The headband, that is!
I’ve had a less hectic month than most, so I had a little bit of time to work on pieces that weren’t necessarily commission-based. The result? A few fancy headbands… and one sparkly necklace. All but Loretta and Shirly can be worn traditionally or over the forehead.
Feeling demure? Wear it pushed back!
Feeling like a hippy-dippy love child? Pull it down!

While we were away getting our pictures taken, our guest arrived at Lake Union Cafe and were greeted with a drink and some DELICIOUS appetizers.
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Giddy, gleeful, giggly. These are all words that could be used to describe my feelings after I got an email from Mrs Penguin saying I had been accepted to blog for Weddingbee. Then I calmly shut my laptop, turned off the TV and went to sleep.
HA! That, my friends, is a joke. In reality, I bounced around in a circle in my studio apartment twice, did a face plant onto the bed then picked myself up, ran another 3 circles around the apartment and promptly did another head bomb into the bed. At this point, I’m pretty sure Mr Trail Mix thought I was actually insane, since I had yet to explain my exciting email. Once I did, he was pretty happy and excited for me as well but there were a few moments where I’m sure he was wondering if he made a mistake by proposing to a certified lunatic. Of course, I was buzzing (haha!) all night, thinking out this post in my head.
Anyways, hello, hola, bonjour, boas, konichiwa, etc.! I can’t believe I am actually writing this for Weddingbee, it’s still hard to believe I’m here. I’m so looking forward to getting to know you all and hopefully with all your support, ideas and inspiration, I will make it through our wedding in one piece. I’m planning a country-chic outdoor bonanza for approximately one million guests. No, that’s a lie; it just feels that way sometimes. It’s really more like 180-200 people. Help me along as I attempt to DIY the heck out of this wedding.

We’ve picked our wine, are in the process of writing our love letters, and have finally narrowed down the bazillion quotes floating around on marriage to 5 we really like for our love letter box! Now we need your help narrowing the quotes down to 1! We will then have that quote along with our names and wedding date engraved on a brass plate attached to the back of the box.
So which one is it going to be, hive?
To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong admit it;
Whenever you’re right shut up.
– Ogden Nash
A good marriage is the union of two good forgivers.
– Ruth Bell Graham
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I went dress shopping with high hopes and a ton of nerves. The previous times I had gone into bridal boutiques, I was looking for BM dresses, and I wouldn’t even touch the wedding dresses. They all hung there, a prim and proper sea of white, just waiting for a blushing bride to slip into them and declare: “It’s The One!” They just felt like these sacred things and I couldn’t help but think, ‘will I seriously be wearing one of those?’ It was just too surreal and weird. I knew I would have to wait until I was good and ready to try them on; there was no rushing this one.
Despite my hesitation in actually trying on a dress, I could look at pictures of them for hours, carefully analyzing what I wanted, what I didn’t, what would flatter my figure and what just wouldn’t work. By the time I was ready to hit the shops, I knew exactly what I wanted. Tons of lace, no sparkle, strapless, sweetheart neckline, empire waist, A-line silhouette. I had done my research and I was ready to pound the pavement.
On my first day out, I decided to take it slow. I didn’t expect to find “The Dress” on my first day out, or even locally. I figured it would be kind of like “preliminary dress shopping”, and that I just wanted to see if anything caught my eye. My first stop was the local Alfred Angelo boutique. For those who don’t know, they’re like a step up from David’s. They have a similar business plan, but better quality, and their dresses are a tad bit more unique, while still being very affordable. Here’s what I tried on:
MrsOwen3 is selling a new Marisa 769 gown. The size 18 white silk satin dress has not been altered. She’s asking $1350.

Have a wedding item for sale? Post it with pictures in the Weddingbee classifieds and you might see it featured on the blog!
Other great items for sale:


And hilarity ensues!
I had the pleasure of meeting up with Mrs. D’orsay, Mrs. Gloss, and Mrs. Corn the other night! After a busy week, there is nothing like a bee meeting to put a smile on my face! Sadly, I didn’t get a photo with Mrs. Corn.

I sent ahead a memo instructing them to don their cheeriest fall coats.
It was great to meet you ladies!
I have total craft envy. I love all things related to paper goods, DIY, different types of adhesives, scissors and paper punches. I pore over invitations and scrapbooks like a madwoman. I have my Gocco, bone folder, heat gun, bone folder, and extra sharp scissors. The only thing missing? Actual crafting experience.
Enter the lovely world of Weddingbee and other wedding blogs! These sites are invaluable sources of inspiration for DIY-wannabe gals like myself. After resolving the formal vs. informal save-the-date debate (another whole post), I found and fell in love with these guys:
PattyG’s dress sways in the breeze. Check out that postcard-perfect view!

Keep on loading your inspirational wedding pics to the gallery to see them featured here on the blog! Remember, your images must be under 1MB in size, or they won’t load.
While taking pre-wedding portraits, our two families had arrived at the courthouse. Mr. Mary Jane’s parents and mine had never before met, so this was kind of a tense moment (for me, at least). Would they like each other? Would they get along? When you’ve got such a small guest list, you really have to hope that no one will offend each other or anything right off the bat. There isn’t really anyone else for them to talk to. We’re glad that everyone got along really well, and enjoyed each others’ company throughout the afternoon and evening.
[All photos in this post are credited to Shawna Noel Photography unless otherwise noted. Cropping and/or blurring of faces was done by me.]
But where were we? OH YEAH, WEDDING TIME! Let me set the scene…

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