhere? kind of like the old game of "punch buggy" where you get to punch your younger brothers or older sister if you see a VW bug. it has been like that for me lately. since i choose turquoise and red as wedding colors, i've been seeing them everywhere. like for example, my bathroom. i didn't even realize that these were the colors of my bathroom until i was in the shower yesterday! so here are two pics of my jewelry dishes sitting on the counter. i wonder where i got the idea that i like turquoise and red together...hmm.

wedding inspiration

2008-08-10T06:40:00.001-07:00

oh how i love these. they break my heart. i've thought about these beauties ever since i saw them last year when planning a trip to New Mexico. i went to NM for a conference but the only thing i wanted to do was go to this boot shop, Back at the Ranch. they have the most unbelievable designs. they make you want to cry. not inexpensive but certainly a source of inspiration. when we decided that we would finally get married and i began thinking about what things inspire me, these were the first things that popped into my mind. i like boots! when i tried to explain that i needed a pair of wedding boots to my beloved, i was met with a blank stare and "wedding boots? would you like to tell me what wedding boots are?" some people will just never understand.

uhmmm

2008-08-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

i suppose this is where i tell you my story about starting this web log. i suspect it is similar to many others who have created blogs to document things that make them smile and sometimes cry, especially when they cannot have those things. because my boy and i have finally set a year/month to get wed, this may begin heavy on the wedding details; however, i hope it eventually evolves into a register of those cute, shiny things that i cannot live without.

scene painted by Clementine Hunter at Melrose Plantation, Natchitoches, Louisiana