Two From The Pro

I've seen only two of our photographs from our pro, but they've both made me even MORE excited to see the entire haul.

There was this one, that I already blogged about, and now this one on Dana's blog post about how busy she is with weddings in April.

It's Dana!

 image

DYING, I tell you. The truth is, she's such an amazing talent that everyone wants a piece of her, and I can't blame 'em. So lucky to have booked her, what a gem!

P.S. Dana brought a co-shooter, Jenny, who was equally wonderful. Check out her work here. Dana stayed with us girls while Jenny wrangled Nate and his groomsmen. Can't wait to see what she captured!

It's Jenny!

image

Let Them Eat Cake

...Er, doughnuts as the case may be. But either way, dessert needs a perch.

Remember the supplies I picked up at Goodwill for cake plate making? Well, the time has come. A little newspaper coverage of the garage* and a can of Rust-Oleum in 'Lagoon' and the process was underway.

Next up is a little glue action, affixing the gold and silver chargers to the once-bottom-now-top of the goblets. Another project well on it's way to completion, woohoo! 

*A moment to celebrate the fact that I now have a garage, please!

Task Master

Is it just me or as the holidays approach do the weekends fly by even faster? Even though mine kicked off a few hours early with our Lord Hill Farms tasting on Friday, those two-point-five days just seemed to evaporate. Maybe I'll feel better after an Accomplished This Weekend In Pictures sesh.....

Tasted (and chose!!) The Day's din din :

 

Gorgonzola Pasta at Lord Hill

Asiago-Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce at Lord Hill

  

We also managed to eat SO MUCH FOOD that we literally didn't eat for the rest of the day. The bride and groom that had the tasting appointment with us were having appetizers, so while we managed to avoid that up-sell, we still got to partake in the deliciousness. Because, you know, we needed more food.

We also hit up Home Depot :

A little laminate research - This one's my pick

Mini Christmas Tree!

The mini Christmas tree was the best compromise this year as A) I advocate for a real tree EVERY YEAR and Safety Nate always denies, and B) with moving looming on the horizon (no new house news - STILL waiting on the bank that owns it to drop the hammer), this seemed an easier route than hauling out the big one we use every year and then having to pack it up again so soon.

Last but not least, my logical self decided I needed another project, so I gathered up all the ingredients to make some gifts to send my pals (don't judge me, I know I'm nuts) :

I can't spill the beans and tell what I'm making, but my hot craft tip-o-the-day is Buffalo Snow. It's the stuff you're supposed to put on the mantel or around the tree to look like fluffy snowfall, but it's basically a gigantic bag of Poly Fill but softer and for like half the price. I got mine at Michael's... I'd say "in the Christmas section", but apparently the entire store has been taking over by craft-centric elves because I actually had a hard time finding NORMAL craft supplies.

At a CRAFT STORE.

But I digress. It's good stuff, and I think could double as batting since it comes in a sort of weird sheet. Information  you never knew you wanted, eh? You're welcome.

Weekend success!

Tasty Treat

We are headed to Lord Hill Farms today for our tasting session to determine which dishes we'll have served for din din on The Day.

Lord Hill Farms ~ Photo courtesy of BeccaHowell.com

Obnoxiously, that means cutting into our work days as the tastings are only offered on Friday afternoons (really!?), but I'm sure it will be fun once there.

We'll be trying things like this :

Roast Salmon ~ Image courtesy of TastyKitchen.com

This :

 Stuffed Chicken ~ Image courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.com

And this : 

Pastas ~ Image courtesy of LifesAmbrosia.com

... And choosing two of the three. 

After looking at those pictures I'm decidedly more excited about lunch. Cheers!

Celebre-DJ

So we hired this dj for our wedding in a sort of a friend-of-a-friend cutting us a deal situation. He's wonderful as a guy and as a professional - We attended a friend's wedding who is also a part of said larger circle of pals, and the dj skills kept the party going and the crowd laughing.

His name is Tiger Budbill. Sound familiar?

Well if you've tuned in to this first season of The X Factor on Fox, you've seen his face and heard his voice. He's become a bit of a story on the show, pulling at the root-for-the-underdog heartstrings of the viewing public. Judge L.A. Reid shot him down in his initial audition, but Simon Cowell (seriously) came to the rescue and kept him in the game. He's been going strong ever since.

Image courtesy of XFactorOnFox.blogspot.com

So yeah, a semi-celeb is dj'ing our wedding and I get to upstage him. You know, no biggie. ;)

He can be seen as a part of the "Over 30's" group on the show. Check your local listings and root for Tiger! See his YouTube clips here. He's the real deal.

Lace 'Em Up

Found my lace!

