Keen To Be Seen

Heads up! Great deal on chargers at Michael's! Today only!

2011-12-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share a deal I just found online. Michael's (the craft store) has a 1-day sale for TODAY ONLY (12/2/2011) that features Ashland Holiday Chargers for only $0.99 each! That's half off the regular price. Based on the pictures on the website, they appear to be available in silver, gold, green, and a darker red. Sure, if you combine those colors together, it screams "holiday celebration!", but if you choose just one color, they're very versatile for most wedding color palettes. I'm a big fan of using chargers for a more formal and elegant event. It makes the table seem more complete, especially while your guests are waiting for their meal. They're also handy to incorporate underneath some centerpieces.

The reason I'm mentioning this at all is because that's a heck of a deal for chargers. A lot of the event rental places charge that much just to rent chargers. If you could buy them for the same price, you can then pass on the savings to a future bride and recoup some of your expense!

In addition to the sale price, Michael's also has a coupon worth $5 off of every $25 you spend. The coupon is good for today and tomorrow only. Here is the coupon:

I think I might pick up a few of those chargers to use on our holiday table with our wedding china. I like the ideas on the website to decorate them festively, too. You know me, I love customized and heart-felt details!

I hope that everyone is having a good holiday season so far. Are there any winter brides out there? Send me some pictures of your favorite winter wedding details!

Jason and Joanna's North Idaho Wedding

2011-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our friends Jason and Joanna got married on July 9th, 2011 in Bonner's Ferry Idaho. Yesterday I shared details of Joanna's cute bridal shower, so today I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from their wedding. All of these photos were taken by Cali Jenae Photography. If you're looking for a wedding photographer, or someone to do your family portraits in eastern Washington / north Idaho, it looks like she does a great job and I know Jason and Joanna really liked her. Dylan and I have been wanting to do a fun, relaxed couple session, so we might have to give her a call!

{Click on any photo to enlarge}

JoJo with her sisters, Maggie, Carly and Bryne.
I love this one extra! Jason with all of the girls sending smooches cracks me up!

The talented Joanna made her own wedding cake! How crazy is that?! It looks so beautiful!

That location in Bonner's Ferry looks gorgeous. It covers all of the bases -- they get a picture with mountains, a picture with meadow, a picture in the forest, and even a picture with a river flowing behind them!

We just want to wish our dear friends the best! Jason and JoJo, we love you guys and we wish you a lifetime of love, health and happiness together! Congratulations!

Joanna's Rustic Carnival Theme Bridal Shower

2011-08-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

Recently I attended my friend Joanna's bridal shower. Her sisters Carly and Bryne created an adorable carnival themed shower that was laid-back and kid-friendly. I wanted to share the details, as well as capture the day for Joanna.

{click picture to enlarge}

The bridal shower was held at the home of one of her bridesmaids in Rathdrum, Idaho. The song lyric "over the river and through the woods" summed this location up just about perfectly! It was a hidden gem in an otherwise residential neighborhood. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was; I envy Audrey for getting to wake up out there every morning! The surroundings were so rustic and earthy, I loved it!

The bales of hay really did double duty by adding to the carnival vibe and providing extra seating. Some of the kids put on a puppet show for entertainment using the elaborate puppet show stage.

{click picture to enlarge}

JoJo's mom and a family friend worked the food both. They served fun carnival themed food -- corndogs, popcorn, bags of peanuts and corn on the cob. They also did prize giveaways of gourmet treats!

The yard was filled with funny wedding related carnival games. The resident puppy especially loved the "Cake in the Face" game, because it meant he got to sneak over and help clean up the cupcakes and frosting that people were throwing!

{click picture to enlarge}

My personal favorite detail was the fun face-cut-out prop of a bride and groom. That's Joanna as the bride and me as the groom!

This is Joanna with her newly married twin sister Carly. Of course they were maids of honor for each other.

JoJo's sister Bryne and a friend made these sweet treats as a parting gift. What says carnival more than caramel apples? Yum!

Charming Vintage Farm Wedding Theme - Red, Aqua and Pink

2011-05-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

I hadn't built an inspiration board for a very long time. When it got down to doing all of the work to plan my own wedding, I just didn't have the time. After the wedding, although I still love all of the "details", I just hadn't found the time and inspiration to get back to it. Recently I received a sweet note from one of my blog readers, Traci. I think she was facing something that most of us brides run into during wedding planning -- feeling overwhelmed by all of the possibilities! She gave me some of the details for her 2012 summer wedding. She and her husband-to-be live on a farm, and that's where they plan to have their wedding celebration. I asked her to give me some words to describe the general feeling of the wedding she's imagined. The words she came up with included:

country

vintage

a bit playful

cozy

relaxed

Their plan includes using hay bales for seating, and a BBQ summer feast. She also mentioned possibly using some red gingham as part of the theme.

I hope that some of my ideas here will help to inspire them with their future wedding planning!

{click to enlarge}

(I would definitely recommend enlarging this one, because there is a lot of detail that is hard to see in this smaller version.)

The DIY Pie in a Jar wedding favors came from Green Wedding Shoes. Nothing says charming vintage farm life like homemade pies!

The beautifully simple dahlia bouquet is from Heather Bayles Photography.

The little girl on the top row in the red gingham dress is from PrimadonnaBride.co.za.

The Vintage Gingham Blue Red and White Flower Bunting in the top right corner is from vintagegreenlimited on Etsy.

The Butterfly Mornings Flag Bunting (with the aqua polka dots, pink gingham and red floral fabrics) is a great exmaple of the color combination I had in mind. It's also shown in the larger picture with the little cutie holding a book. It's from LeilaLou on Etsy.

The bright fuschia colored peonies in blue mason jars are from Shell's Shabby Shack.

Vintage hankies are one of the things that immediately inspired me with this board. The photo of a beautiful assortment of vintage hankies is from JacquieG on Flickr.

I especially love the bunting on the left. It's the best of both worlds -- it's an adorable bunting, and it reminds me so much of vintage handkerchiefs! It's called Photography Prop 9Ft Long Fabric Flag from StarlitNestGifts on Etsy.

The red ranunculus flowers in the blue mason jar on the bottom left corner is from The Bride's Cafe.

The down-home feast is from this wedding on Green Wedding Shoes. I know Traci is a fan of sunflowers, so that ranch wedding might also give her some fun ideas.

The galvanized metal pedestal plate, simple flowers, and those vintage handkerchiefs (this time being used as napkins) come from Flower Mag.

The aqua and red plaid bowtie is from General Knot & Co. The company specializes in ties made in the USA from vintage fabrics.

The red gingham baking cups are from one of my favorite kitschy stores to buy baking supplies from, Layer Cake Shop.

I am currently obsessed with paper straws. I want those vintage looking stripey delights in every color. The red striped paper straws were used here as an adorable little Valentine's Day project that you can download for free from Papermash. If you want paper straws in gorgeous colors and designs, make sure to check Etsy!

Okay, the last thing for me to explain is the mason jar picture in the center of the board. I saved these for last because I think this is so cool -- you can download these for free! You can customize the entire set of mason jar wedding invitation suite, including your save-the-dates, invitations, and RSVP card all for FREE! How cool is that?!

Here is a sample that I made for Traci and Ronnie. I filled in the blanks with generic information, but I loved being able to see a customized sample!

They also have this bunting design that I love! (I just thought the mason jar one went with the theme a little better.) You can also customize and download this invitation suite for free, too!

I couldn't resist, here's the customized one for Traci and Ronnie in that design, too.

To see the other adorable designs available to download and print FOR FREE, please visit The Wedding Chicks!

Okay, so some of my other thoughts on cool farm wedding details:

For wedding favors: little jars of jam or honey, seed packets that can double as place cards, or the individual pie in a jar favors I showed above. This example is from My Eco Wedding.

For flowers: Dahlias and peonies are both great for the most bang for your buck summer flowers. I put an ad on Craigslist a few years ago for a friend's wedding and found multiple local farmers that were willing to sell huge gorgeous flowers for a dollar or less per stem. Sunflowers are always bright and fun if you want to add a little more yellow to the color palette. One of my personal favorites are ranunculus -- they come in perfect shades of reds and pinks for this palette, and I just love how romantic and ruffled they look. Either way, I think there definitely need at least a few of those old pale blue mason jars!

$1 for this big bloom? Heck yeah!

$10 to $15 for a stunning bouquet or centerpiece like this? Sign me up!

I know Traci likes sunflowers, so I chose a few of my favorite sunny bouquets to share. I like sunflower bouquets to look a little wild and loose. My favorite is the one on the bottom right. I like the wheat, the color choices, and look -- vintage hanky!

For guests: Things to help protect your guests from the sun! You can make fans do double duty by having your programs printed as fans. A thoughtful touch that I really like is to have a tray or small table set up with a couple of bottles of sunblock, paper fans (if you aren't doing the program fans), and maybe a few inexpensive paper parasols for extra delicate guests. You can buy those pretty cheaply online at places like Oriental Trading Company. You may also try to find some of those pretty vintage hankies I can't shut up about to give to your bridesmaids or closest female relatives to dry their tears of joy!

I don't love the style of these, but they did kind of use the same colors as my palette, so I'm including these fan programs from Beau-Coup.

I DO love this fan template by Martha Stewart.

I would also highly recommend having at least some ice water available to guests prior to the ceremony to help keep everyone cool. Lemonade would be a hit, too.

For the wedding party: I think it would be really fun to let the bridesmaids (or at least the junior bridesmaids / flower girls) wear patterned dresses. I showed little girls in red gingham dresses, but I also really like something like this dress that I found at Nordstrom.

A couple of summers ago, I wrote about how cool it would be to have someone like Fresher Than Fresh Snowcones at your wedding reception to serve gourmet snowcones to your guests. Traci and Ronnie are in luck, because Fresher Than Fresh is actually located near them!

If you're looking for some more farm wedding inspiration, Green Wedding Shoes had several that I thought were really nicely done.

This one on a goat farm uses a lot of cute touches, including the buntings I can't get enough of, doilies, and hay bale seating.

This one is at a strawberry farm. It's one of the most colorfully fun and whimsical weddings I've ever seen. I love the details, including the rainbow selection of bottled soda pop. My favorite detail are the fruit and vegetable place cards and markers. That is one of the most adorable party details ever, and someday I might try something like that for a garden party. Doesn't that wedding just look fun though? I want to be friends with those people!

This is a page from The Natural Wedding Company about hay bale seating. I think hay bale seating can be a great element, but I definitely think you need some sort of fabric on top to protect your guests. I was thinking about it and I wondered about maybe just watching for some cheap linen sales and using a flat twin or full sized sheet to cover each bale? I've bought flat twin sized sheets for about $4 each, so that wouldn't be too bad. You could also check thrift shops to find a variety of floral patterned sheets for that purpose, too.

This farm wedding from Elizabeth Anne Designs has some good ideas. I especially like the idea of having some games and activities for your guests to do, like playing horseshoes, bocce ball, or a beanbag toss game. They also have some cool hay bale seating ideas, like this one:

Lastly, I had to throw this in for Ronnie. I know he's a John Deere fan, so I thought maybe he could do something like this tractor get-away car, also from Elizabeth Anne Designs:

I hope that my ideas help Traci and any of the other brides that come here searching for inspiration! Thank you for the notes and the kind comments!

Oh!

P.S. These adorable "My Favorite Dresses" notecards from alittlesweetness on Etsy would be sooo cute as bridal shower invitations!

P.P.S. If you liked this inspiration board, you might also like some of these other summery themes:

Light Blue and Red Palette

Aqua, Orange and Yellow Palette

Aqua, Orange and Brown Palette

Melon Inspired Summer Reception

Cherry and Berry Reds

Citrus Punch Backyard BBQ Wedding Theme

Hot Pink and Green Palette

Valentine's Day!

2011-02-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

In honor of the holiday all about love and romance, I wanted to post some of the adorable Valentine's Day treat ideas I've seen online recently.

Do you have your holiday all planned out, are you leaving that up to your significant other, or are you just skipping it all together this year?

Maybe some of these ideas will inspire you!

I love reds and pinks, and I have to admit that I am a fan of Valentine's Day being filled with over-the-top hearts and other sometimes kitschy decor. Don't get me wrong, I am also a fan of elegant and understated romance -- I just don't think Valentine's Day has to be formal to be fun! Oh, and it must include chocolate in one form or another!

Since Valentine's Day is on Monday this year, we've decided to stretch it into a Valentine's long weekend. Dylan surprised me this morning by going to the grocery store before I woke up to stock up on some of our favorite treats. We've just been lounging around the house together, enjoying a day of leisure. Tonight I'm making us lobster tails with drawn butter and Meyer lemons, butternut squash risotto and roasted Brussels sprouts with truffle oil. I'm still working on what I want to make for dessert.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some of my favorite treat ideas that I found on Martha Stewart this week!

This has some of my must-have Valentine's Day elements: Chocolate and hearts!

To make the heart cut-out marshmallows, simply cut a marshmallow in half horizontally (so you have two circles), then grease a small aspic cutter with vegetable oil to punch out your shape! If you don't have any tiny cutters, here are some cute ones on Amazon:

You could also use those for a smaller version of the beet hearts below!

I wasn't planning a salad course, but one day I am going to do this because I love beets. They just thinly sliced cooked beets using a mandoline, then used a small cookie cutter to make the hearts! That Martha Stewart -- so clever!

Another clever and couldn't be more simple heart-shaped treat? Calimyrna figs look like hearts when you cut them in half!

Last, but not least, some delectable dessert ideas! I'll include a link to the recipes under each picture.

Chocolate Champagne Truffles

Spicy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Truffle Brownies

Chocolate Eclair Hearts

I hope all you lovebirds have a wonderfully fun and romantic Valentine's Day! Let me know what you have planned!

Minted.com Discount Code + Our Christmas Cards!

2010-12-04T13:40:00.001-08:00

I'm sad to say that my laptop is toast. Merry Christmas to me, I'm getting a new laptop! :-P Not ideal timing, but I don't think there is ever a good time for your computer to go kaput. I'm waiting for my new laptop to arrive so I can transfer my files, so in the meantime, I'm using Dylan's laptop.

I did want to share with you two things:

1. Minted.com has a great sale going on right now, but you'd better jump on it ASAP, because it expires on December 6th! Use the code DEC20 to get 20% off of all holiday cards plus FREE upgrade to 3-day shipping!

2. Minted.com has a cool feature called Find It Fast Holiday Photo Cards that allow you to preview their holiday cards with your picture! It makes it so much easier to find the perfect card for your picture!

I was surprised by some of the cards that ended up being my favorites after I got to see them with our pictures. Here are some of our favorites:

So what do you think?

My favorite wedding planning book.

2010-10-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

I just went to the Amazon main page, and it recommended that I buy this book:

Apparently Amazon doesn't realize that I already own that book. If you don't already own this book, I would strongly recommend it. I have at least 50 wedding planning books, but I think that this is the book that I found the most helpful. It's called The Wedding Book: The Big Book for Your Big Day by Mindy Weiss. Mindy Weiss is an amazing wedding planner. You may have heard of her before, she was responsible for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi's beautiful wedding. This book contains a wonderful collection of information. It is full of great details, ideas, examples, and recommendations. It also includes lists of questions* to ask each of your vendors, which I found especially helpful. I honestly took either a list of written questions, or this book with me to every meeting I ever had with a potential wedding vendor. I know that a few of them teased me about my organizational skills at the time, but every single vendor at the wedding ended up complimenting us on what a pleasure it was to work at such a well organized event, and how impressed they were that things went so smoothly, especially without the help of a wedding planner or a coordinator. I don't think things would've gone nearly as smoothly without some of the tips I picked up from this book. If you only buy one wedding planning book, this is the one that I would recommend.

* Another book that had good lists of questions to ask your potential wedding vendors was this book: Bridal Bargains: Secrets to Throwing A Fantastic Wedding On A Realistic Budget. This link is for the new 2010 edition that will be released on November 15th. I used the 2009 edition, but every edition of this book has always received great reviews.

I'm ordering our Christmas cards from Minted.com!

2010-10-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

Now that the wedding is over, I've started to look toward the future and I'm already getting excited about the upcoming holidays. I can't wait to send out Christmas cards with "our" last name -- preferably with a fun picture of Dylan and me together! Maybe we'll even use a picture of us with our dogs, since that's what we've come to think of as our little family.

Some of you may have noticed that I have an ad for Minted on the sidebar of my blog. I've been very choosy about putting any ads up, because I'm very big on only giving props to companies or products that I would actually use myself. The ladies at Minted are exactly that kind of company. Recently they sent me an assortment of samples of their holiday cards, and I can't tell you how impressed I was with them. Their stationery is lovely online, but it's even more impressive in person.

