Something Old, Something New

sweet pleats

2009-11-10T13:00:00.003-05:00

I love this dress! How cute would this be in white for a honeymoon get-away outfit, or a rehearsal dinner? The collar is my favorite part. Available in a bunch of great colors - making it a no brainer for bridesmaids too! From Amanda Archer.

the beez neez

2009-11-09T12:05:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Niko slept for 6.5 hours straight last night! Not a peep out of him. This might not sound like a big deal to you, but for me, HUGE. We are hoping this trend continues so that we can be humans again and sleep for more than 2.5 hours at a time. Yay for small victories!
In other news, check out this adorable paper cut! My sister sent me a link last Friday, and I thought it would be a perfect wedding present (for you or from you, whichever). From Made by Julene.

nice package

2009-11-06T13:09:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! I'm elbow deep in ribbon this afternoon, so I thought I'd post a great source for trimmings and such. Nice Package (don't you love the name?) sells gift tags, twine, ribbon, pendants, and all sorts of creative paraphenalia for making... a nice package! Check them out and have a great weekend!

louise broad

2009-11-05T11:33:00.003-05:00

My friend Deirdre sent me a link to the amazing shawls and shrugs over at Louise Broad. I love the petals, they make everything looks so soft and romantic!

my tree and me

2009-11-04T10:54:00.004-05:00

I saw these on Design Sponge yesterday, and couldn't resist. Wouldn't this be an amazing wedding gift? Customized, graphically awesome family trees from My Tree and Me, sure beats those scotch-taped computer print-outs I have stuffed in an album in the basement.

Primele

2009-11-03T12:40:00.002-05:00

Gorgeous, creative calligraphy from Primele. I love the details, it's all about the details!

love

2009-11-02T21:06:00.002-05:00

Bold statements of love... from Bold and Noble.

vivi reborn

2009-10-28T11:29:00.002-05:00

Don't you love the distressed look of these? All from Vivi Reborn. I've got my eye on that bracelet, although I would actually have to wear something that's not yoga pants in order to pull it off.
Off to get Halloween candy for our trick-or-treaters!

taking care of business

2009-10-27T11:05:00.002-05:00

Taxes? Done! New pattern? Finished! Sleepin baby? Check!
Next I have to find a wedding/housewarming gift for my good friend who's getting married this fall... I love the embroidered goodies from September House (via Decor8) and I think I might just go for one of those adorable monograms. Last on the list is grocery shopping and vacuuming. Confession: I haven't vacuumed since the baby was born.

petal to the metal, go baby go

2009-10-26T11:51:00.004-05:00

Thanks to everyone for your patience this past week. Life with a newborn has proven to be quite unpredictable and keeping up with the feedings, the blog, the job, the housework... it's tricky. Everyday I have been trying to make a list of things that MUST get done, and at least complete those - but even then it's like trying to hit a moving target because I never know when Niko is going to need my attention. The hubs is in charge of the baby today, so I have some good 2 hour chunks between feedings where I can get some serious stuff done. Yay! I'm working on some new designs for Kenzie Kate's 2010 collection and I'm doing my quarterly taxes. These two things are at the top and the bottom of my "Favorite Things To-Do" list, I'll let you guess which is which.
But before I do either, I have some adorable bobbies to share, from Petal Mix. I would wear any of these just to spice up an ordinary outfit any day of the week, but I can imagine them really rounding out a nice bridal shower ensemble or rehearsal dinner look. They've got that handmade, I'm-not-taking-myself-too-seriously thing going on, which I love.

feeling sleepish

2009-10-20T11:28:00.002-05:00

I know, I've been missing. I'm sorry. The picture above says more than I ever could about why. I don't normally do photoshoots when my child is in distress, but he started to protest as I was taking his picture. Between the little guy having gas issues and work, I'm just barely keeping my head on straight. Do not despair, I will not be making a habit of this slacker schedule with the posting, I just have to get a nap and then... hlkdishfapoifwlasd... ooops sorry, I fell asleep whilst typing.

amour

2009-10-15T12:32:00.004-05:00

Love this! From Hattie Rex.

Congratulations to Ashleigh (commenter #24) for being picked at random as the lucky winner of a year long premium subscription to Wedding Jojo! Ashleigh - use the contact button on the right to contact me and claim your prize!

birdy bowls

2009-10-14T11:01:00.003-05:00

With so many couples choosing a bird or a woodland theme for their wedding, these bird bowls would make a great gift - for the couple or the bridal party. I love the lacy looking set. From Prince Design UK.

*I just closed comments on yesterday's post. Thanks to everyone who commented. I will announce the winner tomorrow! Good luck everyone!

wedding jojo

2009-10-13T12:27:00.004-05:00

I got an email from Parker over at Wedding Jojo today, offering a free year long membership for one of my readers. I don't normally do contests, but I was really impressed with the features and thoughtfulness of the design options offered on with their service. They offer a free option, but the features are limited, and you only really have one design template to choose from. If a wedding website is part of your plan, consider the more comprehensive plan - looks like they've thought of everything!
If you'd like to enter to win the free year-long premium membership at Wedding Jojo - just leave a comment below by noon (EST) tomorrow, and I will announce the winner (chosen at random) on Thursday.
Good luck!

neither snow...

