Chanel

I saw this Chanel ad over at All Things Bright and Beautiful and instantly fell in love

Wouldn't this make the most gorgeous wedding gown? 

If you have $12 million dollars lying around....

...Then this dress is for you!

According to Bkweddings, Jeweler Martin Katz and dressmaker Renee Strauss teamed up in 2006 to create the most expensive wedding dress ever on record. The dress features a stunning 150 carats worth of diamonds laced throughout the dress and is worth an estimated 12 million dollars. The veil was custom made to go with the gown but only contains mere rhinestone embellishments. Apparently the dress is (still) for sale, so if you're been searching for the perfect budget friendly dress than look no more!


Editors note:
I did a little research this morning and found that some of the most expensive dresses ever worn don’t amount to even a fraction of the total cost of this dress. Princess Diana’s wedding dress cost 9,000 euros, Victoria Adams (Posh Spice) dress cost $100,000, Katie Holmes dress cost $50,000 Catherine Zeta-Jones dress cost $140,000 while Eva Longoria came in at $75,000.

Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

Shoes, Glorious Shoes!

Oh wedding shoes. How I long for something like this:

Louboutin

Or this for my something blue:

Manolo Blahnik

But sadly at 5’10” I am exactly the same height as S. Monster. Now usually wearing 4” heels—and thus being 4+” taller—doesn’t bother me. Call me vain, but on my wedding day I’d like be the same height as my hubby to be.

That said I have been on a hunt for flats (we’re talking if I could be barefoot I would flats). I’m not entirely sure how I feel about ballerina flats, but sandal wise I’ve been looking for an open toe style—no thongs. White isn't an option since my dress is a lovely shade of ivory, but I'm open to most any other color (purple would be awesome but I am leaning towards silver)
Here are some of the options I’ve found so far. Which do you like? Is anyone else out there looking for flats?

Jcrew

Pura Lopez & Van Eli

Valentino & Salvatore Ferragmo

Charles David & Corso Como


Corso Como & Elie Tahari

Martinez Valero Sofie Flats

The lovely little (big) Guestbook

Over the past few months I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the guestbook. Personally, the traditional guestbook never really did it for me. It simply didn’t make sense to me; I mean what in the world am I supposed to do with a book half filled with signatures?

Thus led me into my search for alternatives

A crystal etched bowel would be pretty amazing if I had the money and/or was willing to spend it on such a thing—but I don’t and I couldn’t so there goes that idea. Along those lines, I’m not much of a cook so a signed platter didn’t ……

A wishing tree/pot/etc. is a cute idea but honestly are people really going to write much more than “congratulations!” or “good luck!” along with their name? Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a cute idea but it seems like something rarely accurately executed. It seems to me that it is probably quite hard to be heartfelt when you’re being rushed and on an empty stomach. While your guests obviously care about you—they are probably just a wee bit more interested in the food and open bar. Besides after all is said and done all you’re really left with are a plethora of pieces of paper that need to be displayed…and of course the consequentially guilt you’ll feel when you put them in a box in the back of your closest (admit you, you’ve thought about doing it!)

Having everyone sign a picture of us or a picture book of us is also a cute idea but overdone and (I feel) slightly narcissistic. Don’t get me wrong I love photos of S. Monster and me and am always up for taking more but I have to draw the line somewhere. We’ll have framed wedding photos, engagement photos and old everyday photos and then wedding albums on top of other albums—and you want me to add a signed album or frame to that mix? Don’t you think it’s a little much?

No, none of the above options would work for me/us. Ultimately, what I was looking for was something a little non traditional, something that had a special meaning to us and something people could sign.

After searching high and low for ideas I stumbled across my solution—a coffee table book. It couldn’t be more perfect.

You see, I have had a torrid love affair with coffee table books for quite some time now. I simply can’t get enough. What makes this brilliant though is that not only are both of us are both book junkies, given our nomadic lifestyle and oh so very long distance relationship, travel has also always been a huge part of our lives. So why not combine our two loves? What could possibly be better than lovely giant book celebrating the country of our first home (the first *hopefully* of many more to come)? Below is the book I think I’ve decided on using. A lovely little (big) special something that I will enjoy cherishing for years to come. Let me know what you think!


