Kicking Up My Heels, DIY Style

I'm starting to feel time compress like this downward spiral.

Image via SiliconAngle

{Isn't that a cool image? I love me some google searching!}

Anyway, it's high time to buckle down and get to work on our invitations. They came in more than two months ago and are sitting in boxes waiting for a loving someone to show them the light of day. So I did what any rational procrastinator would do on a free Sunday afternoon and focused all my effort and attention . . . on something else.

But not to worry, I promise that it was a wedding related project. Remember these lovelies?

{personal photo}

The sequin-covered topside makes me swoon every time I see them. The soles, on the other hand, were lacking a certain sparkle. You DIY-brides know what I'm talking about. 'I do' stickers! Inspiration abounds with a quick internet image search.

Image via Project Wedding / Photo credit: Jenny GG

Image via Lovely Bride

Super duper cute, right? And how adorable is the second photo as her 'something blue' with the added bonus of well wishes from her bridesmaids? You can bet that we can also find fellow brides on the message boards who are in on the sweetness.

icedchaitea via Weddingbee Boards

Mrs.tobe via Weddingbee Boards

An Etsy.com search yields over 80 options for 'I do' stickers. Grooms can also get in on the action and even go so far as to announce cold feet quite literally! 

Image and design via Forweddingssake

Image and design PrettyThisPrettyThat

Image and design MonAmourBoutique

With so many inspirations and options to choose from, this should be a no-brainer, right? Except with what you already know about me, I must find a way to complicate even a seemingly straightforward project. So I started my search at Michael's for the perfect stickers. There are at least 10 stores within my work geography and you can bet I checked the racks of at least 8 of them.

After finding a font that appealed to me in the right size and with numbers as well as letters (this is not as easy as you might initially think!) I consulted a friend about my choice. She liked them except wished they had more depth. Inspiration struck again at Michael's where I discovered adhesive faux pearl bead embellishments. What if I put them on top of the sticker to get more of a 3-D effect?

{personal photo}

For two hours I plucked those little suckers and stuck them lovingly to 12 letters & numbers. I'll share a quick tutorial in an upcoming post. Until then, here's a peek at the finished product. I'm so pleased with the result!

{the date isn't missing...just blurred out}

Nothing compares to crafting on a lazy Sunday in pajamas, haha! A special thanks goes to Mr. Hot Tea for snapping this shot. Now if only I could magically transform that pile of waiting invitations . . . I guess that's what another Sunday is for.

{sad, sad invites waiting for some love}

What wedding DIY projects are on your list? How do you prioritize which ones to tackle and what's been most rewarding so far? Will you 'I do' your shoes?

Aller guten Dinge sind drei. A Shoe Story.

No, I don't speak German. However, I was happy to discover the origin of the idea that "all good things come in threes." Things like:

Image via SodaHead

Image via Maximumdonline

{personal photo}

Three little kittens, the Three Stooges, and ...huh?! Let me explain.

I've spent the greater part of two days in bed trying to kick this cold to the curb. I've had zero reserve energy for TV watching, message board posting, or surfing the web. Don't get me wrong, sleeping is my favorite hobby, but this was getting ridiculous!

There was only one thing that could get me out of bed today, and I totally forgot about it until Mr. Hot Tea came home from work. He greeted me with a bedside kiss and told me a box came in the mail. Bolting upright, I jumped out of bed to break into my newest wedding treasure.

Those of you who have accepted the challenge of finding your wedding shoes will likely agree -- this is no easy task. Those who haven't are probably wondering "What's the big deal? No one will see your shoes under your dress anyway." Let me attempt to persuade you with something fellow fanatics affectionately refer to as shoe porn. Not only are they lovely, they make for a great photo op!

Image via ShoesCoupon

Image via CherryTreeLaneBridal

Image via Elizabeth Anne Designs / Photo credit: Michele M. Waite

You'll soon come to learn that I have fully exercised my right to change my bridal mind with all things wedding related, and shoes were no exception. My first pair were the charcoal gray Badgley Mischka 'Frank'. I fell in love with the color to match Mr. HT's wedding suit, and the fabric rosette complemented my wedding gown sash.

Image via SHOPSTYLE

Unfortunately, these shoes were sheer torture when it came to wearing them for my hour-long dress fittings. Though sad to admit it, my pretties had to be replaced. Good fortune struck when I came across the Miss America 'Zuma' at DSW. Double score - they were tall enough to wear with my dress and were on clearance for $30. Mr. HT thought my feet looked sexy in them - added bonus!

Image via SHOPSTYLE

I thought the search was over, but it was not to be so. Remember this?

Image via Woodox

I hope you will agree that these shoes are 'the ones.' They have received Mr. HT's stamp of "sexy feet" approval, and even better, they are comfortable! Without further ado, I'd like to introduce the pink sequined peep toe from Ann Taylor.

{personal photo}

Well, whaddya think? How have you experienced the phenomenon of threes in your own wedding experience?

Bridal Breakdown # ?? - I've lost count.

Hello dear Hive, happy Monday! I hope your weekend was full of fun and happiness. Mine certainly was, although it didn't start out that way...

Remember last week I was all insightful and inspired? Well, it only took a mysteriously missing bridesmaid's dress to derail the zen-like approach to wedding planning in one quick instant. My FB status update says it all.

{FB vent!}

WTH is right, Miss Rachel. Here's a preview of that super fun day with my Sweet Tea girls 3 months ago. 

{party in the minivan rental!}

For now, suffice it to say that I ordered and paid for all the dresses at that same time in one transaction, or so I thought. The dresses finally came in - YAY! - and I picked them up last Friday before rushing off to the airport to visit Maid of Honor Sweet Tea in SoCal. Imagine my surprise turned frustration when the consultant said "she hasn't ordered it yet" after I asked about the one that didn't come in. 

