Oh yeah, baby. That's my venue.

Did y'all see that amazing wedding today on Style Me Pretty?

It was at Marvimon!

Seeing pictures from real Marvimon weddings always gets me really hyped up. I'm so excited to get married there.

194 days to go!

*all images by Docuvitae, via Style Me Pretty.

I just got the call.

My dress has arrived and it's ready to be picked up!


Now it's just going to sit around and taunt me for the next 6 months.


But I'm totally ok with that :)

get in my closet.

Something you may not know about me: there are quite a few blogs on my Reader that are not wedding-related (gasp!)

Among my daily reads are several design blogs, food blogs, fashion blogs, and funny blogs (this one is my favorite).

Anyway. That image above is from Tim Clarke's portfolio, via Elements of Style.

And I'm just saying. One Day. I will have a massive wall of shoes like that.



Spill it, ladies... how many pairs are in your collection? I won't judge :)

Cake Flavors

We're Thinking...

Red Velvet
Carrot
Vanilla
Lemon Coconut
Spice Cake
Chocolate Raspberry?

Some will be from small local bakeries, others will be homemade.

Are we missing something? What are your favorite cake flavors, my dears?

Also, this reminds me. We need to find more cake stands. So far, Craigslist has not proven very helpful. Anyone have ideas for other resources? If we can't find them we'll be taking on this project (I heart Design*Sponge).

Hmmm. Thinking about cake makes me salivate a little bit.


*image via Once Wed

Happy Birthday

Dear almost-husband,


Your birthday will officially be over in about 20 minutes. Obvs I'm a little late on this. But at least I'm not out of the country or something ridiculous like that, like I usually am on your birthday (true story, folks... in all the years we've been dating I've celebrated Curt's birthday with him... maybe twice?) And once again I was unable to be with you on your actual birthday.... sorry 'bout that. Traffic school just sounded WAY more interesting. I promise I will bake you a yummy cake.

I love you.


Jessica


P.S. how come I have NO recent pictures of us?? what's with that. just wondering.

P.P.S. you are really tan and sexy in this picture.

Oh, Max.

Your pictures are beautiful. Wanna be my BFF?


*all from Max Wanger's blog. AKA the happiest place on earth... er, the interweb.

Brace yourselves.

The almost-husband's blog is officially live.

AUCOTI (An Untitled Corner of the Interweb).

I guess he got jealous of all the fun I was having over here.

I have to admit, it's pretty impressive.

So go on, check it out! And give him some love.

FLASHDANCE

Is my new obsession.

Max Wanger + Jesse and Whitney of Our Labor of Love + DJ Michael Antonia

are basically a team of superheroes whose only mission is to eradicate wedding suckiness.

they'll be compiling and profiling wedding vendors who rock. and you should pay attention. because these folks are so effing COOL.

thanks for the head's up, ESB.

so excited.

La Citta Vita's flickr

We blocked out some rooms for our guests at The Standard Hotel downtown. They actually gave us a really good deal, so I'm hoping we'll get enough friends and family members interested in staying there. If we book 10 rooms, Curt and I get an upgrade to the Wow! room. nice.

Here are some more pretty pictures...

source

Karla Jean Davis's flickr. She has a whole set on The Standard, check it out here... it's AMAZING.

Atwater Village Newbie's photostream

Dan_DC's photostream

Never Cool in School's photostream. Wedding day photo op? You betcha.

rick's photostream. pool table. in the lobby. sweet.

I hear they have a pretty strict no-photo policy in certain areas, but I'm not worried. Sarah "Sniper" Chen got some shots at the rooftop bar for Regina and Richard's wedding last year.


Anyone have experience with sneaking pictures in a no-picture zone? I'd love to hear your tips!

If you can smell the chlorine in your tap water...

Go buy this.

It. Is. A. Life. Saver.

(Or at least a skin and hair saver)

No joke.





Jonathan, I think I love you.

Great Contest from Amsale!

Remember how I was just talking about Amsale's new Bridesmaid Collection?

Well, as part of the "Do Your Friends a Favor" campaign, Amsale is doing a really cool contest... and if you have a really good Dress Disaster story, you might just win a trip for 2 to New York City and a $2,500 shopping spree at Amsale's flagship store!!

Here are the deets:

• Upload photos of your dress disasters (e.g. a hideous bridesmaid dress)
• Select an Amsale dress you would’ve rather worn (ummm, I'll take.. all of them. thanks.)
  
