Hair!

I have to decide on how I want to wear my hair. Now, I didn't do a trial hair style, not in the budget. I rarely spend time on my hair. But we'll be in all those pictures, so it's time to think about it. I trust my stylist. She did a romantic up do for me last year for my friend's wedding, and it turned out well. 

channeling Lauren Conrad hair

My criteria for a hairstyles are that it has to be for long hair, it has to be dance-proof, and I need to embellish it somehow with a headband or flower. 

via Green Wedding Shoes

   I love her hair here. Its so naturally voluminous. My flower or embellishment won't be this big.

Via Green Wedding Shoes

This is pretty, too. Simple. Romantic.

She has pretty hair. That much is true. I love a good side ponytail.

A little bit of all three? Probably.

First Friday Indie Market

Not to conflict with our reception at all, or anything...Ok? Just in case you are in town, or off work, or have some free time before seven o'clock, check out this indie market a block away from our event. It's from 4-9 and features some local artists and music. If you're not helping us set up (you know who you are), or taking family pictures with us, feel free to stop by and support local arts!. This is part of a First Friday series that downtown GSO does with shops, museums, and galleries downtown.

Maybe next year, I'll be there with my cake stands...?

Gimme the weather

The weather for November 5

High 56              Lo 44

Partly cloudy

no chance pf precipitation!

Sun sets @ 18:19

Bring a light sweater!

from Accuweather

Friendship

...this one's a tear jerker, y'all. I recently remembered a promise a friend and I made almost ten years ago. Lindsay  P. was a roommate in college and she's a pretty cool girl. We hit it off and still keep in touch (the wonders of Facebook). I had to dig this out from our storage, afraid I had lost it, but I found it in the pages of an old journal:

It reads:
I, Leilani Reynante, promise here on December 4, 2001 (the day after Lindsay's 21st B-day) that Lindsay will be at my wedding 
                          X Leilani Reynante
PS,  we are @Speak Easy waiting for (ex-boyfriend) to finish his interview. (I just drank a chocolate cake)

Lindsay wrote this.

   Now, she wasn't at our actual wedding, but then again 9 people were including us. We didn't send out official invites, since we're doing a small  9 am wedding. I haven't seen her in years. I did send her an invitation to our reception, along with this paper and a note about how its funny that December 4 is Shawn & me's actual wedding day in 2009. Unfortunately, she can't make it due to the fact that she is putting herself through nursing school. I remember she was either going in to medicine or art. Maybe both?  I just had to send this to her, I mean I kept this all these years, different boy later, hoping I'd  stuff it into an invitation to send to her. I made sure to take a pic so I'll always have a copy.

I kept that promise as best as I could!

   Good friendships are indispensable. They require maintenance, as all things of quality do. Good friends   do things for you just because. Or they do things because that's what friends do. Kind of like an obligation, but with out the feeling of one. One thing I've learned through all this, is that your good friends will shine through and be there for you like no one else. Next time I will skip the wedding forums and just ask good friends for advice! I feel a lot closer to the friends that have helped me craft, and helped me with consultation about tables and stuff, when other plans fell through. This is why I love lending a hand to my friends' special occasions. It feels just as good on the receiving end.

Truly gems.

Video Inspirations

   Disclaimer: The following videos are beyond the average DIYer. These are professional. I'm sure they saved money by making a video, and not printing paper, but let's cut the BS. The going rates for these peoples' brain power and skill far surpass what I would make had I attempted this. These are mind-blowing. With that said, I leave you with the coolest proposal and save the date videos I've seen so far.

 via Green Wedding Shoes

and this one:

via Broke-Ass Bride

They make it look easy!

TWO WEEKS! Happenings & Non-happenings

Two weeks from today I will be eating, drinking, and dancing with my family and friends!

I am so excited.

We have finalized most things, made most projects, and may be under budget.

Shawn has been serenading me like crazy lately. I cannot wait to stand in front of my man while he serenades ALL OF US (He's practicing right now).

Shawn in action. You'll see it soon...

In prep for our house guests, we bought a few new pieces, cleaned house and removed hundred's of small Bully balls from every corner. I swear I swept out a pomeranian from under the couch.


There are some things, that won't be happening, like, the cake toppers I wanted to paint. I'm not a painter and that project was a little out of my league.  I didn't grow the chinese lanterns and herbs for our table scapes like I thought I could. I was going to collect vintage and new  teacups for the tables, but that didn't happen. I'm still kinda nervous about decorations. Some friends and family can't make it. There are even those i haven't even heard from? My daddy won't be there.....

   but I have a feeling that the most important people are going to be there, and everything will look awesome. And Shawn and I will awe our guests. Everyone that I love in the same room, I know that will feel complete.

I'm leaving you with one pretty flower I managed to grow . A pretty dahlia. If its still around in 2 weeks, maybe I'll stick it on my table.

Woah. Mail from the White House!

But look what I got in the mail yesterday! I was super excited to get mail from the WHITE HOUSE!
Regardless of your party lines, I think mail from the White house is pretty cool. I've seen other bloggers do it.

All you have to do is send them an invitation

 This was before I did my stamp art.

                        Cool presidential keepsake

 

The response card they give you is pretty general.

Our fridge full of announcements, new & old.

For the love of candy, and dresses.

click here and prepare for a MIND BLOW!

 So my candy buffet won't be this grand. It's nice to look, though. I'm having about 5 or 6 different varieties.

from Green Wedding Shoes

And if I wore a traditional gown, it would have to be something like this. Well, I guess this is non-traditional. Its ethereal! I see it now and imagine feeling so pretty in it. I guess my tastes were just out of my budget!  They are from Temperly London's Wedding Collection. Honestly, when I visited the site, they didn't give me this feeling. It's definately the photography. Oh, I LOVE Green Wedding Shoes. Obsessed, actually.

Happy dateiversary to my Hubbs!

Four years ago we started dating. We grabbed a slice of pizza and the rest is history.

On another note, there is less than a MONTH to our reception and things are getting a little anxious. Budgets, projects, cakes, are on my mind!

Some treats from our candy buffett

mmmmm......chick-o-stick

Dessert buffet inspiration

From here

*sigh*
What's not to love?

French macarons, dessert stands (I will post pics of the ones I made), and a hutch.

Shauna Younge, you're a design goddess.

Be Inspired

Here's an awesome inspiration board via Birthday Girl. Just some eye candy for you to look at...Girly garden party is the theme.

I love everything about you.

Birthday Girl has the most cool party ideas and she'll even come up with a custom inspiration board for all you party throwers and crafters for $30.

Thanks, Lindsay for showing me the light.