Project: Living Centerpieces

Needed:

• smallish plant pot
  
• potting soil
• variety of small green plants (ie lily-of-the-valley, hens 'n' chicks, etc.)
• room to store and mind to care for 17 living centerpieces

End Result:

Project: Tissue Paper Pom-Poms

Needed:

• tissue paper (20x30" sheets)
  
• cloth-covered floral wire
• scissors
• patience and a gentle hand

End Result:

Thanks Martha!

Getting Things Done With Martha!

K recently gave me a stack of Martha Stewart Weddings magazines. Holy Inspiration! With those magazines and the awesome encouragement of my girls K and E, I pretty much have all the details worked out. Which, 9 months from the Big Day, is an accomplishment. But I suppose the hard part has never been figuring things out. With a DIY wedding, the hard part is getting stuff done! I seriously will need to assemble a "craft crew". It really is exciting though being able to imagine how things will look, all put together and waiting beautifully in the reception hall. I'll soon be scanning pages from the magazines to share my ideas with everyone -- stay tuned!

Time Flies Whether You're Having Fun Or Not

Seriously, I don't know where the past 6 months have gone. My wedding timeframe went from 17 months to less than 12 very quickly -- I'm getting married in 11 months! Normally I would think that's tons of time but really, it does slip by unnoticed. Anyway, here's an update:

I changed my layout to the blog -- our stationery features a hummingbird so I thought it only appropriate.

Here's the new Bridesmaid Dress:

It's from the Purely Alfred Angelo line which boasts "eco-friendly" fabrics (this one is silk chiffon) in wear-again styles. I love it -- I'd like to get one for myself! Although, as always, I'm undecided on color. Unfortunately the style doesn't come in black so I have to choose between the above blue or a really nice olive-y green. I had thought about doing 2 girls in one, 2 in the other -- then I considered doing the girls in one color and the guys in the other -- but then I could always just do everybody in one color and find something else to feature the other.

Isn't it silly that the hardest part of planning the wedding decor has been color coordination?

Of course, then I think since I have 4 colors I can feature 2 on the wedding party and 2 on the tables. That gives me blue and purple on our peeps -- black and green on the tables. Majority. Not saying there won't be mix and match. Also not saying I won't change my mind again in 5 minutes...

Just found silk-screened 100% silk ties on Etsy:

by Projector
That would be kinda fun. And maybe a nice gift.

Work on my dress is underway. I'm totally in love with my silk -- it has such a beautiful sheen and texture.

Oh, and I decided that I want purple shoes. Something fun like this:

Pretty Princess

Next Sunday the girls and I are going to the bridal salon. The girls will be trying on dresses to gauge sizing for the dress I've picked -- and I'll be trying on bridal gowns because it looks like fun. When my best friend, K, suggested this I was a little nervous. What if I fell in love with a dress? K promptly promised to talk me out of anything -- "No way! It makes your butt look waaaay too big!" It should be fun though. Who doesn't like a day out with the girls trying on thousand-dollar dresses?

Concept Complete!

After much deliberation and seam-ripping and re-doing, I've finally finished the mock-up for my wedding dress.  Yes it is pink and striped.  It is just a design idea.  However, two key design aspects it does not yet reflect are the fullness of the skirt (I haven't finished the petticoat yet) and the pleated overlay on the bodice.  The real dress will also have a mini-train and pearl beading detail down the center pleat on the skirt.  It's rough, I know.  The seams were quick and sloppy, the edges are unfinished; I didn't even iron it.  Tim Gunn would be appalled.  The real thing though -- it's gonna be a beauty.  I'm sure of it.

FRONT
Strapless, sweetheart neckline, asymmetrical dropped waist


SIDE FRONT
Three pleats down side of "low" hip


BACK
Will feature a mini-train as long as fabric will allow


SIDE BACK
Side zipper, unlike me the dressform has no junk in her trunk

If Two's Company And Three's A Crowd, Four Must Be A Party!

In a rather lovely turn of events, I now have four beautiful bridesmaids.  I also learned that there is no way to define the term "best friend" until you spend a day out with said candidate.  If you are having breakfast together and your food gets stone cold because you're too busy talking about everything and finding you have everything in common -- that's a best friend.  If you are at a clothing boutique and pick out the cutest dress, turn to show it to your friend and find she is pointing out the same one to you -- that's a best friend.  If you go home and feel filled with so much amazing energy that even your fiance says something -- you just spent the day with your best friend.

Sappy stuff aside ;) I need to rethink my bouquet idea.  Four girls, three colors.  Do I have three girls with single colors and one with a combo and me with white?  Do I have two girls with the same single color?  Do I just mix them all?  I'm thinking I'll probably just do the latter.  Then my bouquet will be white/ivory with splashes of color.  Same with the fascinators if I go with those.  Each one will have a combo of colors.  I think I've also decided to forgo the shoe decor in favor of fascinators.  Both would be too much.

So exciting!