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The Evolution of Picking Bridesmaid Dresses
2May 15, 2013 by Amie M
One of the first things I decided about our wedding was the colour of the bridesmaid dresses: a pale yellow. I loved the soft, cheery colour, and kept picturing them in a garden. The deep greens of shrubs and ferns and giant trees would really go with yellow dresses.
Photo: Jessica Ames, via Bridal Musings
Then I started thinking of style. I love vintage, and lace. And I saw lovely weddings that had bridesmaids in mismatched, but same hued, vintage dresses.
via simplicityisbliss on Etsy
Then the dream of my six ladies magically finding vintage pale yellow dresses on Etsy or in thrift stores starting blooming. I would have moved mountains if they all found old yellow prom dresses.
They didn’t all have to be 50′s-esque with full skirts, tulle and brocade. They could have been lovely in mid-century modern sheath dresses. Just as long as they were yellow and vintage.
Then practicality prevailed. The likelihood of all six ladies finding dresses, in their sizes, or needing minimal alterations and in good shape was slim.
Photo: Delbarr Moradi via Ruffled
So then we moved onto light yellow and vintage inspired, like these ladies who sourced theirs from ModCloth and J. Crew. Then my mismatched yellow gaggle of girls became much more of a reality.
So we scoured ModCloth, Ruche and other online dress sites for pale yellow dresses. All of this was over the winter, when pale colours weren’t really in season. The girls had to make a decision: to risk it and wait for light colours to come in for spring, or to be safe and get dresses from a bridal salon.
We played it safe. And I am glad we did. Looking at the stores now, there aren’t a lot of pale yellow dresses that my ladies would have been satisfied with, and it would have been too close to August to order in dresses for them.
So we went in little groups to a bridal shop in town and picked out pale yellow dresses with soft or vintage lines, perfect for a garden wedding.
Without giving any girls’ dress away, picture a couple of them strapless, a couple with deep v necklines, some sweatheart, one illusion, some lace, some chiffon, some dupioni. I am in love with the variety of textures they picked out, and the different shapes. Each of their dresses are wonderfully suited to the lady wearing it. Their dresses are starting to trickle in now, and I am excited to see them all in them!
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House Colour Palette
2May 14, 2013 by Amie M
Paul and I have been in house planning mode. One thing we are very keen on is painting. The current owner is on a beige kick, and that will go! We would share the photos of the house from the listing, but feel it is important to maintain the current owner’s privacy.
We are also aware that our decision to paint the original wood trim will spark a lot of gasps. But once we move in and we show you what the trim is like, you will see why we want to paint it all. There are large knicks, cracks, and messy patching jobs in the high traffic areas. And the look we are going for is much more crisp and calm throughout. The colours we have chosen are all by Behr. And Home Depot is having a sale on Behr paint this week. We may just have to hit that up for the colours we are absolutely sure about.
As you enter our house (eek! our house!), the pale blue with a touch of purple hallway is very inviting. With trim in frost and eventually chair rail and wainscoting we are going for a traditional look. We want to go a little more saturated in the Living Room and Dining Room. A teal and a green will warm things up, but they are still light enough to not suck in all the light. The muted green in the kitchen will warm up the white cabinets and work well with the butcherblock counters we are planning.
The Sonata blue downstairs hallway will carry up the stairwell and into the upstairs hallway. The master bedroom will be a calm neutral grey, well accentuated with white bedding and whatever strikes us for colour pops. Paul wants a moody, musical room where his instruments are going to be the standouts. I want a cheerful craft room, a place where my yarn and fabric stashes can be on display. The bathroom currently has black and white floor tiles, a little aqua will calm the space down.
But one of the first things we are going to do to make the house ours, aside from clean, is paint the front door and put up new house numbers. We are picturing a deep teal, warm and following the colour scheme inside. Eventually we might put shutters up in the same shade.
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Friday Finds
1May 10, 2013 by Amie M
I’ve been a busy bee lately. I took out my Christmas stockings that were left unfinished for Christmas, and finally charted out our names for the tops. Maybe they will get done in time for our first Christmas in our house!
I took out a book from the library, one I’ve been debating buying. It’s Colette Patterns first pattern book. I am excited to go through some of the tutorials, and constantly renew it, until I make a dress out of it. Then I will buy the book. I need to branch out of kids clothes and quilts.
I’ve also been finishing up a rather large quilt top. I will post photos soon. I need to learn I don’t need to post photos of only finished projects, intermediary posts are good, too!
In the meantime, here are somethings I have found, and loved, in the past while:
An adorable letter from a Junior Ranger. Leave only footsteps, take only pictures.
Mila Kunis is flipping awesome! Notting Hill much?
This page is bookmarked, pinned and well-viewed for honeymoon inspiration.
Gollum covering Taylor Swift. ‘Nuff said.
And a WWF camera has caught on film the elusive snow leopard! These stills are fantastic.
Wait, I want to add another. You will pee. I promise. And them you will fall even more in love with Jim. I mean John.
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Pattern Pyramid Giveaway
7May 9, 2013 by Amie M
Oh boy, have I been holding out on you.
I’ve been holding out on you on my first giveaway!!!
In the beginning of March, yes March, I participated in and won a leg of Did You Make That‘s Pattern Pyramid.
I won my leg, hosted by the lovely Felicity of Tingled Fangers. And my package took its time coming from Australia.
Then I chose my pattern, and tucked the lot away after snapping some photos. Then life happened, Paul and I were house hunting, and excuses and excuses.
So, finally here are the patterns still up for grabs:
And the one I am keeping for myself:
So this is how it works:
- Anyone, anywhere can enter the giveaway by posting a comment below by midnight EST Monday, May 13 BUT you must have an active blog. (Reasons to become obvious.)
- I will randomly select a winner.
- Then I will send along the package of patterns, with some other goodies.
- Then you will host a giveaway with the rest of the patterns and it will keep going!
Wanna try your hand? I promise the goodies will be good, and if you are international, I will make sure there is a little Canadiana in there for you.
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Showered with Love
Leave a commentMay 8, 2013 by Amie M
My wonderful ladies planned an intimate bridal tea a couple Saturday afternoons ago. They decorated and planned and baked and brewed an event that was exactly what I had dreamed of for my bridal shower.
They took mint, pink, doilies, burlap and my family tea cups and went all out.
Each of them made or brought food, and there was so much of it!
We played games.
A lot of games!
And we ate, and sipped some tea from the lovely tea bar.
Some of us were exhausted from the festivities at the Stag and Doe the night before and camped out under the food table. Natalie eyed up the candy, and only salami, a cookie or a spoon of jam would persuade her away from eating the whole lot of it.
We ate, and ate and ate!
Then I opened presents on behalf of Paul and I and said thank you for all the thoughtful gifts and well wishes.
While I was opening gifts, Kate was rather suspiciously gathering all the paper and bows, and made a rather lovely bonnet. It was fetching.
Thank you to my girls for putting together such a lovely afternoon spent with some of my closest friends. Everyone’s love and support for Paul and I as we are preparing our life together was overwhelming!
All my ladies were wonderful, and I’m glad all of you could make it!
With this much love and well wishes, Paul and I are set, thank you all again.
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