All Blissed Out

I found these little miniature bales of hay at a deep discount ($1.99 from $14) at Pottery Barn, and I thought they might be a cute, inexpensive table decoration for my June wedding, which will be on a farm. They come without the little black mice (thankfully), but before I buy them, I wanted some input.




Are they cute, or did the holidays destroy my very discriminating tastes?

Labels: decor, Holiday Shopping Goodness, Wedded Bliss

Posted by Alexandrialeigh at 12/28/2006 | Permalink | Comments

Since we've been on a wedding gown kick lately, I wanted to feature some budget-friendly, non-traditional dresses for the bride who's not looking for a big, poofy monstrosity.

Up first, this dress, ABS by Allen Schwartz. It's on sale at Nordstrom for $207 (40% off!), and while I think charmeuse fabric can be a little tricky, this style would hide imperfections pretty well.



These next two are also from Nordstrom, and definitely not for your typical bride. I love the Twiggy-ish look of the Velvet Torch mini-dress (only $62!), and I think the As U Wish ballerina dress would look great with a wider, colorful sash -- to match the bridesmaids, perhaps?



Don't laugh, but Target.com has a lot of really affordable, stylish dresses that would be perfect for nontraditional weddings or even just as options for the rehearsal dinner (and no one has to know that you were thrifty enough to save all that cash for your honeymoon). They're all by Isaac Mizrahi, most of them come in a variety of wedding-appropriate colors (think cream, true white, and pale blue), and some of them even come in more shades, so they could also work as bridesmaid dresses, too. And what bridesmaid wouldn't LOVE to wear a cute dress that didn't cost an arm and a leg?

My favorite, a flattering, strapless Isaac Mizrahi creation on clearance right now for $27.99 (that's right!). Imagine this with a big, colorful sash and a demure face veil? To die for.



Next up, a beautiful v-neck sheath, fully lined with a little bit of stretch, on clearance for $31.49.



Then there is the "Trapunto" dress, which is a little more conservative, but still fun and unusual, but a little pricey at $49.99. (Ha! Just kidding!)




The long silk chiffon dress is a really flattering style, too, and the most expensive at $69.99

Labels: bridal gown, dress, Wedded Bliss

Posted by Alexandrialeigh at 12/21/2006 | Permalink | Comments

I wanted to get in on the bridal gown action, so here is a little preview of my dress.



This is the actual dress -- not the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth that I bought and tried on, then returned or re-sold. I actually still HAVE one of them, which can be found here, if you're interested. It's beautiful, just not the right one for me.

Labels: dress

Posted by Alexandrialeigh at 12/21/2006 | Permalink | Comments

Your prayers have been answered blogging buddy.

From Martha Stewart Weddings Winter 2007
As soon as they update their site, I will post a link.

So, if you want, we can MAKE yours—all pretty in silk (and one for me in some loud print that makes me look like I clean houses for a living)!

Labels: hair

Posted by Nayoung at 12/20/2006 | Permalink | Comments

Oscar de la Renta
72E22 White strapless tulle embroidered gown

I think it's the one...if money was no object...and not just for today. THE dress. I know it's a big statement since I seem to be having commitment issues with dresses. Is it my fault that I haven't fallen in love with the first dress I tried on or the next twenty? I don't think so.

It is sweet yet sophisticated with a slight sweetheart neckline and very appropriate for an outdoor affair. So, who wants to buy an organ? I'm A+ and totally serious.

Posted by Nayoung at 12/20/2006 | Permalink | Comments

But I'm too cheap to do anything about it. See, I've been on the hunt for an inexpensive face veil, and I just hadn't found the *right* one. Kari over at Cupcake Show is making her own, and I think that is so awesome, but I'm just not confident enough in my crafting abilities to do that.

I found this GORGEOUS one from Leah C. Couture, which is perfect because it is a face veil and it is BLUE. A blue veil! How can I have not thought of this myself?



The problem, my friends, is the price tag: $250!! I simply cannot pay $250 for a piece of blue silk netting that I will attach to my head for an hour. I just can't do it.

And yet...I desperately WANT to do it. Just thinking of the possibility that a non-white veil may upset my more conservative relatives has me all excited. (I'm evil, yes.)

So, now I will be on the hunt for yet one more thing--pretty silk netting that I can attempt to dye blue for my veil. How ridiculous is that? I am not crafty enough to be a bride. Real brides are supposed to make things, like floral arrangements and goody bags. My guests will just have to make do. There will be no goody bags, and there will not be a huge abundance of flowers because I cannot do them myself, and I can't afford to pay someone to do a lot of them.

