Here I Come, Big Apple!

Not this upcoming weekend, but the next, I am heading up to Connecticut to Mrs. Gallery Place's home (she's my amazing Matron of Honor) for my bridal shower with a bunch of my friends. Immediately following the shower, we are hopping on a train to...

New York City!

Apparently my bachelorette party is going to be a night out in the Big Apple! I have no idea what’s going on for either the shower or the night out in New York City, and the suspense is KILLING ME! The rumblings I have heard have been such a tease. The one thing I do know was that there is a dress code, and even though it’s based pretty much one what I wear regularly, I wanted an outfit that was special. I didn’t want to roll up to my party in an outfit that could double for going to work.

The dress code is jeans, fun black top, fun shoes. After some searching, I came out with a pretty awesome outfit.

This ruffle tank. It’s black, even though it looks gray on screen.

Under this ruffle cardigan. (Did you know that I love ruffles?)

Fun zebra shoes.

…and this little fun bag from J Crew.

Not only am I looking forward to it from a “OH MY GOD! WEDDING!” perspective, but it’ll be nice to have a little mini weekend trip away from the DC area, too.

What are you guys doing for your showers/bachelorettes? Are you/did you have fun picking out your outfits?

The Ensemble -- Alternately Titled, "Go away, Mr. JeffMemorial!"

We're under the 70 day mark, which is just terrifying and exciting all at the same time. I now regularly get that "Oh my god! I'm getting married!" feeling. I mean, it's really happening!

Thankfully I have had most everything done for quite some time now considering this wedding has been almost two years in the making. While I am now tying up loose ends and firming up dinner reservations and winery tours for the honeymoon, for the most part I'm not feeling like I have left something undone. (Hooray!)

This does, of course, lead me to dwell on details. (A bride dwelling on details?! Next thing you know, I'll be telling you the sky is blue and water is wet!) Recently I've been pondering my whole wedding ensemble. It's taken a few months, but the whole look as finally come together... I think.

Well, I have the dress...

It's the dress picture above in this color (navy blue, for the click-through phobic), and no that's not me.

I also have the shoes.


I have Swarovski Bella Golden Earrings.

And I have a cute handmade clutch from Etsy seller "UpStyle"!

But I'm not really sold on wearing a necklace. I've asked a few people, and they're sort of split down the middle between "Absolutely no necklace! It'll take away from the dramatic neckline," and "Of course! That dress screams for a necklace!"

God, I feel silly writing this--pondering extensively over whether to necklace or not to necklace. I guess it's one of those things where, since I very rarely get dressed up, I want to do it right. And it's not just the necklace. It's an overall ensemble anxiety, which sounds pretty ridiculous. I love all of these pieces separately; let's hope they play well together, as well.

I am, however, inclined to say no to the necklace, favoring the "dramatic neckline" which is sad because there are so many beautiful bridal necklaces out there.

Part of me wonders if maybe I should have left a few actually important projects to the end of this planning process, heh. Then I wouldn't spend actual time thinking about frivolous stuff like this. Or maybe I should spend more time on my homework.

What little things did you surprisingly get hung up on?

Name Change Debate Solved!

After hemming and hawing for over a year and changing my mind countless times, I finally decided on my married name. I made this pronouncement sometime last week, and this internal debate has been going on for so long that my guy said, “Okay, see you when you change your mind next week!” Well, it’s next week, and guess what? I didn’t change my mind!

See, originally I thought that this would be an easy thing. For years I was determined! I was convinced that my maiden name was so horrendous that, as soon as I got married, I would plow down old ladies with walkers to get to the Social Security office to have my name officially changed.

(You might be thinking to yourself, her name can’t be THAT bad. Much like Obama, yes it can. My last name is a blatant sexual innuendo that made high school an absolute hoot!)

Well, when my guy proposed, I was excited. (Duh.) What I was surprisingly not excited about was changing my name. It was tough, though. Because my first name and his last name alone make pretty little music. Even the signature is gorgeous.

Not only that, it’s significantly shorter than my current name, which clocks in at eighteen letters, first and last. My name is so long that I have to shorten my signature by using only my first initial and my last name. Even then, I kind of phone it in with the last name, which usually ends up being a giant squiggle. When I took standardized tests in school, my first name was always cut off by one letter.

Well, I can chuck all of my dreams of happy name-writing goodbye, because in the end, I couldn’t part with my last name. It used to be some sort of perverse scarlet letter (like when parents name their kids Rain Mossball or Foothill), but now it’s like a badge of courage. I earned that name. It’s mine. To give up the name feels like giving up a bit of my past.

