Oh.My.God.

So, if you've never heard of the Offbeat Bride blog (I know, still obsessing over weddings, somebody stop me!), you're definitely missing out. There are so many beautiful ideas and inspirations from real 'offbeat' weddings. But today, this wedding takes the cake. I could just die.

via Offbeat Bride

I mean, come on people. They got married IN A CAVE. AT DAWN. I am soooo jealous!

The bride's dress is from Sarah Seven. I have been eyeing her shop for months, so that pretty much makes it my new favorite shop ever. And her shoes? Please, tell me where I can get those! I didn't see them on the Faryl Robin site anymore...

via

My Big, Fat Hypothetical Wedding

So, I'm embarassed to admit it, but my attention (well, the tiny bit I have left after schoolwork)has been almost entirely consumed by watching terrible wedding shows on t.v. like Rich Bride, Poor Bride, Say Yes to the Dress, and (my favorite) Platinum Weddings.

It's really quite ironic, because a) I am not currently engaged; and b) I have NEVER, and still don't, want a 'real' wedding. I never imagined my 'big day' as a little girl, and now on the eve of 25, I still don't. The theatrics of it all is a real turn-off to me; I would much rather go to the courthouse for a simple ceremony (without an audience!), and then go celebrate with our friends and family.

That being said, there's something very appealing about watching OTHER people freak out about what to wear, how to do their hair, etc., etc. And maybe that's just the natural tendency for girls (or guys) who like fashion/design/etc. And ever so slightly, I find myself thinking, "Oooh, that's a pretty dress", or "Oh, my hair would look cute like that", or even "Wow, I really like that bouquet". Yikes.

I maintain that I will never have a 'real' wedding, but I do want to get married. And of course, I'll have to look amazing, so here are a smattering of ideas and inspiration for my big, fat hypothetical wedding:

The Dress

I just really don't see myself wearing a traditional gown... I'm short and petite, so I feel like a gown would swallow me up. These are much more my style.

by SaraSeven

by Amsale

by Alfred Angelo

The Hair

My hair is too short for an elaborate up-do, but I really like the idea of my hair down, with a pretty clip or this little ditty:

via

The Jewelry

by Sirene del Mare

The Bouquet

I think this is the most beautiful group of flowers ever!

via

The Favors

I LOVE Hens & Chicks; they're cute, hard to kill, and would look adorable in all sorts of little thrifted vessels.

via

The Past Week (or so)...

Heather's wedding

Taming the beast

And work, which inevitably equates to doodling on receipt tape.

Chris + Coffee = Love

Today I had something to return at Marshalls, so I treated myself to a iced-tall-soy-no-whip-mocha at Starbucks and finished reading Invincible Summer. Amazing. I came home and ordered Invincible Summer II. I might just have to re-read part 1 until I get II in the mail. It was that good. Or, hopefully, this will come tomorrow.

PS - Chris got a job today! Hooray!

I hate you, Forever 21

So, I am soooo grumpy, disappointed, and generally in a panic right now. I was so excited all day at work because I knew my dresses would be waiting for me to try on and decide which one to wear to the wedding tomorrow.

Neither one fits.

Its really strange, because I ALWAYS wear a medium. All of my Forever21 clothes are size Medium (and believe me, that's a LOT of clothes), and both of these dresses were WAYYY too small. As in, I couldn't even zipper them up AN INCH.

As puzzling as it is, I'm not worried THAT much - I can, of course, just return them the next time I go to Annapolis (which will probably be very soon). The thing that has me in a panic is that the wedding is tomorrow. What an I going to wear?!

My only solution at this [very last] moment is to head over to the closest mall (yuck) and pray to god that I find something at Charlotte Russe or maybe *sigh* the Bon Ton. Our mall is so crappy. The only mall that's even worth my time going to is the Annapolis mall and that's....2 hours away. Totally out of the question. I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't find a suitable dress tonight.

(I know, I make it sound like I have no clothes. Its not that. I just don't have that many dresses that are NOT BLACK and are suitable to wear to a wedding. Especially a Cinderella-and-generally-princess-y wedding). It especially sucks because both of the dresses from Forever21 are sooo pretty, and princess-y, and I know Heather (bride) would appreciate the princess-y-ness (look at me creating words left and right!) of them. Sigh.

Oh! And to put the icing on the cake, I totally forgot I ordered another little casual jumper-dress with anchors on it....and I don't like it, either. Its more like a glorified tank top than a dress, like how it appeared online. Sigh. I just totally struck out with this shopping.

Congratulations Leilani and Matt!

My good friend from high school, Leilani, got married yesterday. It was a beautiful wedding at the Bavarian Inn in Sherpardstown, West Virginia. The Inn was beautiful, with a great view of the Potomac River; and the weather was perfect for the outdoor ceremony.

The reception, of course, was the best part. There was lots of dancing, and drinking (since the Inn is also a brewery), although I don't drink so I was the DD for my friends. We all had a blast, and it was so nice to see Leilani and to finally meet Matt. They're both stationed in Carlsbad, California so I haven't seen Leilani in a very long time. Unfortunately they both have to report back to work on Monday, so they don't even get to have a honeymoon. I think they both had a really great time at their wedding, though, so that's good.

