Friday’s Fab Finds: The Glory of ModCloth

I owe my new-found obsession with ModCloth to my dear friend Annie of Marry You Me. She sent me a link to a gorgeous dress she wore for her Mad Men party and from that point, I was smitten. I’m such a vintage/antique/retro junkie so the vibe of their clothes and accessories is right up my alley. I’m in constant swoon over their retro and chic sheath dresses, embellished cardigans and chunky Mary Janes. Once this wedding is over, I’m going to boost their sales quota by purchasing a few of the fabulous numbers below. I’ll have all the makings of a stunning little housewife then! Just don’t ask me to make you a sandwich.

Dresses

Spotted Around Town

Janey Jump-Ups Dress

Thursday Purseday: Spring Flowers

I think the snow gods finally heard me because last night we got some snow! A nice 8 inches, which is enough to give me a bonafied snow day from work! [I'm still working from home, but I'm in my pjs, so I can't complain!] As much as I love snow, I’m getting eager for spring! I’m craving constant sunshine, sprouts of bright flowers, temperatures above the 30′s and my wedding! There’s something so amazing about stepping outside of your house after a cold winter to beautiful flowers and budding trees! Because I have serious spring fever, I wanted to showcase some handbags with gorgeous pastel and neon colors, fun flowers and soft and silky fabrics! Carrying one of these around would cheer up anyone’s snow blues!

Pink Cotton Wristlet, Etsy, $12

Somerset Ferns Silk Lined Clutch, Etsy, $85

Kiss Lock Pastel Clutch, Etsy, $75

Fashion Rose Coin Purse, Etsy, $54.99

Chartreuse Chrysanthemum Silk Lined Clutch, Etsy, $85

Grey, yellow and blue clutch, Etsy, $24.50

and the finale…

Bouquet Silk Clutch, Etsy, $55

You don’t need a bouquet if you chose this clutch on your wedding day! The soft, silk fabric with the mustard, green and ivory colors make this a perfect Spring clutch!

For more great #ThursdayPurseday finds, visit Niche White Bridal Loft,Enchanted Dream Weddings & Affairs, Sparkle & Hay, The Charity Wedding,PeachBride, The Demoiselle, Postcards & Pretties,Brancoprata, Swatchbook Weddings and Meant to be Sent
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2 Months to Go…

2 months until I’m a BRIDE! [via]

Tuesday kicked off the 2 month countdown to the big day, and boy, am I ready! I’m at the point in my planning where all that’s left are the boring, essential little details I’ve put off. As you remember, I had a bit of a shuttle issue earlier, but I’m happy to report that has been resolved! We found a company that will rent out sprinter vans and charge us ONLY for the hours we need it! A radical concept, I know We also found a fabulous limo company that is giving us a wonderful deal to cart the lovely bridal party in style around Charleston to take photos! However, now we must tackle the seating chart, the accommodations and the welcome bags. Not horrible tasks, but daunting ones none the less. So isntead of boring ya’ll with those, I’m showcasing some more decor, venue and look inspiration boards! Oh and keep your eyes peeled, I’m going to be posting pictures of our invites AND venue soon!

Bridesmaids:

[Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5]

My Look Part 2

[Images 1, 2, 3 and 40

My Venue

I’m seriously getting SO excited for the big day!

Tuesday Shoesday: A Little Bit of Kate

Who doesn’t love Kate Spade? Seriously, I’ve yet to meet a fashion minded woman who’s scoffed at this well-known trendy designer. Her designs are unique but classic, whimsical but sophisticated, embellished yet timeless. Her shoes provide a vacation from the ordinary, they give your outfit a whole new breath of life. As you can tell, I’m a wee bit obsessed. Today, for this lovely [trying to remain optimistic] Tuesday, I am revisiting this fabulous designer and showing off some of my new-found favorites. If only money grew on trees…

Caz

Darla

and the finale…

Lavish
Such a luxurious shoe, don’t you think?

For more great #TuesdayShoesday picks, visit Swatchbook Weddings,Postcards and Pretties, Niche White, Enchanted Dream Weddings & Affairs, The Demoiselle, Superburbs, Ruby and Willow, Lemon Bride, Big Day for 10k, Peach Bride, Little Miss Bride to Be, Marry You Me, Brancoprata and Meant to be Sent
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Marvelous Monday: Dress of the Day

I’m really getting into this whole ‘dress of the day’ category, it gives me another reason to stalk gorgeous wedding gowns every day! This next gown is simple, yet sophisticated, with a flattering shape and flirty floral sash! Better yet? It’s made by my favorite retailer, J Crew! I love their wedding gowns because they are made of wearable fabrics like cotton, soft satin and taffeta and are perfect for a modern bride who is having a spring or summer outdoor wedding!

Aren’t the buttons so cute? Oh, and even better, the dress is only $1,500 so you can look beautiful and still remain in budget!

Going Dark…

So, I’m taking a big leap on Tuesday and I’m absolutely STOKED. I’m going dark…with my hair, of course! I know it’s a big gamble to dye my hair darker 2 months before the wedding, but I’ve put a lot of thought into this. I just love the way I look with dark hair! My favorite feature is my bright green eyes and when I have darker hair, they just pop! I’m not saying they don’t shine with blonde or dirty blonde hair, they are just more pronounced when I have my hair darker. I’m also a HUGE fan of dark hair/light eyes/red lips, which is the big look I’m going for on March 25th!