As anyone who has read my blog will know, I am a details girl. Minted does not disappoint. They have details that I love. Specifically, they have coordinated envelope liners and wrap-around labels available for most of their designs! Even the backs of most of the cards have coordinated patterns. They've thought of everything, and I love that. I also love that they give you different paper choices and color choices for so many of their designs, so you can customize them just to your liking. I'm personally a fan of the pearlescent paper for a lot of the holiday cards I've looked at, but it all depends on your style and preference.

I've spent hours admiring the samples they sent me, and looking at all of the designs on their website to try to narrow it down to some of my favorites. I don't think there's a single one that I didn't like, so narrowing it down has been more difficult than I expected.

These are just some of my favorites:

{clicking on the pictures will take you right to that card on Minted}

{Love and Peace Eternal -- whimsical, folksy, eclectic and unique}

{Celebration -- elegant, classic, and understated}

{Mittens -- festive, cute and cozy. I love both the font and the mittens!}

{Holiday Stripes -- traditional with flair, preppy, a nice balance of masculine and feminine}

{Octavia -- rustic, kitschy, vintage, and charming}

{Woodland Wonderland -- woodland critters with a faux bois birch bark monogram! Love it!}

{Mistletoe Wreath -- artsy, warm, and sweet}

{Reinpet -- what's not to love about your pets with reindeer antlers? And I love the liner!}

{Joyeux Noel + St Nick -- This is one of the samples I've seen in person, and it's a lovely charcoal gray. The liner and label that came with my sample are a pretty muted peach color. You know how I love gray and peach together! I think this one is especially adorable if you've got a cute little munchkin to show off!}

{Delicate Flourishes -- ornate and pretty without being bonk-you-over-the-head 'holiday'}

If you want to go all out, what about sending gorgeous mini-books as your Christmas cards?

My favorites include:

This Airmail Holiday Minibook would be perfect if you got to travel somewhere exotic this year. Maybe you could showcase some honeymoon pictures?

This Peppermint Ribbon Holiday Minibook is a little kitschy, and a lot adorable.

And this Snowflake Window Holiday Minibook is perfect if you want something rich and wintery, without being red and green.

For those brides-to-be who are still in the thick of wedding planning and aren't even thinking about the holidays yet, Minted also has gorgeous wedding stationery, from save-the-dates to invitations and thank you cards. On November 1st, they're launching an exciting new addition of photo calendars that would make perfect save-the-dates, or New Year's greetings for those of us who tend to get too busy during the actual holidays to get our holiday cards in the mail!

So what do you think? Which holiday cards should we send out this year?

Happy Sweetest Day!

2010-10-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

What better day to start catching up on my wedding blogging? If you've never heard of Sweetest Day, you aren't the only one. Google it. I think of it as an October version of Valentine's Day, but more simple. It's a day to celebrate the people who help to make your life sweet.

Besides Dylan, most of the people who help to make my life sweeter were present at my lovely bridal shower, so that's what I wanted to share today.

First, the bridal shower invitations:
(I blurred some of the personal details to protect privacy.)

These invitations were the cutest! They're actually from Martha Stewart, and you customize them yourself. They include the adorable pop-up wedding cake invitations, the printable inserts, RSVP enclosures (which we used as direction cards instead), the eyelet lace belly bands, and envelopes. I added the little daisy embellishments, which were also from Martha Stewart.

The morning of my bridal shower, my maid of honor Melissa, my dear friend Samantha and I all went for mani-pedis at a local beauty school.

My mom and her best friend Amelia hosted my bridal shower at Amelia's beautiful home. They put on quite a spread! Samantha made devilled eggs, and my friend Joanna made the fun cupcakes!

My mom has always been quite the chocolatier, so she made tuxedo chocolate covered strawberries. She also played bartender, and made us huckleberry mojitos!

My mom and Amelia both made different kinds of pasta salads.

We toasted with white peach puree and champagne from Ambrosia Bistro -- Yum! My mom gave a really beautiful toast that sent me right into the ugly cry. Thank you Mom! :-P

My favorite girls! From left to right: Bryne, Joanna, Melissa, me, Kristi and Samantha.

And now with our lovely Pink Mustaches for Girls! (I love this picture the most.)

It was the most beautiful bridal shower I ever could have hoped for!

Our engagement session with Matt Shumate!

2010-10-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

First off, I just want to let everyone know that I plan to post a TON of wedding stuff in the next couple of months. Our wedding is in just a few days, and wedding planning has just been far too insane for me to blog all about it. We have worked so hard to make things come together, and I am so excited to share all of our wedding details with everyone!

Now I want to share our engagement session photos with Matt Shumate!

Our original plan was to have our engagement session done at the county fair. We thought it would be fun, and there would be built-in props and cool background lighting. Unfortunately, my beloved great-grandmother died a few days before the fair. Since the fair only comes once a year, we were going to try to struggle through it, but when Matt heard my voice he told me that I was way too stressed, and that we should wait until I was feeling more up to it. I'm glad that we did, because (as you can see in the photos), it was a lot easier to smile and laugh than it would have been.

Matt is a great guy, a very creative photographer, and about the furthest thing from a diva artiste as you can get. For those of you who know me, or who have been reading my blog long enough, you'll know that I tend to be very sassy. Matt lobbed it right back at me, and we all had a good time. (Except for the weather. It was gray, chilly, windy as all hell, and rained on us for the last little while.)

Please forgive my windblown hair and chubby laughing face, but I still think the pictures came out pretty cute. I especially like the ones of Dylan laughing, and these:

Please think good thoughts for us this week, and keep your fingers crossed for our big day! 10-9-10 here we come!

Many more wedding details to come soon!

Color palettes are cruel.

2010-05-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

I am clearly a big fan of inspiration boards and color palettes for wedding or event planning. Or for home decorating. Or darn near anything.

Months ago I did a post describing what I imagined for our wedding colors. As my ideas moved toward reality, I discovered something important. Color matching for an event is a bitch. Especially if you're trying to do it on a budget. You can have fourteen different things that are described as "chocolate brown" and no two will match. Not only will they not match, they'll clash. A lot.

We wanted shades of brown, and moss green. I had chocolate brown tablecloths that I had purchased on eBay*. I had chair cover samples. I had napkin samples. I had paper samples, because I'm making our wedding invitations. Nothing matched. Not even a little bit. And I had a lot of things to choose from.

I had shown Dylan the samples and swatches as they'd arrived. He'd nod and smile and say something like, "Those look really nice, babe!" Then one day he came home, and I was edging toward a melt down. I tried to explain that nothing was matching, and I was losing my mind. He shifted his weight nervously and cautiously admitted, "They all kind of looked the same to me." And I know that nearly every man on earth would have thought the same thing. It wasn't his fault. I did my best not to stomp my feet and start sputtering. I'm not entirely sure I succeeded, but at least I didn't yell at him. Instead, I rushed around the house and gathered every piece of fabric or paper or anything else wedding related and tossed it all into the center of our dining room table. I spread it all out, flipped the light on, and threw my arms open in a triumphant presentation. Dylan took it all in for a moment, and his brow furrowed. Finally he said, "Wow. It really doesn't match. None of it. It actually kinda... clashes." I take it as a small credit to my character that I didn't start laughing maniacally and yanking my hair out.

Don't get me wrong -- I am not a "bridezilla". I have been pretty calm and collected about wedding planning. It's just that I had put well over a year into researching and planning, and my lofty ideas were suddenly being thrown out the window.

When my color-clashing meltdown finally came, I decided it was time to re-think things. I took all of the things we already had, and all of the samples that we had, and decided to see what might work together instead of trying to make things work with the image I had in my head. As I started looking at everything, I also found myself favoring certain samples. For example, I had beautiful satin pillowcase style chair cover samples in ivory, pale silver, and chocolate brown. Even though it was the least obvious choice, the pale silver was our favorite. The fabric seems a little nicer, and in the soft lighting of our wedding venue, they give this sense of luxury and romance that the other two just didn't live up to.

Early in the wedding planning stages, I was overzealous and purchased some metallic copper crinkle tablecloths. If you look at my first two inspiration boards, you'll see what I'm talking about. They're beautiful, but I was worried that the color would be hard to match things to. I had started leaning toward using brown instead copper, because I thought it would be easier to use as part of the color palette. (Ha ha! Silly me!) That led me to buy those chocolate brown tablecloths**.

We decided to choose what parts we liked best, and then be more flexible on the rest so we could make it all work. We are going to use the copper tablecloths and the pale silver chair covers. We went to fabric shops and found a beautiful paisley fabric that ties the whole thing together. I waited until Joann Fabrics had a 50% off coupon and bought enough fabric to make runners for all of the tables.

So this is a mish-mash of what we've got:

Oh, and Dylan's Ben Sherman suit did not fit him properly. In the picture above, you can see the sleeve of the suit we ended up finding for him. It's a really dark navy, or maybe midnight blue. The suit jacket is two button and looks great on him. Our favorite part is that it's actually a three piece suit! Dylan looks so good in a vest. Plus, he over-heats easily, so it'll be a bonus for him to able to take off his jacket during the reception and still look dressed up.

The bottom line is that color palettes and inspiration boards are wonderful, but don't let yourself get too caught up in forcing your wedding details to fit into a preconceived palette before you explore and experiment with what is actually available to you.

* Budget Helper: I have discovered that for things like table linens and chair covers, I can usually buy them for less than I could rent them. Besides the fact that it's initially cheaper, I love the idea of being able to pass on the savings to another couple while recouping some of your expenses. eBay and Craigslist are both big money savers if you're a savvy shopper. Linentablecloth.com is also a good website if you're considering buying your own table-linens. You can also purchase napkin samples for $1, which is a nice way of getting a big fabric swatch to use for color comparisson. If there is one thing that I have learned from this experience, it is to buy the damn samples before you place a big order. It will save you time and money in the long run, and most of all, it will keep you from ripping your hair out when you discover that one company's idea of "sage green" is what you would have call olive green and another is almost blue.

** Even if you're a savvy shopper, some people are not as forthcoming and honest as they should be. Those chocolate brown tablecloths are not nearly as nice as that lady described, and some of them have stains or wonky hems. I've been cranky about them ever since. So again, if you have the option of seeing stuff in person or ordering a sample first, do it.

Updates: Part 2 - Wedding registry complications

2010-05-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

Another bit of excitement involved our wedding registry. Dylan and I have been together for five years. We've lived together for several of those. We're not 20 year olds just starting out, so we didn't have that much that we wanted to register for. We decided that the main thing we did want to register for were nice dishes. Nothing too formal, but something that we loved and that we'd be proud to use when we entertain. We found these gorgeous dishes.

They're part of the Martha Stewart Collection with Wedgewood. Pictures don't do them justice. They have this beautiful texture, like eyelet lace. They come in slightly different patterns so you can mix and match. When I first saw them, I got that tingle that people say you will get when you find the perfect wedding dress. I like my wedding dress, but I love these dishes. Dylan probably doesn't care about dishes nearly as much as I do, but these were also his favorites of the many patterns we had seen. So, of course, they were discontinued. They were discontinued in February. Our wedding isn't until October. That meant that by the time people were starting to think about getting us a wedding gift, those dishes would no longer be available. We were so disappointed!

Thankfully, with the help of a couple of relatives, a good friend, and our rainy day fund, we got our dishes! It took a lot of time and work, and bless the local Macy's employees who went out of their way to help us. We ended up buying or ordering all of the dishes on clearance, during a One Day Sale, with a newly opened Macy's account, so we got an amazing deal at least. I don't think there's any way we could've gotten them otherwise. Every time I look at our china hutch, it makes me happy.

I made us whole-wheat spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese served in our wedding china!

Now that we've purchased a large part of our own wedding registry, we're having to re-think what to register for. We've decided besides the traditional registries, we'd also like to give the option of donating to the ASPCA or the Humane Society since we're both such animal lovers.

What about the other brides-to-be out there? Are any of you registering for something extra special, or unique?

Updates: Part 1 - Health scare

2010-05-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven't been a good blogger for months. Things got crazy and I decided that blogging had to take a backseat. There have been hundreds of hours of wedding research and planning. So much planning. There has been work, family, and even a little drama.

I also had a bizarre health scare. I had a pink mark on my forehead that looked like I might have burned myself with a curling iron. It was there for quite a while, and I didn't think much of it. I didn't know where it came from, I just figured it was some little bit of skin irritation, maybe a spot of eczema or psoriasis, or some other skin condition I don't know much of anything about. I wasn't particularly concerned about it. While I was at a dentist appointment, my dentist noticed the spot and encouraged me to get it checked out by a dermatologist. I knew it was probably the smart thing to do, so I unenthusiastically agreed. The dermatologist took one look at it and said, "Yeah, I think that's probably skin cancer." I nearly choked. My exact response was to sputter, "What?! Why would I have that?!" She shrugged and said, "Usually from sun exposure." I continued to gawk at her and squeaked, "Have you seen me?! I'm practically an albino!" Plus, I've had bangs my whole life because I've always hated my big forehead. The doctor cut a little chunk out of my forehead, and about a week later it was confirmed. I had basal cell carcinoma.

I hated my forehead, and it gave me skin cancer!

Alright, probably not. But either way, I ended up with a patch of mutant cells that turned out to be cancer. I had to have surgery to remove the cancer. They basically took a melon-baller to my forehead, then stitched me back up. Now I have what I refer to as my Harry Potter scar.

Hopefully the darn thing will fade more by October, but overall I'm just thankful that if I had to have an experience with cancer, I got the least scary option. Nothing like a little health scare to make you appreciate the good things in your life.

Free Father / Daughter Wedding Song by Edwin McCain!

2010-04-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy for the last couple of months. I know I'm well past-due for a blog update. I'll try to make some time for that soon, but for now I at least wanted to pass along a cool find. This is a really sweet song by Edwin McCain called "Walk With You" that was written specifically from a father to his daughter on her wedding day. I'm sure everyone would be happy to pay a buck to download this song for their wedding, but you can download it for FREE! Nothing beats free!

Click here to listen to the song, read the lyrics, and to download the song as a 320k Mp3, FLAC or darn near any format you'd like.

The groom's suit update

2010-02-04T12:00:00.001-08:00

The lovely brown Ben Sherman suit arrived. Dylan tried it on. It doesn't fit properly. Ben Sherman suits are made for more the skinny hipster types. Dylan is not built that way. The suit was very close to fitting, so we kind of held our breath until we went to speak to the seamstress / tailor. The tailor is a friendly, very pregnant Russian woman. As much as Dylan was disappointed by the suit not fitting, I think she at least helped to ease the blow. It was hard for me not to laugh, because she kept patting Dylan's arms and saying, "You have big muscles. That's why the suit won't fit. Your muscles are too big. You exercise?" She did the same thing on his chest, patting his pecs and commenting on his big muscles. I could tell Dylan's disappointment was at least slightly tempered by the pride of having someone compliment his physique. It was cute. Plus, I reassured him that if I had to choose between that one suit fitting or him being buff, I'm definitely voting for his physique.

So we sadly had to return the suit. The suit search continues! Blah!

I'm thinking we may end up heading over to Seattle to suit shop one of these days.

Oooo, speaking of Seattle...! I officially got to ask my beautiful friend Melissa to be one of our honor attendants for the wedding. She lives in the Seattle area, but she was on this side of the state last weekend, so I got to ask her in person.

Our other honor attendant is Jeffrey, whom I fondly refer to as our "dude of honor". I think he's going to basically be the best man, but since I've known him since I was about 14 and we joke that he's my "brother from another mother", we figure that kind of makes him my "dude of honor", too.

We're thinking we're just going to keep it simple with the two of them, since they're the two friends who have been in my life the longest and the two who have been the most loving and supportive to us and our relationship.

I am also very thankful for my lovely friend Samantha, who has volunteered to be the ring-leader for the day. She's going to keep an eye on things behind the scenes and try to help make sure that things go as smoothly as possible. Plus, with Melissa is in Seattle, and Jeffrey in NYC, Samantha is the only local friend who has been patiently looking through color samples and fabric swatches with me. It's so nice to have someone to humor me when I'm obsessing like a crazy person! Although she did make me promise to give it a break this weekend while we celebrate my birthday.

Tonight we're going to meet up with a potential DJ and a potential videographer. After that, I'm looking forward to a weekend of good meals with friends and family, and hopefully sneaking out to a movie with Dylan.

Fantastic album deal today!

2010-01-29T06:35:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted any music specials in a long time, but when I saw what the Amazon MP3 download of the day was, I had to spread the word!

Adele's album 19 is on sale for only $2.99! This album is SO good! It's worth so much more than $3. If you haven't heard it yet, you owe it to yourself to spend the three bucks. "Make You Feel My Love" is a beautiful song, and could even be used as a wedding related song!

This link will take you to the album right on Amazon:

And you can just listen to samples of the tracks here:

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Who knew I'd ever be excited about postage?

