Friday, January 30, 2009

Hair-spiration

Ok, so wedding hair is really important, right? I hate to admit it, but I'm the kind of girl who FREAKS OUT after a bad hair cut- it can put me in a funk for weeks and sometimes months. I wish I was exaggerating. I guess it's just that my hair is part of my identity-- it has pretty much always been long and blond (and on a good day, voluminous).

So when it comes to a wedding look, I am looking for a hairstyle that is glamorous, romantic, sexy and soft. No sleek hairdos for me. I also definitely want some cascading action (perhaps to match my cascading bouquet?). Additionally, I would like to wear a very long, single layer veil, which of course, effects the hair look. After trolling the internet, here is what I've found:

Look #1: The hairstyle above is lovely- she has volume at the crown, romantic curls and yet it doesn't look messy. Grade: A

Style #2: Here is another similar look- lots of height at the crown and curliness everywhere. It might be too much height for me though- don't want to be looking like the Bride of Frankentein! Grade: B-

Style #3: Above-- Elizabeth Hurley. Notice the cascading hairstyle, softened by bangs and a tiara and topped off with a long veil. A nice look, but I'm not sure if I want to return to bangs. That was a hard time for me, haha. Grade: A-

Style #4: Her golden blond hair is so beautiful and natural looking. Frankly, this would be a more practical hairstyle for me, since my hair may not hold tighter curls for an entire day. It may not be as exciting or glamorous, but it certainly is romantic and pretty. Grade: A-

Style #5: Ding, ding, ding! Maybe it's just because I think James King is really pretty or maybe it's because her bouquet is coral (my fave color) or maybe it's because she looks so darned happy, but I'm liking this hairstyle- a lot. Long & lovely curls? Check. Long veil? Check. Vintage touch with the glam sideswept hair in front? Check. Grade: A

What do you all think? Do you agree? Which number is best?

You have questions? I have answers!!

Wow, so this blogging thing is really pretty fantastic, isn't it? It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to think about getting tagged and people reading it! Really, I'm not being facetious.

So anyway, in response to Victory's question and answer thingy majiggy, behold! An insight into my world!

Favorite football team: Easy! The San Diego Super Chargers. I can also tell you which teams I hate vehemently-- the Oakland Raiders (evil!) and the New England Patriots, who my fiance loves, unfortunately. We try not to talk about sports to avoid throw-downs.

What are you wearing now? A hawaiian print dress/nightie given to me at my bachelorette party #1 in Atlanta by my friend Laurie.

What color is your bedroom? White with pink carpet-- but I'll have a new one very soon.

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? Out Stealing Horses by Per Peterson. An excellent book, so far! Before that, it was The Professor and the Madman about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary and The Undomestic Goddess. I'm also currently reading I was told there'd be cake and Master and Margarita.

What is the last thing you cooked? Last night: Hibachi miso peanut chicken with cilantro rice. We grilled it and it was goooood.

What is your favorite restaurant of all time? Style wise: Two Urban Licks. Food wise: Taqueria del Sol. mmmmm. Recent: Pinky's bar (awesome Hawaiian pupu platters).

What’s your current obsession/addiction? Wedding planning and the beach.

What was the last gift you gave? the movie Casablanca to Brad.

What was the last thing you bought? I spent money on renting a black Ford Mustang convertible and drove it around Waikiki and Kailua!
What are you listening to right now? The next door neighbor's lawnmower...and before that, Wilson Pickett- Mustang Sally.

What movie do you know every word to? Beauty and the Beast and Zoolander.

If you could have any super power, what would it be? Flying, definitely. That way, no traffic, no plane tickets, no waiting around, ever!

What is your favorite weather, and why? Fall in Atlanta- crisp and beautiful!

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? I've thought about this question extensively (I do travel-related things for a living after all) and I would have five-- one in Kenya, one in Paris, one in Bali, one in Greece and one in the Virginia Highlands of Atlanta.

Favorite vacation spot? Tahiti and Oxford, England. Next on the list: Vietnam


Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: Cheese.

If you could meet anyone famous - dead or alive - who would it be? Puccini

If you could have any job in the world , what would it be? Jet-setting travel writer!


So there you are friends, hope it was enthralling. More on bridal stuff later!

A diamond is for a really super long time

I've been meaning to do this for a long time, especially with all the hoopla around Anne Ruthmann's great how-to on WeddingBee Pro and their series of ring shots. And this morning I finally busted out Mr. B's extremely nice digital SLR camera and got to work.