Now:

Darker:

My inspired look:

[Via]

Freaking gorgeous, right?? I’m so excited on this next big step. What are your thoughts?

A Moment of Happiness…

I’m having a crummy day, for more reasons than I care to share right now. And I’m tired of talking about them. So instead, I’m going to show you some GORGEOUS photos of where I’ll be honeymooning Ahh…the warm sunshine. How I long to feel you as I wander around these white sand beaches and relax in the salty ocean water.

[Photo via]

[Photo via]

[Photo via]

and my favorite…

[Photo via]

It’s amazing how much more relaxed I am just by looking at these photos. Where are your daydreams taking you today?

Dress of the Day

When I look at this dress, I can’t help but close my eyes and envision myself in it, twirling around in a fairy tale. This gown has an ethereal quality that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Leave it to Claire La Faye to create such a piece of artwork! Pair its soft and flowing fabric with this feather-light photography and you have yourself an incredibly angelic scene!

For more of Claire’s amazing work, visit her Etsy page.

The Top 5 Things I’ve Learned Planning My Wedding

I seriously love this cartoon. I’ve used it before, but there’s just not a better picture for this article! [Via]

As our wedding nears closer, I have found myself taking a step back from the chaos to analyze these past 10 months since my engagement. Although they have been some of the best months of my life, they sure as H have not been the easiest. I’ve learned valuable lessons about the industry, stress levels, relinquishing control, self esteem, budgets and having faith in others. But most importantly, I’ve learned some beautiful and not so beautiful things about myself and my relationship. Here are the most important takeaways I’ve learned while planning my dream wedding. I hope these help other frazzled bride to bes find harmony in a very tumultuous time!

• It won’t last forever. Even if you are a bride who plans to go into full time wedding coordination, planning YOUR wedding comes with a whole new set of stresses and triggers that you won’t have planning other people’s weddings. Although 90% of this planning has been absolutely amazing, I’m in the 10% where I’m literally at my wits end. What keeps me sane is knowing that in 2 short months, my wedding planning will be over with. The event will be here and over in the blink of an eye. And then I’m done. It’ll be incredibly bittersweet, trust me. I’ve really gotten attached to the planning process. But I’m also looking forward to having free time again, a level head and some pocket change too.

You will be a beautiful bride and your event will be gorgeous, remember that! [Via]

Tuesday Shoesday: I Needed an Outlet :)

That about sums up how I feel right now.

As the title alludes to, I’M A LITTLE FREAKIN’ STRESSED. And it’s over a part of wedding planning that is not fun, at all. It’s stupid and logistical but absolutely has to be done. I’m talking about coordinating shuttle services to and from the venue from one of our booked hotels. Although this is my fault for assuming, I just thought the hotel [a big chain hotel, none the less] would have some sort of shuttle service to and from their hotel for big events. Well, as I found out today, I was VERY wrong with that assumption. They don’t offer any sort of shuttle service. At this point, I wasn’t too stressed because we had a back-up plan already. We were already in conversation with a limo company that was going to take the bridal party around Charleston for photos. I thought, “well, why not have them do the shuttle service too, kill two birds with one stone and still stay in budget?”  Once again, wrong in that assumption. It would cost like double our budget to do that, and trust me, we just don’t have the extra funds lying underneath our couch or in a rainy day fund. This brings me to my current panic-stricken and explicative-shouting position. I just don’t understand why we can’t book a limo for 2 hours for photos, then for an hour to pick guests up before the ceremony and an hour to pick them up after the reception. I just don’t get why we need to pay for the 7+ hours when no one is using it! But, I’m also not in the business and am just being a bit of a bridezilla. I’m sure there is a perfectly good explanation as to why this can’t happen. But right now? Entertain me friends, and just let me vent.

Since I’m fuming over here, I needed an outlet, and I needed it fast.  Thankfully, today is Tuesday Shoesday so an outlet was quite easy to find! [Thank you Neiman Marcus!] I’m feeling very extreme, obviously, so I found some gorgeous and couture pumps that are dashing, daring, sassy, sexy and very unique. These are definite Carrie Bradshaw pumps! What do you think, about the shoes and the shuttle?

Casadei Chain-Platform Sandal

Alexander McQueen Crystallized Suede Biker Bootie

Valentino Fairy Tale Tie-Back Sandal

Valentino Lace-Up Wedge Sandal

and the finale…

Brian Atwood Studded Multicolor Cutout Pump
What do you think about this extravagant shoe? It kind of reminds me of a child’s outdoor play set, with all of the cut outs and colors! It’s a definite SJP pump, that’s for sure!

For more great #TuesdayShoesday picks, visit Swatchbook Weddings,Postcards and Pretties, Niche White, Enchanted Dream Weddings & Affairs, The Demoiselle, Superburbs, Ruby and Willow, Lemon Bride, Big Day for 10k, Peach Bride, Little Miss Bride to Be, Marry You Me, Brancoprata and Meant to be Sent.