2010-01-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anyone else has read all the stories about mailing out their wedding invitations (or save the dates), but I did. People are crazy. (Including me, because I read all that stuff.) I now feel paranoid about having things addressed properly, and hand-cancelling our invitations to prevent the post office from mangling or marring them. Then came the topic of postage. I've seen a lot of the old fashioned "Love" stamps, so I decided to do a search and see what was available now. I was tickled to find some stamps that I really like! They just came out last week. They're totally the kind of stamps you're supposed to collect rather than use, but what the heck. I'm using them. They're the Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger commemorative stamps!

We're planning to try to send out our save the dates on Valentine's Day, so I thought the dark red background with the narciccus flowers would be nice for that. When I read more about the stamps, it turns out that the Chinese New Year begins on February 14th this year. I'm taking it as a sign! (And my dad is making fun of me for it.)

You can't tell from the picture, but the edges are actually a shimmery metallic gold. I love them extra in person. Maybe they'll help me to get my butt in gear to make a decision on which save the date design we should use. Fingers crossed!

The wedding planning continues!

2010-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... I haven't posted in forever and a half. We basically took a break from wedding planning over the holidays. Holidays are stressful enough with the planning, preparation, cooking and entertaining. We were due for a break from the wedding obsessing. So now I'm back to obsessing, but I'm feeling refreshed and optimistic.

I just wanted to give an update for some of the progress we've made.

*drum roll please*

We have officially hired Matt Shumate as our wedding photographer. He's terrific, and we're really looking forward to working with him!

We think we have selected a caterer. It's actually one of our favorite locally owned little restaurants here, and I don't think we've ever had anything there that we haven't liked. They're also the first place that gave us the answers we'd been dying to hear. They're flexible and happy to work with us on a menu, they're happy to supply a couple of vegan meals if we need them, and they're happy to do a tasting with us once we narrow down the menu! YES! I don't know why it had to be so ridiculously hard to find somewhere that was happy to do that, but we were thrilled to finally hear it. Plus, as a big added bonus, they also supply the serving staff and the dishes! DOUBLE YES! And YAY! That'll save us hundreds of dollars to not have to rent all of those dishes. We have to meet with them again soon, but at this point, we're feeling pretty good about things.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a little adventure when we went looking for a wedding suit for Dylan. Our TV has been flooded with Men's Wearhouse commercials lately, and we kept seeing the commercial about "When all eyes are on her, she's going to be looking at you..." and how they're going to make you look your best for your wedding. We thought that seemed like a good place to start looking. As it turns out, not so much. We were excited when we arrived, and very disheartened and discouraged by the time we left. The woman who helped us was terrible. She directed us to a section of about a dozen suits on a rack and said that was where we could look. The choices were crap. When we told her we were hoping to find a dark brown suit, she just said they didn't have it. When we asked if there were any options, like maybe finding a suit in a different size and then ordering it in Dylan's size, she actually told us we should just go somewhere else! We couldn't believe it. I told her that there was a nice brown suit on their website, and she shrugged. When we saw a dark brown tuxedo, we asked her about that and she said it was a rental. We had to ask if they had something like that that he could try on, just so he could try on SOMETHING remotely like what we were looking for. We were shocked to find out that they don't have rentals for you to try on. They take your measurements, and you get what they give you. You don't get to try it on first! The woman literally told us we should shop elsewhere several times. Dylan was furious by the time we left. He was ready to write a letter to Mr. "I Guarantee It" in the commercials. It's not like we were being jerks, either. We were polite, and excited about buying his wedding suit. Blah! I don't ever want to go there again.

We decided to make the most of it while we were on the other side of town. I really don't have a good sense of the best places to buy a suit for a man, but I was thinking that our next stops should be somewhere like Macy's and Nordstrom. Lo and behold, across the street from the Men's Wearhouse was the Nordstrom Rack store! We figured it was a longshot, but worth a try. JACKPOT! There was a wonderful girl named Nicole in the men's department at the Nordstrom Rack who went out of her way to help us find the perfect suit for Dylan. We found a gorgeous chocolate brown Ben Sherman suit that we both instantly loved. Unfortunately, they only had it one size too small for Dylan! Lovely Nicole made it her personal mission to help us find the suit in his size. I don't know how many other Nordstrom Rack stores she ended up calling, but today she called and announced that she had found the suit! HOORAY! She gave me the number to the San Jose store, and when I reached their men's department I got as far as, "Hi, I'm calling because someone from the Spokane Nord--" and he said, "Yeah! Is this Alyson?" Now that's service when a complete stranger from several states away knows your name. So now we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Dylan's gorgeous new Ben Sherman wedding suit! And if for some reason the suit isn't right or doesn't fit, we can return it locally, so it's pretty risk-free. We're so excited!

This is a picture from the Nordstrom website of what I'm fairly certain is the same Ben Sherman suit that we bought him (except this one is navy, obviously):

This is a picture I took of the suit we found, so hopefully the suit that's being shipped to us will look like this! My flash made the suit look a little brighter than it really is, it's a nice dark brown.

Dylan's going to look so good!

Oooh, and I also found a pair of wedding shoes at the Nordstrom Rack. They're very simple, but they're a pretty iridescent pearl and they're so soft they feel like slippers. And I got them on clearance for less than $20! I've heard too many horror stories about brides wearing hot shoes that killed their feet, so these will at least be my Plan B shoes, even if I find something fancier for pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T06:15:00.000-08:00

We have been busting our butt getting ready for Thanksgiving. I'm not going to admit what time I'm posting this, but I will tell you that if I don't go to bed soon, I may as well just stay awake. :-P

Here is my menu for the day:

Roasted turkey (I even made stock to use for the gravy this year!)
Classic mashed potatoes
Cornbread dressing with onions, fennel (because I'm allergic to celery), apples, water chestnuts and pecans
Smushed sweet potatoes and apples (we love these, we might even try to incorporate them into the wedding menu)
French green beans with roasted nuts and dried cranberries
Whole kernel corn (because I'm weird and I like to mix it with my mashed potatoes)
Cranberry sauce (I made it with orange juice, a little drizzle of molasses and a splash of honey cherry wine)
Oprah biscuits (I totally cheat on the biscuits and use the Southern style Grands. Thanks for the tip, Oprah!)
Black cherry gelatin with black cherries, pineapple and pecans (I feel a little dumb admitting to making Jello, but it's our weird family tradition. Although this year I'm putting my own spin on it and I'm making a mold with my Williams-Sonoma pumpkin patch mold. I know. I'm a dork.)
Pumpkin bread pudding with caramel sauce and whipped cream

We'll be serving it with our favorite cranberry wine by Pasek Cellars. We plan to serve it at our wedding, too!

I don't know who took these pictures, because they were sent to me. We didn't dress our dogs up as turkeys. However, we did dress Gracie up like this for Halloween once, and Dylan pointed out that a Native American costume would be somewhat appropriate for the occasion:

Now if only we had a pilgrim outfit for Franklin. He went as Elvis.

But I digress...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Remember to think about what you're thankful for today!

Holiday and Wedding Menus

2009-11-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I received an email the other night from our wedding photographer checking to make sure everything was alright because he noticed I hadn't posted here for a while. Thanks Matt!

In case anyone else was concerned, everything is alright. I haven't been feeling especially inspired (or inspirational) lately in the wedding department, because I've been a busy bee. Dylan's family (aka my future in-laws) are coming to our place for Thanksgiving this year, so I've been driving myself a little crazy in preparation. I may have mentioned this before, but my mom is very much the hostess-with-the-mostess type and she set the bar pretty high when I was growing up. This will be the fourth Thanksgiving I've cooked, but it's the first one with real guests. The last few were just us, usually with one of my parents. There will still only be 5 or 6 of us this year, but our entertaining space is woefully small, so it will feel like a full house. For whatever reason, I've chosen this year to second-guess some of my Thanksgiving recipes, which means I've been spending a lot of time reading magazines and online recipes trying to see if I can find a couple new dishes for this year's Thanksgiving menu. I've been talking to some friends and clients about traditional recipes, and it's funny the way we all have our own dishes that we associate with the holiday. One of my clients recently said that the first time she went to Thanksgiving at her in-laws, she couldn't believe they weren't serving sauerkraut alongside the turkey, because that was always a family tradition for her. I haven't heard any feedback from Dylan's family, so hopefully they aren't expecting something like sauerkraut this year! Do you have any special Thanksgiving traditions? Leave me a comment and tell me about it!

Speaking of planning menus, that has been one of the toughest parts of our wedding planning so far. We still haven't found a caterer that we've really clicked with yet. I have a question for all of you brides-to-be or newly-weds: Have the caterers you've met with offered tastings? Every wedding planning book I've read (and there have been many) talks about the importance of tasting the menu you've chosen. I think that makes complete sense, because if you're going to be spending thousands of dollars on food for your guests, you want to know what you're going to be serving them. Much to my (and Dylan's) chagrin, none of the caterers we've met with offer tastings. It seems bizarre to me. Dylan is especially disappointed, because as a food-lover, trying the food was the part of the wedding planning he was most looking forward to! I'd like to hear what others' experiences have been with hiring their caterers. If you know a fantastic caterer (especially one who will let us try some of the food) in the Spokane / Coeur d'Alene area, please send them my way!

And because I always like to throw in a little eye candy, I wanted to show this crafty autumn decor idea:

You know I love the balance of elegant and rustic, and I think these corn husk wrapped votives from Martha Stewart are an interesting example -- perfect for an autumn themed wedding, or your Thanksgiving table!

Hopefully things will slow down a little soon, because I'm excited to try to put together at least a couple of winter wedding posts!

Happy Halloween! Halloween Wedding or Party Treats!

2009-10-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

I have had no time lately -- this week has been a beast! I couldn't resist putting together a few pictures for Halloween, though. Getting married on Halloween isn't really my cup of tea, but some of these pictures are so cute, I can see the appeal! I figured that for most of us, these would just be inspiration to throw a fabulous Halloween party.

Genius event planner Amy Atlas is responsible for the majority of these pictures. The picture of the table settings is from Real Simple. The dark chocolate graveyard pots de crème with tombstone cookies are from Sunset. (I linked to the recipes, although I think those are both prime "fake-it" treats if you're not feeling gourmet. Make some instant chocolate pudding, crush some Oreos over the top, write RIP on some Pepperidge Farm cookies and wedge one in the top of each dish.) They have some other really adorable Halloween party treat ideas, including these Spider Eggs:

(Mmm, deviled eggs and olives!)

And these cute little candy corn truffles:

Make sure to check out the Pina Ghouladas with these creepy "speared eyeball" garnishes from Hostess With the Mostess!

(Gross, yet delicious! I love lychees a whole lot and blueberries are one of Dylan's favorites. I just never would've thought to turn them into creepy eyeballs.)

If you're interested in trying one of the many pumpkin beers out right now, we'd recommend the Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale. We got excited and tried darn near every brand we could find of pumpkin beers and ales, and that was our favorite.

Okay, that's all for now. I just wanted to share a few of my favorite Halloween finds this week and hope that it provides some inspiration for your Halloween festivities!

Have a fun Halloween and a great weekend!

FREE Wedding Music!

2009-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have another great wedding find to share! It's The O'Neill Brothers Wedding Music: Amazon Sampler.

It's really quite lovely. It's a wonderful collection of classic wedding songs, and to top it all off, it's FREE to download! There's nothing more budget-friendly than free. For those brides who are planning to have an iPod instead of a band or DJ, you may have just found your processional or recessional songs!

You can listen to samples right here, and either download just your favorite tracks, or download the whole album for free.

Pretty, pretty water!

2009-10-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

I like to pass on great deals when I find them, and I've found something I think is really cool!

Dylan and I were wandering around at Big Lots yesterday. They always have an assortment of weird stuff, and every so often I find something great. We turned a corner and I saw a stack of boxes labelled Evian with a fun pattern on them. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that they were limited edition wine bottle sized glass bottles of Evian with a beautiful lace pattern design by Christian Lacroix.

(I found this picture on Green Wedding Shoes.)

I love them.

Once I saw what they were, I got excited and thought, "Ooo, glass bottles instead of plastic! Festive instead of utilitarian! Elegant! Oo la la! These would be a classy upgrade for the wedding!" Dylan looked at me skeptically and said, "I don't know. A dollar?" and I looked at him funny right back. I explained that they were multi-serving size glass bottles, they were Evian, and they were Christian Lacroix. When none of those things meant anything to him, I also pointed out that to buy a plastic bottle of Dasani at a gas station would cost a buck, so it really wasn't weird to spend $1 on these. To that he said, "Oh, yeah. That's true. And they are pretty cool looking..." I offered a compromise: Let's just buy enough for holiday entertaining for now. Our tap water tastes like crap, and these are a much more classy option to offer guests. We came home with a case and I decided to get online and Google them to investigate my find.

Check them out here on the Evian website. $13.95 per bottle! HOLY MOLY!

Dylan gets a huge kick out of a great deal -- almost as much as I do. He gawked at the website and went, "Wow, you're good. Who knew?! Well... you did! You were right, let's go get more!" Bless his heart. So today after work, he went and bought a few more cases. (Actually, my mom ended up going because when I told her about them, she wanted some and she was kind enough to buy them for us! Thanks Mom!) We now have plenty of fancy schmancy beautifully decorated Evian water for our wedding guests. I also plan to use them as part of a welcome basket / bag for our out of town guests. Hotel tap water always tastes like chemicals, and to buy a bottle of water out of the mini-fridge is ridiculously expensive. I thought this would be a cool addition to greet the people who have travelled to join our celebration.

One of my best friends is a super stylish dreamboat (he's going to laugh that I called him that) with a definite eye for detail. What's the guy version of fashionista? We've been friends for over half of our lives now. I miss him terribly because he now lives in NYC. If these bottles didn't weigh so much, I'd send him a case for his holiday entertaining because when I saw them, I thought of him. Even if most people don't notice them, I know Jeffrey will appreciate them. Between him and my mother (whom I fondly refer to as Martha Stewart on crack), at least I know I'll always have someone to appreciate the little details!

Before I get carried away in sentimentality, the point is: if you think these are cool and you have a Big Lots near you, rush your butt down there and get some! I think the lace pattern would be perfect for any wedding, but I think they'd be especially gorgeous for a winter wedding.

Cute wood-grain faux bois save the date cards!

2009-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was just looking on the minted. website and found thesed adorable save the date cards that I wanted to share. I've been obsessed with faux bois (wood-grain) patterns, so of course I was happy to find these!

They're called Fall Carving Save the Date Cards by Amanda O'Rourke, if you want to find them on their page.

I couldn't link right to those cards, but I did find this banner that shows the cards, and a code to get 5% off your purchase! Yay for saving a little money!

I hadn't looked at minted. before. I was impressed by their variety. They do everything from save the dates, invitations, menus, bridal shower invites, and thank you cards to custom calligraphy and custom letterpress designs. They even have an eco-friendly line. Some of their stuff is way out of my league price-wise, but they do have cute stuff that is within my budget. For example, those save the dates are $163 for 100 of them. Not bad at all! (Plus, a lot of their save-the-date examples have the name Aly on them. Maybe it's a sign!)

Since it's getting closer to the holiday season, I'll also mention that they do a lot more than wedding stationery. I was oogling some of their holiday menu designs and thinking that if I were more well-to-do / fabulous, I would like to have those for every party I ever hosted.

Here is a really sweet wedding menu option:

Those are called Charmed Menu Cards by Oscar+Emma Design. I love the initials dangling like charms with the little thank you note tag at the top. Plus, I've always liked dogwood flowers.

I just wanted to share a cool new find, but I ended up liking their stuff enough that I decided to sign up so I could link to them. If you click on one of the links and end up ordering something, I guess they'll send me like a quarter. Yeehaw! If I get kick-back for spreading the word about stuff I think is cool, that will make my day.

One last thing:
If you're in the market for holiday photo cards, they have a 15% off holiday card discount for early shoppers. Real Simple even calls them their favorite resource for personalized holiday cards. The code is EARLYSITE09 and it expires on 10/18, so hurry!

Have a great weekend everyone! We plan to live it up for Dylan's last weekend of funemployment. By live it up, I actually mean sit together on the couch a lot. We've rented a bunch of movies, we're stocked up on popcorn and Halloween candy, and almost everyone we know is out of town or stuck working this weekend. It's feeling like a hermit weekend. I'm kind of looking forward to it!

Wedding Place Settings and Table Decor

2009-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not posting more lately. I've had doctors appointments, dentist appointments, and we've even squeezed in a little socializing with friends! I am also somewhat happy to announce that Dylan accepted a job offer, and will be starting a new job on Monday. I say somewhat happy because it seems like the few places that are hiring right now are offering really low wages because they know how many people are desperate for work. I'm going to miss how much time we've gotten to spend together this summer since he graduated, but we're both trying to be optimistic. Fingers crossed that he likes the job, and that they appreciate what a hard worker he is!

(Oh, and I've also become somewhat addicted to playing the stupid games on Facebook. That hasn't helped.)

