#51 Bridesmaid Proposals - part two

Dear 'Lovely',
Here are just eleven of the reasons why I love you... *insert gushy love stuff here!*

  
 
  
 
Pictures 5 & 6 feature one of my home made fortune/proposal cookies.... not quite perfected at that stage!

It's a fine art I tell you.

There was many a hour, on many nights, that I spent in my kitchen - Mr N managing quite excellently (from his safe vantage point on the couch) to completely ignore my far too colourful language, & I will admit, a few shameful tantrums that involved throwing defenceless kitchen utensils at the floor...

Pictures 7, 9 & 10... well I may or may not have been cheating with the cookies by then... I confess nothing ;)

But back on track & a happy ending to this tale of proposals as my gorgeous bridesmaids all said... YES!!! Hoorah!

We have since discovered that one of my lovelies will no longer be able to make it to the wedding (which yes, is a little heartbreaking), but that's a story for another time.

I am incredibly blessed to have such wonderous friends in my life to be sure.

Cx

p.s sorry some of the photo's are a bit dodgy, phone shots - I'm sure you know how it is?

#50 Bridesmaid Proposals - part one

My maids I went a-courtin'...

x

#49 Super Cute Proposal

I have a weakness for cute & quirky proposal videos...

So I'm sure this won't be the last one that I post? But seriously, come on. Cute right?

x

#48 Up Down & In Between

I thought that I had decided on how I wanted my hair for our wedding.

I had something like this in mind - very simple!

However, during the dress fittings I was discussing this with my dressmaker & one of my bridesmaids, & it's seeming that the style of dress that I have chosen isn't really done justice with my hair down...

So updos... must stay far far away from THE wedding updo. You know the one.

At the moment I like a loose, messy look.

Perhaps with a braid somewhere in there?

But I do also like the finger wave a lot...

And maybe I could get away with something like this?

Not sure what you would even call that... semi updo to the side? ;)

And there I was thinking I might not get a hairdresser... Hmm...

Opinions? Suggestions? Warnings? Tips?

x

#47 Pods n Things

I really like wedding flowers that are either very casual, with that 'i just picked these from my own garden' look, or that are a bit unusual.

I especially love the use of things like pods, succulents, twigs & leaves in arrangements...

Not sure if I will be going so far as a whole bouquet of the same, although I do think it looks great in photographs!

What do you think?

laurie bailey photography Via new jersey bride

I think this bouquet is just about the perfect balance of traditional & contemporary...

Via angelsmith photography/rowena & chris

On a side note, how seriously awesome are lotus pods?

I think they look so amazing...

x

#46 Light Up My Life

"How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it.

How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it.

How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live 'em.

How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give 'em."
- Shel Silverstein

I

YOU!

Thank you for being here :)

Oh, & how sweet are these sparklers from Wondercandle!

Sparklers are such a lovely little piece of magic don't you think?

x

#45 Engaged... Again!

The night before our engagement-ish celebration in Melbourne, my engagement ring met with a fate worse than death...

Well ok not actually worse, but it did die. Violently.

Lucky I'm not superstitious hey?

What followed was a lot of ridiculous behavior by one jewelers who shall remain nameless.

However. Happily - 3 months later - I have some sparkling new bling!

I haven't taken any photos & I'm feeling lazy having been working on long overdue Save the Dates as well as Wedding Favours all night, but I've found this picture from the wonderful wide web that is mightily similar...

As with my first ill fated engagement ring, it is a LOT more traditional than what I would have expected myself to like?

It's very different to my usual taste in jewelery, which is big & chunky whereas this is quite fine.

I did play with the idea of an Amber ring for a while, a big & chunky one, but came to the realisation that although I'm not someone who has been planning their wedding since they were little or in all honesty even believed i would ever get married, I LIKE that it looks like an engagement ring... I also feel oddly guilty for that?

Anyhow.

I feel ever so lucky & I LOVES it!

x

#44 Gretchen Hillhouse Design...

Or perhaps that should read Gretchen Hillhouse Divine?

After both the magnificent talent & the Gorgeous Gretchen herself!

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Shall we start closer to the beginning?

This is a photo of my STUNNING little sister E (On the right), backstage at the Gretchen Hillhouse 'Heloise & Hildegarde' collection fashion parade (Unfortunately I couldn't locate a photo showing said amazing collection so I'll just make clear that her attire is her own).

