Heart the Day

Pretty and New!

2012-06-06T17:35:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the redesign of Heart the Day!

Thank you to Joy at HowJoyful Design for her hard work and design and coding prowess.

I'm working on consistency as a blogger to do my new design proud. (I should stop writing posts in my head and start typing them on the internet. Easier said than done*). Stay tuned for new happenings around these parts!

lorraine daley photography

*Full disclosure, I signed in to start a "why I've been an absent blogger" post for Weddingbee, and found the draft of this post that I wrote months ago. I guess I got cold feet =}

Birthday!

2012-01-05T10:04:00.003-05:00

Today is my birthday!

Here are some more Penny pics because there's no better way to celebrate than making a puppy wear a hat.

Penny on her 1st birthday, December 13, 2011

move on

2011-11-03T15:27:00.002-04:00

I'm not usually one to re-post inspirational quotes. I'm not a "dance like no one's watching..." lover in my adulthood. But thanks to Pinterest, and following lots of like-minded ladies in similar life phases and lovers of typeface, I've come across several that really do speak to me. This one is pretty important right now:

Source: weheartit.com via Becky on Pinterest

I think I'm on my way.

penny

2011-11-02T13:20:00.001-04:00

Our Wedding Video by Well Spun Wedding Films

2011-07-27T21:06:00.004-04:00

As I ease back into blogging and recapping our big day, I can't help but jump the gun and post our wedding video here on my personal blog. I'll (try to) hold out on Weddingbee until I've well documented the events of the day. And granted, most of my internet friends who might read this have probably already seen this video on facebook or via other messaging and tweeting and sqee-ing when I received our final edit several months ago.

Anyway, dear internet friends, I hope you enjoy!

Autumn in Philly from Well Spun Wedding Films on Vimeo.

Needless to say, Well Spun Wedding Films has done an incredible job. I am so grateful I found them, they were not yet booked so close to my wedding date, and I chose videography over a blingy wedding band. (I mean... I hold on to hopes of a blingy anniversary band some day.)

If you are a bride weighing the pros and cons of the extra expense of videography, I highly recommend researching all your options. You may be pleasantly surprised to find someone whose vision jives with your style and who won't break the budget.

xo,

Published on Inspired Bride

2011-07-19T22:44:00.001-04:00

This weekend, Marc and I attended our friends' wedding at Fiore Winery in Maryland. It was beautiful, full of personal details, and so so much fun. I'm proud to have had a hand in the design of the day, and working for two days on a project full of love and friends who are like family that I was head over heels passionate about was like hitting the reset button on my spirit and got me back on track.

Which reminds me: Our own wedding was featured in January on the always lovely Inspired Bride. I certainly found my share of inspiration from Maddy while planning my wedding, so I can't tell you how thrilled I am to somehow contribute to the vast pool of pretty to be found on her site. If you'd like a peek before I [finally] dive into my recaps, click on over here:

See a Penny, Pick it up

2011-03-02T23:34:00.002-05:00

Hi there, if you're still out there following HtD (thanks!!). I'm getting back into the swing of blogging, but I wanted to share my latest distraction with my loyal, albiet estranged readers.

Married life has opened the door to all new kinds of commitment for Marc and me. We've been researching buying a home, which has led us to set up some long-term savings plans, I've been searching for a dream job I can love for all time, and we fell in head over heels for a little puppy we've named Penny.

So no, this post is not about marital finances (phew!), or about good luck proverbs, but about our newest commitment and love of our lives. Hive, meet the newest edition to our little family: bitty pretty puppy Penny!!

Glamour shot

Her littleness! 9 weeks old, cautiously (and very briefly) exploring the world

Nomming on her rope (usually she prefers our hands and feet)

Latest pic at 11 weeks

She's a darling and a terror (is that where "terrier" comes from?). Her momma is a purebred Pug, her poppa is a purebred Miniature Pinscher, which makes Penny a Muggin, one of the latest of the "designer breeds" of the dog world. We just think she's super cute.

