what CAN'T you do with paint?

Saw this image over here and totally fell in love!  I love the colours, the proportions, and most of all, the POTENTIAL.  One of the things that I think would be great with a setup like this isn't just the storage or colour or whatnot, but the profile it makes against the wall that would make everything placed on or above the dressers seem that much more interesting.  And in case the colour's scaring you off, I don't see any reason why this couldn't be done in, either, shades of the same colour, or in more neutral shades (think how great charcoal grey, or a soft white, or, gosh, imagine a set of deep cherry red lacquer against a bright white wall!!)

shopping in my closet

Don't you just love when you  find new life for your favorite things?  Personally, I've now got Xmas on the brain, especially after our quick trip to the city and my first  chance to peruse the "stuff".  I can't wait!  But I WILL refrain from putting anything up until December.  That doesn't mean I can't plot and plan in the meantime though! So how much do I love the idea of using my cake plates and trays from the wedding like the tiered one below from decor8?  I think it could be so so pretty!  I'm thinking of maybe doing a collection of footed plates along the back of our piano, piled with pine cones, berries, ornaments, etc.  How 'bout you?  Any dandy decorating ideas that you've just come across for the holidays?

purdy.

Eyeliner, vintage, greys, creams, pinks, a red-headed groom, and fortuitous use of baloons... Really they had me at eyeliner. Image from here.

and back to VV

I'm thinking that before the hubs heads up North for god only knows how long this winter (welcome to Alberta, home of the pipeline widows. We mightTECHNICALLY have men, but you'd never know it. I had one lady in town finally just give up and ask me if I was divorced, since she had NEVER seen my husband... in three years.) I'll be needing a date with myself. I'm thinking a Starbucks, a trip to the bookstore, and a long leisurely stroll through the huge second-hand store in the city... I'm bound and determined to score some blouses and dresses in old-school prints and/or vivid colours. Best part? Because they're so "eighties" this stuff sells for CHEAP. But all you have to do is rip out the should pads, and peel off the buttons and VOILA! Super chic new stuff! Oh, and yeah... in case you're wondering, it was this image below that got me going back down this path. Isn't she just gorgeous? Almost painterly. Image from here.

hey! I've got one of those!

So, we live in a 60 yr old house that still has two of the original single paned wood windows (not exactly practical in -4o degree weather!) This summer we were able to rip out one of the three that were there in order to replace it with a lovely new one, and were able to, at the same time, preserve the original frames... but, seeing as how we are not exactly "shabby chic" people, I have NO idea what to do with them, though I don't want to throw them out, either! If only we'd done the window BEFORE the wedding, I could've scooped this adorable idea! Images from here. And seriously, how much do I love the painted on table numbers, too?! Lovely.

to me, it's all just black and white.

If I had nothing but black, white and silver... honestly I don't even need patterns, really, just some interesting texture, I'd be happy. I literally have to force myself to branch out into colour. Oh, I'm not saying I don't love me some bright coloured accents (flowers are my friend!), I'm just a neutral kind of gal. Now, that's also not to say that I like things bland. Not at all! I like my neutrals STRONG! Rich chocolates, and velvety greys, slick piano-key black, stark white, and creamy caramels, all bouncing off one another, making each other seem, brighter, darker, deeper, richer... So needless to say, when I saw this room, from Dublin's The Beacon Hotel, I just about swooned... can't you just imagine a bouquet of deep pink peonies on the bedside? And it certainly doesn't hurt that it has my all-time favorite combo of traditional + midcentury furnishings in modern finishes. I love it. I want it. Image from here.

great ressource XVII: Little White Dresser

Doooods... I just found the prettiest little Etsy shop! Little White Dresser's stuff is super pretty, pretty reasonably priced (that pretty headband up there is only $12... not too shabby, especially for a special occasion...), oh, and did I mention pretty? Yeah. Seriously, so gorgeous! Check it... (though I've seriously got my eye on that "Golden Leaf Neclace"... you've been warned!)

is it just me or should she have bangs, too?

Hipster reimaginings of Masters of the Universe. Yup. That's right. Because I love you enough to share... Images found here by Adrian Riemann.

slacker

Yup, me. You? Well, maybe not a TOTAL slacker, but I'm awfully good at making projects last indefinitely... But seeing as how my mother gave me the old "I'm going to throw this pot at your head if you show up to ONE MORE Sunday supper without wedding pictures" look (trust me, it's a classic), I figure I REALLY need to get on that! But editing them is taking forever! A few things seem to be the issue 1) I'm definitely losing my interest. After all, you can only stare at what amounts to variations on the same pictures SO MANY TIMES! 2) My computer is a heap of freaking JUNK but I can't afford to replace it for another six months or so. :( So it's "open", wait... "new", wait.... "edit", wait... Yeah, it blows. At least I seem to be coming along a LITTLE, so I thought I'd post a couple of pics to prove it!