Fast forward, & I'm going a teensy bit out of my mind trying to find anything remotely like what I want my wedding gown to be, a particularly snooty Canberra bridal shop assistant gives me a little panic inducing scare (see previous post) with her speech on how long it will take to alter a wedding dress as well as suggesting I do some rather strange things with a bolero - apparently she's a designer?.

Anyhow, it's safe to say I am officially freaking out.

Then Gretchen quite unexpectedly comes to mind...

I try not to get my hopes up as I ask E if she thinks Gretchen would be interested in rescuing me from wedding dress hell...

A nail biting wait for the call that says -YES!

I fly to Victoria within the week to have my initial meeting with Gretchen, a little extension on my visit, & in less than a month from thinking 'Hmm perhaps I could look at having my dress made by someone?' - the dress of my dreams...

IS FINISHED.

Unbelievable.

Gretchen Hillhouse, ladies & gentlemen, is an angel, a miracle worker, a ridiculously talented artist of so many mediums AND indescribably friendly, delightfully sweet & undeniably good looking to boot!

One visit to her home studio & I had complete confidence that she understood & would in fact most skillfully exceed my expectations in creating the gown that I had envisioned.

I also felt as though I had known her for years - Which is a strange & very lovely thing.

Gretchen Hillhouse with some of her exquisite jewelery & her breathtaking ceramic bowls.

Those bowls really do blow my mind... One day.

Via Gretchen Hillhouse Design

Well worth a visit to Gretchen's website to see LOTS more swoon inducing ceramics & jewelery...

I also love her jewelery, which as it just so happens, looks mighty bridal appropriate to me?

Um, hello ceramic wedding ring in the 5th photo?

Well maybe not so much the Electron Collection for wedding wear (Correction - MY wedding) but they're just so fun & quirky that I couldn't resist showing you ;)

I have 2 more fittings at the end of January, for final adjustments = weight loss, but it is completely constructed.

I really still can't believe it. SO exciting... It makes it so much more real?

So much of the planning process is not tangible but I have held the dress that I will be wearing when my love & I say 'I Do.'

Wow?

x

edit: Yay!!! Some pictures of the beautiful models Ella & Freda in the equally beautiful Heloise & Hildegarde collection!

Unfortunately blogger is having a tantrum and won't let me post them any larger, but still, it's a glimpse...

LOVELY no?

Thanks Gretchen :)

#43 Speaking of Which...

Um hello doily wedding dress!!!

Now why didn't I think of that?!?

via - jillian & dax - gia canali photography

Simply genius.

#42 A Horse and Controversy...

Hi there! Remember me?

Whilst it would appear to most that I had fallen off the proverbial horse of blogging, ok ok - be apparent to most that I had taken a tumble - I really do have quite a legitimate excuse.

It is a tale of spur of the moment decisions, 3 cities, 1 dressmaker most exceptional, many cuppas - wines - & over indulgence in all things that fatten, news of the elating/devastating variety, & much loved up-ness from those whose hugs are too often too too far away...

Before the whirlwind that has enveloped me this last while, I had a Wedding (& everything else) To Do List about as long as your arm. Actually, make that my arm.

Now that same To Do List is about as long as the arm of the BFG. (High 5 to you if you get the reference?)

The said list included, somewhere among the reams, a bit more effort on my part in getting around to posting on here with some kind of regularity.

BUT. I was also thinking (dangerous to be sure!), 'Why?'

Is there any point in this blog? It hasn't saved my nearest & dearest from wedding talk nearly as much as I hoped it would, It feels mighty self indulgent, & i was also starting to wonder if it was a little cuckoo to be writing to myself?

Then while away, one of my delicious bridesmaids told me that she had seen another lovely friend recently, who I haven't caught up with for quite a horrible length of time.

This friend told my BM that although she hates weddings- or more specifically all the kitsch that come with them, she has been enjoying reading these pages of ramble & that she thinks I will have a beautiful wedding & will BM please take lots of photos to show her.

CUE WARM FUZZY FEELING! Bless her socks & silver (pearly white) jewelery ;)

Even though I have what feels like a thousand exciting things to update on, it would seem that oddly enough, this warm fuzzy feeling has manifested in me a desire to sabotage myself & this page & quite possibly ostracize me...

I LOVE DOILIES.

Via - unknown & laura splan/museum of contemporary art

Via - apartment therapy

There. I've said it. It's out there.

I'm a loud & proud doily lover.

Please don't judge me?

Sanity from now on.

Mostly...

It's good to be home!

x

#42 Baskets Anyone?

If the results for an internet search of the words 'flower girl' is anything to go by, people subject their flower girls to a whole lot of scary.

I'm talking cringe worthy hideous. In numerous layers. Upon layer. Upon layer...

So I was wading through these marshmallowy nightmares and I started wondering...Do they know? These brides I mean? Do they they know it's so very 'ugh'? Is it a misguided budget decision perhaps? Or is this actually the taste of the majority as google would have me believe?

Most importantly- HOW DO I KNOW I'M NOT ONE OF THEM???

How do I know that my taste too, does not make people desperate to steal one of those drowning in kitsch flower girls baskets away to use as a sick bag substitute?

Calm down now eh?

I also wondered how I've lasted this long without starting a 'worst of' blog.

Anyway, I've been pretty wedding slack lately but I think I'm finally getting my wedding mojo back. So rejoice dear friends! Or despair? ;)

Here's some flower girl baskets that I think are pretty sweet. Minus the puffy stuff!

My favourite overall is the second one, it's quite unique I think?

Via - craftzine/Andrea DeHart, wedding flowers&reception ideas, tickled pink.

The centre one with the lavender in this next row - I don't actually like, but I like the concept.

Loving the Chrysanthemums and the Succulents.

Fun fact: Apparently you're not supposed to be able to kill Succulents... I can kill any plant. It's a talent.

Via - project wedding, pink chalk studio, tickled pink.

I already have my ring 'pillow' picked out but I think this one is a bit awesome too!

Via- tickled pink.

Is there anything you have ever loved, wedding or not, that you look back on later and ask yourself "WHY?"

Others than ex's of course! Ha.

Do share!

x

#41 Dress Ups Take Two - The Result...

In short, disheartening.

Not to mention somewhat alarming?

Via - Nicky Thomas

Here's a quick rundown.

I hate wedding dresses. (Ok this is a lie, because in fact I love a fair few of them, just none that are in any of the shops here, and none on the internet that are within budget.)

It would seem that people who work in bridal shops must first obtain a masters in how best to look down their noses at customers?

It turns out I can't count, and our wedding is 2 months closer than what I was thinking...

I have been informed that when it comes to dresses, you can count December and January out. My Wedding Dress will need to be completely fitted and ready by the end of November before everyone closes up shop.

Mocha is exceptionally good at letting me have a panic attack and making sure I'm laughing enough about it to come out the other side!

But yeah. Officially freaking out that I have been stuck in a wedding rut for so long and am now so far behind in all our preparations ie: Save the Dates, that due to the number of interstate and o/s guests, I wanted to have sent out 4 months ago... AND when I tried to get stuck into them the other day, realised that my plan was a flop and now needs a total rethink? Eek.

Among about a hundred other things...

How did this happen?

Help me universe! Help meeeeeeee!!!

x

#40 Dress Ups - Take Two...

Tomorrow I'm going with Mocha (my MOH) to play dress ups :)

Via - pxlshots

Last dress up mission, whilst a most interesting mixture of absolutely hilarious and disheartening, was not particularly successful... Fingers crossed for better luck this time!

It's exciting, but I've noticed that I have a bit of the whole ' champagne tastes on a milkshake budget' thing going on?

So whilst hopeful, I'm certainly not counting my chickens until I've found them on the dress rack. And tried them on. And get that feeling. If you know what I mean... ( Seriously, if you do - Congratulations!)

Wish us luck!!!

x

#39 Green?

Yes. Yes they are. Even the right shade in fact.

Most appropriately named "Bells of Ireland"? Why yes, they are indeed.

And their meaning is? Apparently - 'good luck' (not that i'm paying heed to such things!)

Available in Australia? No idea...

But I think they are a bit interesting. In a good way.

Also found out that Chrysanthemums (see previous post) are the flower of my birth month. I find that randomly amusing.

Totally lazy post from me? Check.