Discount

*Image via J. Crew

Again, I will sing my praises for e-bay. This dress is beautiful, I have touched it, it is in my apartment and now I have to give it away. This dress was also way out of my reach budget-wise when it showed up at J.Crew. Now it belongs to a lady who will be standing next to me at my wedding, no better place (I could be talked into wearing this to my wedding). I am so pleased that I am a savvy shopper and have been especially lucky with all of my e-bay purchases. I can't wait to see everyone all dressed up!

Shoe #3

*Image by Trevor Jorgensen

I knew I was getting a package with two pairs of shoes in the mail, but couldn't resist these shoes. The little bird in the back of my mind assured me that I could return my mail-ordered shoes for free and that the price on these shoes was too good to pass up. I bought them and think that the always-summer weather in Texas will give me plenty of reasons to wear these shoes all year long. I don't regret it at all. (Even though the other two pairs of shoes came in the mail today...both were a 1/2 size too big). These shoes are rad. The great photography is thanks to my talented fiance. He's rad too.

Shoe #2

*Image via Shoes.com

When it all boils down, I'm a flats kind of girl. I like these sandals because they are shiny and fun. The details are pretty and simply elegant. The reviews online rave about how comfortable these shoes are, which is a plus with flat sandals. I'm eagerly awaiting a package in the mail, despite the fact that our small apartment seems to be filling with more boxes every day.

Shoe #1

*Image via Piper Lime

This is the first pair of shoes I ordered for possible wedding wear. It was the only shoe that was pink, had an interesting open toe, and a kitten heel. Now I just have to wait for my package to come in the mail so I can try them on. I wasn't supposed to be shoe shopping today, but I went out for a sunny day walk with a friend and ended up buying a great pair of Campers for a steal. I had my eye on these very same shoes last summer, but couldn't stomach the price tag. At a 75% discount they finally seemed reasonable. If these pink shoes don't cut it, I may have a nice green pair of wedding sandals. Thank goodness Piper Lime offers free shipping both ways. Why am I in such a shoe frenzy?

Love & Puppy

*Image by Cheryl Jones

This is one of our favorite photos from our engagement session. Mainly because our puppy is so cute. I'm glad that we took him with us for pictures, it will put everything in perspective ten years down the line when he's big and old. Too bad the cat couldn't make it to the photo shoot, we'd have a family portrait.

Heart

*Image via Epaulet

This week I ordered wedding shoes. This is a great shoe made from sustainable materials and it comes as a kitten heel. I'm glad I didn't see this before I placed my own shoe order, I would have gone over budget. For a plastic shoe, this is pretty stylish. I also like the idea that it is made from recycled, sustainable materials. We need more eco-friendly fashionable shoes. I love Toms' ideals, but they remind me of bedroom slippers.

Stress

*Image by natalamc

Does stress ever cause you to lash out at the people around you? I feel like my limit is short and I am closer to reaching the breaking point lately. Work starts earlier, I have more responsibilities, the wedding is getting closer, we have more obligations. Now we're fighting. The ideal would be to cleave together instead of lash out, but I am not always a shining example of what is ideal. Is wedding planning stressful because people tell us it will be? Is a wedding stressful because we've spent so much time planning? It seems like a viscous circle and I want out. This weekend cannot come soon enough.

Dress Crush

*Images via Kate Spade

It's a toss up, but I have a pretty huge dress crush. It pains me that my crushes are so expensive. I need to make friends with a seamstress. My best friend made a dream purchase and now is the brand new owner of a serger. We're going to have so much fun and now these dress crushes may turn into realities. I believe a pattern making class is in my future.

Bicycle

*Image by Michele M. Waite by way of Rock 'n Roll Bride

This week we had two beautiful days and a bike ride was in order. We got to take the dog out for a nice walk around the neighborhood and enjoyed the warm weather. Days like this are few and far between in Seattle during the spring, we have to soak in every second. Hopefully we have a day like this at the end of May to look forward to.

Speedy delivery

*Image by Kay888

My test tubes and corks came in the mail today, pretty exciting. I also got a box full of white napkins. It feels like my apartment is slowly filling with boxes these days. We also got our most exciting wedding gift to date- a stand mixer. It is awesome and especially timely. Now Trevor can start baking practice cakes! So much to do!

Oil and vingear

*Image by Carrie Patterson by way of The Bride's Cafe

Our guest tables will be set with fresh bread and olive oil and vinegar for dipping. I never thought, until today, that oil and vinegar could add to the table's overall decoration. This looks like so much fun and is pretty easy to achieve. I'm adding this to my list.

Laundry

*Image by Bruce Baycroft

Today I am pooped. I spent yesterday balancing cleaning activities and weekend obligations. We did get the laundry done and sleeping on fresh sheets is like no other. I am looking forward to Texas for yet another reason, a washer and dryer in house. Sharing appliances is not something I want to get used to.

