"They're Just Too Cha Cha for Words..."

If you love Steel Magnolias like I do, then you might remember when Truvy ( played by Dolly Parton) discusses how she buys shoes: " In a good shoe, I wear a size six, but a seven feels so good, I buy a size eight." Ha!

I feel like Truvy every time I go shoe shopping! I have been drooling over many shoes for my wedding day, but my absolute favorites? Well, they live in London.

I think I will send them a little love note for valentine's day. Maybe they'll invite me to tea.

ah a girl can dream....

It's as easy as click, add, buy!

I had high hopes of creating many elements of our wedding, and some of my favorite details, I have seen other DIY brides create so beautifully and even better than the original. I still have a long list of these projects I definitely plan on doing by myself, but it sometimes is sooo easy to knock things off my To Do list by just buying said "adored details."

Take for example these beauties from For Your Party.



With just a click of a button, these are now mine. No Fuss No Muss.
I know I could have easily gocco'd these, but that would take time wouldn't it? They have a section called "Grab and Go" that makes it easy to buy as is, and not make any more decisions on color, type style, blah blah blah... And instant gratification is so much more fun!

Let's Get Punchy!

So, I am working on my STD's with the Tie the Knot theme. I found a few options for hole punches that will cut out small circles in a row so it is easier to thread yarn through. Martha calls this a "Japanese hole-punch." After a quick Google search I found out what that was:

um, looks complicated.


Upon further research I found out Martha created things like this while using it:



she is so fancy pants!


So I found a few other options that seem to be a little more user friendly.

First up, the Fiskars Border Punch "Threading Water" for $14.99

It even makes the cute scalloped design with it! But what if you don't want the scalloped edge on every project? Well, you are in luck, my dear, there is also a second option I found called the McGill Craftivity Ribbon Stitch Punch (whew! a mouthful for sure) it cuts the paper to look like this:


This one you can find for about $8.00. I think both are a great value. The first one got over 70 awesome reviews on one craft website. The second one I didn't find reviews of, but it looks like it might be more versatile. I will have to let you know how it goes.

Martha, you are truly my Beacon in the Night....

The other night, I woke up at approximately 3:24 am in, what else?, a panic about the wedding. On the agenda this time? Save the Dates. I have been working on this project for quite some time now, never fully satisfied with my designs. but wait, could it be? I might finally have my design idea? Drum-roll please.....

I was perusing Martha Stewart for some new inspiration and then I saw the cutest idea! It was a card tied with pink yarn that was a take on the phrase "tie the knot" Here is the best picture I could find of this project:




I am planning to put a little twist on this and created a little bird design who is also tying the knot. eeh! I am so excited! I think this little idea may just be the thing I was looking for all along. I think I may still actually tie the card with yarn, but may opt to use a pretty robin's egg blue color to match the theme more. Stay tuned to see how it all turns out!

Recessionista

I love this term! I've read it a few times this week, in many of the blogs I scour daily. Today, I found it on Blue Orchid Designs, they are doing this "recessionista give-away" what a great idea!

I think I may be considered one of these lovelies who always is looking for a deal- with or without a recession! And definitely am hoping my wedding will be a Recessionista's dream--pretty but without the price tag. Look at that hottie white dress that would be good for so many things, including a rehearsal dinner or shower, perhaps? :)

I also found an adorable pair of cute blue shoes that I may wear as my "something blue" on endless.com I love the trend of colored shoes, and while I never thought I would end up doing it, I love pictures that show the shoes peeking out from under the dress with a little pizazz. yeow!

these are cute, no? And for a grand total of $57 with Free Shipping (heeeyyy party ova here) they sound pretty good to me.


I have been inspired! The search is on!

I Do!

I found her, I FOUND MY DRESS!!! I said I fooouuuunnnndddd her!! ohhhh! She's a 'beaut too. I just wanted to wear it all day. I was so happy I was skipping across the bridal salon. I even hugged "her" goodbye one last time, before I left. With only 7 months to go, I finally found the dress. I was beginning to wonder if I ever would but then I struck gold. I ended up buying a dress that I have been coveting for quite some time now, and the second I put it on again, I just knew. I didn't think that feeling would happen for me, but it did. I am proof you should hold-out until you find "the one!"

