What Not to Wear...Wedding Spectacular!!!

Okay, so I was perusing the "What Not to Wear" (honestly, one of my fave shows) website and came across this "wedding spectacular" that they posted on their website and was aired on the telly (though I'm still trying to locate the air date). They have some great tips on make up and choosing the right jewellery for your type of wedding dress. Stacey and Clinton are super funny and really, just crack me up so take a peek at their "behind the scene" antics too.

something for the little ones

Back from the weekend and feeling a little bit better. I think if all the snow melted this instant I'd be miraculously cured! Pretty sure that's not going to happen, so on to the blog for today...

If you choose to have some children in your wedding party, finding them something to wear, and something that they want to wear, is always a challenge. J. Crew has some great dresses in their current catalogue. The yellow skirt with a plain white t-shirt or short sleeve sweater would be very cute with a chic pair of ballet flats. All of these come in other colours, they are fun, unique and would make any little girl's heart scream with delight!

ho hum

Feeling a bit under the weather today, and not feeling much motivation to post. I hope everyone has a great weekend and we'll be back with some inspiration on Monday!

a quick fix

So I picked up two colours of the Nic's Sticks by OPI last night at my local drug store. If you haven't already noticed, I'm into the gimmicky things. So, of course, nail polish in a pen is a natural choice! I chose "home by midnight" which is a sparkly black, and "where's my chocolate" a nice brown. I have to say, for nail polish in a pen, it's pretty great! Not too mention, it's a lot cheaper than my usual choices from Essie. Unfortunately I wasn't crazy about the lighter colours, there was nothing to compare to the great shades of "ballet slippers" and "mademoiselle" by Essie. You might have a different opinion, so be sure to pick some up. They would be great for travelling or to pop into your wedding day touch up kit.

the perfect gift!

For those of you attending weddings, engagement parties or even a wine shower this bridal season, check out this great idea from Garnish! Definitely more memorable than a crock pot!

happy spring!

Almost forgot it was Spring, what with the snow and all! Hope you all had a good Easter. I just purchased some lovely spring shoes....can you say "red soles"? I will post a picture when they arrive!

Fierce!

Okay, I'm totally into Christian Siriano, the winner from Project Runway. I could seriously watch a show all about him. So, I'm borrowing one of his phrases to describe this dress from Melissa Sweet....I LOVE it! So pretty and delicate....and definitely 'fierce'!

Happy Easter!

It's Good Friday and just about everything is closed here in Canada. I guess this should be a good excuse for me to finish up the crafty stuff I started yesterday. Not to mention some projects that Avocado Kiss has on the go (gotta get a set of invitations printed!). On the other hand, Husband has gone fishing for two days...which means movies on the couch and some Wiener Wrap for dinner also sounds enticing.
What is Wiener Wrap, you say? Only the second best way to eat hot dogs! (the first being with Kraft Dinner) This doughy goodness comes in can, you buy right next to all the other Pillsbury tasties in the dairy aisle. I'm sure it's full of stuff that's not good for me...after all, it is dough...that comes in a can. You just tear apart the sheets, wrap 'em around your favorite hot dogs, I suggest Mitchell's cheese smokies, and bake them in the oven. What could be easier than that.....it's wholesome goodness!

getting crafty....sort of

M and I decided we would get crafty today and attempt some long overdue scrapbooking. As always, it takes us about an hour to finally get to business (which is why we never get too much accomplished when we try and scrapbook) and we start chatting over some chai tea. Very quickly our focus turned from crafting to the fact that we must take a girls trip. Needless to say, we left the scrapbooking behind and quickly planned our trip to Vegas. We first thought we might go on a cruise, but then decided we would take the cheaper trip to Vegas, that would allow us lot extra spending cash for shopping. Hopefully we'll be off at the end of June....now, I really need to finish those last two pages of my scrapbook that's from 2 summers ago.

picture from this site

new Etsy

Found this new shop on Etsy, Susy Pilgrim Waters. She makes these tres cool canvas bags that we should all be carrying these days. I can't even tell you how many plastic shopping bags I have jammed under my sink! I am getting better, and remembering to bring my canvas bags to the grocery store. Mind you, if I had these, I might just carry them everywhere!

