*singing in best Nat King Cole voice*
When ipods fall in love, It will be fooooorever..."

*no longer singing*
I think these his and hers ipod covers from Technocutie are, well... There is only one adjective for what they are. And sadly, I am not allowed to use it. Let's just say they are indeed loveable in the same manner as kittens and puppies. Adorable. Fuzzy. "C" to the "yewt". I DIDN'T SAY IT! Check them out.

Can someone please bring back the mantilla comb? They're all over ebay, and I'm desperate to start wearing mine. Who's with me? (BTW, mine's not QUITE that big)

Dragging up the net; haul, haul, haul. Spilling the catch on the deck; spill, spill, spill.

I love the fabric on this vintage wedding gown, it is as if antique Mexican AND also Modern. It's Modican. Or Mexidern. The former sounds like aerosol bug spray. The latter sounds like a drug for female problems. Sooooo NEVERmind. But seriously, you should see this dress, it's a stunner.

Nextly, we have a really amazing hair comb. "Sterling" I believe is the term, in both material and quality. Indeed.

Then, a lot of green glass votives on the cheap. Because sometimes people have parties and they need votives that are green and cheap. Maybe those people are you?

Last but not least, a swingy tiara that makes me want to drink bootleg gin and do the Charleston.

Apparently, I'm the last one to discover this cool Australian company; We Dream in Colour. I stumbled upon them just recently and thought, "Yay, something new!". I was all proud of myself for exploring previously uncharted (by me) regions of the internet. Then I went to their press section. Turns out they've been featured by all my friends and neighbors, everyone from from Oh Joy! to design*sponge. As it turns out, I really just don't pay attention.
I suppose it IS better late than never. I'm loving the large vintage crystal necklaces and earrings. Striking, but elegant.

Urban Decay Primer Potion. Fantastic product. I discovered this stuff thru Product Girl, and I'm really happy with it. It's basically just a nude cream you apply to your eyelid before you apply eyeshadow. It doesn't have any color, but it does help your eyeshadow stay where you put it. I bought a tube yesterday at Sephora and used it this morning underneath my eyeshadow. The picture above is my eye at around 1 in the morning, after about 15 hours (!) without reapplication. Notice, no creases! You'll have to take my word for it that there's the same amount of color on there now as there was this morning. I'm not sure what will happen when I apply a more liberal amount of shadow, but I'm optimistic. I'll let you know how it goes.
Because no one wants to reapply or worry about eyeshadow migration on their big day, I'd say this is a no brainer for $14.

I love these necklaces from Elizaldi. Each set comes with a sterling silver St. Christopher medallion or a starburst pendant, and a vintage stamp from any number of locales.
What a perfect gift from a groom to a bride as a memento of their honeymoon, or a gift from a bride to her bridesmaids, honoring their heritage. What a great idea. I love it.

I am so excited right now. Why? Because I have looked SO high and SO low for SO long for decent shoe clips. Now I have found them, and I am a very happy lady. Absolutely Audrey = absolutely exactly what I was looking for. Fine, maybe I don't NEED shoe clips, but I just like the idea of transforming shoes I already own into new incarnations of themselves so much, it makes me want to party.

Like many Americans, I have a rather mixed bag lineage. My father-in-law would call me a "dog's breakfast", (an endearing term, I assure you) meaning I've got a little bit of everything. My dad has always been interested in his Scottish geneology, and gave all three of his daughters Scottish first names. While I was sort of unwilling to plan my wedding colors around a tartan plaid, it would have been nice if in some small way, I could have worked my Scottish lineage into my wedding. If I had known about the thistle pin at the time, I would have definately incorporated into my outfit.
The story goes that a band of invading Vikings were sneaking up on a group of Scottish soldiers one night back in like the year 9, and one of the Vikings stepped on a thistle. He yelped in pain, thus allowing the Scots to defend themselves and get away unharmed. Since that time, the thistle has been a symbol of Scotland, and the thistle pin has been a badge of pride worn by Scottish women (and sometimes men).
While it isn't particularly a wedding tradition, it seems like a subtle way to honor a Scottish heritage, stopping just short of putting your fiance in a kilt.
Many, many, many of these items can be found on ebay under the search phrase "thistle pin".

I've never seen anything like this wedding dress, but I am certain that with slight modifications, (bracelet sleeves?) it could be fabulous for a winter affair.

I'm not totally convinced that this veil once belonged to a Vanderbilt, as the seller suggests, but regardless it's lovely and it's a steal!

This bun cover expands and contracts to fit your hair do, admittedly, I would have to wear it on the smallest of settings, here's hoping you're blessed with more hair than I.

This Chinese hair pin is like flowers of spun gold, it would look fabulous against dark hair. (Chinese, or otherwise)

These silver toasting glasses are so retro chic. Give them a good polish and everyone will think you got them at Tiffany's.

While I was trolling ebay (for trolling ebay 8), I kept coming across these cups shaped like ladies holding buckets over their heads. I was intrigued. I did a little research and learned that they are part of an old German wedding custom. You all know how I love culture, so as much as you might protest, today we will learn something.
The story goes that a long time ago, a goldsmith in the city of Nuremberg wanted to marry a young noble woman. Her father, however, did not like the idea of his daughter marrying a poor artisan. Legend has it that the nobleman would only allow the wedding to take place if the goldsmith succeeded in making a vessel from which two people could drink at the same time, without spilling a drop. The goldsmith succeeded, and the news of the happy ending spread quickly all over Germany, where the Bridal Cup has been in use ever since.
To me it wasn't completely obvious how this worked at first. I was all "huh?" whilst turning my head to one side and squinting trying to figure out how two people could drink from that lady's bucket... (those are 'thinking really hard' ellipses).
I finally figured it out when I learned that the cup held by the woman is on a hinge, and can rotate around so that it looks as if the she's dumping the contents on her head. So then, if you turn the whole vessel upside down, the groom may drinketh from the maiden's skirt (yowsa!) and the bride can drink simultaneously from the maiden's bucket, which tilts so that she doesn't spill. I'll be damned! What fun.
If you'd like to get one of these pretty little ladies for your wedding just do a search for "german wedding cup" on ebay. You'll find several.
That's all for today, class.

Wonderful things happen when the diamond takes second billing to a more colorful partner. Here are three brand new stunners. The first is a locket ring from Temple St. Clair, featuring a diamond, and a moonstone... opening up to reveal three hidden diamonds on the inside of the ring. This would make a beautiful statement as an engagement ring, in keeping with the spirit of discovery that comes with marriage.
The second is an ethereal sapphire from Barry Kronen, flanked on all sides by diamond prongs.
And lastly, a lotus blossom done in 22K gold with a dainty diamond center by Me & Ro. Again, I love the symbolism of the blossom for an engagement ring. So fitting.
All of these rings can be found at Ylang 23, where they're constantly updating their collection of designer jewelry.

I've been so focused on the "Something New" with Fashion Week and all, I thought I'd refresh with a little "Something Old".
There are some wonderful new (well not NEW, but old in the newest possible sense) things up at Vintageous. I love, love, love this site for dresses. There are always so many great shapes from decades gone by. Lest you forget, this is not the first time the bubble skirt is popular. They 're a staple on Vintageous, direct from the fifties. The real deals. But don't sit on your laurels if you see something you like, the real gems go fast. In fact, you might have to fight me for the blue one on the end. Go. Go now. NOW.

I think this is the last Fashion Week post. I'm all fashioned out. This last image is all Badgley Mishca, because they had so many nice dresses.
All in all, I hope you were inspired by some of the dresses I posted this week. The intent wasn't so much that you'd go out and buy them, but more that you'd see some material or detail that you loved and try to work it into your outfit in your own way. Or that you'd pick up on some trends for next spring and be the hippest, most happening, (and don't forget timeless) bride out there.
My husband says I should "do contests on the blog". I'm going to go find out what he means by that. Cheerio.

