Just go read it, especially if you're a fellow bride. Offbeat Bride writes a wonderful denouncement of the word "tacky"
Brides all over wedding websites worry that their nontraditional wedding will be "tacky." But this term is so meaningless because it's all about context. Just as I know I could never hold a 300 guest soiree in a ballroom downtown with 6 foot tall centerpieces and an all white cake and Canon in D to walk down the aisle...lots of brides do just that. Most of the weddings I play have most of those elements. And you know what? As much as my quartet will occasionally judge (we love silently judging the guests who wear too-short minidresses with spindly little stripper heels), we mostly celebrate what was beautiful: the bride beaming as she walks down the aisle, the groom tearing up during the vows.
I just wish I had given myself a little less grief when I was searching for my wedding dress and getting so upset because I felt like a "bad bride." The wedding industry is sneaky, and very very good at making you feel like you have to do things a certain way. This article is a reminder that nobody is a bad bride. If you want to cosplay at your wedding as elves from the Lord of the Rings, and have your wedding bands engraved with "One ring to rule them all...in holy matrimony," go for it. The people who love you will likely see these ideas as so unmistakably you, and they will love you all the more for expressing yourselves in your wedding planning.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wedding Favors Part 2
After my previous entry on favors, I presented the idea to my mom and fiance. Both thought vanilla extract was an awesome, unique idea. So, I bought 4 lbs. of vanilla beans in bulk and 108 amber glass bottles (12 8-oz., 96 4-oz.).
The larger bottles will go to some of the key players-our officiant, our parents, John's grandma-just as a way to show them a little more gratitude for all their love and support.
Following this tutorial on Ruffled, John, my dad and I cut up over 500 vanilla beans (!) and placed them in handles of vodka to steep. They are currently housed in the dark in my old mini-fridge from college, since they're supposed to stay out of the light. I go over and give them a good shake every now and then (once a week or so).
Next came the fun part: designing a label for the bottles! I started with a soap label (found on GraphicsFairy's amazing blog of vintage art) and massively cut it down:
Though, depending on how much printer ink I want to buy, I may just print the recipe side and tie that on. We'll see how ambitious I get.
I love the mismatched vintage vibe of the paper goods. My goal is for things to be quirkily mismatched and yet cohesive in their aesthetic.
The larger bottles will go to some of the key players-our officiant, our parents, John's grandma-just as a way to show them a little more gratitude for all their love and support.
Following this tutorial on Ruffled, John, my dad and I cut up over 500 vanilla beans (!) and placed them in handles of vodka to steep. They are currently housed in the dark in my old mini-fridge from college, since they're supposed to stay out of the light. I go over and give them a good shake every now and then (once a week or so).
Next came the fun part: designing a label for the bottles! I started with a soap label (found on GraphicsFairy's amazing blog of vintage art) and massively cut it down:
- all the excess border
- the text "Savon Olgalia au Muguet"
+ "John & Dana's Vanilla Extract"
+ Border I cut out from another random label
=
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| Ta-da! |
But, of course that wasn't enough. What is the use of extract if you aren't much of a baker? What ever will you use it for? That's why I decided to make a recipe card for one of our favorites, Saveur's Honey Chocolate Chip cookies. A hole will be punched in the top left corner and the card will be tied around the bottles with twine.
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| Front of card |
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| Back of card |
I love the mismatched vintage vibe of the paper goods. My goal is for things to be quirkily mismatched and yet cohesive in their aesthetic.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Perfectly Outfitted
I spotted this little shoot on OnceWed, and am smitten. The dove gray Vera Wang dress is beautiful, but it almost looks mint green the way they shot it, doesn't it? The flowers are stunning, the sash is gorgeous, and I love the simple accessorizing; just a bling bracelet.
Also, gotta love the carpet of purple flowers and greenery. It really sets off the dress, dont' you think?
Also, gotta love the carpet of purple flowers and greenery. It really sets off the dress, dont' you think?