**********

I've been working on this blog entry about wedding reception table decor and place settings for days, because I have been having a heck of a time finding the right pictures to go along with it. Actually, that's part of what I wanted to write about -- how hard it is to find realistic inspiration! It's a big topic for me to write about, because it is such a large part of the overall vibe and appearance of your wedding reception. I wanted to put some time into covering it.

As I mentioned before, I've made a couple of purchases for the wedding. I've bought brown tablecloths, and some lovely pearl colored organza napkins. I have never used organza napkins, but I have seen them in pictures and always thought they added some elegance and flair to a tabletop. I bought the darn things on eBay cheaper than I could rent the boring ol' plain cloth napkins, so I decided to go for it. I figured if we didn't like them for napkins, maybe I'd use them to wrap up our wedding favors or put them up on Craigslist. They just arrived, and I think they have the potential to be a gorgeous addition to our tables. I'm excited!

As you may have guessed, my current fascination is the wedding reception place settings and table decor. I've seen a ton of reception photos where the overall look is gorgeous, but I'm having a tougher time finding pictures that really show the details in a helpful way. I'd love to find some examples that make me think, "I want our tables to look just like THAT!" and "I know exactly what's needed, and I can totally make our tables look like that!" It hasn't happened yet, but I continue to look.

I've set a reasonably formal table before, but only our own dining room table. It's a different story when you have to set enough tables for 50+ people. I find myself wondering things like, "Do we really NEED chargers? Or bread plates?" I know that those are considered a standard part of a formal place setting, but when I start to weigh the usefulness against the added cost, I'm not convinced that it's worth it. I'm very detail-oriented, but the details can really add up. Plus, a lot of the pictures I see that use EVERYTHING end up with really cluttered tables.

For example, this photo I found on Flickr:

I originally focused on this picture because it had some similarities to what I imagine for our reception. They used dark tablecloths with light colored napkins folded to hold menu cards, and there weren't dinner plates on the table. Since we're planning to have our dinner plated instead of buffet, those are details that would go along with what we're imagining. I studied the photo for a moment and thought, "Yeah, we could do something like that." Then my eyes drifted toward the rest of the table. Don't get my wrong, they obviously went all out and I can absolutely appreciate that. The table just makes me feel kind of claustrophobic when I look at it. It seems to have gone a step past formal into overwhelming. I think it's an easy line to cross, and I'm trying to hold myself back from that edge.

While it may offend Martha Stewart if we skipped those details, I'm guessing that most of our guests may not even notice. Although if Martha Stewart would like to attend our wedding, I would spend the extra money and rent those things, because I love her. But I digress...

I am in brain storming mode, and soon my friend Samantha and I have decided to set up a practice table so we can experiment with what looks good.

I may be off the hook a bit because I'm not sure organza can be folded ornately, but it's been fun to see how many ways there are to fold napkins decoratively. This Napkin Folding Guide website is helpful if you're in the same stage that I'm in of going, "What the heck are our tables going to look like?! What do we do?!"

I still haven't found the "right" pictures yet for our wedding, but I have found a couple of pictures of napkin ideas that I like. I've been thinking that I'd like to tie our napkins with velvet ribbon, so here are some examples along the same line. Napkins rings are another spendy addition that I don't want to have to deal with, but I like the warmth and texture that velvet brings to the table. Plus, if I can't fold the organza into complicated origami shapes (not that I'd want to), tying a simple ribbon sounds good to me. (The top photo is from Martha Stewart, the bottom is from BHG.)

If you have some inspiring table decor ideas that you'd like to share, you're welcome to email me so I can post about it (I'll give you credit), or you can post in the comments section.

In the meantime, I continue to wish everyone luck with their wedding planning! I found myself fantasizing about eloping earlier today. But even with the elevated stress levels, I still like all of the details and planning. It'll be worth it to share our celebration with our friends and family. Remember, we just have to take a deep breath and sneak off for a pumpkin spice frappuccino with a good girlfriend every so often. (Thanks Samantha!)

The final countdown!

2009-10-09T00:45:00.000-07:00

It's the FINAL COUNTDOWN! (And yes, I am dramatically humming the song as I say that.) One year from today, Dylan and I are getting married! I'm so excited, I could throw up a little.

A little after midnight, I gasped and said, "Oh my god, baby! We're getting married one year from today!" Dylan gasped, ran over to give me a kiss and said, "Oh my god, baby! I didn't realize it was the 10th!" At which point, my enthusiasm and facial expression fell and I said, "Uh... it's not!" Dylan promptly slapped his hand over his mouth and looked horrified and said, "The ninth! The ninth! I knew it was the ninth!" He does know it's the ninth, because HE chose the the 9th. Nine is his lucky number. So he's kind of a weiner, but it made me laugh.

Between having the flu, and then trying to catch up on everything I missed while I was sick, I have been a busy bee. I did make another purchase for the wedding that I want to talk about, so I'll try to get to that this weekend.

Oh, and I wanted to mention that the Amazon Mp3 download for today is a Norah Jones album for $2.99.

In the meantime, TGIF! Let the countdown begin!

365... *gulp*

Jason Mraz album deal on Amazon.

2009-10-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the get-well notes! I'm feeling better, but not back to 100% quite yet. Now I think Dylan might be coming down with it, even though we've tried to both be careful. Hopefully if he does come down with it, it's only a mild case. At least I'm feeling better, so I guess it'll just be my turn to take care of him. In sickness and in health, right?

In the meantime, I wanted to give a heads up that Amazon's MP3 download deal of the day is Jason Mraz's album Mr. A-Z for $2.99. It's one of his earlier albums, so this is a great chance to check out some of his earlier stuff for only a few bucks!

I downloaded it, and I'm listening to it right now. It's sweet, flirty, and a little sexier than the songs you've heard on the radio.

You can listen to samples right here:

Or download the whole album (for $2.99 today only) right here:

Stupid flu.

2009-10-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

I have the flu.

Blame it on the illness, but I find myself quoting the old Foreigner song: I'm hot blooded, check it and see. I've got a fever of 103!

Well, I had a fever of 103. Now it's closer to 100 degrees. But I still feel like crap.

We don't want Dylan to get sick, so he's been sleeping in the guest room. It's the first time in 3+ years that I've had to sleep alone, and it's bumming me out. We keep making sad faces at each other from across the house, because we've never been unable to kiss and hug each other.

Yesterday my mom came over to check on me (even though I warned her against it, because I don't want to infect her) and she had a bag full of food and things like Clorox wipes and anti-bacterial soap. We already had those things, but she was pretty funny about it. She wore a really weird face mask (to make me feel better and/or make me laugh) and listed off all of the things she brought to try to make me feel better. Oranges, organic apples, Odewalla juice, sweet potatoes (I don't know why), bagels, and Vernors ginger ale. If you're not feeling well, Vernors is one of the best thing ever.

I've been missing work, and I don't have the energy to think about weddings right now. When this fever breaks and I'm back on my feet again, I'll get back on it.

In the meantime, make sure to wash your hands every chance you get, because you do not want this stupid flu.

Dark Pink with Taupe / Gray Wedding Palette

2009-09-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

I apologize for getting this up a little later in the day than usual. I'm fighting a cold, so it's kind of thrown me off my game today.

I know this isn't my usual style of inspiration board, but I just thought this was an interesting color combination that I wanted to share. I'm not sure what to call this shade of dark pink. I was thinking maybe dusty rose, or blush? I think there's a really nice earthy and vintage quality to this shade of taupe or gray.

This whole theme makes me imagine getting married in an old chapel or school-house nestled in the woods, or out in the middle of a prarie.

{click to enlarge}

The lovely stationery, the rustic floral arrangement, and the boutonniere are all from Martha Stewart.

The pink rosewood wreath is from Smith & Hawken. Unfortunately, it looks like they may be going out of business, but you can follow that link to see if they have a store near you. Maybe you can find some great sale stuff.

I'm sorry to say I can't remember where I found the gray napkins, I was just excited because they said Alyson on them!

The John Fluevog Women's Jules Ankle Boots are from Endless.

Goodbye summer!

2009-09-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

We've been all over the place the last few days! We went to check out another caterer, we went to the mansion venue (the one we won the gift certificate for), we went to a concert, we went to a party... phew!

The caterer we checked out this time gave more direct answers than the others so far, and actually asked us a lot of questions to get a better feel for what we're looking for. The best part was that although they don't do a "tasting" in the traditional sense, they do make enough food that we have a chance to sample some of their stuff. One of the entrees that we thought sounded interesting was a dish they called pumpkin chicken. I guess they must've been making some for another event, because as we were talking she mentioned that she was going to be making that dish the next day. We made arrangements and actually just showed up the next afternoon and picked up some pumpkin chicken to go! We bought it just like you would if you were going to get take-out, but it was already made and waiting just for us. The dish itself wasn't at all what I had imagined, but Dylan and I both agreed that it was very tasty and if we had been served that meal at a restaurant, we'd both consider ordering it again. We're not sure that dish is what we'd want to serve at the wedding, but it did let us know that this caterer does a nice job with their spices and combining flavors. The other nice thing is that these people make a whole lot of desserts. They can even do our wedding cake if we want. They actually supply a lot of the fancy cakes that they sell at Huckleberry's (one of the finer natural food shops around Spokane), so Dylan and I made a trip over there and treated ourselves each to a slice of different kinds of cake. For research purposes, naturally.

As I said, we went and took a tour of the mansion venue I'd mentioned. I'm glad we went, because it actually ended up making us both feel more confident in our choice of the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center. The mansion has potential, but it seemed like it was gradually being renovated and not quite ready to host a lot of weddings just yet. Maybe we'll still figure out a way to put the gift certificate to good use, but it probably won't be for our wedding.

Friday night we went to an outdoor concert -- Bushwalla, G. Love And Special Sauce, and Jason Mraz. It was a really good show and we had a lot of fun. The security people were a little self important and rude, but the upbeat attitude of the performers made up for it. I always loving going to a show where the musicians really seem like they're enjoying what they're doing, and Jason Mraz in particular sounded great. I obviously already like his music, but I think he may be even better live.

Yesterday we went to a vegan potluck at our friends' house. I got to try my hand at some vegan recipes, so that was an adventure. We were supposed to bring snacks instead of heavy entrees, so I made a white bean dip that is similar to a really creamy hummus, but with more lemon juice and a little fresh basil. I also wanted to try to make a vegan dessert, which was more of a challenge. I made a 100% vegan chocolate cake with a really rich chocolate orange glaze (I want to call it ganache, but obviously it didn't have cream in it.) It was surprisingly good, although the boys at the party were lamenting the lack of ice cream to go along with it. We had fun just hanging out with friends, playing some games and laughing loud enough that I'm surprised the neighbors didn't come over to see what we were up to. This may have been the last warm weekend of an indian summer, so we tried to make the most of it!

Today we're thinking about taking a day trip down to visit Dylan's sister Shannon. If we do that, we're going to be on the road for a few hours.

A lot of you may have read this and thought, "Uh... Thanks for the update on your weekend, but where the heck is the wedding stuff?" and my answer to that is that I'm hoping to have a board up tomorrow. It'll probably be a little different than some of my previous ones, but we'll see. I'm experimenting.

In the meantime, if you have a color combo that you're just dying to see, email me and tell me about it and maybe I'll feature it in the coming weeks!

Wedding Song of the Day - September 22, 2009

2009-09-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

Today's board is my idea of classic comfort, so I wanted to choose a song with similar feelings. I decided to use From This Moment On by Shania Twain for the wedding song of the day, because the lyrics are just about perfect. I've even thought it could make a very emotional processional song.

Apple, Pumpkin and Cinnamon Spice Autumn Wedding Theme

2009-09-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Autumn has always been one of my favorite seasons, so I'm excited that it's officially here!

Part of the reason we chose October for our wedding is because we both love this time of year. There is something so homey and comforting about the crisp weather balanced with the coziness that we create inside.

While we might not want to use this particular color palette, we are hoping to serve this style of food! YUM! Autumn foods are our favorites, especially the warm spicy flavors like cinnamon and allspice. I have an insanely delicious recipe that mixes sweet potatoes and apples with butter, brown sugar and those spices. As soon as the weather starts to change, Dylan starts begging me to make it every year. (We're having it tonight!)

Obviously this palette would be perfect for an autumn wedding, but it could just as easily be inspiration for hosting an autumn feast or Thanksgiving.

{click to enlarge}

The autumn assortment of boutonnieres, the place setting, the caramel apples, the wood veneer place cards, the dark red bouquet, and the leaf favor boxes are all from Martha Stewart.

The autumn bouquet (below the pumpkin pie) was photographed by Theresa Valls Photographic.

The pumpkin cauliflower casserole, the pumpkin chicken chowder (bottom left corner), the pumpkin pie with autumn leaves, and the pumpkin spice cakes (top right corner) are all from Country Living.

The pumpkin martini is from Thoughtfully Simple.

The roasted sweet potatoes (bottom right corner) were photographed by Victoria Pearson.

The pumpkin whoopie pies are from Williams-Sonoma. (When Dylan saw this board, the first thing out of his mouth was, "Why don't we have little pumpkin cakes like that?")

The spiced apple cider (top left corner) is from Cooking Light.

The pumpkin votives and table decorations are from Good Housekeeping.

Can I also just tell you how much I love these fall forest pie cutters from Williams-Sonoma? They make me want to be a better pie maker. They had me when I saw they had an acorn and an oak leaf!

Wedding Song of the Day - September 19, 2009

2009-09-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

The wedding song of the day is Nothing Gives Me Pleasure by Josh Rouse. I love this song because it's sweet and earthy. Plus, the phrase "nothing gives me pleasure like you do" is just a dreamy compliment.

Green, Brown and Acorn Wedding Theme

2009-09-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted an inspiration board, but it's because I have had a mental block. I've been really straining my brain trying to work with some colors and details for our wedding, which seems to require an extra effort. It's fun and a little easier for me to detail color palettes for inspiration, but a little more tricky when I decided to incorporate some of the specific elements we plan to use.

Here are some of the goals for our wedding:

We want autumn warmth, without being cliché. That means no pumpkins, and avoiding the more traditional orange, yellow and red palettes.

We love the symbolism of acorns and oak trees, so we want to feature them in our details, but in cute and hopefully not cheesy ways.

A little DIY craftiness is a plus, because it emphasizes heart-felt sentiment when you know that someone put the time and effort into making it themselves.

Here are some of the things we're going for:

cozy

expressive of our personalities (go ahead, you can call us "nuts")

intimate

rustic
woodsy

sentimental

romantic

elegant

comforting

celebratory

So what do you think? What comes to mind when you look at this board?

{click to enlarge}

The green oak leaf menus, the green napkins with green acorns, and the pinecone and acorn boutonnieres are from Michelle Rago.

The oak branch candle holder centerpieces, the acorn cakelettes and the acorn ornament are from me. The acorn cakelette pan is from Williams-Sonoma.

The acorn boutonniere in the top right corner is from Martha Stewart.

The bowl of green acorns was photographed by Kathryn Kleinman.

The chocolate tablecloth is what we're supposed to receive in the mail any day now. The green fabric is a sample of what we're considering for an overlay.

The lime green twig ball pomander with mini leaves is from Modage Floral on Etsy.

The green paisley fabric is a close-up of a Brioni handmade silk tie from europeansilkcompany on eBay. We love paisley, so I'm thinking about splurging on it for Dylan.

I don't know who made the chocolate cake, but it looks delicious so I thought I'd use it as an example of our desire to serve delicious comfort foods. (To my future mother-in-law Jinx, who can't eat chocolate: don't worry, we will have some kind of cake that you can eat, too!)

The tufted moss ring pillow is actually a really great DIY project from Once Wed. I love the faux bois ribbon around the edge, but you can customize it however you'd like!

Wedding planning is never simple.

2009-09-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Dylan and I went to a bridal event last night and had a lot of fun. There were quite a few different stores and vendors to check out. To encourage you to meet as many of them as possible, they gave you something that looked like a bingo card with names and logos. As you met with each vendor, they would mark off their square. If you successfully had all of your squares marked off, you turned in your bingo card to be entered in a drawings for prizes. Much to our delight, my name was drawn for one of the nicest gifts they were giving away! We received a gift basket with a bottle of champagne, champagne flutes, a variety of chocolates, and a certificate for $500 toward the venue rental of a historical mansion! I had actually tried to find the mansion online before, but they don't have a website up yet. They included a simple brochure with a couple of pictures that make this place look absolutely beautiful. There are just a couple of problems:

We already put a deposit down for Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center, and we both really like it as a venue!

The $500 certificate for the mansion isn't transferrable, so if we don't use it, it goes to waste. :-(

The coordinator of the mansion seems like a very nice man and encouraged us to come take a tour of the venue. We're thinking we'll tour the mansion, because really, who doesn't want a personal tour of a beautiful old mansion? If it somehow manages to be the perfect place for us (which is a long shot), then we'll have to really weigh our options. In the meantime, I'm hoping that maybe we'll be able to work out an alternative use for the certificate. Maybe our rehearsal dinner, or some other wedding related party?

