Washington Post: Royal Wedding Dress Contest

Back in the begining of march I recieved two similar emails within the same week.  Each was forwarded from a friend.  One being forwarded on behalf of her coworker, and one on behalf of her boyfriend.  Both of these supportive fellas wanted me to enter a sketch in the Washington Post's Royal Wedding Dress contest.  After the first email, I looked up the rules, thought it'd be fun but didn't think much else of it.  After the second email I was like hmmm maybe I should actually just do it for fun.  Seeing as my resolution for 2011 is to make it the year of actions and follow through, maybe this could be my first step.  After a week of deadlines at work, and the sketch deadline fast approaching I decided to submitt whatever I could get done. This is what was produced...

I (not being well versed in royal wedding edicate) did not realize it's tradition for the bride to wear long sleeves...oops?  C'est la vie! 

The idea was to have a cap sleeve lace over coat to wear over a sleevless (once again, oops) gown for the ceramony.  For the reception, the crazy veil and coat could be shed to make getting down with her badself easier (aka dancing...she looks like she's the type to be the first one on the floor).  I didn't really think about actually explaining myself/ideas on the drawing itself, details details. 

What am I getting at here, right?  Well my top sketch (with the coat, because I also didn't think about putting them all on the same sheet) made it into the top 5 of the contest!  This means the public (you all...mostly friends and family) get to vote for your favorite design! (cough cough, mine!)

Vote HERE!

My Competition... 

Royal Wedding Dress Contest

Ok, I will not begrudge you if you pick the one in color.  It is well drawn, clean and portrays the design in a very professional manor, BUT if you want to be my friend then...you know what to do! (I'm shameless.)

Sentimental Sense of Humor

My friend Liz over at Reston Style introduced me to a couple new local fashion bloggers. Seeing as I'm not really "in the scene" I tend to just fly under the radar and steal & credit when I come across something I enjoy.  This being said, I was introduce (via email) to Tierney of Ruby Woo Loves You and saw these bad boys by shopsaplingpress.  (That was a lot of linking for me!)

shopsaplingpress

Funny cards, but-where-am-I-going-with-this, right?  Hop on my thought process train.  The day I saw these cards, was the day I found out one of my San Fran girls had gone and gotten herself engaged.  (YAY!)  That will be a whole post within itself, but for now this is where my mind went.  Awesome/ hilarious people getting engaged...I wonder how he did it (they sent a pic and then hopped on a plane to Chile for 3 weeks, so I'm letting my imagination take over for the time being).

They actually probably had a low key engagement, but how cute would it be to incorporate these cards into a scavenger hunt of some sort.  IE funny card on the outside, with a sentimental note on the inside and a clue to where to fine the next card...all leading to someone on one knee with a diamond ring or alternative if you're not into diamonds).  Just saying, that could be cute, no? 

This also caught my attention of how to "pop" the question.  Oh. Puns.

Pop-up Proposal from Kyle Olmon on Vimeo.

Save the Date: May 2011

You better believe we are going to see this together!



A Treehouse Affair

TreeHouse Point's link has been sitting in my favorites folder at work for awhile now.  Two years ago, I had the intention to add it to my work blog for architectural inspiration.  Well...that never happened, oops. 

The Location

TreeHouse Point

I had a foggy association with a wedding whenever I would pull it up, and now I remember why! While thumbing through a (now null and void) wedding blog, C is for...Charmed, I realized that I had originally seen this in a wedding after all and THEN I stalked down the location.  How silly of me to think it was the other way around. 

This Washington state treehouse bed and breakfast makes for a very rustic/romantic backdrop for some nuptials. Hollin and Erin seemed to think so at least...

The Inspiration

Hollin + Eric by Ben Blood Photography

A bride with tights is a bride after my own heart.  How fun would it be to have a rehearsal dinner around a campfire the night before?  S'more's anyone?!

Now, what would bridesmaids want to wear for an outdoor (under twinkle lights if I had it my way) wedding?  I went straight to Sohomode for custom dress suggestions.  The ones I originally saw, well they were sold out.  BUT since they are all custom, seems like you could get them made again in the same color schemes. 

For the Maids

1a.) Custom Tea Dress
1b.) Pot of Gold Heels
2a.) Custom Tea Dress
2b.) Silver Glam Rock Heels
3a.) Custom Tea Dress
3b.) Natural Wonder Heels
4a.) Custom Tea Dress
4b.) Feel the Rhythm Pumps

For the Maids' Hair

Antique Flower BobbyPins; Handmade hair poms

For the Maids' Wrists

The Vamoose Bracelets

Now for the bride.  I came across this vintage dress on Etsy and was going to post it as a "Is it bad that I like this??" type thing.  BUT I feel like it's true home belongs on someone in a house in the sky (by sky, I mean trees).

