Turkey Lurkey

Ok so I am a day early but in honor of the holiday week (and the finals that aren't going to study for themselves) I am gonna take the rest of the week off from blogging (... well ... I am gonna try to take the week off, let's see how long I last). Have a great long weekend and a very happy thanksgiving.

I will leave you with a little bit of wedding porn to peruse...

{Images from Lenny Wolf Photography}

Super sweet ring...

I am usually fairly anti heart shapes but I thought this was so cute and could serve as a unique wedding band.

And right now you can get it (and everything else on this site) for 25% off thanks to Daily Candy. Just enter DailyCandy25 at the checkout.

Image from Verameat via DailyCandy.

Another escort card idea...

Apples... not just yummy... pretty too! And pretty cheap to buy in bulk (find local Costco! Follow by sigh of relief) or go apple picking with your future hubs and/or your bridal party (if they love you a lot a lot) to get your supply. Then just add a little bit of homegrown craftiness to get this...

Another great thing about these is that an apple is said to be a representation of the Jewish community. Our culture, religion, and history is something that has brought me and the Big Guy even closer, it is something we frequently discuss and find joy in discovering (for me) and re-discovering (for him) together. I think it would be great if we could include more cultural Jewish aspects to our wedding besides the religious aspects that we will be highlighting during the ceremony.

And, it is still sort of a shout-out to where the Big Guy is from (Washington state, apples ... get it?) and NY is the Big Apple! Ok, ok I might be reaching the cheesiness threshold.

{Image from here}

Escort-cards... that are favors...

... that might actually be sort of useful? Can it be!?!?

Ok well not useful per se! But these are escort-cards/favors my guests might not throw out the minute they leave (hopefully! there is no telling with Russians, they are hardly ever pleased!).

 Here is what I am thinking: a table full of mini evergreen tree seedlings.

They can either be lying down like the one above or standing in small clay pots, like below.

This idea comes thanks to Evergreen Memories. They provide the seedlings and will also put them in little pots or burlap sacks and tie ribbons on them, all depending on your preferences.

 

Clearly there many things to love here, first and foremost the price, each seedling ranges from $1.25 - $4.25 depending on whether you want the trimmings. Also, my hope is that people will take them home and plant them somewhere or leave them on their desks at the office to have a little something green and bright in their every day.

What I especially dig is how perfectly they fit in with the whole winter wedding wonderland idea that I have whirling around my snow crazed head. Plus the Big Guy is from the Evergreen State, so since our wedding will by in the NYC, it will be a nice shout-out to his home too.

Thoughts? Ideas based on these little trees? I would love to hear 'em.

{All images from Evergreen Memories}

Happy Friday!

            

I wanted to leave you all with a little joy to carry you through the weekend. The photo is of Mushu (one of my fantastic MOHs) at her wedding last year.  Just try not smile while looking at the laughter and happiness in her face... go on! I dare ya!

Oh yeh, and that couple dancing behind her? Those are her adorable parents! Let the cuteness wash over you and have a great weekend!

{Image source}

Sample Sale Alert

One more sale to close out the week. The sale is going on at all Priscilla of Boston salons but only for one day. Get salon locations at Priscilla of Boston.

What's better than FREE STUFF?

FREE CHOCOLATE!

November is Truffle Month at Godiva! So stop by your local Godiva store today 

November 20, between 1pm - 3pm and get a one free chocolate truffle!

 

Sample Sale Alert

Calling all you NYC brides!!! From the Wedding Channel:

Carolina Herrera Bridal Sample Sale

Thanksgiving Weekend, November 28-29, 2008

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Join us for our once-a-year bridal sample sale.

No appointment necessary; brides will be helped in the order which they arrive. Please call to be added to the list. Gowns included are current and past collections. Call Ligia Donado for more information, (212) 249-6552.

* 30-75% off bridal samples and stock gowns

* 50% off Manolo Blahnik bridal shoes

* Mother of the bride and evening wear 50%

Carolina Herrera

954 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10021

email | www.carolinaherrera.com

Simplicity ... always the way to go!

Isn't this centerpiece just perfection? It's simple, soft, lovely, modern, and most of all so pretty!

