je voudrais être une ballerine

Love.

2010-01-31T22:36:00.002-06:00

Recently found this blog and fell in love with this video her husband made for her!

Home Design Inspiration

2010-01-30T14:19:00.007-06:00

Oh how I cannot wait to have a home of our own to make beautiful and unique! Here are some ideas I am lusting over...
Unknown source, beautiful antique look. Mark loves maps too, so this one is promising for our home next year!

These don't look too hard to make...and they would give me some knitting practice while making something practical (well, sort of).

These are from Anthropologie but I would use them in our kitchen above our kitchen sink a la Chelsea & Tec.

Would love to post this somewhere prominent in our home...you know, in case we forget.

All for now! More to come :)

Our Wedding.

2010-01-16T16:14:00.022-06:00

August 1, 2009.

All photos by Ling Photography.

DIY clothing!

2009-05-12T22:22:00.005-05:00

How cool is this girl?

First, she makes basic tanks from target into pretty tops with lace and dye.

Next, she took a gross dress from the 80's and made it into a great summer top.

Luckily I have a sewing machine of my very own now.....and they seem so easy. I might dare try these!

Always Gracious

2009-05-11T19:07:00.003-05:00

I just pulled this out of a magazine and had to share it! This is my new motto...yours too?

If you can't read it, it says:

"Be pretty is you can, witty if you must, but gracious if it kills you."

-attributed to Elsie de Wolfe

Why I love dresses!

2009-05-05T19:47:00.003-05:00

"No matter how elegant, how timeless, a dress still billows in breezes and swishes in doorways, is always a little different with each wearing and on each person. We don’t dress up to be like someone else, we dress up to be ourselves. A dress makes us more aware of being alive (and not by pinching at the waist!). A dress is about savoring life, *our* lives. When we read a good story, we close our eyes and see the characters. The right dress can make us feel that way. We all deserve to be that sure of, and that happy with, who we are, wherever we are.
Dresses aren’t just for swooning over dark, brooding men or inheriting spooky mansions on windswept moors. They’re also for brunch on Sunday morning, going out with friends, or even going to work. They’re for slowing down and dressing up. They’re for elegance every day, for showing that the moment is special. Because every moment is part of our story."-Sunday Brunch

I found the one(s)!

2009-04-09T23:12:00.002-05:00

Hope these work out...I just ordered them on sale! I've gone through almost 15 pairs trying to find the perfect pair for my wedding. Cross your fingers that these are them!

Lovely & Exciting Wedding Plans!

2009-04-04T15:23:00.019-05:00

Planning on making candles from used jars and soy wax, via Peonies & Poloroids, and using wire to hang them from the bars of the tent.

Thank you Style Me Pretty, for the instructions for making custom sparkler packs for guests to wave as Mark and I exit the reception.

I'm thinking about using these inexpensive birdsnests to add a little personality to my centerpieces...I think what I will do is just order one and experiment with my aqua mason jars that I have now finished collecting and my bamboo compostable plates! I have a total of over 20 mason jars plus 3 large ones for the wedding party table. I'm hoping they will look like this (below). Plus I love the house numbers used as table numbers and the garland/flowers over the barn door (I wonder how expensive that is...)!Via Mint Design Blog.

Handmade veil by Kasia Fink. Very tempting to order for the reception (I'm getting a mantilla veil, similar to this, for the ceremony)!

Escort cards placed in lavendar. Via Snippet & Ink, photos by Meg Smith. There are so many ideas out there for escort cards, but they all seem to involve a lot more work than I feel like doing at the moment. This idea seems cute, fresh, and simple!

*Actually, I'm thinking I will use these for a little splash of color instead of the lavendar!

Polaroid guest book (curtesy of my brother Adam and sister-in-law Erin. Thanks guys!). I will be providing some funs hats, and maybe some mustaches so that guests have something fun to work with :)
I also plan on making a multitude of signs out of distressed wood to label all the different areas at the reception (cocktails, croquet, horseshoes, Polaroid guest book, etc). Hopefully Mark's dad will enjoy helping me with that! His dad has also recently taken up wood carving and is going to be making a personalized bride & groom for us :) Kinda like this!

