Lashes, Lashes, Lashes

   So my very good friend and bridesmaid is getting married tomorrow, YAY!!  So excited for several reasons, but that's a whole other post... So in wedding preparations, she got eyelash extensions which I have always wanted to do! Until I started doing some research and trying to find an experienced stylist. I came across a salon here in Pittsburgh that looks amazing, expensive, but amazing. It might be a pre wedding splurge for me... but I thought I would share this great blog by Allison Roth Studios. Her work looks amazing and one day, I will experience it!

    In the meantime, I decided I would get some false eyelashes for the wedding. I've heard a lot about House of Lashes and decided to test them out. Their eyelashes are are natural human hair, and well priced. So I ordered 2 pairs, Femme Fatale and Tigress (pictured below).

Images via House of Lashes

   I couldn't wait to get them, and they were offering free shipping with purchases over $25! They came fast and I rushed home to try them... FAIL... I put them on and showed Mr. C and he thought I looked ridiculous. Well, okay they were extremely long... And maybe I have really big eyes, but the lashes were too short for my eyes. Nonetheless, I thought they looked okay.  Mr. C continued to laugh and tell me that he "liked my original goods better." 

    I have been blessed/cursed with a lot of hair, so I don't actually need fake eyelashes or eyelash  extensions. But what women doesn't want longer fuller lashes?! Having long full lashes changes your whole look. I've found that using the individual lashes works best for me. I've always found that sometimes, it isn't about the brand of lashes, it's all in the application. You can get Ardell lashes at Target for well, cheap, and they aren't bad! In fact, the Ardell lashes come with some of my favorite lash adhesive. Not only does it come in an easy to use application it also is some of the strongest adhesive I've used. 

    I think the House of Lashes are just gorgeous. They have every type of lash you could ever want. From natural looking to glam, they are simply gorgeous!!

Image via House of Lashes

   So will you ladies be wearing false eyelashes for your big day? Will you try lash extensions? Do you have a favorite brand of lashes to wear?!

Wedding Bells!!

   With another wedding approaching in less than 48 hours, I thought I would share some of my sister's wedding photos. She got married 6 weeks ago in a beautiful intimate-ish outdoor wedding. It was gorgeous but simple and just perfect. With 9 months to plan she kept the details simple and dare I say "Shabby Chic". So without further ado, pictures!

The entrance to the Morning Glory Inn

Shot from the stairs

Cake topper made by my sister

Yumm carrot cake! 

These boxes were painstakingly stenciled by all of us, the result was gorgeous!

All these cookies were made by my mom!

Nighttime shot of the courtyard

*All images personal *

    My sister had a friend take her photographs and she did an amazing job. I was really impressed with all the photos and not to mention, her friend is just the sweetest! What kind of route will you be taking for your photographs? Do you like the photojournalism approach? Looking for something more standard? What about cookie tables? Is that something that is common in your area? Here in Pittsburgh, you cannot have a wedding without a cookie table, guests will not be happy!

Everything's Coming Up Roses

    Errrr… I mean Hydrangeas! I’ve noticed a trend in the weddings I have been to in the last few years, hardly anyone uses flowers anymore. Obviously I have not done any real research or conducted a focus group of some sorts, but I think we can attribute the non floral centerpieces to Pinterest.

Image via Pinterest

 

     Let’s face it, flowers are expensive, so very expensive. And while they are gorgeous, they are going to die. To spend a large amount of money on things that will die, that you can’t take home or reuse… well it’s a hard thought to stomach sometimes. Introducing Pinterest! Savior of all things! There are so many great ideas on DIY centerpieces, from repurposing wine bottles to old books and suitcases to candles and mason jars. Flowers are no longer the typical choice for centerpieces, and if you want flowers, you no longer have to head to your florist to make up $200 arrangements.

   I never intended to have flowers at our wedding, being that it will be February, I figured it would be okay to not have flowers. When I talked to my mom about this, she thought it was a good idea. I then asked her what kind of centerpieces they had at their wedding, her response, “Flowers, it was 1975, it was unheard of to have anything but flowers!” Well, times are changing for sure.

 

Of course, I got all these great ideas for centerpieces with pine and wood and branches, you know all things winter.

Image via Wedding Girl Blog

Image via Dinning Delight Blog

 

    Then we picked our venue…. And were told flowers were included, WHAT?! Unleash the beast… The Pinterest beast that is… I started pinning gorgeous centerpieces and when I went to the florist, I was ready with all my photos. I went a little crazy with the photos, but it turns out they came in handy.

    My wonderful florist, Megan, had a vision like I did. We both immediately thought white hydrangeas should be the focus. She came up with gorgeous ideas and I loved them all. I went back a few weeks later to see a mock up of the centerpieces and just adored them.

 

Image via Inside Weddings

 

Image via Caplan Miller

 

Image Via Forever Photography

 

*Inspiration photos that Megan incorporated*

     I had never actually envisioned our wedding with all these gorgeous flowers. And now that I knew it could happen, I couldn’t be more excited! If anyone in the Pittsburgh area is getting married, I highly recommend Fragile Paradise. I told Megan what we were willing to pay on top of the credit and she made sure she stayed in that amount. While she is suggesting all these gorgeous ideas, the whole time she is making sure she isn’t painting you a picture of something that costs $4,000 over your budget. She is simply wonderful. I cannot wait to see all her ideas come to life! What are you guys doing for centerpieces? Will you be making some DIY centerpieces? Have you used Pinterest as in inspiration?

Little Blue Dresses

      I know that the part women dread most when saying "Yes" to being a bridesmaid is dress shopping... I don't know anyone who has liked their bridesmaid dress, and most women don't expect to fork over $100-$250 for a dress they actually like. I intended to change this and actually have my girls wear dresses they like!

    So one Sunday afternoon, we headed to MB Bride and I instructed my girls to pick out any dress they wanted. As long as (yes those dreaded words) it was knee length, fit with my vintage theme and came in navy blue. The girls were so happy to have input on their dress, that we rounded up about 40 dresses between the 5 of us. I grabbed a seat and let the fashion show begin, I couldn't be more excited!!
 
   Unfortunately, not all of my girls were as excited as I was. If you've ever been bridesmaid dress shopping, you know it's no easy task. I, of course, thought I would make this process great for them... A word to the wise, bridesmaid dress shopping is never easy!!! No matter how you try to spin it, you still have women buying dresses that they wouldn't buy regularly and know that they ultimately, will never wear again.

    I did my best to make sure everyone walked away happy, but it wasn't easy. A few things I learned that

      1. Be Kind - The wedding is about you and your fiancé, this whole process is about the two of you, but for one day, it's about a few other people. Not everyone feels great trying on clothes in front of others. No matter how secure someone appears about themselves, that doesn't mean they are going to want to prance around in a dress in front of others. Give lots of compliments and if you truly don't like something, be nice about it. Instead of "That looks terrible on you" try "I just don't think that dress does you justice"

    2. Everyone Is Different - While you may like one dress, chances are not everyone else does. Women come in many different shapes (as we all know) and rarely will one dress look good on everyone. If you are able to, let the girls pick dresses that look good on their body type. If you want everyone to wear the same dress, pick something that will flatter everyone (usually something flowy) and let everyone try on the dress.

   3. Bridesmaids Aren't Made of Money - If you've been in a wedding, you know this. You are expected to buy a dress for the wedding, but please, take the budget into consideration. If your girls can afford a $250 dress and you've okayed this with them, then go for it! But remember, some may be more well off than others. Not everyone is willing to admit they don't want to spend $200+ right now. Talk about budget before hand. * If you let the girls pick their own dresses they can pick a dress within their budget and YOU didn't force them to buy an expensive dress*

    4. Most Bridesmaid Just Want You To Be Happy - I cannot tell you the countless times I have heard women say they will wear whatever the bride wants, whether the dress is ugly or gorgeous, they'll wear it. Of course, they'll complain about how ugly the dress is to their friends and how they can't believe they spent $150 on a dress so ugly, but they'll never tell the bride that.  It's hard to determine if when a girl goes "I love it!" she is sincere or she just wants you to be happy. Think about how you would feel if the situation was reversed, put yourself in their shoes for a minute and then make a decision.

    Ultimately, I think that bridesmaid dress shopping should be a fun bonding experience. I had it in my head that it was going to be the most amazing day, which can be good or bad. I even brought gifts for my girls to show them my appreciation. Ultimately though, an attitude a bridesmaid has about the experience is one that has been predetermined. If you should get a bridesmaid that is less than chipper about the whole experience, there is nothing you can do to change her mind. Just be kind and complimentary and try your best.

    At the end of our shopping day, my girls walked away with 4 gorgeous dresses and I couldn't be happier about their choices.

Images via The Dessy Group

   Are you going to let your girls choose their own dresses?  Do you already have a vision in your head of what you want them to wear? Or what are your experiences bridesmaid dress shopping?!

Finding the Perfect Muff

      I’m not sure when the idea came to me, but one day, I up and decided I wanted my girls to carry muffs instead of bouquets.  I thought it would be the perfect touch for a winter wedding and a great keepsake for the girls.  I also figured that 4 muffs would be much cheaper than 4 bouquets haha.  When I told the girls about my idea, they were thrilled, with the exception of my sister… She couldn’t stand the idea… but hey majority wins right?! So begins my hunt for the perfect muff!