Neither of us has ever had a puppy before, and Penny is proving to be an adorable challenge. It feels like training camp for our future human babies; and so far, I'm working by the book and taking advantage of her love for her bully sticks, and Marc can't say no to this sweet little face. We're meeting with a trainer next week, and puppy kindergarten starts in April. Fingers crossed for success. Anyone have any advice for training a bitey little puppy?

She's sleeping in my lap with a case of the hiccups right now. Can't. Handle. The cuteness!

Oh, and in case you're wondering how we chose Penny's name, it started with Lost, but she may be more accurately named for Inspector Gadget's crafty tricksy smart niece.

(source)

Wedded Bliss

2010-10-28T08:17:00.092-04:00

We did it! We united in matrimony during the most beautiful ceremony I could have ever imagined. We smiled all day long...

photo by MD Bridesmaid's fiance

We felt the incredible love and support of our families and friends every step of the way...

Epicurette in NY

Our vendors pulled through like rock stars. Rock. Stars.

Mixed china in action! Photo from our florists Murphy and Klein

We danced alone together in public twice! (And we giggled a lot. Well, I did.)...

Guest M.A.

We tried to stay on our chairs during the most overzealous amazeballs hora time ever...

Epicurette in NY

And we... raved? No no, this is just a super fabulous pic taken during another camera's flash, but I think it captures the spirit perfectly...

Duane Tollison

We offered a cozy break outside during dessert complete with bonfire and s'mores! (I know, I've been holding out on you.)...

Epicurette in NY

A thimble surprise appeared as part of our cake topper...

Duane Tollison

And a massive unwieldy pumpkin stole my groom.... (more on that story soon...)

MD Bridesmaid

We're back home, back to work, and nesting like crazy trying to organize all of our wedding and shower gifts. I can't wait to recap for you just as soon as I get more pictures. In the meantime I have lots of pre-wedding action to catch up on. It feels good to be back!

xoxo,

Mrs. ♥-the-Day

It's About Time!

2010-10-09T08:46:00.001-04:00

Dear Readers,

It's Saturday morning- I woke up with anxious pangs in my stomach at 7:30 and I haven't been able to fall back asleep which means I need to cross something off my to-do list, and that thing may as well be therapeutic and happy-making. So I write.

Tomorrow afternoon, I marry the love of my life.

The past week has felt like the calm before the storm- I went to work on Monday and Tuesday, and I diligently plugged away at an overwhelming number of DIY projects with a sense of calm and accomplishment after work. I hastily packed up my DIY mess and dumped most of my clothes in a suitcase (I'll sort out my honeymoon packing on Monday) and loaded up my mom's car. On our trafficky ride from Queens to Bucks County, PA, LA MOH and I assembled programs in the back seat of my mom's SUV. When we got home I went back out to do a walk-through at my venue and ran back home as fast as I could for welcome dinner with our Irish cousins, who have come to America for my wedding, unbelievably (and they read my blog!! Say hello :) ). I feel like I haven't stopped- probably because I haven't stopped working- for at least two weeks. And now the anxiety and butterflies are hitting me. Thank goodness it's a day before my wedding so I can sort them out.

Oh yeah! And I went on a haunted hayride last night with friends (!!), like the good 'ole days growing up in the country- which feels waaay more country-like now than it did back then. I suppose 4 years in the city will do that to a gal.

I have sooo so much more to share with you after we get back from Mexico! I hope you will forgive my radio silence of late as I promise to make it up upon my return as I recap project after project as I patiently await pro-pics.

For now, I have to get myself ready for a special service for Marc at his family's synagogue. And then I get to manage my team of bridesmaids and friends as we tackle our final projects before rehearsal and zen time tonight. Even the rehearsal is DIY. You'll see... ;)

see how my ring fits snug as a bug inside his big, protective band? symbolic...?