(sigh)

Labels: hair, On the Hunt, veil, Wedded Bliss

Posted by Alexandrialeigh at 12/20/2006 | Permalink | Comments

Cruising through some of my favorite design blogs this morning, I stumbled upon this:



For $30, you can get this awesomely incredible adjustable "bitch" ring in chrome ($40 for gold). It's from Blanc-Reed.com, and if you're not a bitch (or just don't want to admit it), you can also get the ring as a flower or delicate little bird.

Labels: Covet, jewelry

Posted by Alexandrialeigh at 12/19/2006 | Permalink | Comments

I am a good person. I may not say gooshy things or remember every birthday but I am genuine in my gestures. I am dependable, forgiving,...and I like my taste.

But that good person does have her limits. Like, why can't I simply be grateful my Secret Santa just gave me tic-tac-toe shot glasses? It's the thought that counts, right? Are gestures not enough? Usually yes. However, not when my Secret Santa thinks I'm a redneck college drunk. I am slightly offended and wish she had just given me chocolates. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my drinks and love to get silly—probably more often than the next girl. But tic-tac-toe shot glasses?

What am I supposed to do with them? How am I supposed to put on a happy face? Do you want them?

Labels: Reject Gifts

Posted by Nayoung at 12/15/2006 | Permalink | Comments

I think I may be in love with Al Gore, and it's all because he created "the internets." Seriously. How great is it that I can buy presents for everyone on my list without fighting the crowds at the malls, and have them shipped to their intended destinations so that I don't even have to load down the car with presents to drive home for the holidays?

Plus, the choices are infinite. Like, for example, a Christmas present for my godson. He's only two, and not quite old enough for me to feel that pressured about getting him a gift that sucks and forever being remembered as the godmother who buys the crappy presents, although that time is nigh. Nigh, I tell you.

I ended up getting him a cute wooden choo-choo train from Babystyle.com, but not before I considered these little hooded bib-like things that I think are cute. Nayoung, in her infinite wisdom, disagrees. She thinks it's the perfect gift to send to "Muslim babies around the world."

Harrumph.

Labels: Holiday Shopping Goodness, shopping

Posted by Alexandrialeigh at 12/15/2006 | Permalink | Comments

Hi world. Here I am.

Why am I so nervous?

Maybe because writing it and especially, putting it out there in the world makes it more official and much more real than any other action I have taken thus far.
148 days until my wedding. I've been sitting on my save-the-dates for almost 2 months and have not even began on the invitations. I don't even have a dress. I don't even have a dress I want to wear. Yes, I am sadly going to be a 2 dress bride. I only occassionally have thoughts of eating better and exercising BUT I couldn't be happier.

Seriously. I may start freaking out in the new year; until then, I'm collected and keeping both eyes out for all sorts of cool—whether I can afford it or not.

Labels: Wedded Bliss

Posted by Nayoung at 12/15/2006 | Permalink | Comments

I saw a beautiful white feathered headband by Kate Spade in a bridal magazine about a year ago, but since I didn't want to spend a full $120 or so on it (and since at that point, I didn't even know what kind of dress I wanted, or how I was going to do my hair), I didn't buy it.

Now I wish I had. It's nowhere to be found on eBay, and I would really like to find a very delicate, festive headband to wear after the ceremony, so that I can remove the veil and keep my hair out of my face. So far, I haven't found the right one, but here are some that I'm considering:

The metallic mesh headband, by Collete Malouf. (Sidenote: there are also some really interesting hairstyles on her web site.)



ShopIntuition.com also has some possibilities, most notably these three.



I like this cream silk headband because it's so wide, and the elastic at the back would probably be more comfortable than one that ends behind my ears, like the ones below. The first one I like because it has a little more texture, and the bottom ones are delicate.






Thoughts? Other recommendations?

Labels: hair, On the Hunt, shopping

Posted by Alexandrialeigh at 12/15/2006 | Permalink | Comments

So this is me at my first wedding--or at least, the first wedding I remember.

I will be the one wearing a veil less than six months from now, and I've been engaged for exactly one year and two days. It's been...an interesting experience so far.

Nayoung and I, the creators of this blog, aren't your typical brides. We haven't spent our childhoods dreaming about tulle and tafetta, debating the merits of a-line vs. ball gown, and we certainly never wanted our weddings to become big to-dos.

Fast forward to today -- we're both engaged, both planning bigger weddings than we'd hoped for, and both a little bit snarky about it.

But we do care about our weddings after all, and we want to share our experiences with, well, with whoever decides to stop by and read about them -- and we'll be sharing other product reviews, rants, off-topic discussions, and a lot more than just wedding talk (because there is PLENTY of that on The Knot to go around).

So browse through our blog, comment if you'd like, and know that you have been warned--we aren't afraid to speak our minds, and we're pretty damn good at it.

Labels: Wedded Bliss

Posted by Alexandrialeigh at 12/14/2006 | Permalink | Comments