Wedding Wednesday: 86 days to go!

Today's post covers one of the things that I personally love to think about, but am always hesitant to talk about - lingerie! In addition to all of the wonderful events my bridesmaids planned for my bachelorette party, they also planned a mini-lingerie shower as part of the weekend and it was so fun!
I don't know about you, but I don't tend to buy a lot of nice lingerie for myself because I never really viewed it as a necessary expense, and it is obviously something that you aren't going to wear on a daily basis. Well hey, I mean you could, but you're not as likely to, so it is one of those things that I do enjoy receiving because I'm not as likely to buy it for myself. And now, despite (or because of ) all of their wonderful gifts, I am currently addicted and want to fill my closet with many more beautiful pieces!

Like most all clothing items, everything has its season. Which is always a great excuse to update any part of your wardrobe, right? (I am great at rationalizing any purchase.) A few weeks ago I shared how I Winterize My Beauty Routine to prepare for the cold winter and warm tones. So now, I want to share with you some ways to winterize some of the other personal items in your routine. In the summer we all tend to lean towards bright colors. I swear there is something about neon colors that actually makes me look more tan! But as the colder weather comes in and that color starts to fade, I like to tone down the color just a little and have some softer, warmer jewel tones around me.

Adore Me has some beautiful lingerie pieces out right now and these are some of my favorites, which pair great with deep red colors for winter, and some all over warmth used on your face and neckline. While I generally prefer brighter colors, I'll take any excuse to try something new, and changing seasons is always a good one. As much as I'd rather be in bright yellows and pinks, I am at least (usually) aware enough to realize those colors are generally out of place this time of year.

I think my absolute favorite is this green set because the color is so rich and it really sets the mood for a warm romantic evening. Combine that, with some intense eye makeup, like this set from MAC, and you won't need anything else.

Or, this beautiful sapphire blue - and it matches Essie's Fall Bell Bottom Blues to a T!


And my runner up to the green set above, is definitely this Peaches and Cream set, paired with Clinique's Plum Brandy to really pull together that fall or winter look with out going too dark.


Isn't it fun to think about updating every aspect of your wardrobe as the seasons change? It's something I'm still working on myself, but I have really enjoyed thinking about this lately, especially as I transition more in to work and don't have as much variety in my day to day outfits. What do y'all think? And check out some additional makeup combinations below!

It's kind of Friday today, yay! Have a great day y'all! 

xoxo

linking up with:

Wedding Wednesday | Wednesday Showcase 

Wedding Wednesday: 93 days to go! Bachelorette Bags

Y'all. I cannot believe I am down to double digits in my wedding countdown. I know 93 days might still seem like a long time, but when you throw in Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, things are going to be so busy that I am starting to feel like I can't get everything done. I've been making the effort lately to really assess what I have left to do and what I can reasonably do. My mom has been so wonderful, and at this point any time she offers to do something I just say yes. I am somewhat of a control freak - I'm sure my fiance would say its a little more than "somewhat" - but I also have complete faith in my mom, so I don't mind at all relinquishing some tasks to her!

A few weeks ago we had my bachelorette party in Nashville and it was so. much. fun. I'll be honest, I had never been to a bachelorette party, so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but this exceeded any expectations I ever had.

I wanted to get something for the girls, but I also had no idea what they were planning, so it was hard to figure out what I could do without overshadowing anything they had planned. I ended up putting together bags with some necessities for the weekend and hair-ties I made with elastic that I ordered from Etsy. I used my Cricut to cut a lot of the elements of the bag, and I am so pleased without they came out! What do y'all think?

It was seriously a blast and I had so much fun! I have always really loved Nashville and my bridesmaids planned the perfect weekend! What did you do or what are you planning to do for your bachelorette parties? 

Have a great day, y'all!

xoxo

Wedding Wednesday, 122 days to go: Choosing Bridesmaids' Dresses!

I think a large part of my indecisiveness comes from wanting to make everyone happy. I overthink almost every decision because I want to make sure that it is the right decision, not just for me, but for anyone else it might effect. So, you can imagine how difficult it was for me to choose the dresses for my bridesmaids. I know everyone says, "It's your wedding, you get to pick." But here's the thing, I'm not the one actually wearing the darn things!

I was also faced with the dilemma that only two of my seven bridesmaids live in the same city as I do, and the other five are literally in four other states, so trying to have everyone involved seemed like it was going to be impossible. And then I came across Weddington Way. I honestly cannot remember how I found out about this place, after a while all of the bridal/engagement stuff starts to blend together. Maybe it was in a magazine, maybe it was one of the millions of (weirdly accurate and specific) Facebook ads, who knows. Either way, I'm glad I found it.

You're probably wondering what exactly is Weddington Way? Well, in short, it is an online only shop (except for San Francisco where they're based) that has hundreds of dresses. I mean y'all, I had yet to discover this many dresses in one place, but it was great. So you sign up for an account and then they match you up with a stylist and you can create a virtual showroom. You then invite all of your bridesmaids so that they can view, vote, add to, and comment on the dresses in your show room.
I personally waited until I'd had some time to play around with the shop and make sure I liked it before I made all of them sign up and create accounts.

As with most shopping websites now, there is a great filter system so that helped a lot. I also had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted before I started looking, long, navy, and not ridiculously expensive. I also knew that I wanted them to all wear the exact same dress because I just really like things to match and especially with an odd number of girls, there was no way to even do half and half. That being said, the website does a great job of pairing dresses of similar style that go together, so that if you are going for that look its easy to coordinate.

When all was said and done, my showroom ended up with about five dresses that I'd chosen and a couple of others that some bridesmaids added. Luckily most of the bridesmaids like the same styles of dresses, there were a few I liked that they didn't, but that was fine with me - that's why there were so many for them to choose from!

Another great thing about Weddington Way is that they have free shipping and free returns, so while they do a great job of getting you the right size, it is no cost to exchange for a different size, or gives you the chance to just order two from the get go with out worrying about a difficult return policy to send the other one back. This was one of the things that really caught my attention because for starters, I really hate to pay shipping, and second, I wanted to do my best to make it cost effective and easy for them - win win.

As of now, all of the girls have ordered their dresses and they have all given great reviews and I am so  relieved. I realize online shopping is not a new concept (duh), but there is still a lot of risk when ordering from a new company, so it was great to know that this was such a success!

These are some of the questions I was frequently asked about the process from the girls, my mom, and his mom:

How do you know which dresses they like?

Since very girl has her own account, she can favorite a dress and/or comment on it if she wants to give her opinion. I encouraged them to vote so that I knew which ones they liked since that was kind of the point, although none of them actually commented, which was fine with me.

What if they don't all like the same dress?

Well, that's life. But, at least I can see (and so could they) how many people liked which dress, and in my case the dress with the most votes won because I also really liked it. If you're not set on having them all wear the same dress, this might be a situation where you let them choose which style they'd rather wear, assuming that the different ones they like still go well together.

How long will it take the dresses to arrive?

The dress that we ultimately selected wasn't a made to order dress, so from the time it was ordered to when it was received was about a week.

Do all of the girls have to order before the dresses ship?

This is an option, but since these dresses aren't made to order anyways, I wasn't worried about the cloth not matching, so I told them all it was fine to just request their dress when they ordered it, rather than waiting on everyone else.

How will you know they ordered it?

Well, in a super (kind of) stalkerish way, it emails you every time a dress is ordered, and then you can log into your account and check on the shipping/tracking status. There is also an option to "Remind to Order," but luckily all of my bridesmaids ordered their dresses plenty early so I didn't have to do any nudging.

My only real complaint is that they send so many emails. There might be some setting that I could have changed to avoid that, but I just felt bad because I was afraid that the bridesmaids were also being bombarded with emails. Otherwise, I had great success and I think if you are in a situation with a lot of bridesmaids in a lot of places, it is a great resource! If y'all have any questions about the process I would be happy to answer them!

Have a great day, y'all! 

xoxo

linking up with:
Wedding Wednesday | The Wednesday Showcase | Monday Mingle | Turn It Up Tuesday

Wedding Wednesday, 178 days to go: Coming to Terms with a Winter Wedding

photo source

I am literally counting down the days until my wedding. I know that it is going to be the best day and I cannot wait! But, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little (very) concerned about having a winter wedding.

As most girls do, I've been picturing my wedding day for as long as I can remember. That picture has changed with time, but it has always included all things bright and colorful. I always assumed my bridesmaids would wear pink, the guys would be in seersucker, and there would be pops of yellows and green all around and gorgeous outdoor scenery. This all still sounds like my ideal wedding, except that now I'm getting married in February. There is no colorful outdoor scenery in February. There are no bright shades of yellow in February. And there is certainly no wearing seersucker in February.