I haven't seen Marc since Thursday morning, and I can't wait to see him today so my stress can melt away a little. "Mr. Thimble", if you are reading this, I cannot wait to marry you tomorrow, and celebrate a day we have been anticipating for over two years. Well, for eight and a half years, really, because I have known I wanted to marry you since we started dating- sometimes I think I knew before I even met you. Is that weird? It's true.

Thank you for sharing my journey (thus far) with me! Your incredible support, your help and advice, and our general shared excitement over weddingy things has added depth and a sense of accomplishment to my bride-to-be experience. I am forever grateful. Thank you for reading my ramblings.

To the rest of the 10-10-10 (and all the bazillion weddings this weekend) brides, good luck!! Breathe, try to zen out a little and take it all in.

I'll see you on the other side! (oooh I've been waiting to say that!)

With Love and Best Wishes,

Bex.

Certifiable

2010-09-16T10:59:00.001-04:00

It's official, Marc and I are certified to wed in the State of Pennsylvania. Bring it on!

M Zipcar-ed in to PA to meet me Monday morning to retrieve whatever bridal shower gifts (from Sunday) we could fit in our borrowed Scion. While we were both in the State on a weekday morning, we drove over to the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown to get our marriage certificate. I was way more excited than I thought I'd be!!! Who knew paperwork could be so exciting?!?

The Courthouse

Call me a nerd, but stacks of old books get me every time. And when the stacks are volumes of records of every marriage in Bucks County, PA- where Marc and I both grew up and met and fell in love and are getting married- I downright swoon over them:

It feels like all the pieces are falling into place. Despite any high stress moments (or months) that have plagued our year so far, in 4 weeks we will be partnered for keeps. By the State, and by God if we believe in that stuff, and by the love of our families and each other, it will be official. And I think, even though we've been living together for four years and dating for 8, that it will actually feel different. Better. Happy, content, and settled after a rocky year of job decisions and all-consuming epic wedding plans. I am SO very much looking forward to calling Marc my husband.

It's funny what a couple questions, signatures and musty old books can do for a gal's spirits. Adorable historic Doylestown on a gorgeous day doesn't hurt either.

Time for a Shower!

2010-09-11T14:38:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow, it is time to kick this wedding month into high gear. Tomorrow, it's all really real. Tomorrow, is my bridal shower.

Holy crap.

I remember when I was a little girl attending my cousins' showers and imagining my own someday. SOMEday. Not tomorrow. My how quickly twenty years fly by...

My mother must feel the same way, because a few weeks ago, I received this invitation in the mail:

OH yes. She went there.

This is a picture of me when I was seven, dressed as a bride for Halloween. Technically, for our "Halloween in July" or something like it down the shore at the campground where we'd vacation on the weekends in the summertime.

My sister actually adjusted the color of the flowers in Photoshop to match the color scheme of the invitation, and the family painstakingly cut out 70+ of these bitty pics to look like polaroids, and hand glued them on with photo-corners. And the attention to detail does not end there.

The gold-flecked envelope liners matchs the belly bands and are echoed in the main invitation paper which was stored in a half-moon enclosure, all tied-up in an olive green satin ribbon and enclosed in a metallic gold envelope.

Dang mom!

Honestly, I only added envelope liners to my own wedding invitations because of these. I had to dress up a little fancier for the main party invitation. I was afraid our guests might get confused!

You see, I'm the very youngest in a large Irish Catholic family, and the pressure is on to celebrate the heck out of this wedding. And my parents love crafting invitations and hosting parties. I know, I talk about their skillz a lot... and here's the proof of their intensity! So now... you all know where I come from.

Tomorrow is going to be kind of a big deal. And I can't wait :)

Are you looking forward to your bridal shower? Anyone else have "I can't believe I'm getting married" moments as the day gets closer?

