{dress}ed to impress

i may be jumping back and forth between past and present since there was so much that I did during our wedding that I couldn't talk about, for fear of spoiling the suprise. of course, I couldn't talk about my wedding gown because it was to be surprise and I didn't want to spoil that. as I talk about my current and future projects, I can't forget some of the ones that I'm most proud of, so I must gush a little :)

as I posted in one of my first posts back this year, i had a few pictures of our wedding, and the dress. since this post is going to be about the transformation, i will begin with the finished look.

the wedding dress for every girl is the biggest deal. it is probably, depending on who you are, the most expensive single item of clothing you will purchase in your life. every girl dreams of what her's will look like, and the quest to find that dress is one that will consume your time and energy until it is yours. shows like Say Yes to the Dress promote the importance of that moment when you look in the mirror, and tears well up in your eyes. The moment you have found the one (dress).

I started my dress journey with my mom and sister. I was so excited to try on a dress and see what I was going to look like as a bride. It's a very special moment in any girl's life. I wasn't successful on my first trip out, nothing seemed to be the one. I was disappointed but knew I would find it, eventually. To make a long story short, I went to almost every bridal store within a 30 mile radius. Weekend after weekend I spent my days searching, and coming up empty handed. I was so discouraged and was not sure if I would ever find what I was looking for. One Saturday I stumbled into Bella Bridal, in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and my journey ended. There was a Essense of Australia trunk show. I tried on a couple of dresses and still wasn't feeling anything. Why couldn't I find something that seemed timeless, classy, romantic, and had an interesting neckling? I was again frustrated. I then tried on this number:

I should mention that this didn't make sense at first. I had been looking for a bateau neckline, and definitely not strapless. Sonia, the owner took a piece from another dress, and showed me how we could customize the dress. She added the piece, and then added a beautiful beaded belt, and then it happened. .I teared up, and finally had my moment. This dress had the most beautiful lace and was so romantic. I knew that this was the dress. At that point my budget was out the window, and I was moving on to the make it happen for the dress that made my heart feel full. If I couldn't find my dress, I was going to make my dress.

Six months later the dress came in and lacey piece by lacey piece, literally, we started to transform and create the look that I wanted. every month or two I would go in a see what we wanted to do next. little my little, my dream was becoming a reality. Sonia would get so excited to see the progress, and would tell me how beautiful it was. I picked a beautiful beaded belt from Etsy shop, Luxe Bridal Couture and my grandmother's earrings and broach to complete the look. Since my dress was so detailed, I chose a simple veil from David's bridal.

my dress through the year of making -
also shows the transformation that my trainer was making to my weight & back fat :)

I went to all of my appointments alone, until my final fitting, and so this project was all of me, and no one else. It made it that much more special when my mom and sister were able to come to my final fitting, and see the process come full circle. this dress still holds such a special place in my heart. I hope that in years to come I still look back at the pictures and feel that this was the dress of my dreams. I fantasize that my daughter would want to wear it, and that it doesn't seem like something from 2013, whatever that will mean in the future.

{DIY} Calligraphy

calligraphy is a beautiful skill that I should try to acquire. however, i'm sure my perfectionism would cause me great heartache when I saw my finished product. as promised, I have a very nice, elegant solution to using a calligraphy and creating the looks below for your wedding invitations or your next event.

not only do I have one, but THREE solutions for you! any of these could be accomplished my anyone.

1. Fake Calligraphy


this fantastic step by step tutorial shows you how to do calligraphy the old fashioned way. it seems so easy, and at first I didn't believe it could be that easy. I grabbed a gel pen and gave it a go, and wouldn't you know, I had a decent looking product!

 2. Trace your heart out!


if only I had an old Lite-Brite, I could just start zipping through these envelopes. this great tutorial shows your how to use a trace table, and a computer print out to create your look. this project lends itself to using so many different fonts, and definitely offers consistency of the lettering and sizing that may not be accomplished with free-hand calligraphy.


3. Print & Trace


hopefully your screen can allow you to see the clever way to achieve that calligraphy look, without needing the tracing table. by printing onto the envelope, or other paper, in a color just slightly lighter, you can see the font, and trace. this even works on white/ivory paper. choose a really light version of the ink color that you are going to use. since this requires you to use a printer, it is very similar to the option above, but cuts out a step.