But I wanted his name too, because I’m a greedy only child. Cue up the hand cramps. Now my name will clock in at TWENTY-FOUR LETTERS.

E******* M********-M*****

I’ve started practicing it. It was a bit of a mouthful at first, and my hand is still getting used to the workout, but I like it. I do have concerns, though. Will it fit on my bank card? Will it even fit on a license? Do I need to start doing hand pushups to prepare for the physical endurance tests I will be putting my right hand through?

They're Just Not That Into You

You know what is so funny about wedding planning? It seems like every day I am faced with something I never thought I would have to deal with. That’s not always bad; it’s just that before I was actually engaged, all I really thought about was the fun fluffy stuff — dresses, rings, flowers, etc. I didn’t focus on things like logistics or what flowers were in season.

One thing I never expected to deal with were unresponsive vendors. To my unpracticed wedding-planning mind it seemed illogical that I would ever run into a vendor that literally did not communicate at all.

Source.

I mean, they WANT my business… right? Well, apparently this is not always true. I think the craziest instance of this was when I was interviewing florists.

A friend of mine got married last year, and I was very lucky to be in her wedding. She told me how her florist was great, reasonably priced, and passed on her information to me. So I emailed the florist, and she was very enthused, and when we finally met when she dropped off the flowers for my friend’s wedding, it was like the best version of the “putting a face to a name” conversation. Not only that, the bridal bouquet was gorgeous and our bridesmaids bouquets were amazing and perfectly complimentary. I was impressed! It ended with me saying, “Well, this is my friend’s day, so let’s talk next week!” She said that was great, and we agreed to chat later.

Next week came. She asked me to list my ideas and inspirations. She was seemingly jazzed about everything and said that she was going to take my lists and come back to me with some ideas by the weekend.

The weekend came… and went. And I didn’t want to be cranky. I mean, life happens, and I knew I was more anxious just to see some ideas, and not really upset at her for not getting back to me by her proposed timeline. Also, I did not want to be that bride.

I decided to let a few more days pass. A few days turned into a week because I was in the throes of writing a term paper for class! After it dawned on me that it had been over a week and a half since I was supposed to have heard from her. I dropped her a friendly line, and she replied. She was so sorry, and she would absolutely have something to me within the next three days.

And that was the last time I heard from her. Ever.

I emailed her a few times. Very friendly emails, without the slightest hint of an accusatory tone. Just shooting up a few flares saying, hey, how’s it going? Looking forward to hearing from you. Still nothing. Eventually it was just too much, and I had to write the diplomatic, “It’s not me, it’s you” email.

Even that went with no response.

Honestly, I was a bit sad because, at first, we really seemed to click. Did I do something wrong? Had I eaten too much garlic and scared her off? I didn’t think I was being unreasonable, and I started to wonder if my artichoke request was a bit too much.

It felt a bit like getting dumped, and that’s such a weird feeling when you’re planning a wedding! I remember talking to the same friend who got married. She told me how, when she was planning, she could not get a venue to respond to her. She likened getting a response from them to pulling teeth. Eventually she and her fiance opted to go elsewhere.

Have you felt at all this way during wedding planning? Has there been an unexpected disappointment with vendors? What do you do when they’re just not that into you?

The Downside of Weddings, the Fur Edition

The day is getting close. We’re starting to formulate to do lists and schedules for the weekend of our wedding. It’s all very exciting! Then, last Thursday, we wrote down a scheduled line item that gave us pause.

“Thursday evening: drop off dogs in with Mr. JeffM’s parents in Maryland.”

It makes sense. Friday morning, all of our flowers are being delivered to our apartment, and I’m going to be spending a good portion of the day making six bouquets and 21 centerpieces. On top of that, I’ll be finishing up the cupcakes for our wedding cake. (Man, I got tired just typing that out!)

Having fluffy fur people, no matter how cute they are, bouncing around the apartment, getting into everything will more thank likely end in flower carnage and cupcakes all over the floor. So our little darlings, Clover and Horatio, must be shipped off to their grandparents.

It’s something I never really thought about. I mean I knew, intellectually that the dogs would have to go. I mean it’s not like we’re going to leave for our honeymoon and let the dogs have the run of the apartment. (“See you guys! Don’t forget to water the flowers!”) It wasn’t until recently, however, that it dawned on me that my little buddies weren’t going to be around, and we weren’t going to see them for over a week.

I feel silly, but it’s such a depressing thought! One of my favorite parts of the day is when I walk through the door, and there are two happy puppies who cannot wait to see me. They cuddle with us when we watch movies, do homework, etc. They’re so amazing whenever I’m sad or feeling upset. And to think I’m not going to have my furry little support system wandering around during one of the most stressful and crazy weekends of my life is, well, sad!