thinking of spring

These gorgeous flowers from Ink & Peat, (thank you Oh Joy! for posting about them), make me think of Spring. I love the mix of textures and the delicate colours. Oh how I wish I had the talent for floral design. In my fantasy life, my whole house would be done in white, with a soft breeze coming in through open windows...it would always be summer and I would have fresh flowers all over the house, just like these ones! Unfortunately, reality tells me that we have winter 5 months of the year, the mosquitoes are bad in the summer, which means I would actually have to find all the screens for my windows, and all white just isn't practical! Ah well, I still have the flowers!

simply Vera

My sister sent me a picture of her way cool new shoes, and I thought I should investigate further. In case you don't know, Kohl's sells a line designed by Vera Wang, called Simply Vera. I have personally purchased some of her clothes, and I love them. I think the quality and finishing is really great, and I love the classic, but forward styles. She basically sells everything, from clothes to accessories to home goods. And Kohl's always has a sale, so you're bound to get this stuff for 40% off (as did my sister)!

let them eat cake

These gorgeous cakes are from April Reed. Something about the simplicity of them makes me want to like cake. See, I really wanted to have wedding pie at my wedding, as I don't like cake. Husband wasn't too keen on the idea, and we probably would of looked pretty funny cutting apple pies in our wedding pictures! So, needless to say, we had your average, three tier, square wedding cake. Wish we could of had one of these...

fellow canuck!

I have been searching for this site for a long time! I found Karen Smallbone's favour site a while ago, but then when my computer crashed, I lost all my bookmarks, and couldn't exactly remember the address. Thanks to Weddingbee, I've found her again. I love her favour ideas, especially the lollipops! I am also digging the fact that she is Canadian and prices are in Canadian funds. For Canadian brides, it is so hard to find cool web stores that actually come from our country! (if you know of any, send me the links!) Please be sure to check her out! Also link over to Barebonephoto. I'm going to do a post on them later...

and we're back!

Yes M and I are back from our respective vay-cay's, and unfortunately we still have snow. I thought that maybe by some miracle, it would of all been gone in the week I was away, but no.

A big thank you to our guest blogger last week. She did a fantastic job, and should totally have a blog of her own. She definitely had a lot of cool stuff to say and we'll keep you posted if she ever starts that blog...

M and I will do our best to get back into the swing of things this week. Currently I am feeling all that wonderful, tropical moisture being sucked from my tanned skin...so I'm pretty much thinking that a large majority of my time this week will be taken up with moisturizer application. Not to mention, I'll have a hard time figuring out why there is not a 24 hour buffet in my kitchen and trying to find those machines that dispense the pina coladas I was enjoying all week. Ah well, back to reality I guess...better get used to wearing the winter coat and putting on my Uggs! (oh, just remembered, I should have two pairs I won on ebay waiting for me at the post office...I had an ebay addiction before I left, but that's a story for another day)

On the bright side, it's St. Patrick's day! That must mean that Spring is right around the corner. So instead of enjoying the green grass today...have some green beer!

a whole new me...

While I was doing a little shopping on holiday I figured I would finally take the time, sans child, to really have a good peek in Sephora. I also told myself it was time I had someone assist me in picking out the right makeup colours for my skin tone so these were my finds...and let me tell you, they are not the shades I would have chosen (though this is why I always found my blush looking orangey).

1. "Gold Coast" blusher from Cargo and it is so natural looking it just gives me the right amount of pink

2. "Multi-Flash" from Smashbox, which happens to be part of their "Polished Professional" collection...so totally me

3. from Philosophy I grabbed (which was right on the counter for those suckers like me to up their purchase by another $20.00) "Falling in Love" - it smells like warm vanilla and cotton candy - I swear I can't stop smelling myself

4. not from Sephora but always my fave for my lips is MAC and their tinted lipglass, I picked up "Love child" and to my eye it looked very purple...but it's not and it looks fabulous on (if I do say so myself)

Anyways my point is you might not always know what looks good on you or goes with your skin so ask away and besides it's fun to try it all on!

must read

Okay, so while I was lazing around the pool in the hot weather of Arizona sipping fancy cocktails and making conversation with the hot pool guy (reality check - I mean chasing my 3 year old around the pool...which wasn't heated...making sure she didn't get 3rd degree burns or drown, listening to my snoring hubby...who had fallen asleep in the scorcher sun and because he's "Italian" figured he didn't need the screen - oh, and wearing a t-shirt on his head like a turban becasue he forgot to pack a hat when actually, he didn't pack, I did...and drinking a pre-mixed Pina Colada from the local Walmart I managed to find some time to read. I seriously have to recommend this book, it was such an easy read and so funny. I am now onto a new book but I definetly want to pick up "The Right Address" by the same authors.

