terrarium centerpieces PLUS vintage owls??

I put these photos up as fast as Feather Love sent me the link.

Hellooooo. Somebody is gonna freak out.

how to get a badass wedding dress without ever having to leave the house

Even before she sent me her wedding photos, I knew I was gonna have to squeeze a dress post out of Celia. A girl with vintage style who commissions a custom wedding dress? Yes pls.

I decided to have my dress custom made pretty early in the dress decision process. I had quickly considered jumping on the bandwagon and buying some fancy designer dress but as soon as I saw some of those fancy designer price tags, I was instantly turned off. My mom was gracious enough to tell me that she would work with me on the price, but honestly, spending THOUSANDS of dollars on a gown that could probably be seen on the pages of most wedding magazines and could be worn by any girl that was ready and willing to spend those THOUSANDS of dollars, seemed 1. predictable and 2. not me at all. I try not to buy my regular clothes from massive corporations, so why would I go that route when it came to my wedding day?

On to plan B: a vintage dress!! This idea was extremely appealing. I own and wear tons of vintage and one of my best friends is a vintage buyer. This was going to be perfect! Well, turns out, not so perfect after all. I have seen many girls pull off vintage wedding dresses beautifully, but unfortunately, I was not going to be one of those girls. I tried on a slew of vintage gowns, but I always ended up looking too kitschy and not classic, which is what I really wanted. After all the excitement, I was a bit heart broken that vintage wasn't going to work for me.

And that's when I made the decision to have my dress custom made. I knew it was the only way to get the dress I actually wanted... the dress of my dreams! The hardest part was finding someone reputable that I felt I could totally and completely trust. I came across Lindsey Nelson (who's worked for the Los Angeles Opera House) through another dressmaker who had made wedding dresses for two of my friends, but had moved to Nashville. I didn't know exactly what I wanted, but I definitely knew what I didn't want (no strapless/mermaid/satin/beaded ensemble) and I knew the look I was going for. I sent her photos of dresses and details that I loved and asked her if she would be interested in making my dress. Lucky for me, she jumped on board and said that she would come to my home for all our meetings and fittings. So, I basically got a badass wedding dress without ever having to leave my house... that's my kind of business deal! She came by a few weeks later, measured me, asked me a whole bunch of questions, brought more pictures for more inspiration, and sketched out what I knew was going to be the most gorgeous dress.


I was definitely set on lots of lace and unlike esb, I AM a ruffle person, so there was going to be some serious ruffle action. Knowing that I had loved the idea of a vintage gown, Lindsey had suggested we use vintage lace to construct all the ruffles on my dress. GENIUS! I'm pretty sure that was the very moment I fell in love with her! Over then next three months, we took a trip downtown to pick out the fabric for the main part of my dress, we bid on a variety of vintage laces that Lindsey found for me on Ebay, and had four fittings total. Everything went so smoothly and perfectly, that I even asked her to make my mom's dress and a blouse for the flower girl. In the end, I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful gown on my wedding day and I definitely couldn't have asked for a better, sweeter and more personal way to get that dress. There's no way I would change a thing.

Oh, and the whole dress (labor and fabric) totaled less than $950. I'm quite happy to say that my extra money went towards an amazing honeymoon in Europe and not Vera Wang's pocket...



*Update: tons more inspiration pics and terrific detail shots on Lindsey's blog.*

All photos (with the exception of the inspiration board) by Cathryn Farnsworth

Southern California Wedding Chic (complete with ostrich)

I could not be more stoked to feature the wedding of the lovely and hilarious Celia, of life according to celia. Here's what she had to say:

First off, I'd like to give a big fat thank you to ESB for getting what the whole wedding planning process is really about and, of course, for featuring our wedding. I thought we were kind of cool before, but now my head is swelling at a phenomenal rate... jokes.

OK, where to start? After 10 months of planning, some serious nail biting, a good amount of tears, and a few fits of rage, we got married in front of 113 of our nearest and dearest on October 10th at the Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse in Los Olivos. We rented the house for two nights and invited our families and close friends to spend that time with us. To say it was the best time of my life, would be the absolute grossest understatement. I guess there really are no words to describe how incredibly perfect that weekend was.