Are you worried about this kind of pet-induced separation anxiety?

More Than Just Handbags… A Jewelry Conundrum Solved?

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am a lover of accessories. This is especially true of purses. I love and adore purses. We have a separate closet out in the hallway, where the upper half is just my purses. (Thank you, Mr. JeffM!) You might say I have a problem, but I’d like to consider myself an… enthusiast.

Source.

When it comes to choosing accessories, I generally find choosing the bag for an outfit to be the easiest decision. This was true with my wedding ensemble, as well!

But I have been at my wit’s end about jewelry. I’ve scoured etsy, and every online storefront I can think of and nothing is jumping out at me going “Love me, Liz! You know I’m just right for you!” So tonight, I took a break from pulling my hair out over jewelry to look at, well… I admit it, I decided to look at handbags from one of my favorites: Kate Spade.

While I was clicking around, lusting over the clean lines and bright aesthetic, I noticed a link on the left sidebar that jumped off the screen and shook me!

JEWELRY

I didn’t want to get up my hopes up, so I hesitated in clicking. I have had such difficulty finding anything I liked! I didn’t want my gal Kate to let me down… I would be heartbroken!

She didn’t. She didn’t let me down at all. I wanted all of it! It doesn’t all go with my outfit, but I had to share some of my finds which would go great with a lot of different bridal outfits.

Park Avenue Pearl Studs
Cute. Clean. Love.

Crown Jewels Drop Earrings
For the bling lover in us all!

Know the Ropes Knot Stud
These are my personal favorite.

Moon River Double Pearl and Bow Necklace
If I was wearing a necklace with my dress… I might need to find an excuse. Rehearsal?

Park Avenue Pearl Cuff
Would be so adorable with the matching earrings.

All Wrapped Up Idiom Bangle
HOW CUTE IS THAT BOW??

I know the Mister is probably just THRILLED that I have found more reasons to shop, but seriously, I never thought about my favorites being designing multitaskers! I guess it’s kind of a “DUH!” thing, but hey! I can be taught!

Virginia Is For Lovers

When the Mister and I thought about where we wanted to go on our honeymoon, we wanted something laid back. We wanted something local because one of our favorite things to do is to road trip together. Some of our most favorite memories is just riding together in the car, listening to music, singing terribly at the top of our lungs, and laughing together. And since we all know Virginia is for lovers, we had a whole state at our disposal.

It took some time to figure out what we wanted to do. Did we want to rent a cabin in the mountains? Did we want to go to the beach? Nothing was jumping out at us at first. Then!

Source.

A light bulb went off in my head! When I was growing up, I was blessed enough to spend Thanksgiving, parts of the Christmas holidays, and so many other times of year in a unique and beautiful place because of family who happened to live in the area.

I tossed the idea around in my head before going to the Mister with it. I wanted to make sure it was a solid idea. I mean, I had been there as a kid and a teenager, but never as an adult. Was it going to be perfect for our first vacation as husband and wife?

All the little excited wedding cheerleaders in my brain cried, “Yes, yes!” So I went to the Mister with the idea…

Source.

Colonial Williamsburg!

I know, I know. I can here some of you guys from all the way over here going, “What?! That’s a field trip! Not a honeymoon!”

I beg to differ. Between the candle-lit night tours, the romantic colonial dinners, and the spa (yes, a SPA!), I was sold. Best of all, the Mister loved it! Oh, and I did I mention how romantically wonderful our room is? We are staying at a bed and breakfast in the historic district where we get to pick our room! You see, each room has a theme and is uniquely decorated. And our room is stunning.

Source.

I can already see myself rolling out of that gorgeous canopy bed and drawing a bath before heading out to dinner with my future husband!

I love that it’s a place we can go back to for our anniversaries or other romantic getaways. I think it’s neat to realize that sometimes the perfect honeymoon might be in your own backyard. The day after our wedding, instead of braving airports and security lines, we’ll be packing up the car, pumping the stereo, and letting that gorgeous sunshine (please, weather gods?) stream through our windows, as we head south!

"Don't forget to use the accessories wall, designers!" --Tim Gunn, Project Runway

Last night, I decided to take a break from all the coverage of the impending SNOMG (snomfg, snowpocalypse, snogasm) that will be descending upon our area today to catch up with this season of Project Runway! Bless you, DVR. Bless you.

In addition to being a local alum (that's right, gals, he went to our area's very own JMU!), we all know that Tim Gunn is all that is style and fashion. And what does he always say, other than "Make it work!" of course? Accessorize, because accessories can make or break an outfit.