Here we go. Firstly, I love the dresses by Carlos Miele. So romantic. Yet, just as I was set to declare that we had a winner in the romance department, I found the ones by Peter Som. And now I can't decide. It's a darn good thing I can't afford either. Phew.


Top row: Carlos Miele
Bottom row: Peter Som, Peter Som, Y and Kei.

*Don't forget that you can click on the images for a larger view.

More from the runway. In my opinion so far, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, and Derek Lam rock the formal scene and I'd give Marchesa an honorable mention.

1) Bill Blass
2) Bill Blass (Not a wedding dress, but wouldn't it smashing in white?)
3) Derek Lam (Not a wedding dress "")
4) Derek Lam (Not a wedding dress "")
5) Marchesa
6) Marchesa
7) Marchesa
8) Marchesa
9) Marchesa
10) Rodarte
11) Rodarte

Camera, FOUND! Yay. So here's what the poms looked like hanging, along with the centerpieces.

Here's the latest from Fashion Week:

all images via style.com
*again, left to right, top to bottom

1) Carolina Herrera
2) Carolina Herrera
3) Luca Luca
4) Luca Luca
5) Marc Jacobs
6) Oscar de la Renta
7) Oscar de la Renta, (I know this isn't a wedding dress, but HOT DAMN it rocks my world.)
8) Oscar de la Renta, " "

This is the first of several posts on Fashion Week, here in NYC. From where I sit, (way out in Brooklyn), there appear to be some very refreshing new shapes emerging in wedding whites. None of these designers are known for their wedding wear, but in my experience, I find the most inventive shapes and ideas outside the "white box" of the wedding industry. I'm going to keep my commentary to a minimum. I'll just give you the facts.
All images via style.com

*from left to right, top to bottom.

1) Ruffian
2) Sari Gueron
3) Sari Gueron
4) Lela Rose
5) Lela Rose
6) Costello Tagliapietra
7) 3.1 Phillip Lim
8) Toni Maticevski

My grandmother would say that you're not supposed to wear opals unless they're your birthstone. I say, 'phoo'. Wear them and be fabulous.

I love these two antique tiaras for so many reasons. If only there were more occassions for tiaras...

So simple, so delicate, so you.

Apparently, there were only a few of these made by a very she-she foo-foo designer. I just think it's pretty.

These were crafted by Bedouins in Yemen. I find that very intriguing.

I love this for its timelessness and its train.

As a supplement to a previous post about false eyelashes, I'd like to point you all in the direction of Tricia Sawyer who does a really amazing tutorial on how to apply a full fan of false eyelashes. She aslo has some other really helpful tutorials on applying eye makeup, foundation, and powder on her website. You can also subscribe to her video podcast and get your dose of "Trix of the Trade" delivered right into your itunes. New segments are released relatively regularly.
*You do need Flash 8 to view the tutorial directly from the link I provided. If you don't have it, you should get it. It's easy to install.

If you're having a loft event, or getting married in any space with some empty walls to cover, I think these new removeable decals could really spice things up. My favorite, by far, are the birds. They're kind of universal in their symbolism and simple enough to blend into a wide range of party decor.
Trust me, there's great creative potential here. You could create some really nice patterns with the dots, if you're fancy like that. I am totally fancy like that.
As an added bonus you won't have to give up your security deposit. The decals won't peel the paint off the walls, and you can reposition them if you mess up the first time around. I would totally mess up the first time around.

I love this makeup tutorial series! Elke Von Freudenberg demonstrates how to get a long lasting natural finish to your skin while still managing to cover those red spots I have come to refer to (not so affectionately) as "issues". There is an ENTIRE SERIES of these videos to be found on her blog: The Beauty News, so don't miss it. Not only do I find them helpful, but I often slip into a somewhat Bob Ross like hypnosis whilst watching them. Which I love.

I love this vintage Vogue cover from 1922, by Pierre Brissaud. Hip-slung side pleats are so very modern, albeit paired with a longer hemline (check out this Carolina Herrera: Thanks DH!). I love that I can find inspiration from magazine covers 84 years old! The cover artists were so imaginative back then...

