obsession with gold metallic.

 

image: BHLDN

seriously?!  incredible! i think these shoes would take me on fabulous adventures...

 

image:  martha stewart weddings

happiest room ever!

image: west elm

i must get this for my house!

 image: west elm

and this fabulous pillow!

simply stated...

 image: brooke granger

...im obsessed! 

i have a slight obsession with laurel denise necklaces. they are the perfect thing to customize for a special occasion {and make perfect family or bridesmaid gifts!! - i got my sister and my mama the "joy" necklace below from the simply stated collection, and customized the 7.9.11 for me, above!} thank you lolly for constantly creating such beautiful goodness!

  image: laurel denise.

wedding planning...where do you start!

inspiration board by brooke.

so after solidifying your main details (where the wedding will be, the date, venue, caterer, etc.)...the next step is to gather inspiration. this will initiate a theme, which will then help when you pick out your rentals, linens, flowers...

do not be afraid of your theme changing. we ended up having an indoor wedding, and alot of my initial images were for an outdoor tent wedding. it was so much fun to look back at the journey the wedding planning took from all the binders and boards i made!

a pic (via my phone so its not super clear!) of the inspiration board i made for my room! 

where it all started...

 

i was trying to figure out where to start. 

i have been MIA for so long and so much has happened, 

so i think i will just start where i really left off. the engagment. 

so last may (2010) my boyfriend of 7 years (i'm serious!) proposed 

overlooking the manhattan skyline...(where we met).

there was a picnic (with prosecco & red velvet cupcakes of course!), 

and then there was a 2nd surprise...

both of our immediate families traveled to ny to be there after the engagement to celebrate! 

so we had an impromptu engagement party in nyc! quite an adventure.

and after that...wedding planning overtook my life...

it started with this picture that i spotted on a wedding blog...

(at this time i cannot remember WHICH blog i saw this on, 

so i apologize for not crediting the appropriate photographer, etc...)

this image set the tone for me. the color scheme...

the obsession with blue mason jars...

the planning began...

i'm back!

image: my wedding day - 7-9-11! photo taken by shelby leigh photography.
photo copyright: shelby leigh photography 2011.

did ya miss me? ;)

well what a whirl wind. i cannot believe a year and two months of planning is over. i can't believe i'm married! it was seriously the most incredible day of my entire life. i do not have words to describe it really...it is so hard to put that day, and the moments leading up to it, into words. i feel completely overwhelmed with the amount of love we received and felt that day, that weekend, or for that matter...that we always receive from the inspiring, loving, generous and FUN family & friends that we are lucky to know! for that craig (my husband) & i are very grateful.

i am also overwhelmed with where to start back up with the blog here and my shop. there are lots of changes coming. i am just taking one step at a time, so bear with me as i get back into the swing of things. my mind was completely focused on moving (NYC to MD), buying a house, planning a wedding...for the last 6 months. now that we are finally settled into our house, (we have moved to maryland officially!), and we are MARRIED...i can finally get back to business.

so for now just sayin hi! and ill be back tomorrow with a new post!

my wedding plans...

photo via snippet & ink.

so now that the wedding is months away things are really kicking into high gear now. i know this time is absolutely going to fly by so i am trying to enjoy it all as much as possible...i mean, an excuse to make inspiration boards and post beautiful images all over my home, and buy every wedding mag on the planet? ah, i adore it. in any case, i have been keeping lots of pics and things in a digital scrapbook and once the wedding is over i will definitely post everything. i just want to wait until its over to worry about that ;)

in the meantime...i am starting many d.i.y. projects this weekend, with the help of this fabulous book...

from the talented gals at hello lucky!

and these amazing blogs which have completely inspired me during this process:

snippet & ink

green wedding shoes

style me pretty

what junebug loves

ritzy bee

merriment blog

the bride's cafe

oh happy day

100 layer cake

once wed

and project wedding blog.

for those brides out there...hope this list helps! ;)

omg!

photo courtesy of one true love rentals via 100 layer cake

I will HAVE to figure out how to use these vintage cans at our wedding...since my new last name will be GRANGER!

ah!



romance in the air... i mean hair!

photo courtesy of green wedding shoes

loving this romantic hairstyle from the green wedding shoes mexican wedding photoshoot!
{see original post here!}

except...i would want to wear my hair like this everyday, not just a wedding day ;)

birthdays...and excuse to spend money right?

courtesy of bcbgmaxazria

wow, birthday came and went. another year older. ironically enough, it feels good. i thought i would be dreading the big 3-0. but it is actually opening up a whole new world of possibilites in my life. so i am excited. i cannot believe how much has changed the last two years...or well, how much is about to change, lets say. because i have been in a bit of a transitional stage the last year or so, and now things are falling into place. i am so so so excited for the next phase of my life...just around the corner! {5 months away!} and though i haven't been posting wedding stuff here {i am waiting til after the wedding to share it all!} i do have to share this TO DIE FOR dress i bought at BCBG for my rehearsal dinner. i figure the rehearsal dinner is a good excuse to splurge on an expensive dress, and besides, you can only really wear white a few times in your life, so i couldn't resist.  i cannot wait to wear it!

now to find shoes... ;)

design crush.

i didn't know it was possible to have a design crush {and by this i do not mean on products, which OF course i have an obsession with!}...no, no, i mean on an actual designer!!! and i've got it bad!

i came across ashley meaders recently, and immediately became obsessed. everything she does is so magical. i have no words!!!! {which if you ask my fiance is a first for me, hee hee} but seriously, it feels like you are entering a whimsical wonderland with every styling she creates. just look!

courtesy of ashley meaders. ashley and her husband's big day!

collections: mason jar love

Since my childhood, I have always been a collector. I don't know exactly how this hobby got started, but it started young...from Barbie dolls, to Halloween candy (I just had to have the most!), to Broadway playbills...the list goes on and on. As an adult I have now transitioned into collecting housewares...(I am sure many of you can relate to this!)...one of these collections being mason jars. Whether new or old, in the form of a jar, mug, or a decanter, I have so many than I know what to do with! Thanks to apartment therapy for showing me the light! How gorgeous are the mason jars above as a table centerpiece. Simply magical!

a new resource for your wedding registry

Such an honor…

My cousin and his fiancé added Madison Belle to their registry! How sweet they are! Thanks so much Andrea & Chris! Cannot wait for the wedding this summer!

FYI for anyone interested:
We are not set up to host an actual registry on the site as of yet, (something for the future perhaps!), but if interested you can use host site myregistry.com (or something like it), and add Madison Belle items to your list! Check it out… Such a new cool option for the bride & groom… now you don’t have to only register at Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond!