Friday Finds - Feeling Blue

I'm not down, but I have been thinking a lot about my dining room decor which features my collection of Liberty Blue china.  It's such a rich blue and I've been playing with coordinating colors like white and yellow.  So this week, I took my china inspiration to create a blue transferware wedding.  In addition to the features, I can envision mismatched china place settings, loads of white hyndrangeas, and perhaps royal paper lanterns.  The feel would be somewhere between casual and formal, perhaps well suited for an afternoon garden wedding.  I know I show so many vintage dresses, but they're so stunning, I have a hard time passing them by!

TGIF!

Clockwise from L:
Timeless Vixen - 1950s Vintage Chiffon Party Dress
Lkfarnsworth - Dutch Masters Earrings
Appleberry Ink - Contemporary Paisley Invitations
Me and Matilda - Super Skinny Necktie

Why Do They All Say Polyester?

I needed a break.  The kind of break where you chill with a girlfriend, gripe about life, and then spend all your allowance in one place.   Em and I also wanted to check out bridesmaid dresses, so we killed two birds with one stone by meeting at the Jackson Outlets.  We hit up Bridals by Michelle Renee to try on some Alfred Angelo dresses. The dresses were arranged by color and length, so we had to go a dwess huntin' for the alfwed angewhoas.  We made out better than Elmer Fudd though.  We soon had 5 dresses of varying lengths and styles.

Like a good blogger, I had my camera in my purse.  Like a bad blogger, I never took it out.  We got carried away with our girl talk.  Life, love, ups and downs - in and out of dresses.  Then no pictures.  So sorry. I did make note of the styles we tried on though.

Dress 1 wasn't an Alfred Angleo, but it was pretty cute, so we decided to try it on anyways.

 This Dessy D445 style was super cute on, but there were two draw backs.  In person, the taffeta was quite shiny and we weren't sure if we liked it.  We didn't hate it, but it wasn't a pro.  The sweet heart neckline was cute and good for my figure, but it was also coming up a little low.

Dress 2 we picked out because of the length and the bow.

 Style 7128 was cuter on the hanger than on my body.  The bow looked a little juvenile and covered up my waist.  The puckers on the skirt were right over my pooch area, unnecessarily drawing attention.  Not our favorite, but on the right girl, could be great.

Dress 3 drew us in because of the obi style sash and wrap around skirt.

 Style 7126 hugged me in all of the right places.  It accentuated my waist, the skirt had some interest, and the sweetheart neckline was more modestly cut.  

To contrast some of the satin we were choosing, we decided to try Dress 4, this longer chiffon dress.

 Style 7076 looked quite pretty on and had a flowy quality.  I don't think the straps were Emily's favorite and the looser fit all around wasn't my favorite, but it's a lovely dress.  Now that I've been married, I'm much more conscious of wearing empire-ish waists and baby doll tops because people start to assume I've been baking if you know what I mean ;).

Dress 5 was a last minute addition and caught our eye with a lace up back.

Similar to the third dress, this Style 7131, was very flattering around the waist.  The layered folds on the bodice lay very prettily and the lace up back would make for easy alterations. 

Dresses 3 and 5 made it to our short list.  Em is still thinking about the length, but I would be very happy with either dress.  We felt like it was almost too easy.  We were in and out in about 30 minutes.  It could also be because we were woefully unprepared.  We hadn't poured through the website and we weren't looking for specific styles.  Neither of us are very girly, so we didn't know the fabric types.  We finally resorted to looking at the tags, which all said, "Polyester."  I used my best wedding blogging skills, to then guess at the proper names.

While the dresses were fun, the best part was spending time with Em, especially since we missed this experience during my wedding.  Even if you're not into dresses, I would recommend spending an afternoon hanging out with your best girls as you prep for your wedding.

What was your bridesmaid dress shopping experience like?  Any other Alfred Angelo bridesmaids out there?

Friday Finds - Modern Pumpkin

If I had wed in October, I certainly would have decorated with pumpkins.  Since not everyone enjoys literal holiday decorating, I wanted to take pumpkin to the modern edge for an October wedding.  I think my favorite item in this collection is the custom made cake topper.  The detail is exquisite and if you look through the shop, there's such a diversity of characters and styles. 

TGIF!

Clockwise from Top L:
Zoe and Doyle- Titanium and Orange Pearl Band
Live in Style - Penelope Feather Headband
interplantations - Rehearsal Dinner Invites
Milk Tea - Custom Keepsake Wedding Cake Topper

Priscilla of Boston Grand Opening in Raleigh

Mr. Palindrome's classmate's wife (second cousin once removed, just kidding, but seriously that seems a lot more removed that it actually is) works at the lovely, new Priscilla of Boston wedding salon in Raleigh.  She graciously extended invitations to their grand opening soiree to the other wives in the program and was a fun hostess to boot!