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| Photography by Tec Petaja, Hair/makeup by Amy Lynn Larwig |
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Loving Tribute
I love this idea from an old Ruffled post: the bride displayed her mother's and grandmothers' dresses on dress forms at the entrance to the reception.
This is such a sweet idea! If I could have fit into my maternal grandmothers' dress, I would have worn it; I love it so. I wonder how hard it is to get ahold of vintage dress forms? Would I be able to borrow, or can they be rented? I would love to ask around; this would be such a neat idea!
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| Spotted on Ruffled, image by Claire Barrett Photography |
Hand-drawn invite love
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| The groom hand-drew details from their entire relationship I love how the response card is tucked in with photo corners!!! |
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| Above the outgoing address, it said "Dear Postman, warmly deliver this tender parcel to our fine guests." LOVE. |
Amazing Dress
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| Spotted on Ruffled, photography by Chad Cress. |
...It's that incredible embroidery at the bottom. So incredibly unique, and absolutely stunning! And I'm somebody who hates pink!
The motif reminds me of vintage handkerchiefs, which I would then totally use in the decor. But then again, I'm Miss Vintage Bride. This bride chose to use flamingoes in the decor. Give it a look here on Ruffled.
Also, who can resist a kiss shot like this one? I love it!
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| Spotted on Ruffled, photography by Chad Cress. |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Cooking and not cooking
I just finished this article: The Joy of Not Cooking. It made me sort of sad, even though it's all true. It talks about how people spend more money on their kitchens even as they spend less time in them.
It talked about how we buy silly gadgets and restaurant-quality everything even though we rarely use them, which made me feel a little guilty about our ice cream maker and our little deep-fryer.
But I think the difference is, John and I don't outfit our kitchen in order to keep up with the Joneses and their granite countertops. We do it because nothing is more exciting than a date night spent at home when we bust out the fryer to make vegetable tempura to make sushi rolls. We really enjoy cooking and eating well and exploring different recipes. It's something that brings us together.
Which brings me to some recipes:
How can you not love Strawberry-Nutella homemade poptarts? I don't know. But I know I couldn't resist them as soon as I saw this:
If that wasn't drool-worthy enough, today I was reading honey & jam (one of my fave blogs), and this recipe crossed my path: Honey & Rosewater Tapioca
They look so heavenly, and the photography just adds to that. I've never tried to make tapioca from scratch. I might have to try with this recipe, though!
The article said the average woman in the 1920s spent over 30 hours a week in their kitchens preparing meals, while today women spend only 5.5 hours a week on average.
It talked about how we buy silly gadgets and restaurant-quality everything even though we rarely use them, which made me feel a little guilty about our ice cream maker and our little deep-fryer.
But I think the difference is, John and I don't outfit our kitchen in order to keep up with the Joneses and their granite countertops. We do it because nothing is more exciting than a date night spent at home when we bust out the fryer to make vegetable tempura to make sushi rolls. We really enjoy cooking and eating well and exploring different recipes. It's something that brings us together.
Which brings me to some recipes:
How can you not love Strawberry-Nutella homemade poptarts? I don't know. But I know I couldn't resist them as soon as I saw this:
If that wasn't drool-worthy enough, today I was reading honey & jam (one of my fave blogs), and this recipe crossed my path: Honey & Rosewater Tapioca
They look so heavenly, and the photography just adds to that. I've never tried to make tapioca from scratch. I might have to try with this recipe, though!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Invite Suite: RSVP Cards
In deciding to design and print my own invites, I knew it would be a lot of work, but I didn't expect the process I have gone through (the countless hours, and I'm not even done yet!). Case in point: the RSVP cards. Just a simple little card with which to reply and tell us you're coming, right?
Well, you know me. I have about 3 different designs mocked up with multiple fonts. You have to play around to see what works (or, at least, I do, since I'm not a trained graphic designer and I need to see different combinations to know what will look best).
Here is one such version. This was the starting point, a vintage french soap label with the text removed.