And he's right. My philosophy has always been about accessories. I'm not the biggest fashion maven in the world (an understatement), but I love handbags, shoes, and jewelry. And given that I'm wearing something a bit non-traditional for my wedding dress...

To find out the backstory (and see more of the detailing) on this dress, click here. As a note, though, it's navy blue, and it's not as dark is it appears on screen.

...accessories are going to be pivotal. I already have two of what I consider to be my Major Player Accessories: shoes and handbag!

I spent many many hours over almost as many weeks searching for the right shoe to go with my outfit. I knew I wanted a nice gold shoe, but I had limitations. As I mentioned before, I am a whopping six feet tall. Mr. JeffM is about 6'2", so our limited height difference and, honestly, my complete lack of any motor skills or coordination precludes me from wearing anything other than a flat shoe. I had also decided that I wanted to wear a dressy sandal. The dress I chose has a lot of movement, as it is made from a flowing fabric, so I wanted shoes that were feminine but with a little more of a "take it easy" attitude.

I honestly thought I would never find them. After awhile, it got very frustrating. I would get shoe envy (of all things!) for people who could wear those gorgeous heels with the ribbons, bows, flowers, and other fun embellishments. It seemed like the fashion industry just didn't care about cute flats... or if they did, they cost in excess of $400, which is a hair out of my price range. I scoured Zappos, DSW, Piperlime, eBay, Nine West, Aldo, Steve Madden.... all countless times over. I was about to throw my hands up in the air when I decided to try Piperlime one last time. And there they were. Waiting for me. In my size!

Finding this gem of a handbag was a little bit easier. (I will say one note about the photo: the background isn't yellow like it comes across in this picture; it's more of a muted creamy gold. In fact the bag appears a lot more WOW YELLOW GOLD than it actually is.) For years I've lusted after the handmade clutches on Etsy, and finally I had an excuse to buy one. I was looking for something that had more of a bold design, aside from your standard bows, ruffles, and flowers. In design, I love bold lines and distinctive patterns, and this fit the bill perfectly.

About a week and a half after placing my order, this beauty arrived in a box on our front doorstep. The quality was out of this world. The silks used, and the stitching is just, for lack of a better word, divine. (I always feel so cheesy saying "divine," like I should be on Dynasty, wearing shoulder pads, and slapping someone.) Even Mr. JeffM was impressed, and he's not an accessories kind of guy.

The only thing I'm struggling with is jewelry. After some helpful hints from friends, I'm forgoing a necklace, as it will "only detract from the drama of the dress' neckline," but I am on the lookout for earrings and a nice bracelet. So far I do have a front runner for earrings.


These beauties are from J Crew. I love them, but I'm not entirely sold on them. I'm going to go to J Crew in person soon to see how they look against some of my accessories.

So far jewelry is proving to be the biggest challenge. I actually ordered an earring and bracelet set not too long ago, and while they are beautiful, they aren't exactly quite right. And I hate that! I hate that whole, "I don't know what I'm looking for, but I'll know when I see it," mindset. That's the problem I had with my shoes.

Sigh. So that's where I am so far. Hopefully Tim Gunn would be proud. I just wish he were here to give me some pointers!

With This Ring...

Rings are always a Big Deal in weddings, whether you're talking about the engagement ring or the wedding ring. A standard has developed, as well. There is the awesome and gorgeous engagement ring, and then you buy a wedding band that, while beautiful, is really a supplement to the engagement ring itself. After the wedding, you'll have a beautiful pair of rings, right?

Well, for me... wrong.

My parents divorced when I was very young; to the point where I don't even remember them together. My dad remarried before I turned 6, so I've always had my stepmother in my life. I remember when I was living with her and my dad that I just loved her wedding ring. She only had one ring she wore; she did not have a ring and a band. I remember looking at it and loving the simplicity of it.

Now, don't get me wrong, Mr. JeffM proposed with a gorgeous ring, but I've always had this nagging voice in the back of my head vying for a singular wedding ring. The wedding ring should be special. While I love engagement rings (C'mon, what girl doesn't?), it's the wedding and a marriage you're working toward, and the ring that symbolizes that should be the centerpiece. It really bugged me that for some people the wedding ring is a mere afterthought.

(That said, if you disagree, that's fine! It's a personal decision, and I'll still be oogling your rings. Plus, I don't like ketchup or tomato sauces on pasta, so really my viewpoints are untrustworthy.)

