This is not a glamorous post. I don't really have any shiny photos or appealing visuals. Mostly, I'm passing on info about this service (not because I've tried it) but because... (true confession alert)... I have been married for more than three years, and my own name is still not completely clear to me. I'm Ms. Law (my maiden name) when I fly to Canada. Mrs. Sala when I drive my car. Ms. Law gets calls from telemarketers all the time. Mrs. Sala gets mortgage bills. Ms. Law gets all my Syracuse alumni mail. Mrs. Sala owns the car, but it's paid for by Ms. Law's credit card. This has been going on for 3 years. 3 years people! I'm sure I could get it all done in a week, I'm sure it would be "easy". But at this point, I'm just totally intimidated by all the paper work. Looking back on my own experience, it might have been worth it to order a service just to have something that tells you what to do and when to do it. Just paying money for the service might have compelled me to get it done. If anyone has a chance to try this service (Maiden Name Change.com), please let us know how it goes. Those of us* (*read "me") who have no service? We have stalled.

Gorgeous jewelry over at Raul Frisneda Jewelry. My favorites are the earrings, no wait, the bracelet. No! Wait! The ring. It's the ring. Who cares, they're all amazing. They leave me wishing for an occasion for dressing in jewels.
That reminds me. Today, is a very special day. Today is the LOST premiere. I'm a total LOST junkie. So much so that whenever I type LOST, I must use all CAPS, like in the logo... LOST! I must admit that the event is bittersweet. When we lived in Brooklyn I would host "LOST Night" every Wednesday. My friends would all come over and I would make dinner. It was the highlight of my week. Now that we're in Rhode Island, and my dear friends are far far away, LOST Night is sure to be a little sad. Luckily I have Sawyer to distract me from all the sadness.

Chic and simple cakes from Flour Girl of Cleveland. I love the mocha one with the airy flowers. Wouldn't one of these little beauties on each guest table be adorable? They're just the right size!

Picture these babies with a mod little sheath, out on the dance floor, cutting a rug with the new husband. Love the subtle pattern, love the almond shaped toe, and it kind of looks like the heel would be sturdy enough to get down and boogie. Tory Burch shoes at Neiman's.

Now we haven't officially named him yet, but we're leaning toward "Shorty". So Shorty, meet everyone. Everyone, meet Shorty. He's six weeks old, covered in velvety puppy fur, and the sweetest little muffin you've ever had the pleasure of snorggling. We don't get to take him home for another 5 weeks or so, but after our visit with him today at the breeder's, it all seems so real! I'm back to regular wedding blogging tomorrow, but I'm too hopped up on puppy to focus on anything else tonight.

We've received so many nice housewarming gifts since we've moved in to the new house. One of my favorites was this collection of five white vases by Rosanna (they also have a colored collection of the same vases). If you're looking for thoughtful off-registry wedding gift, a great item to add to your own registry, or just a treat for yourself, these are awesome. I love mine so much that if I know I'm having people over and we're going to be hanging out in the kitchen, I'll move them all to the kitchen. If we're going to be playing games in the living room, I'll bring them in there. They're like a traveling side show! I sort of wish I had a few sets so I didn't keep having to take them with me.

I stumbled across Estate Diamond Jewelry.com by accident, and found some of the most beautiful engagement ring settings I have ever seen. I absolutely love the setting with the Asscher cut diamond on the left hand side. The princess cut one, surrounded by the sapphires is also just amazing. Granted, if it were me, I might not want quite such an enormous diamond. I might even substitute the diamond in some of these settings for something else. An aquamarine? A sapphire? A citrine? I can't imagine any stone looking bad!

As much as I love white gowns (and there are some stunners out there), there are multitudes of gorgeous colorful ones out there too. I can't imagine limiting myself to white when there are delicate confections like these from Louisa Beccaria out there. Are you considering anything other than a white dress for your day?

Depending on your color scheme, these could be just the ticket to dress up your invitation envelopes. From, (you guessed it), Ms. Martha. I'm picturing them on a bright yellow envelope, a lavender one, or maybe even a celery color... The options are endless. Grey Cherish Labels, Martha Stewart.