Yevs (one of my fabulous MOH's) offered to be my "florist" but I feel like that is a lot of pressure, so she and I had discussed us doing the flowers for my wedding together instead of hiring a florist. Mushu (the other MOH) said that I should let Yevs do the flowers on her own and not even worry about it because Yevs needs a creative outlet... who knew that a wedding could provide therapy for the obsessive compulsive artists of the world? 

But I digress! I think that even I (who is not artistically inclined ... at all ) could pull this off ... ya know ... with a little help from my friends. Thoughts?

{Image from the brilliant minds of Exquisite Affairs Productions}

Venue: Stage 6 at Steiner Studios

Everyone in the NYC wedding game knows about Abigail Kirsch ... the super-star wedding caterer who has locations such as the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, NY Botanic Garden, Tappan Hill, and of course the uber-hot wedding venue Stage 6 in Brooklyn at Steiner Studios.

I went to visit this location a few weeks ago and absolutely adored the modern look inside the venue and the gorgeous picture of the Abigail Kirsch food. As soon as they told me that they lay out a red carpet for your guests, I had visions of hiring NYU Tisch students to pretend to be paparazzi and snap pictures of my guests as they enter the building (who needs a guest book when you have a picture of Aunt Bella getting out of her car and throwing her hands in the air screaming "No peecturz!" in true socialista style??  I just hope there aren't any crotch shots.... hmm ... reconsidering!) 

It is super cool that they are on a real movie studio and the view is just unbeatable - it is a little disconcerting that they are in the middle of nowhere (they are in the Navy Yard in Brooklyn which is clearly not nowhere but its definitely to the left and fifteen miles away from "easy to get to"). They offered all of the food, open bar, and location for around 145 per person in January on a Sunday (other months and Saturdays are a lot more expensive... in the area of 200 per person depending day and season). 

Then I hit 'em with the Russian questions and got a big NO on the vodka on the tables question ("Thats how people get really drunk!" My response: "Umm, yeah thats kind of the point."). They are more receptive on extending the time of the party but its fairly pricey to add time. 

All in all, this is probably me ideal wedding venue because of the clean modern look and the yummy gourmet food BUT although the price is good for a city wedding, its still a heck of a lot! And I don't want to throw all of that money in and not have all of my families' traditions be able to be included. It might seem silly but I want them to let loose and have fun and they won't really be able to do that if I take them completely and utterly out of their comfort zone (they are only truly comfortable when a bottle of vodka is within arm's length ... cliche but true!).

Oh well, we keep on looking...

{Sources for top image and bottom image}

My two maids of honor ... learn a harsh lesson

A few weeks ago my two maids of honor and I were talking about a topic near and dear to our hearts... dresses. But not for me, for them! Mushu has never been a bridesmaid and is super excited to get what she calls her "uniform." During this fateful discussion, my two girls said to me, "Don't worry about us, we look good in everything!" A lot of laughing ensued but they are only sort of kidding (I have some hotty hot hot friends!). So enter my mission this weekend, to make them try on hilarious dresses to see if this theory is true, do my girls really look good in everything???? 

Poor things, they didn't even see this dress coming at them until I had them cornered in a dressing room and camera ready in hand. I am not sure Bloomingdales has ever heard so much laughing coming from one dressing room.

Haha, the bow is really what seals the deal on the hilarity ... but my girls worked those dresses anyway!

Hope everyone had as great a weekend as I did! Love you girls beeg time (zis beeg!).

Under $500 Bride Ensemble

A few weeks ago DIY Bride posted a contest on her super fantastic site (go read it, if you don't already) challenging us to create an entire wedding ensemble inspiration board for under $500. I took up the challenge wanted to share my submission with you guys. My total: $488.13 (woot!).