The typical ring shot post starts off with every girl saying how much she just loves LOVES her ring. I mean, who doesn't? I certainly CERTAINLY do. So let's just get to the good stuff!

It was based off of this beautiful antique Asscher cut diamond ring from the 1920s.



And came to exists as this stunner.








It's simply perfect. I can't imagine wearing anything else, and I mean that literally. I don't want a wedding band. I mean, how could you throw off the symmetry of the split shank band? I've thought of adding a band to either side, adding a band underneath, or just adding one thin band to one side, but none of the options really seem all that great. 

Would it really be that bad if I just stick with this great ring?

Blog Lovin'

So nice of Jenn at With This Ring and Goldie to pass on a blog award, I'm feeling the love tonight!

But hold the phone, WTF is that icon? A lemonade stand? I can't figure it out. But I will pass it on to my fav funky brides. Notice a trend here?


And another thanks to the One Woman Wedding Show for tagging me with a get to know you post! Here's some insight into the mind of someone who freakin chose Victory as her fake name.

THE RULES:

Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
Step 2: tag—eight other un-tagged people .

Favorite football team: Sigh, this is a game I will never understand. In fact, there is a good chance we might go to the High Museum of Art tomorrow since they've got half off admission for Superbowl Sunday! Although, I do appreciate the many fun cheers of Clemson [my sister is a senior there!].

What are you wearing now? Pajamas and my amazing fluffy slippers [that's what alternate-day-off fridays are for!]

What color is your bedroom? 3/4 white, 1/4 blue stripes [we rent, it's cool]

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? Gone With the Wind, I can't believe that I've lived in Atlanta so long and have never read this fantastic book, it's GREAT

What is the last thing you cooked? Braised mahi-mahi in tomato sauce, yummy!

What is your favorite restaurant of all time? Fritti, I could go there any day or night for the super authentic Italian pizza. UNBELIEVABLY good. 

What’s your current obsession/addiction? Blogging and YOGA

What was the last gift you gave? You could say I gifted Mr. B's awesome co-worker almost my entire stack of wedding magazines/books. I couldn't stand to have that huge pile around anymore, so they're gone, woo! 

What was the last thing you bought? Several varieties of CHEESE [food is very important to me:)]

What are you listening to right now? The musical stirrings of Ponce de Leon [it's a freakin loud street!]

What movie do you know every word to? O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? also, A Christmas Story during certain times of the year

If you could have any super power, what would it be? Easy: time travel!

What is your favorite weather, and why? The hot hot heat of summertime, because there is no better season in the ATL for sitting on restaurant patios and wearing tanktops

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? Atlanta's Virginia Highlands neighborhood, our home!

Favorite vacation spot? Edinburgh . . . in the summer of course.

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: ICE CREAM

If you could meet anyone famous - dead or alive - who would it be? Mondrian

If you could have any job in the world , what would it be? Luckily, I've got it right now, my dream job: brand marketing for my alma mater!!


Not surprisingly, I heartily dislike rules. So I didn't follow them and changed 2-3 questions from the originals, and I'm only tagging my fellow blogger bride, Ms. Livalittle. Ha!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Reception Music!

Hello friends! Although a party is a party with or without dancing, the music is key to set the tone. Have you ever been to a shindig that just never gets going because the music isn't right? I'm a big believer that the soundtrack has to match the mood and the setting-- and that it can make or break an event. For example, I heard of a recent wedding where the music was all wrong-- "Ave Maria," a very pretty yet somber ballad, was played while the bride walked down the aisle-- and everyone came away thinking, "That was weird."

So with this in mind, I've been thinking about reception music extensively and have been compiling a list of tunes. We've booked Rod Sterling to DJ at our wedding- he played for my brother's reception in December and was fabulous! People had a blast dancing, even my 80 year old aunt.

For our celebration, I thought that it would be good to have three different groups of songs- one hour of upbeat and fun tunes during cocktails, one hour of laid-back classics during dinner and two hours of fabulous dancing for all ages. I like all sorts of different music and want to make selections that are appropriate and fun for our octogenarian relatives and our 25 year old friends.

For the cocktail hour, I think that it would be fun to have some international music to keep the spirits high and conversation moving- I like Gypsy Kings, Ottmar Leibert, Buena Vista Social Club, Cuban music and Afro-Cuban music. My question is, will it be confusing and/or weird to play Latin jazz and then play upbeat 50s tunes? Perhaps if we slowly transition, it would work. Any other suggestions for high-tempo fun music for that time?

