Martha & The Minerals

First let me say, yesterday was my birthday. Oh, thank you. :)

My lovely fella got me something I had been wanting for quite some time...

Bare Minerals makeup!

I've wanted this for about a year but it's a bit pricey so I never took the plunge. But this is what having a fella on your birthday is for, right? ;) Because I'll be doing my own makeup at my wedding I wanted to get something that would give me a really fantastic complexion. So when I asked the girls at WeddingBee.com if it would be a good wedding day makeup, and they said to go for it, I decided to drop some birthday hints. ;)

I'm a very fair skinned girl and finding a foundation that matches my complexion can be hard, but the lightest starter kit matches my skin beautifully. The texture of the makeup is really smooth and not dry at all. I was afraid that because it was a powder it would dry out my skin (which is combination) but once it's on it feels like a liquid foundation. Only smoother, it nearly looks airbrushed. My favorite thing about it is how natural it looks. There is no makeup line what-so-ever. You really do look like you just have great skin.

And yesterday, while Tanner & I were having a bit of a tiff (just a little one ;) ) he told me that my skin had a really nice glow to it. Haha, so either it makes a really noticeable difference, or he was just trying to get out of trouble. But regardless, this is definitely what I'm using for my wedding day.

On to Martha.

Now really, I'm not a crazy huge Martha Stewart fan, I like her enough and she's always good for a few ideas and pretty pictures, but sometimes I think her designs are a little simple for me.

Which is why I don't know why this happened.

The ol' girl has a line of crafting supplies at Michaels. I purchased an 'all purpose' marker of hers in green as a stamp marker. To ink one of her leaf stamps for the backs of my envelopes.

First the marker:

I got it at Michael's for about $2. Which is expensive for a thin little marker, but it said Martha Stewart on it and my sense went out the window. The green is nice enough, and at the time I thought to myself "The green is nice enough' but that's not exactly a rave review is it? No, it is not. And I bought the thing anyway.

The real trouble was finally evident to me when I got it home, took it out to play with it and realized that *I do not want to draw the ink onto my leaf stamp for every single envelope I have to stamp.* Holy Moses, where was my brain? So, a little embarassed, I put it away. Then I took it out again and doodled, because it cost me $2 so I might as well see how it could be useful. It's not a bad marker, it's just not an especially good one either. They don't offer these markers in an array of colors, just a few very specific shades of very Martha-y colors (subdued, trendy hues to coordinat with her line of crafty stuff). And the ink is just regular marker ink, not extra anythingy. So... why did I buy it?

I see now that I was ambushed. Somebody with a very keen eye knew just how to play me & my DIYing brethren and had all of these beautiful papers and ribbons and markers and gizmos and widgets and put them in a very beautiful layout and clearly I was tricked into buying that marker.

See what I mean? Even knowing what I know now I still want to dig around in there!

So my advice is, know what you want when you pass by that Martha Stewart section. Or you'll end up with pretty little things you don't need :)

Now, the stamp set on the other hand was a fantastic buy. Two nice sized leaves (no frills, just a clean line drawing) for $10 total! That is such a great deal, and they're really nice quality. They come in a package of two, and it was a toss up between those or the lovely little birdies. I am using birds in the wedding, but because the leaf stamps were almost sold out I went for those. The birds I may go back and get later, and hopefully they're all I'll come home with.

But what would I do with it?

I was shopping last night and came across a 12 yard bolt of fabric. It's *the* green and nearly identical in texture to the BM's dresses. (Nice silky taffeta, only this is softer) It was under $3 a yard and I really, really wanted to take that baby home with me. I wasn't there looking for fabric, I shouldn't even have been in the fabric section of the store. But I was mysteriously drawn there...

I didn't buy it. I told myself way back at the begining of this game that I would *not* under any circumstances buy anything weddingy on impulse that I wouldn't know what to do with once I got it home. This way I would surely save myself a ton of money.

But now I'm thinking... it's *the* green. Which is hard to come by. And it's an untouched, complete bolt with a lot of useable yardage. And people use fabric at weddings, right? Besides, isn't $2.90 a yard a really good deal? Oh my head is spinning.

My point is, should I go back and get it? Before somebody else does? And if I do... what will I do with it?

Rats.

Well we blew our chances with 41 cent stamps on the invites. My fella took a dummy invite to the PO and it turns out the wax seal makes it too lumpy & they won't fit through "the slot" whatever that is.

So now we're stuck with those pastel heart wedding stamps. They're ok and they'll get the invitations where they need to be... but we were both really looking forward to using the Marvel Comics ones. But I'll live, they're still going on the RSVP's. ;)

Tonight we're putting our invitations together. It's an all out invitation blitz. I have my station: right in front of the computer addressing envelopes. And my unbelievably helpful Tanner will be at our far-too-small kitchen table folding our belly bands. As soon as I get a few put together I'll take a photo and show you all a finished product. (Please forgive my lack of photography! My time is being devoured by the guest list monster.)

Edit: Here is a hastily taken teaser photo of poor quality... It's our first invite (so excuse any goofiness please!) I got excited and wanted to share. :)

Man, that flash really shows off that unwanted glossiness. :/
Oh well, better pictures later. Back to work!

12 Dancing Princesses

I have found my shoes (I think).
The thing about me is I can't ever make up my mind.
I know what I want *in* my wedding shoes.

1. No heel (Tanner is only 2 inches taller than me. The veil & hair have already called those 2 inches.)
2. Cuteness
3. They must be red!

Now I know that the idea of wearing red shoes with your white (ivory in my case) wedding dress may not be for everybody. But honestly, white shoes are not for me. I muss them up and they make my feet look bigger (big white feet, it's true). But I adore red shoes, I really do. So for me this is a no brainer. And I had no idea this was something women did. When I saw a bride with red shoes on The Knot I was both happy (yay! it's acceptable!) and upset (aw! I thought this would be original!) But I quickly got over myself when I saw these sexy babies:

These shoes light my fire.

I sent this photo to my mother (expecting to hear "Ew, dear those are all torn up.") who said 'They remind me of the 12 Dancing Princesses'. Which was one of my favorite stories as a child. She made the connection because the frayed seams on the shoes are like the worn shoes of the 12 princesses who dance the night away in a magical castle and then leave their frayed shoes at the foot of their bed to be found by confused castlefolk in the morning. No one knows why their shoes are tattered until a handsome farmer comes along... he eats a magical invisibility flower... there is some sneaking... cut to the chase they all live happily ever after. Anyhow once she said that I really wanted to buy these shoes. I'm not a princessy girl, really, but what a cool idea, right? So romantic.

And I really want to dance my magical wedding night away in red shoes...

Swatch Switch

Guys, I was freaking out.

My MIL sent me a swatch in the mail of my BM's dresses. Very generous thing of her to do, I was grateful and so happy because no shops out here would let me order one. ('What? Why aren't you ordering the dresses through us?' they say. 'Because my BM's live in a another state' I say. 'Well, TOO BAD, Missy!' they say. Click.)

So I awaited the arrival of my little moss green (which Bari Jay calls Olive, but it's completely moss) taffeta swatch with so much eagerness...
And then I got it.
It was *not* the right color. It was so... to use Tanner's term 'olive drab'. I was so depressed. I had my heart set on moss green. I had searched for months for the perfect dress in the perfect shade. Sure there were lots of beautiful red dresses, pretty peach dresses... lovely blues but I really yearned for moss green. I couldn't put my girls in this! And yet I already had! I'd forced them to don moss green's old sad loveless uncle, pity green. It was not cheerful or bright or shiny or... hey it's not shiny! It's not even taffeta!! Perhaps...

So I called up the shop Conni & Franc in Morgantown, WV and was completely impressed by some top notch customer service. She even remembered my order! By *my* name. Genius. So I told her my woes and (with my fingers crossed) explained to her my hope that maybe somehow I was sent the wrong swatch..?

Indeed!! Glorious second chance!! I had been sent a swatch of olive satin and not olive taffeta!! And she offered to send me a sample of the taffeta (that she assured me the dresses were ordered in) free of charge! I was both floored by the offer (again, no one else would give me the time of day) and blissfully happy. I gave her my address and faced the world with new hope.

Well ladies, yesterday I got my swatch. And it is perfect. There is no other word to describe it. It is absolutely without a doubt the exact color and texture I was hoping for. I was so excited I was bouncing around, calling my mother, hugging my fella. I cannot wait to see my BM's in this most perfect shade of green. Sigh.


The one on the right is the satin, the left is the actual taffeta. You can't tell the difference in the photo as much as in person, but the satin is matte and much darker. The taffeta is shimmery and iridescent and gorgeous and makes me happy.

Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man

When I say 'Brown Tuxedo' what comes to mind?
I'm finding out that for many people it's this:

Which is not exactly the look we are going for.

My Hubs is not a flashy guy, he is however excited about getting to get all dressed up for our nuptials. In fact, I remember in High School (we were best buds) he was excited about graduation because he'd get to wear a suit. And he searched high and low for the perfect tie. So for him, this wedding is another chance to look sharp. He's excited again, I can tell. He's even mentioned to me that when we're standing there getting married I'll stand out in white but all the guys blend together in black tuxes.

His solution- brown tuxes. If they've all got to match he says then let them match in brown, at least its different. Also, because our wedding will be outdoors with earthy fall colors (and because there won't be a stitch of black on anything) brown would be more fitting. I agree and you know, I think it's a great idea. Here's the one he's picked out:

Photo courtesy of jimsformalwear.com

See? Sexy.

Anyhow we took a look at it in person and It's actually a very nice tuxedo. He tried it on and all I can say is ladies, look forward to seeing your man in a tux. ;)

This does create a bit of a problem for our little ring bearer. His tux would be the same price as the men's tuxes. I can't ask her to spend $150 on a tiny tuxedo for one day, especially given the fact that he's a little boy and the wedding is outdoors... So our little man will probably end up in this suit:

Close match, eh? Not bad at all. She found this suit herself (motivated by the tux rental price) at boyssuitsandtuxedos.com for about half the price of the rental - and he can keep it. His mother shall not fear dirt nor feeding the child. The fact that it's not the same cut (and that the brown might not be *exactly* the same) doesn't bother me one bit because after a matching vest, tie & boutonniere nobody will be able to tell the difference.

And he'll be a little guy in a suit, who doesn't love that?

So now we've got to get my man fitted & find a nice vest/tie combo. Which makes me happy because I'll get to see some more of him in the tux ;)

My Mother, the Artist

I come from a fairly talented bloodline if I do say so myself. ;) Artists, carpenters, musicians... all sorts of creative people.
So it didn't surprise me when I was emailing my aunt (aka wedding planner in the field) about my Autumny screen printed votives idea and she sent me these:

Aren't they lovely?? My aunt had my mother draw these up for her years ago for some reason or another (she's always having people draw things for her). I love them! They have such a soft, storybook quality to them. In fact, they're pretty much exactly what I had in mind, hah.

I'm hoping to print them onto vellum (or whatever ends up working) and then wrap that around my votives. Picture it in your head, it's beautiful.

I've had this idea for a while. I just had no idea how to do it. Anyhow after a trial and error (mostly error) session with sticky tissue paper, stencil paint, and a few glasses of red wine I've realized that without a screen printer my best bet may be the vellum printing option.

I'll give it a shot when I can get myself to a printer. I'm excited! Wish me luck!