The day was even more magical than just finding "the one" We just happen to arrive at my fabulous salon in Union Square Alexandra and there was a Prop 8 rally going on! Many people were marching down the middle of Union Square in support of keeping gay-marriage legal here in California. All the people in the salon lined the windows with a view below us of the march and we started cheering and jumping up and down to show our support. We were pointing to the sign that said "Bridal Salon" and to the dresses in the windows. Many people stopped and pointed up at us, so excited to see our support and a few camera crews even took our picture! It was so emotional and a great way to start the day!

oh, did you think I was going to let you leave without catching a glimpse of the dress? Heck no, sista! Here's a sneek peek, with more to come later:

Wine and Waffles

It's an interesting combo, right? Well, that's what I had for dinner tonight. Yep. That's called home-cooking! Tonight in between bites of my waffles, I made three more dress appointments. I had 4 last week alone. I'm serious folks. It's do or die time. I am ready to sign on the dotted line, but every dress I love is seriously like 4-5,000 dollars. I tried on one dress this past weekend, that fit my criteria of: trumpet/mermaid silhouette, sweetheart neckline, and lace all over. It had all this and even buttons down the back! swoon! Buuu-uhhhTT it was itchy! I'm talking so scratchy that I was worried for my guests! What if they might want to hug me , or dance with me? They might get scratched! (Back to the drawing board)

My best friend/ MOH is in town this weekend and she is on a mission to find the dress maybe more than I am! :) So off we go to Alexandra, Bridal Galleria, and the Unique Bride. Anyone else have a good suggestion for a dress shop in the Bay Area?

I now present you my dinner:

This just in...

Pottery Barn has the cutest damask plates! Look at these! I bet they make your food taste better too. ;)



They also have these cute containers for the bath:



And these drink pitchers you can monogram:



and for entertaining groups:




I think I will add some of these to my list!

Wunning Winos

My friends and I entered ourselves into a 5k that took place just last weekend! (My very first athletic anything!) I had blogged before about needing a little help to get my lazy butt in gear, and when I heard that the 5K was going to take place in Napa AND there would be wine involved after to celebrate, I quickly decided to sign up. For a month or so prior, I "trained" for this event. This involved me panting like a fool, and breaking into a sweat after only a few blocks. It was pretty apparent that running even 3 miles without stopping, was not in the cards for this lady. So I began walking some and running some until I built up a better stamina. One of my friends even coined the term "wunning"= running + walking for our so-called method for not passing out. As the 5K approached, we decided that we needed shirts to commemorate what was soon to be an unforgettable weekend and my pal came up with the genius name for our group called the "Wunning Winos."

That's when I volunteered the gocco and all its wonderfulness to help make the shirts. I found an adorable design in my clipart on my computer of a running grape! It was so perfect for a race called The Napa Stomp! I copied the graphic in word and added the text below, using the ever-popular font from dafont.com called "albermale swash" ( or swash buckler as I like to call it). This seriously took me all of 5 minutes. My faith in the Gocco and my ability to actually created something ( no matter how small) was quickly renewed. Some of you may recall that I did burn my Gocco in an attempt to make use of my crafty gadget for this very project. I was showing off said Gocco and forgot to insert a screen! I burned the wunning wino right onto the plastic covering. yikes! This was before we made the shirts, and so I figured I might as well try to still make them, and you know what? It turned out! I have yet to try it for other stuff, so hopefully it won't interfere with any future designs. Anyway here is the final product:



and here is a picture of all the ladies sporting it!

Undomestic Goddess

My soon-to-be groom doesn't pass up any opportunity to tell people that he is the "domesticated" one. Its true. He cooks, he cleans, he pretty much does it all. Then, there's me. I believe any chores are cause for singing the song from Cinderella "Cinderelli, Cinderelli, do the dishes do the laundry!" and sighing loudly to show my disdain for such unsavory things like dusting. Where are those birds and mice who clean and sew happily when I need them?

Nope, that's definitely not me. I prefer Trader Joe's pre-made meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner! They are so tasty and easy they are hard to pass up after a long day at work.

