When Deniz emailed me a link to her amazing Etsy shop, reflectionsbyds, I became completely smitten by her amazing handknit and crocheted items. So naturally, I am thrilled to partner with Deniz to give one lucky EAD reader a gorgeous Secret Garden Mohair Capelet!
To be the lucky bride to win, simply visit the reflectionsbyds shop and comment below with your favorite item! I will choose one random commenter as the winner on Friday at 12:00pm CT. Good luck (and happy ogling)!
xo,
E.
As do many of us who began our mini-adult lives with nothing to our name but our grandma’s chipped fiestaware and much-loved box-sets of Sex and the City (I even have Seasons 1-3 on VHS, what-what!), I am firm in my belief that its the accessories that make the clothes that then make “the look.”
On Tuesday evening, M and I went out and got his ring size determined by a couple of jewelers. (Naturally, I forced him into two places to double check the first size was correct – totally normal, right?) I told you we were considering going with Etsy for his wedding band, and after some further consideration, I decided to go for it! I love Etsy, I love supporting independent artisans and the price could not be beat. Really – $45 for a wedding band, no tax nor shipping? Now that is a language I can speak. Fluently.
Congratulations to Carla for winning the Bel Canto Designs bracelet giveaway!
We are so excited to partner with Bel Canto Designs to give away a fabulous vintage-inspired bracelet to one lucky EAD reader!
First, here are my Ariel shoes from Disney that I wore today. Garrett saw these on his last trip there in October and wanted to get them but was afraid they wouldn’t fit. I figured there was no way. But apparently I am cinderella and the shoes fit! I am an XL footed princess apparently. When I wore them the other day a woman said “Where did you get those shoes?!” I replied “Disney World” and she said “I knew they weren’t from here.” Ha. Awesome.
With three months to go, I’ve started to give more consideration to what jewelry I might like to wear for the wedding. I am already planning to swipe my sister’s diamond studs for the day as my Something Borrowed and think they will be perfectly simple and pretty. For rings I am going to keep it to my engagement ring and the gorgeous blue topaz ring surrounded by a halo of tiny diamonds that M got me for Christmas as my Something Blue. As an April baby, my birthstone is diamond and as a December baby his birthstone is blue topaz and I love the idea of wearing both on our wedding. The place where I seem to be hung up, likely to an unnecessary extent, is with regards to a necklace. I really have no clue what direction I’d like to go. I don’t know how much I’d like to spend (do I go thrifty or splurge for something more heirloom-quality?), what style I’d prefer (opt for classic and simple or go more fun and bold?) nor what length/shape (would short 16-18″ be best or can I get away with a short necklace with a sparkly strand or two hanging longer in back?) Here are a few of the pretty things that I am currently loving…
Quite by accident I stumbled upon the Etsy shop of Titanium Knights recently and found myself rather intrigued. Somewhat ironically, M and I were just out pricing wedding bands that same day, a special consideration because the shape of my engagement ring setting is going to require a custom band. During the course of our travels he set his sights on the lightweight and simple modern appeal of titanium. His favorite pick of the day rings in at a very affordable $195, which thrilled me to no end considering my band will be a bit more expensive as it will be custom. M is very much a no frills kind of guy. He is most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, he’s a former athlete turned teacher and coach, and his idea of a perfect weekend is a great dinner and a day of watching football. At any rate, an expensive gold or platinum band kind of guy he is not so the titanium route seems really perfect for his tastes.
I know that for many a bride, a veil is a given. It’s not something they give much thought to or even consider as an option. It just is and therefore they do. For me it has proven a tough decision. I, in one part, long for something traditional, romantic, ethereal, and quintessentially bridal. Yet in large part I also loathe the way most typical veils look. They strike me as being boring, dowdy, rather unimaginative and often serve as a clear indicator that we’ve probably all been beaten over the head by images of the “perfect bride” far too often and for far too long. I can’t apologize for not loving the average tulle confection. I crave the romantic yet I also crave something with a big more sass, a bit more of an edge. I’m into trendy, but I’m also into classic with perhaps a bit of a vintage flavor. I am also one part flower child in love with the notion of finding a field of wildflowers on the morning of our wedding and happily selecting a bloom or two to tuck behind my ear.
We’ve forever been seeking just the right tie for the men in our shebang. Behold, I have found it!
Last week I wrote about the overview of the day, how we hope it will pan out. We now move on to filling in some of the details in more depth. As the wedding is still over 4 months away, some of the details are still in progress but I will start with the things which are pretty much sorted.
We got engaged on a Saturday. That next week, Selfridges were having a sale, so I popped in after work one afternoon and perused the shoe sale. I live for shoes and I had already spent several hours on the internet looking for blue shoes, which I knew from moment one I would wear. And there, on the shelf marked ‘5’, was a gorgeous pair of electric blue slightly metallic peep toe Rupert Sanderson shoes. It was love at first sight. And, reduced by 75% to a mere £99 they were affordable as well. I was sold.
Now that I’ve had my teacher voice out about dress shopping, can I ask for an opinion? My dress – the unexpected winner – is strapless and ivory, with an ivory sash. I didn’t start out looking for strapless, and while I like it a lot I’d still like to have a shrug or something over my shoulders. I’ve found several options so far:
Something that I just thought about this week, as a cold front came through, is that I may get cold at my wedding – especially as we exit and take a carriage ride off.
Oh, hello Myra from Twigs & Honey! Why, what a beautiful flower you’re wearing… what? It’s for me??
I really WANT to tell you all about my dress. But I’m trying to keep it kind of sacred (especially from Hunter, an occasional reader). I’m trying to sort out what I can and cannot tell you, but suffice it to say – “I’m in LOVE with my dress!!!”
I know, I know, it’s an overused word – BUT on your wedding day, you want your jewelry to be special. Whether you want it to stand out and make a statement, or be simple and elegant, you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot of bling for your buck!
As I discovered some amazing wedding websites and blogs, I was quickly led to Etsy. And the earth shook and angels sang. I became an etsy freak. Bridesmaids gifts? Red Otter and Modern Printed Matter . A gift for Fiance from Kathryn Riechert. Not to mention half of my Christmas gifts. But there were three people I worked with in particular from etsy that were absolutely memorable.
To kick off my weddingregionalism week of posts, I’d like to discuss local designers and artisans. I’m going to start off with what I know and that is Portland, OR. Anything I do with this city can be applied to your own city/hometown and I hope you might come away with some inspiration!