-OR-
if your are still feeling like calligraphy is more than  you can tackle

as I mentioned in my last blog post, I had dreamed of having a wrap around address label for my wedding invitations. there were so many beautiful examples that I had seen, and I was really hoping to pull this off for my own invitations. this solution is a great way to step away from the look of a simple Avery address label, and into a more classy way of easily address so many envelopes. of course Martha has a great tutorial on how to accomplish this on your own! even as I write this blog, i'm drawn back into the loveliness of these designs.


photo courtesy of Etsy Shop: DigitalBunnyDesigns



Belletristics



photo: Seeing Designs  from  Blush Printables





{eye} love eye primer

as I was getting ready this morning, and putting on my makeup, I had a moment where I was truly thankful...for my discovery of eye primer!

once upon a time, I was standing up in a wedding. as any bridesmaid knows, hair & makeup can be an expense. for this specific occasion, I decided to try my hand at doing my own makeup, smokey eye and all! you should know that I am not a makeup artist, nor did I have any real talent for applying makeup. of course I could do the standard foundation, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara, but there was no technique for any of it.

for anyone interested in trying to do their own makeup, definitely head over to youtube or pinterest to find great step-by-step tutorials on how to achieve any technique. for me, this was very helpful to see what tools and products I needed to achieve the look of a professional makeup application. I found pinterest to be the most helpful in seeing the final product, and then taking me to the video, wherever it was hosted.

after acting like a 5 year old in my mother's makeup for a couple of weeks, I felt like I was finally ready to buys the proper tools & makeup for this experiment. from all of the videos, it seemed that eye primer was a very important part of the process to prep the eye, and keep the shadows in place. So, I headed into Ulta to browse the selections. my first choice for advice on makeup is heading to Sephora as I just personally have had great success with the products I have taken recommendations on. either way, the prices are about the same.

so I asked the girl wandering around with pounds of makeup on, what she recommended for an eye primer. She told me that her favorite was Urban Decay Eye Primer ($20), so I picked it up.

as I browsed the selections, I came across some shadow that I thought would work perfectly, Starry Eyed Baked Eye Shadow Trio ($26).

this trio has a bit of a shimmer, and can be used wet or dry. As I continued to fall in love with all the products, I noticed this kit, that contained everything I could possibly need, Close Up: Real Life to Red Carpet Eye Tutorial ($37)

here I had everything I could need at my finger tips: eyeshadow, eye primer, mascara, liquid eyeliner, a makeup brush, and a step-by-step book on how to accomplish several different looks! I picked this up too, and headed home to try my hands at a smokey eye.

as with anything, practice makes perfect, and it took me a few tries to accomplish, but I started to get the hang of it. the wedding day came around, and the true test of my practice needed to pay off. I had to say I was pretty pleased. as I looked around, I couldn't tell that I had done my makeup myself. I felt a sense of accomplishment.

I had another wedding a month later, and I tried the technique again, and with another successful attempt. I was pleased at how professional the look ended up being, and I had spent a fraction of the cost for the professional services. the shadow lasts through the event, and does not smudge or leave creases. over the months, I have continued to practice and experiment. I receive many compliments on the shadow, and because of that, I have purchased more Lorac goods to replace the originals. while I normally am quite thrifty, these products are worth the money, and last for quite a long time.

to swing back to this morning, I use the eye primer by Lorac every day. however, I don't wear shadow every day. during the week I prefer a more natural look, and don't wear eye makeup. in the past, I would wear shadow because my eyelids would be more red, or would appear shiny compared to my skin that had foundation. to mask this, I tried putting foundation on my lids. this worked, but by the end of the day, the oils from my lids would wash the foundation away. this is when I decided to give that lovely primer I used for weekends and special occasions to good use. the primer is relatively skin colored, which creates a very natural appearance.

image from today, a random tuesday, with a sun burnt eyelid to boot.

now again, I am not a makeup artist, so this is why I share this with you. a simple product can be easy to use, at any skill level, and give you a very finished look. eye primer brought me joy this morning, and I'm hoping that if you aren't using it already, it can bring joy to you too!

