If only I had the ability to walk in heels.

Then I could wear these on my wedding day.

Or might I be mistaken for a drag queen? I can't entirely decide whether they are classy enough for our wedding (not that I am particularly classy, but I don't want any of our guests thinking I'm the 'entertainment' at the reception). However, it is certain that they are fierce.

I am still sad that I didn't buy the shoes from this post when I had the chance. They even went on sale for only £35! what a fool I am. Of course, now they are long gone, and I am crying inside.

I wish I had more hair

because then maybe I could have my hair like this for the wedding:
I was browsing Twigs and Honey today (something of a weekly ritual) and saw this post on Myra's lovely blog. How much do I love these hairstyles? this is the exact look I'm going for, except then I go home and look in the mirror and see...ummm... somewhat less hair than those models have. Not that I am balding, but my hair is quite thin and frizzy and doesn't grow very long. Maybe I'll have to just wear it up in a pony tail. I could throw caution to the wind and spring for a new scrunchie.

I find Myra's attitude and business something of an inspiration, she used to be a scientist who made a few hair bits and bobs, but now she has a thriving business and her wares are featured in heaps of magazines and tons of blogs and websites. I wish I had the guts and the talent to make a "job" out of creating beautiful things. Cue interior designer daydream again...

Advice please!

I just bought this dress. It’s by Jessica’s Attic at Republic. I’m quite pleased with myself as it was on sale for a ridiculous amount.


Pretty eh?

The colour doesn’t come through very well – it’s definitely a candy pink rather than a coral-y shade of pink. The straps are beaded with clear/silvery beads. I am trying to find a picture of the back of the dress, as the way the straps join to the back is really cool, but there’s no pic to be found. I’ll get Dave to take a picture at the wedding (because you’re that interested huh?)

It is perhaps not the perfect dress I was in the market for, but at the price I paid I’m not complaining {too much}. Of course, today I was in Debenhams in the Red Herring concession and saw this dress, which I now desperately want. Such is life…

So, onto the next question: what colour accessories should I match with the dress? I’m thinking shoes, a purse, and maybe a wee hair thingy. Any suggestions?

Lazy post - some things I like

So today I was having a look on Something Old, Something New, and found a couple of ideas that I really like (I also really like Something Old, Something New, by the way; Mackenzie's range of invites are really lovely. I'm quite a fan and a frequent lurker on her blog).

1) These ring pillows, also found here:


2) and, slightly more excitingly as they're just the thing I've been looking for; These stunning, glorious necklaces (and earrings etc etc etc):

Here's the direct link. Seriously, WANTING one of these. My dress is actually pretty busy though, so a pair of earrings may be more suitable. In any case, I'm loving how classic, yet unusual, these necklaces are. There's just something about them. I have a bit of a thing for pearls, and these are something special I think.

yep, I'm lazy. I shall try to write a deeper post tomorrow.

More hairpieces

Back on the pretty hairpieces again (no, I'm still not over it). Helen (a.k.a very-important-person-to-do-with-wedding-dress-who-will-be-talked-about-at-a-later-date) sent me a veil, bless her, that I have been wearing around the house for the last few days. It's been worn carefully, and with respect, but still while I have been doing chores and whatnot. From what I said earlier you all know I'm not completely sold on the veil thang - but this one could be cannily altered to incorporate flowers. So now I'm back on the flowers. Again.
Am I being irritating and vague? sorry. Also - don't worry Helen, I'll stop wearing the veil while watching telly and vacuuming. I promise.

So my new favourite Etsy hairpiece seller is SmittenXOXO there is a HUGE range of hairpiece styles and colours available (which means that poor Nic and Katie might also be subjected to wearing hairpieces. Sorry guys). I am a bit in love with Smitten's work, and highly recommend you check out her Etsy page.

Dos Gardenia


Peony with Ostrich


Gilda (for the bridesmaids? in the right colours? maybe... could be a bit much).


And for the boys - boutonnieres that will last forever!

The computers of the world are conspiring against me

This time I'm writing on my flatmate's computer; ours has pretty much died, as has my parent's PC back home. Goodness knows I'll probably jinx this one too and won't end up writing again for another month.
It's been a busy month though! I had a wonderful last couple of weeks in New Zealand - it was, of course, really really sad to say goodbye to everyone all over again, but SO wonderful to get back to (the freezing) UK and Dave. The day after I arrived back, we left again to go to Germany, Holland, and Belgium for Christmas. It was really nice to get away with Dave for a bit, and to see his twin brother, Liam, and cousin Alisa and her fiance Clint again. It was bloody cold on the continent, but in a lovely blue sky and sunshine kind of way. We rode bikes and saw windmills and it was all very nice. We finished up with a couple of days in Brussels, which was dirtier than I expected but still really beautiful and Christmasy and cool.
Had a great New Years eve in town at a bar called Beluga with some friends - it was great to see all of them again after so long. It was especially exciting when I got a text from Mel at midnight to say that we're both getting married next year!!!
While on the way back from New Zealand I had an awesome few days in Singapore with Jo and Kengo. The highlight was the brilliant Amazing Race challenge that Kengo and Jo's boss, Anthony, organised for us (including eating Durian fruit and fish head curry). We also went to the night safari and watched a LOT of episodes of Sex and the City.
On the wedding front though, JO also took me down Orchard Road to Renee Leung where I tried on a very beautiful dress - there isn't a photo of it on the site but it had the most amazing train - so amazing that it would almost be too much. I loved the bodice though and am thinking of incorporating it into the final dress - the straps scooped down under the bust and then covering the breastices was another type of material with beads sewn all over. I'm not describing it very well so will try and find an example... turns out that Jo's friend, Jo actually got her wedding gown from Renee Leung and I'm not surprised: all of the dresses were modern, but with the most beautiful detailing.
A tad out of the price range for me though.
Here is one dress from the site that I really like, though I would prefer it skimmed the ground (and I probably wouldn't wear the hat either):

