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choose your own

11/2/2013

k, so, rachel here as always.

i've picked my maids and matt and i have picked our colors. i've been working on an "invitation" for my maids to be a part of my party to send to each of them. i'm pretty sure they all already know they're being invited, but i need to make it official.

when it comes to dresses, i've got one who hates to show her arms, even though there's nothing wrong with them. one who worries about baby body, even though she doesn't have one. one who thinks she weighs too much even though she weighs less than most americans. seriously, if we're not all candidates for body dysmorphic, i'm not sure who is.

so, i'm letting them all pick their own knee-length cocktail dresses. my only criteria, minus "knee-length cocktail dress" is that the color be in the wedding palette. basically, my rule is: if you can find it in the feather of a (nonalbino) peacock, and it's not black or tan, you can wear it. with tan shoes. tan HEELS to be exact. tan = warm caramel from the wedding colors.

i'd love it if the dress could have some type of 20's flare, like fringe or drop waist or lace. but i'm not real picky. i made a handy wedding color guide for each of them:

i found these really thin wooden tags at hobby lobby. you'll also need painter's tape, paint, brushes, a ruler and a pen.

i painted them each on both sides in eloquent ivory in two coats. once they were dry, i marked them off with painters tape so i could highlight my two main colors while featuring my three accent colors.

once that dries, paint each square in wedding colors. one coat did it. the main colors get the largest squares.

the wooden tags were kinda splintery. and instead of digging out matt's sandpaper, i used an emory board i found in my purse. that shit worked.

i learned on "next hgtv design star" that you should always paint taped-off areas with your base paint first, in case the paint bleeds under the tape. i didn't notice bleeding, though.

once they're dry, remove the tape and label what the maids will be looking at: wedding (dress) colors and shoes.

and (hopefully) there you have it: the best damn bridesmaid dress guide on earth. i guess we'll see ;)

xoxo,
the bride

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a well-set table

11/1/2013

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rachel here ;)

anyone who knows me knows that we aren't a couple that's going to register for china. not because we won't use it. but because we don't need it. i kinda already own it.

not only do matt and i collectively have 3 sets of everyday tableware, and not only do i collect alcohol-themed decorative dessert-sized plates — but i got a wild hair one day to hit replacements limited and create my own mismatched china set. i had a lot of fun:

i'm kind of in love with the set. and i looked all over for a company that rents vintage mismatched china in the north carolina area for receptions. and i found a few. crazy expensive.

but i really think it's a great way to decorate a table without needing much by way of centerpieces. i also really like the idea of really long communal tables, as opposed to rounds. so any centerpieces would need to be low so people can meet and talk over them. the table will really need something.

but i was starting to think my mismatched china dream would never come true, because of the cost.

until i saw libby's listing on tradesy for her full wedding vision, which included 285 mismatched dinner plates at $1 a pop and 402 mismatched salad plates at 50 cents a pop. even with more than we'd need, the cost would be less than renting.

libby and i are now working out transportation, through family and friends. so no crazy shipping costs for such a heavy delivery. here are libby's photos from her wedding:

libby was nice enough to break up her vision, so she still has the vases, mirrors, candles, trees and fabric available.

but just imagine these plates on a long wooden table with a mismatched salad plate sitting atop each one with peacock blue and warm caramel linen napkins. we can still get glasses and silverware from the catering company.

and the best part is: we can sell them right back on tradesy. totes excited.

just in case you wanted to know, here are the places that rent:
vintage plate rental (they're not in nc but they ship)
mason dixon rentals
vintage charlotte
east west vintage rentals
southern vintage table
chairished vintage

xoxo,
the bride

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introducing the wedding colors

10/27/2013

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rachel here (of course) ;)

you've seen it on pinterest. get yourself some mason jars (or any clear glass) and pour paint on the inside, manipulating it into a thin coat covering the entire thing. turn that bad boy upside down and let it dry.

so, i went to home depot and got sample cans of our wedding colors. this is the tale of how it went.

(not well.)

i poured paint into the bottom of the jar. it took more than i thought. then all the rest took less. (lesson kinda learned)

i swirled it around and then turned it over. i know you can't just turn them upside down flush with a surface and expect them to dry. without air, it's just one wet party. so i propped them up on the lids.

they looked great. not so much the next morning ...

they were still wet in the morning, but looked like crap. like rivers in dried mud or something.

so, i took a foam brush and painted the inside with a thin coat, also basically moving around the still wet paint.

i let that dry, right side up, over night.

and that worked.

introducing our wedding colors: peacock blue and warm caramel with accents of rich navy, pure purple and eloquent ivory.

xoxo,
the bride

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choose your own

a well-set table

introducing the wedding colors

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