Cloth

*Image by WDW

The internet makes event planning so much more economical. At first I was weary of e-bay because, well, it's the internet. I did however, score a phenomenal deal on cloth napkins. I can now avoid using paper napkins, and at a cost of less than 60 cents a napkin. Renting these napkins adds up. Now they are mine, on the way to my house, and I can save some time. Instead of sewing hundreds of napkins, I can possibly print on them.... ooh the possibilities.

Thank you

*Image by Leigh Wells by way of sfgirlbybay

I am almost done with thank you cards from the shower. By almost, I mean Trevor still needs to add his comments and then I can stamp and seal the envelopes. We just got two more gifts in the mail and it leaves me to wonder where all of these things are supposed to fit. We're not unpacking anything because we'll just have to pack it all up again anyway. At least I'll know our things are secure on their way to Texas. I aim to cross thank you cards off of my list by the end of today.

Friends

*Image via Southpaw Studios by way of Snippet & Ink

How lucky can a girl get? I was trying to figure out what kind of accessories to wear. A brief history: I'm not much of an accessories girl and just over a year and a half ago strayed away from my standard tiny gold hoops. While I was a college athlete, it was an easy choice and after I graduated I never changed my daily accessories. I'm a creature of habit. Now that I've strayed off of my beaten path I was lucky enough to find a friend who is willing to help me design a few custom pieces for my wedding. I can't wait. Not only do I get to make exactly what I want, I get to learn a new craft and have some girly crafting time.

More flowers

*Image via Vintage Vogue by way of Elizabeth Dye

The results are splendid and the steps to this pretty little flower are so simple. This would be a fun craft to undertake with some little sisters, nieces or other young interested parties. I can imagine this flower accompanied by a wavy rick-rack stem and leaves. Rick-rack gets a bad rap, now that it's all fancy I will have to look at this embellishment with a new lens.

Letterpress

*Image via Egg Press

One of my favorite letterpress printers is having a sample sale now through April 20th. A fantastic grab bag full of ten pretty, fun cards is only $10. For a dollar a card, I am considering this. My budget does not currently have room for a paper splurge, but considering the usual price for these cards this sale is a steal.

Favors

*Image via Pear and Peony

Someone posted a link to the Pear and Peony website, found the infused salt and knew it would be a great favor. I was on the fence about doing favors and certainly could not afford the cost of these lovely salt vials. This was another DIY mission. Yesterday I ordered glass vials and corks from a test-tube manufacturer. Including shipping costs, each test tube with cork priced out to 30 cents. This is a favor I can afford. Now, all I need is some salt and scissors to trim the enormous rosemary bush in my back yard.

Peek

Here is a sneak peek at our RSVP postcards. I'm having Trevor help put the rest of our photos together, but he's a busy boy. I'll have photos of the whole shebang this week, I think they turned out great and the first 2 postcards I got back in the mail sure made me smile.

Long day

*Image by Tizzalicious

Today I am beaten and tired. My school day starts about 20 minutes earlier now and I'm not used to it yet. I can't believe it is only Tuesday. In my opinion, Friday should be right around the corner. My bed time is going to be set for the rest of the week, I cannot take another dragging month of mornings.

First day

*Image by honeylux by way of design is mine

Today is my first official day with my new students. Hopefully it goes well and sets a good tone for the rest of the year. I have big shoes to fill but am excited for the challenge.

Anticipation

*Image by Ward-O-Matic

There is always something magical about the first day of school, the new outfit or crayons or even shoes. I'm optimistic about tomorrow, but I need to pick a snazzy outfit from my closet.

Basket

*Image via Martha Stewart

Although I have no actual basket, it looks like we'll have some Easter themed decoration after all. Baskets out of paper bags really fit my budget, and they will do just fine for holding treats.

Pin-up

*Image by Anna Zatopek by way of Offbeat Bride

Pin-up images are something that I have always enjoyed. Budoir photos are a new trend in wedding photography, but this looks like so much more fun. I don't think I'll ever be the subject of a photo shoot like this, but I certainly appreciate the idea. My favorite part of pin-up images is that they depict more realistic images of women. The glamor is not focused on especially twig-like ladies, curves have more appeal.

Dreamy

*Image via Wiley Valentine

Luckily I have a wedding dress hanging in my closet. The dress I have is perfect and beautiful, and I am excited to wear it. Thankfully, I never came across lovely dresses like this while I was searching; I could never afford an item like this even 'pre-owned'. The layers and layers of fabric remind me of flower petals, soft, plump petals. Would that make the wearer of such a dress a flower herself? I can imagine waltzing in such a dress, glamor for sure.

