Alternative to the Plates

From Nea.

Miniatures

Cool photos from erin tyner photography.

Decorating the walls

The moment I saw this, I fell in love (and though I know I have seen it several times since, I have not been able to find any of the sources!)
So, this past week I found the perfect thing to begin my own set of plates while at my favorite store back home, essentials:

Actually, I wanted this whole set of Thomas Paul Sea Life plates as well as the shell coasters and giant tortoise serving tray, but who can justify all that melamine? Anyway, I just got the one goldfish. And I love it.
Then today, I go to read The Pioneer Woman and she had posted about this wonderful decoupage tray by John Derian she impulse-bought years ago. Sounds like my kind of thing, obviously. Except for the price tag. But hey, maybe someday I can afford a $48 5 3/4" plate to hang on my wall and stare at. Or maybe it will just serve as more inspiration for the rest of my plates...



And a bell jar, for good measure.

Fantasy

Fun photographs from Yeondoo Jung via How About Orange.

If I Had a Million Dollars

Top: Naumkeag Gardens, Cake via Martha Stewart Weddings, Bouquet from ?, Bella Figura "Garland" Invitation, Vera Wang Collection
Middle: Boutonniere via The Knot, The London Collection Knightsbridge by Wedgewood, Centerpiece by ?
Bottom: Manolo Blahnik shoes, Smitherman and Barnwell flower girl dress, emunique white peacock earrings, emunique fresh water pearl cuff, 4th Avenue Soap Co. pear vanilla oatmeal soap

Oh!!!

That's it, no need to look for inspiration anywhere else.
The Conde Nast Store.

Green, yellow, and white

Here's my first wedding inspiration board, which I made a few months ago before we were even engaged. Getting ahead of myself maybe? My first instinct for colors were white, yellow, and green. I think white has to be included in the color scheme because available/affordable linens will most likely be white. And if I'm going bright (and it's a wedding, it should look happy!) then why not go REALLY bright with lovely prime yellow (alternating with gold) and green? I have continued to collect photos in this color scheme, with so many beautiful things!

Unfortunately, I don't remember all the photo sources because I saved most of them without names!

Muse Weddings

I saw Muse Weddings first referenced on Brooklyn Bride a month or two ago - before the engagement. NOW, I love it. The convenience of having all my ideas online to access whenever I want is great!

I use it to keep track of all my ideas (of which there are many because I am constantly reading wedding, design, and fashion blogs). I also update my (as of yet imaginary) budget.

Finding an Engagement Ring

Because the ring is the first thing everyone wants to know about (or second, after "When's the date") I thought I'd write a little about mine, and my experience looking for an unusual ring! (Mine is the middle one below!)





When we started talking about engagement and W asked me to send him pictures of rings I liked, I realized that what I wanted was something we both loved that was unique (and inexpensive). So I avoided the diamond solitaire like the plague and looked for different stones (sapphire, garnet), and details! And vintage rings are an option I love!
The rings above, including my own, are all from the Marlene Harris Collection. I looked into other vintage, estate, and antique ring sites, as well:
Fay Cullen
Weston Jewelry

I also looked at rings at Kay, Zales, Macy's, and other jewelry and department stores. Rather than looking through the typical engagement rings, I looked through the cocktail rings and alternative stones to diamonds. There are a lot of really beautiful and interesting ones!


Finally, here is another LOVE of mine (in fact, I might have to buy myself one or ask for it as a gift because I love it so much). It's nontraditional but I think it has a beautiful sentiment, and is so nice and simple! Forget-Me-Knot ring by Kiel Mead (photo from Elsewares)

What's unusual about this picture?

My hair? (It's long now!)
My dorm? the Mac PhotoBooth picture? no and no...
The ring on my finger! Of course! I'm engaged, and things are craaaazzyyyyy, but great. Everyone who even knows this blog exists has heard the story in person, so I will let a photo from my phone do all the talking about the proposal itself.

So now of course all I want to do is read wedding blogs and hang out with W, hence the new favorites added to my sidebar. But, in the next few months, that is probably all I will want to blog about - wedding planning, of course.

Here's to an exciting New Year!