Why Can't the Maids' Fingers Sparkle too?

The universe is telling me I need to have one of these rings.  I came across a round engagement ring with a smattering of diamonds the other day.  Don't worry, it was just an image of one, not an actual diamond ring laying in the street that I happened to stumble (literally) upon.  That image got me thinking how it'd be cool to make jewelry.  Especially a ring that had a round setting that was filled with smashed pieces of colored glass.  THEN I saw these.  It was like Jenni herself read my thoughts and then one upped them. I'm usually not a fan of one-uppers, but when it's a circumstance that produces sparkly rings that are (somewhat) in my price range...I can over look.

Where am I going with all this?  Bridesmaid's gifts of course!

JenniJewel Etsy Shop

If your besties/amigas/peeps/maids aren't "ring people" oooor you don't like them enough to spend 50 + per girl, there are some reasonably priced neck candy as well.  My favorites were the quatrefoils, but if I were a greedy girl, I'd want everything on the site.  Shoot.

JenniJewel Etsy Shop

Could you tell I played favorites with the turquoise?

They're HERE!

Alison and Dave's Save the Dates arrived! Ok they've been here for awhile, but I'm just now getting back in the swing of posting.  TOOT TOOT TOOT TOOT.  Oh sorry, but that's the sound of my own horn.  I can't help but think these suckers turned out pretty stinkin cute.

Excuse the over exposed photoshopping, my computer is in need of some serious calibration.  Or maybe it just needs a vacation.

I Left My Heart In San Francisco

I left my hear in San Francisco. Ok, not really.  But my friend Alison, who happens to live in San Fran, is getting married next May! It seemed like an appropriate title.  I'm excited to start doing Paired postings with her color way, but to kick start it, I thought I'd do a mood board.  She sent me the images of the white lace, red and pink dresses below to communicate her color ways.  Add in some warm grays, and wha-LA.

Grays, Creams, Blushes and Poppy

via Southern Weddings:  Fourth of July - North Carolina Wedding - Tex Mex Fiesta ; Fabulous K ; MissBgd ; Alison's iPhone ; Bex's Facebook ; Melway Tumblr 

Is it too obvious to state, the pop color was inspired by that little bridge they have over there? Just for fun I thought I'd try my hand at some save the dates incorporating their colors and inspiration.

Save the Dates



To. Be. Continued. Yay.

If We Are Talking About Fall...

I know, I know, I know.  It's only August.  BUT, the J.Crew Fall post got me thinking about crisp weather and outdoor activities.  Mainly I started thinking about apple picking.  Random.  How much fun would it be to get married at an apple orchard in the fall though? Tons, I tell you. Let the pairings begin...

Color Inspiration

via Ruffled


The only place (I can recall) that I've been apple picking around D.C. is Homestead Farms.  They have a mean pumpkin patch as well.  Bring on the hot apple cider.

The Venue

via my camera & homestead farms

Disclaimer:  No idea if you can actually rent out the farm, but a girl can have an active imagination, can't she?

Dining Inspiration

via style me pretty

This wedding has been floating around the blogs.  How much fun would it be to have a ridiculously long table beneath twinkle lights winding along the orchard?  A lot.

For the Maids' Hair and Hands

via EmmersonMade

That trio of flowers is meant to be a broach, but it'd be fun to stick in your Maids' hair.  It a gentle way that is. I can not deny my love for Emmerson's life.  Her little clutches would make for a fun bridesmaids gift.

Dressing Your Maids

via TopShop

Cliche to wear red in an apple orchard?  Psh. I might have to buy that striped dress.  Can't you see it with a blue belt and sandals for the 4th of July? I'm just sayin. But lets be real, I'd wear that dress every day of the week if I could, not just at a wedding or on the 4th.

For Your Maids' Feet

via Urban Outfitters

Dress - Flower - Cardigan - Shoes

Anyone else think the bride in that picture could be a little happier? Yikes.

Just Desserts

via we heart it - babble - hola mamma



I think pie pops are going to be the next big thing.  Anyone? Anyone? 

And they all lived apple picking and finger lickingly happily ever after.



P.S.  All the exact links can be found on my Pinterest Board "Apple Orchard."

Fun way to spice up the maids' outfit, "matching shoes" technically, but love the idea of the multi-colored shoe party.

A Bride You'll 'Fall' For

A Nantucket Wedding

My friend, Carrie, is headed to a wedding up in Nantucket in the near future.  Upon her request, I decided to put a few outfit pairing together inspired by the seaside town.

Nantucket Color Inspiration

via Stacey Hedman

Option 1: Olive and Blush

1 - 1A -1B -1C -1D -1E -1F

 Option 2: Olive, Reds and Teals

2 - 2A - 2B - 2C - 2D - 2E



Apparently I was on an olive kick, who knew? I may have cheated a bit as well though.  Only in the way that she told me she was thinking about buying option 1's dress.  Might as well have a jumping block!

I've never been to Nantucket, but it seems like this beach wedding will go off without a hitch...or actually, with a hitch! (bah dum, ching!)