The day of the wedding was the most beautiful day I had seen in months. Living in Southern California can be pretty grueling during the Summer, so a 77º day is always more than welcome. I know tons of little details go so wrong at so many weddings, but I must admit that ours ran pretty smoothly. The ceremony started at 4:30 and we were married by a very close friend of ours... an idea I highly recommend if you are planning on having a nondenominational wedding. He made us laugh, then cry, and laugh again. It was so sweet and so personal. My mom walked me down the aisle and I remember feeling like I was a little kid again.

The ceremony was very short (maybe 15 minutes) and we proceeded to have a huge blowout party. I was not interested in a lot of the traditions, i.e. throwing the bouquet/tossing the garter/etc., mainly because I didn't want to feel like I was on a schedule at my wedding, and also because I really didn't feel the need to have Joseph's hands or face up my dress in front of our families. Maybe that's just me, though.


We both work in the food industry, so the food was a really big deal to us. We didn't want anything fancy, so we felt family style would be our best option. The menu consisted of Roasted Fennel and Orange Salad, White Mushroom Lasagna, and Paella from The Chef's Touch in Solvang and I don't think we could have been happier with how it all turned out. Joseph works as a Sommelier and decided to buy all different bottles of wine from Silver Lake Wine, so that no two were alike. Everyone was excited to see what bottles would be at their table. We also served three signature cocktails; a spicy whiskey one, a sweet tequila one, and a rusty nail for my dad. There was a mariachi and we gave out Mexican tin ornaments for favors as a nod to my heritage. We used terrariums as centerpieces because Joe's highly allergic to quite a variety of flowers.

Dinner turned into a big dance fest and we were so delighted to hear everyone tell us that they were having the best time. I had never in my life felt so happy or full of love. It was almost surreal. The night came to an end, although I wished it could have lasted forever, and I could not believe how blessed we were to have such a beautiful and heartfelt wedding. Totally worth all those fits of rage...



Tune in tomorrow for Celia's advice on how to get a badass wedding dress without ever having to leave the house.

And, yes, that is a ban.do headpiece. Celia visited the studio to try em on. She's fancy like that.

(Photos by Cathryn Farnsworth)

chic? yes. cheap? never.

Liz did it. She got married. And the girl is so f*cking adorable I can't even muster a lecture about the fake Louboutins.

Check out her wedding graduate post today on APW.

Photo credit: a bridesmaid.

the real LA: dire wolf skulls, petrichor antlers and the Kibitz Room

cevd and I took Monday off to do some touristy/fabulous LA things. We packed an outdated copy of LA Bizarro, but I must say we did pretty well on our own.

After a trip to Pink's for lunch, we spent a good part of the afternoon at the La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum, where they have the most amazing collection of dire wolf skulls. We also quite enjoyed the display of eagle toe bones.

And then purely by accident, we parked in front of Cavern. (Yes, on our way to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, got a problem with that?) We went in, obv, and can attest that these antlery feathery items are even sexier in person. Srsly.

Petrichor antler*/wood/chain necklace handmade in Los Angeles by Molly Steele.

Cavern Collection handmade seed bead & dip-dyed feather necklace.

This piece is gone but I couldn't resist posting it. (Yes, partly because the model is rocking a mustache. We've gone too long without a good mustache.)

I've subscribed to the Cavern blog so I can obsess about new pieces as they come in. And I had a lovely chat with Adam, one of the store's proprietors. I think I freaked him out a little when I referenced Keith Richards and his bone earring circa Gimme Shelter (freaked him out as in, man this "blogger" lady is old). But anyhoo. ADAM WAS WEARING A BONE AROUND HIS NECK. Or an antler, or whatever. It seemed relevant.

There was dinner and blah blah blah. But obviously cevd, H-town and I closed the night at Canter's Kibitz Room. We may not have see Slash, but we did see some true Hollywood rockers. And man did I wish I was wearing an antler.

*I believe this means the antler has been shed. Ie. the beast was not killed to give us this necklace. But I don't have a lot to go on here.

can we start christmas shopping?

Y'know, now that that tedious halloween thing is out of the way?

all plaidout just sent me to The American List on A Continuous Lean. I guess I never thought about how few things are actually made in America. I'm sorry. I didn't.

The Steven Alan hunting jacket is. This would be my A-#1 gift on the list for H-town if only it made it under our $100 spending limit. (Not. even. close. bud.)