It's not like I can't cook. I am reminded all the time how much a certain someone loves it when I do cook. ( sorry!) He gives me all sorts of pep talks and makes me feel like I could really have a show-case showdown with the one and only Martha!

As sweet as he is, I usually don't cook because he comes home much later than me. I get home and have the early-bird special. By the time he finally rolls in, I am curled up almost ready for bed. He often eats at work, and this unfortunately is just the nature of his job. I really like to cook along side someone. That is usually what we do when we are home together. We really like trying new recipes and are usually making something for the very first time. Its pretty much a guarantee that when we are following a recipe we will discover at least one item that we don't have in our kitchen that would make it a whole lot easier. Take this mixer for example:




wouldn't it make cookies and cupcakes taste so much better? I think so!


or what about this waffle maker?


No more toaster waffles for this couple!

We are also in need of more practical items like Tupperware and silverware. We are still rockin' some silverware from Target, that has its name printed on one side of all the butter knives! I love target, but I don't need to be reminded of it while I eat! tacky!

Also, it might be nice to finally have some matching wine glasses that we didn't acquire while wine tasting.

Lastly, when I am trying to boil water, it may be a good idea to have a lid that actually fits the pot. (who knew?)

So Long Budget...

move along now, beat it, SCRAM!

Good day sir.

*************************************************************************************

It seems every time I find a vendor that I really like, I hear the cost associated with said vendor, and I have to politely walk away. It is so depressing! And so it goes, the nature of a wedding budget. Just the other day, we finally found a caterer that really knocked our socks off in the taste and presentation department. They are out of this world--and so is there price tag. :(

I know many couples get very creative and hire many so-called "out-of-the-box" professionals to perform services for significantly less money. Um, I can't seem to find them. So, if you are a Significantly-Less-Vendor-Who-Should-Totally-Charge-More would you please contact me? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Thanks!

Gocco, you sunk my battleship!

My Dearest Gocco,

Oh how I loved you! You were the best. You had mad skills and showed real promise in becoming my secret weapon of choice for all things paper. And then, you and I met. Face to screen. You wanted to help me, you really did, but I wasn't ready for all that you had to offer. I just didn't understand you. You would dangle your fabulously designed creations in front of me on the web, and I was just too beneath you to reciprocate with the same kind of talent. I tried, I really did. You said some things, I said some things, and then it happened. IN the midst of what was sure to be a real breakthrough for us, I burned you. I forgot to insert the screen. Now you are permanently scarred with an imprint from me. I only hope at this point we can repair our relationship. I have so many plans for us. What do you say? Shall we give it another try?

Signed,

Still Hopeful in San Francisco

Engagement-a-versary!

Our "engagement-a-versary" was Sept.8th. We were engaged exactly 6 years to the day I moved to San Francisco back in 2001, which is where I met Brent. We decided to make a trip to the cute town of Bodega Bay where it all went down. We packed a little picnic and found a spot by the water to BBQ oysters (on our camping stove!) like we did last year. yum!

Here are some pictures from our actual engagement weekend:




Believe it or not, that camping stove can really cook up some mean oysters!

Let's just say prior to eating oysters on the water, our engagement did not go as smoothly as some (and by some, I mean he) might have liked. :( There might be a part in the story where I fell asleep when we first arrived at our little cottage, and he ended up drinking beers alone in the hot tub, or others might recall the part where I asked him if the ring was real or not ( I really did!) but those little tidbits don't taint my memory of one of the best days ever, it just makes it more funny!

Here's how it all went down:

