A Trip to Marshalls

If you haven't already figured it out - I love a good deal. I went to my favorite Marshalls in Tewksbury today and picked up some great items on clearance. And the best part is that these...unlike usual were not impulse purchases. I have been looking for a cool lamp for the sun room, some shell frames to hold wedding photos, and a pillow for my newly painted wicker chair. Well, I lucked out today and found all three!

(1) Lamp (complete with awesome zebra print drum shade)
(2) 4 x 4 Shell Frames
(1) 4 x 6 Shell Frame
(1) Blue lumbar pillow (with the cutest vertical texture and fabric flowers)

= $66.91

Cheesy Photo Ops - A Wedding Essential

For some reason everyone takes this photo (all the groomsmen holding up the bride while she anxiously tries not to get her really expensive gown wrinkled in the process). In this photo everyone is guaranteed to look awkward - that is actually the goal. You have to love it. No one ever frames this photo...but I suppose it does make it into a lot of albums. Anyhow I find it to be a hilarious tradition and I highly recommend you succumb the the peer pressure and pose for this cheesy photo as well. Then anytime you are feeling too serious about yourself - I say pull it out for a reality check.

A Little White Paint

I've had this hideous black wicker chair in my basement for about a month - since I bought it for $10.00 off the side of the road. It was in desperate need of a face-lift but I did like the modern shape of this chair.

This is my first time painting any piece of furniture (although I did stain my bureau myself) and I think I might become addicted. It's really is amazing what a little white paint can do to transform the ugly.

After 3 coats of heirloom white spray paint, here's how it looks now:

Not bad huh?

Now it just needs a lumbar pillow for some color and it's ready to go ask my desk chair.

And here's the hideous before:

Gardening

This weekend we filled two holes in a bed by our patio that had been empty since we ripped out the woody remnants of some mystery perennials left over from the previous owners 1 year ago. Although initially I thought I wanted some sort of blue hydrangea - when I saw these Limelight hydrangeas at our local gardening center (Mahoney's for those who are Boston locals) I changed my mind. I love that they flower through fall, at which point the white/green flowers turn a pale pink. Also, they'll be great to clip and put in a vase indoors once in a while.

The $25.00 Thrift Store Chair

I had been driving by this fan back chair, sitting outside of a thrift store for a week. I couldn't take my eyes off of it and finally stopped to check the price tag. $25.00 bucks! The advantage of having my Tiguan is that I can throw furniture in the back easily without a fuss...so often I can make impulse purchases when the price tag is right.

It makes a cute addition to our guest room and would make anyone feel like royalty sitting in it. Now we just need a little art on those bare Restoration Hardware Cappuccino painted walls and this room will be a great calming retreat for guests.

2nd Set to Frame

Now I think it's time to frame some detail shots. These shots would probably work well in my crate and barrel frame - a Christmas present from my sister that hasn't come out of it's original box yet (hey I said I was behind).

Only problem is there are only room for 4 pics - so which one won't make the cut?

Wedding Shadow Box

Random bits and pieces left over from our wedding were strewn throughout the house with no particular rhyme or reason. There was a raffia fan in one room, a swatch of lace in another, a cupcake flag in the dresser....what a mess.

So, after a little inspiration from Young House Love (if you don't frequent their blog yet you are missing out!) I decided to make my own wedding shadow box.

Micheal's was having 50% off frames so I got mine for $10.00!

Here's what went in:

(1) Handmade invitation that we lovingly kept to remember the blood, sweat and tears that went into making them

(1) Raffia fan (we used these as wedding favors, along with the cookies I made with my grandmother)

(1) Cupcake flag - made custom from Etsy

(1) Swatch of alencon lace from my Marisa 737

(1) Monogrammed Vellum baggy (that held petals to toss after our ceremony)

(1) Silk flower (originally meant to be worn in my hair - this was temporarily affixed to my purse when I decided to go with fresh flowers instead)

(1) Save the date magnet (designed in Illustrator and printed for super cheap on vista print)

Bouquet Close-up

When my bouquet was still looking fresh, I untied it and put the flowers in a vase to enjoy them for the rest of the week. To this day, it's still the nicest arrangement to ever make an appearance in my kitchen. I snapped a few photos the day after so I could remember for gorgeous it was. Too bad we can't we carry around a bouquet anytime we'd like to feel special without looking like a crazy person. That brooch on my bouquet belongs to my grandmother - she was so sweet to offer it as my something borrowed.

Corner Decor

Since we moved into our house - we have struggled with what to do in this corner on the living room. It probably needs a sette or day bed but I don't feel like shelling out $1,000 just yet. So, with a couple purchases under $100.00 I have done what I think is a pretty good job of sprucing things up.

The room still needs to be painted since the previous owners painted an accent wall copper and the rest of the walls yellow (yuck)...when the heat dissipates a bit we will paint it a sandy beige (BM Manchester Tan).

But for now I think it looks decent to tide us over!

(1) Zebra rug for 89.00 from Smart Bargains
(1) $20.00 leopard pillow from Etsy
(1) Garden stool from Wisteria $90.00 (on sale)

Formals

The Grand Entrance

As nerve wrecking on the moments were leading into our grand entrance into the reception - we did rise to the occasion. I was carefully avoiding puddles along the way and still flustered by the fact that we just took all our formal wedding photos crammed into a tiny porch overlooking the vineyard - while winds and rain thrashed around behind us. But the second I stepped into the reception...I started to forget that our wedding was in the midst of a hurricane, and felt comfort in the brightly colored surroundings we had created for our wedding day. The amazing glow of the aqua, orange, and ivory lanterns made me smile immediately and washed away the weather blues.

And then suddenly I forgot the well planned decor and remembered it wasn't about the weather or the fact that our wedding plans had changed at the last moment. It was of course as it always had been, about love...what a relief.

Tonight especially I am reminded that sweating the small stuff in life is not worth our energy. We need to tell those we love how much they mean to us everyday. So, go now and hug a loved one, even if it's the dog:)

Wedding Hair Trend - Sporting a Side Bun

Sporting a side bun on our wedding day

I picked Samba Salon for myself and my bridesmaids to get our hair done for the wedding...mainly because they came highly recommended by another salon and also because they have a dog named Pickles who lives in house. I fell in love with Pickles and the salon staff and only wish I lived closer to Portsmouth because I would still be going there to get my hair highlighted and cut every 6 weeks.

Cristina at Samba Salon did a great job styling my hair into a side bun for my wedding. Side Buns have become super popular lately - probably because they are style that is easy to do yourself and they also look great on almost anyone. For me this was the perfect style with my face shape and given the rainy weather, it was really the way to go or my hair would have been a frizz fest instead of sleek and put together.

Here are the steps Cristina went through to get volume on top, with a polished look. The finishing touch was a cymbidium orchid behind on ear, just like this inspirational Side Bun style I found from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Series to Frame

I seriously need to start framing some photos from the wedding. It has been almost a year and I have no album....and no photos on the walls. I know what is wrong with me right?

Well, it is time and my first project is a horizontal frame with space for (3) 4x6 images.

They will go in this lovely frame from Pottery Barn.

Here are some options but I need to rule out 1 photo. Thoughts?

Sweta and Mayur's Wedding

When Sweta shared her wedding photos with me...I couldn't believe how beautiful her pictures came out . There is something so magical about this wedding. The vibrant rich colors, the expressions on the guests faces, the grace and beauty of the bride. These photos have so much energy...so I asked Sweta's amazing photographer (Summer Starling Photography) if I could share a few. Here are a few of my favorite photos from Summer that really capture the incredibly special feeling of this wedding. Enjoy!