I Want to Marry Sarah Haskins. Sorry, Dave.

Have you heard of the lovely, talented Sarah Haskins?
She is my cute, funny girl hero,
and I heard about her via her brilliant videos
skewering ads focused towards women
(like yogurt that makes you poop!).


I admit, though, Say Yes to the Dress is pretty awesome,
if only for making me feel like a thrifty McThriftster
for spending just four months' rent on a dress I will wear for eight hours.
I mean, I didn't have to sell a kidney to pay for it, RIGHT???

Also I don't really think I'm a bridezilla,
but I hope to spend at least some part of those eight hours
stomping on imaginary tiny cities while roaring at the top of my lungs.

Wild for Wildflowers

With the big wedding things out of the way (dress, venue, color scheme, wootwoot), I'm starting to think of the details. One of the first bursts of inspiration I got, after picking our reception hall, was to include wildflowers. Our hall opens out into these beautiful rolling green hills, and the view is so beautiful I knew I wanted the decorations inside to enhance it, sort of an "outside-in" kind of mentality.


I know. I am soooooo original, and wildflowers are popping all over the blogosphere, usually in some sort of vintagey, Mason-jary-type container. And why not? They are beautiful, elegant, a touch of casualness, simplicity, and personality. But as much as I love my Mason jars for storing sauces and keeping my flour dry, our hall is a little too classy to go with jars.


Something like this big white bowl, with flowers exploding out of it, is so lovely.


Mostly I'm thinking muted colors, long textured flowers mixed in with softly-pasteled roses and small blooms.


There's just something so sweet and classic about them.



The other thing I noticed is that almost all my favorite floral arrangements don't come from professional florists: brides, et al, headed out to flower markets a few days before to pick out some fresh, local wildflowers and made their own centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnieres. If I don't splode from the many other DIY projects on my list, I may have to add this one too (also, assemble an army of artistic, flower-arranging friends. There's a Craigslist for that, right?).


I have no photo credits because I've been saving these pictures for a year+ and don't keep good notes. I am very sorry, professional photographers, to not properly cite your excellent work. If you see your photo up here and are mad at me, please leave a comment and I will add your info and also FedEx you a puppy. Wearing a bouquet of pastel, softly-colored wildflowers. And eating a red velvet cupcake. WHAT A DEAL!!!

Cheese Wedding Cakes: Why am I Just Discovering these Now?

Oh my.Do you know what these are?
These are wedding cakes. And they are made out of cheese.
Yes. That's right. Cheese wedding cakes. Has your mind exploded yet? I am literally amazed to have just found these now, seeing as right up there with my fiance and little red cowgirl boots, cheese is pretty much my most favorite thing in the world (I have six different kinds in my fridge right now: Parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, cheddar, brie, and provolone. But who's counting?).

Could I get away with a tower of cheese instead of a wedding cake at my reception? Hmm... Something tells me it would get veto'd by lesser dairyphiles...

But really though, aren't they beautiful? Big round tiers, flecked, white, golden, red wax, topped with fresh fruit, fresh flowers, a monument to love and dairy...



Cakes available at the Cheese Shed. Leave it to the British to come up with such a wonderful way to introduce more and more cheese to special occasions. Wallace would be proud.

A Garden of Golden Flowers

When I came home from my weekend away (in Boston!), I was delighted to find many little packages waiting for me in the mail.



These are a few of the pins I got as part of the bridesmaid jewelry I plan on making.



It won't just be the pins. I have a plan.


A plan that involves making jewelry, which I haven't done in about 5 years, and even then not so successfully...


Still, aren't these pins lovely? Like a little golden garden.

This is a Picture of a Dress. It is Not My Dress. But it is Pretty.

sureeus moddle sez:
o hai. iz sumthin in mah hahr?

We have dress. It's true! I own a wedding gown (or, really, my mom put down half a deposit on a wedding gown BUT STILL!), and I love it.

Picking out a wedding gown was pretty terrifying (see Trip 1: wherein I almost had a panic attack in the bridal salon. Not to mention Trip 2: when the kind saleslady had to talk me in the soothing, calm tones one uses on nervous horses and crazy people). But by the time I tried it on for the last time (Trip 3: warehouse, 1 million dresses, crowd gathering around my changing area) and bought it (Trip 4: nice owner, tiny shop), I felt like a pro. My strapless bra came out from a holster. I could balance on those tiny block things in front of the three-way mirror like a champ.

In the end I went with a dress that's light and flowy, a classic silhouette but with unique embellishments. It looks effortless, beautiful, romantic, casual--like most things, it's nothing I would have chosen from the start, but as soon as I made my decision, I knew it was right.

Unfortunately, I can't post a picture of it here, because my wonderful fiance reads this blog and this would ruin the surpriiiiise. Trust me, though. It's awesome. If you leave me a comment though I'll email you a picture! Unless you're Dave. Then you only get to see this:

Dear fiance, Why do I have a picture of Liz Lemon in the wedding dress she bought back in Season 2? Did I maybe once-upon-a-time try to find the dress so you could fulfill all your "I heart Tina" dreams? I admit nothing. But I WOULD have sat around in it watching TV and eating cheetos. For, you know, authenticity.

Still Getting Married!

Despite my lack of blog posts (or, as evidenced by my lack of blog posts), wedding planning is still in full force. It's been an entertaining summer!

Venue/Caterer: check
Church: check
Rehearsal Dinner space: check
Band: check
Bridesmaid Dress: check
Wedding Gown: CHECKITY CHECK

Yes, we are nailing down those big decisions, left-and-right. Up next: shoes, Dave's suit, florist, photographer, invitations. I am supes-de-dupes excited about all these things and they all deserve big beautiful blog posts, but it's Labor Day and Dave's here and instead I'm going to watch eight million episodes of Community in my pajamas. So to distract you, here's a picture of a little pony in an Apple Store.

xoxo,
kendall