All prices, websites, and info are below the board... hope you like :)


Dress: 128.00
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3014739/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6014155?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014155&P=1

Shoes: 32.99
http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/Jessica-Simpson-Womens-Newport-Tie-dye-Pumps/3356600/product.html

Headpiece: 24.00
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=15216112&parentid=W_ACC_HAIRACCESSORIES&sortProperties=+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=6&navAction=poppush&color=

Tie the Knot Ring: 19.00
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=16949647

Ani L'Dodi Bracelet: 115.20
http://wholesale.thejewishmuseum.org/jmuseum/product.asp?dept_id=3165&pf_id=PAAAAAHAGJLAMFMP&ad_id=froogle&key_id=TheJewishMuseumSterlingAniLDodiBracelet

Earrings: 69.99
http://www.smartbargains.com/go.sb?pagename=prod&fcloc=cat&deptid=6&catid=1362&prodid=6020491718&t=Cat.dept-6.cat-1362.prod.15

Flowers: 60.00
http://www.ftd.com/5970/catalog/product.epl?product_id=VVPC

Veil: 38.95
http://www.somethingbold.com/Grace.htm

"Pink Bridal Shower" ... or ... "Why I chose Yevs as a Maid of Honor"

I wanna brag... I have the coolest friends ever.... no, really... EVER! And among them are my two Maids of Honor: Yevs and Mushu-Pork. Mushu lives in the far away land of Washington D.C. (but is coming to visit this weekend, yay!). But Yevs is local and amazes me every day with her insane party planning, gift giving, event finding, and just general coolness skills!

Last year another friend of ours got married and Yevs planned this cute and sweet bridal shower for her at her parents house in honor of the bride's love of all things pink!


Upon arrival guests were given flutes of pink champagne it was the perfect mix of girly and fabulous (two words that are very apt in describing the bride). Yevs bought plastic champagne flutes at a party store and the champagne whole-sale from a store in NJ (no tax! Yep, she's a smarty).





Yevs printed up custom wine bottle labels with the bride and groom's names and the wedding date on them and affixed them to some delish and cheap-o bottles of wine from Trader Joes.


She also created favor bags out of cute burlap sacks that she bought and stuffed with small make-up and beauty gifts.

There was a lot of yummy food but the highlights were this Russian waffle cake made by Yevs (yeh, I know homegirl is like superwoman!) and the pink and violet frosted red velvet cupcakes made by yours truly.


And I save the best element for last. The bride and groom refer to each other almost exclusively as "monkey" so trying to find some way to incorporate this, Yevs found a post Valentine's day sale on Oriental Trading Company and bought these pink monkeys. Since they were on sale, Yevs got them for a few bucks each! It was a really sweet personal touch and the bride could not stop smiling and playing with them all day.


On top of all of these great ideas. Yevs also had a dance instructor come and teach us a few ballroom dances since the bride used to ballroom dance competitively... clearly the rest of us were completely out of luck in trying to keep up with her! But there is nothing like seeing a Russian babushka doing the cha-cha. The whole party was perfection!

Take your Vitamins

Lets talk music. Specifically, ceremony music. I know the favorites, Pachelbel's canon (which is a lovely tune) and such but I want something that is quirky and unique and different and still classic all at the same time... I know, I know, it always seems like what I want are seemingly contradictory things but then came along Vitamin String Quartet.

Vitamin satisfied all of my requirements. Their sound is classical and instrumental but their songs are covers of popular music! You want some Queen? They covered it. How about some old school Janet Jackson? Yep its there. Hmm... Killers? Nirvana? Nas? Beatles? Yep, yep, yep, yep. Their music has beautifully organic sound and every time I hear their songs it makes me think a cool classy wedding (hopefully the words that will apply to my big day). They even have a compilation album called Modern Wedding Collections.

Below is a little video I made using their cover of In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel and using the images of the incomparable Dina over at Stregoica Photography.

A little something to reflect on...

I don't really want to use this blog to discuss my political beliefs, simply because that is not what its intended purpose is and also because I do enough arguing out in the real world. But the issue of the passage of Prop 8 in California and all of the the other anti gay marriage provisions around the country have truly saddened me.

It is not only because of a strong personal belief that I support marriage rights equality but also my genuine opinion that it is a perversion of this great country's Constitution and purpose to subjugate the rights of one group to the will of a biased majority. Has this happened in America's past? Yes of course, many unfortunate times however we as a people and our politicians and especially our judges have corrected these errors and granted rights to everyone as they should be granted: equally.

To that effect I just wanted to post some thoughts by Keith Olbermann on the subject... I know that his style turns some people off but I was touched by his words here and just wanted to share them. As we are thinking about our weddings and our marriages, I just want to take a few moments and reflect on the fact that some people are currently fighting for what has been granted to us without even a whisper of a second thought.