“An enormous book in terms of dimensions, it won't fit on the average bookshelf. It might even serve as a coffee table all on its own. Spectacular Ireland, a magnificent collection of more then 140 color photographs by some of Ireland's best landscape photographers and elegant text by Peter Harbison, one of Ireland's most distinguished archaeologists. This handsome volume celebrates Ireland, a small island country of extraordinary beauty, fascinating history, and evocative myths and legends where the old and the new thrive together in an interesting mix”

available at Amazon.uk

How do I love thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Image via All Things Bright and Beautiful

Engagement photos

Given the distance, and in efforts to cut costs, S. Monster and I didn't hire our photographer to do engagement photos. I simply couldn't justify the cost. However, I thought they were such a cute idea we enlisted the help of my lovely sisters and talented friend J. H. to take some pictures for us. A couple hundred photos later I attempted my hand at photo editing for the very first time. Now I normally wouldn't post these, but I am just so pleased with how our collaborated efforts turned out that I simply had to share a few. So please forgive me this indulgence!

 

May I have your attention please

It is (officially) official--I am moving to Ireland!!

As some of you know, S. Monster and I are somewhat long distance. He lives in Ireland, and I live in New York. Since the engagement people have constantly been asking where we would live after the wedding. Well we decided to wait and see what his company would offer him in terms of a new contract before we made any finial decisions on where we would live. However, I am so excited (and so very proud!) to announce that not only did S. Monster's company offer him an amazing promotion, but they are also paying for my visa and my move overseas! 

So now the plan is to move home from New York at the beginning of August to finish up wedding planning and work on unpacking/ re-packing for the big move. Then immediately following the honeymoon we'll stop back by in FL for a few days to start processing all legal documents and grab more luggage before heading across the pond to our new home in Dublin! 

If anyone wants to stop by for pint of guinness, our doors will always be open! 

Opposites Attract

monkey love

"I just want to go play in a tree, but won't you come and fly away with me"

Grey skies

Today is a dreary cold June day here in New York and I am in desperate need of some pretty images to pick me up. I saw this post awhile ago, but true to form, forgot to tag it and then could not for the life of me remember where I had found it. After some in-depth internet sleuthing and a dozen or so blogs later, I finally stumbled across it again.

Meet Pia Jane Bijerk, a brilliant designer/stylist/blogger that lives between Paris, Sydney and Amsterdam (I am beyond jealous). Below are her gorgeous images from her Amsterdam houseboat. Yes, that’s right, a pretty little home on a lovely canal in a quaint city. Please enjoy

Welcome to my home. It’s a little different to some… mind your step as you jump on board… Nestled under chestnut trees on one of Amsterdam’s beautiful canals is where you will find my home.

Kitchen:



The kitchen is my favourite space in the boat - it has a great oven and stove top (hard to find in apartments here in Amsterdam), and the water reflections dance on the ceiling all day. It is very inspiring for when I am recipe testing and food styling. There are 7 windows in the kitchen and it is on a little mezzanine level as you enter the front door, then you step down into the main living space…



The bedroom is behind the screen that you can see in the loungeroom. It has a large storage space that is in the very front of the boat for clothes, and there are also lots of shelves. i will show you more of this space soon, it is quite interesting. It is very quiet, in the mornings we wake up to singing birds and ducks playing. This is me making the bed so that you see I do ocassionally make it. But that is the thing about being a stylist, you do get a bit lazy when it comes to doing your own ironing and tidying…

And the grand finale, the teeny weeny bathroom:

Yep, that’s the bathroom! Very tiny, possibly the smallest bathroom I have ever had, and I thought the Paris apartment was small! It was the only concern I had about living on the boat. But I have since fallen in love with it as the most beautiful light comes through the pothole and streams across the shower.



all images are from Pia Jane Bijerk. Go check her out!

Le sigh…one day I will own a quaint houseboat on a cozy little canal…and a cute beach house overlooking the ocean with a lime green vespa parked out front …and also a fabulous loft in the city…..oh one day….

I've been tagged!

The other day I was tagged by Peonies with a set of new rules. For those of you who are unfamiliar with “tagging” let me explain. Usually when someone tags you, you have to share 4 random facts about yourself. However, Peonies has changed it up a bit (which is quite awesome by the way) and now I am sharing 4 random facts about my hubby to be.

So without further ado:

1. S. Monster is a 2nd degree black belt in Ninjutsu and had to have his hands registered with the U.S. Government as lethal weapons

2. Is a *huge* nerd. We’re talking ex-W.O.W player (I am so jealous of those of you who have no idea what that stands for), and current Magic the Gathering online player (among other things)

3. Hates the sun/outdoors and would live in a windowless room if allowed. I think he may have been a vampire in a previous life.

