Paisley dress

I have a few events coming up where I will need a cute dress, some wedding related and some not, so I thought I would start looking while I was at the mall today because I can never seem to find a dress when I really need one. Then I remembered this adorable Lily dress that is now on sale at Bloomingdales. I am so tempted to buy it for my shower!

PB angst

Why does Pottery Barn tempt and taunt me by offering my registry bedding in the store, all made up on a lovely bed, but says it is no longer available on my registry?! I went to the store today to see what alternatives they might have that could compare to what I originally picked out, but with no luck. As soon as I walked in the Bed & Bath store, my duvet and sheets were on the model bed front and center, only confirming I still really want them! I may just have to buy them myself to be sure they don't sell out before my shower...

Little things

I love gifts that are practical and special, and this website covers both! Not only great for us "big-kids", it has a lot of beautiful options for little ones, too. I know a bunch of new moms and moms-to-be with nurseries that have a special place reserved for some of these adorable door hangers and frames (check out the damask ones!).

I love this frame for myself. I may just have to buy it to hold a special wedding or engagement photo. Thanks to Jess for sharing!

Sweet ideas

Have you seen a cuter cake topper? Maybe a little too arts-and-crafts for our wedding theme, but I saw it and immediately loved it!
Speaking of cakes, I originally thought I had found the one, but after thinking some more and having more details gathered, I am starting to reconsider. Here are some nice ones that I may share with our baker to see what she thinks.

More templates

Then I just found this blog, which has perfect step-by-step instructions on how to create your own custom background. I may have to try this when I have a bit more time to search for the perfect pattern/color scheme.

Playing around

I found a blog with a very cute background and it linked to The Cutest Blog on the Block so I took a look and they had a bunch of free templates to download. As you can see, I picked one out but I am not totally sure about it. What do you think?

Rain, rain, go away

So, I came home last night from work to find a lovely puddle forming on our kitchen counter. It had been raining all day, after a couple weeks of pretty wet weather. Water was basically steaming down the wall next to the window above the kitchen sink, and then across the backsplash and down onto the counter. What a mess!

After a few calls and misdirection, we finally got a hold of the insurance company and a specialist that came out to access the damage. He set up 3 industrial strength fans and a huge dehumidifier to dry the kitchen out...but we still don't really know the extent of the damage. Someone still has to come out to look at it and then we can figure out how to fix it. In the meantime, my kitchen looks like this. You can imagine how I feel about it being in disarray.

And then I came home from the gym tonight to this lovely obstruction to our driveway... Yeah, that's our house on the left, alright. Nice.

Fun gifts

Incorporating paisleys into the decor for the wedding has opened my eyes to all sorts of cute patterns. These cases would make a fun gift for bridesmaids or party hostesses to incorporate my green color scheme. Plus, they are on sale!

Decorating

Oh, my! I just got an e-newsletter from Pottery Barn on hot fall decorating trends. I am in love with the graphic prints they are featuring for their upholstery! I may just need to redo my registry to fit some of these new designs...(I particularly love the green and yellow chairs below).

The quest for perfect make-up

I have been getting monthly facials to try to prep my skin to look radiant on the wedding day. As part of my "face plan", I am also on the quest for the best make-up, not only for the wedding, but for everyday wear, too. It just so happened that most of my products ran out all at the same time, so now I am scrambling to find replacements so I don't go bare! Here is what I am thinking...

I tried the Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit and really liked the coverage under my eyes (I get dark circles), so I think I am going to take the plunge and buy it.

As for foundation, I am stumped. I have been wearing tinted moisturizer but I thought I wanted more coverage. I tried NARS Oil Free, but I am not sold. It doesn't have an SPF (and neither does the current moisturizer that I love) so I am wary to buy it.I have most recently been wearing Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, but I don't think it warrants the cost. It got such great reviews but really, I think Clinique is just as nice. I may have to go back to that, or find a new one all together.

As for the rest of the face...I think I need a lip stain because I am constantly licking my lipstick/gloss off and I want something to last longer. According to Sephora, my favorite one-stop makeup shop, Benefit has a best selling tint. I may have to check that out!

Mason Jars

To add a touch of Southern flair to the wedding, we are planning on using Mason jars around the reception as luminaries. I haven't found the perfect photo of our idea yet, but here is a variation of our idea...
I love the look of these berries in the Mason jars. So simple and fresh looking! Too bad the white "snowberries" aren't seasonal in October. We're planning on using green ones in our floral arrangements instead.

Rings

R has been putting this off but the time has come to go look at wedding bands. We have a jeweler up in Atlanta that R bought my engagement ring from, so he is actually going to make our bands but I want to try on a few to see what looks best with mine before we commit to anything. I have in my head that I want pave stones just on the front (as pretty as it is, I would totally wreck it if they went all the way around). Here are some pics I've found that I want to see in person. We are tentatively planning on going to look this weekend. I am psyched!