...And several versions later, it was getting frustrating. I then decided the images needed something even more visual, so I thought putting a little divider or image between the two sections would help:
They're definitely cute. But the diamond seems a little out of place with the rest of the image. So then I went for background images, which consisted of three steps:
1) Dig up my old letterpress image files from briarpress.org
2) Open them up individually in GIMP (freeware photoshop-type program), add an alpha channel, select all the white in the image, then clear to make a transparent background.
3) Add the transparent image as a new layer to the RSVP card, and edit the opacity of the image to make it lighter and put it behind the text.
The result of all this was that I ended up with two that I liked:
Well, you know me. I have about 3 different designs mocked up with multiple fonts. You have to play around to see what works (or, at least, I do, since I'm not a trained graphic designer and I need to see different combinations to know what will look best).
Here is one such version. This was the starting point, a vintage french soap label with the text removed.
Which I then took and made a "backside" which extended the open space for text:
Then I had to settle on RSVP wording. I don't want to simply have a "yes" and "no," so I looked up all sorts of different ways to word the card. Some were overly cutesy ("I'll be there with bells on" and "Can't make it, but heard there will be people wearing bells"), some were silly ("I'll be there come rain or come shine!" "Sorry, out of umbrellas and sunscreen.") and others were stupid (many of them).
Since the wedding is so vintage themed, I wanted something classic without being boring, and a little elegant. I settled on using "in body" for yes and "in spirit" for no. I like it.
So, then it was time to play with fonts.
They're definitely cute. But the diamond seems a little out of place with the rest of the image. So then I went for background images, which consisted of three steps:
1) Dig up my old letterpress image files from briarpress.org
2) Open them up individually in GIMP (freeware photoshop-type program), add an alpha channel, select all the white in the image, then clear to make a transparent background.
3) Add the transparent image as a new layer to the RSVP card, and edit the opacity of the image to make it lighter and put it behind the text.
The result of all this was that I ended up with two that I liked:
What do you think? I think both are pretty great, it's just tough deciding. Perhaps once the other pieces fall into place, one will look better with the other elements.
I know it's weird to design such a small part of the paper goods first, but I was just drawn to this image and it screamed RSVP card to me for some reason. I couldn't tell you why. This isn't to say these are the RSVP cards, end of story. By the time the invites are done I might go with something completely different.
Note to all fellow brides: DIY IS HARD. Just so you know. I am undertaking all this because I am stubborn and it's a labor of love, but don't think it isn't insane of me.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Royal Wedding Fever
...do you have it? I admittedly do. I am so excited about the royal wedding, even if I don't get a chance to watch it live (we don't have tv).
Why? John thinks it's stupid to care about celebrities, and for the most part I agree. I suppose it's partially that my generation grew up hearing about Princess Diana's wedding, which was this huge, spectacular, televised event that so many people watched. I am looking forward to having our own, especially with a couple that seems so real and modern and relatable for royals.
It isn't really the whole princess aspect, though I find it really cool that a middle class woman will be in line to be queen. I think I'm just mostly looking forward to the wedding itself. We have celebrity blowout weddings all the time, but none that the entire country cares about and focuses on. It's a special thing in Britain to have royal weddings, and we don't have anything like it in the U.S.
I love these engagement photos. Aren't they gorgeous together?
I just can't wait to see the details: the dress, the flowers, the decorations. I think it will be really neat, and definitely a trend-setter for weddings for years to come.
Also on the royal wedding-watch list: the royal menu! This awesome article on epicurious speculates as to what might be served on the big day, which is almost more fun than guessing about Kate's dress. An interesting read with some fun recipes in case you want to make some snacks to go along with your viewing of the wedding!
Why? John thinks it's stupid to care about celebrities, and for the most part I agree. I suppose it's partially that my generation grew up hearing about Princess Diana's wedding, which was this huge, spectacular, televised event that so many people watched. I am looking forward to having our own, especially with a couple that seems so real and modern and relatable for royals.