The Bride

1.) Vintage Wedding Dress
2.) Etsy Flower Veil
3.) Stud Earrings
4.) Vamoose Acorn Necklace
 (to be layered with)
5.) Cameo Necklace
6.) Christina Slingback Pump

Of course all the woodland creatures broke into song and lived happily ever after...

My Best Friend's Wedding: The Shower

Julia Roberts may have fallen in love with her best friend, but I adore mine!   She is truly my best friend.  So when she FINALLY got engaged this fall, I was eager to throw her a shower.  You see, she met her groom when WE (Swiss Miss and me) were on a cruise vacation.  And I credit myself for leaving at some strategic times and ALLOWING this romantic connection to happen on the loooooovvvveeee boat! 

Here they are!  The Bride and the Groom (plus the twin)…

Her fiancé calls her Swiss Miss, because well that’s a long and involved story, but let’s just say her mother went on her honeymoon to the Switzerland and 9 months later my best friend (along with her twin) made her debut into this world! 

So here is the first installment of My Best Friend’s Wedding:  The Bridal Shower.

First, the other hostess and I determine the colors.  Red, Black and White.  Keeping it simple and classic.

So the shower planning began.  And the most important element of the shower (besides Swiss Miss, of course) was food, food, food.  So we picked apps and desserts that we knew Swiss would love.  How do you think we did?

Hungry, yet?!

Food was crucial because Swiss is an amazing cook.  Everyone and I mean everyone who is friends with her will agree with me.  So we thought it would be fun to include recipe cards in the invitations.  The instructions to the guests were to “share their favorite recipe” with Swiss to add to her recipe collection.  We found this perfect little recipe box from Esty. It’s listed as sold, because we bought it but there are other ones that are just as cute!  And as favors, her twin came up with the idea to have packets of “Swiss Miss” for the guests.  Swiss’s mom brought us the adorable picture of Swiss baking…just perfect!

We asked her fiancé some questions and then at the shower we asked Swiss the same questions while she opened gifts.  Let’s just say she was right most of the time!  It was a great way to interact with the bride and the guests (and learn some fun stories about Swiss).

The countdown is on…6 weeks to the wedding!!

A Tale of Two Dresses

The other weekend, my cousin came down to go wedding dress shopping.  She knew she wanted a J.Crew dress, and already (pretty much) had her mind made up on what she wanted before seeing them in person.  What she wasn't ready for was to come away from the experience liking two of the dresses.  On top of that, one of the options was picked out by her mother (GASP).

The Dresses...

J.Crew Wedding

She tried explaining to us, the reason she wanted a simple dress was because she dressed funky every other day of her life, she wanted something different.  At least for the base.  She wanted to be able to funk it up with accessories.  Because chunky necklaces, peacock feathers, and platform shoes were mentioned (much to my mothers dismay) I decided to try my hand at styling her two options.

The Cecelia

1.) LK Designs Gold Necklace
2.) Ornamental Things -  Filigree Cuff Bracelet
3.) Ornamental Things - Aqua Rosary Bracelet
4.) Custom made sash made by ordering extra fabric from J.Crew
5.) Portobello - Avani Headpiece
6.) BlueFly - Hayden Cashmere Sweater
7.) Guess - Amity Shoe

The Goddess Gown

1.) Etsy - Vintage Necklace
2.) Stella and Dot - Bardot Spiral Bangle
3.) Etsy - Vintage Bracelet
4a.) Etsy - Birdcage Veil
4b.) Etsy - Hair Clip to be worn with veil
5.) YOOX - Wrap Sweater
6.) Steve Madden - Glitsi Shoe

Not that I need to buy a new outfit, due to a closet full of wedding appropriate dresses. BUT, if I were to get a new somethin somethin for this back yard shindig at the end of May, I might, just might, get something along these lines.



1.) Anthropologie - Sunnie Soire Dress
2.) Forever 21 - Teardrop
3.) Kate Spade - New York Idiom Bangle
4.) Kensie Girl Pump



Ok, ok, ok...I'll wear something I have.  But how fun are those Kate Spade Bracelets?!

This Isn't Your Grandmother's Jewelry

But...bits and pieces are the owner of Noaki's Esty Shop's Grandmothers.

Noaki Jewelry

Just a little somethin something to sparkle up your Friday!