Happiness

Happiness. Relief. A swelling joy in my tummy that came bursting out of my smile. Four friends putting all fifty feet of tulle of me into a cab at 1am, when the pub finally had to kick everyone off the dance floor and out into the cool, fresh air. Laughter. Delight.

Happiness (and the best is yet to come). xoxo

Photo by my friend Amy.

A happy marriage

A few days away from my wedding, and I found this article on labeling theory and marriage: Are you working away at a hard marriage?

The key part: "If MARRIAGE has an identity of being difficult, that is what it tends to be, simply because that is how we already see it."

 Paul Newmann & Joanne Woodward, also married in January, via Snippet and Ink

So the secret to a happy marriage may be: view your marriage as happy. And it will be. 

A worthwhile experiment either way.

Dress of the (Wednes)day

I've been staring at this image for days. The dress is so feminine, romantic and elegant, and her hair is modern, glamorous and chic.

I'm completely in love.

Photo by Studio Cabrelli via Style Me Pretty. The dress is Sassi Holford.

Oh nothing, just planning our invites

No further text

Fashion FTW

This, my friends, is a bridesmaid's romper.

 

Paeonia Romper via Whitney Deal

Your move, skants.

Happy Weekend!

It's been a funny week. Packed, but not busy. I've been spending a lot of time thinking about beautiful things: what the light in our engagement photos might look like, the sky limit of our wedding decor, beautiful things to put on my body, and what my future work may hold. Amazingly, the dishes still get done even if you're thinking of sparkles and silk while you do them.

 via Making Magique

And speaking of inspiration, Lizzie has inspired me to start brainstorming design ideas for my (small business) website. What's inspiring you this weekend?

Here are a few links to jump start your happy thoughts:

Hilarious customer service (via Anna)

I have a soft spot for pre-engaged pep talks

A quote every freelancer should memorize

Something blue

Something new (and oh-so-sparkly)

Layers of awesome: Horseback fishing

A one-stem bouquet: Hydrangeas are so pretty and simple

A fabulous home office

I love this simple aisle decor (from this post on SMP)

By the way, we booked our wedding venue! It's so fun to imagine it now I know what the space looks like.

Have a good one, darlings

xo

Photo finish

Our engagement photos are taken! Now comes the hard part: waiting to see them. 

By Steven Bonner

Luxury problems.

Picture day

Today Adam and I are having our engagement photos taken. I am really excited. I hired the photographer who shot my sister's wedding and who I already know that I like. I hope I am confident enough to tell her exactly what style I want. Mostly I will let her do her thing, but I know for sure that I want simple, natural portraits, and not overly cheesy shots or gratuitous ring close-ups.

Here are a few more inspiration images that I'll be keeping in mind this evening. Wish us luck!

   By Dave Richards Photography via Inspired by This

By Oh Darling Photography via Once Wed

By Jose Villa via Once Wed

Love xo

Love actually

 Adam and I are getting engagement photos taken next week, so I've been searching for some non-cheesy concept inspiration. Lo and behold, these lovely, serene photos popped up on Once Wed today.

Aren't they beautiful? No props, no signs, no balloons. Just simple portraits, done well. Love.

Lacie Hansen Photography via Once Wed

String art sign (in this case for a wedding, but could work for other things I suppose. Like an advertisement for a string art fair)

I wonder if this project counts as a lazy DIY if you work on it while you dangle your legs in a pool and sip a margarita with the other hand.

If not, maybe I can get my friend (the summer camp art instructor) to get her students to do it for me, while I dangle my legs in a pool and sip a margarita with both hands.

Summertime!

via Apartment Therapy

Wednesday

One of my close friends is currently vacationing in Bali and emailed me this morning to let me know she's having a dress made there for my wedding.

This made me think two things:

via Nordstrom

One: Holy crap, she's buying a dress to be a guest at my wedding, she is a wedding guest, she's my wedding guest, I'm getting married, holy shit, and we haven't booked anything for the wedding and I haven't even picked a color for the bridesmaids dresses and how can I be sure my dress even gets made in time and we're only five months away and a@#$ragha!@$#!!!!@$!LKJASD!@$#L@$ I am stressed OUT!

and two: Holy crap, she's having a dress made for my wedding? Am I bridezilla who is forcing guests  to have dresses made?*

Time to reread Your Wedding is Not an Imposition

Again.

*No. Obviously. She just wants a new dress to party in at my wedding, and that's amazing. It's coral, by the way. She's going to look like a million bucks.

Pretty Polish Paper Pajaki Chandeliers

Pretty Polish Paper Pajaki Chandeliers - try saying that five times fast. Phew.  

I was on Design*Sponge earlier today and saw this beautiful illustration of a Polish Pajaki paper chandelier:

[1]

I just think they are so festive and fun, and wouldn't they look pretty at, say, a wedding? Or more specifically, my wedding to Adam, who happens to be Polish? I have been looking for a way to include our different heritage in the reception in order to personalize it a bit.

These chandeliers might be perfect:

 [2]

Perhaps using deep red flowers to match the merlot-colored theme we're working with, like these:

 [3]

And hung festively over the bar or desert table, comme ca:

 [4]

I'm not overly crafty, although I do like a good auto-pilot project I can do while watching Lord of the Rings or whatever. Plus, with a January wedding, we'll have a few weeks off leading up to the wedding (bonus!). So these might be a fun project. I'll do a test drive first and keep you abreast loves.

Images from here: [1] Illustration by Julia Rothman via Design*Sponge [2] via Decor8 [3] via Martha [4] via Martha