Exploring the possibilities of having a wedding outfit which isn't formal and doesn't really follow the norms. It's important to me that I am really comfortable and beautiful on the day. These have all been planned with flats to keep my feet happy. Straps and flowing materials to avoid any ugly bulges and having to readjust myself all day. And they could be high street store prices which is fantastic because it keeps within my budget and doesn't make me feel guilty for spending astronomical amounts of money on a dress I will only wear for a day. They are feminine, useful and beautiful.
Thursday 28 January 2010
Wednesday 13 January 2010
THE DRESS
You know I can't do anything the easy way. Why not get a loan from the bank, ask a relative, blow your savings and blast it One Wonderful Wedding Day and quite probably an Epic Honeymoon?? Nooooo.... I have to make sure that my wedding is frugal, recycled and second hand to the point of insanity. Don't worry with only 9 months to go I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I really can't do everything and I will have to pay for a professional on some points at least.
One of these points is THE DRESS.
The options are these:
One of these points is THE DRESS.
The options are these:
- Buy the fabric myself and have a professional (friend of the family with 20% discount) make it perfectly fitted.
- Buy the fabric myself and get my wonderful Oma to make it.
- Buy the fabric myself and make it myself - no I am in no way qualified to do this.
- Buy a second hand dress.
- Buy a vintage dress hints from {frolic!} here
- Buy a brand new dress in the sale
Things that are UNDECIDED:
- The fabric - lace, silk, satin, crushed silk...
- The length - over the knee, knee length, floor length...
- The shape - shoulder straps, Aline, empire....
- The colour - white, mocha, cream, champagne...
- The extras - beading, lace...
Things I have DECIDED I don't want:
- a strapless dress.
- velvet fabric.
- any other colour than from the white - beige range.
- a two piece outfit - it has to be a dress
- uncomfortable
- scratchy
- cold
And with that I am a little bit less lost but I will keep you up to date!
Colour Palette Inspiration
Alright so it's a baby room - you can tell what I have on my mind! Way ahead in the future, Mum. Nonetheless there is something brilliant about this set of pictures so I'll try to describe it.
Why I am loving this:
The colour palette.
The pom poms
Pastels with a hint of hot pink.
Ceramic pastel animals.
The unbelievable rag banner.
Lots of light.
Basics of pine (love wood) and white.
image via here
Monday 11 January 2010
And While We're On the Topic....
Beauty - this is the year of turning thirty. It is dawning on me that those - dare I say - furrows, bags, lines and larger pores are actually on my face and they need to be tackled. There is nothing like the pressure of having all of your family, long lost relatives, peers and friends ogling you on your wedding day - and forever after via flickr - to get something done about your skin.
This occurred to me a few months ago now and I have been using antiage/anticellulite and firming creams on my skin, an added beauty serum for my face and decollete by Dove and an eye cream day and night from Roc. All relatively inexpensive as I procured them from some genius source ie. Home Bargains, eBay and Superdrug. Experimenting at first has been the best thing because I was sceptical and now I am hooked. If it has "firming" "rejuvenating" or "look younger" on it I am intrigued.
On my ceaseless quest for any creams that will make me 10 years younger I found this:
Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate available from here for £28.54
Nine months to go and I'm pulling out all the stops! Tell me what do you do to make you look 10 years younger?
This occurred to me a few months ago now and I have been using antiage/anticellulite and firming creams on my skin, an added beauty serum for my face and decollete by Dove and an eye cream day and night from Roc. All relatively inexpensive as I procured them from some genius source ie. Home Bargains, eBay and Superdrug. Experimenting at first has been the best thing because I was sceptical and now I am hooked. If it has "firming" "rejuvenating" or "look younger" on it I am intrigued.
On my ceaseless quest for any creams that will make me 10 years younger I found this:
Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate available from here for £28.54
Nine months to go and I'm pulling out all the stops! Tell me what do you do to make you look 10 years younger?
Wedding Day Make Up
Wedding Day Make Up Is A Topic Which Deserves Capital Letters. I am ever so slightly worried/scared at the prospect of having to get my makeup perfect for the day. I understand there are professionals out there but I would really like to not have to afford one. I am pretty creative and artistic so any tips or hints I can get from the pros I religiously storing away to pull out like a rabbit from a hat on the Big Day. 
smashbox - Photo Finish Foundation Primer $36
Primer is one of those things you can't see so I often overlook it unless I'm given a tiny tester of it and then all of a sudden I understand. This is the stuff beauty queens, models and Natalie Portman are made of. This is the stuff of legends...
Okay maybe that's a bit over the top but really if it means I won't look like a clown with dramatic dripping makeup sliding off my (by then perfect) jawline I am ecstatic. The above comes highly recommended by the pros and apparently everybody else.