2009-10-09T12:45:00.005-05:00

Free-spirited calligraphy is my favorite. Don't get me wrong, there's a place in my heart for fussy script, but I just love the casual quality of the lettering by Neither Snow (as in "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.", I presume?). Via Oh Joy!
Have a great weekend everyone! Dell and I are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this weekend with my first real sushi dinner since finding out I was pregnant last January. I'm so looking forward to putting on pants with a lycra content of less than 80%, that do not come up to my boobs! Yay for regular-person pants, raw fish, and awesome husbands!

new ban.do.

2009-10-07T13:03:00.002-05:00

Ban.do Black Label. Candy for the eyes. Via Oh Joy!

whimsical woodland chic

2009-10-06T09:28:00.002-05:00

Love this! The ferns, the button, all of it! From The Honeycomb.

spoonflower!

2009-10-05T10:57:00.004-05:00

Perhaps I'm the last to know, but I just discovered Spoonflower, an online custom fabric printer that allows anyone to print yards of fabric of their own design. As a pattern obsessed person, this is huge for me. I could literally spend the next 3 days doing nothing but making fabrics, printing swatches and ordering yardage. I have a stool in my entry way that desperately needs reupholstering, and have not been able to find suitable fabric. Spoonflower! I have patterns I love that I've created for wedding invitations, and have been dying to find alternate uses for them. Spoonflower! I'm sure more than a few of you might be interested in this for wedding decor. Think table cloths, flower girl dresses, DIY projects, centerpieces... the possibilities are endless. The fabric gets pretty pricey if you needs lots of yards, but if you want only a couple yards to create accents - the price is right!

pick your popcorn

2009-10-01T10:54:00.003-05:00

I posted a few weeks back about popcorn at the reception, but check out this idea from Utterly Engaged... A popcorn bar! I love the champagne flutes, they make the ordinary popcorn seem like a true delicacy. Guests can experiment with all sorts of fun flavor combinations, and it would be quite inexpensive to set up all on your own!

tiny treasures

2009-09-29T11:14:00.003-05:00

Who says a gorgeous cake has to be big? These are some of my all-time favorites and they are itty-bitty! All from Sweet and Saucy Shop in Long Beach, CA.

day one

2009-09-28T09:20:00.003-05:00

It's just any other Monday for everyone else, but for me, it's like the first day of work at a new job. While the actual work I'm doing is the same, I have this little, squirmy bundled person to take with me (luckily, I work from home). What if he cries when the phone rings? What if I can't get my work finished? What if his diaper explodes while I'm on the phone with Martha Stewart? (ha. I wish I was on the phone with Martha Stewart) I am loaded with questions at this point, none of which I will know the answers to until I've jumped in and just DONE it. I am 10 days into mommyhood but in almost every way it still feels like the first day. I'm learning this new job on the fly, no training wheels!
Let's get the party started, shall we? I started my morning, as usual, with a little visit to Etsy. The lovely stylings of Icing 101 caught my eye, especially that gorgeous sash. What amazing way to accentuate a tiny waist! Sigh.... a tiny waist.

for a delicate do

2009-09-24T14:34:00.003-05:00

Things, as you can imagine, have been pretty crazy around here since last weekend. We are home from the hospital now, and Niko is doing very, very well. I'm pooped most of the time, but so happy to have him home and so lucky to have a bunch of my family members around to help. I'm slowly getting back to my work, a little piece at a time and it feels good to blog again!
I went on my first trip out without the baby this afternoon, and my sister and I saw the cutest little hair pins at this shop called Frog and Toad in Providence that I'm totally addicted to. When I got home, I was inspired to find more adorable hair pins to dress up my otherwise very plain hair-do. These delicateporcelain doves were my favorites of the search, from a little shop called Revisions. I just might get myself some as a little present, and if I'm going to have the hair pin, I might as well also have the necklace, no?

he's here, he's here!

2009-09-22T16:16:00.004-05:00

Niko Dell Sala was born on Friday, the 18th of September at 9:40 in the morning. He weighed 6.5 lbs, and was 19.5 inches long. He is healthy, and so am I. We are so happy!

orange and gold

2009-09-16T12:45:00.003-05:00

Alison emailed me the other day asking about orange shoes, and I immediately thought of J. Crew's selection of colorful pumps. I thought someone else might be interested in these for fall, they'd be perfect under an ivory gown!

feeling crafty?

2009-09-14T12:06:00.004-05:00

Still no baby! Now, please excuse me while I try and go about my day as if I weren't 6 days past due.
These beautiful antique monograms caught my eye, and I thought they'd make a really nice addition to a bouquet or a bridal hanky. If you were feeling crafty, that is...