For the dinner hour, I would like to play Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett and any other singers/bands (perhaps more modern too) that are jazzy yet relaxed. Any additional suggestions?

For the dancing, the options are endless! 60s, 70s and 80s are at the top of my list. I'd like to shy away from rap, group dances and music from the last 10-20 years to keep things fun for young and old. Any must plays here?

Oh by the way, on side note...I just watched a bunch of videos of ridiculous first dances on you tube....GREAT entertainment!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Mark this down for the registry




Introducing the WTF Blanket! Too bad I can't send this gem to Mr. B. He is FINALLY reading Harry Potter after I gifted him the six book box set [it was like 1/4 the price of the full seven book set, I mean, come on!] and they reveal a key plot twist from book 6. Alert!

Monday, January 26, 2009

I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

Enter Monday, and the Monday Playlist. My own personal tradition of ringing in the new week with upbeat funky tunes that make coffee unnecessary. Today, it got rearranged to compliment the AWESOME song featured in this inaugural humor video.

While I enjoy cutting the odd rug with the ladies, as the Scissor Sisters say, Mr. B and I just don't feel like dancing . . . together. It's really not us. Trust me, you won't find us in da club. [Regardless of this fact, about every three weeks Mr. B decides he does want dancing because "that's what you do at weddings". Unfortunately for him, that's really really quite unconvincing that it's worth an extra $1000 in our budget. Oy!]

So, we've been looking at restaurants to hold our festivities. Think big dinner party with friends and family. We can still do the traditions of announcing the wedding party, cake cutting, toasts and even a first dance. And we win by cutting the cost of said DJ/band, and the built in costs of a reception venue big enough for a dance floor. 

We're big foodies here in the Virginia Highlands of Atlanta, and it's so important to find a place that balances superb food, great decor [less work for us to decorate!], in the neighborhood, and a low $$ total to buy out the entire place to ourselves on a Saturday night.

This only leaves a few options:
Food 101 [southern gourmet, where we had my graduation dinner!]
Osteria 834 [mmm, pizzza/pasta]
Sotto Sotto [not our all time fav place, but an option]

Check out this casual pizza reception. Awesome!
And also there is this fantastic former restaurant, but Mr. B has vetoed it based on the fact that about 30 people would have to sit on a balcony overlooking the main floor. I tend to disagree that people will really care much if they are split among two floors. The decor and food and price REALLY overcome this small objection! It is also the furthest away. BUT THEY HAVE A FIRE PLACE. Enough said, right?? 

I'm going to fact find at Osteria this coming weekend. Restaurants around here really are committed to the neighborhood, which is fantastic when you want to grab dinner, but a pain when you want to buy them out on a Saturday night. I'd really like to figure this out, so let's hope they come through!

We're still gathering suggestions, and ruling them out. 

In the category of too expensive:
Murphy's
Parish
One Midtown Kitchen
Rathbun's [duh]
Ecco
South City Kitchen
Watershed in Decatur

In the category of something else is wrong with it:
Allegro [decor not so good]
Trois [too close to Mr.B's work [??]]
Two Urban Licks [no where to have it/wayy to big]
Canoe [might as well do ceremony there as well, too traditional]
Houston Mill House [WAY too 1990s decor]
Sage in Decatur [best buddy's wedding reception was there in May]
Anthony's in Buckhead [another wedding there in June]
Eclipse di Luna/Taverna Plaka/etc. [too themed]
Eno [food not so good]
Fritti [SIGH, too small/wrong decor]
Quattro at Piedmont Park [too outside]
Wisteria [too expensive for a smaller venue]

Atlanta is really known for it's awesome restaurants, anyone got a suggestion???



Friday, January 23, 2009

Two amazing projects, one crafter

This week, I came across two projects that are seriously in consideration for the final set of DIY activities. They both fall into the cheap, labor intensive and awesomely creative category - just my kind of projects!

This great idea comes to us from the be-all-end-all of wedding inspiration: Martha Stewart. Does anyone remember she was in jail? Nope, all is forgiven and her wedding mag is king. Currently, this great feature gives ideas for decorating a reception with paper. Paper! Can't get any cheaper or custom than that. What do you think of these place mats? Darling! 


The second project is near and dear to my heart. As many of you know, I was/am obsessed with colonial American history, and I remember doing this exact tin punching project in elementary school. The Vintage Glam blogger who featured this project is planning her own colonial inspired extravaganza wedding and I'm wicked jealous.

