Happy Halloween everyone! Our neighborhood gets tons of trick-or-treaters and I'm looking forward to handing out candy in my costume (I'm going to be a jockey, Shorty's gonna be ma race horse!). What's everyone else being?

So once Halloween is over (in my opinion) we're in "The Holiday Season". We set the clocks back, I start my Christmas shopping, there will be parties, family get-togethers, twinkle lights, and oodles of wedding proposals... I can't wait! I love the holidays. Does anything create a festive mood like fancy shoes? I think not! All from J. Crew.

I laughed out loud when I saw that first set of buttons. I had just settled down to blog after carving a pumpkin and sketching out my dog's homemade Halloween costume, Dell was sitting next to me crankin out PHP on his laptop. I'm pretty sure these buttons were made for us. The others would be adorable as an engagement gift! Button Empire also has some other adorable and/or hilarious button options that might work well for favors. Check 'em out!

We're having crappy weather here today, wind, rain, cold... typical New England. I have to confess, I secretly love it. I love the coziness of it all. My favorite thing to do is camp out on the couch with the dog and a blanket and surf. I find the best stuff when the weather is bad!
These are all Vera Wang, and they're all at least 40% off over at Bluefly. The gray one is my favorite, (I think I'd carry a yellow purse). The yellow and the gray together would be adorable on a small bridal party.

I keep coming across adorable handmade hair accessories! I really wish I hadn't just cut off all my hair. I love the vintage flair that comes with these, from PenelliBelle. Love the brooches morphed into combs.

My friend Deirdre sent me this link and I thought I'd share it because so many people have asked me for up-do resources. The stylist is Johnny Lavoy from Ford Artists, and he has a series of how-to videos on easy up-dos that you and a friend could pull off for your wedding with a little practice. That's $300 you would have spent on a hair stylist saved for something else! Yay!

OK, so I'm going to try and accomplish a lot in one post today!
Wenona Napolitano, author of The Everything Green Wedding Book is holding a contest for brides-to-be called The Green Bride Giveaway. She'll be giving out three prize packages that include a copy of her new book and hundreds of dollars worth of eco-friendly wedding goodies. Get details here to enter.

Giambattista Valli (above) is having a preview trunk sale, taking place on the seventh floor of Bergdorf's in NYC on October 28th and 29th from 10 to 4. Purchase any one of their elegant new gowns straight from the runway. You heard it here first folks!

Melissa Bumstead of Melissa's Smitten is hosting a giveaway of DK Designs clay floral-wear on her blog. I've posted recently about DK, and I love their stuff. Contest starts Friday, and runs til November 7th. Here for the deets.

This is fun! Tigerlilly Jewelry is having an unofficial sample sale (they're only advertising thru word-of-mouth and blogs). Having shown all of their best selling jewelry and headpieces at Bridal Week in NYC, they have a ton of samples left over. They're selling their sample stash for 50% off on a first come, first serve basis. Find something you like on their site? Email them, if they have a sample for sale, they'll sell it to you for 50% off. Sweet!

Designer Carrie White of Chlorine takes one of a kind clutches and turns them to more modern evening bags for brides and special occassions. I love that Carrie has found a way to give new life to vintage goods, supporting the environment and making something truly unique in the process! If you require something a bit more bespoke, she has also been known to work directly with brides to create custom handbags.

I love coming across new vintage sources. The best and worst thing about vintage boutiques is that while they might have a ton of great stuff one day, but it's all gone the next and new stuff is in it's place. There's no time to hem and haw, if you like something, you must pounce! This is why it's nice to have a line up of great sources, so that if you miss the boat on something great, you have other hunting grounds to explore. Found a new stop! Posh Girl Vintage.

Love these dramatic hair accessories from Which Goose on Etsy. They have such a unique 1920's flair, while still seeming very modern and unique. The yellow flowers are my favorite!
On a completely different note- I'm headed back home to Rhode Island tomorrow morning and while I'm sad to be leaving my sister behind and I had a fantastic trip, I'm anxious to get back home. My poor little puppy Shorty ate a piece or two of sugar-less gum this afternoon, and after much Googling, my husband found out that this is actually really poisonous for dogs. While I'm sure Dell has everything under control, I'm worried about the little guy and so far from home I feel like there's nothing I can do. Anyone with a dog, please be careful with any gum that contains Xylitol (Orbitz, among others). It can be very harmful to dogs.

It's late, and I'm off to San Francisco early tomorrow morning (yay!). My twin sister moved there this summer to go to Berkeley for her PHD in archaeology. I haven't seen her since July, so I'm super excited! I'll be staying with her in Oakland, if anyone has any suggestions... I'm all ears.
I'm leaving you with this incredible eye candy from Amy Atlas Events, all sweetness and light! Via my favorite San Francisco based blog, Oh Happy Day.

"Hot" is how I might describe a Black Halo dress (in a totally chic, couture kind of way). Amazing shapes, gorgeous colors, and so sophisticated! I would love to see a chic winter wedding where the bridesmaids were all in polished Black Halo dresses in different jewel tones. It'd be like a page right out of Vogue!

I hope everyone had a good long weekend! We had a great day on Saturday wandering around Providence checking out our local design stores, something I've been dying to do but haven't gotten around to. Butterfield was one of my favorites, a place where seemingly everything was something I want now or wanted at some point in the past. Someplace I'll be going to again, for sure!
In the mean time, I wanted to share the amazing chic knits I came across over at Fringe via Perfectbound. Wouldn't these be amazing for a winter wedding? I've never seen so much drama in a cover up!

Four years ago yesterday, me and this guy got hitched in a loft in Hell's Kitchen, surrounded by all our friends and family. It's hard to put into words what he means to me. He's the cream in my coffee, the ketchup on my fries, the warmth of my favorite sweatshirt. He's all the good stuff.
The photo was taken on our one year anniversary, at a place called Mohonk in New Paltz, NY. Not sure why I never posted about that place before, but if you're looking for an amazing weekend getaway this fall, this is the place! As you can see, it's an enormous, crazy, eleborate, Victorian hotel nestled into a rocky mountain top, next to a pristine lake in the middle of leaf peeper's paradise. It's pretty cool.

Oh, Etsy. What did we do before you came along? Where did we get our adorable, unique, handmade hair accessories? How would we have found out about Muscari and all her feathery, flowery goodness? How I ask? How?

Stunning, elegant, over-the-top, feminine Marchesa (spring 09, ready-to-wear). Love them all.

If you're lucky enough to be in Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York this October you can get a sneak peek (and a big discount) at Jenny Yoo's 2009 collection. Here for the details!

Reem Acra is well known for her (very fancy) wedding gowns, which I love. Even though these aren't wedding wear per se, they're just as inspiring to me. Reem Acra, Spring '09 Evening wear.

Cyberoptix Tie Lab on Etsy makes the coolest ties! Their tag line is "Ties that Don't Suck". Here, here! All ties are hand-screened onto silk ties by artist Bethany Shorb in Detroit. Perfect for your hip fiance (who normally hates ties).

I love the idea of a jewelry box as a gift on a special occassion. From a mother to a daughter on her wedding day, groom to the bride... I just love jewelry boxes in general. Something about keeping all my favorite little baubles in the same place, all organized and sorted, I love that. I also really love it when my jewelry box gets out of order, and I have to take everything out... and put it all back in after polishing it. I shudder with glee. Viva Terra for a nice selection.