Oh, The Places You'll Go!

This past weekend marked our negative one year wedding anniversary! So far our engagement has flown by and I have a feeling that the next year will fly by even faster. With 362 days and counting until our wedding, it is definitely time to nail down a destination for our bachelor/bachelorette party. Having friends spread out across the country, we decided that a joint bachelor/bachelorette party would be a great way for everyone to meet before the wedding. Attending our friends’ combined bachelor/bachelorette celebration in Mexico a few weeks ago (with fellow bride blogger Rachel!) has only solidified this further. Austin is at the top of our list so far.

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I hear Austin has an amazing nightlife, music and food scene. Plus, it's central location will hopefully make it easy for everyone to get there.

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Another front runner is Palm Springs.

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Pretty hard to beat a weekend lounging by the pool with your favorite people in the world.

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Of course we have tossed around the idea of Las Vegas as well.

Are you planning or have you been to a joint bachelor/bachelorette celebration? Any cool (easily accessible) destinations I should also look into?

White by Vera Wang Winter 2013 Collection

Oh how I love the changing seasons. Along with boots and scarves comes a whole new collection of bridal goodies that we just can't seem to get enough of. It is no surprise that we love bridal designer Vera Wang, but how she manages to make such gorgeous gowns in such an affordable price point is something out of this world. We talked a little bit about the White by Vera Wang collection at David's Bridal, and we are here to show you the next collection.

Source: White by Vera Wang, White by Vera Wang, White by Vera Wang

The above are a few of our favorite pieces from her new collection. So many ruffles to make our hearts dance. Complete your look with a few different pieces from the White by Vera Wang accessories collection.

SOURCE: Dress, Band, Shoes

Which pieces are you loving from the White by Vera Wang collection? We'd love to hear you thoughts!

Mix-Matched Groomsmen

This is genius. Enough said.

MAKING THIS: Wedding Signs

Today we are making super simple wedding signs. These are pretty darn easy and really amp up any piece of your wedding. A "sweet nothings" sign above your dessert table, a ceremony sign across the altar, a "gifts" sign or how about a s'more table sign for a little something special for your guests.

Things to grab before starting this project:  1.  White Letters from Michaels. \\ 2. Jute Twine from Home Depot \\ Glue Gun

• Decide what you want your lovely signs to say. "Give Me Your Forever" is a lyric from a Ben Harper song. Feel free to pull from whatever inspiration you choose.
• Layout the letters evenly on the twine and glue! Glue like crazy :)
• And there you have it! Enjoy making some fabulous signs for your big day! (Or even for your home)

 Enjoy!

Clutchspiration

Today is exactly 50 days from my wedding day. 50 DAYS. I think I'm in shock. Just 50 days ago it felt like we had a million years to get all of my little projects and concepts completed. Now every single day is just slipping through my fingers. Thankfully this past weekend we got away for a couple of days to celebrate our 6th anniversary. We ran away in the Triumph to Healdsburg for some sunning, wine tasting, and a mind-blowing vegan dinner at Cyrus. It was a bit weird to think that this was our last anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend, fiancé and fiancée. So now what happens... do we start back over at one again?

Anyways, among all the impending decisions I need to make, one of the fun ones is picking a purse!

BHLDN

A vintage clutch would be lovely. Or a modern art deco inspired clutch would make me just as happy. So let's fantasize for just a minute about the absurdly expensive ones.

top: Judith Leiber clutch, bottom: Bijou Tresor clutch

Okay, now that I've drooled on the keyboard, let's look at the more affordable ones.

top: Anthropologie, middle: Monsoon Accessorize, bottom left: Monsoon Accessorize, bottom right: Monsoon Accessorize

I'm really loving the idea of using a clutch as my something blue. What do you think?

Do you have any great tips for where to find a cute vintage inspired clutch? Which one is your favorite? Do you even need a clutch on your wedding day?

Nail'd It!

So while I was debating on hairstyles last week, I also began to  wonder what I should do with my nails. To bling or not to bling? It's a silly topic to some, but to others this is something fun to discuss and to distract you from your endless to-do list and piles of DIY supplies. (That "others" is me right now...big time!)

For me, freshly polished nails are a cherry to a perfect look. I'm not big on acrylic so I know I won't go that route but what's a girl to do? Our colors are various blues, creamy tans and earthy greens and browns. So I was thinking of adding a bit of blue in a fun way without going overboard maybe with something like these.

Source: The Beauty Department, Lyndar the Merciles

I'm a huge fan of the ring finger jazzed up with  something sparkly and these looks are just the ticket.

Source: Glamour, Cupcakes and Cashmere

These twists on the classic french manicure are fun too! 