Thanks for listening!

Look what I bought...

Ok folks... your girl over here has a history of impulse purchasing (I actually already bought a wedding dress because I saw one at a sample sale about a month after I got engaged - it was 85% off!). So the other day, I was doing something that an impulse shopper like myself should absolutely NOT be doing, browsing aimlessly on E-bay for wedding related items.

After many listings, I found this stole which I promptly bid on and won for whopping $0.99! Yep, one buck! ... have I mentioned how much I love a good deal??? 

Now normally I do not buy fur, I am just not into it and I believe it is unnecessary BUT when I saw this my mind starting swirling with images of me on beautiful winter morning taking photos with the Big Guy under the Brooklyn Bridge wrapped in this cute little furry beast (wearing a white fur is so very "Russian Bride").  

The woman selling it wore it for a wedding and the ad was asking for someone to "adopt" it, so I thought why not? Its not like I am supporting the fur industry I am just taking it off someone else's hands! Right? right? ... can everyone here my moral ruler bending to the will of my deal-seeking fur-craving bride side??  

Haha, I will report back when I receive it from the seller ... I am kind of excited for this little purchase... mostly because it cost a dollar but also because there is something so glamorous about a white stole... come to think of it, the word "stole" itself makes me feel glamorous!

More venue reviews to come very soon!

The Big Guy

The Big Guy likes to doodle. He also really like math... I know, take a second and absorb that information... he LOVES math. And not normal people math, but mathematical proofs that seem to always be floating around in his mind and that he is constantly trying to write down on any available surface. If we are at a restaurant which has paper napkins, they will definitely be left with some incomprehensible mathematical formulas for their viewing pleasure after we leave. Oh yeah, another thing about Big Guy is that he is smarty, big smarty, huge... ok I think you get it.

So in order to keep his proofs in some semblance of order, Big Guy has started carrying around legal pads (this was also in an attempt to keep me from going insane due to small crumpled paper products with mathematical formulas strewn about our teeny tiny apartment). Big Guy almost always has a legal pad with him, sometimes for mathy purposes and sometimes just to doodle (usually because he is looking for the next step in problem he is working on) and sometimes these doodlings can have truly amazing results, like for example this...
Beautiful, no? I am in love with it! What he did was took both of our Hebrew names and smushed them together and got this (his is on top and mine is next to it and runs down, it forms sort of an L shape). The minute he showed it to me, I asked him to scan it in to a computer and send it to me because the wedding use possibilities started running full speed through my brain... save the dates, invites, favors, turn them into stickers and stick them on anything and everything to which a sticky surface will adhere!

I just wanted to share it and brag a little bit about how much I love my Guy.

Happy Anniversary bubs... 6 years and not nearly long enough.

Thoughts on ...... children

I do not want a flower girl or ring bearer.

It is at this point in the conversation that people usually start hurling rotted fruit and guilt at me.


"But your little third cousin twice removed has been looking forward to it now for 5 years! The day you got engaged she started throwing flowers on the floor just to practice!" ... "But YOU HAVE TO! Everybody has flower girls and ring bearers! Everyone will think your weird!" ... "How can you be so cold? Why don't you like kids!" .... "You walked down the aisle at your cousin's wedding twenty years ago, you have to put her daughter in your wedding!! She will never speak to us again!" and the winner of them all, from my papa (please imagine with thick Slavic accent from huge Russian man) "Iz fine wit me! But my dog iz walking down aisle, da?"

"Net!"("No" in Russian) ... sorry papa! Please keep in mind that the dog my father is referring to is a Giant Schnauzer, not a small doggy... not small at all.

Its not that I don't like kids or pets. I actually really like both of them! I love playing with little kids and there is nothing that turns me all goopy like a puppy (and by puppy I mean any dog of any variety ... really any fuzzy animal of any variety). But I just dont want them walking down the aisle.. I don't even have a reason for it. I have been to some great weddings with the cutest flower girls in tutus and ring bearers in the little suits (adorable!) but when I think of my wedding day, I just don't see those things as being a part of it.