So my overall reaction has been, "YAY and crap!" I really hope everything works out!

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I also wanted to tell all you brides-to-be about a great deal on Amazon today. Their MP3 deal of the day is The 99 Most Essential Baroque Masterpieces for only $1.99! They aren't all the best arrangements for some of the songs, but if you're looking for some nice background music before the ceremony, during dinner, or even your processional, this is a nice sampler. 99 songs for $1.99 is hard to beat! Even if you're not familiar with this kind of music, you're likely to recognize several of these tracks as songs you've heard associated with weddings before.

Wedding photographer Matt Shumate!

2009-09-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

We met with our first wedding photographer last night, and he was great!

Not only is Matt Shumate's photography gorgeous, he is a super nice guy. He's very friendly and personable, as well as open to my many questions. As you may have guessed, I am a detail oriented girl. One of my favorite qualities about Matt is that he is a definite detail man, and his pictures really show that.

He gave me permission to showcase some of his work, and I'm excited to share it with you here! I was just going to select a few of my favorites, but I couldn't narrow it down! I had a hard time getting it down to a dozen. We looked at hundreds of pictures tonight and they were ALL good. That takes some serious talent.

{click to enlarge photos}

If you're looking for a wedding photographer in Spokane (or most of Washington state or North Idaho), Matt Shumate is one of the best! Make sure you tell him that Alyson at Keen To Be Seen sent you!

Adorable Woodsy Rustic Wedding Finds!

2009-09-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

I've been on the prowl for some aisle decorating ideas since I posted last. Since then, I've found a couple of great woodland decorating details that I wanted to share.

For starters, I found a simple solution to the "How do I decorate an indoor aisle when there are no pews to attach decorations to?" issue. There's a website called saveoncrafts that has really great prices on almost anything you'll need for wedding decorations. On that site, I found what they call an Iron Tulle Stand (or wreath stand) that would allow me to put up decorations without worrying about jabbing anything into the ground (not an option for an indoor wedding), putting the decorations on the floor, or attaching things to chairs (not so simple if you're using chair covers). Maybe everyone else already knew about these, but just in case there are some other brides out there who have been worried about the same thing, I thought I'd share the discovery.

Next, I'm excited to have found these adorable Lime Green Twig Ball Pomanders with Mini Leaves from a LOCAL artist via Etsy! Modage Floral is right in Coeur d'Alene (only about a half an hour from Spokane, for those of you who aren't from around here.) It was pure coincidence that she's local, but it just makes it that much cooler of a find for me!

I got excited when I saw them, because I love pomanders and kissing balls, but I was having mixed feelings about how many flowers you have to use to make them. These would go great with our theme, and they might just be a great option for our aisle decorating dilemma! Hooray!

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Thanks to the wonder of Craigslist, we also found these cute twig and moss baskets. It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but they're actually wooden boxes that are decorated on the outside with twigs and baskets. Lin (the woman we bought them from) just put a potted plant in each box, then topped them with some artificial moss to fill them out. I'm not sure what we'll end up putting inside of them, but I'm excited to use them for some general decoration around the room. We also bought a bunch of the hurricane glasses pictured, because we want lots of candlelight! Thanks Lin!

I bought some of the chocolate brown tablecloths I mentioned before off of eBay. I ended up buying them for cheaper than it would've cost to rent them! I also bought a couple of sample napkins from an online store, so I'm excited for everything to arrive so we can put together some color combinations and try to narrow down our color palette.

There are several local bridal events in Spokane this week that I'm excited to check out. If you're one of the local brides that reads my blog and you'd like to know what I'm talking about, please feel free to drop me a note and I'll fill you in!

Ceremony floor plans

2009-09-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Dylan and I have been so excited about booking our venue and officially setting the date that most of my wedding thoughts have been about our own wedding. I've been dabbling with different color palettes for inspiration boards, but find myself preoccupied with imagining our own. I keep day-dreaming about what the tables will look like, or what sort of layout might work best for the ceremony.

If you're reading this, you've probably seen some of the photos of our venue in recent posts. It's an old church on the outside, and wide open space on the inside of the chapel area. It allows all sorts of flexibility and creativity for your ceremony and reception layouts. Maybe that kind of freedom can be a little overwhelming, because I'm having a heck of a time trying to figure out the logistics.

Here are some of the possibilities we're considering, as well as details that may be important:

The ceremony and reception are going to be held in the same room. There will be a cocktail hour / intermission held in other rooms to allow the room to be "flipped" as needed. I have no idea at this point who will be doing the actual flipping, but it seems it will either have to be hired help or family and friends who are dressed up for the wedding. That being said, I would like to keep the re-arranging pretty simple and not too labor intensive.

One option would be to have reception style seating during the ceremony. We will be using 5 foot round tables for the reception (as provided by the venue), and plan to have them set up in a scattered / off-set pattern with an aisle split down the center. If we choose to have people sit at those tables during the ceremony, I think we'd have to set the tables so that the guests would be seated in a way that allows them to face the front of the room. We'd basically have to remove several seats and place-settings per table. I'm thinking that might look weird and lop-sided, but it would also save the hassle of flipping the room.

The second option is to have chairs set up in traditional rows, similar to church pews with an aisle down the center. This is what we've both imagined when we've tried to picture the ceremony, because it is so traditional. The down-side is that it will take a lot more time and effort to re-arrange the furniture after the ceremony to get the room set up for the reception.

In both of these scenarios, there would be an aisle down the center of the seating arrangements for the processional. Before booking a venue, my mind hadn't yet considered things like, "If we get to have an aisle, how should it be decorated?" Now my mind seems to have set up camp there. I just can't picture it yet. I imagine it completely bare right now. Decorated chairs or tables nearby, and a completely blank aisle. There aren't pews to attach anything to, so I'm going to have to get creative. Almost every picture I've seen of a decorated wedding aisle involves the aisle drowning in flower petals. That sounds like a big pain to clean up, and the cautious old lady deep down inside of me thinks that sounds like a slipping hazard during the reception. I've never really put thought into things like aisle-runners and have no idea if it's something even worth considering. I don't want giant urns of flowers. I just feel like there should be SOMETHING that makes it look decorated more than a blank strip of floor. I've seen some really pretty decorations that involve candles, but every time I see those pictures I think, "How did their guests not set themselves on fire?" Or the bride with her big swishy gown, for that matter! Maybe setting yourself on fire on your wedding day would end up meaning good luck, but it seems like that would put a damper on the day. Especially if you set off the smoke alarm.

See? These are the things I'm thinking about lately.

Usually I like to offer up ideas and help other brides brain-storm for their big day. Today, I'm going for a little role reversal and encouraging everyone to offer up some ideas to me and anyone else who reads this blog. Has anyone else had the floor plan dilemma? Have you figured out a genius way to handle that? Do you think you had the most gorgeous wedding aisle ever? Spread the word and share the love. I want to hear about it. And see some pictures!

Feel free to leave comments, or send me an email!

I hope everyone's having a great weekend! We're thinking about trying to make the most of what is supposed to be the last hot summer weekend by going up Greenbluff to pick some fresh produce. I love this time of year!

Hello, Cupcake!

2009-09-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

I'm still in brain-storming mode for a couple of new palettes, but things still haven't slowed down enough for me to put it all together just yet. This week I have multiple doctor appointments. Today I found out I am allergic to one of the weirdest things I've ever heard of: Celery. Who is allergic to celery?! Well, me, apparently. I hope you enjoy my posts in the meantime, but there are more palettes to come!

Today I just had to share a fun find. I think cupcakes are one of the cutest foods ever. They're almost a comfort food, just because of that childhood nostalgia and sweetness. Keeping that in mind, when I saw some of these pictures on Real Simple's website, I went bananas.

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes -- these just blew me away!

Owl Cupcakes -- wouldn't these be cute for Halloween?!

Pool Ball Cupcakes -- instead of a groom's cake, or for a bachelor party treat?

Terrier Cupcakes -- the book also has "Pupcakes" (even chihuahuas!)

Spaghetti & Meatball Cupcakes -- I cannot even imagine how these taste because they look so much like the real thing, but they're made with chocolates and jam!

All of these creative cupcakes are featured in this book:

{click on the picture of the book or the link below to go check it out on Amazon.com}

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson. I don't know if that's true and anyone can really make them, but I am willing to take that challenge.

The book also contains some really cute sunflower cupcakes that would be great to include if you're having a sunflower wedding or shower theme. One of my favorites is an assortment of cupcakes that look like an old-fashioned TV dinner! I have no idea what you'd use them for, but they crack me up. Maybe if your guy is a couch potato or has a real fondness for Hungry Man dinners? Who knows, but they're all so creative and cute!

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Oh, and happy 09/09/09 -- I wonder how many people are getting married today because of the date?

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

First, I just have to say that it's official! We have booked our venue for Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center. We got engaged over last Labor Day weekend, and this year we have officially set a date and chosen a venue. YAY!

I hope everyone is having a good holiday weekend! Here are a few pictures to sum up our weekend:

Beautiful Lake Chelan, with weather varying between pretty and freakishly stormy.

We took Franklin swimming in the lake for the first time!

Franklin loves long weekends!

Happy Birthday to my future sister-in-law Shannon! We'll see you soon!

Some of Our Own Wedding Inspirations!

2009-09-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

I have been a brainstorming maniac lately. I haven't had enough time to organize some of my ideas into an inspiration board just yet, but since these are personal inspiration ideas I figure it's okay to share them just as photos. If you've been reading the blog, you know that we want to include acorns and oak leaves into our autumn theme. These are some of the things we have so far:

These are the oak branch and acorn candleabra centerpieces -- they were our first wedding purchase!

These are the acorn cakelettes and the pan from Williams-Sonoma that I made them with. I made them with a spiced pumpkin bread recipe. I like to use real maple syrup to coat the tops of the acorns, then roll that part in raw turbinado sugar for texture. They're both delicious and adorable -- one of my favorite combinations!

These are some mini acorn ornaments that we want to incorporate into our wedding favors.

We don't have these tablecloths yet, but these are some of the linens we're considering. I've actually found them for purchase for only about $2 more than it would cost for us to rent them locally, so I like the idea of just buying them and then passing along the bargain to another bride after our wedding. I'm all for sharing a great bargain! We're trying to decide what other colors we want to use with the brown. We're thinking greens, but maybe also incorporating some champagne or some other soft color. We'll see!

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I'm also excited because today we're going out to Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center to have a meeting to discuss the possibility of using them for our venue.

Dylan took these pictures yesterday. They were set up for a local event (not a wedding) but I thought it was cool to see the main hall without all the tables set up.

We both like that this venue has history and character, unlike some of the more corporate event centers we've seen. Fingers crossed that we'll be able to work something out with them. I'll let you know, of course!

Beautiful Bouquet by Petalena

2009-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy this week, but my inspiration is building up and I will have a new board up in the next day or two. We've been trying to narrow down our own color palette.

In the meantime, I just wanted to share this beautiful bouquet I found.

{click to enlarge}

The bouquet is made with primarily white snowberries, roses, wheat and hellebores. I love hellebores, and I never thought about putting them into a wedding bouquet. I love the soft, romantic mauve accents, too.

It was made by Petalena, an amazing Boston florist. I just discovered their website and blog. If you're looking for wedding flower inspiration with a wild, natural beauty, you should definitely check them out. If you're in Boston and can actually order your flowers from them, even better!

They also made a matching boutonniere with snowberry and hellebore.

Must-Take Wedding Photo Checklist

2009-08-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I spend a lot of time scouring the web for beautiful wedding related pictures. As I've looked through real wedding photos, I have started making a little list of specific photos that we would like to have taken at our wedding. For example, I love the photos of the bride and groom holding a sign that says "Thank you!" so I added it to the list. I only had a few ideas on said list, but today as I was exploring Real Simple, I hit the jackpot. They actually have an entire list of almost 80 photo-op ideas. Most advice books or websites suggest giving your photographer a list of must-have photos, and Real Simple has already made the list for you. You just have to pick and choose what you'd like. Brilliant! Real Simple is right! Rather than posting the entire list and taking up another 3 feet of space on my little blog, I'm just including the link: Real Simple Wedding Must-Take Wedding Photo Checklist.

Just another little tidbit that will hopefully offer some help to my fellow (or would that be sister?) brides!

For a little wedding photo eye-candy, I'm including this shot from Seattle photographer Laurence Kim. It's one of those photos that just makes me sigh wistfully and hope we end up with a picture like that!

FREE Wedding Song of the Day - August 28, 2009

2009-08-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to be able to share some free music today. Michael Johns (the hunky Australian guy that was on American Idol) has put out an album and right now on Amazon you can download the song Heart On My Sleeve for free! Just click on the link below to download it directly from Amazon!

I'll still include the MP3 player with a sample, so you can preview the song first if you'd like, too. I was skeptical when I saw the song listed, but when I listened to it, I was pleasantly surprised. His voice is very warm and dreamy to me, and the song is simple and sweet so I thought that would make it a good match for today's board. Enjoy!

Citrus Punch – Backyard BBQ Wedding Theme!

2009-08-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

I just showed Dylan this inspiration board and he said, “I’m not sure I’d be able to make it through the ceremony if I knew there was a reception like that waiting! YUM!”

I think that’s a pretty great summary for this theme. I call it citrus punch because it’s filled with so many bright, juicy fruit colors: tangerine, apricot, peach, mango and papaya shades of orange, with pineapple and lemon yellow.

This theme really emphasizes the fantastic food and informal fun atmosphere. Who wouldn’t love a backyard BBQ with bright yellow napkins and gingham tablecloths, homemade pies, cupcakes, and refreshing summer drinks? You could even do it potluck style if you’re on a really tight budget.

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Once again, Martha Stewart provided lots of help with the visuals, including the BBQ feast, the assortment of delicious pies, the apricot tart, the apricot place card holder, the peach prosecco sangria, the groom with the orange dahlia boutonniere, and the majority of the bouquets. Another appealing aspect for Dylan was that I had also shown him the Paloma Cooler recipe I found on Martha Stewart.

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The sweet photo in the center of the board is from one of my favorite photographers, Stephanie Williams.

The lemon cupcakes are by Jesi Haack Weddings and Sweet & Saucy Shop.

The orange marmalade was photographed by Victoria Pearson.

The pretty yellow and orange themed table and the matching stationery are both from a real wedding photographed by Union Photo.

I like the idea of a simple tan suit (maybe linen for a hot summer day), maybe with this J.Press bowtie.

The cute orange elbow length sleeve pleated cardigan sweater is from Banana Republic. Perfect for the bride or her attendants if the evening festivities start to get chilly.

Etsy finds:

The Chateauroux large flower hair clip is by Mandizzle. She’s going to think I’m stalking her with as often as I’ve incorporated her stuff, but she really does just have a great variety of lovely hair accessories. Plus, as I may have mentioned before, she looks like a super model, and I like to add lots of pretty to my palettes.

The mango pearl earrings (called Henna) and the honey jade earrings that reminds me of peach Jelly Bellys (called Vilette) are both by ThePeachTree.

The tangerine flower ring is by IndiaAndChic.

The green background of this picture throws it off a little, but look at these insanely adorable mason jar lemonades I found on Intimate Weddings! They would be so perfect with this theme.

If you do go with a theme like this, I have a great MONEY SAVING TIP – try to find a local flower farm and see what they’ve got that you might be able to use. I actually put an ad up on Craigslist for a friend of mine saying that we were looking for a certain color of flower, preferably something with large blooms and ended up receiving emails from a dahlia farmer and a begonia farmer who both offered insanely good deals. We’re talking about a dollar per stem, versus the several dollars per stem most florists would charge. For this palette in particular, I especially love dahlias and ranunculus. Daffodils, gerbera daisies and sunflowers would all be gorgeous, too.

Also, if you go with this theme, feel free to invite us! Or at least send us pictures.

Soapbox Sunday... on a Wednesday.

2009-08-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting week. We're starting to look for a caterer and a photographer. There is a definite part of me that goes, "The wedding is next October. This seems a little crazy!" but there is also the part that has read too many wedding blogs and wedding planning books that all say you should try to book a venue, a caterer and a photographer ASAP in hopes that you book them before someone else does. We figured what the heck, it doesn't hurt to start looking. We'd like to have those three things figured out by October, because they're all big deals and it'd be nice to get some things taken care of early on. We think we may have found a venue. Yesterday I just found a promising local photographer that has a style we both like. Today we meet with our first caterer.

As we begin the search for some great vendors, I've been referring to a book I bought on Amazon called Bridal Bargains. I'm including a link to it, because if you're a bride to be, this is a book worth getting.

It gives good advice on what to look for in a vendor and what questions to ask to try to weed out the flakes.

Since we aren't in a huge city, the options are a little tougher. We want something sweet and intimate that suits our personalities, but we've already found a lot of wedding industry clichés.

