a bow on top

I'm not wearing a veil at our wedding.  I've never really pictured myself wearing one.  (One of the advantages of not being a girl who's been imagining her wedding all her life is that there aren't things I've "always" planned on wearing or saying or doing--which, now that we're planning a real live wedding, has left the options wide open...)

So, no veil.  I think they look nice.  I just don't want one on my head.  I don't need the weird symbolism that seems to go along with the whole thing, and I'm not so hung up on tradition that not wearing a veil would seem wrong.  (If I'm getting you down with this whole "no" thing, you should wander over to Souris Mariage.  I really like what Mouse had to say last week about her fancy new headgear.)

All of this begs the question: What, if anything, am I going to stick on my cute little head?  For a few months there, I was campaigning for crown-wearing at our wedding.  Not a tiara, thank you very much.  A nice big crown.  Perhaps made of construction paper.  While my partner-in-crime was in full support of the idea, I've since decided that maybe I could do better.

And I'm pretty sure I need something fancy, if for no other reason than to distract people from noticing that I've done absolutely nothing at all with my hair.

I've gushed here before about the lovely little things over at LoBoheme's Etsy shop.  And with the clock ticking so loudly now at the back of my mind, I'm kind of inclined to just order one of the stunning things listed there.

Like maybe this:

Or possibly this:

photos by Marisa Holmes: marisaholmesblog.com

I'm still clinging to the idea, though, of making something myself.  There's still time, and I have some ideas, albeit vague ones.

Remember my slightly-toxic flowers?  I was thinking of making a few of those in white and somehow sticking them together, along with something shiny.

(And my selection of shiny things grew a bit more this past weekend when my mother-in-law-to-be stopped by with a few pieces of costume jewelry she'd offered to loan me.  Along with some other lovely little things, there were a pair of rhinestone-studded birds, which of course, must now find their way into whatever I end up with.)

I'm not really satisfied with my initial efforts, but here's what I have so far.

Mostly, I just love the little bird.  Besides that, I think I've got my work cut out for me.  Is it a headband I want?  An alligator clip?  I have no idea.  It would probably help if I could decide how I'm wearing my hair.  (My beloved stepmother has already vetoed pigtails.)

I do like the rosette pattern of the flower, but I think I'd rather have petals that are more defined.  When I tried cutting and then melting something more petal-shaped, I ended up with little tendrils of melted polyester, instead of anything remotely flowery.  I guess I'll have to work on that.

And my whole I-can't-sew hang up is seriously getting in the way with all this tulle and netting.  I am way outside my comfort zone, and I might have to start looking for someone to give me some advice.

I do feel like I might be headed in the right direction, though.  It might just take some more clumsy hacking to really get the hang of this.

I'll keep you posted.  Obviously.

ack

More tech trouble tonight, folks.  Please don't be mad.

I'll be back tomorrow...

rules

I don't even know where to begin, friends.

I spent the better part of today doing things that are extremely outside my comfort zone.  To begin with, I bought some makeup--for the first time in about a decade.  This required actually going to a makeup counter and asking questions about makeup.  Also, letting an incredibly up-beat twenty-something put makeup on my face.  This was all much more nerve-wracking than I can begin to describe here.

And then, there are the shoes.  I spent all day today looking for a pair of shoes.  I don't understand why this part has become so difficult.  It's not like I'm after something outrageous.  My criteria are pretty simple:  Flats, probably in a neutral color, probably leather, without any buckles or bows or little metal studs in them.  Also, no extra-pointy toes.  Just nice normal shoes.

Apparently, these shoes exist only in my imagination.  I've looked everywhere.  The thrift store, the Internet, and now every store within walking distance of downtown Seattle.  I went into stores I've never ventured into before, some of which I'm embarrassed to actually name here.

Along with all the trendy teen stores, I tried the big department stores, too.  And that's where I found my dream shoes.

I know, the Swarovski crystals are kind of breaking the "no buckles or bows" rule.  I don't care.  I still want them.

And I can't have them.  I know that.  I knew it before I tried them on.  (And allow me to emphasize here: This afternoon, I put my dirty little feet in a pair of shoes that are allegedly worth more than the pittance that is currently masquerading as our honeymoon fund.  Absolutely crazy.)  The whole thing was definitely a lesson, though, in why you should not try on clothes that you have no intention of buying.  Once the saleslady put those fancy little princess shoes on my feet, it was very, very hard to take them off again.

I don't like that I'm angsting over things like makeup and expensive shoes.  It makes me worry that all this wedding silliness might be compromising the woman I think I am.

Which is why I fully intend to spend the rest of my weekend gardening and cooking good food and hanging out with my man and figuring out how to make a wedding "headpiece" out of three dollar's worth of fabric remnants from Jo-Ann Fabrics.  Because that is exactly the kind of woman I want to be.

Happy weekend!

tokens

Awhile back, I posted some photos of the little favors we have for the smallest guests at our wedding.  When I shared our plan for the heart-shaped crayons, I hinted that we were also working on favors for the grown-up guests, too.  After weeks of waiting, I'm finally ready to share a peek with you...

