Bling Blang!
November 5th, 2007 @ 8:34 am by Mrs. Canary
After seeing Miss Petunia’s finds at Regina B, I immediately made an appointment to check it out. I surfed the site first, but it’s just a small percentage of what they carry in the store. I was mainly searching for earrings. My wedding dress will have a brooch, so I didn’t want too much jewelery clashing and my other dresses don’t have necklines that would accommodate necklaces either.
Here are some of my favorites from the site:
{all images from www.reginab.com}
Sweet n’ Plushy
November 2nd, 2007 @ 6:35 pm by Mrs. Canary
While reading one of my favorite blogs, Toast and Tables, this morning, I discovered these lovely knit desserts from Pukashell Creative Designs.
Wo Ai Wai-Ching (translation: I Love Wai-Ching!)
November 2nd, 2007 @ 11:31 am by Mrs. Canary
The bride’s dress changes during a Chinese banquet is one of my favorite traditions. As a kid attending weddings, I’d eagerly await the bride’s next outfit. I guess this part definitely factored into my “wedding fantasy.”
The tradition stems from the merging of both cultures, East and West. White is usually considered a color for mourning in Chinese culture, but with such beautiful white wedding gowns, who can resist? Often, Chinese brides change into a red or other bright colored traditional-styled dress, either a cheongsam/qipao or hung kwa. Learn more here from the trusty Knot pages on Chinese weddings.
Usually, the bride also changes into a reception dress so that she can boogie down and dance!
I relished the chance to collect a few dresses that really show different sides of my personality. I love classic and vintage styles, but another side of me loves color and funky cuts, so this way, I really get to include all of that in my wedding!
Paper Cuts
October 31st, 2007 @ 6:21 pm by Mrs. Canary
In my post about themes, I briefly mentioned paper cut-outs, many of which I purchased while I was in China in the spring.
I mistakenly thought that paper-cutting was exclusive to Chinese folk art, but boy was I wrong! There is a whole world of paper-cutting out there and it is so beyond creative. You have to be super patient (which is something I am severely lacking!) and nimble.
I initially wanted to incorporate paper cuts into the wedding somehow– either in the invitations or decor, but I still haven’t decided. I will have to leave it up to my fantastic invitation designers to help me on that one! I think they’d make for great favors as well. In China, smaller cut-outs were also sold in little frames.
Check out some of this fabulous eye candy. This art is seriously underrated…
Finding The One (Part 4)
October 31st, 2007 @ 2:01 pm by Mrs. Canary
After all that searching… I finally found “the one.” It was perfect in every way: way below budget, comfortable, simple, and well made.
*** Warning Mr. Canary: Do not continue to read this post!!! ***
The dress is made by Alfred Angelo (thanks to all the readers who commented in Part 1, I had to hold back and not say that I love Alfred Angelo and actually ended up getting one of his dresses!). It was part of a travelling trunk show that was at I Do Bridal for only a week. I had no idea when I visited the store… it just happened to be one of the dresses that Bridget suggested.
It was about the fourth dress I had tried on. I liked it– it fit well and was very flattering, but it was missing that element of embellishment that I craved. When I told Bridget that, she came back with a sash and a brooch. She started the “dress origami” and when I turned back to the mirror, it was the perfect dress!
The dress is ivory which worked really well with my skin tone. It’s strapless with a corseted back. The A-line skirt has simple pickups that gently fold into each other without too much symmetry so it won’t make anyone queasy.
*** Warning Mr. Canary: LAST CHANCE! Do not continue to scroll or read!!! ***
I Scream…. You Scream…
October 30th, 2007 @ 2:14 pm by Mrs. Canary
We all scream for… GOCCO!
{image from www.savegocco.com}
Since there have been so many discussion board posts on Gocco, I thought I’d share my journey to acquiring one. Before deciding to buy one, I researched for weeks and found great Gocco resources.
Finding The One (Part 3)
October 30th, 2007 @ 11:35 am by Mrs. Canary
Weddings with Joy:
Olympia, Washington
This was a cute little store in Olympia where I was living. The prices are very reasonable and the owner is very willing to negotiate. The only downside is that their sample sizes vary a lot. Many of the dresses I wanted to try were in very small sizes. Also, I didn’t feel the owner really listened to what I wanted and instead tried to impose what she thought would look best. Some of her options weren’t bad, but in a way, I felt like she was making a round peg fit into a square hole, since there wasn’t a lot of selection.
Genius!
October 29th, 2007 @ 5:44 pm by Mrs. Canary
I’m sure many of you are already DailyCandy fiends (if you aren’t, you have to sign up!).
I just discovered the link to Jack Cards in my Inbox this morning. What a genius idea! It’s a free membership site where you can save important dates like birthdays and anniversaries of your friends and family… and the coolest part? They’ll send you reminders near the time of the event/milestone. You can even select a card from their menu and they’ll address, stamp, and mail it for you. Amazing!
I love buying cards, but often forget to mail them in time. This would be perfect. 
They also have a huge selection of cards arranged by occasion from some of my favorite print shops.
Finding The One (Part 2)
October 29th, 2007 @ 8:32 am by Mrs. Canary
I only shopped for dresses while living in Seattle/Olympia, so sorry, NYC brides, I don’t have any local reviews. But for all you Seattle area brides, I hit almost all the shops in the area!
Here goes!
Bellevue Bridal Boutique - Downtown, Bellevue
I went here twice. It was also the first place I tried on dresses. It’s a nice shop - small but they have a huge selection. They also had a lot of great dresses marked down to almost 50% off. I’m not sure if that’s available all the time, but it was both times I was there.
I found a gown I really liked here. It was a sample gown close to my budget, but still required a lot of consideration. I was sooooo close to buying, but after looking at photos and sharing with the bridesmaids, I realized it was making me sea-sick. 
I love bustling and pick ups in dresses, but this one was way too symmetrical. Also, after trying on dresses here, I decided I did not want a veil. I felt too bride-y… though I guess that’s the point.
Coverage
October 26th, 2007 @ 4:23 pm by Mrs. Canary
I am very sleepy today. It always happens on Fridays… a week of staying up to read or surf for internet finds just catches up to me. So how fitting is it that I discover these lovely eye quilts from Hambone and Jennicakes? It gave me a chuckle to kick start a typical cold and cloudy October Friday.They would make fantastic bridesmaids gifts… in fact, I already know that two of my ex party girl bridesmaids would love these.
I might need this the day after the wedding!
Mrs. Canary, New York
Age and Occupation: 24, Marketing
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Journalist/Editor
Engagement Date: February 16, 2007
Wedding Date: July, 2008
Blogging Since: October 19, 2007
Venue: Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers
About Me: I'm a born and raised New Yorker who loves all things crafty and artsy, food (cheese and dessert!), magazines, and shoes. I'm a power shopper always on the lookout for good deals or great quality-- sometimes I'm lucky and I find both! I love to dance and "shake what my momma gave me" but can also really enjoy a quiet night in with Mr. Canary and a good episode of Seinfeld or curl up with a good book.