 I've never been to a grand opening before, so I had zero expectations.  This opening made me want to attend them all the time!  Live models, as seen in the photograph above, were stationed in the front windows and side rooms.  They changed through out the evening for a variety of looks.  I spoke with representatives from Bailey's where they have jewelry in addition to fine china and crystal for which couples can register.  Turns out our husbands do similar work so we talked more about that than weddings - pretty clichéd old married woman talk eh? 

I was drawn to this sweet table featuring items from Lavender and Lace because the jar of sprinkling silk is the exact same jar that my mom gave me as a wedding present.  I recently used it for the first time on our sheets and Mr. Palindrome kept asking me how I made the bed so comfortable.  While changing to nice clean sheets probably had something to do with it, I like to think the sprinkling silk took it to the next level.  Anysprinkling, they had a lovely display that gave me some ideas for keepsake type gifts for some upcoming weddings, especially with the 20% off coupon the representative gave to attendants.

Shannon from Charlotte's and I talked for a long time about invitations, weddings, moving for yourself, moving on after love, and Wisconsin.  For real, people (like Shannon) from Wisconsin are just so nice.  I was particularly drawn to the orchid invitations below as I start to think about planning a shower for Emily.  The shop does design and printing as well which could save me a lot of trial and error.

The floral arrangements were breathtaking.  Can I remember which florist did them?  Nope.  Bad blogger, bad bride.  I'm sure if you were intent on finding out, you could sleuth around and find the names.  Funny how I don't write this sort of thing down anymore now that it's not life and death my wedding we're talking about.  Oh, and the food.  And the champagne.  Delish.

At the very front of the store, right when you walked in after being shown in by a gentlemen in tail coats (posh, no?) sat a huge display of mini cupcakes from the Cupcake Shoppe Bakery.  I wasn't a a fan of the funny, bushy dress on the top, but boy was I ever a fan of the coconut cupcakes!  They took me right back to my wedding.  I could have eaten 10, but I stopped myself after a respectful 3.  I almost shoved a few in my purse but the models were staring like hawks. 

I also met the Publisher/Editor of Southern Bride & Groom, Donna Parks.  We talked blogs and I picked up the latest issue.  For Triangle couples, it has a good catalog of local venues and companies - a nice place to find inspiration in print, though quite traditional and leaning towards the WIC.  Rounding out the industry representatives, a DJ spun tunes in the front of the shop while a photobooth rental guy hung out in a side room.  Finally, I decided to examine the dresses, the real reason why I drove out to Raleigh in the first place.

Cocktail length dresses reigned supreme all along one wall and my neuroses was satisfied by their rainbow order on the rack.  There were a lot of cooler tones with navy and grey being choice colors.  Ruching along the top, ruffles, and bubble skirts also displayed prominently.

I couldn't help but love this little number even if I don't think it has mass appeal or practicality.  The feathers just slay me - what a great take on the flapper style, but with a more ethereal, dare I say angelic, flavor.  Again, so sorry not to know the designer, but it was such an afterthought of "ooooh, pretty."  To try it on, Priscilla of Boston takes appointments and is located at:

Priscilla of Boston - Raleigh

2023 Cameron Street

Raleigh, NC 27605

There were plenty of short dress styles to choose from amidst the sea of long gowns - some enticing enough to make me want to try them on myself.  It made me nostalgic for my gown, which I haven't felt even a pang of until now.

Have you been to a bridal shop opening?  What do you local brides think of Cameron Village's wedding industry resources?

Friday Finds: Purple Autumn

Eggplant. I eat it.  I look at it.  It's about to take a hike for the winter, but let's enjoy it together as the summer turns to fall.

This gorgeous vintage dress is really a showstopper with sweet sparrow prints on it.  It would make a great eclectic bridesmaid's dress or rehearsal dinner dress.  I choose this style of earring a lot - something about the cluster and the word harvest and the yellow gold - all appropriately autumnal.  The clutch is just so great with chartreuse.  I feel that it's a very modern take on traditional autumn hues.  Besides the color combo, I love the flourishes on the invitations.  I think it serves as an almost abstract representation of the cycle of seasons and falling of leaves without being overt about it.

TGIF!

Clockwise from Top L:

Vintage Marmalade - Tiny Sparrow Vintage 70s Sheer Print Dress

Rhonda Michaels - Lemon Quartz with Amethyst Sprinkles

Bella Fiore - Bridesmaid Clutch

appleberry ink - Contemporary Floral Swirly Vines Wedding Invitation

 

PS - Want to find out why I'm a day late and a dollar short (again!) for Friday Finds this week?  Check out the home blog - www.palindromeathome.com

Real Wedding: Pin Wheels

I've been wanting to share this wedding since I first heard from my friend that she was going to make all of the decor.  Out of paper.  Into pin wheels.  The idea was charming and the execution even more so.

Krista and Mike were married at a farm not far from our hometown.  In August, the corn was tall and ready to be harvested.  The overcast sky looked menacing but the rain held off.

