with this ring

So we got them. simple and sweet.

http://www.gabrielaartigas.com/shop-online/item/by-rings/14k-rope-ring-black.html

and
https://catbirdnyc.com/shop/product.php?productid=17479&cat=392&page=1


We agreed we could upgrade them if we ever felt the need ... or if they end up being really annoying to wear, skip them altogether.

go frost yourself

So I am trying to think of styling for the wedding.

Bridemaids:

Pearl earrings, gold trinket necklace (above), and Take Heart bracelet.

Me:

???

Found and Found

Found it. Orginally found in Atlanta, after being put on hold, transfered, calling back and confirming w my intended, found in the right size in NYC. It should be here in a week. Let's hope it fits.

Working on Band details going for a fitting this wknd. Flowers and black suits for the fellas ... also figuring out when in I actually plan on doing all those DIY projects I fell in love with.

Huge week here at the clinic. Conference abstracts, feminist book group, moots, court, and my very own event, 90th Anniversary of the 19th. Wish me luck.

Where are you grey vest?

What I can afford (source): What I want (80spurple):
Suit shopping is bloody bloody bloody hard. Our first trips as newbies we sort of gut an idea of what we liked, second trip we tried to find that Navy 3 piece suit with side vents just to get looks like we were martians.

Must go back to the drawing board ... I really like this tie too.

hmmm

Maybe a Navy suit, grey vest & that rugby tie? gah I think I have reached my limit for the day.

I started convincing myself I could sew them.

greater expectations

I think I expect this from myself:

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/10/check_out_this_rushmore-inspir.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+nymag/vulture+(Vulture+-+nymag.com's+Entertainment+and+Culture+Blog)

But seriously should be putting in the efforts elsewheres too.

Minor Updates:

We are still playing with the website, but the rest of the paper is in and the cranes are complete.

Contacted & initially booked the Unitarian Minister in NYC ... but now there are second thoughts, so uncheck that.

Dabbling more into Music.

Front runner for first dance: (Velvet Underground w Nico)

I'll be your mirror
Reflect what you are, in case you don't know
I'll be the wind, the rain and the sunset
The light on your door to show that you're home
When you think the night has seen your mind
That inside you're twisted and unkind
Let me stand to show that you are blind
Please put down your hands
'Cause I see you
I find it hard to believe you don't know
The beauty you are
But if you don't let me be your eyes
A hand to your darkness, so you won't be afraid
When you think the night has seen your mind
That inside you're twisted and unkind
Let me stand to show that you are blind
Please put down your hands
'Cause I see you
I'll be your mirror

falling together?

(source aka want)

My sister was here this weekend. Things seem to be back to what in my family we consider normal. Instead of wedding stuff we worked on my halloween costume. Life doesn't seem to want to slow for wedding items & I am still obsessed with paper. Most of the paper for the invites is in but there are still some details I need to work on.

Today Lucy has her first experience with a dog walker & on saturday we are going in for an assessment at a doggie daycare. I got stupid nervous about all this for some reason.

Professionally things are sky rocketing. Toni Morrison for Feminist Conference in the Spring, Donna Edwards for my speaking event in November, an awards ceremony for legislative work tonight & the annual board fancy dinner next week. This is great but it doesn't leave much time for work.

On another note, I am fist shaking mad at SCOTUS. All the special interest money coming in for campaigns ... horrible attack ads ... its got me fired up and wishing I was helping out on election day. Corporations are not people! I was reminded today that some SCOTUS wives are as annoying as their partners, case & point: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2010/10/anita-hill-gets-a-call-from-ginni-thomas.html

no stds

I really don't think at this point we are doing save the dates, but I am happy about how our engagement pictures came out.

http://www.lifeloveblog.com/2010/10/shannon-alex-engagement/

hanky

So I have seen quite a few handkerchief invites and thought they looked lovely. This one was also featured on design sponge and the graphics are delightful:
http://kellianderson.com/blog/2010/09/handkermap/

However since it is too late for that I thought about maybe we could make them for the programs … but then I thought longer and if people to use them to wipe their eyes that could be a little weird since peoples names would be on the program. And blowing your nose on the bridesmaids seems unwelcome.

However – what if we just had lighter fabric printed up with the crest? And had it wrapped on the outside of the program?

This could work.

Let's Stay Home

ok.

crap.

what day is it?

I think I want to lock myself away in our apartment, burrow and nest and not come out again until everything is calm and organized ... or it is Monday and I have to go back to the rat race like a good little lemming.