This appeals to me on the most basic "Swiss Family" levels. I would have dragged my husband up a tree for our honeymoon had I known it was an option.
Here are a few amazing resorts to file away under "honeymoon" in the wedding binder.

Creek and Crag's Wild Canopy Reserve: Masinagudi, Tamilnadu, India. This treehouse has en-suite facilities and the reserve serves breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. The treehouse is situated above a watering hole so you can watch the elephants and tigers drink before you go to sleep! I think this would be my first choice.

Treehouse Village Eco Resort: Kavieng, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Following at a close second is this treehouse on the beach, complete with snorkeling, scuba diving, en-suite bathroom and hot shower. Meals are served in the canopy.

Cedar Creek Treehouse at Mt. Rainier: Ashford, Washington USA. Double beds, a kitchen, a bathroom, skylights, and an observation room make this eco-friendly place seem very enticing.

Takilma Treesort: Takilma, Oregon USA. A community of treehouses to choose from, some with private toilets, some without. All appear cozy and warm. Full breakfasts are provided during the high season.

False eyelashes used to be part the the regular repitoire; blush, lipstick, mascara, false eyelashes. All par for the course back in the day. As a girl with relatively "dainty" natural eyelashes, I can appreciate this.
I tried using a couple individual lashes on each eye the last time I dressed up. They were undetectable as false eyelashes, but I did get a few compliments on my eyes, which normally don't attract that much attention. I'll definately use them again. They weren't hard to apply and gave me what I felt to be a good bang for my buck. You just have to remember to glue the individual lashes to the top side of your real lashes, not to the lids themselves. I bought the set on the right and have no plans to try the full fan, as the individual ones worked really well for me.
*Don't forget to coat with water-proof mascara after the glue dries. That'll help them stay put for sure, even thru a good sniffle.

I just got this photo in an email, taken by one of the other guests at the wedding. I just couldn't resist! I know, I'm not supposed to be using "cute" as an adjective anymore. But, please... have mercy! There is NO OTHER WAY! Baby. Flower Balls. CUTE!

This is the first of a couple posts I'll be doing about Tait and Karen's wedding this past weekend. I'll do a separate post with pictures of the flower balls and centerpieces because I haven't gotten the pictures I need yet. I took a ton of photos of the decor with my father-in-law's camera, which he lost. So until I can collect some other images from other guests, or his camera turns up, we'll just have to look at the lovely bride and the handsome groom.
I think every bride has their stories of the last minute snafus. With me, it was the jukebox. Damn that jukebox. With Karen, it was the Port-a-Pottys and the hair-do.
At the last minute, Karen's hairdresser called and said that she couldn't come. Which, I have to say, would have freaked me out. But Karen was calm, and we decided that I should do it. I am a designer. I make pretty things. I have hair. I was fairly confident I could do it. It's just hair. Right?
Lets just start by saying that my hair is NOTHING like Karen's hair. Mine is fine and slippery and dark, Karen's is curly and thick and red (and also "foamy" according to Tait). In my opinion, if our hair got together, and had a hair baby it would be the best hair on the planet, but I digress. (You might think I'm about to brag here... and you'd be one hundred percent correct). But didn't I do a great job? It's dreamy. No?
There was also the dress, can we focus on her dress? Karen designed it, and her mother made it. MADE it. As in, from scratch. All in all, no less than a hundred hours of work must have gone into this dress. Karen was making adjustments to the details of the dress whilst she was putting it on. It was an insane labor of love for both Karen and her talented mother. Alas, the life of the dress was fast and hard. It rode in a boat, it got married, it danced the rhumba into the wee hours of the morn, and on the way to bed, it met it's end. As Tait was carrying Karen to bed (collective sigh, big romance points) he tripped over a root, dropped her in the dirt (collective gasp), and went ass over tea kettle into the mud himself. The dress was... muddy. Very muddy and damp. Only the good die young. They were good natured enough to have a good laugh about it.
More on the wedding to come. Soon. I hope.

*photos by Nuno Serrenho