I was stupid and forgot my camera (like I always do) at the wedding, so I don't have any action shots. Some of my friends took pictures, so I'll have to wait and steal some of theirs. I did get some pictures of the beautiful flower centerpieces though, because Leilani's parents told my friends and I to each take one home with us. Each guest also got a bottle of wine (that's right...each guest got their own bottle) with a cute custom label with Leilani and Matt on it.

Weddings are so physically and emotionally taxing to me. Its such a strange feeling to see people you've been friends with since the 10th grade get married. Its a happy feeling, but just weird somehow. I can't even explain it. I'm probably just a weirdo.

Anyway, the whole wedding was just gorgeous and I'm so happy for Leilani and Matt; and I'm happy for her parents too because I know they're so relieved its all over now! ;)

I've found my true calling...

Oh yes. I have found my one purpose in life; my true calling.

Pole dancing.

Tee-hee! Ok, I'm definitely just kidding. But seriously, it was way more fun than I expected. I really thought it was going to be cheesy and rather embarassing (some parts were, like when each of us had to give the Bachelorette, Leilani, a lap-dance!); but in all honesty it was really really fun!

Our instructor was super-nice and fun. It was just our group so it wasn't too embarassing; we've all been friends for so long we felt alright making complete idiots out of ourselves. The best part was when we got to pick our "stripper names" from a list at the beginning of the class. My name was White Chocolate! Hahaha! We picked "Ko-Ko Puff" for Leilani, hahahahaha! Some of the other girls were Peaches, Erotica, and Buttafli.

It was definitely a bit of a workout... we started out with some basic floor-moves (without a pole) and that was the hardest part! I definitely can't move my legs the way the instructor did.... although I guess she's had a bit of practice....hehehe. I had a lot of fun twirling around the pole, though. That was fun!

The place where we had our class was called XPose Fitness... I think its a chain, although I'm not sure if its just around the Baltimore area, or if its nationwide, or what. Check out their website here.

I'm mad at myself for not taking pictures. Some of the other girls did, though, so as soon as I get some of their pics I'll put them up here!

Stressful, stressful week!!

Well, my past week or so has been filled with STRESSSSS!!! Some of it was the good kind, where you feel delightfully hectic and busy, but at least purposeful. The rest of it has been the kind that won't let you fall asleep at night, and wakes you up at 3 o'clock in the morning after you've had a terrible nightmare about a swarm of bees chasing you into a room filled with enormous alligators. Yes. I really dreamt that.

On Saturday, Oct. 20, two of my very good friends, Amanda and Ryne, became Mr. and Mrs. Ryne Hollingsworth. Awwwww. It was such a beautiful, but stressful day! I wasn't even in the wedding party at all, but I sort of served as jill-of-all-trades and honorary bridesmaid. Friday night, 4 of the 5 bridesmaids, and the bride, and myself, all slept over at my friend Lauren's (who, you may remember, became a Mrs. this past May) house. It was so much fun. We just sat up and giggled and kept Amanda from totally freaking out about the logistics of her wedding the next day.

Saturday morning, we all woke up early. Lauren was lovely and made blueberry pancakes, and had lots of fresh fruit for the guests. I made my delicious scrambled eggs (although nobody wanted cheese in theirs, so they didn't get the total package!). We went to The Lodge around 10 o'clock and took care of lots of last-minute kind of stuff: putting favor bags at all of the place settings, putting together the arch for the ceremony, and whatnot.

Lauren, Shianne, and I played Personal Stylists and did everyone's hair and makeup. The room at the lodge that we used as a salon looked like a disaster - makeup, curling irons, and dresses thrown EVERYWHERE. But all in all, everything came together and was beautiful. I think Amanda and Ryne had a great time, which is the most important part of course!

My dumb boyfriend didn't come home for the wedding (as he hates weddings and anything generally relating to the "m-word"), but , I've got luck on my side - Who do you suppose caught the bouquet??

So, even though he insists that he doesn't want to get married for at least another 10 years (in which case, he'd better start looking for a new girlfriend soon!), you may just find out that I'll soon be married! (Ok, a girl can dream, right?)

***

So, that was all the good kind of stress, where you're excited about your friends getting married, and having a slumber party, and running around like a madwoman trying to get the bride's makup just right. What's that alligator dream all about?

It seems that professors have a secret coalition wherein they decide to all assign difficult projects, essays, or exams at the exact same time. I can go for about 2 weeks with little work, carefree and happy. And then the Evil Professors Coalition get together. I just have so much work due in the next 3 days, it felt like the walls were caving in around me.

...until about 10 minutes ago.

I made a last-ditch effort and emailed my history professor to see if maybe, just maybe, he had a heart, and would postpone my group's presentation until next Monday (supposed to be this Wednesday). In my defense, I'm in a group of 5, with only one other intelligent human being. The other three members of the group either don't show up to class AT ALL, or put forth very little effort. I already talked to my prof. about that, and he did say that he wanted to know if any members weren't doing their part, but that still doesn't help me and the other girl with a fully-functioning brain. We were on the phone last night until about 10:00, trying to figure out how to delegate the work, and when we would have enough time to meet and put it in to a powerpoint presentation. So today, I got desperate and emailed the prof. He responded within 5 minutes. We 're presenting on Monday.

