Nip/Tuck

I know, you haven't heard me babbling about THE dress lately. That's because dress #3 is a hit, and I really do think it's the one. Yay! However, as previously mentioned, I am prone to meddling. I can just let things be, of course. Take my wonderful talent for turning one innocent zit into twenty by picking and poking - I have yet to learn my lesson. In the case of the dress, I already have plans to disassemble it, insert a new band under the bodice (to replace the black satin), and add a few finishing touches. I have decided that a linen, hemp or cotton/linen blend in a natural/ivory color with a metallic threading would be perfect for the band. The dress is currently mostly made from synthetic lace, and I would love to inject a bit of a natural feel. The fabric in the images below is pretty much what I have in mind:

[ dress by Hoss Intropia ]

I have also just purchased some vintage lace from a vendor on Etsy.com. To further personalize my new frock, in lieu of making it from scratch myself), I am adding layers of natural lace between the existing layers. I am inspired by this look, from Once Wed:


With the leftover lace, I hope to add a tad more modesty to the plunging neckline (my grandmother will be there, after all). Where the black band currently has a large bow, I am looking for a replacement - perhaps an oversized flower or bow in the same metallic linen? Or maybe I forgo the large accent for a more understated brooch at the centre of the bust?

[ dress by Zac Posen ]

I don't currently fill out the top properly, either, and the backless style prevents any help from my miraculous push-up bra. Not a problem, says my friend Tabor, who swears by NuBra, a jelly-like stick-on bra alternative. I am skeptical, but I will try anything. Having acquired some fairly decent sewing skills over the years, a little nip/tuck procedure (on the dress, not me!) will surely help as well.

Alex and my Mother, who have witnessed their share of my DIY-gone-wrong swearing fits, are rolling their eyes as they read this, I am sure. It will be gorgeous, though (even if the process does contain a tantrum or two), trust me.

("Let it be, let it be,...")

Another one bites the dust.

This is the year for weddings and babies. We are dropping like flies. I am merely being cheeky; In actuality, i am just as thrilled about my friends' great news, as I am about that of my own. In honour of my friend Kim's wedding, happening this Saturday (yay!), I would like to share one of the more PG photos from her recent bachelorette:

The rest are in the vault...

Congrats Kim and Jamie!

Control Freak? Who, me?

Control Freak. It's a term thrown around a little too often (along with "anal retentive") when the subject is yours truly. I prefer "meticulous" and "detail oriented", thank you very much. At least that's how I would spin it on a resumé. Leah would say "You are SUCH a Cancer!", and though I don't have much interest/faith in astrology, I have to agree.

It's true that I have a difficult time delegating, and relinquishing control over any of my little projects. This is especially true of anything creative. Since our wedding is D.I.Y. down to the last detail, it is a perfect example of one of those creative projects. And maybe it brings out the worst/best in me. Depending on how you look at it, of course. I have to say that event planning is one of my fortés, if only because of my attention to detail/anal retentiveness. I thrive on stress, and I strive for right angles, perfect seams, and just the right amount of lemon in my hummus recipe. I love the tedious jobs - picking fonts, folding napkins, artfully assembling fruit platters.

For others, though, the traits that make me a top-notch organizer, also make me a nightmare to work with. Lucky for me, Alex has just the right amount of his own meticulousness. He understands me (to a point). This may be why i am miraculously still engaged! It is also a miracle that Kirsten (as in my friend, not my boss) and I are still friends, after she had to work AND travel with me. Again, it could be a case of another "I feel you, sister." I know, I can be a bit of a tyrant. Alex used the word "psycho" in response to a recent rant about my "vision" for setting up the centrepieces. You see, I was stressed about leaving this task to even the most capable of our guests while we are off getting snapped and posed.

All of the above would be of no consequence, if only the "Y" in DIY really only represented me and Alex. Let's be honest, though: we will rely on the help of our very generous and hard working friends and family to pull it all together (I am sucking up). One subject that has caused a little concern among our families is my insistence that BBQ-ing for 113 people will be a snap.

My mother has been pushing for catering. Alex's Dad looked a little panicked, at the thought. I admit that it will be an exercise in logistics. I suppose I will need to work on a very detailed itinerary for the day, to ensure that it will be clockwork. I am vehemently against catering this portion of the meal for several reasons:

1. the control factor
2. i believe it will be cheaper to do it ourselves
3. i want the meal to feel casual, organic, and like an intimate picnic/backyard BBQ
4. i think it will be so cute to combine the receiving line (which I typically hate) with the serving of meat (ie. Alex and I will dish out the food to our guests, in aprons)

I am really in love with this concept. However, for the peace of mind of everyone involved, I am going to really price/time it out to ensure that we can make it happen. I am also pricing out the cost of getting it partially catered. Mostly to pacify my mother (hi mom!). I will concede defeat, though, if i find it to be logistically impossible, and not significantly cheaper than going the catering route. See, I am not that unreasonable. I have found two companies online who offer such a service in the area: Western Cut BBQ and Bad Wolf Barbeque. More on this topic later...


p.s. I may or may not have already purchased matching bride and groom BBQ aprons from Cafe Press, as above. *smirk*

We're online!