Easter

*Image via Lithuanian-American

This weekend I am going to miss dying Easter eggs. The most fun part of Easter as a Lithuanian is creating the beautiful eggs you see pictured above. My mother has the steadiest hand and the best traditional patterns. My brother is somewhere between Picasso and Monet when it comes to artistic influence and I just try to duplicate my patterns. I'm not heading home this weekend, and am sad about it. Maybe I'll go get some PAZ from the store and try my best.

Stripes

*Bag by byan hippo via mint

Spring is giving me all sorts of sewing inspiration, and etsy is another great source for ideas. I do have to admit that etsy makes me a bit lazy because there are all kinds of talented people with goods to easily purchase. I need to drag out my sewing machine, dust it off, and go. Not that I don't have enough to do this weekend!

Swan Lake

*Image via Santa Barbara Wedding Chic

I was lucky enough to see the dress rehearsal for Swan Lake yesterday. When I was young I always wanted to be a ballerina, it was even the theme of my fifth birthday party. Wouldn't it be lovely to wear a ballet-inspired dress, as a wedding gown or even an attendant? I'm not advocating tutus but this dress sure is lovely, I'm sure it twirls nicely.

Epiphany

*Image via All Things Lovely

This would make my grandfather cry, an accordion playing at our wedding. Not that I want to bring anyone purposely to tears, it's all about tipping a hat to my heritage. I just may be able to pull off an accordion at my wedding. My fingers are crossed, I'm waiting for a reply. The energy that comes with accordion music is also something that I would like to add to the ceremony. Go accordion!

Envelopes

*Image via Donovan Beeson

My envelopes are stuffed full of invitation goodness. Images of the process will come soon enough, today I need a break!

Ooh, pretty

*Image via Luisa Beccaria by way of coco + kelley

The texture and color of this dress are fantastic. I would love to reach out and touch the skirt. I can't decide if the texture would be rough like tule or something softer and silky like tufted chiffon. I'm not shopping for other wedding dress options, and something tells me this is out of my price range. Lovely nonetheless.

Family

*Image via Kate Spade

My family is amazing. There are not words to describe how generous and fantastic my relatives are. Many people lament about how you can't choose your family, not me. Not only that, but my family can sure throw a party. I ate so much good food and felt especially loved this weekend. Now I'm back home with the puppy wishing I lived just a little closer. I am so excited to see them all at the wedding.

Uppercase

*Image by Uppercase via sfgirlbybay

Wow! When it comes to magazines and the internet I'm all about the photos and pictures. This layout is really appealing to me and the content sounds even cooler. Finding printed content like this makes me smile. Their blog is even pretty.

Away

*Image by Yvette Inufio via Ruby Press

I'm off to see all of my extended family for a quick weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and to eating a ton of good food. I also wish my carry on luggage was this cool. I'll try to post, but will be back on Monday.

Oh Blue

*Dress via Sunday Brunch by way of coco + kelley

This dress is beautiful, what more can I say? I would love to find a pattern for something like this but my mother's conspiracy theories run through my mind. The pattern industry doesn't make patterns that match up as well with current fashion and then the fabric industry hinders the effort further. I guess that is why I too have a small fabric stash. I couldn't justify the price, but window shopping sure is nice.

Pop

*Image via Weddings Unveiled by way of The Bride's Cafe

If I did have a specific color this might be it. When I was younger I wanted a red or blue wedding dress. When Gwen Stefani got married she pulled it off. No dip dyed dress for me, just something fun to wear later on in Texas. My color cravings must mean spring is on the way. Hopefully my weekend in Chicago won't be too cold. Not sun dress weather yet.

Tea

*Image via Design Crush

Today, this is all I need. A nice hot strong cup of tea to warm my insides and fortify me. Today I officially started a new job teaching English to juniors in a new school district. A new adventure began and I'm glad for the start and for the timing. Some days tea makes everything better.

Instructions

*Image by Chelsea via Once Wed

There are several posts recently about how people have successfully created their own wedding bouquets and centerpieces. These posts make me feel more confident in my coming flower ventures. Knowing that it is possible is good. I helped with the practice run of my girlfriend's wedding flowers last year. Now, I need to practice trusting. I'm bad at letting other people take over projects. This is an area I can concentrate on for the next month so that I am not a raging monster around wedding time.

April

*Image via Petali Teas

Today is April Fool's day and apparently the weather too is playing a joke on us. Snow? In Seattle? Again? A steady snowfall of small white flakes is coating the roofs, sidewalks and cars outside. I thought one of my co-workers was playing a prank on me when they mentioned snow. It wasn't a joke, not their joke at least.

Fooled you!

*Images via Martha Stewart

Oh, what a little blue food coloring can do! I love little April fool's pranks. Nothing quite strikes my fancy yet, but I may become more mischievous as the day goes on... When I was younger, my favorite prank had to be a rubber band around the spray nozzle in the sink. Classic.