The reason I'm most thankful for this book right now is that it's helped to give me a little bit better idea of what to expect. I'd like to think that I'm a smart girl, and I don't take a lot of (ahem) guff. The problem is that I, like most brides I've spoken to, have never planned an event like this. It's hard to know what you should expect when you speak to a vendor, because you don't know what the norm is. Unfortunately, there seem to be some vendors out there who are well aware of the fact that they're dealing with a novice and more than willing to take full advantage of that. I haven't had to deal with that yet myself, but I've heard some horror stories.

In the catering section of Bridal Bargains, it gives tips on things to pay attention to and questions to ask your potential vendors.

One of the first questions that they suggest you ask is, "Can we have a taste test of the food on our menu?" These are their thoughts on that:

We positively loathe caterers who expect you to pay thousands of dollars for food on faith. Equally reprehensible are the caterers that ask "why do you need to taste such basic items? Hors d'oeuvres are hors d'oeuvres." We suggest you find another caterer if you get this line. Should there be a charge for taste tests? Well, some caterers (especially restaurants) may have a minimal fee for tastings, which we can understand. While we'd prefer it to be free, it's better to pay for a taste test and know what you're buying. Even better: taste two or three options for each course (if you plan a sit-down dinner).

I had to laugh because I read this AFTER I had spoken to our first potential caterer. Here is a summary of how my first foray into finding a caterer went:

Earlier this week I contacted one of my top choices for a caterer after reading every local catering website I could find. I probably should've prepared myself better for that first phone call, but I was optimistic that as a professional, the vendor would lead the way. It turns out, that was naive of me. I have corresponded via email and phone calls with this woman. She has not suggested we meet, which is what I had expected when I contacted her. From the few pictures I've seen of her work, she displays her food with lovely artistic flair. Her menu is on the gourmet side, and she seems to be one of the few local caterers I've seen that doesn't include things like deli trays, which we're hoping to avoid. I have explained to her our menu ideas and the general theme that we'd like for our reception. She says she likes it, but hasn't really made suggestions. She answers my questions, and she certainly sounds capable. I'm interested.

Since I have never met her, I can't get a good read of her personality and I feel a little uncomfortable speaking to her because of that. I'm in unfamiliar territory. I was also very thrown off and a bit startled by her response when I inquired about the possibility of a tasting once we had the menu details worked out. The common sense part of me (like the book, although I didn't realize it at the time) says that if you're going to spend thousands of dollars on food for your wedding, you'd like to know what it is that you will be serving your guests. You'd like to try it and verify that it is the quality you're expecting. Plus, Dylan loves food. A lot of wedding details are mind-numbingly boring for the groom and one of the things he's most excited about is the food. He'd be ready to order the wedding cake tomorrow if it meant he got to sample cake first. But I digress... When I asked about arranging a tasting, her response was something like, "I don't do that. I just don't see the point. Anyone can make a good meal for two people, but I don't think that it really proves that they'd be a good caterer." While I see her point, it stuns me a little bit. My response was, "Actually, I've been surprised by the number of people who can't even manage that." How many times have you ordered a meal from a restaurant thinking it sounded delicious, only to wrinkle your nose and think "Well, I won't be ordering that again." Is that really what you want to risk serving your wedding guests? I reassured her that we certainly didn't want to inconvenience her or interfere with her busy schedule, but that it was hard to commit to spending thousands of dollars on blind faith. I said that we'd be happy to pay for the tasting. I said (only half-jokingly) that it could be a deal breaker for Dylan to not be able to sample anything. She told me that she understood and that I was welcome to hire another caterer. I had asked about the possibility of going to one of her events during set-up so that we could see a representation of her work in person (another suggestion from the book) and she agreed that we can go to an event she has scheduled sometime in October and that she'll make a little extra food that we can sample there. It may not remotely resemble our desired menu, but at least we would get to sample something that she's made. I'm not sure if I should be pleased and grateful at that possibility, or mind-boggled and slightly offended. Maybe she really is that good. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations. For now, I am waiting to form that opinion. I will admit to being disillusioned at the moment.

Since that conversation, I emailed another local caterer that I've heard good things about. As with any large purchase, I intend to see what is available before I put my money down. Another Bridal Bargains tip suggests setting up appointments with at least three caterers. It spefically says, "When you call for an appointment, notice how promptly the caterer returns your call. Within the business day is good -- if it takes them more than a day, that's a red flag. Prompt attention is your first clue to the caterer's commitment to service."

I sent potential caterer #2 an email (including my phone number) late Friday night, and received an email back late Tuesday afternoon. Once again, I had to laugh a little having read the tip from the book. The email didn't answer any of my questions, but did say that it would be easiest to meet and discuss details. I ended up calling them, and have arranged a meeting with someone for today. I'm trying not to throw up additional red flags, because I emailed the chef, I heard back from someone else, and we are now scheduled to meet with a third person. I want to be hopeful and optimistic, but this whole thing is already giving me a headache. Fingers crossed that one of these encounters will go very well, that we will be able to taste and enjoy some very good food, and that the people responsible for that food happen to be available for our wedding day.

Is anyone else out there having a heck of a time? Please feel free to drop me an email if you have sanity and/or money saving tips.

Phew... I think I might need a cocktail by the end of the day. Or a cupcake. Or at least a nap.

In the meantime, let me just say: Good luck, to all of the girls out there trying to plan their wedding! We need all the help we can get!

Wedding Song of the Day - August 25, 2009

2009-08-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

When I listen to the song You and I by Wilco, it makes me imagine couples strolling down city streets holding hands. I think this song is sweet with today's inspiration board, because the music seems to reflect the obvious playful affection between the couples shown there.

Black and Ecru

2009-08-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I think that black and white is really one of the most classic and elegant options for a wedding. Today I'm putting my own spin on that tradition by exchanging the white for a warm cream or ecru color.

Maybe it's the similarity of the colors to sepia photographs, the feather and rhinestone accents, or the vintage 1930's style of the dress, but I find this palette very romantic and sophisticated in a charmingly old-fashioned way.

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The domestic goddess Martha Stewart is responsible for the lovely black and cream tables and the anemone bouquet in the bottom right corner.

The cream colored bouquet on the left was photographed by Victoria Pearson.

The anemone and rose centerpieces are from The Knot.

The white with black peep-toe shoes are by Marc Jacobs.

The adorable sepia toned wedding photos are by Red Photo Co., but I saw them on one of my favorite blogs, Snippet & Ink.

The photo of the smooching couple in the bottom left is by Myrtle & Marjoram.

The ruffled chiffon dress (that I love) is Notte by Marchesa.

The cream and black wedding cake in the top right corner was made by Take the Cake, but I saw it on Hip Hostess.

My Etsy finds:

The feather hair accessories are by YJdesign.

The Fifth Avenue feather and crystal necklace is from sweetgrassmill.

The heart flags garland is from Cori Kindred.

The Thank You envelope seals are from Kisfor Calligraphy.

Wedding Song of the Day - August 24, 2009

2009-08-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

The wedding song of the day is Precious Love by James Morrison. The song has a laid-back and happy sound that makes me think of rejuvenation, and today's fresh green palette just seems to go well with that.

Pistachio Green Wedding Palette

2009-08-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

I think this beautiful soft green is both refreshing and comforting. It could be considered sage green, or mint green, but I like to think of it as pistachio green.

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The green stationery, the cucumber mint gimlet cocktail, the cookie bar, and the chocolate cups with pistachios and toasted coconut are all from Martha Stewart.

The green candy buffet is by the ever talented Amy Atlas.

The light green bridesmaid gown is called Sam by Thread.

The cute green shoes are DKNYC Foxy Pump in Bamboo Green from Endless.com.

The photo of poppy greens is by Kathryn Kleinman.

Limeade photo by Lisa Lefkowitz.

I love the oak leaf menus, but I’m afraid I can’t recall where that picture came from. If you know, email me, because I’d love to give them credit.

The rest are my Etsy finds of the day:

The Pistachio Bloom earrings on the left are by dkjewels. Right now they're even offering a 20% off sale!

The beautiful Mandizzle is modeling her silk flower hair clip called The Lucky in the top right corner. She has one of my favorite hair accessory shops on Etsy!

Next to her, the AAA Green Amethyst Faceted Pear Briolette beads are from bismillahgem. Amethyst is my birthstone, and in the last couple of years I have become mildly obsessed with the green variety. If you’re crafty, you could make your own custom wedding jewelry for yourself and your bridesmaids!

I heart Etsy.

2009-08-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share the Etsy purchases I received in the mail yesterday!

I bought these adorable autumn themed rubber stamps from norajane.

I don't use rubber stamps much, because I tend to be clumsy with them for some reason. I know, I know... you ink, you stamp, you ink, you stamp. The concept is simple, but I always seem to over-ink and then end up with marks that aren't supposed to be there and ruining my project. I'm excited about these because they seem to be like stamps for dummies, so that's good for me! :-P
I tested each of them out, and they really do come out looking just like they do in the pictures, even when I'm using them. Hooray! They're very small, so I bought them with the intention of being able to use them to decorate seating cards or maybe the invitation envelopes. Look at how cute the little acorns and pinecones are!

I hope everyone has had a relaxing weekend! Make sure to check back often this week, because I'll be posting several new inspiration boards!

Now I'm going out with a couple of girlfriends for Sunday brunch to a new French cafe and pâtisserie. Mmm, croissants and crepes!

Wedding Song of the Day - August 20, 2009

2009-08-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

If your man can pull off a western style shirt like I showed with today's board, then your wedding song may just be I'm In by Radney Foster with Abra Moore, or by Keith Urban.

I think I prefer the Radney Foster / Abra Moore one, but I'm partial to her because I met her once a long time ago when I worked at a local radio station. Plus, I think it's a little less smooth and pop sounding. There's just some silly girly part of me that makes my heart flutter a little to hear a gruff sounding man sing the line, "If you need a lover and a friend, baby, I'm in." The lyrics to this song are like a country boy's love poem.

And pardon me for saying, but Dylan would look good in any of those shirts. He's not a cowboy, but he wore a western shirt for a theme party we went to and it almost made me wish that he was! Woo!

Light Blue and Red -- Cute and Crafty Theme!

2009-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

I just asked Dylan what color I should call this shade of blue and he said, "Chartreuse?" I laughed and had to tell him that was actually a shade of green. Then he tried, "Um... light blue?" so at least he was getting closer.

Initially I wanted to do an aqua and red wedding palette, but as I sorted through photos I decided that the cute crafty stuff that I liked best was closer to a sky blue, pool blue, or yes, even just light blue.

I love the spunky combination of textures and patterns. I decided to use fewer pictures for this board because I didn't want to overwhelm the eye with too many details.

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The stitched flower cake by The Caketress (Lori Hutchinson Designs) inspired this board -- I just thought it was cute as a button!

The program pockets on the white chairs are from Martha Stewart.

The candy cones are from Brides.com (photo by Dasha Wright).

The rest are my crafty Etsy finds:

The button blossoms on the top right and bottom left corners are Retro Red and Aqua Plaid Pair by ButtonTails.

The cute little hair clips that go perfectly with that great cake are called Red White and Blue Trio by NinjaBowTique.

I love the button accents on the cake, so I also thought the Fresh Summer Red and Blue Button Charm Bracelet by MrsGibson was a great addition, too.

The Red Poppies Enclosure Cards with Aqua Envelopes are by Michelle Brusegaard.

**********

I started imagining more details of how a theme like this could be used for a wedding, and I started thinking about some wedding pictures I'd seen recently of a light-hearted, informal wedding where the groom was wearing a western style shirt untucked. This would be a cool theme for a couple with a rockabilly style, but it makes me imagine a wedding in the middle of a meadow somewhere like Montana or Wyoming. It's just relaxed and cool, with a whole lot of personality and spunk.

Here are some examples of some shirts that could be paired up with today's theme. These are all from Nordstrom:

(I think I'd like this one better if it were long sleeved, but the colors and pattern are good.)

(Is it just me, or does this guy want to be Robert Pattinson's less appealing brother? Still, it is a pretty color of sky blue. Especially if you have a blue eyed groom.)

(The colors aren't as good on this shirt, but this is more the style and fit I was looking for.)

North Idaho Wedding Venue -- Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center

2009-08-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

We had to run errands like crazy today -- we drove back and forth across town to everywhere from the airport to the hospital, and even ended up making a spur of the moment stop at a wedding venue. Nicknamed "The Old Church", the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center in Post Falls, Idaho was a pleasant surprise.

This venue has the charm of an old church, but with modern updates and a lot more flexibility. There aren't pews in the main room (they call it the celebration hall), but there are hardwood floors, ornate windows, and the entrance even has a belltower! (They even let Dylan ring the bell, so he got a kick out of that.) This just might be our favorite venue so far.

The plus sides are that the building is unique and quaint, they allow you to pick whatever caterer you'd like, you can supply and serve your own drinks, and there are several different little areas for guests to mingle and enjoy themselves.

The down-sides are the distance (it would be a little bit further of a drive for most of our guests), the surrounding neighborhood isn't so great if we wanted any outdoor photo ops, and the chairs they use for events are a little modern and weird. I guess I'd have to look into some chair covers!

Overall, we liked it and it's definitely in the running!

This is the cute little patio around back.

We have visited a couple other venues recently, but I just haven't had time to post about all of them yet. Hopefully things will get less hectic soon and I'll be able to do some new inspiration boards, too!

My Aunt Marsha

2009-08-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling sick all day. My whole body aches, and every time I think about taking a bite of food I feel a lump form in my throat that warns me to reconsider. I just got home from work after receiving the phone call I have dreaded all week. My Aunt Marsha died today. As I walked through the house to the back door to let the dogs outside, I grabbed a tangerine popsicle and decided to join the dogs in the back yard.

The weather today is perfect. It’s that warm, gentle kind of sunshine that makes you want to stay outside all day, made even better as the sun has just begun to sink low on the horizon. The sunlight and the breeze are filtering through the trees surrounding our porch, and the only noise has been the soothing rustle of leaves and the occasional footfalls of one of our dogs padding leisurely across the deck.

Exhausted from the weight of the recent stress and restless nights, I sunk heavily into a chair on the deck. As I did, the cell phone in my pocket accidentally pressed up against the arm of the chair, pushing the play button on the front of my phone. The sound of the Dixie Chicks singing “I Hope” greeted me, and I smiled. I pulled the phone out of my pocket, turned up the volume and set it next to me. I am a very music oriented girl, and I have the tendency to pair moments with music, like an on-going soundtrack to life. I wasn’t even thinking about music at the time, but that song was strangely appropriate. I don’t think I could’ve picked a better soundtrack for that particular moment. It kind of felt like it was a little goodbye from my aunt.

I sat there watching the sky and eating my popsicle, enjoying the feeling of the breeze against my tear streaked face. I just kept thinking about Marsha. It wasn’t exactly traditional, but I felt like I was having my own little tribute to her and I think she would appreciate that.

My Aunt Marsha has dealt with illness for years. She had kidney disease that forced her to suffer through a kidney transplant, and years of dialysis. That wasn’t why she died, at least not directly, but it was a big part of how she had to live. She was often outspoken and stubborn, as are most of the women in our family. She was also passionate, smart, sensitive, funny, kind, generous, affectionate, and compassionate. Even when she was struggling, she always wanted to share with others to show that she cared. She was fiery, just like a redhead is supposed to be. She stood up for what she believed in, and she defended the people she cared about. She loved her sons, Billy and Erik, more than anything. She was an animal lover (another thing that runs in our family) and has always treated her pets like family. I feel like she was robbed of the chance to do a lot of the things she wished for in her life. My heart aches for her, and I pray that she’ll find the peace and comfort that was so hard found for her in this life.

In honor of my Aunt Marsha, I remind you to take more moments to enjoy your life. Even if it’s just something as simple as sitting on your porch, enjoying a popsicle on a warm summer day.

I hope for more love, more joy and laughter

I hope you'll have more than you'll ever need

I hope you'll have more happy ever afters

I hope you can live more fearlessly

And you can lose all your pain and misery

I hope

"I Hope" -- Dixie Chicks

Rest in peace, Marsha. We love you and you will be missed.

Wedding Dress Finds at Nordstrom!

2009-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

I like to browse Nordstrom for cool clothing ideas, especially for potential bridesmaid gowns. I would like my future bridesmaids to have dresses that they consider stylish, flattering and something they would be happy to wear again. I don't want them to look like they're going to the prom. While I was looking at some of Nordstrom's special occasion dresses, I found some great ideas for bridesmaid dresses, some horrible outfits, and even a couple of particularly sickly looking models. I'll try to share some of the good, the bad and the ugly with you in the next day or two.

Today I wanted to share with you some exciting wedding dress finds from Nordstrom! They actually have a lovely little assortment of dresses and I was surprised that most of them are very reasonably priced for bridal gowns. Their prices currently range from about $63 - $625, but the majority of the gowns are under $200! In fact, only 3 of the 12 dresses I'm showing here are over $200.

