MORE LINK LOVE CONTINUED...

Creature Comforts, written by the lovely Ez has been kind enough to include me in her blogroll. She covers everything from Fashion, to film to home decor & paper finds all with a wonderful eye for unqiue style. Somehow while staying on top of all things fabulous she manages to run a great online boutique Wren Eleven which includes fantatic indie finds from paper goods to affordable art. And a little bonus... she features her favorite blog of the week, which this week is is Snippet and Ink. She happend to pick the board to feature her which included my lovely little yellow toile invite. That made me smile : )



It's been a long and tiring week....more link-y love tomorrow, promise promise!

IT'S TIME FOR A LITTLE LINK LOVE

It's been awhile since I've shared the 'link love', and I feel so loved lately with some recent shout outs, mini features and my link being added to many many blogrolls I wanted to share the love...

Firstly, Lisa from Blush. I love reading her blog. It's always so informative and you can tell she truly loves weddings. She's currently running a fun contest with the prize being the Real Simple Wedding book. You to submit your favourite wedding details from your own wedding or others you've attended. She featured my submission today. My Peruvian Mariniera dancers who performed at our wedding. Take a peek by clicking on her header below.



Lara from Ready to Spark featured me last week in a post called "Who's Satiating my Blogaholic Tendencies". :) She's living my dream, as she gave up her job in corporate america/brand planning and design strategy to join her family business and follow her dream. Her company is Regal Tent Productions providing unique tent options as well as lighting, staging and dance floors for incredibly high end events, fashion shows, concerts, sporting events, and of course weddings. She shares alot of insight, has amazing taste and endless useful links for event planning. Click on her header below to check out her blog...



More to come tomorrow....I promise ; )

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SUNDAY MORNING PAPER

Okay, so "Sunday Morning Paper" here at Its Lovely has become "begging for feedback on my work for Merrilee Designs ". It's a little annoying I know, but helps oh so much!!!

Here's the latest. Your thoughts, hate 'em, love 'em, am completely indifferent, are all helpful ; )

Keep in mind these are for the "Designer Collection". Eventually, there will be a "Classic Collection" created utilizing one decorative element and or color from each design as I realize not all brides (and in particular grooms) will appreciate my some what 'feminine style'. ; )

Thanks a bunch in advance !!!

LYME DISEASE (AGAIN)

More wedding goodness to follow I promise, including a gorgeous "real wedding" at a Chateau outside Paris...but in the meantime since as I've previously posted I was recently diagnosed with Lyme Disease as well as Ehrlichiosis : ( and additionally my husband struggled to get diagnosed with Lyme for years. (you can read more about that here) I'd like to take this opportunity to let you guys know about an event coming up in that will be held at the New York Times Center in Times Square, NYC on March 31st for an exclusive preview of a brilliant documentary from Director Andy Abrahams Wilson called "Under Our Skin". It's a truly groundbreaking new film about what I believe is really the most ridiculously underdiagnosed for purely political and finacial reasons disease. Take a look at the trailor here. It's really eye opening.

The event is being hosted by the Turn the Corner foundation. A national organization dedicated to research, education, awareness and innovative treatments for Lyme disease as well as other tick borne diseases, such as Ehrlichiosis.

For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.turnthecorner.org/underourskin2008

Hope to see some of your there!

"SUNDAY" MORNING PAPER - PART 2

I spent some time on the calligraphy frame design in search of a more delicate frame. Da*n delicate is tough to find. Here's what I've come up with tonight. Thoughts? Good or bad are all welcome ; )

REAL WEDDING #1

We all know I love a good bargain, especially when it comes to wedding dresses. So when Stacy, owner of the designer bridal consignment boutique White Chicago emailed me pics of her own wedding I was excited to feature her in my first "Real Wedding" post. Stacy's boutique features new, sample and 'once wed' designer wedding gowns at 30-70% off retail. (Elie Saab, Monique Lhuillier, Pronovias, Vera Wang, just to name a few...) Her dress, from said shop of course, was a stunning Badgley Mischka silk satin scoop neck with a trumpet skirt. The organza overlay featured beautiful silver beading and champagne embroidery. Retailing for $6200, her shop was selling it for 1/2 that price, and I'm sure she took advantage of the employee discount ; )