I want the kiddies in my fam to come and have a great time, I want to give them their own table full of toys and games for them to enjoy ... I just dont see why they need to be part of the ceremony; which to me is very special, important, meaningful event and I feel like the only people who I want to be in it are people who can appreciate the relevance and who are meaningful to me and the Big Guy (and we dont have any kids of our own yet so there arent really any kids who have that much meaning to our relationship). Besides which, if we did try to pick then we would need to pick one or two kids over some other kids in our respective families and I don't want to have to do that!

Ok people what is the word? Am I just a horrible person who is dashing the hopes of every member of my family under age 10?


PS: Super cute kiddo in the pic right? Image from here.

Continuing with theme of trees...

As the holiday season looms in the very near future, today I am thinking about presents. There is not a whole lot that I like more than giving people gifts... my very slim bank account can attest to this fact. Last year I decided to buy a small meaningful piece of jewelry for two of my closest friends (incidentally they will be my two maids of honor!) and I happened upon the The Giving Tree.

I found exactly what I was looking for (beautiful designer pieces) and the kind of personal service that makes you feel like you live in Pleasantville, USA and just bought something from the cool ladies who run the jewelry store down the street.

The owners of Giving Tree collect fabulous pieces. They are extremely knowledgeable about their products and are super helpful to their customers. Plus they have a blog! Let's get real they are really tipping the scales of awesome into uber awesomeness.

The website is the definition of user-friendly... my favorite part is that you can view the jewelry by price. Hello, $50 and under page, I will definitely be using you for bridesmaids gifts! Another fun feature are the descriptions of the jewelry designers that they carry. Each designer gets a page with some information regarding their work written by the ladies of Giving Tree Jewelry. They not only describe the designer's bio, they also describe the feeling of the jewelry that that person designs.

Ok I think I need to stop raving now...just go check it out!

Sample Sale Alert

Hello there my NY area brides this one is for you... The White Gown in Brooklyn is having a Trunk Show and Sample Clearance Sale. If you are in the tri-state area go check it out.

Largest 2-Day Event Ever!
Enzoani Trunk Show and our Clearance Sample Sale
November 8-9, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Our 2-day event featuring an Enzoani Trunk Show and our Sample Sale is the largest event ever at our new location. Save up to 85% on our sample gowns, starting from $299. Save an extra 10% on Enzoani Bridal gowns purchased during the trunk show. From pure silks, satin, and laces, be prepared to walk out with a great deal on your wedding gown.
Please call (718) 222-GOWN (4696) for an appointment

The White Gown
69 Jay Street
DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY
email | www.thewhitegown.com

DIY centerpieces... sort of ...

So one thing about me that you will soon learn is that I heart trees... not actual trees! Mostly because I am incapable of taking care of plants of any variety, in fact I have a theory that they commit suicide the minute they realize that they are in my care.... but I digress!

I like trees as images and decorations and also for their symbolic meanings. So when I saw a Tree of Life picture frame this morning at Duane Reade I knew it was meant to be... posted on this blog.

So, its not technically DIY, since you would have to buy it, but its sort of a semi-DIY since you still have to add 10% of your homemade photos. Plus its still cheaper than hiring a florist to make centerpieces.

I think the frames would make a very cute centerpieces, or a nice way to decorate the place card table, or just a nice frame to have at your home. You can put in pics of you and the hubs from various times in your lives and your guests can enjoy perusing them during the reception. I would put pics from different age groups on different tables which (hopefully) would encourage guests to go over to each other's tables to check out all of the different pictures. The best part is that they are only $14.49. They are also available in bronze but they are more pricey. Go pick them up at your local Duane Reade or order them online at Amazon (here for silver and here for bronze).

{image source}

GO VOTE!

{image source}

Sweet Tooth

Hey folks check out today's Daily Candy NY article about two Brooklyn designers who make headgear that can only be described as modern vintage... yes its a dichotomy of fashion...

As soon as I saw them I thought about wedding headgear... I am not sure that I am cool enough to pull any of these off, but I am also certain that there are some vintage-loving brides out there that could rock these like they are meant to be rocked.

They do custom work too, so you can get creative and have them make you something all your own!

So go check out i love factory and support BK!

{image from i love factory}