(Almost) every decision I make is very well thought out, and very intentional, and our wedding date was no exception. He proposed in November of last year, and we knew it would take at least one year to plan. We also knew that with the bar exam this summer, the months of June and July were essentially non-existent when it came to all of the checklist items. Football season also played a large part in pushing the date past the fall, and by then, I honestly knew I'd be too impatient to wait around all the way until next summer. I mean y'all, if I could have gotten married this February I probably would have. All of this to say, we chose February, but as I am getting deeper into the planning process, it is harder and harder for me to envision exactly what a February wedding is supposed to look like.

I know, I know, Pinterest is where I should be looking. But let me tell you, it is very difficult to find inspiration for a "Winter Wedding" that does not revolve around poinsettias and snowflakes. I am a warm-weather, bright-color kind of girl. There is absolutely nothing appealing to me about a snowflake motif. Although, I will say, some of the pictures of weddings I have seen in the snow are gorgeous. Like so much so, that I kind of want it to snow on my wedding day (I'm sure I'll be regretting this if we end up with another winter we had like last year). But honestly, if I'm going to endue the cold, I think at the least I deserve the pictures to prove it, right?

Obviously at this point the date is set, and by obviously, I mean we have the church and reception venue booked, so we're pretty set on the date. And y'all, I am doing my darndest to reimagine my ideal wedding, but it. is. hard. I always imagined pretty pinks and yellows, short dresses, and warm sunshine. I am now trying to imagine long flowing navy dresses, shades of green, and snow on the ground. I used to consider if I would provide guests with sunglasses, now I'm considering blankets. I used to think that fur stoles were just hmm . . . not something I was interested in, and now, I think maybe it is the only way I will stay warm, and perhaps they are actually really nice. I'm working on it. I literally have a Pinterest board called "Embracing the Cold." It will be the best day of my life, and it will be beautiful, I just don't know what it is going to look like. Yet.

How did you choose your wedding date? Was it convenient, did you want to wait until the venue was available?

Have a great day, y'all!

xoxo

linking up with 

Wednesday Showcase | Wedding Wednesday | The Creative Corner

Wedding Wednesday, 220 Days to Go! {Perfect Ring Dishes}

A couple of months ago I read an article, I think on theKnot.com, but I can't seem to find it now. Anyways, it was called something like "How to Not Lose your Engagement Ring," which I thought was odd, because I hadn't really been that worried about it, until I read the article. Most of the suggestions were pretty obvious, like not taking it off in a public place, etc. 

One that I found particularly interesting though the suggestion to have a ring dish in (almost) every room in your house. This way, if you are in the kitchen and need to take it off to do dishes you don't have to just set it on the counter. Or if you're in the living room and need to apply lotion, it doesn't just end up on the coffee table. Of course all of these seem relatively safe places since you're in your own home after all, but one dishtowel or piece of mail in the way, and you'll spend hours looking for your ring. 

So, after reading that, I went on the search for the perfect ring dish(es) that I could place around the house without having to worry too seriously about messing with the decor - i.e. small and simple. Here are a few of the ones that I came across and fell in love with! 

Kate Spade

Etsy

I would love something like this once we finally get a house and are sharing a bathroom and of course, both have rings!

Etsy

Kate Spade

My aunt actually gave me this Kate Spade dish as an engagement present and it is perfect to keep in the bathroom. Because it is a bit larger and more bowl shaped than the others, it works great to hold other miscellaneous pieces of jewelry I need to take off before I get in the shower or wash my face. 

MudPie (via Swoozies)

I found and purchased this ring dish while I was on vacation and it is the perfect size! 

Two's Company (via Bed Bath & Beyond)

Both of these sets already come with THREE dishes - how perfect! 

Lenox (via Bed Bath & Beyond)

Do y'all have any secrets to keeping your favorite pieces of jewelry safe? 

Have a Great Day, y'all!

xoxo

linking up with 

Wednesday Showcase | Wedding Wednesday | Merry Monday

Wedding Wednesday, 346 Days to Go {How I Asked My Bridesmaids}

Let me be clear, I do not think it is necessary at all to do anything but call a girl up and ask her to share in this day with you. However, in law school I don't get nearly as many chances to craft as much as I would like to, so I decided to take full advantage of this opportunity! 