pretty and local(ish)

I was just going through the latest edition of Engaged and greatly enjoyed the section on vintage inspired gowns. Very pretty! So far, I have to say that I have been a tad disappointed by the range of bridalwear designers in NZ (to be fair, I have only looked online.... there may be many more excellent options lurking in the yellow pages). Some seem really couture-y (which in my mind = pricey) and others seem to design quite "Bridey" dresses and nothing too out of the ordinary (if your experience is different please feel free to enlighten me!). But in engaged today, there was a lovely selection of gowns all made by local designers.

I especially liked this one, by Vinka Brides

just a lazy back from holiday post

I've just had the nicest holiday away with my mum and dad. We met up with them down in London, as our band was playing in a contest at the Royal Albert Hall (we came 5th! oh yeah!), and then we headed down to beautiful Bath for a week. We were staying in a gorgeous wee cottage and I got some much needed relaxation in. Then Dave came down to meet us and we headed over to the Loire Valley, south of Paris for 4 days. We drank lots of wine, ate lots of cheese, and generally pottered around tiny villages all week. Bliss!! A perfect two weeks away was nicely rounded off with a gig with the band at the Louvre. A bit surreal, but very cool. We were doing our Acid Brass stuff (remixes of old Acid classics... a bit hard to explain, but it's good fun and goes off at the festivals) and got a good crowd in. It was awesome catching up with mum and dad too.

So now I'm just feeling a bit sleepy and worn out (worn out from relaxing? seems so) so today's post is a lazy one.

Check out this dress. Got $12m?? Feel like blowing it all on a dress? It's pretty sparkly I guess, but I'm not so into the lace-up side bits.

I'll get back on track with something a bit more interesting soon... promise.

Something I don't get about weddings

The rehearsal dinner. I honestly don't get it - I understand the bridal party meeting at the ceremony venue a day prior to the Day to run through how it's all going to happen. I understand wanting to catch up with out of town guests, because the reception itself is likely to be pretty busy and full on, but a dinner? to practice eating and engaging in polite conversation? I hope by now I have those skills covered. And if you give a speech at the rehearsal dinner, what is then said at the reception?

But The Knot (I know, I know) has taught me that not only is it Absolutely Necessary to have a rehearsal dinner, but it is also vital that a brand new dress is bought for said occasion.

Hmmmm this is coming out a wee bit snarky - it's not intended to be! maybe it's just different cultures and traditions; it seems as though the rehearsal dinner thang is more an American tradition - is that true? how about in the UK? in NZ? I guess also the style of wedding might impact upon other expectations too...

Personally, I would rather spend the night before the wedding chilling with my girls and my mum, having a couple of wines and watching The Sweetest Thing (ok, I stole that directly from my sister's wedding eve - but it was lovely!).

While I'm questioning it all... is there a difference between a bachelorette party, a hens night and a bridal shower? And a bridesmaids luncheon?

Goodness gracious me.

However. If we were to have a rehearsal dinner, and I was to buy a dress for it, I would HAVE to buy this:

Hair pieces

When I've tried on wedding dresses, I've loved it when the bridal store assistant has popped a veil on my head. It makes it all seem that much more bridal. But then, the other day, I tried on a stunning taffeta gown that had a silk flower at the waist. Instead of a veil, a clutch of silk flowers were clipped into my hair.

I was sold - veil schmael; I'm totally going with flowers.

Twigs and Honey is currently taking Etsy and the blogging world by storm, and Myra's creations have become so popular that apart from the first 30 orders received today, orders are closed for the time being! I tried valiantly to win a hair piece for myself, but no such luck.

But fear not, there are some other stunning hair piece options lurking on the web.

Mikiye Creations have many many hair pieces that I would be more than happy to wear (and are still taking custom orders!). These two are my favourites from her collection

This one is called Camellia. So romantic.

And this whimsical wee love is called Holly Golightly.

And this pair of peonies from Butterfly Enchantress

There are a ton of other options just on Etsy alone - with jewels, feathers, headbands, fascinator veils; all sorts!