I just love projects like this that are taken from everyday life [I mean, who doesn't reenact colonial American household life on a regular basis?? In accurate period dress?] and applied to weddings.

So for the project, you collect tin cans, stencil on a design and go to town with a hammer and nail to punch out little holes. Place a candle inside and you have a beautiful, colonial-inspired table decoration! Rustic, chic, historic. Brilliant!


The B's just chillin at home. [Just kidding, it's at Ms. Livalittle's 2008 Halloween party. But yes, I do own that dress!]


Alright, so I might be OCD.

I have a notecard system and nothing could make me happier. I got the idea from the book How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5000 or less: Acheiving Beautiful Simplicity without Mortgaging your Future given to me by a fellow bridesmaid in Kristina's September wedding (thanks Kristin!). While I will certainly not be staying under the title amount, the book is FANTASTIC and gives some great ideas on what to remember, how to organize things and how to save money on each aspect of the big day. Anyway, on to the notecard system--- voila!






As you can see above, on each notecard there is a space for the names of the adults/parents (what goes on the outer envelope) full names of any children (if applicable), mailing address and email. That way, when it comes time to write the invitations or send out a save the date, all of the information is right there. Each notecard represents an invitiation, so that you can count all of the notecards to know how many invites are needed. In the top right corner is the number of people that the notecard represents- this way, you can count all of the top right numbers to know how many people you are inviting. In the top left corner is the number of the actual invitation which you will note when you are physically addressing. You can put the same number on the back of the reply card so that you have a tracking system in case someone does not write their own name on the card and just checks x on the YES. On the bottom of the notecard, you can leave space for a gift (to fill in when that time comes) so that when you go to write thank-you notes, you have a note of what they gave you--- and guess what? The address and names are right there.

Wait, it gets better. So say you've written out all of your notecards and you have alphabetized them. What to do now? Where to put them? Pull out one of those old notecard boxes (for me, these were storing my old vocabulary cards, which I treasure- I'm weird). Make five dividers for yourself that read Invitations, Accepts, Regrets, Thank-You Notes To-Do and Thank-You Notes Done. That way, you can update the status of the cards each time you get a reply and each time you get a gift. You can also keep track of who you've written and who you still need to write.

Another variation on this system (which I didn't do) is to give different colored cards to different sets of people who have the addresses and contact info for those they want to invite- yellow to your parents, green to the groom's parents, pink to yourself and blue to the groom. Then you can combine, alphabetize and get rid of duplicates. A fine idea, indeed!

I, for one, think that this is an utterly brilliant system and have already implemented it. I'm definitely putting my notecard box in my carry-on when I travel back to DC!! Oh, organization!!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Registering!

After SIX HOURS at the mall on Friday, Mr. Livalittle and I are registered! First, we went to Macy's in the Ala Moana shopping center in downtown Honolulu (a gorgeous and ENORMOUS outdoor mall) and talked with Charlotte, who led us through the whole process. She gave us a free Swiss Army tote for registering and gave pointers on important items to include on our list. My lovely fiance took control of the clicker and we were off!

Although the process was exciting and fun, it was also overwhelming and exhausting! After we got there, I realized that we hadn't even picked a color scheme for our future bedroom, bathroom, living room or kitchen! Figuring this out while looking though dozens of choices for everything was a challenge, but once I had found one item I liked, everything else slowly fell into place. This is not to say that I was the only one making decisions! All of you that know us would probably agree that in terms of decorating, I am really feminine and Mr. L is extremely masculine- his most valued item is a black leather La-Z-Boy, mine is a bright coral comforter. So of course, this was a factor.

We managed to figure it out, balancing his likes with mine, and decided to decorate nearly everything in white, the only color we mutually like, hahaha. Ok, I exaggerate-- we are decorating the bathroom in capri blue and pure white, with a few pink and yellow/gold accents. We will have a white comforter with yellow/gold and white sheets (and then use my coral comforter and peach sheets when Brad indulges me). Our formal china is gold and white, our casual china is white and our kitchen will be yellow/gold. Kandinsky's color theory claims that yellow is a "cheeky and exciting" color but that it can also represent "blind madness and maniacal rage"- we'll hope for the former in our life.

We also registered at Williams Sonoma and had a blast looking at all of the cute and tiny tools. They sell all sorts of quirky little things like "fruit muddlers" and "corn zippers." We ended up registering for most of our kitchen utensils and other small items as their products are high quality and would be fun to have, but won't be too expensive for our guests.