He told me that his parents were having some last minute "Kiwis" (his mom is from New Zealand) come into town and they weren't able to use a cottage they had booked in the very cute town of Bodega Bay after all. So I happily jumped at the chance for us to have a get-a-way. We drove a few hours from the city after work on a Friday. I was sooooo tired when we finally got there and immediately curled up on the bed. He had lit a fire, but I was so cozy I didn't make it past the first crackle in the logs. He apparently was going to ask me as soon as we got there, but his plans were thwarted by a warm and cozy bed! He sat alone in the hot tub drinking beers to calm him nerves! The next morning I barely had my eyes open and he coaxed me to the couch in the house and shoved a mug of hot chocolate in my hand ( it was business time) and then proceeded to sit about 5 feet away from me on the couch. I thought this was a bit odd, but I really had just woken up so I barely noticed when he not-so-gracefully dragged his duffel bag closer to the couch where we were sitting and started fumbling around with one arm all the while trying to act like it wasn't happening. I still was not even a little bit phased and sipped my hot chocolate happily. Then he proudly announced "Well Miss Smith, the time has come..." ( the time has come?! Hahaha) and got down on one knee and at this moment I started going into shock. I really think it was shock, as I could barely speak, except of course, when I asked if the ring was real and if he was being serious or not, and then I replied, with what I am sure is not the answer he was hoping for and said, "yeah..." That was it. yeah. It was all I could muster. I was elated and beyond thrilled, but definitely in shock. good job Fink, you surprised me after 5 1/2 years!

Little Stinker

There is one vendor who is really stinking up the joint...

This June, we will join the ranks of many happy couples before us, who needed to enlist in the services of the port-o-potty for their restroom facilities. No, this is not a joke. I wish it were. I am one of those people who would rather get a bladder-infection from "holding it" than go into a port-o-potty. I mean, the name even sounds yucky. And stinky for that matter. :p

But, with our dream for an all outdoor wedding, came the reality that going behind a rock just doesn't quite cut it in a pair of sassy Mannolos or Louboutins. ( if only!) And, asking to borrow a silver platter from one of the servers to help shield you while you "go" doesn't really seem like a classy move either.

While I imagined our poor guests getting creative to do their business, I then remembered a wedding I went to that had these beautiful restroom trailers. (Notice the words "port" and "potty" do not make an appearance in the name). I was ready to sign on the dotted line, when a little research uncovered the cold hard truth--GGGGG. ( Did you count them? 5 G's!!) Say What?! Some rental companies wanted $5,000 dollars for these puppies. Foiled again. Now, I am not sure if the price we were quoted has something to do with us needing an ADA compliant facility for some of our guests, but 5,000 dollars seems like a bit much to us. Did any bay area brides find a beautiful "restroom trailer" for less?

Personal Paparazzi

Done and done. *high five* WE DID IT!! We hired our wedding photographer today! Ah.. our first vendor. And she is A-mazing! Check out the one and only Dorothy Hatchel here!! Now I have my own personal paparazzi! How fun is that? Not only is Dorothy Hatchel super talented, she really listens to her clients! When we asked if it was possible to take a group shot of everyone invited to the wedding like this:





She said, "Sure! I'll bring my ladder!" When I mentioned that I loved her black and white shots and am into vintage-y looks she said, "why don't you send me ideas of photos you really like so I can see your style." When I told her that my dream was to take engagement pictures by the cherry blossoms in Golden Gate Park, she immediately pulled up pictures from a shoot she already did in that same area! I kept thinking "Dorothy, you're really speaking my language!" And so, we hired her, on the spot. Fun!

Dress shopping-- a hobby?

I'm searching high and low for my dress, and it seems it is harder than I thought to find "the one." I tried on what seemed like at least 25 dresses today and have already tried on at least another 40 during several other trips. While it started out as such a fun pastime, with all the champagne and oohs and ahhs from my mom and lovely bridesmaids, I know it is not a hobby I can keep up. I can't believe I am thinking this, but--( I have to say this is a whisper) I am starting not to have fun trying on the beautiful dresses!! eek! How could it be?

Well,I have already found her. It's true, she was a beaut' too. Then why in God's name would I leave her just hanging there? On a cold hanger all alone in the dark!? Well, for good reason. "She" was more than $5,000 dollars. hmphf!

What is a girl to do on a budget?!

I am perusing the Internet that's what. I am looking at places like preownedweddingdresses.com in hopes of finding a deal. This scares me, and I feel like it is buying a used car, you never know what maintenance someone has or has not done in order to keep it shiny and new and in perfect working order.

I am also considering having my dress made, since I know what "she" looks like. Has anyone else considered having their dresses made?

I'm madly in love with a FINK!!

