It’s still too hot for me to be thinking about fall fashion, but that doesn’t mean my nails can’t get a head start. And this fall, it’s all about texture: hello sequins, tweed, velvet and satin! At least that was the inspiration behind the Butter London Fall 2012 collection. They’ve got fun names too, translated below.
Shag: Brit speak for getting laid.
Dodgy Barnett: A bad hairdo. Think: the mullet!
Trustafarian: “A spoiled rich kid who pretends to be a happy but still goes home to the mansion on the weekend.”
Lovely Jubbly: Excellent!
Gobsmacked: When you’re totally speechless.
What do you think of the collection? I have my eye on that Gobsmacked!
Flowers can eat up a huge part of your wedding budget. And with my taste, I was super worried about being able to get what I want while not going overboard. (Thank you, Pinterest, for giving me ridiculous expectations.)
In this week’s episode of Behind the Veil, I got to meet with Shelli, the owner of Community Florist who will be doing the flowers for my wedding and she gave me some great tips on saving money for your wedding flowers—doing it yourself!
Now, I’ve said it before: I am not at all crafty. The thought of putting together arrangements that requires me to do more than cut stems from store-bought flowers totally freaks me out. But Shelli assured me that any bride can do it. Even the craft-retarded (like myself). And I have the photos and video to prove it.
With the help of Shelli and her team, I was able to create this gorgeous arrangement in just a few minutes! You can try it out yourself as each First Friday, Community Florist hosts a group class for just $10. You can go in with a group of gals and they will supply everything you need and teach you how to make your own floral arrangement. And, you get to keep what you made in class! I’ll probably be popping by their next class myself to see if I can learn a few skills on making beautiful floral arrangements.
For brides on a budget, Shelli said she can meet with you to help plan what flowers will be needed to achieve the look you want. Before the wedding, you can come in with a group of friends or family and use their fridge to store your arrangements. Many brides choose to do the centerpieces themselves and then leave the bouquet to the actual florist or vice versa. It’s a great way to save money and you’ll still get a bit of hand-holding to ensure your flowers are picture perfect. A few other tips I picked up during my visit:
Use clear tape to tape your vase into a grid shape. Then slot the flowers into each square!
Fill the vase with water before you put any flowers in.
It’s all about the foliage; using lots of mixed greens with interesting textures keeps it interesting.
Cut the flowers so that they are just peeking over the vase, they sit nice and pretty like that.
Shine spray is not just for your hair; it breathes instant life into your flowers!
See for yourself in this week’s Behind the Veil episode how easy it is to make an arrangement!
What do you think DIY brides? Have you or would you consider making your own flower arrangements for your wedding?
You won’t be surprised to hear that one of my favorite things about traveling to new places is local shopping. I picked up this dress at this darling boutique on my trip to the Gold Coast that I became instantly obsessed with. There were tons of cute finds at very reasonable prices, and I’m quite sure I came home with something I wouldn’t find in the states! Plus, I was dying for an excuse to bust out my new L.A.M.B shoes which I recently discovered, hidden in the back of the closet. Don’t you just love when that happens?
Popped by the Neiman Marcus Fall Trends Preview Party and got an up close look at some fall goodies. Apparently, green is the color of the season!
Got my hair done, which was much-needed!
Met with my florist, Shellie at Community Florist, who showed me how to make my own arrangement! Can you believe I made this myself? More details on that later this week…
Of course, the highlight of the weekend was my bridal shower! I’m so thankful to all of my friends and family who came out to celebrate, it was so beautiful and my bridesmaids did a wonderful job. Can’t wait to share more photos with you!
On our way to our next hotel for the evening, we stopped by Witches Chase Cheese Company for a tasting. And boy, was that a treat! We met with one of the owners, the impossibly lovely Meredith Morris, who has one of those life stories that makes you feel like a total underachiever. After bring Lush Cosmetics to the states (yes, thatLush Cosmetics), and sailing the world for a year with her husband, they purchased an old factory to make cheeses to complement their love of fine wine. Did I mention that all around the factory you see the handwritten menus on the walls which are the same “font” that Lush Cosmetics uses? Oh yes, that’s because her handwriting was patented and made into the font for Lush. And yes, she’s also beautiful and quite lovely.
The cheese shop and factory grew into their own brewery where you can now take a tour and enjoy beer and cheese pairings. We met with the Master Brewer, who doesn’t look a day over 19 and, it turns out, he started apprenticing at just 16. Needless to say, our afternoon at Witches Chase Cheese Company was full of laughs, great stories and this nagging little voice that entered all or our heads that we should be doing much more with our lives! (Like yachting around the world for a year? Oh yes, that sounds quite nice indeed.)
A few weeks ago, I had a reader email me asking how an AZ gal can wear a summer scarf when it’s a billion degrees out. She asked if I wear them out and just get stared at like a crazy person or if there is a secret to pulling off the look. My answer: yes and yes!
First, it comes down to the actual scarf. Choose something light and breezy, like this sheer orange scarf. Anything knit or thick is just too heavy for the summer months and best reserved for the fall.
Look for a scarf that’s proportionate to your size; the scarf shouldn’t look like it’s swallowing you! Bright colors and silky fabrics are also great for the summer months.
The way you tie your scarf in the summer is also key. If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to tie that scarf, check out this video below that shows 25 ways to tie a scarf…in 4.5 minutes! But, take note: some of these styles are best reserved for fall. You wouldn’t be tying your scarf like a turtleneck or have a big thick knot in the summer months. Think: loose and easy, breezy styles.
Do you wear summer scarves? What do you think of the trend?
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