Seriously?! We followed their advice and ordered them during the height of prom season (hence the oversight) with 5 months until W-Day to allow for plenty of time for the dresses to come in and get altered. Now there's only 3 months to go and that's how long it takes a new order to get to the store. The consultant casually assured me that I had plenty of time for this straggler. Yeah, that's what they said three months ago. I pulled out my credit card and placed the order, AAARRRRUGH!

Cue meltdown in 3 . . .  2 . . .  1 . . .

I now fully understand why couples elope, and those who don't wish they had. Here's a glimpse of our dream wedding heaven if I could have only let go of my want to get married in the Catholic church. Ahhhhh, Cabo.

{surf spot at La Roca}

But I digress. After a mildly tearful meltdown alone in the car and a quick call to Mama Teacup to tell her how much I hated wedding planning, I managed to laugh at myself for instantly thinking that "nothing is ever easy" in that moment. 

Thankfully, I was on my way to visit my dear MOH Sweet Tea. If anyone could make this process fun again, it would be her. 

{early morning at Coronado Beach}

{carefree & happy Lily dog}

{cruising around Coronado island}

{real cheese curds flown in for a party}

{zen happy place restored, complete with sushi! note the hot green tea...}

We even managed to squeeze in some computer time devoted to wedding planning - logistics and details that had previously stalled my momentum. As a dutiful MOH she humored me and played dress up - dress, cardigan and jewelry - and I loved her look. 

She came through in a big way and I'm back from the brink of another bridal breakdown...thanks, friend!

Now you know how I regain sanity when the going gets rough...I jet off to somewhere fun with friends! Who keeps you grounded on this roller-coaster journey to matrimony? What are your favorite escapes or de-stressing tips? I could definitely use them for a rainy day!

** all personal photos **

A Devil's Haircut in My Mind

My ramblings about wedding planning as a process of self-discovery sidetracked my initial intent to entertain you with outrageous hair styling. Some may argue 'high fashion' or 'couture' and I'll let you be the judge.

For example, I thought about adding a flower as an accessory to my wedding hairstyle. Something romantic like a real gardenia would be easy enough to get from my florist and tuck behind my ear. Then again...maybe I want my stylist to work harder and create flowers out of my hair, like this?

Image via The Hindu

I'm not sure what to make of this next style, so I consulted the resident creative genius, Mr. Hot Tea. I'm afraid to report that his imagination failed us here. Do you see a pig snout? Neither did I. He quickly recovered to say that it looked like a modern-day take on Princess Leia's locks, but I'm not letting the original suggestion go that easily.

Image via Style List

Now you might be thinking that it would be impossible to combine the first two styles into one. I'll ask you to think again, my friends. It HAS been done, on Natalie Portman, no less.

Image via Open Walls

And our last stop on the tour of outrageous hair needs no explanation. Here's one for Mrs. Lioness! My only question is - how did they do THAT?!

Image via Toxel / Designed by Nagi Noda

Needless to say, I'll stick with the tamer selections I shared yesterday. Especially after a second look, none of those fancy 'dos seem veil-friendly. So which will it be -- Beyonce, Anne, or Sandra? And the winner is...

Image via Real Beauty

Here's another example I found that's similarly inspired.

Image via Hairstyles for Weddings

So how did we do? Did your choice align with mine or did you prefer another style?

p.s. In case you're wondering, the title is a song blast from the mid-90s past by Beck. He explained the song as being "A really simplistic metaphor for the evil of vanity." Fitting, no?

By Hook or By Crook, a hair-y tale

It's time to create my wedding day look! No intentions to accomplish this 'by any means necessary,' though I always enjoy a good rhyme...

I've chosen the dress, which shall remain unposted here until W-Day. Mr. Hot Tea reads my blog and prefers to be surprised, so we'll honor his choice for another three months. And like my three pairs of shoes you'll soon see, I said yes to the dress...twice. Sensing a theme here? [Ed. note: I probably should have considered 'indecisive bride' as my screen name - LOL!]

Image via Amazon

The challenge is that time is quickly ticking down and it's imperative to make decisions that I can stick with. Instead of over-thinking each task and forcing a choice in my quest for these...

Image via Our Crooked Tree

...it's more important to take a deep breath and really feel that the choice is a reflection of me. I rarely approach everyday decisions with my heart, which may be why I find wedding planning so maddening. I'm learning that it can serve as a means to self-growth if I choose to accept the challenge.  om.

Image via Detavio Samuels

Whoa. Now I'm on a journey not only to find my inner voice, but to listen to it, too?! I didn't know I signed up for this when I said yes to the proposal and the ring...who knew decisions like flowers and shoes and makeup could be so deeply affecting?

With this in mind, let's get to it, shall we? First stop is hair. Here's my everyday look for reference: long bangs and an annual Japanese straightening job because I'm lazy like that.

For the wedding, I'm thinking to wear it down but with some curl and volume. I affectionately call this my "party hair" like in my profile pic and I've narrowed 75 photo inspirations down to three distinct styles. 

We'll start with the loose, wavy locks of Beyonce. Very sexy, I'm wondering how much hairspray will be necessary to keep the curl fresh all day. Sounds like mission impossible.

Image via Long Hairstyle Trends

Next up, the Hollywood glam of Anne Hathaway. This look has potential: it's polished and more finished than my everyday hair. And it may stand the test of time. Bookmarked!

Image via Real Beauty

And finally, who didn't love the sleek look of Sandra Bullock at the 2010 Academy Awards. Absolutely gorgeous in its sophisticated simplicity.

Image via Spa Esthetic

So now, dear Hive, I turn the choice over to you. I think I've already decided and would love to hear which celeb you think has the most wedding-worthy hairstyle for my big day!