Tuesday was the Primaries and I actually think I have stayed away from campaigns now long enough to miss them, or at least miss election night.

Where is your bed when you need it?

{poster credit}

6 months out

So here we are 6 months out.

We just had our engagement session. I think they are going to look pretty good. Here is a preview:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/serenajae/sets/72157624943584952/

We played with a Mad Men theme and then took some standard pictures. I hope we don't look too cheesy ... Also I am pretty sure my face hurts from smiling. I was feeling pretty spent afterwards.

Technically we are behind on Save the Dates ... and now I am not even sure we will do them, maybe just email around the website.

After the tooth debacle I am so far behind on my readings that I am scared for the week to start. My calendar is chock full meetings ... I feel like I am on one of those run away stage coaches.

thirfted

Hey look what I thrifted.

Alex and I are attempting to channel a little mad men in our engagement shoot. i will most likely wearing those gloves. They say Dior but who really knows. For 2 bucks they are well worth it and the actually fit my uneven hands. I am nervous about getting my picture taken. Look out disastrous ... here we come.

I bought a ton of dresses but kept the tags on ... hopefully I can narrow them down and style appropriately.

Also according to all of the check lists I am late on the Save the dates .... whoops.

Labor Less

Another of my college roommates is engaged ... dropping like flies.

I just got back from Charleston ... lovely city. The trip was highly focused around food and girl time. We started off with Taco Boy. I highly recommend the frozen screw driver.

We were also blessed with a perfect beach day followed by an ever so classy meal downtown. (think shrimp and grits) After a rooftop bar and a few choice quotes by Mahoney about Bozos and Zoo creatures we ended up getting the largest pizza known to man and calling it a night.

I couldn't convince the rest of the girls to do historic stuff, but I did win them over on Baked. We walked around downtown and did some shopping on King's street and went back to the island for dinner at Poe's. There was a slight incident with a snotty lil southern girl in regards to the seat yourself policy, (turns out us yanks are the real ladies). The next morning we pulled ourselves together got one last taste of Jersey Mike's and fought Labor Day traffic back to good ol' Maryland.

patriots

The Iraq War is supposedly over ... funny because it doesn't feel like it. I am here in my comfy chair, not too badly stung by the economy, none of my family or direct friends shed blood or sweat. It feels so sadly distant and declaring it over gives me little relief. In my musings of propaganda and pin up girls I am thinking about today's war and Obama's speech.

"In an age without surrender ceremonies, we must earn victory".

So the tooth I sunk a good bit of our honeymoon fund into, now needs a root canal. Cha-Ching! Just another notch in my lipstick case of woes pre-wedding. Part of me continues to dream the dream of elopement ... but going through the stress of a wedding together really is something. Some sort of boot camp before the real deal.

I am really stuck on this red, white and blue kick. I just bought a red, white and blue purse and I think I am 3 seconds away from buying this poster. I also found something I want to get for a songstress girlfriend for her birthday in October. Also I keep getting sucked into those eternal snake rings ... I think I might be emotionally shopping.

Going to Charleston this weekend, hopefully the time off will help me get centered again.

oh hush

So would design*sponge have ever actually showcase a wedding I didn't love?

They got me hook line and sinker, but what is more I want these medals for my bridal party. I think I have decided it has to happen. I need something like this, I am throwing all my fears about midevil times (due to the crest) to the wind. I WANT some, dang it, but how? My quick google search really did not pan out, maybe I can post on etsy? I think there is some way you can post what you want and take bids now ... hmmm

All this pin/badge talk actually reminds me of how on capitol hill all the elected officials are suppose to wear these little flag diddies (helps the guards recognize them so they can go around the metal detectors). I mean they have real badges too, but all members also constantly wear their pins. I miss D.C. and yes I have been reminiscing about the hill lately. In my fantasies the streets are paved with gold.

and holy hell look at these damn cake toppers:

I spy with my little eye a squirrel and a owl, how perfect! Although Alex shoul really be the owl, I want to be the squirrel.

Positive energy Please

(source)

I want to believe this so bad. Also law school starts back up today.

Gowns ordered!

So the gowns have been ordered and everyone will get some pretty earrings thanks to Bella Bridesmaid of Baltimore. Nice to have another item checked off ... although this one had a bit more blood/sweat/tears then I was expecting. Now that I have a new dress, I need to rethink styling. Back to the drawling board.

(source)

Name cards away!

Come take a trip with Us.