J.Crew Fall, Too Soon?

I hate to admit it, but seriously J.Crew knows what they are doing. While on their site the other day (sale section, of course) I noticed they had a fall wedding preview up. From the photography to the colors and styles, let's face it, they nailed it.

J.Crew Fall Weddings

J.Crew

Hello little red dress, thank you for being something I could wear again after the wedding. 

Although I'm not the biggest fan of long bridesmaids dresses, I can't resist magenta and navy.  So, I decided to have a little fun with the color palettes.  Oh, how I love color.

Magenta, Coral and Aquas 

J.Crew

Accessories 

1A - 1B - 1C ; 2A - 2B - 2B.5 - 2C ; 3A - 3B - 3C

Navy, Aqua and Orange 

Accessories 

1A - 1B - 1C ; 2A - 2B - 2C ; 3A - 3B - 3C

Well done J.Crew, well done.  And the brightly adorned maids, frolicked in their fall weddings and lived happily ever after.

For the Love of Hearts

Alternative wedding rings/bands have been going around the blogging block these days.  Why leave all the love and hearts to the bride and groom though?  Or mainly the bride, I don't really see a lot of grooms running around sporting bands with hearts engraved all over them.  (More power to ya if you ARE that groom who's an exception to the rule!) I may have a slight obsession with the hearts (As Februrary's I Heart Hearts might have given away!) but why not show your bridesmaids how much you "heart" them with one of these rings.  Hello cutesy bridesmaid gift.

Clockwise: My Love Ring ; Baby  Heart Chain Ring ; Black Heart Ring ; Just a Tiny Heart Ring ; Double Heart Ring

I'm privy to the Baby Heart Chain Ring.  Not that I pick favorites (Said while covering the ears of all the other rings.)

Let Them Wear White

If the Brits can do it, why can't we?  Ok, I'm a little behind on this Bridesmaids wearing white trend, but I do think it could be a fun idea.  Throw tradition out the window and let everyone sparkle in white. 

Inspiration

100 Layer Cake London Inspired Wedding; Quail Bridal; 100 Layer Cake White Bridesmaids; Ivy & Astor Blog

 Oh yeah, this might have been a bit of inspiration as well. Hello band wagon, let me jump on!

Popsugar Images

So where does one go for white dresses that their friends/maids can wear again?  While over at my friends house for a bbq, I ran up to use the loo and noticed a bridesmaids dress hanging from her bedroom door.  I had heard she was ordering a French Connection dress for her best friend's wedding, but be still my heart.  Hence my  B line to French Connection's site.

French Connection White

French Connection

I have no idea when I became a fan of Nordstrom.  It does seem to be my go-to-one-stop-shop when I want to find the goods. If I had to take a stab at the foundation of my relationship with the department store, it might have been when I found my Ann Klein watch there.  It hasn't left my wrist, and the site hasn't left my favorites folder since. I even like to add it to random MissedMatched outfits.

 Nordstrom White

What more do I enjoy than clicking on links of links? Nothing. Especially when I stumble upon fun online shops such Adam Lippes.  It's a little pricier than I usually am attracted to, but hey, if you're going to splurge.

Adam White

http://www.shopadam.com/

And they all lived happily ever after...until they encountered red wine and a dance floor.  I jest...kind of.

OoLaLa Rue LaLa

I'm not very good at staying on top of things.  I know I shouldn't get stressed out about online shopping sites, but seriously, they DO stress me out.  I can't keep up with their constant sales.  I mean who has time to check them every day? Other than two friends that shall remain nameless, that is.  Oh and probably countless other people. I will say I signed up to be part of Rue LaLa's site, and after month's of not checking, I noticed they were teaming with the knot, and doing a wedding sale.  Note to self:  I'm trying to blog about wedding-ish things, so maybe I should pay attention to this type of marketing ploy. Hence I remembered to check it yesterday...evening...after it's shop opened a full 12 hours prior.  Oops? Moving on.

Upon my browsing, I noticed that people are hardcore about shopping sales! A lot of things were already sold out, shoot.  Not that I'm buying, but if I WAS, I think I'd be overwhelmed/ disappointed! JK, if I was actually trying to make a purchase, I'd prob set all 5 alarms I own (that's a lie, I own two) and throw some cyber elbows to get what I wanted.

After coming back to reality and actually looking at the merchandise, a few shiny objects stuck out. Hello slinky and sparkly.  Oh, I meant "shiny object" literally.  The Nicole Miller dress also kept me coming back.  Also literally, I kept straying from the image and then scrolling back up to look at it again. 

1 - 2 also found on their designer's sites 1 - 2

What struck me funny though, was that they didn't have a bridesmaid dress section within the wedding section.  Whaaa?  Alas, they did have a "party dress" section.  Sneaky Rue LaLa. 


Although I respect the idea of the shape-shifting transformer of a dress, I usually cringe when I see their asymmetric hemline.  I know, I have a problem.  BUT this version didn't seem to make my eyes twitch as much as usual.  Actually, I found them quite lovely, especially once I saw the price.  The usual $285 Tart Convertible Dress, was (slash/ is if they aren't all sold out yet) on sale for 99 smackers.