A what? a fink. that's right people that's what my fiance and I call each other. Lovingly, of course. I started calling him a rat-fink as a joke when he would do something like eat all of the ice-cream or tell an embarassing story about me. But then it kind of stuck. And then he started calling me a fink! Lovingly, of course. :)

The name fink has evolved over the years to finkle, finkleheimer, and most recently finkle-lou. But the fun doesn't stop there. Oh no. He also calls me sarducci, stinkerton, greaseball, le-stink, and the ever popular snaggle-toes.

I know it's odd, but we can't be the only crazy couple who calls each other odd names, right? right?

p.s. I just recently found a song on itunes called Rat Fink by: Allan Sherman that I may play for him at the wedding. late night, of course, when people are tipsy enough to appreciate it. ;)

Some of our smallest guests...

Both Stories Written By: Laura Godwin


...will have some of the biggest roles in our wedding. I am excited to say that our flower girl and ring bearer are the children of my two Matrons of Honor! How lucky to have some of my best friend's children in the wedding! I am very excited to include them and can't wait to see them looking adorable on the big day.

The flower girl and ring bearer will both be 2 and a half at the time of the wedding. However, the ring bearer is becoming an old pro at this gig, and was already a ring bearer when he was just a baby! I am guessing he does not remember his first debut as one of the most dapper men at the wedding, so I have been thinking about a way to introduce this idea to both of them. I found the cutest books on Amazon to help introduce what it will be like to be in a wedding. I am hoping these books will get the kids excited about their role and make it something they are looking forward to.

Won't you be my Bridesmaid?

I have been a busy little bird! I made some cards to ask my best ladies to be in the wedding. If you are an avid Weddingbee reader you might recognize some of the blatant stealing of ideas from Mrs.Lovebug and Mrs. Gummibear I used to make these cards. I prefer to call it "inspiration." I did add a few of my own touches in there , so you see I can be crafty too. :)

I present you my first ever wedding DIY project:

drum-roll please...

my supplies: cute dress stamp from Michael's, paper and envelopes from Paper Source.

( sorry this is sideways)

First, I used my home printer and made each girl a card with a poem that yours truly wrote! It read:

I am almost ready to say "I Do"
and would love nothing more than to ask you...
Will you be my Bridesmaid? ( or Matron of Honor)

It would mean more than words can express,

and I promise not to make you wear a silly dress!

Next, I stamped and glittered ( not a verb? well it is now!) each card with the cute dress stamp alla Mrs. Lovebug. I chose to just use glitter and not emboss it and I thought they turned out great, and way cheaper to do! I also used envelop tracers from Paper Source to make my bird envelop liners. I used double-sided tape to make them stick.

Then I stamped and made these cute boxes using a damask stamp I bought on Etsy. I filled each box with chocolate candy in my wedding colors and enclosed the card I made. I put a piece of wax paper between the candy and the card.

Lastly, I tied each with a ribbon and attached a label. I made sure to tape the sides shut so the candy wouldn't fly out in the mail and then I put each inside a mailer and off they went! fingers crossed they all say "yes" haha.

I leave you with a picture of Dixie, helping me stay on task! :)

an early bird catches the worm..

...or so they say. We are having a long-ish engagement. 22 months to be exact. I say "long-ish" because in my world, somehow there never seems to be enough time. I was actually relieved that I didn't need to start looking for my vendors asap at the start of planning. Every where I went people would ask excitedly,"When is the wedding?!" and I would politely tell them "summer of '09." And they would look a little surprised and scrunch their faces, since the date on the calendar read September 2007. They would pause for a moment and ponder this, and then decide to reply with (what I can only assume was out of pity so as not to hurt my feelings) the sweetest words I ever heard, "oh, well then, you have plenty of time! Not to worry!" :) I know. I would think feeling all satisfied. Time is with me.

I really liked hearing that, because {shh} I'll let you in on a little secret, I am a procrastinator. a slacker. a do-it-tomorrow kinda gal. In college, I prided myself on being able to write a paper at 4 o'clock in the morning that was due that same day! eek! Oh, listen I am not proud of it now. I don't even like to admit it. In fact, I often refute it and pretend that I'm totally on the case ( whatever the case may be) and not to worry, nope, all is well.

Well... this time IT IS!!! :) I can't believe it! I may be breaking free of my always-behind-schedule-ness. whew!