• You can even use the "Anonymator" tool to make your worst dress moments anonymous
• Share your entries with the world and try to get the most votes and reviews!!

And the super-sweet prizes, yo!

• Grand Prize: One winner, selected by Amsale from the top 250 highest scoring entries, will win a trip for 2 to New York City for two nights including roundtrip airfare and hotel. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to meet with Amsale and enjoy a $2,500 shopping spree at the Amsale Flagship Salon.
• Runner-Up: One winner, selected by Amsale from the top 250 highest scoring entries, will receive a $1,500 shopping spree to the Amsale Flagship Salon in NYC.
• Most Viral: One winner, selected by Amsale from the top 250 Most Viral entries, will receive a $1,500 shopping spree to the Amsale Flagship Salon in NYC.
• Sign-Up Sweepstakes: Six winners, who sign-up for the sweepstakes by filling out the form in the Campaign Highlights area of the Amsale “Do Your Friends A Favor” Campaign or who opt-in from the Submit Entry tab, will be randomly selected to win an Amsale dress, valued up to $400, plus a DVD copy of the movie "27 Dresses." Find out how Katherine Heigl ends up in an Amsale gown after 27 ugly bridesmaid dresses!

Come on, now. I know you have horror stories that you're dying to share :)

Click here to find out how to enter!!!

A reader question...

One of my dear readers sent me a really interesting question, and just in case any of you are curious about the same thing, I thought I'd share!


She asked me about my dress, because she's looking for a fun, short, retro-style dress for her wedding, which is in only 6 weeks!


Here was my response...




I'd be more than happy to share :) The style of my dress is "Taylor," from Priscilla of Boston's Vineyard Collection. Here is the link. There are tons of cute, short dresses on that same website, I did a whole post on short dresses here.

I would suggest calling bridal stores in your area and seeing if they have any short sample dresses that they would be willing to sell. Samples are usually size 6, 8, or 10, and if they are willing to sell you a sample, you will probably get it for 20-75% off the retail price, depending on the condition of the dress and how soon they can replace their sample.


Here are some other good places to look:

Dolly Couture's Ebay Shop

This one at revampbykelly's Etsy shop is only $69.00!

Or you can search the following sites for short dresses:

www.oncewed.com

www.preownedweddingdresses.com

www.bravobride.com

www.encorebridal.com


I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions... Good luck!!! :)


Do y'all have any other good suggestions?? I'd love to pass them on to her!

Exactly seven months from today...

I will be a Mrs.



YAY :)


*photo by Sarah K. Chen

P.S.

The Soup Nazi episode is on right now.


Oh, how I love Seinfeld re-runs....

I could do that.

I've been trying to figure out what kind of gifts to give my bridesmaids (girls, if you're reading this... well, I guess you'll just have to act surprised? On the other hand, feel free to throw in your two cents on this one....)


So. I came across these via A $10,000 Wedding.





And I'm thinking.


I could do that. Click here for the full tutorial. It looks so easy!


I'd modify it a bit, of course. Use some silvery-gray organza and maybe little pearls or crystals instead of beads. And then I just have to figure out a way to attach the pretty little thing to some kind of hair clip... can't be too hard, right?


Do I want to take on another DIY project? I don't know...but it's a good option to keep in mind. And if I chicken out, there's always these, these, this, or these (all on Etsy).

Oh, the love!

The lovely Jessica Lynn of Tying the Knot recently featured my save-the-dates on the blog for her lovely little shop, Penned and Pretty!


And the oh-so-inspiring Kelley of My Island Wedding also did a little post about them!


Thanks, ladies!!

I've suddenly lost my appetite.

The future hubs and I are big fro-yo fans, which is not surprising... I mean, what's not to love? Delicious and somewhat healthy? And you can put toppings on it?!?! Sign me up.


So. Tonight after dinner we decided to finally make a visit to the Tutti Frutti down the street (if you're familiar with Yogurtland, it's basically the same concept... it's completely self-serve... you fill up a cup with as many flavors and toppings as you want, all for 35 cents an ounce. You can get a LOT of yogurt for under $5).


We filled up our yogurt cups and sprinkled on the toppings... the fruit didn't look as fresh as usual so I just went with good ol' Fruity Pebbles....don't knock it till you try it. We paid the cashier, who clearly wanted to be anywhere else, and sat down.


I'm thoroughly enjoying my tutti-frutti-yumminess, and I notice that Curt is studying the fruit mural on the wall behind me.