My advice to those who haven't done it? First, talk about your ideas of what you need and want, for example: "how do you feel about getting a new set of casual wine glasses, even though you already have some?" Secondly, go early in the morning, if possible, and plan on a lunch break. It's more tiring than you think! Thirdly, finish as much as you want in one day and do the rest online. You need to see fabrics and china, but save adding appliances and kitchen tools for when you get home.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Potential engagement photo attire




Originally I thought this would make a killer bridesmaid dress, but it only comes in red or black and Mr. B thinks its too funky/casual [that is clearly a whole 'nother issue].

It's by Tulle, my favorite jacket maker who also happens to do lots of other great clothes. What a deal at $52!

What do y'all think, appropriate for casual, fun engagement photos? What color, red or black? 

You said it sister

Did anyone see the sweet and very presidential first dance of Barack & Michelle? 

Lovely gown? Check. 

Classy, appropriate and very wedding-y song [At Last, covered by Beyonce!]? Check. 

Boy stepping on girl's hem? Check.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Saving it for marriage

That would be October 24th, people.

This weekend, a few thoughts popped into my head [however, for the most part it was pretty empty up there during my awesome four day weekend, thanks MLK Jr!!]:

1. We have a date set, should we, you know, officially tell people to Save The Date?

2. Who would we really want to save that date?

3. Let's never get on  tiny bus to Athens with Mr. B's co-workers ever again. Unless we want to be entertained by grown men signing and dancing along to Wilson Phillips, Celine Dion, etc at 2:30 in the morning.

You see, we have quite a wide range of estimated attendance to this grand shindig. At the high end, if everybody came, we would have 115 folks. But if we go with a low estimate, it could be around 73. A swing of over 40 people hugely impacts reception venues. Don't want to plan for all 115 and have 40 empty seats [and also pay a higher price for a bigger venue]. And certainly don't want to have standing room only.

So, I came up with the brilliant idea of formally announcing the date we have chosen to wed and requesting people reply with their vague intentions of attending or not. Nothing binding here, but give us an idea if you're positive you won't come or think you might skip out. Is that allowed? Can you request an RSVP to a Save the Date?

Please advise.

FYI - Contest!

ModCloth and Vintage Glam are combining forces to give away an $80 gift certificate to a reader who completes two simple tasks. Check it out here!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

An Internetz Miracle!

Clearly, I write this blog, but I also read a whole lot of other bride-to-be's blogs [during work, natch].

So how weird was it when over the course of several back and forth commentings did I find out that this amazing blogger is actually LIVES down the road from my parents and is MARRYING a guy from my high school class?! Who was one of the few in my class to share my same last name?

Isn't it ironic, Alanis would say. But then we'd have to solemnly inform her that it's actually just a COINCIDENCE.

So plan on With This Ring, and I can't wait to see how it all works out!

Friday, January 16, 2009

On to the invitation search.

Hello friends! Well, it's 8:00p here in Kailua, HI and Mr. Man is off flying, so I'm here in my sarong and am back to blogging! Since I already have made and eaten dinner (Mahi Mahi fish tacos with hearts of palm and avocado salsa- yum) and have finished my latest mindless novel (The Undomestic Goddess- a very fun read), it's on to wedding planning. MORE wedding planning! Honestly, how much scheming can one person do in preparation for one day? Evidently, a lot.

So now it's on to invitations. I am a traditionalist when it comes to stationery. I'm one of those people who is near hyperventilation when entering the Crane domain. Lined envelopes? Sign me up! Embossing? Oh, yes please! I seriously desire calling cards. I actually have an entire set of teeny notecards with my name engraved below a pair of pink shoes. I use these to write silly notes to Mr. Livalittle around the house and in the refrigerator like "this cheese reminds me of a small coy duck of Parisian ancestry I once knew...his name was Salty." I've been using them copiously and for no good reason because a)they are too ridiculous to give to anyone else and b) they are actually too small to mail-- I tried to send one once and it was sent back with a USPS stamp on it reading "too small to mail." Anyway, all of this is to say: I.heart.STATIONERY.

So what to do about wedding invitations? I want them to be beautiful, elegant and refined-- but I don't want them to look like every other ecru invite floating around the wedding world. Hmm...perhaps we could have a calligrapher hand write each one on beautiful heavy-weight card stock? Or maybe I could add an unusual stamp on both the outer and return envelopes to reflect our theme? Perhaps a stamp of WWII era planes? But yet again, I've checked on this and I've imagined something that doesn't actually exist. Oh the US Postal Service! Why can't I order custom stamps?

