And One More…
In my current color search I just found this image compilation of a wedding using peacock feathers. I thought that I was the creative one! Well, great minds think alike. And, it proves just how gorgeous this color and feather combo would be!
Picking The Colors
I am so full of wedding ideas right now! I am trying to weed my way through them slowly, so I thought I would post some of my ponderings here. If any of you out there have any suggestions, adivce, or pictures to share with me, please! 🙂
A small run down of a few of the important things we have been considering so far:
We would like the weather to be warm, not scalding, so we were considering a late August wedding, which probably means August 2010. We are having a small ceremony at the church I grew up going to. We would love to have a large reception with all of our friends and family. We are on a very small budget, which means we are doing most everything ourselves. This also led us to the idea of having our reception outside. Our three possibilities so far are my mother’s backyard where I grew up, our county fairgrounds where Tony says he first knew he loved me (sentimental!), or a hangar at the airpark down the road from my childhood home. I also know we do NOT want a themed wedding, but will probably take influences from vintage themes, such as the 30’s and 40’s.
Now, my first question up for help is the colors. We want black and white. Elegant, yet simple, especially if we are outdoors. But, I would like an accent color. My two favorite ideas with black and white are red or dark teal. I love them both. So, here are a couple pictures for inspiration, and let me know what you think!!
Here is a black and white wedding that was also outdoors. http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2009/01/board-329-white-barn-black.html
These are just some black and white examples. Ours wouldn’t be quite as barnyard casual.
Here are some examples with red as an accent color. http://justjaime28.wordpress.com/2008/09/07/a-black-white-red-wedding-shower/
This set is a little too fancy for our outdoor setting, but it does show how well red would work with black and white and that damask that we love.
I couldn't find pictures where people actually used teal, but here is a tie. http://www.neckties.com/teal_by_elite_solid_teal_tie.apml
I think that the teal color could add to the vintage-y vibe we are looking for.
If we used teal, we might be able to incorporate peacock feathers into our flowers and centerpieces. http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/5950-Intro-to-Digital-Photography-Week-2-Messing-round-with-f-stops-
I was hoping to use some feathers, even in white, such as in my hair, but, was inspired when I saw this gorgeous picture.
What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Change it up somehow? Help me out here!? 🙂
Chair Love For This Week
The chair obsession continues this week. My latest chair love goes out to this guy: The Egg Chair. Arne Jacobsen designed this chair over 50 years ago. The egg chair was unique when it was first designed, but the 50th anniversary chair with chocolate suede and leather is gorgeous! The picture and much more information came from here: http://the-egg-chair.com
Rearranged
The cluttered corner of the living room just wasn’t working, so this morning (we are both home again due to awful weather) we moved the old Coke crate to the entryway of the bedroom. This took care of two problems at once. The marquee letters we had hanging in the doorway were looking a little lonely as well. We were happily surprised by just how much tiny changes can help a space out!
The space isn't completely finished, but it does already look a lot less cluttered.
The Coke crate could still use a few odds and ends, but this is a great improvement. All in good time!
I am so glad my fiance is understanding with me when I want to move shelves three times before its right! And, thankful that he is willing to do all the work, even on his day off! 🙂
Vintage Cool
We have been searching for a solution to our overflowing silverware drawer lately. A jar or canister seemed like the perfect solution to hold some of the larger utensils. But, finding the perfect one was the difficult part. We tried to be open minded, but wanted to stick with something vintage and fun. Then, it hit me. We were at our favorite little retro shop in Moline, IL, Fred And Ethel’s. We saw the cutest little solution. A retro ice bucket! It is a little short and wide, but so adorable. So, we took it, and here it is in it’s new home!
The colors don't really match our black and white and red theme, but it was too funky to pass up!