(anyone else see Benchwarmers? )

4. Is a phenomenal cook. Which works out really well for me since I manage to give myself food poisoning—from my own cooking—on a monthly basis

side note: these risotto balls were the first meal he made for me. One bite and I was his

Sunshine and Happiness

Imagine my excitement when I found out that not only had the lovely and talented Peonies tagged me, but that she had also written a post about my blog as well! I am so deeply flattered and honored, and seriously have not been able to stop smiling. For all of the new readers who have written sweet and encouraging comments--thank you! In case you’ve been living under a rock and for some unknown reason and have not seen this amazing site go check it out now. Her images are gorgeous, her writing witty and her stories are poetic. I stumbled across her site shortly after I first started my blog and am quite ashamed to admit that I had (read: still have) a severe case of blog-envy. Her site is simply stunning. Not only is she a talented writer and photographer, but I can relate her stores 100%. She’s like a more stylish/funnier version of me. So continue spreading the love and check her out. Below are some of my favorite images from her site (did I mention her and her hubby have their own photography business? Love it!)

all images are from Peonies and Polaroids

Inspiration board revised

inspiration3

During all the meetings and whatnot this past weekend I noticed that I constantly kept referring to my original inspiration board (you can see it here). I also noticed that much had changed since then and that I desperately needed to update it. So with a task at hand I set about trying to create a inspiration board that matched not only my "wedding mood" but also more accurately reflects my color platte. I'm not so sure I achieved that, but I do think I'm getting closer. What do ya'll think?

desired color palette

In light of yesterday's post..

I just had to share this with all of ya'll:

video courteous of STELLA EVENT DESIGN

Pain in my....

Does anyone else despise the guest list? I mean really, truly loathe it? Because I do. I really really really do. Let me count the ways..

First off I don't have the budget to include 500+ people (shocking I'm sure). Second S. Monster and I really want a intimate affair of about 130. That "intimate number" is further confirmed due to my venue which only holds 150. You would think then that this wouldn't be an issue. We know the number so we should be able to stick to it, right? Well consider for a moment that we have about 70 people just including our families.  Then of course there are the family friends and those people your grandparents/aunts/cousin twice removed feel should be included but whom you're pretty sure you've never met in your entire life (or if you did, you did not have the developed mental capacity to remember). Don't forget of course mine and his friends. 

The problem, I have found, does not lie in who to include but rather who to not include. Where does one draw the line between a really close friend and a really friendly acquaintance? Do you invite the best friend you had a few years back or the semi-good friend you have now? What about significant others? How do you determine whose significant other is "significant" enough to include? What about if you are friends with both people in a relationship and then they break up--do you still include both--or just one--or neither? What about a best friend who you had a somewhat falling out with, who you are now a friendly acquaintance with whose still close with all the friends you are inviting and whose (as of yesterday) ex-boyfriend is your fiancees good friend? (did you manage to follow that?)

What do you do when one of your close friends starts inviting mutual friends whom you had no plans on inviting in the first place? What about when a new friendly acquaintance starts inviting herself--on a daily basis--to your face? 

Honestly its enough to make a sane girl crazy. And I'm talking running through the streets in my underwear with a stuffed chinchilla and a bag full of onions singing "A Spoon Full Sugar" at the top of my lungs crazy. 

editor's note: Sorry for the lengthy vent. Sometimes this stuff boils up and out of me before I can control it. I blame it on living by myself with no one but my dead plant (aka pot of dirt) to talk to...

Deepest apologies

Sorry for being so MIA recently. The past two weeks have been somewhat insane. Last week I was in sorry shape after accidently giving myself a case of food poisoning with my own cooking (yes, you read that right). That misfortune was followed by a fantastic trip down to Florida to see my family and the boy who had also flown in to Florida. While we did get one relaxing day at the beach the bulk of the weekend was packed with wedding related errands, appointments and to do lists.

I am proud to announce that we accomplished quite a bit in such a short amount of time. The list is as follows: 

• Met with Pastor and got our pre-marital counseling done in two short sessions (he told us we're a well balanced couple! woot woot!)
• Finished up the registry
• Picked out and reserved the tuxes
• Met with church coordinator 
• Made MOH take engagement photos for us
• Had a Indiana Jones movie marathon (not techncially wedding related but I felt the need  to include it)
• Picked out cake design and booked baker (it is so friggin amazing ya'll--I can't wait to share it with you!!!)

The weekend festivities ended with my flight back to NY getting cancelled Tuesday night and then getting bumped from Wednesday morning's flight. However, don't feel too bad for me. I did end up with a $150 voucher and a first class seat for taking a flight later that evening. 

Other than that though, my week has been pretty slow--although someone did get stuck in my building's elevator today--but these things happen. 

More posting to come soon - scouts honor!