What my true love gave to me!

This is my intro to the 25 days until Christmas and each day follow the count UP! 


On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me my laughter!  I am always so excited to see him at the end of the day, even if I'm stressed or don't have dinner ready.  

When he walked through the door he came into the kitchen as I was cooking dinner to talk to me about how he could help me feel better about life, encouraged me to make changes for myself (In a good way people, he wasn't asking me to change my personality or nothing!), and he helped me recognize how hard I was working along with motivating me to keep up the good work.  


His excitement rubs off on me and always puts me in such a better mood, it's like he's a handsome walking happy pill! The one thing I always look forward to is him talking about his day, me talking about mine, and making jokes we both laugh at!  


He's funny!  As I sit finishing my evenings work, he puts his hand on my knee and tells me he loves me.  I quickly glanced at him and look back at my computer and told him I loved him back.  Right then, he pinched me... haha this is usually what happens if I don't give him my full attention!  


What a great guy!

Super Sly: How to tell you man what you want!

Know he's going to pop the big question soon, but don't know how to tell him what you like or want for your finger? 


Women find it difficult sometimes to be blunt about what sort of ring and rock style they want to their partner, it can feel like we're pressuring or that we might be ruining the surprise.  But how will you man know what you want if you don't tell him? 


Being open in your relationship and discussing the future is something that needs to be done.  Find out what he's comfortable talking about and don't be afraid to test the waters.  Start the conversation in a calm setting and make sure you don't come off as demanding.  You simply want to know what he thinks of the idea.  A great way to start the conversation is to ask him what he wants in the future, men prefer that you either graduate into the conversation or you are blunt about it.  To be subtle, go out for dinner or plan a nice evening at home to set the mood right and ask him detailed questions about himself and gradually get to the question "Tell me about what you want in the future" or "What are short term and long term goals?".  If you prefer to ask him bluntly, blurt out "Have you thought about marriage?", assuming you know him well info he wont hit the ground running.  A lot of the time men don't feel awkward talking about marriage, as long as you don't over-do it. TIP: Make sure that if you guys directly talk about marriage, get his timeline in a gentle way like "When do you see yourself getting married" again, assuming that you both love each other very much and that's why this topic is being brought up.


Whenever asking him for the first time about his thought on marriage, it's best to know where both your boundaries stand on talking about it.  You can always ask something like, "Do you like talking about it?" or usually you can see it in there eyes and facial expression, or how they talk about it.

Once you have had the conversation about marriage and know where you both stand, months maybe years have passed by, you will start to see signs.  I cannot tell you what those signs are because men are all different in their own ways.  When you start to see signs, the topic may be brought up again and that's your perfect chance to add in what you want and like.


TIP: When you start seeing little signs it's best you hope onto the computer and start looking at what you like.


I was asked if I liked something in particular that we had seen on TV (Giant rock), I was speechless, not because I got my first hint but because I had no clue what I liked.  I know, seems impossible for a Wedding Planner who looks at everything Bridal all day long.  I came to the conclusion that I didn't care what he got me, because it was something he had picked up from what he knows about me.  After that conversation, I started to think "Oh my goodness, the moment is so close, I can't wait! When? How?....." Then I stopped my self with another question "...How much?!"  I was stumped!  I'm the type of person who gets stuck in isle 5 looking at which pickles would be most cost savvy but which ones will taste better, BUT which ones are bigger.... 


My man is more quiet about the topic and I know where his heart lies, however I over talk about things and that was one topic I had over talked about.  How would I let him know that I wanted him to spend X amount or less?  SO! Here are some ideas that I pondered:


1. Find a jewelry catalog and circle all of the price perfect rings I saw and leave it on the floor.
2. Talk about how expensive certain things are.
Now I didn't forget that I'm a Wedding Planner and I sometimes use that excuse to ask him questions, so I have revised this next one for you...
3. Talk about you FRIENDS engagement ring and say " Hers was X amount, I would never buy jewelry that was more than X" 

I found that the best way, Wedding Planner or not, is to simply want to know more about something.  I asked questions like "What is traditional? How do they normally choose that? What is normally spent on this?"  I asked him in a way that he did not feel like I was bothering HIM about the topic.  They were questions I just wanted answers to for my knowledge.  