It's a wedding, I am allowed to be cheesy. This is the idea for the name cards. The airmail paper will be whit but you get the idea. Now to start thinking about font ... I sort of still want to keep with the type writer but we shall see.

the dress redux

So I went with my sisters to a bridemaid gown fitting. My sister looked stunning (yeah!). They were having a sample sale so I started leafing through the rack ... and I saw a wedding gown ... and I pulled it from the rack ... and I tried it on .... and i liked it. crap.

It reminds me of this dress from the 2005 Academy Awards (one of my favorite things about those damn award shows is the dresses) minus the bubble skirt:

So now I am up at 2am googling trumpet skirts and trying to decide if they are cheesy. I have the dress on hold until Wednesday. It just felt more bridal and I think I can sell the jcrew dress easily.

Brit envy

Seriously all the stuff I want is from the UK. Why is overseas shipping so expensive, and why is all the cool stuff over there? Damn ... wish I was there.

Ok so the pink is terrible ... but the bride and goom pins are pretty terriffic. (source)

Or maybe $25 for just the bride and groom pins?

7 months out

My current state of mind:

Let's just run away together?

Owl are u?

You do know someone has a birthday coming up? Alas online shopping couldn't even seem to get me out of this funk. I still want this though: I ordered some possible hair candy for the wedding. When they come in if they don't look totally ridiculous I may post pictures.

Also part of our invites got back from the printers. I guess I am doing this backwards. Invites before Save the Dates ? Oh my!

Upcoming: Bug bridemaids to get their dress orders in. I gave them the deadline of Aug. 19 and only one has made the order. She was also the first to book the hotel, go go allstar bridemaid. ;)

Oh and we chose a photog, engagement session in 2 weeks. I will have to remember to note that we need a no pants picture of the guys ... I wonder if they should be forewarned?

Lastly I am debating switching to Tumblr. I like how clean theier set up is.

Star Wars Cookie

So we have begun registery shopping ... which in turn has turned into shopping shopping (which turned into cookies, see picture). Turns out the registering really wierds me out. Logically I know this is tradition and laughed when 2 of my bride friends said that their significants at first refused to register. Honestly though it really is a very wierd feeling. You just go around with the gun expecting different people to get you things. I really did not enjoy it until probably the last 20minutes and then Martha Stewert collection at Macy's got my gears turning.

Crate and Barrell was overwhelming to me. Williams and Sonoma actually was pretty fun. They had free tastings and fun little food items. We pondered buying a grill set that was on sale and then stumbled upon a small Star Wars section. They had pancake molds, lunch box, apron, sandwich cutter and sugar cookie design. We went with the sugar cookies.


They were pretty easy to make except for the search for a make-shift rolling pin and that my arm got tired (reminder - add electric blender to registry). I made a chocolate batch and a regular batch. I think I am going to bake some more for a birthday. I think they will be excellent gifts and am busy trying to think of other occastions to use them.


Please feel free to make chocolate dark side jokes.

Spoiler Alert

This is a rough draft, but I am excited about where it is going. I am afraid that the ornament stands are tackey and might have been purchased without enough consideration (I wish I could find some that would just melt into the background) ... but I love the orgami.

The crane name card holders are excellent. We are thinking map paper for the birds and airmail trimmed name cards. I like the symbolism of cranes and if the Mr. finds a way to edit it properly, Crane Wife might be our first dance.

I will show more later on the paper roses ... I really want to learn how to make them. Currently I am blessed with an in-law aunt that I should just refer to as Martha Jr., her entire basement is the most well organized craft shop I have ever seen. I got extra inspiration when I saw a tie that she had made for her husband. It was inspiring and overwhelming at the same time. However I should probably just stick to the orgami for now. We already put in a hefty order of paper folding. Now to paper shop!

Feeling squirrelly

I want this.

Playing photo went pretty well, I got some of my nerves out. However my mafia princess would not let me see a single shot. :pouty: She said she wanted to maybe play with them and pick through and send me some today. I am not waiting very patiently ...

Upcoming project: Screen Printing.

Ce n'est pas un mariage

So we have been looking into photographers ... correction he has been looking into photographers. As part of the work load break down that is his job.

I think we are between these 2:

http://www.lovebyserena.com/ or http://www.daniellecoverphotography.com/

Both within budget and both give full photo rights and an engagement session.

We are going to play camera with a friend today to get a better idea of what we like and to try to get some decent images of us hopefully looking like an attractive couple. I have a few ideas and some props. I have the snap braclet from the night we met ... books ... records ... old luggage ... red lip stick .. Lucy. Not sure if any or all of these will be used but it should be fun to play.