After scouring Pinterest for a clever, but not overdone way to ask my bridesmaids, I finally concluded that I would just have to come up with something on my own. I ended up incorporating a few different things that I'd seen, and eventually just let my creativity get the best of me and this is what I ended up with! 

I knew I wanted to do something clever without being too cliche, but everything I kept finding on Pinterest just seemed over the top. After some brainstorming and flashbacks to Big/Little reveals with Kappa, I settled on including a few different items, each with a cute note attached. Below are the notes I attached to each item, and then I put all of them inside a large mason jar. I also included the girls' names on the top of the mason jar. I tried to choose the shades of nail polish and type of candy for each one specifically, so they were still personalized. 

Inside of the mason jar I also included a card that said "Will you be my Bridesmaid?" and one said "Will you be my Maid of Honor?" I included a small personal note on the backs of these cards. 

To make all of the cards I typed up what I wanted to be on the card in a word document. Then I cut down scrapbook paper so that it would fit in the printer (8.5 x 11). I don't hate my handwriting, but I knew I was going to need to make seven (!) of these jars, so I thought it was more efficient for my perfectionist self to let the computer do the work. If any of y'all are interested in this let me know and I can send it your way!

After I'd printed the cards, I cut them out and glued them to some glittery scrap book paper and cut them out again. For each of the "item" cards, I attached them directly to the item itself. Then I put the "Maid of Honor" and "Bridesmaid" cards on another piece of glittery paper to really frame it and make it stand out. 

To present it to each of the girls I put the jar in a cute chevron gift bag from Target with a piece or two of tissue paper. I also placed a piece of tissue paper directly inside the mason jar before placing everything in just to make it look a little nicer and also so that it wouldn't be banging around inside. 

What do y'all think about these? What are some of your favorite ways you've seen brides ask their bridesmaids? 

Have a great day, y'all!

xoxo

linking up with: 

Wedding Wednesday | Celebrate Southern | Humpday Happenings | Merry Monday | Wow Us Wednesdays

Wedding Wednesday, 367 days to go

7 Things No One Tells You About Getting Engaged

1. You Might Not Cry. And that's okay! 

I'll be honest. I was a little sad that I didn't cry when he was down on one knee. I mean this was supposed to be the moment, right? But then I realized, that it was okay. I'm not always the "happy crier" and I was actually speechless - which for me says a lot! Apparently I didn't even say "yes" immediately, but instead just nodded excitedly because that was all I could get out. You can read all about it here. Seriously though, everyone reacts differently, so don't worry if you don't produce what you think is the expected or usual reaction. I can tell you that it was still very clear to him just how excited I was and that my nod was just as good as a blubbery yes! 

2. People Will Expect You to Have a Date Set.

Crazy, I know. You will be surprised how many people that you call immediately after, I'm talking within the hour, will ask you if you've set a date. My advice here - maybe have a date in mind if you know that you are only going to be engaged as long as it takes to plan a wedding, or just say, "we just got engaged! Of course we haven't had time to set a date yet!" Do whatever you think is best, just be ready for that question - it'll get asked! 

3. Phone Calls Take Longer Than You Think.

My fiance had done a lot of research on how to approach an engagement. (I had no idea such a thing even existed.) He said he read a lot of things about making sure that I had time to call everyone between the engagement and dinner (how he planned it), and I still ran out of time. He finally had to tell me to start getting ready for dinner and I actually called one of our friends on the way to dinner because I wanted to tell everyone as soon as I could. You might have a list of people that you know you'll call as soon as it finally happens, but there will always be a few others you think of along the way. Plus, when you haven't called your grandmother in a few weeks, she's going to want to talk about how everything else in your life is going too. Just embrace it, it's great. I was so anxious and excited with every call that I made. I was so happy and I wanted everyone to know, just plan accordingly and be ready to call your girls on speaker phone while you're still trying to put on some make up :) 

4. Unfortunately, It Does Come with Some Stress.

See #3 above. There suddenly seems to be 100 decisions that need to be made. How many bridesmaids? How many guests? What colors? What kind of food? You get the point. While there are certain things that do need to be decided relatively soon after you get engaged, i.e. a date, there are plenty of others that can wait. Within a week of getting engaged we already had our date and church picked out and just knowing that, it meant we also knew we had over a year to plan and were able to relax about everything else for a while. Let yourself enjoy being engaged before you start stressing yourself about everything that you're eventually going to have to do. 

5. Everyone Has an Opinion. 

Again, see #s 3 & 4 above. It was amazing to me how soon the ideas started coming to me via Pinterest, and else where. Initially it was great because I had absolutely no idea what to do or what I wanted. However, as we have started making some firm decisions, any other opinion makes me feel like my idea wasn't good enough or wasn't right. Those feelings have a lot to do with me being sensitive and generally indecisive, but either way the opinions still seem to come in like a flood - so just be prepared. 

6. He Was Probably More Nervous Than You Realized. 

Girls, give him a break. Tell him you love him, tell him it was perfect, tell him to breathe. Right after he popped the question and I had finally regained my ability to talk, I told him that the ring was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and if it was exactly what I would have picked out. He told me that was the second most relieved he'd been that day! They are nervous. They are scared. We might think that's silly because of course you want to say yes, but they might not realize that, so make sure they know because it will go a long way. 

7. You're Still Going to Have Some Fights. 

See #4. Immediately following the engagement is pure bliss. You want to tell everyone and they all want to know. You are showing your ring off so much that you get offended when the guy bagging your groceries doesn't ask to see it. It's great. But then the planning process starts, the future in-laws suddenly are more opinionated, and nothing seems to go how you want it. It's okay. Things happen, you don't always agree, and an engagement isn't meant to fix that. Just keep in mind that you are planning one day, and what is really going to matter is the rest of your lives. So maybe you can't have the sage napkins and have to settle with mint? It's. Okay. Y'all love each other and you have eternity to plan a dinner party with sage napkins. I think fights are okay because as passive aggressive as I might be, I'd much rather (eventually) get something out rather than let it all build up in side me because one way or another, it is going to come out.

For any newly engaged brides-to-be, or those planning ahead, I hope this helps. I was honestly so surprised by most of these things and wish I'd had some kind of heads up!
What are some things about engagement or even newlywed life that you weren't expecting?

Happy Wednesday, y'all!
xoxo 

linking up with:

Wedding Wednesday

Wedding Wednesday, 374 days to go!

Happy Wednesday, Y'all!

I'm going to try something a little new around here on Wednesdays, "Wedding Wednesday." I hope these weekly updates/features will serve a lot of purposes. First, it will help me keep a running log of the wedding planning and engagement process, which I am trying to enjoy to the fullest! Also, as a first time bride there are so many things that I have no idea how to do or how to choose and I would love love love to hear from any of y'all on what worked for you, what didn't, what you've enjoyed at other weddings you've attended, etc. Seriously, I am willing to take any and all advice.

I am learning there are about a million decisions that have to be made and as someone who is naturally indecisive, I am anticipating that bringing me some stress, but I am trying to make as many decisions off the bat that I can because there are few things I love more than crossing something off of a to-do list.

Here are a few things that we've been able to decide in three short months:

Date:

February 2016

Time:

Early Evening

Location:

My Hometown in Kentucky

Ceremony:

My Church at Home

Reception:

A local venue in town, set on acres of land 

Officiant:

My Youth Pastor

Colors:

Grey and Navy - still hoping to include a few lighter colors like sage, blush, etc. 

Maybe something like this: 

Souce

Registry Locations:

Belk and Bed, Bath, & Beyond 

(we've decided this, but have not even started thinking about what to actually register for)

Wedding Party:

We are each going to have seven people in our party (so many!) and they have all been asked and the Maid of Honor and Best Man have also been chosen 

There are still some major items that we need to start taking care of soon, things that tend to book up earlier - band, photographer, caterer, etc. We have a lot of ideas on these, but haven't made any definite decisions or put down any deposits yet.

Any advice on how to tame my indecisiveness? - It really is a lifelong struggle, and something I work at on a continuous basis, but wedding planning seems to have brought it all back to the surface. What are some things that y'all thing need to be decided as soon as possible?

Have a great day, y'all!
xoxo

p.s. I've been looking for a "Wedding Wednesday" Link-Up, but haven't been able to find one, so if y'all are aware of one that exists I would love to get involved. Or I'd be more than happy to host one if there is interest and another one isn't available!