HALLELUJAH!

With an extra couple of days for that, I feel totally in-control again. I can breathe! Now I only have like 478346 other projects to do! What a relief! ;)

Next on my agenda: memorizing 4 chapters of my Problems of the Environment textbook for a big exam on Thursday.

The sweetest vintage owl, and other yard sale finds

Hello, and happy Fridays to you all!

I had a lovely day today, hanging out with my dear friend Lauren all day.

A picture I borrowed from Shianne's facebook, from Lauren and Mike's wedding, since my camera battery died during the wedding, and I never put any pictures up.

We left bright and early this morning to go to an Amish bent-n-dent grocery store in Shippensburg called B.B.'s. If you've never been to a B-n-D, you simply must. They stock groceries that have smashed boxes, or cans that have a dent in them, or whatnot. You have to be careful to check expiration dates, because sometimes the food is slightly dated, but other than that, its fantastic! I left with about 6 bags filled, and I spent a grand total of $17. And its name-brand stuff, too. I love B.B.'s!

We spied many a yard sale on our way to B.B.'s, so we quickly stashed the groceries at Lauren's house and went yard saleing. There was one just across from her house, so we walked over to it. At first glance, it didn't look like much, but I found some really neat stuff! I got this vintage wooden.....thing......with cute little mushrooms and frogs on it:

Its a little shabby (*ahem*.....loved), but I love it all the same.

And these adorable little figurines:

2 bunnies, 2 kitties, and 2 mice

We stopped at a couple of other yard sales, but didn't find anything at all. Unsatisfied that this should be the end of our quest, we made a last-ditch effort at finding some treasures at one of our local Goodwills, where I found this:

The top of his head lifts off so you can hide treasures inside of him! He is my new Most Favorite Thing. ♥

I also got a big old tea-tin filled with hundreds of vintage buttons! The tin itself is fairly hideous, so I didn't bother taking pictures of it. I did, however, spend the better half of my evening sorting the buttons into Beautiful, Good-Enough, or Downright Awful piles. Thankfully there were quite a few in the finished Beautiful pile! I have big plans for these buttons....

"Plans? What plans?" you ask.

I'm not telling...yet! :)

And now, I'm going to lay in my cozy bed with my sleepy little kitten and watch Miss Potter, which I've heard is fabulous.

Goodnight!

♥♥♥

I'm not lost!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I have, indeed, not fallen into the Black Hole of Calcutta. Nay; instead I have been super-duper busy trying to juggle my two boyfriends. (I wish! Ok, my boyfriend and my boy-friend). Between work, Chris (boyfriend), and Philipp (Austrian boy-friend) my head is spinning. And last-minute craft stuff for Lauren's wedding gifts. I posted about the box a while ago, but that was only the beginning. Here's the whole kit and kaboodle:

Philipp and I went to the mall yesterday and I picked up these "bride" panties for Lauren, plus the other 2 pairs. Every bride needs a pair! I already had planned on making a feather tickler, and when I found those pink "ticklish" underwear, I was so stoked! So I got my act together last night and made the tickler and the black drawstring pouch (with white thread....grrrr! Stupid me forgot to pick up some black thread...) But its ok. It serves its purpose well! Later this evening, Chris and I are going over to Lauren's so that a) Lauren can finally meet Chris in a more intimate setting, b) Chris can play with the kitties, and c) I can bring my baby kitty home tonight!! Yay!!

Project-Thursday, and pictures as I promised!

I finally made Lauren's wedding present!

She requested a "special" box (you know, to keep "special" underwear, etc. in for "special" nights? *wink wink*). Nothing too obvious, as it will sit on the nightstand. Well, here it is. I love how it turned out (if I may say so myself)! It took a couple of hours to put it all together...probably about 3. But the end is worth the means! My fingers are absolutely stuck together with hot-glue hairs, and its probably all over my carpet, but the box. is. done. !!!

This picture shows the damask a little better, but the coloring is most similar to the first picture. I turned the flash on for this one so you could see it!

This is a paper doily I glued to the top! I just loved the design, and it matched my fabric, so I had to glue it on there!

I had originally planned on using some crystal brads to hold the doily on to the top, but I decided against it - mostly because I recently acquired an acute fear of poking holes in things with scissors, since I nearly sliced my own finger off a few weeks ago. (PS - I've got most of the feeling back in that finger now. Finally.)

I'm planning on a few other things to go along with the pretty box: a feather tickler (like the one I made before, except all-black), a book called Hostels U.S.A. (got it yesterday at Borders; Lauren and Mike are camping/hiking/roadtrip/hostel nuts), I might attempt making a drawstring bag to keep naughty things in from the same fabric as the box, and I want to buy her a pair of panties from Victoria's Secret that say "Bride" or "Just Married" on them. Or something silly like that.

***
Ok, Lauren just called and wants me to come play with kittens.
How can I say no to that?

I will return later and post lots and lots of fun pictures!