It isn't really the whole princess aspect, though I find it really cool that a middle class woman will be in line to be queen. I think I'm just mostly looking forward to the wedding itself. We have celebrity blowout weddings all the time, but none that the entire country cares about and focuses on. It's a special thing in Britain to have royal weddings, and we don't have anything like it in the U.S.
I love these engagement photos. Aren't they gorgeous together?
I just can't wait to see the details: the dress, the flowers, the decorations. I think it will be really neat, and definitely a trend-setter for weddings for years to come.
Also on the royal wedding-watch list: the royal menu! This awesome article on epicurious speculates as to what might be served on the big day, which is almost more fun than guessing about Kate's dress. An interesting read with some fun recipes in case you want to make some snacks to go along with your viewing of the wedding!
Dreamy Cloud Doughnuts
What a beautiful idea, and the photography is lovely as well! This is from a post on Forty-Sixth at Grace. The idea of taking a cloud cookie cutter and using it to make puffy fried doughnuts. Brilliant! They look so lovely covered in powdered sugar.
I want to make these little pillowy confections. This is the epitome of comfort, to bite a cloud. It's a nice reminder to find a little wonder in the mundane.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
New Obsession: Vegan Fruit and Nut Bars
So my friend/fellow quartet member is vegan. She also happens to convince pretty much everyone around her that vegan food is amazing, because she is a really great cook. She debunks a lot of the stereotypes of vegan food (esp. with the sweet stuff; you know how vegan desserts can often taste really bland? Not hers!)
She recently shared a homemade version of those fruit and nut bars, like Larabars. Larabars are awesome, but kind of expensive. I had never really bought them, but Johanna gave me a taste of a homemade version with dried cranberries and cashews and I was so in love I immediately demanded the recipe.
Here is what I was given:
1 cup nuts (any)
1 1/2 cups dried fruit (any)
1 cup dried shredded coconut
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
Zest of 1 lemon or lime
1/4 tsp. salt
You just pulse it all together in a food processor, press it into a 9x9 pan, stick it in the fridge to firm up a little, then slice.
I have to say, I had a hard time getting to the 9x9 pan part...I kept eating the mixture!
I had a ton of dried fruit and nuts in my pantry; I always think I'm going to just snack on them, but never do. So, this was an exciting experiment!
Cherry/Almond
1 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cherries (I used a mixture that had dried Rainier and Bing cherries)
1 cup dried coconut (sweetened, because that's what I had on hand)
1 TBSP lemon juice (I didn't have a fresh lemon, so I just used what I had)
1/2 TBSP vanilla extract (I have fancy Sonoma Syrup Co. Vanilla Extract "Crush" which is a mixture of Madagascar Bourbon and Tahitian vanillas)
They were so amazing, I could barely stop eating the mixture before I put it in the 9x9 pan to firm up. So, I decided to immediately make a second batch.
Thai Inspired Peanut Bars
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
1 cup sweetened dried coconut (again, what I had on hand, but unsweetened would probably work well, too)
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP vanilla extract
A few sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds
Pinch of cardamom
The second batch is awesome, too! I added more vanilla to these because they needed a little creaminess. Johanna wanted to try a curry powder with the peanuts and lime juice and coconut (and possibly dried mango), but I wasn't that brave yet!
I briefly contemplated making them non-vegan and adding sweetened condensed milk or coconut milk (which I also had in my pantry...), but I didn't want to open a whole can just to use a teaspoon or so, so that experiment will have to wait for another day.
There are plenty of ideas that I have...walnut+cranberry; thai style with crystallized ginger, dried mangoes, lime, and peanuts; pistachio+cashew+dried strawberry; pecan+apricot; slivered almonds+dried raspberries+dutch process cocoa...the possibilities are exciting!
Here is what I was given:
1 cup nuts (any)
1 1/2 cups dried fruit (any)
1 cup dried shredded coconut
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
Zest of 1 lemon or lime
1/4 tsp. salt
You just pulse it all together in a food processor, press it into a 9x9 pan, stick it in the fridge to firm up a little, then slice.