Catch-up Day

2010-09-11T10:10:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize how far behind I was over here on HtD, so I just brought over my last several posts from the 'Bee. Enjoy if you haven't read them already!

xoxo

Dance Like No One's Watching

2010-09-11T10:07:00.002-04:00

Cuz.... that's about our dance skill set! I'll let you know how our friendor dance lessons go a little later, but for now, lets talk music.

(from Weddingchicks. This has nothing to do with dance songs except how super awesome our first dance will be!)

Our original no-brainer choice for our first dance song was Luckiest by Ben Folds. It was sort of "our song" for a few years, when we would pine for each other over the distance of a 4-hour drive between different colleges. It's a gorgeous song, a tear-jerker, and it really speaks to how meant-for-each other we feel.

This was Mr. and Mrs. Hamster's first dance song, and it was beeautiful!!

However, after eight years of loving this song... it almost didn't feel right anymore. Like we were trying to fit into an old pair of shoes we'd grown out of. You know? And there's the part about the couple dying, and it's poetically lovely, but I've been worried about that line...

More recently, I've found myself listening to Bright Eye's First Day of My Life on loop on the subway. I love that it is a little up beat, it speaks to how long we've waited to get hitched, and "remember the time you drove all night, just to meet me in the morning" really happened... okay well, Mr. Thimble borrowed a friend's car and drove to Allentown from Penn State on a whim on a Wednesday night and went back in the wee hours. I just, LOVE this song. Everything about it:

This is currently on the books with our band as the song we are using for our first dance.

But... of course... I'm reconsidering again. Shouldn't we choose something more timeless and classic? But I don't want to choose a song that doesn't necessarily mean anything to us or that just looks like we picked it because it's timeless and classic (and cookie cutter).

And then it dawned on me. We were listening to it at work this morning and I was thinking about how much I always love this song when it comes on, and I suddenly saw Mr. Thimble and I swaying happily to it as our families looked on and thought what a lovely choice it is for us...

It's like it was right in front of my face the whole time! Mr. T and I love The Beatles, and I love that this Across the Universe cover is slower, soulful, and just a tiny but more current and trendy but not as trendy as the Bright Eyes song. The lyrics aren't super serious- they're simple, like us. And heck, we met in high school, and it represents our youthful longing at the beginning of our relationship. No?

I love it. And Mr. Thimble pointed out that our guests will all actually know this song which is another bunch of points in its' favor.

What are you using for your first dance song? How did you choose?

How Suite it Is

2010-09-06T10:05:00.000-04:00

This is my last post about my wedding invitations I promise! ;) I wanted to share with you how we put the whole invitation suite together before we tied it up with a bow and a Moo.

Miss Stripes isn't kidding when she likens invitation assembly to a hot an heavy one-sided love affair. It's important to have amazing friends who will help you get out of the mess once you're in too deep. NY MOH spent several hours with me gluing in the silvery lining:

And cutting 100+ lengths of twine:

Mr. Thimble painstakingly stamped addresses on our reply card envelopes (which looks WAAY better when the info isn't deleted):

Meanwhile, I worked out my handwriting skillz:

There's nothing like crisp white gel pen on an olive green envelope to transport a bride from a crazy workspace...

We used belly bands instead of inner envelopes for guests who get a +1, and I had some fun with them, depending on the guest:

Finally, I tied my last twine bow:

And I sent them out into the world:

Phew!! That felt good.

How did you feel when you set your invitations free? (And for those of you in the throes of invite assembly, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's all worth it- promise.)

Map Making for Procrastinators

2010-08-31T10:04:00.000-04:00

I knew I wanted a hand-drawn map, and I knew I didn't want to pay someone else to draw it. I thought I'd be able to trace a Google map and draw cute things for landmarks easy peasy, scan it in to the computer and print them out. I waited to tackle this fun project until Weekend-invite-assembly-mayhem-must-go-out-by-Tuesday Crunch Time.