Enjoy!

kudos

A very BIG THANK YOU to M2 for filling in for us this week while we were both soaking up the rays on our mini vacations (mini because you should really always go away for a minimum of 2 weeks - I say this yet still holding out for that 2 week surprise trip from the husband).

M, you did a fabulous job and are so very creative - I love the chalk board napkin rings!!!!!!!!! What a superb idea and you can use it for so many things, also the jewellery you posted about is fantastic and though I keep procrastinating (I should really use that chart) I need some new jewels (yet again awaiting that surprise present) so those gave me some great inspiration.

Again, thanks so much - you rock!!!

M1

friday funnies

TGIF!  Woot!  I always like to end the week with a short dose of the funnies, don't you?

This cell phone dangler is fab! And haven't we all been there?

This Marc Johns poster is just great. In fact, all his illustrations kind of make me swoon. *sigh* I wish I had that kind of imagination.

I totally need this print for my office.  I've seen it in lots of colours, but metallic gold is just the right touch of sparkle!  And it's a funny way of reminding yourself to just get on with it, already.

However, if you're a procrastinator like me, there's a good chance you're not getting on with it because you're reading this blog as part of your daily Friday procrastination. (God.  The Internet.  It sucks you in, man. Like quicksand. I know!) You might enjoy this procrastination flow chart via Accordian Guy.

Finally, it's not new, but that doesn't mean it isn't hilarious.  I give you Pearl, the landlord, harassing Will Ferrell for her rent. Warning, this video is not exactly suitable for work... but it's totally suitable for the Friday funnies!

inspired by cedar

It was a gem of a morning here in Vancouver (our afternoon forecast calls for rain... ugh!  so typical in March), so I took my morning constitutional in Pacific Spirt Park, which is literally steps from my front door. 

It's one of my favourite places to walk, particularly on a sunny day. The light filters down through the trees and it's all very ethereal. There's something about those sturdy cedars, you know? They've withstood so much change, made it through so many stormy times. 

Today's style finds are inspired by cedar.  Hopefully you'll be inspired by them, too!

I adore this print by Studio Lyon.  The colours and textures are just fantastic.   

I'm totally jonesing for this soap from Sparta Soap.  

They're filled with olive oil, basil, cedar and sweet orange essential oils!  Can you imagine how great these must smell?  They'd make a terrific hostess gift, especially nestled in some tissue and presented in glassine envelopes or clear acetate boxes from Garnish.

If you like a little natural inspiration in your personal decoration, how about these totally gorgeous earrings from Sassafrass Silver?  I'm loving the cedar texture pressed into the silver discs.

They'd look great with this amazing silver cuff from Bronze Girl.  

Talk about a statement piece!

This tile from Convergence Design would make a gorgeous accent in a kitchen, bathroom or front hall, I think.  The green colour is so, so fresh!

Last but not least, take a look at this little stunner of a cedar box from BeadWorx.  

Wouldn't it make a great gift for a bride-to-be who'd like something unique in which to store her rings at night?

Who knew cedar had so much to offer!

lovin' these!

Seriously, how adorable are these? It might be a bit much to hand-write napkin rings for a wedding reception with 200 guests... but what a great idea for a rehearsal dinner or shower, particularly if you have a colour scheme like this one that has black as an accent.

These are a wee bit on the expensive side at $65 for a set of four, but they would be a super-easy DIY project. Pick up some inexpensive wooden (or even cardboard!) napkin rings from Michael's or another craft store, some chalkboard paint from Home Depot and you're in business!

the daily yum

While I would not consider myself a "foodie" (after all, I believe Diet Coke to be the elixir of the gods) there is one food that I am quite snobbish about... chocolate. Yummy, creamy, smooth, delicious chocolate. I'll take it dark, milky or even white... just not cheap.

Seriously, life is way too short to settle for sub-standard chocolate. Why eat stuff that's filled with waxes and artificial ingredients when for a few pennies more you can enjoy heaven in a bar?

A couple months ago I discovered this incredible range of chocolate bars made by Dagoba.

They come in a wide range of flavours (dark chocolate with mint and a hint of rosemary anyone?) but my personal favourite is the Chai. People. We are talking nirvana. Milk chocolate, crystallized ginger and yummy chai spices. It's kind of like a Starbucks chai latte, only better because it's a chocolate bar!

And before you write me off as a total glutton, I don't eat a bar every day. I do, however, have a small piece of this pretty much every night with whatever I'm having for dessert. It's such a great treat. 

And if you're one of those people who in the past has denied yourself chocolate because you don't think it's good for you... think again. It's totally good for you. Consider the following evidence:

1.  It gives you energy.  A single chocolate chip provides sufficient food energy for an adult to walk 150 feet.

2. It makes you feel good.  Although chocolate is not an aphrodisiac, it does contain phenylethylamine, a natural substance that stimulates the same reaction in the body as falling in love.

3. It's good for your heart.  Even though the cocoa butter in chocolate is mostly saturated fat, studies have shown that it doesn't appear to raise blood cholesterol. 

4. It's totally nutritious.  You can find 10% of your recommended daily allowance of iron in an ounce of baking chocolate or cocoa. Chocolate also contains Vitamins A1, B1, B2, C, D and E as well as calcium, potassium and sodium.

5. You can burn off the calories while surfing the web!  One click of the a mouse burns 0.0000024 kcals of energy, so you only have to click your mouse 765,551,000 times to burn off a chocolate bar.  

So what are you waiting for? Embrace your inner-chocoholic!

spin that colour wheel

Have you ever seen a great colour scheme at a wedding or other event and wondered "how did they think of that?"  Believe it or not, developing a fabulous colour palette isn't guesswork... it's actually based on science and a handy-dandy little tool called the colour wheel.

White light contains all visible colours, and those colours form a spectrum that becomes visible in a rainbow.  The colour wheel is our tool for understanding how those colours relate to each other.  To make it practical, the infinity of colours is represented by 12 basic hues... kind of like your first box of crayons!  

You can think of the primary colours of blue, yellow and red as "parent" colours.  They are the only colours not made from other colours. They're positioned around the wheel in thirds.

Secondary colours are halfway between each of the primary colours. They are made from equal amounts of the nearest primaries.

Finally, tertiary colours fill the remaining gaps in the colour wheel. They are made from equal amounts of the adjacent primary and secondary colours.

As you can see, every colour is part of the colour next to it, which is part of the next, and the next, and so on and so on all around the wheel. "Colours in common" are the basis of colour relationships.

Blue is common to all seven of these colours, which get less blue as they fan out. Green and violet are the secondaries that contain blue.

Yellow is common to these seven colours, which get less yellow as they fan out. Green and orange are the secondaries that contain yellow.

Finally, red is common to these seven colours, which (you guessed it!) get less red as they fan out. Orange and violet are the secondaries that contain red.

Now, before we get to combining colours, here's one last concept. Colour also has darkness and lightness, or value. To show value, the colour wheel has more rings -- two big rings for the dark shades (made by adding black to the hues) and two small rings for the light tints (made by adding white to the hues).

OK, now that you've got those concepts under your belt, we're ready to talk colour combinations. Probably the easiest colour scheme is the monochromatic combination.

It doesn't have any colour depth, but it does have a great contrast between dark, medium and light. 

Another easy colour scheme is the analogous (or adjacent colour) combination.

Analogous colours share strong undertones (here,  yellow and red) which create pleasing, low-contrast harmony. Analogous palettes are rich and always easy to work with.

Direct opposites on the colour wheel are complements -- in this case, blue and orange.

What the complement brings is contrast. A colour and its complement convey energy and excitement. Typically, the complement is used in a smaller amount as an accent.

One step either way are the complement's own analogous colours. This palette is called a split complement (my personal favourite!).

The strength of this palette is the low-contrast beauty of analogous colours, plus the added "pop" of an opposite colour. In this case the red, because it's the most different, would be the accent.

Secondary colour palettes can also be attractive.

Secondary colours have a lot in common -- two share blue, two share yellow and two share red -- so they harmonize easily. As a trio they are soft, inviting and rich, and have pleasing depth and dimension that are hard to get in other ways.

One final palette is the primary palette.

I'm posting this palette because it's part of the colour wheel but, to be honest, it's hardly ever used except for children's products and retail advertising.

The key thing to remember with all these palettes is that just one spin to the right or left gives you a whole new colour scheme. It's that easy!

So there you go... the science of colour. You can find colour wheels at pretty much any craft or art supplies store. You can also download a great PDF version here.

Now get out there and start spinning the colour wheel!