I've noticed quite a few designer consignment bridal shops opening up throughout the country and I think it's a brilliant idea. Better than Ebay, you actually get to try the dresses on and survey their condition. Boutique's such as White Chicago maintain good relationships with the designers themselves to ensure their stock is well conditioned, is continuously fresh and not necessarily a one wed dress. Many are new, samples or from a previous season. Taking it a step further their space (see below) is stunning and quite frankly much nicer than most of the 'real wedding dress shops' around. (Yes, that is a runway!)

Take a peek at some of the shots from Stacy's own lovely and charming wedding. Complete with an old red pick up truck with a handmade "just married' sign with soda cans dangling, which transported her and her new husband from the ceremony to the reception at their favorite local restaurant.

Above photos by Brian Kinyon

WEDDING PROPS - PRETTY UMBRELLAS

I've always been enanmoured with this lovely shot of a couple kissing under an umbrella during a rain storm on their wedding day. It prompted me to take a look around to see what's available out there in 'wedding worthy' umbrellas and parasols. Granted, some of these are for pure beauty a not coverage from a full on downpour, (check the fineprint on each website as some are indeed rain-worthy), but nonetheless all are stunning.

Lovely options from Pamela's Parasols

A new find with beautiful options from Pare Umbrella

Beautiful options from Umbrella Heaven

Pretty options in a variety of colors and styles from Cultural Intrigue

Beautifully handpainted monogram in fuschia by knottie (k)not_now

SUNDAY MORNING PAPER

Okay, tooting my own horn a little bit again but I'm desperate for feedack, so please 'come out of the woodwork' and give me your 2 cents...I've been working feverishly to update my invitation collection and actually make a go at this little design business of mine. The idea is to complete what I call a ''designer collection" and then base off of those designs a "classic collection" (ie: more subdued and mainstream yet correlating to the aesthetic of the designer collection) and then a "couture collection" also based off the designer collection but including all the bells and whistles--silk boxes, crystal adornments, midori ribbon, etc etc. So I'm in the process of updating the designer collection and would love your thoughts on my favorites thus far. Here they are...

Digital calligraphy letterpressed on thick copperplate paper. Printed outter envelope features a lovely damask envelope liner. Belly band with antique monogram names and wedding date is the carried through on the reply card as well as custom postage stamps.

Pretty calligraphy frame style also letterpressed on thick coperplate paper. I'm thinking the frame should perhaps be a little more delicate...thoughts?

Pretty rose floral pocket folder. The calligraphy frame on the cover reads 'today I wil marry the one I laugh with, the one I dream with, the one I live for". (Aw!!) Antique monogammed belly band holds the ensemble closed and is also featured on the custom postage stamps. Floral motif is carried through on the outter envelope label.

This is one of my favorites. A pretty peony motif in pink. This started out as a mock up for a friend, whose FI decided he was against florals of any kind on the invites. Poo poo! I finished the design anyway. ; )

And finally, a little more black damask witha pop of color....

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what I've done so far! My husband's "those look nice, honey" isn't terribly contructive ; )

UPDATE: YEP, STILL HERE...

Apologies for the long absense. I have so much going on I don't know where to be begin...day job (super crazy, driving me nuts), baby making progress (complicated, I guess I'll have to start another blog for that aspect of my life...but in a word, frustrating...); design business (Moving right along)...even have one of my new designs featured in one of Kathryn's boards over at Snippet and Ink today. (See below) Thanks Kathryn, that made my day! I was also just recently diagnosed with Lyme Disease and so I'm dealing with that craziness as well. : (
More wedding goodness to come soon, promise promise...:)