The new Audrey Hepburn

I recently cut my hair and have had so many comments on my look being the new Audrey Hepburn, who is my IDOL!  So, I got this idea of making the Hepburn look popular and what better to show off my new look at the Swapping Spree this Wednesday, btw I SHOULD SEE YOU THERE!!! Get your ticket at www.swappingspree.eventbrite.com!  

I will be wearing my sexy black dress, designed by Cache.  It is knee high instead of floor length, with gold and silver staps & chest line, satin material and ruched up the front and back.  I really like the dress because it reflects elegance, sexiness, and I still look professional, for that is my favorite look these days. I was hoping I would still fit this dress, for I mearly found it in the back of my closet and have been saving it for 4 years for a special occasion.  It's weird how I am afraid to wear anything that is not presumed to be updated fashion, however I don't think this dress could ever be categorized as "What Not To Wear" unless it's the new thing to wear..... Wait I just got a new idea for a clothing line!  Anyways, simple and elegant is what I'm going for.

I am so in love with my Charlotte Russe pumps, I wear them all the time with pride!  Thank goodness they really match this dress and I regularly walk in the so there will be no tripping the night of the party.  The nude pumps are my favorite color shoes because you could wear them with any color of clothing and it does make me look a little more tan than usual.  They're a 4 inch heal with the truffle look on the toe and are a light colored nude.  Again, designed by Charlotte Russe which by the way don't have half sizes but I fit into a 8 when I'm really a 7.5.

I'm really going to a golden goddess look here so I will also be accessorizing my look with a beautiful ring designed by Twisted Silver which will also match my nails done by Sweet Feet located in Redmond WA.  

These next two accessories were a great find at the Goodwill in Tukwilla Wa and Kols in Covington all found by the lovely Bride On A Bike. Check her out if you every want help finding the best antique pieces whether its for home or wear! 

I am really looking forward to showing off my outfit! Definitely come out and check me out!

You can wear...?

Many of us don't think too much about it, well nevermind it's just me.  I will be a guest of yet again another Wedding, and it is my favorite kind, formal, and shamefully I misplaced the thought of "What should I wear" and as a Wedding Extremist I should be prepared with these things.  I'm sure the question of what to wear to her wedding will all cross our minds, so let me help excite your minds with outfits you will not wear once. 


Winter.  Depending on where your geographically located, it can be cold or warm or like Seattle, it will probably be rainy.  Thoughts going through your head: You want to look nice but stay warm, and what colors are in? 

Purples, Dark Brown, and Yellow(Maybe a yellow rain jacket over your beautiful Purple or Brown Sweater dress?) are good colors.  Don't be afraid to be fun and flirt with other colors than just black.  If you are accustom to wearing black and white(two colors you can't wear to a wedding) then do your favorite dark colors for this winter wedding, hopefully there is snow to bring out the rich color of your dress.  And, don't forget to add accessories and the BEST color for shoes are cream!

April showers bring spring flowers some would say, but I think it brings one heck of a color scheme that is most fun to experiment with.  I would love to be married on a fresh spring afternoon.  Any colors that you choose, make them soft and rock the legs! Again, depending on the weather, you either wear a pretty sweater or moisturize your legs and arms with baby oil to not only make them shine but will soften your legs while collecting a little bit of sun.  An idea of what I will be wearing to the wedding looks a little bit like this:

Look, look! Cream colored shoes! Told you.  The color is really simple along with the design, yet very elegant in so many ways.  Wear a side bun and string some pieces of Babies Breath through it, unless you wear a black belt around your waist then I would recommend a pair of onyx(My favorite stone that ever existed) earrings and your simple bun.  Get creative and fun!

I'm very excited to attend any summer weddings because hats are back in my opinion, hats give off that assumption of sophistication, look at Audrey Hepburn for example!  If the Bride has decided to have her wedding outdoors a hat will be nice to have for multiple reasons, like protection from the blazing hot sun (Us Washingtonians don't have to worry much about that one). 

For your summer attire, wear something that will be comfortable for you because most summer weddings are intended to be outside.  Now, location is a key factor to what you will wear but I say be fun and shine a little, wear a long flowing dress so you can keep cool.  You can still have fun and accessories, Sunglasses may be neccessary, unless you have your nice hat to shield your eyes. 