These are an assortment of shorter gowns that I liked. I think any of these could be perfect for a garden wedding, a civil ceremony, or even just a sassy bride who wants to show off her gams! (I think that's the first time I've ever actually used the word gams, but I'm tickled with it right now, so humor me.)

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From left to right, top row:

Sue Wong Lace Back Dress

Maggy London Tie Waist Metallic Sheath Dress

Lily Strapless Floral Appliqué Party Dress (less than $120!)

From left to right, bottom row:

BCBGMAXAZRIA Strapless Appliqué Dress (this is the most expensive gown I listed at $398)

JS Boutique Lace Dress (also available in plus sizes)

Phoebe Strapless Silk Chiffon Dress

Here are the longer gowns that I especially liked. I love these gowns because they offer an assortment of styles, necklines, waistlines, and fabrics, but none of them make me think of a giant cupcake the way so many of the bigger bridal shop dresses do.

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From left to right, top row:

JS Boutique Beaded Cluster Gown

BCBGMAXAZRIA Lace & Tulle Tier Gown

JS Boutique Beaded Crisscross Matte Jersey Gown

From left to right, bottom row:

OC by Oleg Cassini Beaded Silk Chiffon Gown

Sue Wong Beaded Gown with Deep V-Back

JS Boutique Flutter Sleeve Chiffon Gown (Plus)

This is a picture of the back of the Sue Wong Beaded Gown with the Deep V-Back. It's one of the three more expensive gowns on this list at about $325, but that's still not too bad for a gorgeous and sophisticated wedding gown. I personally don't have the figure for a gown like this, but this was one of my favorite dresses on Nordstrom. I actually like the front even more than the back, but I wanted to show the delicate train.

Wedding Song of the Day - August 5, 2009

2009-08-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a hard song choice for me. I think with the peacock feather theme, you could really take it in a lot of different directions style wise. I kept it pretty bold and straight-forward, but you could easily give it an art nouveau spin, or you could make it more modern. I figured that no matter which way you personalized it, the bride that would choose this theme is probably bold and a little sassy. Based on that, the wedding song of the day that I chose is You've Made Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat & Tears.

The song clip only hints at the fun part of this song, so if you aren't familiar with it, you should definitely check out the full song.

Peacock Wedding Theme with Copper and Teal Blue

2009-08-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Early in my daydreaming about what our wedding could look like, I found myself liking the idea of using peacock feathers to add a little flair to a wedding of rich jewel tones. I have since dabbled with peacock palettes and themes a few times, but never quite put it together in a way that I thought really clicked for me. What I came up with for today's board is a little bit different take on peacock wedding themes, because I focused primarily on an almost exotic feeling color combination of shimmering copper and dark teal blue. You could certainly add the emerald green, chartreuse, deep purple, bronze and navy blue to accent the gorgeous iridescence of the peacock feathers. I just decided to simplify it by streamlining the color palette a bit and choosing two of my favorites. I also think that texture plays an especially big role in today's board.

Something I really love about the deep teal is that I think it could be gorgeous on darn near anyone.

In an early engagement splurge purchase, I bought an eBay auction lot of copper tablecloths because I've been fascinated with that color and was convinced I could make it work. (I also bought them for a better price than I could've rented white linens, so what the heck.) I have second guessed myself to infinity and beyond, but I think this palette is an example where the copper really does work beautifully.

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One of my favorite parts of this board is the fabulous Kayla dress in teal chiffon by Thread. I love chiffon. I love empire waist. I love the satin sash with the draping bow. And I love that color!

The second dress is a Rhinestone Pin Satin Halter Gown that I found on Amazon for only $70. Satin is another great fabric for this palette because it seems so rich and elegant. The shoes are Two Lips Vivacious Teal Wedges from Endless.com.

The center picture of the table is from Gamboa Photos.

The copper tablecloth on the bottom row is actually a picture I took of one of my tablecloths.

The sparkling rhinestone peacock feather hair comb is something that I found on eBay.

That brings us to my Etsy finds:

The pretty antique copper and teal glass sea scallop earrings are called Atlantic Bay by The Moss Garden. I know they're supposed to be sea scallops, but the shell shape is pretty similar to a peacock with it's feathers fanned out, so I kind of cheated there. I like the little rhinestone spacers, too. It dresses them up a bit.

The Glamorous Peacock Eye Feather Rhinestone Hair Clip in the center of the bottom row is by Dana Castle. I like that it's simple, but with a little rhinestone embellishment to add some sparkle.

The Tamara Peacock Feather Hairpins on the bottom left corner are by Piper Riley. Her hair accessories have pretty details because she uses little bits of other bold feathers to make them interesting.

The Contessa Peacock Headband in the bottom right corner is by sweetgrassmill. This one is a little more funky, but most girls who would chose a peacock theme for their wedding could probably pull off a little funky. Plus, that headband looks like it would match perfectly with that Thread dress!

The Satin Flower Brooch is by dollmeat. I deliberately left flowers out of this board, because I think the feathers are almost a floral alternative when it comes to bright, colorful accents in the wedding decor. This satin flower brooch with the darker blue jewel goes nicely with the theme, and adds fun texture without taking away from the colorful peacock feathers.

Oooo, and I just found this teal dress and this peacock dress at Nordstrom.

Spokane Wedding Venue -- Bozarth Mansion

2009-08-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

I mentioned the other day that we've been researching some wedding venues. Recently we took a tour of the Bozarth Mansion in northern Spokane, Washington. I took a few pictures of the grounds while we were there.

This is a picture of the mansion as we were approaching it.

This is the courtyard that I thought would be a pretty place for a ceremony.

The same courtyard from a different angle.

This is the wrap-around covered porch that they use as a small dancefloor, or as the place to set up the catering stations.

The Bozarth Mansion could be a really pretty outdoor wedding venue during the warmer months. The interior is pretty lacklaster, and without air-conditioning you and your guests would be sweltering with an indoor summer wedding. Since we're thinking about an early October date, this probably won't be an ideal place for us, but I did want to share some pictures for the other brides in the area who are researching!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-07-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my beautiful Mom today!

I love you Mom!
xoxo

Wedding Song of the Day - July 28, 2009

2009-07-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

I thought the song I Said by Michelle Featherstone was a perfect song for today's board. It's sweet and airy, just like today's soft white palette! If you haven't heard Michelle Featherstone, she also has the BEST wedding song called We Are Man And Wife.

Warm Whites

2009-07-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Please don't think I've gotten lazy, I've just been spending a tremendous amount of time in the last few days trying to research some local venues. As it turns out, some of my favorite venues right now aren't so local afterall. We're going to make arrangements to go visit some of those venues over the next couple of weeks. Keep your eyes peeled, because as we narrow it down, I plan to show some lovely venues scattered around the Spokane and Seattle areas. Maybe even western Montana!

*****

Today's palette is all about pure, delicate and lovely white. This board is full of warm white, ivory, cream, and white chocolate.

There's something breezy and effortlessly elegant about white. With this board I emphasized dainty and feminine with bite-sized sweets and floral accents.

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I am in love with well done candy buffets. I think the colorful buffets are a ton of fun, but there's something both bridal and comforting about an all white dessert buffet.

The sweets I'm showcasing here are by two of my favorite event planners: Amy Atlas and Lollipop Events.

The gorgeous ice cylinder full of branches used to chill the bottle was photographed by the insanely talented Kathryn Kleinman.

Martha Stewart provided the delicate pressed sugar boxes and the Mexican wedding cakes.

The featured Etsy crafter of the day is Mandizzle. That's the beautiful girl in the center of the board who makes those gorgeous floral hair accents. She even looks like a blushing bride! The three pieces shown are called The Bloom (on top), The Bliss (bottom left) and one of my personal favorites, The Cora (in the center and on the bottom.)

I also wanted to share these fantastic Badgley Mischka shoes I found on Endless!

The best wedding entrance ever.

2009-07-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

Dylan found this on YouTube the other day and insisted I watch it. When Dylan finds things on YouTube for me to watch, it is usually something funny, cute or weird... like the hedgehog swimming in the bathtub, or today he showed me a montage of animals stealing food from people. Basically, it's like something from America's Funniest Home Videos. When he got excited about this clip, I braced myself for something with stunt skateboarders landing on their faces or something of the sort, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the clip. I think I actually had a weird reaction to it, because I found myself (embarassingly) feeling a little choked up as I watched it. I just think it's so joyful, and it's obvious that they're all having fun and so happy to be there. Dylan and I don't even know if we're going to have attendants, but if we do, I hope they'd be willing to do this... even if we don't try to ask them to. Actually, I can picture a couple of my friends making their way down the aisle like rockstars. It would be Dylan that would have the biggest problem and would end up doing a nervous monkey dance down the aisle. (I call it his monkey dance because it involves a lot of wild arm waving over his head. It's not pretty, but he does it to make me laugh.)

So what do you think -- can you imagine making this kind of an entrance at your wedding?

I'm not sure we'd be brave enough, but I love it! Hats off to JK and their wedding entrance dance!

Bonus Wedding Song -- With Video!

2009-07-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

I was just listening to some music clips and I ended up on YouTube looking for a song that I was curious about. I ended up stumbling across this video and I thought it was just too cute not to share!

You can click right here to get to My Idea Of Heaven by Leigh Nash on Amazon!

Wedding Song of the Day - July 23, 2009

2009-07-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

Danika is probably going to think I'm nuts for choosing this song. I figured for a girl who wants a hippy style wedding dress and someone with a fondness for the "super random," this might just work.

Since I don't know her musical tastes at all, she's welcome to plug her ears to this and make up her own wedding soundtrack. Actually, she should probably do that last part anyway.

So without further ado, the wedding song of the day is Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney.

Burnt Orange and Brown (by special request)

2009-07-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

One of my readers wrote me a note asking for help and advice with her upcoming wedding.

Here are the things I know about Danika and her fiance:

They're planning for a wedding in late December using burnt orange and brown for their colors.

They want plenty of unconventional mixed with some traditional elements. For example, they want ice cream instead of wedding cake. She doesn't consider herself a girly girl, but she has decided that her bridesmaids will have brown dresses and she's planning to have a hippy style vintage wedding gown. They want budget-friendly and down to earth.

Here is what I came up with for their wedding:

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To me, one of the trickiest elements is using a burnt orange and brown color palette in December. For a wedding in the dead of winter, it's nice to add warmth to a palette, but you don't want it to come across as a stereotypical autumn wedding. I was tempted to add a third color, but I wanted to keep this inspiration board true to what Danika had requested. By adding another color, it would be easier to distance these colors from an autumn palette. Fun color options could be pale or navy blue, light or bright green, cranberry, magenta, plum, or teal. I haven't done those exact combinations yet, but I do have a pumpkin and aubergine palette and an aqua, orange and brown palette that might help to give more ideas.

Danika wants plenty of candlelight, so a pretty and fragrant centerpiece idea may be tealight or votive candles nestled into small dishes full of coffee beans. In the picture near the top right, the jars are even wrapped with orange raffia bows. For winter, I think I would even use a luxurious velvet ribbon!

I was thinking that a fun way to keep the bridesmaids (and even the bride) warm for a light-hearted winter wedding would be cute cardigan sweaters. If the bridesmaids are wearing brown dresses, they could have burnt orange or off-white sweaters. For the bride, she could have her choice of off-white (whatever version of white that goes best with her dress), burnt orange or rich brown. The key would be to have nicely fitted sweaters that are feminine and not too thick or bulky.

Here are some of my favorite examples:

I love the lace detailing on this white Just Ginger lace trim cardigan from Nordstrom.

This Elbow Length Sleeve Pleated Cardigan by Banana Republic is a lighter orange, but the pleated detail and feminine style are lovely.

This Caslon Swing Cardigan from Nordstrom isn't the cardigan style I imagined, but I like this sweater. I've always liked swing style sweaters and jackets. If nothing else, the bride would at least have a cute sweater to wear in and out of the venue!

Don't let the picture of this Merino 4 Pocket Cardigan from JCrew fool you. It looks a little frumpy here, but it's actually a streamlined and flattering style.

I'm also a big fan of interesting wedding shoes. This couple is young and wanting to mix things up a bit, so I thought the chocolate brown Converse sneakers and some funky shoes for the bride were a nice touch. (The Converse and orange bridal shoes pictured were featured on one of my favorite blogs, Snippet and Ink.) The peeptoes pictured aren't ideal for a winter wedding, but I think these burnt orange Pia Stitched Flat by Pink Studio would be perfect for a hippy chic bride! Plus, they're less than $40!
For winter flower choices, my first thought was calla lilies. Actually, there are quite a few lily varieties that come in various shades of orange. I recently had a florist admit to me that Costco sold their flowers for cost (sometimes even cheaper than the wholesale florists), and I know they have assorted mini calla lilies for a reasonable price.

Serving ice cream at a winter wedding seems like it could be a challenge, so I thought I'd include some simple and tasty looking cupcakes as another nostalgic dessert option for people who are craving something cake-like. The chocolate cupcake with orange sprinkles is from Martha Stewart. The Swiss orange chocolate chip cupcake is from Alpineberry blog -- she even gives her recipe! If you really want to stay with a theme, you could even serve Swiss orange sherbet (orange sherbet with dark chocolate chips) by Dreyer's / Edy's.

Some warm ideas that also incorporate the color palette would be serving hot cocoa and spiced cider!

The rest of the details on today's inspiration board are from a variety of weddings on The Knot.

Ooo, and on one last note:

I LOVE argyle socks! (These are from the GAP.)

Wedding Song of the Day - July 21, 2009

2009-07-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite elements of today's board is the beautiful luminscent quality of that lilac / periwinkle shade. It reminds me of the romantic glow of moonlight. As I daydreamed about a fitting song for today, I found myself thinking of the lyric, "It's not the pale moon that excites me, that thrills and delights me... Oh no, it's just the nearness of you." I think that might be the perfect song for today, so the wedding song of the day is the Nearness of You by Norah Jones.

Lilac, Bronze and Dark Chocolate Brown

2009-07-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

When we got engaged, my first idea for a wedding color palette was lilac and dark chocolate brown. The few people I mentioned this to looked at me like I was crazy. This was before I had discovered the magic of inspiration boards, and I could not find good examples of the color combination I was imagining. I have gradually found a decent assortment of light purple with brown, copper and bronze wedding related pictures. This seems to be a particularly difficult color scheme to find in uniform, matching shades. I've decided to take Martha Stewart's cue and mix and match a bit. In this palette you'll find shades of purple that could be described as lilac, lavender, orchid, light violet, and maybe even periwinkle. I did find a lot of beautiful jewelry on Etsy that did a nice job of highlighting the color palette I was looking for, so I'm using extra Etsy crafts today.

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Lilac and brown themed boutonnieres by Martha Stewart. I love fiddlehead ferns!
Swiss meringue buttercream flower cupcakes by Martha Stewart.
A wedding cake decorated with fresh lilacs, but I can't remember where it came from.
Etsy Find: The Airy - double fluff chiffon headband by Mandizzle. Her lovely floral hair accessories are almost as gorgeous as she is!
Etsy Find: Lilac Opalescent Earrings by Candies64. I love their luminescent color.
Etsy Find: Romance Collection - Marianne Earrings by La Boite a Bijoux. I love the flowers combined with the opalescent gems.
Leafy placecards by Martha Stewart.
Etsy Find: Amethyst purple faceted glass earrings with copper by ShySiren. These have a pretty copper / bronze element.
Lilac, sweetpea, lamb's ear and lisianthus bouquet from Martha Stewart.
Etsy Find: Lilac drops by Kneehighs & Pigtails. These make an impact with the clarity of color and sharper facets.
Lovely lilac and brown stationery assortment by Martha Stewart.
Etsy Find: My Little Acorn earrings by AmberSky. Her jewelry has a beautiful vintage style. I love these -- lilac AND acorns!
Etsy Find: The Flora - layers of chiffon petals headband by Mandizzle.
Fresh lilacs!
Wedding cake with purple flowers (hydrangeas?) by Martha Stewart.
Etsy Find: Violet Beauties by bellalu0. I love this color so much!

Bonus Lilac Finds:

Lavender Butterflies Cake Wrap by Paper Orchid Stationery.

They call this Tiered Ruffle Chiffon Dress silver, but it looks pretty purple to me.

This lilac, gray and white seersucker bowtie is from JPress.

Indigo By Clarks Women's Tanzania Pump

Bonus Etsy Finds:

Bella Purple earrings by AmberSky.

Sweet Lilac Breeze earrings by dkjewels.

Vintage Wine Dance earrings by dkjewels.

Catherdral earrings by stregata.

Bijoux Necklace in Alexandrite by Kneehighs & Pigtails.

Soapbox Sunday -- Bridezillas?

2009-07-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

Recently, I watched a couple of episodes of Bridezillas. If you haven't seen it, I think of it like a Jerry Springer version of weddings. It started to make me wonder about the average bride and how many women were out there who were that crazy about having a wedding that they forgot to think about the marriage that would be formed in the process.