Any ideas my most brilliant friends?

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

I am about to utter a very hypocritical phrase

See, I am a total cultural snob. I studied modern and contemporary art [and know the difference]. And I am consistently appalled when daft spectators encounter a beautiful minimalist piece and say to their daft on-looking pals:
"It's not art. I could do that!"

Yeah right dipshit! The depth of meaning is clearly lost on you. 

Which leads me to these adorable cake toppers:


But seriously, I could do that! The artist is charging $50-60 for each custom painted little couple, but their Etsy store sells blank people you can paint yourself for a mere $5. This is a no brainer. It won't be art, but it will certainly be personal and cost effective!

Monday, January 12, 2009

It's a double posting day

For everyone! With the news the Ms. Livalittle will be headed back to Hawaii for the next few weeks, I will honor her precedent with two posts today. 

So, I've been following the journey of Southern Weddings Magazine from their time as blog-only to the publishing of their first print issue this month.

Here's the question: Would anyone want to come to their launch party with me?! It could be fun! Or totally lame. But it's free and it's in a new restaurant I've never been to and it is my life's work to visit every single restaurant in Atlanta.

Let me know!


Save that date!






October 24, 2009. Busy that day? I sure will be. Cause Mr. B & I will be gettin hitched at Piedmont Park in a beautiful dock ceremony! It was made official today with a big fat deposit, and a confirmation of our photographer, Alea Moore.

Check out some images of weddings on the dock. Don't forget to imagine the fall leaves! [and pray pray pray for sun, the rain plan is . . .. nonexistant]


Off to Hawaii I go (again)!


Love this picture! Reminds me of our whirlwind romance! This is from Scarlett Lillian photo journal.

Well friends, I will be heading off to Hawaii tomorrow and will be there for three weeks! Mr. Livalittle and I hope to live a lot, since I will be there for his birthday and various other festivities. While we are there, I am hoping to find a local printer for our invitations, compile all addresses of our invitees, establish a notecard systems for guests (more on this later), register for gifts and talk more about the wording of our vows.

Since we do not want friends and relatives spending absurd amounts of money on shipping, we will be registering at stores that are in Hawaii, which include Macy's, Sears and Williams Sonoma. We're thinking that we can register for china, crystal and homewares at Macy's. Sears will be his playground, as he will be registering for tools and yard stuff. Williams and Sonoma will be for fun kitchen items! Unfortunately, Hawaii does not have Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond or Linens & Things. Oh well, we're going to work with it (and I think we'll have fun while doing it too).

Let me tell you about the birds and the bees!


Oh, Victory, this is all wonderful!! I, too, have been getting inspiration for your wedding. Take, for example, this wedding cake. Although I must admit that the hive cake topper is rather phallic, the idea of a bee-themed cake is very fun and very mimosa colored. A birds and the bees wedding theme could be grand, as long as Mr. Birdsbee doesn't decide to dress in costume for the nuptials (pictured left).

For wedding favors, you could give out mini jars of local gourmet honey. If you were feeling particularly sentimental, you could add the phrase "meant to bee!" It may be cheesy, but the wedding favor is definitely a place where you can be a little bit silly, I think! After all, in ancient Greece and Rome, honey symbolized fertility, love and beauty. You could even put a little educational blurb on the back of the jar to that effect.

I found this invitation from weddingpaperdivas.com- I think that the paper is beautiful and although cherry blossoms are springy, the colors are oh-so-Fall. It definitely alludes to an outdoor wedding.
I also loved this bouquet for your colors-- perhaps you could have the accent color for the wedding be an orangey-red like the interior of the flower?

All the fun is in the details...




Friday, January 9, 2009

Inspiration for Sam to LivItUp

Lately I've been running into fabulous wedding inspiration . . . for Ms. Livalittle!

Check out this military wedding, shot by Alea Moore [who will hopefully be our photographer as of this weekend!]:

And I thought you might loooove this stationary. Classic and very D.C.! Could you imagine all the pieces wrapped up with a romantic red ribbon:


And just the other day, Vintage Glam [which is exactly how I'd describe Sam's grand affair!] featured an entire post on cascading or shower bouquets! She also includes common flowers for this type of bouquet and how to hold it.