So, you might be wondering how did I turn this new leaf? Well, I will tell you. It seems all it took for me was to have a little motivation. A kick in the pants, well a dream really. Yes, I had a *gasp* a wedding dream. And it spoke volumes!


Gather 'round children and I will tell you my tale...

There I was. All snuggly in my bed. Me, the fluffa (a.k.a Dixie my cat) and Brent lying in a row. We were like Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear all snuggled together as one. ooh! so cozy!
And then, I started to dream. I began to dream of my wedding day (so far so good) It was the morning of my wedding, and I was sitting outside leisurely sipping a cup of coffee with my nearest and dearest sitting beside me. We were all talking and admiring the view of the ocean (which by the way, I am not getting married near the ocean, but whatever). I was feeling so relaxed and excited for what was to come. Then someone said " I can't wait to try the food tonight. I love eating outside!" Then simultaneously someone else said, "yeah I can't wait to dance all night long." It was at that moment that I realized I had not even set-up the appointment with a caterer and I had definitely let ordering a dance floor slip by me. As I started to mentally catalog ways I could make this work, my mom said " I am excited to see you in your dress!" My dress! How could I forget to buy a wedding DRESS! This was insane, I started to review what I had done and n-o-t-h-i-n-g came to mind! Sh*%$!! Double sh*&^!! Panic set in, but I thought that ok, I can do this, there must be people I can call, and then I realized ... I was supposed to have pre-ceremony pictures taken in one hour, of course without a photographer, because I hadn't finished deciding who I wanted. All I had planned was the venue! How was I going to plan a whole wedding in one hour? Then.... I woke up.

So that my friends is the true story of how I snapped out of being a procrastinator and turned into an early bird, or at least I hope so.

In case you haven't noticed...

I LOVE BIRDS! Right now for weddings, this is especially trendy. But I don't care, I am jumping on that lovebird train! Woo Woo! (er.. chirp chirp) I mean, look how ridiculously cute these are:

Ann Wood Homemade



( a camp-out?! um...there are no words for this type of cuteness!)



Here is a cake-topper from the fabulous Ann Wood:





Look at that sassy couple! Meow!


This one is by Etsy shop Rainsend:




I am definitely making one of these cute lovebirds my caketopper!

Working out is for the birds...

Do you like to work out? Do you want to help a lazy bride kick it into high gear? Then boy do I have the job for you!


All interested parties should apply here. seriously.

Ahh... the blog world

It's so cozy isn't it? I just love it! It's like sinking into a really comfy couch,wearing your pajamas, and drinking hot cocoa! Or you're sitting by a fire...and ooh! it's raining outside! I mean just look at how cozy Dixie is in this picture!

Yes, it's so many cozy things and I just can't get ENOUGH of it! It is hands-down my new favorite past-time. Some people bike ride, others take pictures, and I blog. I absolutely ADORE Weddingbee and I dream of making inspiration boards pretty enough for StyleMePretty! I often wander over to a new blog like: SnippetandInk and realize there are like 300 I don't even know about yet! It's like I strike gold each time. More finds, more deals, and more DETAILS!

The funny thing is I would not know that much about the blog world if it wasn't for this wedding. I accidentally stumbled across my o.g. blog Weddingbee and the rest is history. Not only do I surf the internet for the newest finds but I don't even watch as much reality t.v. anymore!! ( A true feat!) And I am completely off celebrity gossip! Which, by the way, was the only type of blog I read pre-engagement. I know it sounds nuts, and quite frankly, it is, but I feel like Wedding Blogs are my dealers, and I can't quite shake the habit! Anyone care to join me for a little vein tappin'? See you on the street you rough riders!

post script: My most favorite movie of all time, Steel Magnolias, just started! Eeeh! The coziness continues...

a little bird gets her wings...

Yeah! This is my very first post! I am excited to start sharing my "tale" as a bride to be. Armed with my laptop, a lot of adventures as a DIY bride, and of course my trusty sidekick (and cat!) Dixie, I hope to share my experiences and hear about yours too as we enter into the world of: "inspiration boards", Martha Stewart, acronyms like STD and FI , and wedding blogs! So here's to us, brides-to-be, raise a glass of champagne and let's toast to Wedding Planning!