Lazy Girls' DIY

I was flipping through In Style Weddings the other day when I stumbled upon an ad for fresh ink. Since personalized totes and note cards seem to be the gifts du jour this season, why not let someone else do the work? (Apparently etsy alchemy requests have turned me into a princess.) Fresh Ink also carries Mindy Weiss' new line.

Images: fresh-ink.com

Does anyone else think that the "new landfills" are going to be chock full of reusable totes? Ha, Ha.

Thanks!

Thanks for all of your compliments on my dress! I really do love it. And what a relief to have that decision out of the way. I owe my "virtual planner," Mimi, big time! I had read that you should order your dress six months before the wedding date. I wasn't going to start shopping until April. Thankfully, Mimi and I had been exchanging e-mails after we participated in the Brooklyn Bride Christmas Card Swap and she urged me to shop sooner. Seven shopping trips later, I am thanking her a million times over.

Also, I agree wholeheartedly that bridesmaids should be comfortable. Especially in situations like mine, where each bridesmaid has a body type that is polar opposite to the others, but also a very distinctive style. And I can't make my HOT 25-year-old sister wear the same thing as a 34-year-old.

I've been a b-maid seven times, so I have squeezed into many different dresses through the years. I haven't had to wear anything ugly though...no sailor collars or hats for me! And all of my friends picked very affordable dresses.

Here are a few of my dresses. (All of my photo albums are in storage, so I don't have any pix of bridesmaid dresses 1-4 handy.) And if you don't like any of them, don't make fun of them in the comments. People might laugh at your selections too! (And my friends read this.)

BTW, I want to be a minimum of this skinny by the wedding. Only 34 weeks to go -- I better get on the stick. I was working out like 4-5 days a week back then.

Pretty Purses

Having been a bridesmaid seven times, I'm being hyper-sensitive to my bridesmaid gift selections. My friends and I have spent many a bottle of Three Buck Chuck dishing about the gifts that we've received over the years. Although, I've been pretty lucky with what I've received, so I can't complain. I can, however, try to compensate my 'maids for willingly wearing rust-colored dresses so that they match my invitations.

I was planning on getting them reversible purses from 1154 Lill, but the more that I think about it, clunky fabric purses don't quite scream "chic cocktail party." And they really don't match metallic shoes.

Photos from: http://www.1154lill.com

It's too bad. It would have been a fun afternoon with the girls. :( They're expensive anyway. Now I can use the money to get them something that they'll definitely love. Incidentally, I have the green purse above. ;) Which also happens to be the fabric of a chair at Room & Board. I lose my purse at home on almost a weekly basis. Can you imagine if I had a matching purse-chair combo? I'd never get out the door.

Since all things come back to dots, check out this fabric that they have:

I'm not wild about it, but it does match! :)

Blinged Out Maids, v2.0

Aside from Erin Gallagher, who I featured the other day, I'm also toying with working with designer Sara Lenart to design some cool jewelry for my girls. She has the most adorable little shop in my old 'hood, North Center. I've worked with her before and always get a ton of compliments when I wear her jewelry. Here are a few of my favorites from her site:

All Photos: http://www.saralenart.com

Blinged Out Maids

Now that the bridesmaids dresses are selected, I can start thinking about fun stuff...like jewelry! I've stumbled upon so many pieces over the last few months and thought, "This is totally Paige!" or "This would look hot with Bay-e's dress." And now I can actually buy things. Yeah!

One option that I'm considering is eg from Erin Gallagher. I met her several years ago at a networking event (well, it was at a bar, but it sounds better the other way) after she first quit her job to sell jewelry full-time. I was totally envious of her, so I've randomly checked out her web site over the years to see how she was doing. What a rock star! She recently opened a studio in the West Loop where she does custom designs, hosts jewelry parties, and caters to brides. Her prices are excellent for girls on a budget...they start at $25. (And there's a discount if you buy five or more pieces...buy more to save more. Rock on!)

Here are a few of the more timeless styles featured on her site:

I think that the only problem will be reigning my sister in if I bring her along. She tends to pick out the most expensive item available in situations like this.

All photos: http://www.egjewelry.com

Maids to Order

Yeah! The bridesmaid dresses are selected! I originally asked the girls to select their own brown dresses, but long story short, we're now ordering three unique dresses in the same color. I'm really excited because I think that each dress represents each girl's personal style perfectly. The dresses will be the "Sienna" color shown in the first two images.

Maid of Honor Dress

Bridesmaid Dress 1

Bridesmaid Dress 2


Photos: Jim Hjelm Occasions