That's not a great plan, hive. I'm a procrastinator. And seeing my old habits collide with my bridal-driven desire for perfection, my one surviving logical brain cell nearly nixed the map project to spare myself frustration and tears.

Here's where my knight in thimbley armor saved the day!

Mr. T took a look at the Wedding Mapper tutorial I was trying to follow to no avail, and he riffed it by tracing the map in Photoshop and deleting the layer underneath the resulting lines. Does that sound right, Photoshoppers? Sorry, bad blogger doesn't want to bug her future hubs for the play-by-play but the result was this chivalrous gift of blue line design:

I'm not great with technology, but I am good with directions. So I went to work labeling these lines (in blue marker... hence the blue lines in the first place). I added some flair, and we had a rough draft:

Once I worked out the kinks and had a semi-flawless (by procrasti-standards) version, we scanned our hybrid-hand-drawn kinda map into Photoshop, grabbed the necessary blue bits with the magic wand and got rid of the paper-colored background. We kicked it into grayscale gear, and we were on the road to this semi-hand-crafted-looking invite insert:

We printed them double-sided with the directions on the back...

And we printed some of them on 5x7 cover from Paper Presentation. The color mostly matched, the weight was significantly less than the letterpress invite making for floppier paper. The know-it-all in me sought perfection, however, so I had purchased some 110 Crane Lettera in the same color as my invitations while I was at the paper store, thinking this would go through my shiny new Epson Artisan printer. I was mistaken, but we were determined, so we got the paper to feed through a laser printer. Which took all afternoon.

So we had 50% floppy neat-printed maps, and 50% slightly smudgey from toner luxe paper maps, and a bride ready to be done with this project. A recipe for oversight, which yielded smudged maps on the back of gorgeous invitations because I didn't think to separate the toner-printed pieces with tissue until I'd been stuffing invitations for 8 days and decided not to care (yes, I missed my deadline):

whoops.

Moral of the story: Ask for help, compromise, and if a project you're working on looks way better on slightly less quality paper, eat the cost of the luxe paper and use the better looking, non-smudging version. Le sigh...

Anyway, this wasn't about the silly mistake I made, it's about DIYing a semi-hand-drawn map. And it can be done in one weekend warrior day! You can even line your envelopes while they slowly print...

Did you include a map or DIY any invitation pieces?

More Cowbell!

2010-08-31T10:02:00.001-04:00

I've got a fever, and the only prescription is...

More Moo Cards! (Get it, Moo... Cowbell, eh?)

I love how our Mini Moo cards promoting our wedding website turned out. We did not incorporate pictures in our save-the-dates because my parents had already sent a photo in their engagement party invitations... aaand we didn't have our e-session yet. But I had to show off our new engagement pictures somehow...

Mr. T punched a heart-shaped hole (using my awesome heart-shaped-hole puncher!!! [Aside: I spent my junior high days analyzing Tori Amos songs and being very serious, and in my mid-twenties I'm obsessing over heart shaped things... is this a normal progression?])

And I tied the Mini Moos on to the invitations with yellow Divine Twine:

I was a little nervous about our guests' reactions. Sure it's cute, but I've basically branded my wedding (with hearts, of course) and I'm hocking our website with a business card.

Oddly enough, this little Moo is the first thing they talk about when they compliment my invitation suite!! I haven't checked our website traffic to see if the cards are actually working, but at least people like them and maybe they won't throw them out right away :)

How did you incorporate your wedding website and extra information for your guests?

I Love Letterpress

2010-08-26T18:29:00.002-04:00

I love the thick cotton paper, I love the luxurious feel of the indented letters, I love the endless possibilities provided by modern polymer plates and the artisanal limitations of authentic typeset. Letterpress is rich with history and- not that I've pressed any letters myself (I nixed that plan months ago)- it feels intimate and particularly personal because the person printing has to mix the ink and man the machine or hand press each piece on a tabletop press. Letterpress was completely unattainable in my eyes when I began this journey. But the more I learned about it, the more I had to have it.