 

Naturally I headed straight to Etsy, the most magical of all wedding sites! I was instantly flooded with fur muffs and stoles and wanted to buy them all! I had to keep my blinders on and head straight for what I needed though. After a few days of searching through Etsy, I had my favorites locked in.

 

 And the Winner!!

All Images via Etsy

 

     Earlier, MOH BonBon and I had decided that the muffs with the stripes looked the best. These were a little harder to find, but definitely the better of the muffs. I don’t know how many of you out there are looking to purchase fur muffs or stoles for well, any reason, but Etsy is definitely the place to go. I found this wonderful woman named Julie who had a shop SewUDesigns, and she was fabulous. She was offering 10% off if you bought 3 products or more and makes everything to order. I couldn’t be happier with the muffs and they were a great price!

    I had also launched an intensive search earlier to find a vintage brooch for MOH BonBon to put on her muff. Of course, Etsy saved the day! I decided that since the muffs would be white, the brooch should have some color. The colors of our wedding are navy blue (more midnight), white and silver and a tiny accent of blush. I searched high and low for a vintage brooch with some blue in it. In fact, I lusted after this one for days… and finally I decided this was it!! Let me tell you, if you ever want to buy vintage jewelry, I bought this brooch from DecoTrove on Etsy. I have to tell you, this was the best transaction I have ever had. The nicest seller and emailed me right away, made for a great buying experience!!

Personal Photo

     Now that I had the muffs and the brooch, I was almost done! I had met with my florist, Megan, of Fragile Paradise, and not only is so incredibly sweet, she’s ridiculously talented. She suggested making a corsage for MOH BonBon, what a fabulous idea! I turned the brooch over to her so she could use it for the corsage. Now I’m left to anxiously await the final product, I know it will be gorgeous though! Are any of you ladies using something else besides bouquets for your girls? Any money saving ideas? What about other winter weddings, will you be adding a touch of winter with some faux fur?!

It’s All About the Accessories!!

Who loves accessories?!!

Image via Jane Heller Blog

Me!! I do I do!!

Who doesn’t love a good accessory? A great shoe, some sparkly earrings, accessories will bring an outfit together with one quick swoop of a necklace.  So naturally, these were the items that I was most excited to get (besides my dress).

Like most brides, I love the colored shoe trend. I think it is beautiful and brings such a great pop of color to your well, white/ivory/alabaster etc.  dress.  When it comes to wedding accessories, what’s the item you hear about most? SHOES!! Of course they are so important. You want to be comfortable right? And you want to be stylish, of course! As many other women before me, I have lusted after Carrie Bradshaw’s Manolo Blahnik’s as the perfect wedding shoe. They are gorgeous and the quintessential wedding shoe.  Of course at $965, they are just out of my budget. Oh who am I kidding, that’s not anywhere near the budget!!

Image Via Lystit

So now I’m on the hunt for the perfect blue wedding shoe, and dare I say it, before I buy my wedding dress, gasp!! So the number one concern is comfort, as anyone who has ever been in a wedding knows, you’re on your feet all night, and you want to be comfortable. So I started googling to see who has the most comfortable shoes. While I wanted a highly sought after designer like Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin I knew it just wasn’t possible. Plus, after reading reviews, they didn’t sound comfortable! One name stood out though as being comfortable, Kate Spade. I never thought of her shoes, so I started looking and my goodness, gorgeous, and much more affordable! So many choices, but I narrowed it down to one and thought, “I have to buy them now, what if they’re gone soon?!” So I started hunting for a coupon, and found if you sign up on www.KateSpade.com, you get 15% off your first order! Fantastic, plus free shipping yay! So I thought for $278.80, I needed these shoes.

Image via Kate Spade

Kate Spade obviously understands women because she ships fast. I had those pretty blue shoes in my hands in time to wear them for dress shopping and what a treat that was!

So after the shoes, what’s really left? Well, you’d be surprised. My next mission… headpiece! I’m not a veil person, I already knew that. But my dress really was not a veil kind of dress and my veil feelings were confirmed at the bridal shop. I tried on a lovely hair clip with my dress and I was sold, except on the price. $100 for a hair clip? No thank you!

When I had my “Meet the Maids” Dinner, my sister and Bridesmaid let’s call her Bridesmaid Stylist told me about this wonderful place in the South Side, Clarissa Boutique (www.ClarissaBoutique.com) and I just had to go. My sister and I went one day after work and oh my, I can’t begin to tell you the eye candy of jewels there!! We spent a while with a lovely salesgirl who picked out hair clips for me to try on. We couldn’t decide between 2 of them, and that’s when she told us, we could combine them! What?! Custom hair clip, SOLD! So she wrote down what I wanted and told me it would be $7 to add tulle and rhinestones, that’s it?! I couldn’t believe it. So I paid her the $80 for my hair clip and waited about 3 weeks for it to come in. And the result is this magical hair comb!