More budget friendly

I was an Ezibuy kid growing up. I loved the catalogues coming out each month (+ a special supplement at Christmas. Oh yeah) and being allowed to choose a couple of things to order. I remember the anticipation when the 3 day delivery time seemed to take soooo looooonnnggg, and I remember the gorgeous pink skirt that arrived in time for my 17th birthday (I try not to remember the dungarees that I thought were super cool only a few years beforehand). I was having a wee browse on their site today (how times have changed - Ezibuy on the net! yegads!!!) and saw that between their Capture, Grace Hill, Urban, and Emerge ranges there are actually some really pretty dresses, a few of which would not be unsuitable for bridesmaids! Most are cocktail length, and aside from the Grace Hill Dresses are more on the casual side - but above all they are cheap. Here are a couple that took my fancy:

For $129.99

For $79.99

For $20. That's right - $20. Each of these styles are available in each colour, plus a pretty shade of yellow. And they're 100% cotton.

The Bridget Jones Dilemma

So I would love to wear something as gorgeous and romantic as this on my wedding day:

But the dress would probably prefer that I wear this instead:

Such a shame. Maybe the next couple of years spent on a treadmill will help the situation.

In brighter news, Mel and I are planning another exciting dress shopping London excursion - we've found one bridal salon that stocks both of the current dressesofourdreams. Yay!

Add it all together

That Dress

+

These Shoes

+

Bridesmaids in This Dress

= Too Pretty.

Love is:

This Dress. Wow.

Another picture of Rosa is to be found here.

And the other extreme

Meet India Blue.

Black opal, diamonds, and platinum all mixed together by Boodles for their Wonderland exhibition. I've met her in real life, and she is even more beautiful than in this picture. Considering that This costs £190,000, it's hardly surprising that India Blue doesn't have a price tag. I'm glad, because now I can imagine going into the store and seeing her on sale for, oh, £100? And then I would wear her with This (Note: in this particular dream sequence I am, of course, a staggeringly beautiful 6 foot size 2 beauty and can wear such things without looking like an extra from the munchkin scene in the Wizard of OZ).

Sigh. Back to the sewing patterns.

Budget Friendly

It seems like a lot of weddings cost a LOT of money - and that's cool, if your budget can allow for it, but some super-excellent sites like Practical Wedding and 2000 Dollar Wedding have got me thinking that there are budget friendly shortcuts for everything. Even The Dress. At the end of the day, its about the marriage, not the wedding, right? Of course I spend a fair bit of time salivating over This or That dress, but is my budget really going to allow for it? and I would love to give my bridesmaids dresses like This - but a group expedition to the US for fittings seems a touch excessive! So, why not make your dress(es)? If you are a bit of a crafty-craftsperson, or have friend/relative who is handy with a sewing machine, why not? Even if neither you nor any of your loved ones can sew, a local dressmaker/seamstress is certainly going to be cheaper than the professional bridal gown designer down the road. My sister had her dress designed and made up from scratch, and the bridesmaid dresses made from an altered pattern, by a local dressmaker. The results were amazing, the quality outstanding, and the total cost for all three dresses was less than a ready-made dress she had previously admired!

I know that sometimes it seems as though the sewingpattern people don't exactly design their pattern packet covers to scream "wear me"- but that's the beauty of it - you can pick any fabric, and colour you like, and in a size that fits you exactly. Most of the patterns include a range of alternatives and embellishments, so if your seamstress is a bit clever, you really could end up with your dream dress. Taking it even further - find a pattern for a evening dress and have it made up in bridal fabric... perfect!

From top to bottom: Simplicity; Simplicity together with Project Runway; Vogue; McCall's together with Hilary Duff & McCall's; Butterick; Simplicity.

A bit of 1930s vintage glam for Tuesday

Check out this gorgeous inspiration board submitted by the lovely Amber. Inspired by her ultimate glamour girl, Jean Harlow, Amber has concocted an opulent, seductive, and super-glam wedding for our perusal. Very nice!

Pretty dresses in Auckland

Jane Yeh is a very successful bridal gown designer, based in Auckland, New Zealand. Her dresses are contemporary yet classic - and if you take a look through the gallery, you'll see that she's also pretty darn adept at listening to what her brides want. She also has a range of accessories on the site, including some beautiful shrugs - perfect for the winter theme featured on Snippet and Ink today!

and here it is!

Inspired by the Louis Vuitton pouchette...

Bridesmaid dress by Amsale; Cake via Project Wedding; Tablesetting by Colin Cowie via Wedding Chicks; Calla Lillies courtesy of the The Knot; Bridal Gown by Melissa Sweet; Invitations via Project Wedding; Flowers courtesy of Bride and Bloom; Veil from The Knot; Louis Vuitton pouchette.

A bit of Louis for the weekend

In honour of my lovely friend Amber's new blog, I've decided to create an inspiration board based on what I understand to be one of her most favourite possesions; her Louis Vuitton monogram canvas clutch. Hopefully the finished product will be here by the end of the day...watch this space... (very sorry if this isn't the exact bag, A, but it was as close as I could find on the site!!)