Mix it up a bit and do your own thing, make your outfit your own but don't get too stressed over it.  Start with a dress, get a color you feel accents your skin and does not go against the Bridal ettiquette.  Once you have your dress get your shoes and go to a decent thrift store(the best hand-me-down, vintage jewely) and don't forget about the belt, do a belt whether it's big or small.  I'm all for hair pretties, flowers are even nice to entwined through your bun or braids. 
 

Your Royal Wedding

As you all should know, William and Kate were married yesterday!  An event I had truely been looking forward to and look forward to encorporating the Royal looks into my new designs.  One very important piece that really caught my eye was the unique bouquet that Kate Middleton carried down the isle.  Kate really played with the idea of Spring, however, she really proves to us that we can have something so simple yet so elegant.  Being creative may strike the idea of possibly growing your own flowers and using them for a homemade unique bouqet easily saves you around $50, depending on how elegant you want it to look.  However, this idea can be somewhat unreliable and could stress you out even more.  Stay simple, like Kate, and put together a small bouquet "No bigger than your head" says Clinton Kelly from What Not To Wear.  By using uncommon flowers, it can bring a wide variety of ideas to the look of things but also save you some.  Kate used Lily of the Valley in her bouquet, which really brought the look of Spring into her wedding.  A small variation of flowers like Lillies, Daisies, Acadia, Baby's Breath, or Carnations can be a great choice to twist into your bouquet.  Finding them is easy, on the other hand, choosing the colors and style is the hard part. 


Beyond the bouquet, the dress also caught my eye. The world wondered what Kate would wear, would it be fun and sexy, or modest and poofy like Queen Elizabeth's Dress.  I absolutely love the dress she chose because it was actually right inbetween, it felt like she really met the look approved by many.  The dress was designed by Sarah Burton, with a train approximately 12 ft. long and the lace hand sewn.  I really felt Kate's feelings about the choice of dress in the beginning because not only did she want her wedding to be her own but she was going to be the married into the Royal family and amongst many very important guests.  We think it's a mind scrambling experience to bring our opinionated mothers and bridesmaids along to pick out the dress, well, she had to choose her dress off of the opinionated world.  She chose a sweetheart neckline, A frame gown and incased her shoulders with the unique beauty of the lace.  Sexy and sophisticated for our modern day brides, and let the record be known I was in love with lace before I had even seen her gown.  I have already chosen my gown, designed by Monique Lhuillier.  Due to the new obsession of lace, you can usually find it popular on the handed down gowns.  If no lace is present or a handed down dress is out of the question, you can always find well priced gowns with the design you seek.  A good designer to keep your eyes open for is Casablanca, offering a wide variety of styles.  If you're like me, you will be having your dress designed specially and you will be able to incorperate your own heart into it.


I could go on and on about my likes and ideas of the wedding that occurred today but I must rest my mind for a long day of designing.  P.s.  If you watched the wedding, I'm sure you must have noticed Kate's Brother, James Middleton, did not notice his tie had been ruffled up, I wanted to fly to Britian and fix it for him. 


Goodnight!

True Love.

Hello to all! As late as it is, I can never really stop thinking about Weddings.  It has always been a life dream of mine to stand in front of the man I love saying our vows, but I think the most excitement is all in the planning.  Many struggle with the stresses of it all, but all I want to do plan!  I think I get the joys most out of seeing it all come together and how amazing it is to see someones dream actually come true.  It all seemed so stereotypical at one point in time when I thought love was not to ever be found for myself.  I never really truely understood why two people were so attached, why they couldn't unlock hands to enjoy a meal, or how the words 'I love you' could possibly be used that many times and the sentence could still make sense.  If you are relating to this now, just hold tight, I know that time will come when you find that love.  But for those of you who are trying to explain what it feels like (Note the word "Trying"), I understand now.  It's nice to be in love.  Oh what was that? How did we meet? Oil Change, ladies ;D!  My business is founded off love and will only be generated by love.  Who needs electricity anymore anyways, it's all about bringing the candles back!  Now I would like to commit to blogging realistically maybe once every two weeks, buuut no promises.  Right now, business is at the crisp clean beginning,  just a couple of designing projects at the moment but I want more! I long for more!  My quote for the day is "Challenges weaken our hope at times, but without challenges we would have no strength, and with no strength we have no hope.  So carry on with strength and hope, and you will overcome your challenges."