Thursday, November 29, 2007

kate spade monarch

now that i have a dress, i've been thinking about SHOES. yes, wedding shoes. it's one of those things for me where it's not *that* important in the grand scheme of wedding planning. it's not like i'm going to wear keds or anything, although there's nothing wrong with that. but, hello, they're going to be covered by the dress anyway! so in my random web surfing and link hunting, i came across this beautiful pair on kate spade! beautiful, dainty and feminine! not quite the shoes that i would have picked but somehow... it seems to fit! it's elegant and simple, kinda like my wedding dress. :-)

the only thing is, i'm having a garden wedding. i don't really feel like airing the grounds with the heels! what to do??

step up!

i went to a volunteer networking (and also membership drive) event last night at the madison in the flatiron district with a couple of friends. i wasn't quite sure what to expect and didn't even know that much about the organization. what i did find out was that step up women's network is an amazing group of dedicated volunteers and programs for women and teenage girls. i just checked out their website and am really impressed with their mission:

"Step Up Women's Network is a national non-profit membership organization dedicated to strengthening community resources for women and girls. Through teen empowerment programs for underserved girls, women's health education and advocacy, professional mentorship and social networking opportunities, we educate and activate our members to ensure that women and girls have the tools they need to create a better future."

the rest is here....

not surprisingly, the girls/women that i met last night were cool! most importantly, i really agree with their mission and what they stand for. so i joined! now i'm a member! can't wait to get started...

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

blog envy

omg. true bride confessions, this website is a guilty pleasure! i looove it!

and here some fantastic blogs i found today:

cupcake blog
daisy chain
a $10000 wedding
brooklyn bride
sf girl by bay

back in new york city

after 5 gluttonous and glorious days in the bay area i didn't want to come back to new york. i wanted to stay with my fiancee, friend and family. to mom's yummy cooking. because you know, new york is COLD, wet and low-carb food. well, it'd be back on the low-carb diet! back in california, people WANT to feed me, serve me seconds and tell me i look thin. (well, which is a good thing.) in new york, it means the treadmill, eliptical machine and even possibly a spin class or two. but, after my 2nd day of my usual routine, i love new york again!! i love living in new york city, the people, the craziness of life in the big apple, the commute up metro north to tarrytown and well... being in the "center of the universe"! what am i going to do? i'm getting married next august. i'm gonna have to move back at some point. that's what d and i have decided. me moving back. why does this seem so unfair???

Monday, November 26, 2007

flower hair pins

it's time to be realistic... i honestly don't think i can spend $300 on the erin cole organza hair pins that i have fallen in love with. *sigh* but i think i've found great alternatives on ebay. i've bid and won these two flower/feather hair pins last week! (feather flower not shown...) they are less than $10 each from a great ebay seller called "pampered bride". it's such a good deal. they arrived while i was away for thanksgiving and found them in the mail when i got home this morning! they are SO cute. i think i may need another organza flower because it's beautiful... i am already envisioning two of these flowers at lower right side of my hair (which i think will be put up in a loose romantic bun of some sort...)!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

my wedding dress!

i bought a wedding dress this past weekend!!! (i even wrote a review on yelp about my buying experience!) i can't believe i have a bridal gown. it's surreal. the dress is perfect. it's absolutely beautiful. so simple and elegant! i knew it as soon as i put it on. i absolutely love how i look in it! it's a maggie sottero dress, called "vernice" from their fall 2007 collection. it's not quite the alison dress from the previous post but it's pretty close!


here's the description of the dress on the website:

"One-piece, corset, strapless gown with sweetheart neckline, sweep train, and slim A-line skirt. The elegant draping on the bodice creates a slender waist and the diagonal back ruching a slimming effect. The elegance of the clean lines is stunning. "

i can't agree more. now, i only have to wait til april 2008 to get the dress! *sigh*

Sunday, November 18, 2007

quest for THE dress

i am in LOVE with this bridal gown. it's made by berketex and the style is called alison. it's so gorgeous, simple and elegant, perfect for my garden wedding! the problem is, you can only get it in great britain. they don't sell internationally, apparently. :-( here's my dilemma:
1. should i fly to great britain to buy this dress? i have to think about the cost of the flight, lodging, food and the actual dress. that busts my dress budget!
2. i can get this dress custom made... i've contacted two dressmakers. one dressmaker in san francisco quoted me $500 more than the actual dress cost. but she does fabulous custom made dresses! the other (who i found on cragislist) quoted me HALF the cost of the dress but it'll be farmed out to bolivia and i won't see it until it's complete. i've seen samples of their work but how do i know the 2nd dressmaker is legit?

i'm doing more research and asking lots of questions.

in the meanwhile, i am going to the bridal garden in new york city and also sak's fifth bridal sample sale next week! when i'm in san francisco next week for thanksgiving, i plan to hit up glamour closet!!!! so excited. (a few weeks ago, when i was in the bay area, i went to trudy's brides but didn't really find anything that i loved...)

Friday, November 16, 2007

getting reacquainted

hello again! goodness, it's been a long time since i've posted. so much has happened since my last update. i'll give a brief update: i got engaged! officially! my fiancee (boyfriend at the time, heh) took a week long trip to paris and florence and he popped the question on this bridge at sunset! it's called 'ponte vecchio' and literally it means old bridge. which is true because it's the oldest bridge in florence! it's been about two months now and i've been busy researching and planning for the wedding. i must have bought every wedding magazine in the industry. i'm just clipping away! that's about it, though. i haven't done a whole lot, i have to say. but it's been wonderful, though. half the time, i'm too busy staring at my ring! :-) we're still doing the bicoastal thing, which has been tough but we survived over a year doing this long distance. i am definitely planning on moving back to the bay area right now... not sure exactly when but i am making this sacrifice to be with the man i love! i sure am going to miss new york city.