{guest} of honor

remembering your guests, and the special place that they held in your heart on your wedding day is priceless. Simply writing your name in a book, doesn't seem to cut it for the bride of today. with the availability of the internet, and an abundance of creativity, there are so many wonderful options for a bride to choose from. I have seen so many amazing ideas for guestbooks for a wedding. I remember going to my friend's wedding and it was the first time that I saw the tree with the guest's fingerprints.



photo courtesy of Etsy


if my friend hadn't used this fabulous idea for her wedding, I would have loved this idea. I love the idea of seeing the fingerprints of your guests, and having a beautiful piece of artwork after the big day. as I searched for a unique idea for our wedding, I stumbled across many great ideas that I loved and wanted to share.

photo courtesy of Emmaline Bride

the possibilites are endless for the font & style of the letter. I love that this is simple, and could immediately be hung in your home after the wedding.

photo courtesy of Wedding Bee

the wish tree allows your guests to write a special message to you, for you to keep and read for years to come

photo courtesy of Florida Historic Weddings

this is such a sweet way to display messages from your guests. this would be perfect for a beach wedding. this guestbook idea could easily be transported from the reception to your mantel or coffee table!



photo courtesy of Etsy Shop: LoveFromTheThumb

this is another take on the fingerprint guestbooks. the great thing about this type is the personalization that each guest offerse with their unique fingerprint.

photo courtesy of Daisy Days

these examples could be done by ordering from a shop, or could easily designed and printed on your home computer! an idea like this could tie together the designs you have used for your save-the-dates, and invitations. Simply creating a beautiful monogram of your intitals could be beautifully placed in your new married home!

photo courtesy of Etsy Shp: DazzlingExpressions

this is my favorite, mostly because I will be using this at my wedding. I will replace the box with something with a lid, and have our wedding date on the outside. i'm so excited to see the messages that my family and friends write, and I can share these with my children some day!

{tie}d with love

one of my favorite things is baker's twine. this simple twine with white & an alternating color really spice up a craft project, gift, card, etc.

as with the colors, the possibilities are endless. head over to Etsy to find some great supplies or inspiration. or if you would like, here are a few items to get your project started:

{outfit}ting our love

while I have many of the main items checked off on my list, the next item to take care of is the engagement pictures. I simply cannot wait. my fiance and I are not ones to love having our picture taken, but I am looking forward to capturing us as a couple, and to have those pictures to show our kids and grandkids!

as with any upcoming event, I've been thinking non-stop about the outfits, style, and overall feel I want these pictures to have. I know our photographer Amy, from Pure Amour Photography will do an amazing job, and I probably don't need to fret about these details.. but it's me!

as I have been preparing for many other things summer, I have been on the look out for the perfect pieces to wear during the engagement session. so far, I have only picked up one item:

this fancy little number was only $19.80!

this dress is so romantic, and I think that is the vibe I want to go for: soft & romantic. while I am not worried about finding the perfect outfit for me, I am concerned about what I'm going to be able to get my fiance, Nick, into. there are many cute ideas out there, but most of them he would not go for.

as always, I head to the internet, and my favorite blogs to find some inspiration for what I'm looking for:

I found several amazing pictures that I wanted to share with everyone.



i love the casual feel of these pictures. I would definitely love to be comfortable and cute



this romantic setting, and outfits grabbed my attention right away





these letters are so cute! i'm thinking about recreating these with our initials or wedding date.



this is the closest to my little pink dress I could find. I definitely love the blue printed button up with the feminine dress.





i love the preppy outfits on these two



this is simple, cute, and so romantic!

I adore this dress, and his suit. I think my fiance would love to wear this outfit, and I know I would loove a dress like this!

I really think my fiance could handle a simple button-up to feel casual, but yet still look quite put together.

these little letters are so adorable. this could easily be done to match the wedding colors, season, and just about anything!

I cannot wait to show these to my fiance, and get his opinion. I think that we could pull something like this off, without making him feel too much like a Ken doll.

{LBD} Lovely, Beautiful, Detailed

I'm off to Chicago for a bachelorette party for my friend Stephanie! the weekend should be beautiful, 85 and sunny all weekend. We have quite a list of events, and it should sure be a lot of fun. All of the girls going have decided to wear black all weekend so that the bride stands out. i LOVE black! I often find myself buying black shirts, dresses, sweaters, and it's not like I really need anymore. however, since this is a bachelorette party, I felt I wanted to spice things up. I'm still a conservative/classic girl at heart, so I needed something a little sexy, but still classic. I loved the pieces I chose, and loved accenting with colored jewelry(turquoise, coral, gold) from my giant jewelry box.

I decided to go to another fave site, Polyvore, to check out what was out there and to get a little more inspiration. All the items I looked at were under $50!! here are a few of my favorite things:

I looove animal prints when wearing black!

a little edgy, but definitely something fun & sexy.

simple. classic. done!

big, costume jewelry is something I cannot live without. perfect accent to any solid-colored dress!