After making the decision to go ahead with one wedding ring instead of a traditional wedding band, I started researching. I wanted something classic, but a little bit different. I wanted a sapphire because Mr. JeffM loves sapphires (well, anything blue really), and I wanted it to be a ring that represented us. And then I found it.

I placed the order. Lo and behold, on Christmas Eve (via Fedex) it arrived...

Merry Christmas, right? It is a sapphire and diamonds set in white gold. And can I just say how hard it is to have this beauty sitting in our apartment, and I can't wear it yet? I have to keep resisting the urge to "try it on to make sure it fits right" on an almost daily basis.

Needless to say, I'm very happy, and I cannot wait to start wearing it.

Our Save the Dates

I envy those brides who are DIY queens. The only DIY project I'm good at is opening a bottle of wine myself and pouring it into a glass myself. (Although I will be doing our wedding cake, but shhh, yet another blog post for yet another time!) When it comes to crafty projects, I am a failure. I am a good gopher. When my friend and Matron of Honor, Mrs. Gallery Place, got married, I helped her with some crafty projects like her CD favors. It was a lot of fun! Left to my own devices, however, I prefer to outsource.

Seriously, my superior MS Paint Skills in no way qualify me to design anything. I'm great at telling people what I want and letting them make my ideas pretty for me, but otherwise I'm a lost cause. So, just like any bride with an internet connection, I know about Etsy. (If you don't, for shame! And you call yourself a bride!)

What I love about Etsy is that... well, what isn't there to love? Independent crafters and designers selling their wares. Each piece is unique. I remember before I learned about the joys of Etsy, I would drag myself through websites like Invitation Consultants and still feeling unhappy. While they had great invitations, it all felt cold, sterile, and completely unoriginal. And I am not cold, sterile, or unoriginal. I'd like to think of myself as warm, interesting and bold! (Most would just call me quirky or eccentric, but I like my descriptors better.)

After searching and searching, Mr. JeffM and I finally found a design that suited us, and that was no easy task. Mr. JeffM and I are both very opinionated people, and I'm one of the lucky gals whose guy is actually interested in what goes on with wedding planning! I mean it that I feel lucky... but it can present a few challenges. For example, there were a few times that I found gorgeous unique designs on Etsy. I would lust after them, and wait impatiently for Mr. JeffMemorial to arrive home. He would give them a glance and quickly say, "Nope, don't like it."

But then one design came along. When I saw it, I might have swooned just a tad. Just like the other times, I braced myself for disappointment, thinking Mr. JeffM wouldn't like it. So he came home, looked at it, but instead of dismissing it, he said,

"Hrm, let me see it on our colors."

I got a proof in our colors. He loved it. And now that we have sent out the Save the Dates and everyone has received them, I can share it with you:

They just looked way too fun. And what's even nicer is how I can see them hanging up in the cubes of some of my coworkers.

Our invitations will be in next week, and it's a shame it'll be awhile before I can share them with you. They're just tops though.

The Dress, Miss JeffMemorial Style -- Just Add Drama!

So, I've had quite a road with my dress. Let me just say that I am notorious for changing my mind a million times, and it was the same when it came to The Dress. I mean, c'mon! It's the dress that requires capitalization; I was going to be choosy!

After months and months of me saying, "Oh, yes! That! No wait! No, no not that one. Oh, how about this one? This is absolutely THE one. Hrm, no... I have changed my mind. It's hideous," I found The Dress.

Gorgeous, right? I felt like such a lucky gal. I'm six feet tall and busty, and I was able to buy this number OFF. THE. RACK. No alterations were going to be needed except the bustle. I was over the moon because, due to my aforementioned tall-ness and busty-ness, I assumed that I would not only be budgeting for a dress but also alterations.

Mr. JeffM and I patted ourselves on the back and walked out of the David's Bridal in Springfield, Virginia (really nice people, by the way), poofy dress bag in tow.

When we got home, we were faced with something we had forgotten about completely...

Meet Horatio and Clover. Fluffy puppies of doom. Adorable, yes. (I mean have you seen those ears?!) But they are also diabolical little pooch muffins who can (and do) get into EVERYTHING. We knew that we had to store the dress somewhere else.

The obvious answer was my mother. She lives nearby in Virginia and is pet-free. I thought my dress would be safe!

I thought wrong.

Let me ask you a question. Do any of you have that one family member who can't seem to keep it together? You know what I'm talking about... everyone else in the family seems perfectly fine, but this one person is just, well, crazy. They either drink, or don't have a job, or are certifiable. Sometimes they're all three, and that's what I like to call the Crazy Pinata or the Trifecta of Doom.