From Bridal People.

How absolutely LOVELY are these icelandic poppies from brides.com?! Are these available in Minnesota?? Please say yes!

I'm so excited for all these details. Next up...deciding on either a custom design or one of the pre-made designs from Printable Press for our paper products. They do the designing and we do the printing (such a steal)!

Inspiring

2009-04-03T23:01:00.001-05:00

Via Brown Button.

LOVE

2009-03-27T02:25:00.000-05:00

What's Your Personality Type?

2009-03-07T18:41:00.002-06:00

I'm an:

Introvert, iNtuitive, Feeler, Perceiver (INFP) aka "Dreamer"

INFPs represent between 4 and 5% of the U.S. population

INFPs value inner harmony above all else. Sensitive, idealistic, and loyal, they have a strong sense of honor concerning their personal values and are often passionately committed to making sure their beliefs and actions are congruent. INFPs are also extremely perceptive about people. They value their uniqueness and typically seek unconventional ways of doing things. Sensitive and empathetic, INFPs tend to be exceptionally adept at reading between the lines. Although they demonstrate cool reserve on the outside, INFPs care deeply inside. They are compassionate, sympathetic, understanding and very sensitive to the feelings of others. They avoid conflict and are not interested in impressing or dominating others unless their values are at stake. INFPs seldom express the intensity of their feelings and often appear reticent and calm. However, once they know you, they are enthusiastic and warm. Feeling truly understood and respected for their unique perspective and strong values is important for many INFPs.

I gotta say this is pretty darn accurate. Click here to find out what you are!

This breaks my heart...

2009-03-06T23:52:00.001-06:00

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

I will try, if you will.

2009-03-06T20:00:00.004-06:00

THE ONLY THING | William Taylor Jr.

To be beautiful

in spite of everything,

that is what is needed.

In spite of the ugliness

of these times

and of this people.

In spite of what

you have done

and what has been done

to you.

In spite of life,

in spite of death.

To be beautiful

when nothing else is.

It is not an easy thing

but it is the only thing

that matters.

I will try

if you will.

Photo here.

Thoughts on the Economy & Weddings

2009-03-05T22:50:00.004-06:00

Thoughts on The Economy & Weddings

by Meg of A Practical Wedding

I know that many of you are struggling these days with planning a wedding in the most painful and uncertain economy in a generation. If you are like me, you're feeling mild envy at last summer's crop of brides, and wondering why us? Why now? Some of you have just been laid off, some of you are afraid that you might be laid off soon, some of you are just sad about the myriad of ways the terrible economy is going to impact your celebration. So for all of us today, I have two kindnesses:1) I read this week that one of the many beautiful pieces of symbolism attached to the breaking of the glass at the end of the Jewish wedding is an old saying from Moroccan Jewish villages that "A difficult beginning is a good sign." You can't say it more beautifully than that.2) I was worrying out loud recently about all the people who might not be able to afford to travel to the wedding. A much older friend pointed out that because of the economy our guests would be thinking through why they wanted to come. Did they feel they should go out of obligation, or did they have an emotional need to come celebrate with us? And that in the end, with times being as tough as they are, the less people would make the trip out of obligation, leaving us with guests who had a strong emotional tie to us. And I realized I'd been thinking about it the wrong way, that in some small ways having our wedding this year was a blessing.Marriage isn't easy or perfect. Our weddings are not the day of our dreams. They are a real personal emotional moment when we make one of life's most serious commitments, followed by one heck of a good party. And if that day is infused with reality, this is a good thing.So chins up! My grandmother says, when she looks back at the 80 years of her life, she sees that all of the hardest things ended up allowing something surprising and good to come into her life. Maybe getting married in 2009 is a bit like that.

A difficult beginning is a good sign.

Sigh. She always makes me feel so much better about things and I'm very glad that a difficult beginning is a good sign!

Here is another little jem I found on her website :)

No wedding is perfect. It's just the kickoff to a marriage that also won't be perfect, but hopefully both will reflect your spirits and your values.