I also highly recommend Steven Alan's reverse seam shirts, for the man seeking a slightly dressy, slighty f-this look. Not to be worn with a tie. (One of my fave xmas presents scored for a bfriend past. I must admit I had to bargain hunt for that one too.)

This one (in organic cotton) is already on sale.

I am happy to report that a rad pair of Earnest Sewn jeans I bought at Crossroads a few weeks ago were also made in America. And (bonus!) they are 100% cotton, which means they don't make me want to tear my skin off.

happy halloween

It's Parker as William Hundley's Chihuahua on Cheeseburgers.

Now hie thee to me melodia to see the making-of photos. This kind of action you don't want to miss:

the f*ck-Tiffany engagement ring

I don't know how I overlooked Bario-Neal* in my round-up. Their lovely Knottedrush Ring, which, for the record, I prefer as a wedding band, has been making the rounds on the blogs for more than a year (and has been much imitated by other designers).

But they've also got some pretty slammin engagement rings. This rough diamond Avens Ring is my favorite. Does it not have a terrific fuck-Tiffany thing going on?**

And I'm referring to the design. It doesn't hurt that the rings are handcrafted with reclaimed precious metals; ethically-sourced stones; and low-impact, environmentally conscious practices. Plus 1% of all Bario-Neal profits is donated to the Association for Responsible Mining.

This concludes ring month (er, two weeks) on ESB. But I did put a little directory of my favorites over on the right for handy reference.

*Have I lost my mind, or was Bario-Neal formerly known as Rust Belt?

**After I just told practical, schmactical I thought this ring was too "indie take on the Tiffany ring." I dunno. I'm fussy.

PEZ for the kids and turquoise for the bride

Heidi emailed me this morning as I lay in bed feeling sorry for myself:*

Hi Again! Wanted to say thanks again for the awesome ideas for the kids at the wedding. Things went swimmingly. We did however run out of time... (and... um... money) and ended up getting the kids pez dispensers instead. (FYI... KIDS LOVE pez dispensers & when then lose and or get tired of them.. you know you only spent a couple of bucks anyways). Just thought i'd pass a couple pics along. FYI, i know you've been featuring some rings lately, so i thought i'd send a ring shot... i am a non-diamond fan.. but i have this retardedly huge love for turquoise. My mr. found this most lovely turquoise and diamond ring at erie basin and that was my engagement ring. He did such a fab job. My band was my grandmothers... My new MIL made my dress and the flower girls dresses... and they were TO DIE FOR...

It was a blast. We were lucky. We had the most GORGEOUS weather... and now it's over & i have the kindest and most sarcastic man i could have hoped for.... yeah for crazy artist husbands!

*****

Mkay. PEZ???!!

Heidi, I'm not gonna lie. I was pissed at you for about five seconds. I honestly think it would be better to buy nothing for the kids than plastic crap. (I feel the same way about favors, obv.)

But then the photos loaded and your adorable face beamed up at me. How could I be pissed at you? Plus your vintage ring is gorg. I love the way you brought the turquoise into your wedding colors. And hellooo, nice shoes on the mister!

* The wind is riling up allergies I didn't know I had. I don't wanna go into it.

for the true blood bride and groom

A pair of interlocking baby vamp rings from Bittersweets NY. I'm kind of geeking out about how romantic that is.

p.s. jezebel is giving away a baby vamp charm by Bittersweets, so hightail it over to her blog before November 1st.

here's a ring for you

It belongs to this lady:

woolgathering & miscellany has me a little obsessed with Rick Owens and esp. Michele Lamy, his wife "slash business partner slash muse slash restaurateur slash gold & diamond encrusted teef owner," (as w&m put it).

(Photos by Monika Bielskyte)

via woolgathering & miscellany, one of my fave new blogs

Dear ESB: we're eloping... (part three)

Yesterday I got this email from Brandy, with the subject: Remember me? Dress/shoe help?

Hey...

You'll be happy to know that in the end I wore the lace short dress. Three days before we went away I took it in to the place by my work that hems my pants and asked if they could alter it so it fit, they could, same day it cost 25 dollars. I figured if they fucked it up I'd just wear something else. I ended up not finding any awesome shoes, well I found many awesome shoes but all of them were more than I wanted to spend, so I'm saving up for a mega shoe purchase. Wore some pewter coloured shoes I had from Nine West.