Source: The Beauty Department, Pinterest, Something To Drink

Between all the big decisions and DIY goof-ups (more on this in another post), it's nice to focus on some small fun details like nails. My mind can relax a bit before it's back down to business. Time is flying by and I can't wait to make more planning progress to share!

How big are nails to you on the big day? Flashy or plain, where do you stand?

Connect with me elsewhere! Twitter | Pinterest | Blog

Inspirations From Mexico

My fiance and I traveled to Mexico this past week for a friends' combined bachelor/bachelorette celebration. We had an amazing time to say the least! With weddings on the mind and bridal magazines as pool/beach side reads, I couldn't help but daydream of Mexico-inspired weddings. Please join me as I swoon over Mexican-inspired celebraciones de amor.

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Until next week.

Gracias!

Finishing Touches {Signage & Printing Galore!}

Hi Guys! Holy cow do I feel behind on just about everything in life right now. It feels like the last couple of weeks have flown by and between a full time job that takes me out of town and finishing all the wedding details, this girl is on over load. I find myself sitting back and going where did the last year go?  We are two and a half weeks out and the pressure is on to finish those last little details.

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I am busy designing and printing all the little details like programs, escort cards and signage. I am also working on a banner for above our dessert table that hopefully I will have a little tutorial for  you guys on next weeks post. I am so excited about the dessert table. I am currently making fun little flags to go with each type of pie and signage that shows guests his and her favorites when it comes to the deserts. Here's some of my inspitation that  I am channeling when designing ours..

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Tomorrow I am off to beautiful San Diego for my Bachelorette weekend with my girls. Let the festivities begin!

Heather

the make-up trial {bridal beauty}

Well, I'm now just 40 DAYS away from my wedding day. Today I'm making a special trip to Swell Beauty for my make-up trial. Prior to being engaged I didn't really think make-up trials were necessary, but now I've changed my tune. If you have the opportunity to get a make-up trial done by the person who is doing your make-up on your big day then DO IT! Not only will it save you time (explaining what you want), it will also give you piece of mind so you can relax and enjoy getting ready with your girls. Have you ever googled "bridal make-up?" Oye, some of the image results are horrendous!!! Why do some brides think more is better? I think a natural look is the most desirable.... and I don't mean "no make-up;" I mean wearing enough so that you still look like yourself, not a Vegas show girl ;-)

My decision to go with Swell Beauty was simple: I attended my friend Ashley's wedding recently. It was 103 degrees that day and her make-up looked FLAWLESS and lasted through the entire reception! When she got back from her honeymoon I called her and asked for her make-up artist's number.

photo credit: left & right 

Here are some tips Dee from Swell Beauty gave me to prepare for my trial:

-SWELL BEAUTY'S HELPFUL PREVIEW TIPS-

- Have a clean face if necessary.

- Bring pictures/ magazine tear outs of Makeup that you admire (not required) we will have some inspirations.

- Have Dress/Jewelry or pictures of these things,helpful to you during Preview Pictures.

-We will discuss your ideal look for your Wedding, ask you questions, such as colors,including bouquets, dress and color of your jewelry and/or accessories, to coordinate your overall look.

 - Once we complete your first desired Makeup look, we will put your jewelry on, and take Pictures and if requested we will do one more Makeup look and take another set of pictures.

- We will spend a bit more time on your Makeup during your Trial appointment, so we can get to know your skin type and what products work best for your desired look and discuss Details.

Do you have any bridal beauty tips?? Feel free to share!

I'll let you know how my trial goes!!!! :-)

Gold Glitter Mason Jar DIY

I'm sure you have seen the gold spray painted mason jar by now, right? Well, I wanted to take it one step further and glitter-ify one. Beware, this one can get a little messy (if you consider having glitter everywhere "messy". I prefer to think of it as fabulous.

Supplies Needed:

• Glitter (Any color, any kind. I used Martha Stewart "Smoky Quartz" found at Michaels.)
• Glue (I used Martha Stewart Glitter Glue. Regular glue works but it doesn't hold on the glitter as well over time.)
• Mason Jar ( Or any jar for that matter!)

Start by painting the entire area with glue. Glitter Glue has a built in brush making it easy to slap a coat of glue quickly and easily over the whole area.

Pour glitter over the mason jar and roll it around in a pile of glitter. I confined my glitter in a box as you tend to pour much more than is needed. With your fingers fill in any missing spots so the entire thing is glittery awesomeness.

And there you have it! Easy as pie :) A finished glittery mason jar to make those flowers even prettier than they were before! Check it out:

Anyone up for trying a fun DIY? Woud love to see what you do with a little glitter and glue! Instagram a photo and tag it with @engagedinspired so I can see it!