"Is it just me, or is that strawberry a little graphic?"




I twist around in my seat to take a look.


Yep, it's unmistakable.


(If you have a weak constitution, you might not want to scroll down).


A loud gasp escapes my mouth. Followed by "Whaaaaaaa....?"





"Curtis!! How do they not see that?? Oh... wow.... I don't think I'll ever look at a strawberry the same way again...."





Eww. Sorry. Normally I wouldn't share something this disturbing on my wedding blog. But. I feel that somebody needs to bring awareness to the serious problem of... ummm.... graphic fruit.

Him: Can you taste it?


Me: What


Him: Marriage.

I got all giddy and giggly.


photo by Matthew Morgan, via Blush

Trouble zones? What trouble zones?

The darling Jenn of With This Ring... requested a full review of Jillian Michaels' "No More Trouble Zones" DVD.

So. The short version: It's 45 minutes of torture. It hurts like a motha'. The end.

The long version: Jillian's intense, full-body workout targets the most common "trouble zones"... muffin tops, jiggly arms, and what my fiance likes to call "the shelf": that spot where the booty meets the thighs. Yes, it's incredibly difficult, especially the first couple times... but Jillian and her oh-so-ripped assistants are right there with you. (One of them is overly enthusiastic and smiley, it's funny). Like the shred, this workout is comprised of different circuits, so you target a new trouble zone every 7 minutes or so. And no fancy equipment. Just a yoga or pilates mat and some light hand weights. The moves are pretty innovative and you're constantly switching it up, so you won't get bored easily, which for me is always a huge bonus!

Want an even more in-depth review? There's a really good one here.

Yes, I know I was whining about it last week, but honestly, it's great. Go try it! Then you can whine with me.


P.S. Did you notice my new blog header? The future hubs designed it :)

Checkity-check it.

So. I don't know how I've failed to mention this in the past, but I work at a bridal boutique. And yes, it's the most fun job EVER, especially when you're engaged!




The White Dress opened in 2001 and quickly rose to prominence among SoCal's best bridal boutiques. We're an official "Knot Pick" of 2008, and we've won lots of awards for our selection and service. If you live in the area or plan to visit, stop by and see me!!

Anyway. Call this a shameless plug. But I'm genuinely excited about this event and I just had to share :)

My dear blog readers, you are cordially invited to

The Grand Opening of THE BRIDESMAIDS’ LOUNGE

Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Even if you've already found your bridesmaids' dresses, this is going to be an amazing event for so many reasons!

• 70 fresh-off-the-runway dresses from Amsale’s bridesmaid collection, in addition to dozens of styles from Priscilla of Boston, Melissa Sweet, Vineyard, Badgley Mischka, Lynn Lugo, and Vera Wang

• Some of my favorite jewelry designers, Michelle Miller of MMM Designs and Justine Murray of The Tiara Room, will be unveiling their new lines of jewelry and accessories for bridesmaids

• Renowned Orange County-based Wedding Planner Jesi Haack will be on hand to answer your questions and offer advice about the most up-to-the-minute ideas and trends

• We'll be serving unique and creative treats from esteemed pastry chef Melanie Brandon of Sweet & Saucy (yummy, this is probably what I'm most excited about...)

• And, of course, plenty of champagne! (Ha. My coworkers and I always laugh about how we get to drink on the job. It's kind of like Mad Men. but not.)


The Bridesmaids’ Lounge is a completely new take on the usual dress-shopping experience. You can browse hundreds of dresses by top designers, then take a seat on one of our plush, Marie Antoinette-style couches and watch your friends put on a little fashion show!





Amsale’s “Do Your Friends a Favor” approach encourages brides to select beautiful, contemporary, and re-wearable dresses for their bridesmaids. Amsale’s unique styles come in a wide array of fabrics and colors, so you’re sure to find dresses that everyone will be excited to wear!

Once you’ve selected the perfect bridesmaid dresses, Michelle and Justine can complete the look! These two incredible jewelry designers will have a gorgeous selection of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and cocktail rings, and they can customize jewelry that will perfectly complement your bridesmaids’ dresses. From fun and funky to sleek and sophisticated, there will be jewelry to suit every bridesmaid's taste! And, of course, jewelry makes an excellent gift...what a great way to thank your best friends for being a part of your big day!

If you would like to make an appointment for this very special event, call us at (949) 723-0121.


I'll be there all day Saturday and Sunday, so stop by and say hi!!