Personal Photo

While I was at Clarissa’s I started trying on some earrings… Thinking I needed something simple, but found I didn’t like anything simple. I was then lead to a pair of beautiful Justine M Couture earrings (www.JustineMCouture.com ), I had to have them, so I vowed to pick them up when I came back for my hair comb. In the meantime, I waited for my hair comb to be finished and received a lovely card from Clarissa’s thanking me for my purchase and offering me 15% off my next purchase! So sure enough, when I went back to pick up my hair comb, I ordered the earrings (they didn’t have any left) and used my 15% off. What a great boutique that is!

Personal Photo

     So now it’s down to… a purse… Everyone I talked to thinks a purse on your wedding day is ridiculous. Not this bride! I have a purse obsession and am completely lost if I don’t have one. So even if I carry around a purse for 10 minutes on our wedding day… I need one.

   You have any idea how hard it is to decide on a wedding purse?! I really had no clue, until I read an article about winter wedding ideas…. There was a picture of rhinestone shoes and a rhinestone clutch, perfection!! I then knew what to look for, but my goodness, do you know how many choices there are?! I narrowed it down between a few selections…

All Images via Nordstrom's

And sought the help of my friends to pick the winner! And the winner is…

Personal Photo

    Here’s the great news, I got it on Amazon (www.amazon.com) which has never (okay maybe a few times) let me down. And the purse was $30 cheaper than Nordstroms. Let me tell you, this clutch is beautifully made, but it weighs a ton! I have had several occasions where I wanted to use it, but then where is the special moment where you bring it out for your wedding day?!

Next up… finding a perfect fur stole and muffs for my girls!! What kind of accessories are you guys wearing?! Do you have colored shoes? Are they your something blue? What was your accessory splurge?!

DIY Sunday

   So I love arts and crafts, but don't do them enough. Like a lot of people, I have great ideas but just don't take the time to actually do them. I decided that having a wedding was the perfect reason to start doing some DIY Projects.

Image via Yay Life

   I am not doing a ton of DIY projects, but I have told myself I will absolutely follow through on all the ideas I actually have. About a month ago, I decided I didn't want to do programs. We're having our ceremony and reception all in one place and I just found programs to be unecessary. I do think that people really like knowing who everyone is in the bridal party, so I decided I needed some type of "Program Alternative". Cue Pinterest! 

Image via Twitter

   I had previously seen these adorable "Meet the Maids" and "Meet the Men" collages on Pinterest and just loved them!

Images via Pinterest

    I though these were just great! So I set out to find the perfect picture frame. Of course, this lead me to Amazon where I bought this

Personal Image

   It was perfect! There were 8 spots for the bridal party and one large photo for a picture of Mr. C and I. I decided I needed to paint it white, since well it's a winter white wedding! So I sent Mr. C for some spray paint and the next sunny and rain free day I painted the picture frame.

Personal Image

  It took a lot of spray paint, I'm talking a whole can here, but I eventually got it right, after about 4 coats!

Personal Image

I couldn't be happier, it looked like it was actually supposed to be white! So today, Friend Nutz and I hit the brand new Pat Catans, so exciting! We had the best time and crossed a lot of things off the DIY List. I had an idea to put foam letters on something and attach it to the back of the frame. Friend Nutz suggested getting some foam board and covering it in fabric, genius idea!! So I picked up these great foam letters that had adhesive on the back, that was a double score!

Personal Image

  So after a quick stop at Joann's I had some white fabric with snowflakes an was ready to start putting this together. I had gotten some spray adhesive and sprayed the foam board and fabric and laid the fabric down and smoothed out the wrinkles. Next I had to figure out the perfect placement for the letters, which is easier said then done. After cutting the board down to the right size and covering the edges with fabric, I was ready to place my letters.

Personal Image

  So this is what I ended up with... not bad, not great... But how in the world was I going to attach this to the back of the frame? Screws? Hot glue?? I started to think and realized, this was a fail... So I sat down on the couch and started thinking. Then it hit me, the letters had adhesive, why didn't I just put them right on the picture frame itself? Just like the ones from Pinterest right? Great idea!!

Personal Photo

   It's a little hard to make out everything, I'll update you all with a photo once I have the blurbs about the bridal party; but this is so much better! Much easier than trying to attach the foam board in some magical way. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out and glad that I got one more thing crossed off the list! What are you guys doing for your programs? Will you have programs? Going to subsitute them with something else? Will you be doing something special to introduce your guests to your bridal party?!