Lovely Lace

Kate Harrison of The Green Bride Guide recently made this post over on Blogger Brides and I couldn't be happier. Lace is one of those things that you either love or hate. I happen to be head-over-heels in love with it. On my search to find some of my own I stumbled upon the Etsy shop Victorian Petals where I purchased this "shabby wreath" made of (of course) lace and various fabrics. I can't wait to put this up at our reception! So fun! They also sell bundles of vintage laces for your own creative projects. For under seven bucks an assortment I could afford to cover practically everything in this wonderful fabric...

Is there ever such a thing as too much lace?

Vintage Inspired Clutches: Part One

This bag is made by FIAZCO can be found on Etsy here.

Inge Christopher bag from Nordstroms found here.

This lovely leather clutch from the Kooba collection at Bergdorf Goodman can be found here.

This Inge Cristopher bag can be found here on ebags.com.

This clutch can be found here on ecrater.com.

Beach Ceremony Inspiration

I recently stumbled upon this wedding in the Fall 2008 issue of Your Wedding Day and knew how I wanted our spring beach ceremony to look. I am going to transform this:

sunny Manzanita beach, into something inspired by this:

Southampton wedding of Chandra & Juris.
I am in love with the benches, driftwood arch, and overall simplistic feel. Also, my parents have a huge cherry blossom tree in the backyard of their Seaside house, and I hope to gather bags of its falling petals at the end of next May to spread blossoms down the aisle. I'm enlisiting the help of my crafty dad to help build, and will be sure to share pictures of the progress!

P.S. it's the fiance's birthday today! Another year older and another day closer to the wedding!

An Ode to Saipua

If I lived in New York, she would be doing my flowers:

I am completely smitten.

But alas, I am on the opposite side of the country. I guess this means I will just have to continue getting inspiration for my own DIY bouquets from her blog .

CFDA Sale!

One of my favorite online stores Gilt is currently having a sale featuring six wonderful designers, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the CFDA. While perusing through the goods I found a few dresses that would be perfect for a bride-to-be.

Here are a couple from designer Rachel Roy:
The stunning dress above is on sale for under $300 (retail is $875). The sassy little number below is going for just under $700 (retail around $1,800).

Here are a few by Notte by Marchesa, all on sale for under $400:

What a deal!

P.S. Gilt is a "members only" site and you have to sign up to snag the deals. The site says that you have to be invited by another member. If you want an invite you can always shoot me an email and I can send you one- but I got in just by emailing Gilt directly and asking to join. It was quick, simple, and probably the easiest route.

Parrott Notes

I know I said in an effort to be more green the FH and I would be forgoing paper save-the-dates, but when I saw these cards over at Things are better with a parrott I couldn't resist purchasing a few. Plus, Sarah makes every effort to produce eco-friendly paper products, so I knew that by ordering from her the environment would be in safe hands.

They aren't save-the-dates per se, but I did want to use the cards to write a little note to the grandparents and include a couple of our favorite engagement pictures as a keepsake.

So, last night while I sat down to watch the latest episode of ANTM I got to work!
The notes turned out wonderfully (ANTM not so much. I'm a little disappointed in this season). I dropped a few in the mail today and can't wait to give some of our guests a little taste of the invitations they will be receiving next year (more details on the invites and Sarah's eco-friendly process later).

Oh, I do love birds and peonies!

My "Diet" Thus Far...

I have to admit, the diet has been a little lax to say the least. Jogging? No. OnDemand workout videos? Fat chance. Healthy eating? Eh... I'm working on it. I discovered these scrumptious little treats by LUNA called tea cakes. They've been what keeps me away from the potato chips when snacking at work. I love tea and I love cake. Perfect, right? Well, while they might not be as good as actual cake, they are pretty tasty for health food. I had a vanilla macadamia nut one today, and if I closed my eyes and worked my imagination hard enough I might have been fooled into thinking I was eating a gourmet cookie. That, or something that wasn't purchased next to the protein shakes at the grocery store. Photo from Amazon.com

Aside from munching on tea cakes, I did get in a little workout while attending Race for the Cure with my good friend Lisa this past weekend. We participated in the 5k walk (the place was crowded and we didn't go very fast so it was actually more like the 5k slow shuffle). But- it was exercise, and it was for a good cause (check, check). Here we are on our way out the door:

My lovely friend Lisa all decked out for the cure:
And sticking to true "Amanda" form, I convinced Lisa to veer off just before the finish line so we could make it in time for sausage biscuits at McDonalds (don't worry, instant karma was soon to follow). Ahh, my thighs are going to look amazing in my sheath dress come next May!