Well, the Crazy Pinata in our family is my mother. I say that rather glibly, but it's actually rather sad. The only problem is that all of your sadness and sympathy tends to fall away fairly quickly, as she has gotten very good and making people angry.

Case in point: my wedding dress.

To make an already long story short, she threw out my wedding dress. She got angry with me and threw out my wedding dress. Why she was angry? I couldn't tell you. I think it had something to do with her not being invited to another wedding, or me not calling her every day, but it's rather moot because...

...she threw out my wedding dress. And she was proud of it.

This sent me into a spiraling depression about the wedding. I didn't want to plan anything. I didn't want to look at dresses. I was beside myself with oppressive sadness.

A few months past. I gradually started to snap out of it, but only out of necessity. Our May 2, 2010 wedding date was quickly approaching and I had not done anything in months. Oh yea, and our save the dates needed to go out.

So with the gusto and motivation of a grumpy snail, I began planning again. It soon came to pass that, as much as I didn't want to, I needed to start looking at dresses. Again. I was still feeling very reactionary toward the whole dress replacement dilemma. I thought about outright replacing the dress with the exact same one, but every time I looked at a picture of it, I got upset. I soon realized that simply buying the same one over again wasn't going to cut it.

I thought about my options, and I noticed that almost all the white and ivory dresses started running together. I felt a bit overwhelmed. I wanted something that was ME, and that didn't necessarily mean BRIDAL. We had already scrapped our plans for a standard wedding and instead opted for a unique and fun wedding venue (which is another blog for another time!), I thought why not just start going with my gut instead of what I think I should have.

This meant no white. No ivory. No champagne. No off white. No cream.

For a few months I stalked websites and designers, trying to find something for me. I have very particular tastes. This couldn't just be any dress. Then I thought I had found it. It was beautiful. It had pleats. It was in my price range. It was divine. I thought to myself, "Yes, Miss JeffMemorial, this is the dress!" True to form, it still took me another month to actually ORDER the dress, but I did it! Two days ago.

And then... tragedy struck. Again. This time, in the form of an email.

"The designer will not put extra length on this dress, please advise if you want to proceed with your order."

I'm not going to lie... I kind of flipped out a bit. It apparently was the only dress they won't add length to, and, because of my height, the dress was ONE INCH TOO SHORT.

What made it worse was that I had THREE hours to find a replacement dress and order that instead. I was set on the designer, and if I didn't get it in that day, I wasn't going to have my dress in time for the wedding.

What's funny is that, after this whole mess, I ended up with a better dress. A dress that I had looked at briefly, but said no to. Upon further inspection, however, I realized that I had passed over it too quickly, and that it actually was exactly what I was looking for. Dramatic. One shoulder. Classic, but different.

So without further ado, I present to you my dress...

This dress is actually featured as a wedding gown, as well. While I'm getting it in navy blue (as shown above), I'll show you the white version also, so you can see the detailing...

So there you have it. Miss JeffMemorial has a dress. Finally. Oh yea, and her name is Stella. She'll be in my little hands on March 19th.

Long Time, No See!

Hello, kids. I know, I know. I've been gone for so long, you don't even remember me. I don't even remember me! For those of you who do, you know it's been a long road for me. My fiance and I have been engaged for over a year, and now?

Now we're less than a hundred days from our wedding.

It's been... a journey, to say the least. I have to say that, for me, wedding planning has not just been about planning a wedding; I've learned a lot. I've learned a lot about myself, about us, about what's important, and how there are so many little things I never thought I would have to worry about!

I started out as Miss JeffMemorial. Originally we were going to have a nice fall wedding on the grounds of the Jefferson Memorial. Then things changed... and changed again. And then they changed again. (Have I mentioned that flexibility is a vital trait to possess when planning a wedding?)

But here we are! We are 96 days away from the big day! I guess it would be safe to say that Miss Old Town would be a better name for me. We're having a local wedding in Alexandria, Virgnia in Old Town. At first I was a bit sad about how my name is no longer an accurate reflection of our wedding, but then I realized it is indicative of how things can change.

So over the next week, I'm going to catch you guys up. It's been a lot of ups and downs, but now everything is coming together. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm a bride. I finally feel like a bride. I don't think I felt like that before now. I want to share that with you guys.

With that, I'll share something I did over the weekend. First of all, our wedding colors are navy blue, green, ivory, and gold accents. (More on that tomorrow!) After a lovely lunch at the Chart House on the Waterfront at Old Town with a fabulous friend (there is something about going to lunch with one of your favorite girlfriends and, in this case, their awesome friend), we trekked over to The Enchanted Florist on South Fairfax Street. I wanted to pick out my bouquet!