I mentioned here I was on the hunt for some lace to chop up into bunting and other bits. Success! I found a lovely bit for $4.90/yd on eBay. I'd given myself a budget of $25 including shipping, and as lace by the yard tends to be expensive I didn't expect to get more than 3 yards out of that deal. How very convenient that loads of eBay sellers are offering free shipping in order to up their sales and donate a portion to breast cancer research this month: Five yards later, and I've only spent $24.50.

Boomshakalaka.

Here's my score:

Should be arriving in the next few days. Woohoo! It's stretch too, so if I have any left over it may just accidentally work it's way into a lil' garment design for yours truly... Bonus!

I'm also meeting with Yessie, my makeup artist, tonight for the first time at a local coffee shop. I've got a stack of makeup pictures on my Wedding-O-Rama Pinterest board I can show her on my phone, but really it's just a meet-n-greet kind of deal. Should be a good time.

Meet My Vendors: Frost Doughnuts

Didn't I tell you Friday it was going to be a fun-filled weekend?

This morning we're headed to Frost Doughnuts for a tasting. Neither Nate nor I are very much into very expensive fondont draped monstrosities, so in place of cake : Doughnuts! And let me tell you, Frost is the place to do it right.

 Smokey Bacon Maple Bars. Butterfinger. Bourbon Caramel Pecan. Banana Split Fritter.

These are DOUGHNUT FLAVORS.

 I'll be in such a sugar haze by the end of the tasting I'll probably agree to any pricing the owner throws at me. Nonetheless, my tummy is empty and I'm ready to taste!!

Smokey Maple Bacon Bar

Image courtesy of SeattleMusings.com

Meet My Vendors: Yessie Makeup Artistry

Super excited to have found and booked a make-up artist for The Day. We haven't met face to face yet, but the emails have been a'flying, and I can't wait to have a sit-down with Yessie of Yessie Makeup Artistry when I get back from a little lake vacay this week.

The girl has some serious skillz (yeah, with a Z. She's that good.), and has earned her stripes working on fashion shoots and just generally making the world a more beautiful place.

Image courtesy of Thumbtack.com

It honestly would have never occurred to me to have a makeup artist for my wedding, but after witnessing the transformative powers of a good one at a dear friend's wedding last year, I was sold. I wanted to pack that girl into my carry-on and bring her back home with me for daily use.

Image courtesy of Best.King5.com

Image courtesy of Yessie's Facebook page

Can't wait to have Yessie work her magic on me! Love her quote on her Tumblr page: "I like your face, even if you don't!"

Meet My Vendors: Lord Hill Farms

Swoon.

Ready to see where The Day is going down? It's Lord Hill Farms. Not only is it the place Nate and I first met, but it's a magically re-done dairy farm, complete with views of horses in pastures and the Cascades. Dreamy, dreamy, dreamy, I tell ya.

 Ceremony Space ~ Image courtesy of JaredMBurns.com

It's an all-in-one venue : Ceremony upstairs in the pseudo-suspended "hay loft" with floor-to-ceiling windows, reception below on the main floor. They also do their own catering, and I need very little decor to make the reception space gorgeous thanks to the rustic beams, abounding white lights, and crispy white linens.

'Maids Outside at Lord Hill Farms ~ Image courtesy of ChrisSollart.com

Bride & Groom Exiting Lord Hill Farms ~ Image courtesy of BeccaHowell.com

Reception Space ~ Image courtesy of Events.BanquetEvent.com

Swoon.... Again.

Meet My Vendors: Dana Pleasant Photography

The top three questions I've been getting lately :
1) Have you set a date?
2) Where is it going to be?
and
3) Do you have a photographer yet?

Although I haven't kept up as of late, I am a former scrapbooking enthusiast. I also pretend to be an amateur photographer (VERY amateur), so it makes me happy that other people care about the wedding photography as much as I do.

Enter : Dana Pleasant Photography .

 

I found Dana through my venue's website (we'll get to that in a later post), and fell . in . love .

If in some other life I become an actual photographer, hers are the pictures I would love to emulate. The best part to me : Everyone in her photos look so relaxed and like their true selves. If you've ever had any portraits taken, you know the likelihood of a few awkward moments ('you want me to put my hand where?!'). Plus, you have to put all your trust in the person behind the lens to tell you your hair doesn't look like Don King in the wind that just kicked up, and no, your double chin is not making an uninvited appearance.

Oh yeah, and these are the pictures you're going to look back on FOREVER and know it's probably the best you'll ever look.

No pressure.

I have full faith in Dana, and cannot wait (seriously, jumping out of my skin, here.) for our engagement photo session which will hopefully be happening in September or October, and of course, The Day itself, and all those little whirlwind moments that will be captured for me to look back on.

All images by Dana Pleasant (www.DanaPleasant.com)