I have to say, I had a hard time getting to the 9x9 pan part...I kept eating the mixture!
I had a ton of dried fruit and nuts in my pantry; I always think I'm going to just snack on them, but never do. So, this was an exciting experiment!
Cherry/Almond
1 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cherries (I used a mixture that had dried Rainier and Bing cherries)
1 cup dried coconut (sweetened, because that's what I had on hand)
1 TBSP lemon juice (I didn't have a fresh lemon, so I just used what I had)
1/2 TBSP vanilla extract (I have fancy Sonoma Syrup Co. Vanilla Extract "Crush" which is a mixture of Madagascar Bourbon and Tahitian vanillas)
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| Shameless plug? No, seriously, I love this stuff. I can't tell you how much I love this vanilla extract. |
They were so amazing, I could barely stop eating the mixture before I put it in the 9x9 pan to firm up. So, I decided to immediately make a second batch.
Thai Inspired Peanut Bars
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
1 cup sweetened dried coconut (again, what I had on hand, but unsweetened would probably work well, too)
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP vanilla extract
A few sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds
Pinch of cardamom
The second batch is awesome, too! I added more vanilla to these because they needed a little creaminess. Johanna wanted to try a curry powder with the peanuts and lime juice and coconut (and possibly dried mango), but I wasn't that brave yet!
I briefly contemplated making them non-vegan and adding sweetened condensed milk or coconut milk (which I also had in my pantry...), but I didn't want to open a whole can just to use a teaspoon or so, so that experiment will have to wait for another day.
There are plenty of ideas that I have...walnut+cranberry; thai style with crystallized ginger, dried mangoes, lime, and peanuts; pistachio+cashew+dried strawberry; pecan+apricot; slivered almonds+dried raspberries+dutch process cocoa...the possibilities are exciting!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Lovely Bride
This image (by Kelly Sweet) is perfection. Found on StyleMePretty.
Also, I want that wallpaper (/mural?). In my house. I think 40% of my love for this picture is the mural. 60% is the angle.
Cake Love
This cake is ridiculous. As in, HOLY CRAP I LOVE THIS CAKE. Isn't it frikkin' gorgeous? Seen on StyleMePretty, on a shoot shot by Ozzy Garcia and styled by Luxe Fete. It's like jewelry on your cake!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April Showers
They say April is the cruelest month...but I feel like that honor actually goes to March.
I don't know about you, but March for me usually equates to an insanely busy period. Midterms are in March, many of my first assignments come due in graduate courses, and in my case this past month meant my recital and preparing for my comprehensive exam (which is Monday, by the way. Wish me luck!)
I'm having total brain melting from preparing my presentation (I have to present, and then take questions). And yet, as I stare over my 13-pages-and-counting outline of my talk, all I can think is one thing: over-prepared. This is a good feeling to have, but I'll probably still have butterflies in my stomach until it's over. I feel as though I have more information than I'll need, which is a good thing. I just hope I pace myself so that I get the most important things said and leave the rest for questions. I guess tomorrow I should prioritize and make a smaller outline?
For now, it's off to bed. Hopefully I can wake up early and get crackin' on everything. Just two more days...
I don't know about you, but March for me usually equates to an insanely busy period. Midterms are in March, many of my first assignments come due in graduate courses, and in my case this past month meant my recital and preparing for my comprehensive exam (which is Monday, by the way. Wish me luck!)
I'm having total brain melting from preparing my presentation (I have to present, and then take questions). And yet, as I stare over my 13-pages-and-counting outline of my talk, all I can think is one thing: over-prepared. This is a good feeling to have, but I'll probably still have butterflies in my stomach until it's over. I feel as though I have more information than I'll need, which is a good thing. I just hope I pace myself so that I get the most important things said and leave the rest for questions. I guess tomorrow I should prioritize and make a smaller outline?
For now, it's off to bed. Hopefully I can wake up early and get crackin' on everything. Just two more days...
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