I knew I wanted something different, but in classic colors. I went with an ivory and green palette. I was a bit nervous. I wanted to stay away from things that some consider to be bridal staples: orchids, peonies, garden roses, etc. I wanted succulents. I wanted striking. I wanted something that was a bit out of the ordinary.

The gals at Enchanted Florist not only knew what I wanted, but they were excited. They ooh'd. They ahh'd. That made me really happy. We chatted for a few minutes, and it wasn't long before they were pulling pieces they had on hand to create a loose mock-up of what I wanted...



Green tea roses. Artichokes. Green berries. Cream and green hydrangea. There will be more, too. Potentially the use of kale. I love it. The artichoke will not be dead center in the middle of the bouquet. I took this shot at an angle so that everything could be displayed in the mock-up. The base of the bouquet will be wrapped in a muted antique gold ribbon...

...which will go great with my dress. Which isn't ivory. Or white. Or champagne. Or anything remotely close to any of those colors. But that's a post for later.

Either way, I'm excited. The look is different, but it works. Are there any ways you plan on making your look different? How about your flowers?

It's great to be back, ladies. I'm so excited to be here writing again.

I Return... This Time More Crafty!

I do not have the prowess that my Maid of Honor (Miss Gallery Place) has, when it comes to the Do-It-Yourself projects. Seriously, she posted her about her Save the Dates, and I was so impressed at how great they looked when we received ours in the mail.

I have not been around for awhile, because we have hit that bit of a lull where the venue has been booked, as well as our photographer, DJ, etc. I've decided to take this time, however, and start looking into the small details. Favors, decor, etc. I feel like I'm about to become a squirrel, stock-piling nuts for the winter.

Going back to my original point, I am not crafty, but I think I'm about to take a leap into the big world of DIY.

As many brides with internet connections do, I peruse Weddingbee.com. It was there I fell in love with Mrs. Cherry Pie's favors!


Source

For those of you unaware, Mr. JeffMemorial and I no longer live up to my DC Nearlyweds moniker. Due to having to switch our date and venue, we are now having a beautiful mid to late fall wedding (this November 7th!) in Old Town. Our colors are red, brown, and ivory/white. We're looking for romantic, rustic, and fall going into winter. It's something that suits both of us. We wanted laid back and low maintenance, but we wanted a welcome nicely-decorated vibe, as well. As a side note, it's nice that Mr. JeffM is actually interested in this stuff, and enjoys giving input. A lot of the design and choices have been from his ideas!

Those tags would fit PERFECTLY! I must have them! Sadly this means... I must MAKE them! Per Mrs. Cherry Pie's instructions, they are super easy to make. I buy the tags. I buy the stamp and ink. I stamp the tags. I put rustic-y rope to attach to goodie bag. The end.

But there's that fear of... will they look good enough? It's a bit nerve-wracking, to say the least.

I can't be the only one with DIY fears, heh.

In addition, I also found these FABULOUS picture frames, which I must find a use for:


Source

They're $21 a piece, so my idea of awesome framed table numbers goes out the window, but it might be nice to have a beautiful photo of us put in the frame... perhaps set it on our card/guestbook table? It's a thought.

While I'm not a little details person at all (I couldn't care less about a shade of red, and I don't do personalized matchbooks!), these two things really jumped out and got me excited about planning again. I haven't been too into it recently.

Measurements

So, as you know, wedding dress sizes vary from "normal" sizes, and are based on all sorts of measurements that I had never heard of. Here is a great little guide I found on a random site.


Source: http://bestbridalprices.com

The HOLLOW to HEM measurement was always a term that confused me, and is also excessively important, given that I'm a tall bride. It'll also help you guys out, in determining how long your dress should be.

HOLLOW TO HEM is a standard industry term. Start the tape at the hollow at the base of your neck and measure down to where you want the hem. If your skirt will be full, be sure to measure out at an angle to allow for the fullness. Also, be sure you?re wearing the same height heel you'll wear on your wedding day.

Wedding Party and Honeymoon and...

I wish two share three things; two accomplishments and then some neat little finds I wanted to share.

1) Wedding planning has taught me one thing: you have no idea what it entails until you're actually planning your own wedding. Things that seem fun? Well, they're still fun, but a heck of a lot more complicated than previously thought.



Perfect example of this: selecting your bridal party. My poor bridal party has had a series of ups and downs. A member was lost after a pretty sad and hurtful falling out. I've never really gotten my act together on who I wanted to do what. After so much drama, I kind of threw my hands up in the air and nominated my mother as Matron of Honor. Then, a couple of months later, she brought up a valid point.

