andrea: four *plus* things for my poppy wedding

readers, please say a friendly hello to andrea of smartbrideboutique.ca!

Hi,
Great idea! Forgive me, I really couldn’t stick to 4.

[no worries!]


{ pretty poppies wedding invitations by lilribbers }

1) Poppies! I’m currently obsessed with Poppies – possibly due to the amazing tea set I inherited from my Grandmother. So I’d definitely go with poppy themed invitations, these were my favourite of many.

* Tip - Make sure you get matching thank you cards at the same time so you can start sending them out as soon as the early bird gifts arrive.

I would complement the poppy theme with a few more “poppy” items in addition to the centerpieces and flowers.

Guest book:

{ custom-made guest book/album by enjibeck }

OR I love the idea of creating a poster sized invitation to have your guests sign.

Place cards:

{ red poppies place cards by michellebrusegaard }
[see my feature on michellebrusegaard here]

A matching tie for the groom:

{ poppy necktie by toybreaker }

2) One signature item of clothing to really make the bridal ensemble pop and accent your theme.

Fascinator:

{ ivory feathers, pearls and beading fascinator by sweetsnlo }

[here i substituted the custom listing, as the one andrea picked was reserved for a bride]

Fascinator 2:
{ Carrie Ivory Silk Flower and Feather Fascinator by chameleondesignsaus }

[sadly this listing has been removed, but check out the other fascinators at chameleondesignsaus]

Necklace:

{ Pearly Girly Necklace by VirginiaGeiger Jewels }

Wrap:

{ French Vanilla Bridal Wrap by bonzie }

3) And now for some fun! I did homemade cupcakes for my own wedding instead of cake. Perhaps for a DIY favour, you could combine the recipe for your wedding cupcakes on a snazzy recipe card, with a small canning jar full of the pre-mixed dry ingredients. i.e. Just add milk, eggs etc for your own “eat at home” cupcakes!

{ Cupcake Pop Recipe Cards by DingbatPress }

4) Lastly, we can't forget about bridesmaid gifts. I like the fact that you can get wristlets by babycakesboutique in several different Amy Butler fabrics so your bridesmaids never have to show up to a party with the same purse after the wedding.

Bridesmaid Gift:

{ Handmade Kashmir Eastern Inspired Bangle Wristlet by babycakesboutique }

thank you *so* much for your extensive picks, andrea! all best to you and your new blog, smartbrideboutique.ca/blog/

can't wait!

Happy Halloween everyone! Our neighborhood gets tons of trick-or-treaters and I'm looking forward to handing out candy in my costume (I'm going to be a jockey, Shorty's gonna be ma race horse!). What's everyone else being?

So once Halloween is over (in my opinion) we're in "The Holiday Season". We set the clocks back, I start my Christmas shopping, there will be parties, family get-togethers, twinkle lights, and oodles of wedding proposals... I can't wait! I love the holidays. Does anything create a festive mood like fancy shoes? I think not! All from J. Crew.

{label watch: collette dinnigan}

Currently crazy about Australian label Collette Dinnigan, with its charming mix of sequins, feathers, pvc and vintage blazers.




{via lobster and swan}

they've got us pegged (or pinned?)

I laughed out loud when I saw that first set of buttons. I had just settled down to blog after carving a pumpkin and sketching out my dog's homemade Halloween costume, Dell was sitting next to me crankin out PHP on his laptop. I'm pretty sure these buttons were made for us. The others would be adorable as an engagement gift! Button Empire also has some other adorable and/or hilarious button options that might work well for favors. Check 'em out!

{photographer: jacques dequeker}

{all images by jacques dequeker}

vera wang deals

We're having crappy weather here today, wind, rain, cold... typical New England. I have to confess, I secretly love it. I love the coziness of it all. My favorite thing to do is camp out on the couch with the dog and a blanket and surf. I find the best stuff when the weather is bad!
These are all Vera Wang, and they're all at least 40% off over at Bluefly. The gray one is my favorite, (I think I'd carry a yellow purse). The yellow and the gray together would be adorable on a small bridal party.

autumn wedding sampler II: invitations

{each photo links to its shop}

{label watch: sara claire & esther}

Sara Claire & Esther's collection features personally handpicked vintage fabrics and trim to create one-of-a-kind garments, like this fantastic gold mini, perfect for day of laundry.

{inspiration: full fringe}

{image: candace meyer}

back from travels! and roselabiche redux :)

hello friends! thanks for your patience while i put on my other hat as jewelry designer -- went to boston last weekend, to my old neighborhood and its 29th annual fort point open studios. it was a gorgeous weekend -- all crisp fall days and bright-blue october skies and old friends and great restaurants and the red sox on tv. i'm sorry i didn't think to flag it on this blog so anyone in the area could stop by and say hello -- will be back up in december!

if nobody objects, will post about a couple of delightful fort point artists later in the week -- for now will catch up with a couple of odds and ends.

first off, the redesign at the magazine has finally hit newsstands, and one fun thing is this multimedia site: the atlantic project. it takes a bit to load, but the design and videos are worth wandering through.

second, just saw that roselabiche is featured in an interview on the storque today all about how she quit her day job -- this is what etsy is all about! amazingly talented people getting to craft their dream job. am a huge fan. one day i will own one of these amazing shirts.


{ sol by roselabiche }

all for now, back to etsy finds from readers. :)

{inspiration: sheer vibrancy}

{photography by camilla akrans; cropping and photo-editing by this is glamorous}

PinelliBelle

I keep coming across adorable handmade hair accessories! I really wish I hadn't just cut off all my hair. I love the vintage flair that comes with these, from PenelliBelle. Love the brooches morphed into combs.

{tough love}

{Annabel via une fille comme moi}

Like mixing vintage and modern or old and new in décor, mixing the toughness of a short leather jacket with the softness of a feminine skirt creates the perfect balance.

{Charles Anastase via style.com}

{Vanessa Traina via une fille comme moi}

updo tutorials

My friend Deirdre sent me this link and I thought I'd share it because so many people have asked me for up-do resources. The stylist is Johnny Lavoy from Ford Artists, and he has a series of how-to videos on easy up-dos that you and a friend could pull off for your wedding with a little practice. That's $300 you would have spent on a hair stylist saved for something else! Yay!

{pink blossoms}

The leaves may be falling, but I will always be a Spring & Summer girl.

{see also:}
> spring things
> the last of the summer whites
> summer
> summer 2
> verte & blanche
> a new week

{images: photography by Liz Ham}