That last point is something that I think is really important!!!! A wedding that represents Mark and I's spirits and values...not some 'pretty' wedding that is generic or 'what a wedding is supposed to be'. I want a different, unique, markandmollie type wedding. Nuff said.

Vases from Paula

2009-03-04T23:51:00.000-06:00

My Pink Peeps

2009-03-04T23:27:00.000-06:00

Ebay.

New Color Scheme & Bamboo

2009-03-04T22:30:00.001-06:00

Guess what else?We get a huge labor discount from our caterer if we use compostables! We end up saving about $400 with the cost of renting and labor if we go with bamboo...plus I think they look pretty nice too :) Especially for a garden reception. I just ordered a set of 200 in dinner and desert sizes. Hopefully thats enough! Found here.

Now on to collecting a trillion of these :)
Goes nicely together right? Photo found here. Which also just so happens to be from a wedding held at my venue! This is the only one that I have found so far...weird, b/c I know that many weddings are held there in the summer months each year.

The worst kind of bride.

2009-03-03T23:00:00.004-06:00

Ok, well maybe not the worst...but second worst!

Forget the last post. We are back to the Coren Moore dresses and thats where WE ARE STAYING! I promise. After speaking with Mark's sister, I realized that the style of dress I picked out may be MY style, but I don't think it is her's or really any of the other girls for that matter. Not that she said that, because she didn't I just thought more about it and decided this is probably the best decision. I love the girly/cutsy/fun kind of style but I think my maids would feel more comfortable in something less cutsey and more sophisticated. Therefore, the third, and final, change of heart. I PROMISE!

Shoot me in the head

2009-02-26T13:18:00.005-06:00

We're back to the original dresses. I'm glad but what a cluster! One good thing is I believe my veil is now being taken care of by my aunt...so that's a plus! Speaking of veils...
I'm liking this.
With some of these...

I'm so excited to be working with Chelsea on something similar to these!
I just can't decide if I should have white and get my bridesmaids pink or the opposite...or maybe I just get them for myself! There are just too many options!

Finished Save-the-dates!

2009-02-26T12:18:00.004-06:00

Handmade by moi.

Change in plans........

2009-02-17T22:11:00.006-06:00

I was informed today that my aunt would like to purchase the bridesmaid dresses for all of the girls but the one stipulation is that they can't be J Crew!!!....I guess they are too big of a chain or something. Luckily I called their special occasion department today and they will accept all our returns. Yay!

So back to the drawing board I went. I mean, how can I pass that up for all of my closest friends? Plus I know I would have had more people pissed at me I'm sure. Actually I went back to my aunt's original options at Coren Moore that she was presenting me with. I decided to pick one fabric and let the girls pick their styles. I'm excited! Here are a couple of my favorites...the dress will be pale pink with a white sash (or grey) and white heels and flowers like the picture with the dark pink dresses. Don't you love getting things accomplished? Speaking of which...I should finally have my save-the-dates completely mailed and out of my hands by tomorrow. Ugh, that was a challenge to finish. I hope the invitations get a little bit easier!
Photo by Pamela Lepold. This is kind of how they will look with all the different styles.

Photo by Christopher David Studios.

Photo by Barnaby Draper Studios. PS - perfect flowers for BM's and me right there!

Photo found on Yellow Brick Blog.

Bridesmaid sashes

2009-02-16T13:18:00.005-06:00

I'm leaning towards white or the tiffany blue...I like the pink/aqua color combo!

All made out of silk shantung, all made by Coren Moore.

Look what my photographer can do!

2009-02-07T18:11:00.008-06:00

All photos by Ling Photography.

I'm so glad we have her!! Her 'about me' is just perfectly what I want in a photographer.

Hair!

2009-02-05T22:58:00.005-06:00

Love her makeup!

Love Julia's hair!

I like this too, although I wear this style almost everyday anyways...

Pretty!

Sexy, beachy, waves. Love.

Shoes!

2009-02-03T17:11:00.004-06:00

Oh my goodness...I have found the cutest shoes...

but they are out of my size :( :( :(

So either I scour the globe looking for the color and size I want, or find something else...

Update: I might get them off Ebay tonight!