I searched for an affordable option and was lucky enough to find an invitation designer with a vintage Chandler and Price Pilot press who fit my budget just in time to send our save-the-dates, and I enlisted Janie's help again for invitations. Best wedding decision I've made yet. If I had DIY'd this- via a letterpress class or my inkjet- I would have pulled my hair out.

Sorry to get all nostalgic. I'm repeating myself, I know. But I needed to look back over the last 2 years (es two years! Our engage-aversary was last Sunday) and have an inspiration-to-reality moment for myself, you know?

You helped me choose our invitations, now are you ready to see them?

Photos by moi

Photo from We Heart Paper

I... heart them. A lot.

Is there a wedding detail that you had to have? How did you make it work?

Engagement Pictures: A Walk in the Park

2010-08-19T11:53:00.002-04:00

I warned you there was more to come!

After our photo shoot at our high school, we took a short drive into a State park adjacent to our alma mater for some rugged woodsy shots. This is where Marc and I went the first time we hung out one on one. (Err, well, that was actually a drive out to King of Prussia Mall so he could buy a 1st generation iPod... but this is more romantic). Again, I'll let the pictures do the talking:

(Secret's out: the shoes don't match the dress. But once I had them on I didn't want to take them off!)

I love innocent bystanders in photos.

Mmm yes, the danger dam sign = gratuitous make out pics.

Back story, Greg asked us how comfortable we are with PDA on a 1-10 scale. I think we ranked ourselves around a 2 or less. This is a testament to how comfortable we felt with Lorraine and Greg, and how much fun we were having. Now back to our programming:

Must have been a good story...

My all time fave.

It was tough to choose just a bloggable few from this part of the engagement session! We had so much fun trekking through watery stone terrain and climbing into the wheat field. (I'm not sure what it is really, but it looks wheaty...)

Did you explore your PDA limit or tackle fun terrain on your engagement shoot?

* All pictures by Lorraine Daley and Greg Marcel of Lorraine Daley Photography

Engagement Pictures: High School Sweethearts

2010-08-18T14:14:00.001-04:00

Last month, Marc and I had the pleasure of spending two fun-filled hours with our photographers Lorraine and Greg of Lorraine Daley Photography for our engagement session. As part of their wedding package, they like to spend some time with their couples for an e-sesh to build a rapport with them and most importantly to get them comfortable in front of the camera.

Our first attempt at casual e-pics around our neighborhood didn't go so well. But I think we got most of our awkward out of our system in February because in these shots, we spend most of the time genuinely laughing, or kissing. In public. Big deal for us!

Enough chit chat! On to the good stuff!

I had to have a quilt. It's one of my favorite trends; it's so comfy!

Except when squishing in for a picture... then it's a little awkward. But we got the shot!

Where is this mysterious field, you ask? Lets pan out, shall we?

That would be our high school parking lot and some sports fields in the background.

For our pro pics I wanted to tell a little bit of our story and where we're from. When we display some of these at the wedding it will be fun to remember how far we've come since "Best Couple 2002." (Yeah, that happened... it was unexpected and an upset, but I guess the votes don't lie!)

Sitting on top of The Rock- a victim of rival schools' vandalism by paint every year. But this time it's just showing blue and white school spirit!

Not our usual spot to sneak a make-out sesh.

In front of the front wall of the school- a concrete mural. Marc calls this our folk album cover. I call it awesome.

One more for the road?

From here, we packed up and migrated next door to the adjacent PA State Park for some nature shots and more gorgeous sunset light. Are you sick of our faces yet? There's more to come!

How did you choose your engagement session location?

*All pictures by Lorraine Daley Photography

Badass

2010-08-14T13:19:00.001-04:00

My guy during our engagement pics. More soon...