I've mentioned, from time to time, the shop where I work, but I don't think I've told you about Bedrock Industries, where my partner-in-crime spends the bulk of his days.  Bedrock carries a lot of beautiful stuff--most of it made from recycled glass--but one of my favorite things has always been the little glass hearts they sell.  They might seem a little cliched, but I think they're beautiful.

And--lucky me!--I actually got to make some of them a few weekends ago.  Mostly, I followed my man around and did whatever he told me to.  "Crafting" together isn't really something we do much of--usually I'll craft near him and he'll offer an opinion now and then.  I really enjoyed working side-by-side.  I wasn't the only one, though, looking for his love and affection.

The process involved quite a few steps, and I kept thinking that I wasn't doing things quite right, but I guess it all turned out pretty well.

And now, we have beautiful little somethings for our guests to take home to remind them our of wedding day--and of our love and affection for them.

the fifth of may

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  I'll be honest; it's not really a holiday I've ever celebrated, but for some reason, I've been thinking about margaritas and flip flops all day, and when I wandered over to Green Wedding Shoes this afternoon, I was thrilled to find this sweet Inspiration Board dedicated to the day.

Martha has some cute CdM crafts today, too.  Anything that involves tissue paper and scissors works for me...

Enjoy the holiday, everyone.  I'm off to find the Hornitos...

the polls

Our RSVP postcards asked--politely--for a reply by the 1st of May.  There are still a few of them out there in the universe that haven't come back yet, but I was prepared for that, and I'm certainly not panicking.

What I have been a little anxious about, though, are the results of the multiple choice question we posed to our potential guests.  Along with asking folks how many people there will be in their party, and whether or not they're vegetarian, we also asked them to tell us which couple they'd most like to see us embrace as romantic role models.

Here are the standings so far:

Romeo & Juliet haven't gotten any votes at all.  That's alright; I'm not sure they really deserve anything.

Only one vote so far for Sid & Nancy.  Again, maybe that's for the best.  Those kids didn't exactly make the best life choices, either.

Jim & Pam have edged ahead--by just one vote!--of Princess Buttercup and Westley.

And, of course, Ma & Pa Ingalls are headed for a landslide victory.  I'm biased, naturally, but I do think they're the best choice.  As one of our beloved respondents pointed out, "They love each other and are a realistic couple!"

If you've been reading, you know that I'm already cultivating a Ma Ingalls-like serenity.  All my man has to do is grow out his beard and learn the fiddle and we'll be set.

There are still votes coming in.  I'll keep you posted of any significant new developments.  In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites from the write-in candidates:

Wall-E and Eve

Clarence and Alabama

Anna and The King of Siam

Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young

Frog and Toad

The Curies (minus the radiation)

Cliff and Claire Huxtable

If you haven't voted, now's your chance.  Feel free to comment below...

shelter

I've got some fun stuff to share with you all this week, but first, I have to take a moment to declare:  I reserved a 30'x30' tent today.  We have officially checked off what has been--physically, anyway--the biggest thing still looming on our to-do list.

I'm kind of hoping that the tent looks a little bit like this:


(photo from grandlaketentrental.com)

The stripes on top remind me of a circus--which, coincidentally enough, is a word I've been using pretty frequently to describe this whole event.  I'm pretty sure, though, that our tent will be all-white.  Sigh.  But it will keep the sun--or the rain--off which, aesthetics aside, is actually the point of the thing.  Maybe I'll try to specifically request the striped-roof tent, just to see.

This is one of the first situations where we've been dealing directly with what the wedding industry would call a "vendor."  So far, we've managed to avoid caterers, florists, bridal salons, wedding cake bakeries, DJs, and rented "venues."

I'd conveniently forgotten that "wedding" and "bride" are words that carry certain connotations for folks working in the rental industry.  In our first conversations, the (wonderful) gentleman at Grand Lake Tent Rental offered me plenty of options--matching linens and disposable trash cans, for instance--that any bride in her right mind would probably reserve without hesitation.  I politely declined most of the items on the list, choosing not to waste anyone's time by trying to explain the bed sheet tablecloths and compost/recycling bins that we have in mind for our Big Day.

I did rent some lights, though.  And the most amazing "Restroom Trailer" that you have ever seen.  This is the real deal:  Two sides--one for men, one for women--each with two stalls.  Granite countertops.  Porcelain fixtures.  And--get this--piped-in music!  I haven't been inside yet, but it sounds absolutely decadent.

(I certainly didn't take this particular decision lightly.  My parents weren't wild about the idea of eighty wedding guests tramping in and out of the house all night to use the bathrooms.  We'd had some crazy plan to just rent a couple of Honey Buckets, but after attending an event a few weeks ago and visiting said Honey Bucket in my fanciest crinolines, I decided the cheaper idea just wouldn't fly at our wedding.  So here we are.  We're trying to come up with an appropriate name for the powerful powder room.  I'm leaning towards The Taj Mahal, but my man wants to call it The Throne Room...)

I know I've said it before, but I do have this overwhelming sense that things are falling into place quickly.  Securing the tent was the last big piece of the puzzle.  At this point, we pretty much have everything we need for an outdoor June wedding in Ohio.

Pretty much.  There is still the matter of food.  We've got another fifty-five days to figure all of that out.  Fifty-five days sounds like plenty of time...