Check out Fred And Ethel’s website here: http://www.fredandethels.com
All Dressed Up
Last weekend was the annual Red Ribbon Dinner and Great Art Auction. The dinner is a fund-raiser for HIV/AIDS. The company I work for puts the dinner on every year, and it is a huge deal, so, of course, Tony and I got to go this year! Here is the outfit I put together. Fun for cocktails and partying, but also professional:
The dress I picked- wish I could wear this everyday!
The ring to match the belt on the dress.
Not the best picture of us, but you get to see the outfits! 🙂
We just had fun being dressed up and out on the town for a night. We even bid on some art, but got outbid in the last minute. Aw.
Rain Lamp
After some research I quickly learned that the lamp I recieved from my grandparents (posted the other day) is called a Rain Lamp. The lamp uses mineral oil and was invented by Darrell H. Johnson. Once I figured out what exactly the lamp did, how to clean it, and what to put in it, I started in on the daunting task of cleaning the mess.
The lamp had sat for years and years in my grandparents’ garage. They got sick of it in their house, but couldn’t completely part with it. Being sticky with oil, the lamp collected a thick layer of dirt and grass being in a garage for so long. So…
I started by wiping the entire lamp off with a wet cloth. It cleaned the dirt, but nothing really removed the grease. I used a small amount of soap next. I also used both wet and dry Q-tips to reach the statue indside. Overall, the cleaning alone took a few hours.
But, after putting some elbow grease into the project, it was ready to hang! We finished hanging the lamp last night. The lamp looks good in the space, but everything else in that area is starting to look a bit cluttered. I will have to do some moving there. But, check out the lamp!
If you have any suggestions on rearranging so it isn’t so cluttered over there, just let me know!
A Toast
After we finished telling all of our family and friends of the engagement yesterday, we went to Tony’s parents’ house to show them the ring. They had champagne and two very cute champagne glasses waiting for us! We toasted, talked and celebrated…
I am so excited to be welcomed into this family! Thank you so much to my parents-in-law-to-be!
P.S. We do not know much about the champagn glasses. They say David Douglas on the bottom, but I could not find any info on them. The black area is ribbed and feels almost like an old record. There is also a piece in the bottom that turns and says On/Off. We have no clue!
Fat Rock!
Yes, its true! I’m engaged! Tony proposed to me last night. It was so unexpected, and so sweet. We do not yet have an exact date, but are considering late August in 2010. I told myself not to get too excited, and to hold off on the planning, but that really isn’t going to happen. I have already been writing down ideas and scouring the blog world. We are considering a black and white color scheme, with either dark teal or red accents. I would also love to do a vintage touch (doesn’t that sound like us!?). I, of course, will continue to blog on our home and decor ideas and projects, but there might be some random wedding ideas here too! Fill me in on any ideas! Here is a picture of the ring.
Its a vintage square diamond turned on an angle. Pictures don't do it justice- its gorgeous!
Quirky
We had a busy night last night and didn’t finish ANY of the projects we had planned. So, in the meantime, I thought I would share with you some quirky little things that we are currently loving. Enjoy!
This pillow by Brandon Dunlap is just adorable! http://shanalogic.com/item.php?item_id=1931&manufacturer_id=156
We would love to keep our guests' drinks cold with these bone ice cubes. http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/a34b/?cpg=froogle
Cocktail chemistry set. Guests will be amused! http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/cocktail-chemistry-set
Vintage fancy framed mirrors. These look so pretty in every home. http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/set-of-3-antiqued-vintage-style-mirrors
Frilly vintage frames. Especially in teal. http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/bouquet-of-flowers-oval-picture-frame-aqua-by-growing-veip
Jewelry made from random items. This is made from two vintage bottle caps. http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/etsy-47bonanza-vintage-soda-pop-bottle-cap-pendant-necklace
Antique bottles. Plain or fancy, they are so pretty. This one is an old ink well. http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/cobalt-blue-ink-well-vintage-bottle
Well, there’s a mish-mash of all the random (and quirky) things that are on our minds lately. Hope you are inspired. Or, at least amused.
Make Mine Eclectic 