I'm guessing that most people are enjoying their day off. I'm working a bit, trying to catch up on loose ends. I thought I would post about these gorgeous silk wrap dresses from Calypso. They come in so many amazing colors and wrap in a variety of ways (although this style is my favorite). I thought they could be a wearable/versatile bridesmaid's dress, while still having that really lush, silk look. They'd also be perfect for a rehearsal dinner dress, or a bridal shower. I love, love the coral color. Something about that color, I keep wanting to paint everything in the new house this color. I must... hold... back.

I wanted to thank everyone for helping me name my new invitations! I must say that I had a really hard time choosing, you all had such great ideas!


Introducing the New Orleans! Thank you jane e. for suggesting the name for this one. We were so taken with the idea of naming one of our designs after the Crescent City, we decided to donate 10% of the profits from this design to The Green Project, a New Orleans based charity that promotes environmental sustainability in the rebuilding of the homes and businesses of New Orleans.


Next, the Casablanca! Thank you to Kate who recommend that name, which I think is a perfect combination of romance and exotic charm.



Next, the Oslo! Thanks to Meghan B. and bridget for coming up with that one. The pattern was inspired by Scandinavian folk art, so this was the perfect choice.


Last, but not least, the Palm Springs! We love the kitchy-classy combo of this invite, which was inspired by The Parker in Palm Springs, California (and was therefore, already named).

I found out about Brooklyn based SAIPUA thru Oh Joy!, and thought that even if you weren't in the Brooklyn area, you could use a shot of floral inspiration. If you are in the Brooklyn area, lucky you! SAIPUA also has a fun blog you might want to add to your morning circuit.

Whirling Turban, (the designer of these gorgeous custom wedding gowns) calls them "vintage style", but I really feel that they're totally chic and relevant for right now. Rather than being theme-y, they're simple, glamorous, flattering... everything you would want in an entirely modern wedding gown. I love that you can choose your own fabric to make any of their many silhouettes more or less formal. How elegant is the one on the right in the brocade silk? Wow. And the price? Also wow. Check it out.

Lela Rose is known in the bridal world for her line of high end, elegantly crafted wedding gowns with simple silhouettes and gorgeous detailing. She also has a line of non-bridal wear, and in my opinion, the gowns in her ready-to-wear line are just as beautiful as the wedding ones. I truly love the strapless white gown with the black detailing. And the orange one with the cut outs is something I would wear any day of the year, whether I was walking down an aisle, or down to the mailbox.

Karen from The Painted Cake was nice enough to email me these photos of her fantastic cakes. I love the black and white one, I've never really seen anything like it. Karen is based in New Jersey, but does lots of her work for brides in NYC. If you're in the area or just looking for some inspiration check out her website here.

My sister showed me these gorgeous necklaces today and I thought they'd be the perfect "statement" pieces if you had a simple strapless gown, or an understated sheath. Picture them with a simple flowing ivory gown and some elegant sandals at a beach wedding, Yay. You know me! I love a little me a little drama! Just two of many from Mali Jewelry.

I've posted about CP's collections since I started blogging. In my opinion, she just can't go wrong. Her dresses all look so wistful, comfortable, and chic. While Tim Gunn might just rip the flower off the bodice of that first one, I love the embroidery. My absolute favorite of the bunch is the middle one, with all the intricate details and the vaguely eastern silkness. And the third one has that understated Grecian quality that lets you to get away with the one shouldered dress without looking like a fashion victim. All from Claire Pettibone's 2008 Collection. All stunning.

The nice folks over at Poppytalk Handmade inform me that this month's theme is "Love Transforms", a market for all things handmade and geared toward the romantic. Some of my favorite pieces are the print above from elegantmusings, and the ceramics below by dolamakes, but there are many, many more things to see. Check it out for something one-of-a-kind for your sweetie on Valentine's day, something sweet for the bridesmaids, something fun just for you. Don't pass up the opportunity to support independent artisans in their creative pursuits.

I'm lucky enough to have Jenny Ebert contributing to Something Old, Something New today. Great ideas are always welcome here!



Denise's Lavender Cones

I love these little lavender cones created by Denise Vasaya (a wedding design consultant) for her own wedding. They not only looked fabulous but filled the entire room with a lovely scent.

Makes 100 cones
1 lb bag of French blue lavender buds ($13.99 any floral supply company)
2 bundles of gold cording (M & J trimming NYC 1.99 ea)
2 sets standard round labels (Paper Presentation $10.00 ea.)
2 standard size rolls gold leaf wall paper (Denise used hand-leafed custom wallpaper from one of her clients (Studio E NYC) retailing at a $72 per yard) Any sturdy paper can be used.