After some Friday night assembly line-style stamp and envelope licking, our Save The Dates are ready to be mailed. Finally. Of course, I am still missing one address... my nomadic best friend is missing in action somewhere between Helena, MT and Medicine Hat, AB.

Since I had added our website URL to the back of the cards, I figured it might be important to finish the site once and for all. I dedicated most of today to this task, and am done! My shaky HTML skills proved enough to piece together an informative website that's not entirely a design disaster.


In wedding dress news, I am disgusted to say that i am on dress #3. but i really, really think this is the one! A casual Saturday shopping trip to find sunglasses for my friend Tabor, turned into quite the expensive day for me. I picked up the dress in question at BCBG, while actually only looking for a dress to wear to my friend Kim's wedding in two short weeks. I am selling dresses # 1 and 2 on eBay this week, with no remorse. This is a good sign.

[ BCBG wedding dresses... but not mine. You'll just have to wait! ]

The newest addition to my tiny closet (that now has barely any room for Alex), is long and white, lacy and romantic. SO not what I had planned, but it's gorgeous. The only hitch? It has a thick black satin band under the bust, that is actually part of the construction of the dress. Black is not ideal for a country wedding, and I plan to flex my sewing muscles to alter it. I actually have to basically deconstruct the entire top portion of the dress. This scares me. I plan to replace the band with silver, white or just the right shade of blue/green silk if I can find it.

My little patent slingbacks certainly match, but I am not sure about how I feel about them with the new dress. I'm stuck wearing flats anyway (um, hi, I am getting married in the dirt), so I may just make them work.

I am vowing to put an end to this dress madness once and for all, but not until after Wednesday. You see, I am in NYC for work for the next few days, and if I just HAPPEN to fall in love with a JCrew number, I may need to act. Sheesh. Still, though, I love my dress. Alot. Barring any sewing mishaps, this baby could mark the end of the most energy consuming part of this whole planning process. whew.

yet another dress blog.

[ dress #2 = strike 2?]

Oh dear.

How, oh how, have I fallen into this trap? If you ask my mother, she would say "*tsk*, typical." But I swear, I really swear, that I was not going to get caught up in the dress. You'd think this would be the utmost of importance to me, considering my love of fashion, but really, my wedding must-haves are:

1. Marry for love (check)
2. Have a great party (working on it)
3. Tread lightly on the earth and our wallets (so far, so good)

Having the "perfect" dress and the "perfect" day are silly expectations when you're marrying the perfect man for you, and sharing that moment with music and food and the people you love. Right?

So, why then, after Dress #2 came in the mail finally, did a mini dark cloud suddenly hover over me? It fit like a glove (a tight-ish glove, but nothing a good active summer wouldn't cure), but didn't make me feel "Wow". It didn't say "I'm the one!". Dress #1 has been sitting in my closet ever since I picked it up. It was relegated to back-up dress when I purchased #2 online. In the back of my mind, I was always going to replace it, I think. Now I have one almost-there dress and one probably-not. Ick.

I am back obsessively hitting eBay, and Once Wed for another pre-loved wonder. I may keep one eye on potential Dress #3 while out shopping on Saturday.

*sigh* could my mother be right?

No news is good news.

[ from: http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com ]

Ooh, I guess it's been longer than I thought since my last entry. Yikes! But, I will blame my lack of writing about wedding planning on actual wedding planning. Yes, I suppose I could be accused of "all talk, no action", but no more! We are really on track now, and I actually have something to write about.

• We took a trip to IKEA last week to do some price comparison. Along with a friend who is also getting married this summer we were weighing the benefits of purchasing and sharing dinnerware, etc. rather than renting. In the end, although slightly cheaper, we decided that not having to deal with washing post-wedding dishes was worth a few extra bucks. Renting it is. Also, while at IKEA, we picked up some paper lanterns and décor accessories (the above photo is somewhat of an inspiration, but I think we can do better!)
• We've reached out to the the party rental company in Kingston, and have confirmed the availability of the items we need.
• Finished the Save the Date cards (yay!) and should have them mailed by this week.
• Set up gift registries at Crate & Barrel and The Bay (seriously, so fun)
• Created a seating plan. Yes, it's quite early, but we needed to do the exercise to determine the number/size of tables needed before renting. Considering the tight fit in the barn, I have realized that we can't possibly stretch the guest list ANY further. How did we end up with 112? I thought we said small....
  
• Researched transportation options for our guests (I "assigned" this one to Alex :)
  

I've made no progress on the dress dilemma since my last entry. I have one in the closet and one en route. Luckily, I have kept it at two, so far... With a super casual look in mind, I find I actually see wedding-potential dresses every time I leave the house. This could be bad.

In rock-star-future-husband news, the recording in LA has been pushed back YET AGAIN, and Alex will be away during July and August now. ACK!

p.s. we love this idea...now to find really really long drapes so that I can avoid another sewing project!