3

Also, I liked this dress, and they way they tied them because I've been looking for something to showcase these bad boys (bad boys = idea for bridesmaids gifts). They are all brought to you by the letter B...as in Bobbie Boutique.

4 - 5 - 6 - 7

Now, don't judge, these were not found on Rue LaLa, but STILL.  That heart necklace is 2.5"...how much fun would that be to wear?!

Back to Rue LaLa (kind of). While looking for project images today at my paying job, I found this first inspiration shot.  I saved it, because that's how I roll.  So when I saw the shoes below, the wheels started turning.  So for no particular reason, I decided to make an outfit.

8 - 9 - 10 - 11 -12

I understand that 9 and 10 stray from the Rue LaLa theme.  BUT, 9 is so versatile, headband OR belt.

Now, if I could only afford that dress.

Patterned Parties

When I think of bridesmaid dresses, I typically think of solid colors. If you're really crazy you pick different style dresses in the same solid color (whoa!).  I love the fact that these prides picked patterns for their 'maids. Next step...a different pattern per bridesmaid!  Ok, ok, ok, I'll keep it simple...for now.

Inspiration

Alison Conklin Photography; Boutique Design; Brooklyn Bride

Party of Polka Dots

bouquet - 1 - 1a - 1b - 1c - 2 - 2a - 2b - 2c - 3 - 3a - 3b - 3c

Side Note: I bought 2a, and can personally vouch that they are comfortable and super cute.  I may have worn them everyday for two weeks straight after purchasing them.

 A Brightly Floraled Party 

bouquet - 1, 2 & 3 - 1a - 1b - 1c - 2a - 2b - 2c - 3a - 3b - 3c

  Pastel Party



bouquet - 1, 2& 3 - 1a - 1b - 1c - 2a - 2b - 2c - 3a - 3b - 3c



And all the patterned parties lived happily ever after.

Making the Movies Jealous

First of all, I would like to apologize with our absence.  Life changes all around, but I have found myself in limbo between apartments with no internet or cable.  Not as bad as one would expect.  I might even become one of those people that can say "Oh, no I don't know what trashy tv show you're talking about.  I don't even own a television."  Let's be real though, I miss me some American Idol, Gossip Girl, and Bones.  Hopefully after next week we will both be back up and running...and stronger than ever! (That was a pep talk for myself, fyi.)

Second of all, in the time being, I thought I'd share this ridiculously cute engagement.  It's been around the block a time or two, BUT it made me tear up sitting at my desk. Enjoy!

In Her Shoes

Options, options, options.  Today’s bride and bridesmaids have more options than ever, even super comfy shoes that will last the entire day.  I LOVE converse and apparently so do some other peoples.  Here some of my favorites…

Coordinating Shoes, soo 2011!

Or if Tom’s are more your flavor!  Check these out.  Tom’s just released a wedding line and it’s just perfect.  One pair for you, one pair for a kid in Sudan…one pair for your future hubby, one pair for the kiddo in Cuba.

PS For all image sources check out the Shoes Board on Pinterest.

the Marcella

I had previously mentioned trying to do friend inspired wedding stylings back in the day.  The original idea was to have one every Friday, but seriously, life has this tendency of getting in the way.  It's funny how that happens, huh. This has been in the making for a long time now, so I figured I'd go ahead and get it done so I have no excuses to start the others! 

When the first couple posts started being viewed, a few friends emailed me inspiration weddings they liked.  Actually, some were weddings, some were dresses and some were just colors.  The funny thing is, none of these said friends are engaged.  It's reminiscent of sitting in my college dorm and picking out wedding colors and all the different styles we'd have depending on the season.  What, you didn't do that?

Marcella was the first one to send along a blog entry wedding from Green Wedding Shoes. So here we go!

The Inspiration Wedding

She had named a few key words as to what she had in mind as far as a venue was concerned.  Throwing all these instructions (and towns provided) out the window I settled on a little ole mansion in Austin.  Note: She went to school in Austin and it's the home of our Austin City Limits adventures.  It would make for a fun weekend if I do say so myself.

The Venue: Barr Mansion

Now for the fun part, the bridesmaids.  I sent her an option of 3 colors, all neutralish (due to her inspiration).  She picked a light lavender, but I thought I'd mix in the greys and blushes that were the other options.

The Maids 

The Bride

Above are the dresses from the inspiration shots she provided me.  I figured if she didn't want to copy exactly, I could also see her going the more traditional route in something classic below.

The accessories might not be quite on par, but I could see her wearing ridiculously fun shoes with jewelry with some sort of family sentiment to the pieces.  A girl's got to have the something borrowed!

Just for fun, the first dance would be to a little Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat...

First Dance: "Lucky"

"Lucky"

And they all lived happily ever after, even Marcella's maids. ;-)

PS All image sources can be found on my Pinterest Marcella Board.