Darn You Local Copy/Print/Ship Store! September 29, 2008

I had it all planned out. I ordered my Crane Lettra paper in 23×30 sheets – in an effort to trim some invitation cost, since letterpress isn’t exactly a “budget” invitation process.

I’d heard time and again about brides bringing their sheets of paper to their local (national chain) print/copy/ship store and having the friendly workers trim it down to their exact specifications, all for $7 or less. Excellent.

Well, I hauled my package of Crane sheets in to said copy/print/ship store, and discovered that their trimmers don’t go beyond 20 inches! The guy working kindly offered to let me trim them myself — by hand, on the giant hand trimmer. Sigh.

That’s about 110 5×7 and over 300 3.5 x 4.75. Ack!

I know I could trim down the first cut or 2 until they fit, but then I worry that my handiwork will be… inaccurate and will destroy then entire stash.

Sigh.

Looks like I’ll be dedicating 3 hours to the paper-trimming process.

Painful Beauty – Adventures in Tattoo Removal September 28, 2008

When I was younger — under 20, I got a tattoo… and another.. and another.

At the time, I thought they were awesome, now, I don’t feel the same way. Luckily, I’ve got 2 of them hidden on my body (no dirty thoughts, they’re totally viewable when I’m wearing a swim suit), so there’s no need to get them removed right now. I do worry about pregnancy though, they will look beyond disgusting at that point (not that they look “hot” now).

Anyway, the third tattoo is located on my ankle, and I hate it. I don’t regret much in life, but I certainly do occasionally *wish* I hadn’t done something. This tattoo is one of those (I wish I hadn’t…s).

About a year ago, I made the decision to remove it. I did some research (even wrote an article for it) and checked out some local clinics and shops.

I’m now 4 treatments in and I’ve had some major changes to the tattoo. Here’s my condensed version of the journey.

My Newest Artsy Obsession September 25, 2008

I’m loving the Holga. Love, love, love the impatience of film and development, of quirky light leaks, hazes and streaking, love the vintage cool.

I SO want one!

My guess is, that with the cheap price, I’ll be snapping photos and rushing off to Walgreens for film development in no time.

Got to Love NYC September 12, 2008

The GTB hopped a plane and got the heck out of town! Please forgive me for my mini vaca and look for our rained-out Yankee game, and more!

I Do Love a Sample Sale September 11, 2008

I love sample sales. I have some really awesome tops that my friends all covet, that came from sample sales. I love getting something original and even better, I love getting a DEAL!

So… I think I’ll have to drag my sister to the Priscilla of Boston Sample Sale! Wedding dresses start at $199, bridesmaid/party frocks start at just $19.99.

Who knows what they’ll have… my only disappointment is that I already ordered a new gown to replace my poor, damaged Vera Wang. Oh well — at least this way I won’t have to worry about getting it cleaned (and stressing over dress #2 getting ruined). Who knows, maybe I’ll score a bridesmaid/cocktail dress in the process! A girl can never have too many little black dresses!

I would totally wear any of these!

Photos of the Damaged Dress September 8, 2008

I waffled on whether to post photos of the dress and the damage. I decided I may as well, especially since I’m supposed to be reading for my financial accounting class, and I prefer to do ANYTHING but that.

So, here they are…

The full dress in it’s pre-cleaned glory (don’t mind the dirt along the hem — it’s all gone now!) and a close up of the damage from the dry cleaner.

It may not look like much, but seriously, would you consider wearing that on your wedding day?!

For reference, the damaged area is the about 8″ wide by about 5″ high.


The top 2 photos are the front/back of the dress (pre-cleaning/pre-alterations), the third photo is a close-up of the damage that was on the bodice.

Delicious Vintage-Style Wedding Dresses September 5, 2008

Stephanie by Stephanie James

If I were aiming for a retro-styled wedding, I know exactly where I’d look for my dress.

I love Santephie James, not just because she does custom work, not just because she gives women the opportunity to love their body (she has a large range of sizes), but because these dresses are vintage-inspired dream.

I almost wish I was planning a sock-hop inspired wedding, or something with a retro feel, because I would simply HAVE to order.

Aside from that, look at this gorgeous cut-out back and (swoon!) this fantastic ostrich shrug. Love it!

The Perfect Wedding Clutch September 3, 2008

I love a good purse. I seldom buy them, because I love my classic lovelies, and I can’t bear to spave (spend money on something because it is cheap, and thus, save money on the price) my money on a cheap handbag, unless it is beyond lovely.

Enter Nelle Handbags. I love these bags, they’re quirky, cute and so well made. I love stalking the blog posting to see when new bags are unleashed, and I can hardly wait for the day that Nelle Handbags are seen on the runways with some hot celebrity grasping the gorgeous silk charmeuse or ribbon material.

Sooo, here you go. Eye candy that makes my resolve (to save money) melt.

Nelle Holiday 2008

What I love about Nelle Handbags are these things:
1. those with brooches are all different! Each bag has a different bit of vintage “bling”
2. she hand-dyes the fabrics, creating rich, delicious colors
3. Laura loves ribbons and she makes them gorgeous, from details on the Fit To Be Tied to creating an entire bag from pleated petersham ribbon.

If you’re at my wedding, I can promise that you’ll see one of these pretties on me… but which one?

My Ruined Dress Pt. 2 of 2 September 2, 2008

After I took the Vera Wang home and happily shared the news of our union (lol), I set forth to get her modified and cleaned.

I contacted the seamstress I’d worked with for multiple prom and bridesmaid dresses and we went over the changes I wanted…

1. determine and create bustle
2. remove sashes
3. change back of dress from simple zip to a more detailed, somewhat open back similar to an Anne Barge dress that I love)

We agreed upon the changes and I bid my dress farewell (but not before shooting several photos!).

My Ruined Dress, Pt. 1 of 2 September 1, 2008

Here’s the story of my wedding gown… er, the gown that WAS to be my wedding gown.

I went to Macy’s Bridal Sample Sale in April, arriving 1 hour before the doors open. I was probably about number 120 in line… which means that there were women who had been waiting since 6:00 a.m. or sooner. Wow.

I had tried to get my sister to join me, but she was snoozing, so I faced the sea of lace, satin and tulle alone.

So anyway, my experience in line was pleasant. The girls in front of me were not exactly friendly, but there were plenty of women with small or no entourages who were friendly and chatty.
Want to see the dress, click