The hairdresser didn't bother to listen to my "I want BIG messy 60's hair" instructions and did her own thing, didn't care. Had the ceremony to a soundtrack of The Smiths (Instrumental of Please, please, please) Big Star, The Association, Dusty Springfield, Nick Drake and Paul Weller. It was pretty awesome. Afterwards our witnesses took photos and we drank a bottle of champagne in a horse drawn carriage, which we hadn't planned on doing as it's a wee too tacky touristy for us but we thought fuck it, better than sitting on a park bench and being harassed by seagulls!

Anyhow here are my two favourite photos (my husband hates the one without our heads but I think it's awesome). Thanks again for being awesome and hilarious.

xxoobrandy

*****

Remember you? Are you kidding me?? I've been thinking about you nonstop and wondering if you hated me and dying for photos. DYING.

May I put these up on the blog? Because you guys ROCK, the dress rocks, and p.s. where did you get your RING?? (Editor's note: click on photo #2 to zoom in.)

lovelovelove
esb

*****

Hate you? No way! Theres only a few blogs that don't make me want to vomit and were my saving grace, with all the stuff that's thrown at brides it's amazing there isn't a special hospital for them once they go crazy!

Ahh thanks, I thought we cleaned up pretty well! Of course you can put them up on your blog! It'd be an honor! My ring was made by a friend of ours who owns a company called The Fair Trade Jewellery Co. here in Toronto. Almost all the flowers are from my garden, so I get to see them every year which is nice. I'm married and it's super, although pretty much the same as before but with more jewellery. I guess that's what happens when your with someone for ten years.

hugs
brandy

p.s. In case you missed em, here are links to the controversial Dear ESB: we're eloping and I'm on dress #3 and Dear ESB: we're eloping... (part two).

Corsages are the new WHATEVER

When I first saw a wedding corsage on little winter bride, I thought, Hmmm.... I dunno if I can get on board with prom.

But then my lady Emily Thompson sent me this photo of a corsage she made from smokebush, Yves Piaget garden rose and castor pod. Nothing prom about it.

p.s. Emily is featured on the Elle blog this week. Check it out.

(Photo by Addie Juell)

I am NOT a ruffle person

Really I'm not. But these ruffly pieces are insane.

(I bet crutch would make the shrug for you if you asked her.)

Photography by Carl Bengtsson for Brides UK September/October 2009 via {a glamorous little side project} via simple blueprint

Is it okay to send a save-the-date postcard? (part two)

This post got a lot of comments defending postcards. From people who sent postcards. But I can't resist reposting this one (just in from Lauren):

so as it turns out, some family friends of ours have a daughter getting married the weekend after us. they sent the save the date postcard... they asked my mom if she got it. she didn't. she mistakenly threw it away while trying to get rid of junk mail.

envelopes win.

I (heart) cevd

I've been waiting all week for Christine to post photos of her wee shop/custom invitation studio. I don't want to brag or anything... Okay maybe I do want to brag a little: H and I got our asses out of the house and made it to the opening.

I won't lie to you, the paper goods are rad. We did a little early christmas shopping while we were there. And I don't even want to talk about the bacon chocolate bars. Proceed with caution. (Alternatively: Consume with bourbon. Die happy.)

But I digress. cevd's hand-printed "I (heart) LA" bags are what really killed me. H bought me one and I haven't left the house without it since.

Would you believe this puppy holds $70 worth of groceries from Whole Foods? Plus the "(Los Alamos, California)" in fine print cracks me up. It's a funny little "You didn't really think I loved Los Angeles, did you?"

Bonus: Since we've been on the topic of engagement rings and nontraditional girls, I hounded cevd to send me a photo of her vintage green sapphire engagement ring.

mas found the ring through his dad's ex-girlfriend who has since started the online antique jewelry shop Topazery. (cevd took this photo in her studio on one of the DIY seat cushions. Showoff.)

cevd also has a little Sarah Perlis diamond. I. know. But whenever I see her she's rocking the sapphire.

Update: Christine says "perhaps you need to mention that when it comes to engagement rings people need to GET over the diamonds? ... like now please." And bags are now for sale on etsy.