*Now keep in mind that I am NOT in ANY way a graphic artist, photographer... really I've got no actual skill in this regard... I simply edited them to make them seem pretty to ME. And the whole, being free thing certainly helps!I really like this one... Oh! And you can see my mom's head piece here! 31 yrs later...Hahaha! Trust me, this represents their relationship perfectly! This would be my hubs and my moh/lil' sister, who full-on calls him her brother (she's known him since she was 12... he's gotten her out of more scrapes than I'm sure she'd be wanting to admit to!)
Ha! Gotta love the "pearls" that my lil'girl/flower girl swiped from the shower... worked out cute, though, right?Awwwww.... buddies! And actually you can see the final results of my alterations... that was my first communion dress, 20 years ago, that my baba made for me... I'm so proud of how it turned out; it fit her like a glove!Detail of the groom's tie... I've got shots like this of the best man and ring bearer, too. I figure I'll mount them as a triptych together.So, the girls were SUPER late getting out to the farm for pictures so the boys had to entertain themselves... this is our ringbearer looking for bugs while quite diligently making sure to keep his tie off the lawn! (due to a threat of death from his mother, perhaps?? lol!)

so. we got married on saturday.

More pics/details to come, promise!

other people's weddings: Shane & Adam

Winner: PRETTIEST wedding ever. Honestly, I must have gasped and sighed "Ooooooh. Pretty." a solid dozen times flipping through these pics. From the bride's amazing styling (hair, sash, dress, makeup, headpiece, all freaking gorg!) to the b-maids dresses, the table "numbers' (One word: Dollywood. They had a Dollywood table. I love them.), the parasols (I don't care. I know everyone uses them. I still think they're delightful when done well.), and, oy, I love that ring shot! Images from The Bride's Cafe by Sarah Roads Photographers.

sweeter than candy.

Awwwwwww! This is SO sweet! Makes me smile in anticipation of posting it! A good sign, I think. Image found at Oh So Beautiful Paper by Rob Ryan.

o. my. fekk.

This is delicious. Honestly. How could I NOT love this?!?! Peonies. Raspberries. Purple. Vintage glassware. This makes me SO excited for summer. Can you smell those warm raspberries yet? Images from Ritzy Bee Blog by Corbin Gurkin Photography.

other people's weddings: Melissa & Pete

This is freaktastically close to the EXACT look and feel that I've got in mind for my own wedding. I was so stoked to see how well all of the details ended up working out together! Loves it! Images from Project Wedding by Tec Pataja.

other people's weddings: Christine & Charles

Hoo boy... this one was kind of slow building for me. At first I was like, "oh man, those masks are awesome. How "Breakfast at Tiffany's"!" Then peonies. And a short-haired bride. And vintage, gold Ebay shoes. And a vintage dress. And vintage Modern Bride (oy, I wish I had thought of that!). And awesome shades. Um, yeah. I'm sold. You? Images from Vintage Glam Weddings by 3 Photographers.

the WIC wins... or do they? dum dum dummmmm

So for the most part I have a genuine loathing for almost anything ever relegated to the "wedding" or "bridal" or "whatever" aisles of event companies, baking supply stores, craft stores, big box stores, grocery stores, card stores... you know, EVERYWHERE! That crap is EVERYWHERE! Now granted, I never noticed how much it was, in fact, EVERYWHERE until I was planning my own wedding, but don't kid yourselves, I am NOT exaggerating. None of it is very pretty, or interesting, or personal (despite the gatrillion ways you can have it all monogrammed) and worst of all it is, with almost no exception both cheap AND expensive! Hate it. Seriously. But there is one, tiny little corner of the WIC that has caught my fancy... and that is the old-fashioned cake topper. Now granted, I would NEVER consider buying one of the bajillion toppers offered up by said card stores and supermarts. Seriously, "Bride as ball and chain", "Bride lassooing groom", "Bride and Groom as Frogs"... seriously???

But, and this is a big but, there are some ADORABLE cake toppers! There are, really! You can go as classic or creative as you want, vintage or new, 2 or 200 $$$. The options really are limitless. I personally love the idea of repurposing something nifty and thrifty like the awesome hollow brass apple I was once tempted with or cool vintage salt shakers like these.

But I, at heart, am a classicist if not a traditionalist, and so I am getting a rose. But not just any rose! A five inch almost-white, pink clay hand-made garden rose from the absolutely delightful and accomodating Kat of Petal by Petal! Seriously, I couldn't remember going to her more! So, friendly, super prompt, funny, oh, and hella hella talented! How thrilled am I that I took the advice of delightful Mama's readers and looked around Etsy for Claycraft artisans before dishing out for this beautiful topper that was more than TWICE was Kat is charging me! And she ships to Canada! Yay! With no further jibber jabber I bring you my be-yoo-ti-ful, traditional, but not custom cake topper!Isn't it SO pretty! How cool will that sucker be on by tall, skinny, white wedding cake on it's vintage jadeite stand, yo?!

*yowza* never say never

So, I rarely, if ever (seriously, I'm not entirely sure I've ever featured e-pics before) if only, because a. totally doesn't apply to me b. um, wedding blog. kind of past the point of engagement pics. and c. while often super cute, I don't usually find WEDDING inspiration in them. But these pics... Oh, these pics! Sexy. Steamy. Perfect dress. Perfect hair and makeup (wedding inspiration alert!) I just can't get enough of them. One could only be so lucky to have hot pics like these to keep of yourselves! And if you come around often enough, you'll know I have a crazy love of sultry sixties, well, anything, so how could I NOT post them, really? Images from Vintage Glam Blog by Sarah Yates.