Quick-N-Dirty Hair Trial

2010-08-06T10:43:00.001-04:00

Quick-N-Clean, really. I skipped that "day old hair is best for up-dos" step. My hair is on the oily side, so if I can wash it on the morning of my wedding I will be sooooo much happier by the end of the night.

On to the good stuff: I'm not going to share my hair-spiraiton with you because I found ALL of it on Weddingbee. I will however, refer you to an awesome thread saved in my favorites from the boards. Other brides did all the hard work and shared their inspiration pics and their own wedding 'dos so the rest of us could steal their ideas ;)

http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/lets-see-your-wedding-hairdos-ladies

Inspire and be inspired, ladies!

Marc's aunt is a hair stylist, and lucky for me, she has agreed to coiffe my bridal 'do. Her specialty is cut and color rather than up-dos, so we're working in a few trials before the big day. I have full faith in her, and I think we're on to something already:

Taking out the hot rollers- my mother is very thorough in her photographic storytelling. I fast forwarded for y'all.

Andi's hands moving so fast you can't even see them!!

My mom pulled this photojournalistic shot out of her back pocket. Why'd we hire a photographer for the wedding day?

Sorry for this fuzzy pic. They left me alone with a DSLR, a mirror, and a braid across my head. What choice did I have?

Front shot

And a view from the back.

We are definitely on the right track. We need to secure the bun better. I'm going to try adding extensions for more volume and drama. And we might nix the braid because I like hair in my face (not those 2 pieces hanging down- I usually have long bangs). A hairband should sub-in for a braid quite nicely... we shall see at trial number 2.

How did you decide on your bridal hair style?

The One

2010-08-04T23:06:00.006-04:00

I never had strong feelings... for a pair of shoes... until I met these beauties:

from J.Crew

This pretty pair has everything that ever catches my eye in a dressy shoe: Suede (perfect for Fall- even though this is a "summer" shoe), substantial heel (as in not a skinny stiletto) in a reasonable height (3 inches or less), peep toe, soft girly detail. And the icing on the cake is a touch of braided raffia to add a little bit of modern rustic flavor playing right into current wedding trends.

No, I lie.

The icing on the cake is COMFORT. (Looks aren't everything when it comes to true love, you know). Yes, I'm girly. Who am I kidding, I LOVE shoes. My problem is that most heels send my feet into excruciating pain frenzies, so I never buy them. They break my heart. If I go out in heels, I'm running around the streets of New York barefoot or riding piggy-back on a chivalrous Marc by the end of the night. ..Or... an hour into the night.

Fortunately, Italian suede + 3-inch cone heel yields comfort. So far. For the half hour I ran around my parents' house with them on my feet. And look at them!

Happy feet:

Sigh...I think I'm in love.

Did you know it when you met The One? Or was it a long and tedious dating process full of heartbreak and rebounds? You know, the one... pair. Of shoes.

Unpredictable Weather: Cozy Cardys

2010-07-28T17:41:00.000-04:00

I have no idea what the weather will be like in southeastern PA in early October. We could have an Indian Summer, a hurricane, or it could be downright chilly. I plan to be prepared for anything, and to brave the elements with style and grace. What better way to keep fashionably warm than cardigans for my bridesmaids?

I'm not the first bride to incorporate a preppy, cozy cardigan into my wedding day look, but I am proudly hopping on to the button-down bandwagon.

from J.Crew / source for pic

I have a habit of finding pre-Fall fashion I love and waaaaiiting for it to go on sale... only to forget all about it and kick myself later when I can't find it in stores anymore. (Anyone else a shopping procrastinator?) So I started my search early and found some sweaters with potential:

1. Target, 2-4. Forever 21, 5-6. Old Navy Dress: B2

Sticking to stores that have great year-round deals, I kept my eyes peeled for online promos, and visited the store in person to make sure my choice would work with the girls' dress. I also considered mixing them up for a semi-coordinated mix-matched look, but I have too many other accessory ideas for them I decided to keep it simple.