I'm thrilled to be able to offer inspiration and ideas to other couples planning their weddings. I also know that when the details get overwhelming, it can be easy to lose sight. I'm not here to school anyone, because no one knows your relationship better than the two of you. I just hope that brides (and grooms) take a moment to consider.

If you are currently engaged, please have a few important discussions with your fiancé before you get too carried away. Here are a few necessary conversations to have with your fiancé before you get married:

Discuss family. Do you want children? Does your fiancé want children? If so, how many would you both like, and what kind of timeline are you imagining? If not, how are you going to prevent it from happening? If one says yes and one says no, how does that change your relationship? Is that a deal breaker? What about your families (parents, siblings, etc) -- where will they fit in? Where will you be spending the holidays? Will you alternate families or holidays every year? Will you try to visit both families for each holiday? Speaking of holidays and children, what about religion?

Discuss finances. Do either of you have debt? If so, who is going to pay for it, how, and when? What about your credit scores? I know it doesn’t sound romantic, but if you’re dreaming about buying a home together and one of you has bad credit, that bad credit score is applied to both of you and is what your loan will be based on. Who is going to pay the bills? Will you each handle your own personal bills, or will one of you write all of the checks? Does one of you make significantly more than the other? Will you split expenses evenly, or will one of you be taking on more financial responsibility? Will you share bank accounts, or maintain separate accounts? When it comes to large purchases, do you expect to always make the decision together? If so, what qualifies as a large purchase? Do the two of you agree on the answers to these questions, and if not, what are you going to do about it? What are your spending styles? Does one of you immediately blow their paycheck, while the other one counts every penny? Do you have a plan that you can both live with, or are you going to drive each other crazy? Is this a deal breaker?

Discuss living habits. For example, I tend to be a big mess and Dylan tends to be tidy. I’m not a total pig, but I tend to let things stack up. And then Dylan goes, “Ooo, stuff to organize!” and sorts it for me. Sometimes I drive him crazy, but mostly we do pretty well. Plus, we both agree that if we’re having company over that we’ll clean like crazy people and make sure everything is presentable. Who is going to do household chores? Who will do most of the cooking? Who will do the dishes, the laundry, and the household cleaning? Using us as an example again, I do most of the cooking and Dylan does the dishes. He vacuums and I do most of the laundry (unless he gets his work clothes really filthy, then he does it himself so that my head doesn’t explode.) If you already live together and have a pretty good idea of your fiancé’s personal habits, are you ready to deal with them forever? From all accounts, it’s not going to get any better.

So the bottom line is really get to know the person you're marrying. Don't rush into marriage because you're excited about having a wedding.

Don't be a Bridezilla...

...or I'll send squirrels to eat your cake.

Wedding Song of the Day - July 17, 2009

2009-07-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

I chose this wedding song of the day for two reasons. One, because I think today's board is sophisticated and romantic and I think this song compliments those moods. Two, because today would be my Grandpa's birthday and he loved Tony Bennett. So this one's for him and for you!

Slate Blue, Cream and Silver

2009-07-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

I couldn't make up my mind on what to call this palette. It could be slate blue or steel blue, the cream could be ivory, champagne, eggshell, pearl... the list goes on and on. At least the silver was pretty clear cut!

No matter what you call it, it's a color combination that I really like. Blue is supposed to symbolize love, fidelity, faithfulness, and purity of heart -- who wouldn't want those things included into their wedding? I think this particular shade of blue is sophisticated and elegant.

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Both of the lovely dresses are by Jim Hjelm. The one on the right with the flutter sleeves is actually a shorter gown, so it would be perfect for something like morning wedding with a brunch reception.

The two photos of the gardenia cake, and the succulent boutonniere are by Stephanie Williams Photography. I love the creamy gardenias. They're a beautiful flower to use on their own, and the bonus is that they're very fragrant.

Unfortunately, I can't remember where I found the jewel encrusted cake, but if someone does know, I'd love to give the person credit.

Etsy finds for today:

The slate blue mystic quartz accent necklace by ANORIGINALJEWELRY would be a lovely, simple "something blue."

The slate blue and rock crystal drop earrings are from Stacy Harkins. You've probably noticed by now that I'm fond of drop style earrings and I think these are a nice balance of crystal, silver and blue.

The Nephthys mystic slate blue quartz earrings on the far right by Blue Scarab Jewelry are another pretty option, especially if you're looking for a softer, more subtle blue.

Wedding Song of the Day - July 16, 2009

2009-07-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Today's board is cute and quirky, and so is today's song: The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson.

Kitschy Woodland Wedding Theme

2009-07-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing all these cute kitschy woodland wedding details lately that I finally had to put it together into an inspiration board. Even if this theme isn't your style (and I know it won't be for everyone), today is a GREAT day of wonderful wedding finds. Make sure to check out some of the artists and shops I'm featuring today, because they're really exceptional.

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I really wanted to showcase Rifle Design today. They are responsible for the custom stationery designs featured in the center of the inspiration board, and the thank you cards above. I just really like their artwork. It has a sweet folk art and almost campy feel to it, but in a really good way. I love flora and fauna, and the idea of using custom artwork for wedding invitations. They were a big part of the inspiration for today's board.

Martha Stewart Weddings magazine this month featured a really whimsical wedding that included the fantastic butterfly bouquet, the dainty butterfly placecards, the brightly colored dessert buffet, and the perfectly coordinated groom. I love how free-spirited and playful all of their details are.

The lush berry patch photos with invitations and coordinated badges or buttons were taken by the very talented Tec Petaja. This is a silly example of his photography skills, but his work is gorgeous. If he gives me the thumbs up, I'll have to highlight some of his work in a future post. Lately I've been researching for local photographers and I'm having a hell of a time. I'm dying to find someone like Tec Petaja, Jose Villa, or Stephanie Williams in Washington state. If you know a fantastic fine art style wedding photographer, send me an email!

The perfect little toadstool boutonniere is a Fritts Rosenow Bespoke Boutonniere. They have some of the BEST non-floral boutonnieres I've ever seen. They really customize them for each guy's personality, and they are incredibly detailed.

The ornate and delicate butterfly cupcake wrap is by Paper Orchid Stationery.

The daniblack Wanda Slide Sandal with the red and white polka dots just reminded me of the cute toadstool details.

I love to bake (even though I haven't had much time to do it lately) and I went bonkers when I visited the newly opened Layer Cake Shop. Dylan and I are both huge animal lovers, we want to include acorns in our theme, and I am the squirrel queen. It's a long story. But regardless, all of those things combined made my heart go pitter-patter when I saw all of the adorable cookie cutters and fun cake decorations on their site. I'm waiting for them to get back to me about some acorn possibilities, because I'm all over that. They even have a July special for free shipping with a $50 purchase. Another really cool thing they carry are really inexpensive and cute labels like the ones below. Wouldn't those be great to label some home baked goodness, especially if you're giving away edible wedding favors?

Wedding Song of the Day - July 14, 2009

2009-07-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the delay in posting today's song. I got sidetracked and then I had some technical difficulties, but I think everything is taken care of now.

I thought today's palette needed something soulful, so the wedding song of the day is Never Felt This Way by Brian McKnight or Alicia Keys. I thought it would be nice to have a male and female version so you could pick which one you prefer. The sample clips don't really do the songs justice, so if you like the clip, you'll like the full song even better!

Bottle Green and Dark Cherry Red

2009-07-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've been brainstorming for this theme for a while, but it took a little extra time because I decided I needed to make two inspiration boards to really get the idea across the way I was hoping.

If you're planning an early July wedding, it's the perfect time to use fresh cherries. There are several delicious varieties of cherries available, but I looked for bing cherries for this palette. On the other hand, this color palette could be made really versatile for almost any season.

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Martha Stewart is responsible for the majority of luscious cherry desserts I used in this style board. The bing cherry mojitos look especially terrific!

The heart and star shaped pocket pies are actually from Williams-Sonoma. If you've got a knack for baking, what a cute DIY idea!

The fresh cherry topped wedding cake was from a real wedding on The Knot.

The individual boxes of cherries for wedding favors are by Intimate Weddings. I've just started exploring that page, but I'm definitely going to spend more time there. MS had a similar idea, but her cherry favors are in scalloped paper bags.

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I decided to call this color bottle green, but I would also consider it a tourmaline green. Tourmaline is one of my favorite stones, so that's what I searched for on Etsy to find some beautiful accessories.

Etsy finds (from left to right):

Royal Ann Pearl Earrings by The Peach Tree (these are perfect for this theme!)
Green Tourmaline White Gold Ring by mastergoldcraft (they use conflict-free diamonds!)
Tessa Earrings with Green Quartz and Rock Crystal by L'atelier des Bijoux (I love the little green quartz rondelle beads!)
Sterling Silver and Pearl Bauble Ring by TZTUDIO (you can custom order this ring in a ton of gorgeous color combos -- these would be great bridesmaid gifts!)

The Green Tourmaline Raw Circle Solitaire Ring pictured on the top and bottom of the center row is by singleBbeautiful. Her rings are gorgeous, and many of them are stackable. I love that they're simple, handcrafted and lovely. She also uses recycled metals and gives the option of conflict-free diamonds.

The gorgeous green dress, the burgundy satin halter dress, and the longer burgundy lace halter dress are from Amazon. They're all less than $100! The dress on the model is scarlet tissue taffeta by Lazaro.

And last but not least, the shoes are all from Endless.

From top to bottom:

Mia Mabel T-Strap Pumps in Hunter Green

Nine West Hearts Mary Janes in Dark Red

Seychelles Silver Spoon Leather Wedge in Green

Fun Bouquet Toss Song!

2009-07-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

This song doesn't really relate to today's post, other than if you're light-hearted enough to serve snowcones at your wedding, you'll probably appreciate Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) by Beyonce as a sassy song to play during the bouquet toss.

I'm not sold on the idea of doing a bouquet toss at our wedding, but I think my girlfriends would find it more amusing if they got to get up and shake their booties to this song in the meantime.

Refreshing Summer Reception Idea!

2009-07-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

The first aqua and orange style board I posted two days ago incorporated pictures from a circus themed wedding. It had me thinking about the circus, carnivals, and going to the fair on a hot summer day. It gave me a fun idea that I wanted to share with you, especially if you're planning a summer wedding: SNOWCONES!

I did a little search and found Fresher Than Fresh Snowcones.

How adorable would it be to have someone like Lindsay and her little snowcone trailer at your outdoor reception?

It sounds like they have some really tasty and unique flavor combinations, like watermelon basil, green tea pear, lemon prickly pear and espresso with Mexican cane sugar.

If you don't live in Kansas City, you'll have to do a local search for a snowcone vendor in your area. While you might not be lucky enough to find someone with freshly made syrups, it looks like there are some fun snowcone syrup flavors readily available online. I saw a list of syrups that included flavors like Lychee, Daiquiri, Mango Margarita, and Passion Fruit. I've even seen Wedding Cake and Red Velvet Cake flavors! It'd be a great way to incorporate your palette into your reception by choosing syrups that compliment your color scheme. On the other hand, I've also seen flavors with disturbingly mysterious names like Ninja Turtle, Tiger Blood, Spongebob Squarepants, Rock N Roll, Popeye and Silver Fox. I'd steer clear of those, even if they do match your colors. :-P

P.S. It could also be a delicious and refreshing grown-up treat to make snowcones with something like Kahlua or a fruity liqueur.

Wedding Song of the Day - July 11, 2009

2009-07-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm keeping the sky reference as I continue with part two of the aqua and orange palette. Today's song is Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch. I'm including two tracks of the same song. The first one is from Alexi's album and plays the 'orange sky' reference (fitting for today's theme), and the second one is from the OC soundtrack. I'm only including that version because it plays the part of the song that makes it a sweet wedding song, and possibly a song that you'll recognize from some poignant movie and television moments. I love the loop of lyrics where he sings, "in your love - my salvation lies - in your love."

Aqua, Orange and Yellow Wedding

2009-07-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have decided to make a part two for the aqua and orange wedding theme, because I found so many cool possibilities.

Yesterday was aqua and orange, with dark brown accents. Today is aqua, orange, and yellow. I kept the orange yesterday a soft, almost coral color. Today the orange is brighter, ranging from papaya to persimmon. Speaking of tropical fruit, I think this would be a good island wedding palette.

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All of the larger photos and the flowers on this board are from a lovely wedding featured on amorology. I love that their tables are marked with cute names like Honey Buns and Lemon Drop, and that they decorated them in such a cute and simple way with feverfew flowers.

The gorgeous candy and dessert buffets were made by Sweet & Saucy Shop and Jesi Haack Weddings. Check out Sweet & Saucy's blog here and Jesi Haack Wedding's blog here. I wish they were all in my neighborhood, because their desserts and events look lovely!

The Spiegel Signature Graceful Jersey Empire-Waist Dress in Persimmon is available on Amazon for under $50. The aqua bridesmaid dress is by Watters.

The orange shoes are Diego di Lucca Ladonna Flats. The Velvet Angels Rainbow Room D'Orsay Pumps in Pool Blue might be perfect for your "something blue" if you're splurging.

My Etsy finds on this board are the aqua and tangerine glass lampwork bead bracelet by Steinbem and the Scrabble tile pendants called Mod Pop Flowers and Aqua Orange Paisley by Blue Finger Studios. I think these would all make cute little gifts for your bridesmaids. Blue Finger Studios is even offering a special right now that when you buy 3 pendants, you get the fourth one free. They have a ton to choose from, and from what I can see, they're all less than $10 - go nuts!

I think these earrings are pretty if you're looking for aqua with darker orange. They're called Exuberant by Designs by Autumn, made with apatite and carnelian briolettes.

I think this JPress bowtie is fun for this palette, too.

Wedding Song of the Day - July 10, 2009

2009-07-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

The song for today is Sunrise by Norah Jones. This color theme reminds me of a great sunrise or sunset, and I like the laid-back, smiling sound of Norah's voice on this song. There's a playful and affectionate tone that seemed just right.

Aqua and Orange Wedding

2009-07-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing the color combination of aqua and orange lately, and even though I'm not always big on orange, I love this palette. I have found so many great pictures, I think I may even make this a two part theme! I also included some dark brown accents on this board, but you could really play with this palette to customize it for spring, summer, or autumn.

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Some of my inspiration came from a really fun, whimsical circus themed wedding that was captured the photos of Josh Goleman. The details are great, including a kissing booth and the bride wearing a super short and flirty dress that you can almost picture up on the highwire. I'm also loving this trend of 'photo booth' style shots of wedding guests in funny poses or with interesting props. When we find a photographer, I'm going to have to see if we can make arrangements for something like that!

Another website that has some fantastic inspiration is amorology. I just discovered it recently, and it's definitely one of my new favorites. She recently posted a wedding with yellow, orange and aqua that I'm going to try to incorporate more in part two of this theme.

The cutesy eyelet lace look L-O-V-E sign, and the guest books in the lower right corner are from Darling Dexter, as are these color coordinated napkins:

Whitney (the voice of Darling Dexter) and her husband Dustin had a beautiful wedding with this color palette and tons of lovely DIY details.

The rest is from Etsy! I always like to include some handmade crafts into my themes, and I found a ton of great stuff using these colors!

The orange rosette and aqua beaded necklace (called Scent of Lisabetta) is by Sora Designs.
The tangerine chrysanthemum ring is by Gingeroni1.
The orange / aqua stripe tie is by MeandMatilda.
The funky bib style crocheted necklace is called Summer Statement by DaintyCrochetByAly. (Maybe I'm partial because we share a name?)
The invitations are called Mum Madness by Decadent Designs.
The turquoise button with coral flower earrings are by Sincerely Beaded.
The coral branches picture is by ara133photography.
The Clara earrings by JLeeOhioDesigns feature tiny briolette faceted citrine and moonstone with large blue topaz. While they are more expensive than what I usually try to feature here, her jewelry is really beautiful and I have to give Jennifer props for being a proud ASPCA supporter. Me too, Jennifer!
A more budget friendly option could be the aqua chalcedony and orange carnelian drop earrings by The Gem Shoppe.
I also think this Festival Felt Button Bracelet by Poor Robin is really cute with this theme:

I forgot to add this earlier, but I love love love these shoes with today's theme. They're John Fluevog Men's Rusnak in Vegas Dark Brown. I'm always happy when I can include some cool shoes or accessories for the guys!

Link Issues

2009-07-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog and you've gone to click on one of the links I've included and it hasn't worked, I apologize. I have no idea why, but every so often blogger.com decides to add their own addition to a few of my links, which makes the whole link invalid. I just went back through and checked all of my links, so I think now they should all be working properly. If there's an issue, please just drop me a quick email to let me know. I've been trying to give people credit for their stuff, so please don't think that I was trying to snub you or that I was just a moron who didn't know how to link. Blogger went wonky, but I'm hoping it won't happen again! I'll keep an eye on it.