Just a pinch @ $36 ca 30 quid - you better be worth it!
More to come....
For more tips and great ideas have a look at this edition of Utterly Engaged. Online Wedding magazine (the trees are thanking you) with more innovative and quirky looks, colour palettes, tips and DIY projects than your average internet site.
smashbox - Photo Finish Foundation Primer $36
Primer is one of those things you can't see so I often overlook it unless I'm given a tiny tester of it and then all of a sudden I understand. This is the stuff beauty queens, models and Natalie Portman are made of. This is the stuff of legends...
Okay maybe that's a bit over the top but really if it means I won't look like a clown with dramatic dripping makeup sliding off my (by then perfect) jawline I am ecstatic. The above comes highly recommended by the pros and apparently everybody else.
Just a pinch @ $36 ca 30 quid - you better be worth it!
More to come....
For more tips and great ideas have a look at this edition of Utterly Engaged. Online Wedding magazine (the trees are thanking you) with more innovative and quirky looks, colour palettes, tips and DIY projects than your average internet site.
Sunday 10 January 2010
DIY: Boutonniere, Hair Adornments and Banners
I LOVE hessian and linen. These are great inspiration for doing your own timeless and everlasting bouquet, hair slides, boutonniere and venue decorations. Reusable venue garlands are a wonderful idea. This would be really easy to add to if you wanted to add some pinks or blues to liven it up. From Milkpod Studio
Saturday 9 January 2010
Free Fillable Suzee Que Vintage Labels
Free Fillable Suzee Que Vintage Labels
Thank you so much for these beautiful labels! They will go perfectly with the "over the top" geek wedding I am planning!
Keep an eye on the Worldlabel blog- they have some really great art work to download for personal use. Thank goodness there are talented people out there who want to share this stuff with people who can't do it.
Keep an eye on the Worldlabel blog- they have some really great art work to download for personal use. Thank goodness there are talented people out there who want to share this stuff with people who can't do it.
Friday 8 January 2010
Cookie Favours
In my endeavour - and every other bride's - of trying to make our wedding as personalised AND craftastic as possible, I am looking for inspiration and I came across this beauty. It ticks all the boxes, is sweet and little bit rock star. Love it.
Friday 1 January 2010
New Year Resolution 2010
2010 is going to be a BIG year for me.
- I am turning 30 - Yes, I know I only look like I'm 22.... Thanks....
- I am getting married to the man of my dreams - and I'm nowhere near organized
- My brother is getting married in May to a wonderful girl I am happy to call my sister in law
- We are having our first Family Reunion this summer
And yet I still feel I should be setting myself a few challenging New Year Resolutions....
Crazy, I hear you say? Highly likely. I think I'm crazy too.
So after much consideration I am going embrace my state of living and set myself the challenge of
living frugally in 2010
Radically changing your lifestyle like this is quite difficult so I plan to take this one step at a time and make it longterm resolution. The reasons behind it are:
- I firmly believe that millionaires are made from scrooges
- I strongly believe that we already have enough mass manufactured things in the world and we should use and reuse what we already have
- I want to buy my own house in the next couple of years
- I think we can live off less and why shouldn't we?
- Living frugally is a good skill to learn and it makes you thankful for what you already have
So, I would like to:
- make birthday/christmas/anniversary presents and cards including wrapping
- make everything I need from what I already own
- if I do have to replace something I will do it by buying secondhand
- only make investment buys - eg. basic wardrobe of clothes, sturdy furniture, good quality linens - so that they will last longterm
- not pay someone to do something I can easily do myself for a better price
- recycle and upcycle everything I can get my hands on
- make my own home decorations - easter & christmas
- shop for the best bargain for everyday things like milk, flour etc
Longterm I would love to:
- grow my own vegetables, fruit and herbs
- make my own natural medicines for basic ailments
- make my own beauty treatments
- have my own chicken to provide me with eggs
- be able to sew well enough to provide myself with stylish clothing
- make my decisions prioritising myself and the environment
This involves perfecting some skills old and new skills like:
- baking - breads, cakes
- sewing - patching, buttons, clothing
- knitting - scarves, hats, gloves, presents
- body care - beauty treatments, hair cutting
- budgeting
- growing herbs and tomato plants
- natural therapies - aromatherapy
- how to look after chicken
I am looking forward to this New Year Resolution. Many of the points are things I have been living by or working on for at least the last year but this year I am dedicating my way of life to it. I don't want to compromise our comfort and style so I think this will be the challenge.
Here's to 2010!
May it be a year of looking inward at ourselves and our priorities; at being creative and thankful rather than keeping up with the Jones's and their fashion fads.
May it bring us more joy, love, satisfaction and... savings!
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