Garter-iffic

Ah, yes. The quest for the garter.

I initially didn't even give the idea a second thought.. I'm personally not a fan of how your "typical" garter looks, and didn't think I would be sporting one on our wedding day.

Ehh.. not really my thang.

Image via Wonder Costumes

But somewhere along line, I found other types of garters (likely on one of my oh-so-frequent Etsy binges). There were lacey ones. Delicate ones. Vintagey looking ones. Beautiful garters galore!

Via Etsy shop Bella Sposa Couture

Via Etsy shop Garter Me Good

Via Etsy shop Brides Boutik

Via Etsy shop Polka Dots n Pixies

Via Etsy shop Woomi Pyo

Can you even deal?! I was swooning over that last one for a long time.. it's just so different and so classy-but-sassy. Love. All of a sudden, I didn't just want a garter.. I needed one. Never mind the fact that we aren't doing a garter toss. I decided that even if no one but myself (and Foxy..!) know about it, just having one of those beauties on my thigh will make me feel so.. sexy. Rawr. So, garter it is.

Trust me when I tell you that I battled with this decision making process for months. While I loved the look of the floral applique like in the last picture, I kept finding myself being drawn to the stretchy lace style with a large, sparkly applique, like in pictures 1, 3, and 4. Seeing as we are just weeks away from the wedding at this point, I knew I had to make my mind up, and fast. Which is why I was incredibly thankful for an extra slow work day last week; only having two clients meant I could devote literally hours to this decision.

What, it didn't take you hours and days and months to choose a garter? Psh.

Anyway, let's get down to it. The garter I ultimately chose was..

Image via Etsy seller Polka Dots n Pixies

..this one!! While this is not my exact garter (seeing as I just put the order in last week), Britt from the Etsy shop Polka Dots n Pixies was kind enough to send me an image of what it will ultimately look like. The lace is stretchy and ivory in color, and the gorgeous applique is sparkly, perfectly oversized, and just overall amazing. It's going to be the perfect little hidden accessory!

Are you wearing a garter, regardless of whether or not you'll be doing a garter toss at the wedding?

Oh hey.

Remember me? I used to blog here.

Well, I still do. Or I will. Or something.

See, if you follow my other blog, you'll know that I recently left my sit-at-a-desk-all-day job for a a full time job as a massage therapist.. which obviously takes place away from a computer. My time has gotten limited, so I haven't had much free time to post to two blogs. Plus, wedding planning is kind of at a stand still right now - we have so much done, and still have so much time to go. But I promise that I will try my darndest(?) to post here more often!!

And.. that's all for now (lame), but I want to leave you with these two little birdies that I found on Etsy the other day.. the only thing they have to do with our wedding is that they are in our colors. I want them just to put in our apartment and spruce things up.

Brought to you by sweetiecaketopper

The best part is that 20% of the cost of these pretties goes towards the Japan Earthquake Tsunami Relief Fund. Double whammy. Oh, and they are actually salt and pepper shakers. Which makes them totally justifiable, right??

I'll let you know what Scot says ;)

Etsy love

I might end up having about 58 posts with the same title by the time this whole wedding shebang actually comes into fruition.

I was perusing Etsy at work yesterday, per usual, and found even more amazing things that I would love to incorporate into our wedding. You could call it inspiration, but I'm pretty certain that I will figure out how to have most of these elements involved somehow!

1. Cute animal cake topper

Image via Etsy shop Kikuike

I believe they call these little guys Love Angels from Kikuike's store. They have cake toppers in any animal you could possibly imagine, and most you can get in any color combination you can dream up. I don't know if these animal cake toppers are a "trend" in the wedding world right now, but I just can't get enough of them! When I came across these penguins, I fell in love instantly. First off, they just happen to be displayed in our colors (!!) and second, I love me some penguins. I think it's the whole mating for life thing.

But.. then I found these.

Image via Etsy shop Kikuike

Have you ever??! It would a perfect way to have the hive with me on the big day!

So while I know that I have tons of time until I actually need to legitimately start thinking about a cake topper, I am SO tempted to buy one of these little guys right now. I will definitely need to save a bit for them, though. And no, I'm not DIY'ing that shiz.


2. Paper Heart Garland

Images via Etsy shop Pickled Parlour

Seriously, how cute is this garland from Pickled Parlour's shop? She uses a variety of sheet music and double sided card stock to make the hearts.. and I totally dig it! I can see this being draped on the gazebo by which we'll be getting married, or even on the venue's porch somewhere during cocktail hour. The best part is, my super awesome friend peachplum09 sent me fabulous DIY instructions so I can likely make 'em myself!

3. Blue mason jars

Image via Etsy shop mattlaurajones

I found these from mattlaurajones's shop, and yes, I know these are all the rage right now, but there's just something so rustic chic about them. I'm thinking as mini-centerpieces on cocktail tables with various wildflowers or baby's breath in each one.. sigh. The color is the perfect shade of turquoise, too!

Image via Style Me Pretty

4. "Just Married" banner

Image via Etsy shop Victorian Station

I know you're thinking I'm going to have decor and garland/banner overload, but I really just want this cute burlap banner from Victorian Station's shop so we can get the same picture. So freaking cute. And I'm 99% sure I can DIY this one, too!

Oh Etsy, stop getting me in trouble. Because we just went from inspiration to I-must-have-that-or-else-I'm-going-to-die. Thanks.

What are your current Etsy lusts?

Show me the glamelias!

I mentioned previously my love of the glamelia bouquet. I did a bit more research and realized that these are indeed starting to make a small comeback thanks to Katherine Heigl using one as her bouquet when she got married a few years ago.

A bit blurry, but you get the idea.

Image via Kuga Designs

I turned to our good friend Etsy to see what they had in terms of artificial glamelia bouquets, and was actually quite surprised with what I found at Flowers by the Vase's shop.

I had to verify that this was actually made of "real to life" artificials and not real flowers! I think it looks just stunning. I contacted the shop's owners, Jodi and Nicole, who also showed me a mock-up of a smaller, peachy-orange bridesmaid bouquet would look like.

This one is a little more "fake" looking, in my opinion, but it still makes me swoon. This was honestly the first time I actually got excited about flowers in regards to the wedding.. I'm just imagining myself and my girls taking amazeballs pictures with our fab florals (regardless of what they are).

Image via Solar Photographers

So, I'm obviously no where near ready to buy anything yet, but it's good to have options. Oh, and the price for a bridal bouquet and five smaller bridesmaids ones from Flowers by the Vase? Less than the 1 mentioned on this post. Yes, please.

In my giddiness, I ran the idea past Foxy Mama - of using artificial flower petals to create a one-of-a-kind bouquet.

"Miss Foxy Foxypants (that's my middle name, btw), no. Use real flowers."


Boh. Ok mom.

She's probably right, anyway. We're having an outdoor spring wedding. It's almost sacrilege to NOT have real flowers. Plus I have some ideas for that too.. I just thought the glamelias would make such a fun statement, no?