"Dear Miss JeffMemorial, I know you love me. You have to, as I'm your mother. But you don't want me as your Matron of Honor. You're lucky enough to have no sisters that you HAVE to ask, so enjoy being able to choose a non-family member."

And she was right. In fact I already knew who I wanted to ask, and had thought about it for months. I just never did. Mama JeffMemorial and I chatted a bit more. She knew who I had wanted to ask for months (of course), but had hoped I would come around and do it myself. When she realized I wasn't going to she realized she needed to "give me a shove in the right direction".

But she understood. How do you demote your own mother? Thankfully I have a kick-butt mom who just wants me to be happy. Hasn't even given an opinion on the wedding unless asked for it. I love her for that.

So last night I asked my best friend, who has seen me through everything, good and bad to be my Maid of Honor, and she said yes. She also happens to be Miss Gallery Place, heh. It was really nice. I'm so glad my mom talked to me about it.

The only thing is instead of the nice lunch I had planned, this all went down at a Dunkin Donuts at Eastern Market over chocolate milk, diet green tea, and a salad. Whoops. At least I brought flowers...?

2) After some debate, Mr. JeffMemorial and I are NOT going to Colonial Williamsburg for our honeymoon. Instead we're going to NEW YORK CITY!



I'm so excited! We loved the idea of Williamsburg. I went there so much growing up... and I think that was the problem for me. I wanted to go somewhere that we were sharing together and experiencing together. Now I have been to NYC a few times (whereas Mr. JeffM has not), but with family and only a couple of times. I've never really DONE New York. And I've never been there romantically either. I think it's going to be perfect.

We're going to do all the cheesy stuff. A Broadway show... a carriage ride through Central Park... Carnegie Deli, etc. It's going to be perfect!

We'll be booking our hotel tonight at a place in Gramercy Park called Park 79.

3) Now next are a few finds. Once again, not for my wedding... or maybe? I don't know. Randomly I started looking at flower "alternatives", even though I'm going to have fresh flowers for the bouquets. And I came across some lovely pieces.



Oh, Etsy... once again, how you taunt me.

Beautiful origami flowers. Above is one designed as a garland. Perfect to string about for those garden weddings, perhaps? http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_1&listing;_id=20062764



Ring pillow. I love how even though the flower is large, it looks so delicate and beautiful. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=cat1_gallery_18&listing;_id=18893164


Hanging pom kit. Would never work with our more rustic colonial style, but they look so fresh and the colors really pop. Would look great in a bright wedding with a modern flair. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_4&listing;_id=20914064



Classic Bloom Necklace. I love the pairing of the feminine pearls with the flower that has an almost industrial look to it. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_17&listing;_id=20926439

And that's all I have for today...

But I'm Too Tall!

One of the sad things I have encountered during my wedding planning is shoe shopping. Our colors are red, brown, and ivory/white, and I plan on wearing sassy red shoes. You'd think that would open up a world of possibilities, right?

WRONG!

You see, Mr. JeffMemorial is a bit over six feet tall, and I... am six feet tall. Couple that with a crippling lack of coordination that has rendered me unable to walk in high heels since I was in high school, and you understand why I have been exiled to the world of dress flats.

Which is fine! I do really love flats! It amazes me, though, how hard it is to find a gorgeous pair of red dress flats. I do not want dyables. I think dyable shoes are great, but I want to buy unique shoes. Plus, I'd probably end up accidentally dying our pooch, Wee JeffMemorial, red in the process.

I have found a few options, though. (All courtesy of Zappos.com.)


Gabriella Rocha. $58.50.


Delman Welcome-P $114.80


Steve Madden. $79.34.


Sigerson Morrison. $244.50. (So beautiful, but the price makes me cry.)

I even entertained the notion of shoes not in red...


Type Z Cathy. $67.50.
Maybe traditional white?


Steven Kleo. $94.50.
...or I could go funky.


Franco Sarto. $88.95.
Oh, Franco. <3


Steve Madden. $80.01.
This time in gray!

I definitely want a shoe that goes from ceremony to reception.

Either way, while I have LOVED looking at shoes, and have bought a couple of almost THE shoes, it's so frustrating! I see all the cute heeled shoes and get cranky. Oh, to be not so freakishly tall. (Shamelessly buying new shoes in the name of the wedding is a great excuse, although I think Mr. JeffMemorial is starting to catch on, heh.)

There are so many options. Classic traditional white or color? One pair of shoes for the whole thing, or do you get one for the ceremony and one for the reception? Flashy? Subdued? And there are too many pretty shoes in the world!