I like the idea of having a final print with the cursive french words This is not a Wedding overlayed at our feet.

Save the Date by firing squad

FAILED IDEA:

I wanted to play off this propaganda poster and have an image of us holding a boat like the one below with our date on it. However Alex commented the fact that all his mother's family was actually in the navy and had to deal with sinking boats that everyone might not enjoy it. Death by PC.

ANOTHER FAIL:

I really liked all the ads for Where the Wild are ... especially the one below. I thought we could go hide behind a tree and find that font somewhere. It got voted down.

FAILED as STD but now will be used for the website :

(Lucy won't be in the final .. I just thought it was cute)

A possible survivor =>

The library inspired invite is really fun but i am not sure we will totally pull it off. Here are some images I liked.

(source)

I liked this one too, but Phantom was not a fan:

OR we could go more DIY:

(source)

I like the library card ideas but I would like a good picture of us ... I also would really like to do a postcard. Not sure if that is compatable.

tail hour

This room needs to be decorated for the cocktail hour .... where as for everything else I seem to have a million and one ideas, here I feel a little stumped.

mad mad world

Sometimes life is like a tragic circus, cry till you laugh (or vis versa).

Summer Lovin

So I have been busy, some set backs, some accomplishments.

Bridesmaid dress - check

Crest/monogram - check

Photographer - check .... oh no wait ... our wedding date is her due date. Back to the drawing board on that one.

Wedding web url - check

My most recent project was actually inspired by a trip to an art gallery in NYC. My very tallest friend took us to a show were the artist had used broken records for mosaic portraits. It was awesome and got the wheels in my head turning. So Alex and I went to the outlet goodwill (yes this really is a place) and bought records by the pound. Here is what I have so far:

I am thinking table numbers right now but we will see what it eventually turns into.

Busy week when all I want to do is sleep.

profound lost

...
At times like this when I was feeling blue
So I gathered up some friends to spread the sad sad news
And we headed to the City for a drink or two
And we sang"We live to dance another day, it's just now we have to dance for one more of us, so stop looking so damn depressed, and sing with all our hearts, long live the Queen"

Lucy Squirrel Wrenn

Also I created a you tube site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32_C3O_zdnk

HAIR!

This hair makes me want to talk with a southern drawl and drink whiskey.

Imagine my suprise when Alex said he actually liked it. Keeping this in mind for the wedding. :) Although I would probably wilt.

I thought previously thought of some sort of high smooth french twist.

Also big hair is not a crime, it's hard to tame my inner southern lady.

crest confusion

SO this is the picture that led me to go with our particular artist for the wedding invites. She just gave us back some initial sketches and I am afraid I over managed it and should have given her some more breathing room. She actually drew exactly what I had explained and now I am having second thoughts. I am spending the night combing over coat of arms, seals and crests trying to pull from them to make my own ... I wish the creative process was easier.

Spring is Coming.

my kind of silhouette

How witty?

http://silhouettemasterpiecetheatre.com/

Helen

Helen Thomas said some not well spoken comments about Israel and is finally retiring. She Turns 90 in August and I think she is wonderful. I hate to see her going out on a bad note. I mean Israel has been doing some extra crazy shit recently but her comments were bad ... I just hate that the focus is going to be on this stupid controversy rather than her lifetime of work.

Least we not forget the legendary colbert/thomas/bush roast.

She really was a ground breaking woman in politics and in the press. She was smart, fearless, and knew how to ask a pointed question. She will be missed. At least some of her legacy will carry on.

"Thank you, Mr. President."

To stamp?

So we have began collecting books for the center pieces and it has been amazing fun. We have found some real lookers.

I just ran across this stamp idea ... I like ... however would i be ruining the beautiful books we worked so hard to find?

Also the custom crest seems to be coming along swimmingly.

Slow Motion Please

So I tried to stop for a second but the world kept spinning, fort lauderdale, atlanta, birthdays, study period, exams, boston and now a mean game of catch up.

Thinking about bands, loved these guys but not sure if I can afford them.




Twirling around with the idea of creating a custom crest for our invites instead of using Hatch.

Trying to narrow down photographers, Phantom has fallen for Maggie Mud BUT I think we should check out a few more.

ALSO my beloved Tall roommate moved out and we have all this extra space that we are not quite so sure what to do with ... furniture shopping is expensive and unweildy. I also see now why peopel can get degrees in interior decorating.