Peonies & Wine Part Three

The other evening the FH and I sampled another eco-friendly wine for our upcoming reception. I found a bottle of Parducci Petite Sirah in the Pacific NW wine aisle at the grocery store and had to bring it home (Petite Sirah is one of Nick's favorites). Parducci winery in California prides itself in being the first carbon neutral winery in the US. They also use biodiesel, solar electricity, and ensure that their packaging is earth-friendly. I'm sold!

We were both very pleased with the result. Eco-friendly, locally grown, and de-lish. Plus, at under $15 a bottle it's well in our wine budget!

Bottled Fortunes

My heart skipped a beat this morning when I read this post over at Elizabeth Anne Designs. Elizabeth wrote a blog about adding these vintage inspired Dinner Party Bottled Fortunes from The Hope Jar to her DIY list. I took one look at them and knew they needed to be added to our reception decor as well. Of course, I'm not nearly as adventurous as Elizabeth, so the DIY idea was out (besides, I figured that after purchasing everything to make them it would have probably just been cheaper to buy the bottles already finished). So, that is exactly what I did. A set of six named "Bring on the Bling!" was listed this afternoon so I snatched them up as quick as I could. I just can't wait to pair these with my ceramic birds from Runny Bunny, vintage crystal vases, and dozens of pink peonies for our centerpieces!

So shabby chic!

Updated Wedding Webpage!

New and improved: It's a bit fancier than the free version I've been using from The Knot. If you get a chance, head over and check it out!

Mr. Owl Joins The Family

When I got home from work last night I was pleased to find my new little owl from Craftpaca waiting for me in our mailbox. Thanks again Myra for introducing me to this wonderful Etsy shop!

I was worried that my cats would like the owl a little too much, but after a brief initiation they came to an understanding:
Mia "The Meeze" checks out Mr. Owl in his new home: a chair in our living room.
Hmm... no catnip?

She quickly gets bored and moves on to attack my bare toes.

I think Mr. Owl will be safe... for now.

Bolero ♥

For my ceremony on the beach I decided to go with a very simple, comfortable, sheath gown. I finally found the perfect one at Nordstroms' Wedding Shop. It's slinky, has a touch of lace, and fits me like a glove. But, I realized that though I love the dress now, it could still use a little something to make it pop and be a bit more... "me". Then, one day while perusing the web I discovered a solution: I needed a bolero!

I scoured the wonderful world of Etsy and found a few local designers who make the the loveliest boleros. First there is (of course, I'm obsessed!) Holly Stalder:

She can make a custom bolero to match your dress starting at around $140.

There is also Elizabeth Dye of The English Department with this unique bolero that was featured on the cover of Portland Bride & Groom magazine:

And then there is my favorite up-and-coming artist, Myra of Twigs & Honey -based out of Salem, OR. I recently had the pleasure of obtaining one of her gorgeous flowers for my wedding day hairstyle, and she is currently working on a custom bolero to perfect my ceremony look. When I saw her post this adorable wedding vest on her site I knew her work would be a perfect match for my gown and style:

This particular bolero can be found for sale here

With customs starting at under $100 her work fits almost any budget! Plus, if the bolero turns out even half as delightful as the flower she made for me I will be in heaven (and of course it will, because everything she makes is amazing).

I will be sure to keep you updated with pics of the finished product and my completed ceremony look!

A Few More Photos of Our Trip!

A crab on the beach (in all fairness he was more sick than crabby):

A sneak peek of my vintage inspired mini-dress for the reception: Out on the Nehalem Bay River kayaking (gotta exercise those biceps!):
Picking out a couple bonsais to take home (jade tree):
And of course, my parents' pygmy goats Tabitha and Sabrina: