vintage paper placemats

My girlfriend sent me this ebay listing yesterday for vintage paper placemats.  She thought they would be great ice breakers for guests at a wedding.  I love that idea!  Anyone having a retro wedding?  I could see these ones at a laid back shindig with burgers and milkshakes.  Or how about a diner style dinner of moons over my hammy?

This Contempo placemat and napkin set is adorable and the starting bid is $1.99!

lace dresses by zara

Yesterday I was looking at shoes and dresses on Zara's site and I couldn't believe how many beautiful lace ones they had.  Not a single one over $200 either!  Don't you think the long one on the right would be perfect for a leather belt?  How about the one in the middle...could you pull off ombre at your wedding?

There are a ton of beautiful little white dresses, check them out here!  Happy weekend!

Clockwise:  embroidered hipster dress $159, embroidered tulle trousers $169, crochet dress $79.90,  tie-dye dress $69.90, lace dress $89.90

champagne punch

This Algonquin Bar Punch looks good too if you

prefer a stronger punch via bon appetit

The Bride's Sister made this punch at the shower last weekend.  It was amazing, almost like a lighter Sangria...although some of the girls said it reminded them of Pink Panty Droppers...remember those??

-1 (12 oz) can frozen cranberry concentrate
-1 (12 oz) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate
-1 (12 oz) can frozen limeade concentrate
-1 (750 milliliter) bottle of white wine, chilled
-1 liter carbonated water, chilled
-2 (750 milliliter) bottles of champagne, chilled
-1 lemon sliced for garnish
-1/2 cup fresh mint for garnish

In a large bowl combine all the frozen concentrates, white wine, champagne and carbonated water.  Stir, garnish and serve!

belted wedding dress

What do you think of leather belted wedding dresses?  I can't belt well in real life, but I love this look!  If you haven't seen this oldie but goody backyard wedding over at Green Wedding Shoes...you should probably go check it out now.

printable wedding sets

These days a lot of people are printing their own invites.  I love these wedding sets by e.m. papers, everything you need, all coordinated so you don't have to think to about it. 

Don't need the whole set?  You can purchase printable menus, escort cards, programs and invites separately.  All you need to do is pick your design.  Good luck with that ;)

Check out all the wedding printables by e.m. papers here.

shannon's bridal shower

This weekend I went to a bridal shower for my best friend Shannon.  She spent some time in the UK as an au pair so her Sister decided to throw her a tea party.

Shannon and her Sister Schyler

Flowers from the market and the bride's chair.

I think some of the most inventive decorations comes from what you

 have lying around the house...this is a lace table cloth my grandma gave me

Cupcake Royal minis

I ate most of them...

All the bridesmaids pitched in and brought something

Rena (Mother of the Bride) making tea

My Earl Grey...right before the chocolates melted on the plate

Tea service

This was a funny game I'd never played before.  They are honeymooning in Hawaii,

so each sock contains something you would find in Hawaii.  A snorkel, a shell necklace, etc.

You can only use your feet to feel and guess.

Gifts

Shannon's bow bouquet

Her MIL brought the button of her Fiance to add ;)

Bff's

Parting favors, antique spoons to stir your tea!

How was your weekend?

100 layer cake marketplace

**Great wedding sale on GILT today.  Dresses, accessories, suits and macarons!**

I don't know why I've never checked out the marketplace at 100 Layer Cake but there is a plethora of wonderful things to be found.  Tons of BHLDN decor and dresses that are no longer available and some beautiful custom designs too.  Check out this Vera Wang custom below for $2,500! 

Stop by and shop or list an item, and make sure to check out the 1900's art deco rings too!

{100 Layer Cake marketplace}

Have a wonderful weekend.  I have a bridal shower for my bff, what are you up to?

good stock photo books

Years and years ago I came across this company Good Stock Press and Bindery and bookmarked it on wishpot.com.  I completely forgot about it and Blurb took it's place in my mind.  This was obviously before Pinterest.  Last month Seattle Met posted a wedding of one of the ladies from Good Stock and I realized it's a local company.  How could I have forgotten about them.

Good Stock Press and Bindery is a custom quality photo book and they write the story for you.  No hours spent on the computer, they scan, proofread and design each page for you.  It's a beautiful way to display your photos and other memorabilia.

It's not cheap, it's an investment...but think of all those frustrating hours on the computer trying to upload your photos.  Yep, it's totally worth it ;)

heirloom seed packets

I know I'm always anti favors, but these organic seed packets are making me see things differently.  To be fair...if you fill with seeds of something edible, it's still a food favor which I am always for ;)

You can buy these custom packets from Etsy shop The Little Ragamuffin.  Their seeds come from an organic haunted farm where they live, work and play.

What sort of seed would you like as favors?  Tomatoes for Spring?  Pumpkins for Fall?

You could also make your own seed packets out of book pages, newspaper, maps...or anything really

download the templete here

baby's breath bouquet

I'm really starting to love baby's breath bouquets.  The dusty ruffage is a really nice addition, don't you think?

{Petal Pushers via Style Me Pretty and The Perfect Palette's pinboard}

flea market inspiration: dresses

Saturday I went to the 2nd Saturdayz flea market with a girlfriend and as always there was so much inspiration to be had!  If I had bought everything I wanted to my house would look like a junkyard...

These two dresses were beautiful and both under $400.  The black one could be worn as is...anyone considering a black wedding dress? ;)  The white one I would have reconstructed the bodice but the skirt was amazing!  The cascading ruffles are on the back only, the front was a tulle a-line skirt.

I always find great vintage table number options.

Not sure what these guys are from but they were a dollar each

Another great DIY all over the web.  Mason jars, clamps and colorful scrap wood.

A gorgeous vintage cake topper.  I love the bride's real tulle veil.

What did you do this weekend?

diy gift for your best guys and gals

Happy Thursday...we're almost there!  I was hanging out in the Design Sponge's DIY section last night and saw these DIY leather envelopes.  They would be a great gift for your bridesmaids and your groomsmen!  They can house cellphones, sunglasses or you can make the gal's a little larger for a darling clutch.

Get the pattern download and see the full instructions here.

guilty

I'm double guilty because my profile picture isn't even my real wedding picture ;)  In all future and past brides defense...weddings and babies are usually the only time you spend money on professional photos.  What the heck, you felt beautiful on your wedding day, why not show it off?  People can be so sour.

{via PostSecret}

photo booth save the date

Check out this adorable photo strip save the date by The Elevated Envelope.  I think it would be cute for Christmas cards too!

{The Elevated Envelope}

varied bridesmaid dresses

Lena at A Crimson Kiss featured this beautiful New Orleans wedding last week.  I love everything about it, but the dress instructions for the bridesmaids was my favorite part.  The bride wanted varied colors and she used a paint chip card to help guide her gals.  What a fantastic idea!

{photography by Austin Gros via A Crimson Kiss}

i do, i do wedding cake ice cream

My coworker came in to work the other day very excited.  She said she had found some classic wedding cake ice cream at the grocery store and bought it for her end of Lent binge.  I didn't even know there was a classic wedding cake flavor...did you?  I would've said chocolate cake with butter cream but apparently it's white cake with a butter cream frosting and raspberry filling. 

This I Do, I Do Wedding Cake ice cream by Blue Bunny has chunks of white cake and swirls of butter cream and raspberry, what do you think?  Would you rather have cookies n' cream?  Me too ;)

Have a wonderful weekend, are you doing anything for Easter?

{blue bunny}



margarita brownies

4 years ago I consumed the most margaritas I ever have in a 2 week span.  Today is our 4th Anniversary ;)  Since it's a week night I'm considering making these yummy margarita brownies instead of toasting with the real thing.  Hey, I'm a lightweight and this week is payroll...

{sent by my friend Kaitlyn via Arctic Garden Studio}

Margarita Brownies
adapted from The Kitchn

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped coarsely
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon Tequila
1/2 teaspoon Cointreau or other orange liquor such as triple sec.
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 325°F and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving the paper extra-long and hanging over two sides.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and bittersweet chocolate over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth.

Remove pan from the heat and add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, eggs, tequila, cointreau and kosher salt. Mix until combined. Then add lime juice and zest, as well as the finely chopped unsweetened chocolate. Stir to combine and pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the sea salt on the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tester comes out moist. It will not be perfectly clean, but it shouldn't be sticky either. Allow pan to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing brownies from pan. To remove the brownies, run a knife around the sides of the pan to help release the brownies, then lift out the parchment paper. Place the brownies on the paper back on the wire rack. Cool completely and cut into squares.

hay bale loungers

Anyone having a rustic wedding and in need of a cozy seating area?  Check out this idea using hay bales.  A step up from regular ol' bales dressed up with blankets, pillows and back support ;)

{Pretty Little Weddings, Tonya Joy Photography, Mia Bella Weddings}

a wedding portrait by Kimia Kline

I've posted about Kimia's paintings on my other blog, but haven't sung her praises over here yet.  Look at this beautiful portrait she painted from a photo of her wedding day.  I want to have one done and I know just the photo I would choose.  Maybe for an anniversary some day.  Isn't there a year for art?  There should be!

Stop by her blog alkeemi to see more of her beautiful work, and contact her to have your own painting made. 

{via alkeemi}

april fools wedding

Did you do anything fun for April Fools Day?  I'm thankful it was not a work day and I didn't have to watch my back all day.  If I were walking through the streets of London yesterday and had seen these two I would have done a double take.  Of course I know two things that would have set me straight....they are already married, and that is not THE dress. 

{Royal look alikes, see more photos here}

If my wedding day fell on April 1st (it almost did!) I would invite everyone to a fun party and then surprise them with it actually being a wedding.  Didn't Julia Roberts do that?  There would be mustaches and lots of that fake out food, like french fries that are actually cake sticks and maybe a wedding cake that's a meatloaf?  Okay gross, maybe not a meatloaf cake ;)

What sort of wedding April Fools jokes can you think of?