Girly Overload

Remember a while back when I said that I wasn't going to give 1154 Lill Purses to my bridesmaids? Well, my sister didn't like that post very much. She essentially came right out and told me that she was getting an 1154 Lill purse and that I was giving it to her. Then my other bridesmaid, LP, mentioned a few weeks back that she wanted to make a new purse. Well, I invited them to join me last Thursday at the "From One Shoulder to Another" event. It was one of my most fun moments since being engaged. My sister, LP, our friend VP, and I enjoyed a great evening of creativity and girliness. It was so fun!

Here's a photo of my sister and I showing off our fabric selections. I am sticking my gut out because I want people to *think* that I'm fat. I hate when I am mistaken as a size 2.

And LP and VP:

I forgot to ask LP and VP if I could put their photos up here. I assure you that, under the dots, they're having a blast.

My sister and LP made reversible clutches for the wedding and large, oversized bags for everyday use.

My Sister's Bags:

LP's Bags:

My sister bought me this clutch
to use on wedding day
as VERY EARLY birthday gift:

And VP made this cool bag:

If I had tons of disposable income, I would have also made this bag:

And maybe these too (those yellow dots are KILLING ME!):

All images created on the 1154 Lill Web Site.

Note to All Budget Brides and Other Cheap B*tches:

1154 Lill is offering 15% off purchases for each gently used purse that you donate to the Dress for Success charity during the month of June. This applies to online purchases too. See the events section of their Web site for details.

Everytime That I Get Bored With Wedding Planning...

...something new happens to lift my spirit! This week:

• I followed up with a cute boutique in Wicker Park, re: a necklace that I had fallen in love with. It's a light gold chain with a large cluster of moonstones. The designer, Tonia Kim, aka toki, can make the necklace with a longer chain and a pair of earrings. And the best part? She's using 1oK necklace instead of 14K necklace, so the price is more affordable than the original that won my heart. Also, she recommended using quartz instead of moonstones for the earrings to avoid being matchy-match and keep the cost down. Hooray! I didn't even ask her to do that! :) Here's an image of the earrings she's suggesting. I think that mine will have less drop.

Image: Toki

• Update: I found the image below on her web site. I think that the necklace looks like this, but with moonstones instead of the colored stones.

Image: Toki

• I found a Day of Coordinator! I'll post the details in a few days, but I have to say, I love her! I had coffee with her last weekend and she's a awesome. When I first talked to her a few weeks ago, Andy thought that I was on the phone with one of my girlfriends. She's the coolest. Our caterer recommended her. She also recommended our DJ and the lighting company we'll most likely use. From what I'm hearing from others, the DJ company is one of the best in the city. At this rate, she's is going have to charge us a wedding planner fee too.

P.S. I bought a Xyron machine on Tuesday. I scored a pimped out 900 model for a great price on ebay.

Unveiled Disappointment

My veil arrived yesterday. I tore the box open immediately and ran through the office wearing it. One of my coworkers teared up and called me "stunning." I am home alone today so I had some time to try it on. And I think that it might look really dumb. Granted, I hadn't showered yet and was wearing one of Andy's t-shirts, which may have dulled the effect, but I really think that it just didn't look right. I tried it with the feathers and without the feathers. I tried wearing it to the front, I tried wearing it to the side, I tried it wearing it on the back, and it just looked dumb. I'll have to take it to my next appointment with my hairstlylist and see what he thinks. If he doesn't like it, I'll just bag it and toss a brooch or a shitty flower in my hair and call it a day. I'm really not the veil type, but I'm still a little disappointed. I hate that I love and am drawn to advant garde styles, but lack the inate sensibilites to pull them off. Who knows? Maybe it will look better with fancy hair and makeup.

Did you guys see these veils in Ready2Spark's post the other day? They're super cute and affordable.

Image: http://www.artikal.com/bridal.htm

I Do!

I did it! I bought the veil!

Image: qgdesigns.etsy.com

I couldn't risk losing it for the price. And if it doesn't work for me, I will try to resell it. And if I can't, oh well. I'd probably waste that same amount of money on paper projects without batting an eye.

I hate how I second guess myself all of the time. After I posted this last night, I was thinking, "It's just a veil. What's the big deal? I'm going to do it, I might as well commit to it and do it right." And it's not like I'm so cutting edge for sticking a feather on top of my head. If anything, I am so Wicker Park circa 1998.

Besides, these are the only other veils that I've "loved" so far...and they cost almost as much as the Christian Louboutins. If I win the Powerball, there is a chance that I am upgrading.

Images: Castle Bride

I also bought something else today. Apparently, I bid on these on ebay and forgot about them until I got the auction announcement this afternoon.

Image: The Paisley Petunia ebay Seller

Even if they don't work out as my party shoes, I am sure that I could find someplace to wear them. :)

Thank you to everyone who left a comment. And thank you for all of the Costa Rica information. I appreciate everyone's links and e-mails so much! If anyone wants to come to Chicago, I owe you some info! :)

Do I or Don't I?

If I do any veil, I am doing a birdcage veil for the ceremony only. Check out this beauty from qgdesigns.etsy.com. So cute. However, I think that this is a perfect example of something that I'd take a "risk" on only to end up looking like an a-hole. (I speak from experience.)

Images: qgdesigns.etsy.com

I think that if I do this, I'd have to change into simple pearl studs for the ceremony.

I don't know what to do! Is it too much? The price is sure right. Should I jump on it? Please, please, please weigh-in with a comment. Oh, and for your reference, here is the tentative hairstyle that my hairstylist and I agreed upon. We'll modify the bangs to accommodate my beefy face:

Image: In Style Wedding

These are my other top etsy runners for now:

Images: SomethingBoldVeils.etsy.com

P.S. For the record, I can't stand how blogger handles basic HTML.

P.S.S. I hate that you can't return etsy purchases.