1. Cut 4” square into cones and secured them with glue.
2. Secured the cord in place with a label.
3. Fill with lavender

These are three of the new styles that I will offer as part of KenzieKate's 2008 collection come the first of February (you're the first to see them!), but I need help naming them! I'm stuck. I've named the other new ones, but the jury is still out on these three. I name each of my invites after a city that I feel has a similar spirit, and while I've been places, I'm not a well traveled girl. I need your help! I'd be really appreciative of any suggestions.

Already taken are: Paris, Manhattan, Stockholm, Vienna, Montreal, Charlotte, Havana, Seville, Mumbai, Burlington, Seattle, Philadelphia, Aberdeen, Hanalei, Aspen, Cozumel, Palm Springs, and Savannah.

** UPDATE: Several people have written me, telling me that my French is off on the reply card for the first invite set. Not to worry! The French is correct on the real thing, this image was just taken from an earlier prototype. Thanks though!

Photo by Karenscape.

There's so much going on right now in the bridal community with the wedding season coming up fast and furious. I just thought I'd share a few of the events and happenings out-and-about the online wedding neighborhood.
1) The Wedding Library is hosting a Wedding Party!, (a champagne breakfast at the Carlyle) on January 26th, 2008 from 11-4. Dish with the likes of Darcy Miller and Mark Ingram on the details of the perfect wedding. Visit The Wedding Library or call 212.327.0100 for tickets. Mention Something Old, Something New when you check in at the event, and get a free copy of "Clearing the Aisle" a humorous (no doubt wedding themed) novel by Karen Schwartz.
2) Karenscape Photographers is giving away a FREE complete wedding photography package every four months in 2008. But this is not a random raffle. Karenscape is searching for the most romantic, serendipitous, poignant, funny, and inspiring stories of how you found "the one". To win you must create a 3-minute-or-less video relaying your story. Upload your video to YouTube.com and send an email to Karenscape. For full contest entry details, visit www.karenscape.com.
3) 2007 was an incredible year for Blue Orchid Designs and to say thank you, they are giving away a Wedding Day Coordination package to one lucky couple tying the knot in 2008! All you have to do to enter is send an email to Blue Orchid telling them in 300 words or less why you should win. You can nominate yourself or a friend. What better engagement gift to give them than a stress-free wedding day? Check out the Blue Orchid blog for more information and entry rules.

I was lucky enough to score an early copy of this book, by Martha Stewart and Wendy Kromer, and I LOVE it. It's a collection of some of the most (or all the most) beautiful wedding cake images from Martha Stewart Weddings through the last several years. If you're contemplating your cake or looking for inspiration, look no further. $60-- no $37! well spent. You'll get all the inspiration you need to guide your baker to a seriously drool-worthy confection. I'd love to donate my copy to some lucky bride, or baker... Perhaps I will come up with some sort of contest... stay tuned.

Hey! It's next year! It's been so long! I hope everyone has had a relaxing holiday with your families. I know I did. There's been a major development since I blogged last, (no I'm not pregnant). Dell and I decided to get a puppy! We took several of those online "What Dog Breed is Right For Me?" tests, and they all told us to get an Italian Greyhound. They're said to have sweet temperments and they don't shed a lot, so we found a breeder nearby and went to visit her pack (including two newborn puppies). The dogs were amazingly cuddly and elegant and the puppies were the sweetest little chipmunks you've ever seen. We fell in love instantly. We don't get to take a puppy home until March, but we're very excited. I want to call him Niles. Or Paul. Dell wants to call him Boomer. We can't decide. We're looking for suggestions if you have any.
In the mean time, I will have to distract myself from the puppy-anticipation with online shoe shopping. It's actually quite fun, so I'm ok with it. I found these gorgeous patterned pumps fresh for spring over at Piperlime. The green metallic ones would be awesome underneath a long flowing gown in need of a little shimmer, while I think I would pair the Bettye Muller florals with a nice tea length garden-party dress with a full skirt. The Jessica Simpson black and white pumps are my favorite for a more casual look, and I think I'm really in love with that heel shape. At less than $100 a pair, these are also the shoes I'm most likely to actually own, which makes me like them more.