In the distance you can see what I thought of as a unity bush.  The mothers each ceremoniously added dirt and then the couple watered it after their vows.

Alternating colors of pinwheels lined the aisle.  With the slight breeze forewarning rain, the pinwheels actually spun.

In addition to the pin wheels, Krista also decorated wooden die cut fans.  Before the ceremony we tried our hands opening them flamenco style.  I also found the location to be a great excuse to wear my boots to a wedding!

The pin wheel decor extended beyond pew liners.  Here's a closeup of an usher's bout:

These last three photos were taken by Krista and Mike's up and coming photographer, Emily Patton of Emily Photography.

The pinwheels made their first appearance in Krista and Mike's lovely engagement session.  The lighting here is just delicious.

Even Krista's bouquet featured the pin wheel.  I loved how she incorporated buttons and curly wire too.

This is one of my favorites from the day, Krista looks so happy and I love Mike's pin wheel bout peeking out!

Are you decorating your ceremony without flowers?  What materials are you using?

Friday Finds: 'Stache While You Can

Bandwagons can be fun to jump on.  This one is particularly fun, and apropos if one of the wedded to be is sporting their own mustache.  I also dig homonyms. 

Even if no one in attendance is mustachioed, the pictures taken of your dressed up guests will place your wedding squarely in the early 21st century and serve as fodder for you children and grandchildren.

TGIF!

Clockwise from Top L:
Whisker Works - Quintessential Mix of Mustaches
emmylew - Quite a Pair Card
Paisley Magic - Retro Mustache Tote
The Cufflink Maker - Handlebar Mustache Cufflinks

Review: Shutterfly Album

This is the story of how we ended up with 3 wedding albums.  It all started by wanting to save money. 

While many albums are absolutely gorgeous (and drool worthy, believe me, I've drooled), we weren't sold on the idea of spending $1000+ for our wedding album.  I searched a lot of sites, I looked at Adorama based on recommendations, and I just wasn't feeling anything.  I didn't want to start from scratch and design pages in InDesign.  I didn't care about the book laying flat.  Long story short, I just about gave up on getting an album.

Motherdrome wouldn't hear of it though.  She wanted an album and she wanted it yesterday.  So she suggested Shutterfly.   I had made a little album of our engagement pictures for free thanks to a coupon.  My mom had really liked that one and requested another of our wedding with a leather cover.  So I started to experiment.  Turns out that I really liked the storyboard method of choosing photographs.  I really liked the limited layout choices (too many choices makes me freeze).  I liked it so much, that I made one for my parents, Mr. Palindrome's parents, all of our grandparents and one for ourselves. 

(I love Mr. Palindrome in the background - this is our new life, me blogging and taking pictures around him doing homework!) 

 When our album arrived, I was really excited.  We sat on the couch, tearing off the orange cardboard box.  We ooohed.  We awwed.  We reminisced.  Then we saw that one page printed twice (their bad) and that I had cropped one photo too close so it was blurry (my bad). 

After updating the page where I made a mistake, I called customer service.  They were great and said they'd reprint it right away!  Yay!

After opening the second album, I immediately saw a problem.  The binding was loose.  Also, they reprinted from the previous file, so my mistake was still there.

I called customer service.  Again, they were great and said that they would a credit in my account so that I could change my mistake and have it reprinted at my convenience.

About a month later, I got everything together and was ready to hit order.  There was no voucher in my account.  It had expired.  Sigh.  Another call to customer service cleared it up, they put the credit back into my account and I ordered the third album.  Thankfully the third album was just dandy. 

I'm very pleased with the print quality and the colors.  I love the full page pictures.

I'm just a little bummed about having to reprint so many times, but customer service was helpful each time.

And my experience didn't stop me from ordering a small album for our honeymoon as well!

Was an album important to you?  Would you consider a DIY album?

Friday Finds - A Wheat Wedding

In my head, I'm screaming this title 80s hair band style to the White Wedding theme. Shamefully, I was even bobbing my while I typed it.

Anywheaties, I had a really sweet pastel inspired Friday Finds lined up this week.  Then a cold front came through with rain.  Goodbye pastels!  Hello Autumn!  I've seen wheat in weddings before, but it's usually paired with cranberry or chocolate.  For this collection I decided on a monochromatic palette that features the wheat as the main dish.  One of my favorite items of the collection is the wheat ring - subtle and yet deeply satisfying as consistent with the theme.  Oh, and the dress!  Wedding party, mother, guest, even for the bride - and a steal at $95!

TGIF!

Clockwise from the Top L:
Which Goose - Through the Rye Bout
Frock Stars - 1960s Silk Cocktail Dress with Rosette Sash Waist
Which Goose - Wheat Field Bouquet
Lunasa Designs - Fields of Wheat Ring
Kitsch N Collectibles - 3 Vintage Tuscan Yellow Domed Flower Buttons