You'll have to wait to find out my pick!

Are you or your 'maids sporting cardigans at your wedding? What do you think of the dress and sweater look compared to a traditional wrap?

A Wedding Band with Heart

2010-07-28T17:38:00.000-04:00

Last week, I posted about my tough decision to spend big on videography, and keep the budget modest for wedding bands. But I could't settle for just any 'ole plain band, so I scoured the internet for a palladium or titanium band that suited me. Frustrated, I clicked over to Etsy to see some clever indie designs, and it was love at first sight:

5mm Palladium Band with Heart by WroughtGold

Here's where I should confess to over-thinking, plotting and planning: I found this ring before I found Well Spun Wedding Films. And I was torn between this and the Tacori platinum dream ring. I wanted both! Fortunately, I found a distraction and a wise use of money in videography which made my ring decision for me. (Although, if you look at this thought process... you can see I was just using the ring as an excuse to get the videography... it's a case of bride-brain logic if I've ever seen one).

Have you used or considered Etsy crafters for your wedding bands?

Making Tough Choices

2010-07-22T14:47:00.003-04:00

I'm not very exacting. I'm an eyeball-it kind of gal, a how much do you think this weighs, a these two shades of yellow can work together, good enough kinda' gal. So you can imagine, I'm not very good at sticking to our budget. My parent's told me what they can pitch in and we're staying in those boundaries, but there are a lot of extras on the peripheral budget that I can't quite see or keep track of. But I'm trying to get better! Today, I made a tough choice.

This intricate wedding band that compliments my e-ring:

Tacori 462ET

Elegant with a timeless heirloom quality... All this craftsmanship is concentrated in a dainty band that measures about 1.5-2mm wide. I didn't really love any other band on my hand or with my engagement ring... but I felt guilty wanting such a glam designer ring! I mean Marc was okay with it, and after I confessed that simpler ones weren't really doing it for me he said we should just get it... and I was pretty giddy about it...

Versus beautiful heartfelt videography:

Well Spun Wedding Films

And then I stumbled upon Well Spun Weddings on the Weddingbee boards. I had completely nixed the idea of professional videography for our wedding. Every time a beautiful video in the blogosphere moved me to joyful tears and made me want to hire the filmmaker on the spot, I'd click over to their website and find prices starting in the 6K range. (I know, I mention how much things cost a lot. But my "eyeball the budget" methodology sees 6K as tooo biiig). I was scared away and never fully researched my options. Then 82 days before my wedding I found Well Spun and checked out their ala carte price list and thought, Hey! We were going to spend close to 2K on that ring... could we spend it on this instead?

My original video plan was to hand my friends some Flip Vids and tell them to get as much as the could and DIY edit. I was curious and excited to see what we could come up with, but also wary that I'd forget about this plan and lose video all together- and I didn't really want to make my friends work when they could be celebrating. But then again... on the other hand... my friends are tv-film and theater folk who would do a great job...!

See the over-thinking in action?

The only thing these two items have in common is the similar cost, which makes for an apples to oranges comparison.

I asked my mom her opinion, and she likened it to a recent anecdote about her friends: C and G were coming up on their 20th anniversary (or so....) and C had a choice of a diamond anniversary band, or a romantic trip to Paris with G, a destination she has always wanted to visit. My mom voted for Paris, I voted for Paris, C and D chose Paris!! I mean, for me it was a no-brainer.

Translate to: Marc can always gift me with a diamond band later ;) But we only have one chance to capture our wedding in HD. We chose videography!! A new vendor, completely on a whim, and it feels sooo goood!! (Barring any competition for our date of course. There was one other bride who had inquired and it was 1st come 1st served to complete the online contract and deposit...)

But don't worry! I have a plan B forming in my mind grapes for a beautiful sentimental wedding band. And another layer to my over-thinking tendencies so stay tuned.

In what ways have you prioritized wedding costs? How did you decide which elements are more important?