a trip to the city...

Hey Hive! I'm looking for some suggestions -

One of my friends is luring me to the city (NY) this weekend with promises of underground martini bars and I am hoping to pick up some wedding related items and supplies while I'm down there. I've been told to check out Jamali Garden for my 'floral desires'. I'll definitely be picking up one (maybe a few) of these:
A thorn-stripper, (useful for removing leaves as well), since we will probably be DIYing our flowers.
And potentially some urns for flowers.
I also definitely want to check out M&J Trimming as I hoping to find some great stuff to make my garter and maybe a fascinator? I'm also looking for great fabric for a veil - so maybe the famous Mood? I can't decide whether I'm going traditional veil or birdcage yet so I'm thinking I'll make both and either a) let you guys decide or b) see which one turns out better!

Do you have any suggestions to where to go? Anywhere else I should check out while I'm down there?

nautical chic...

This is what I want for my wedding -
Navy - check, boat shoes - check, dock - check, bottle of veuve - check.
*Swoon*

From here.

have you been threaded?

image from here

Threading is an ancient middle eastern method of hair removal where technician uses cotton thread (like something you would sew with) which is twisted and rolled over the hair. (I've only witnessed eyebrows and mustaches done, but I would imagine it would work most anywhere). As the thread rolls, it plucks the hair. Threading can remove an entire row of hair at one time (as opposed to tweezing which pulls one hair at a time), resulting in a really straight line.

Everytime I try something new I always ask 'does it hurt'? I would say it's less painful than waxing; but its a very different kind of feeling. It kind of feels like being snapped with an elastic over and over again - but really its not bad (and I have a super low tolerance for pain). I usually go every three or four weeks and pluck any stray hairs that pop-up in between; although they say it can last up to about six weeks. Cost ~ $10

BENEFITS: it's quick, chemical-free, good for sensitive skin, and very sanitary

If you have a place around you that does this and you haven't tried it yet I highly recommend it for perfect bridal brows.

Do you have any atypical beauty solutions?

perfect puddle jumpers...

As much as I may try I'm probably not going to be able to control the weather on our wedding day, *sigh*. I learned that as long as you have friends and family surrounding you on the inside, it doesn't matter that the outside of your tent is being pelted by a hail storm (in July!) thanks to Mrs. Tiramisu -

In any event, I plan on being TOTALLY prepared with a cute umbrella and even cuter shoes. I just purchased these puddle jumpers to perfectly coordinate with our wedding colors.

$24.99 from here

I haven't made the big umbrella purchase yet but I'm thinking about a pretty 'bridey' one for me:

And a cute man-brella for Mr. Gloss:
umbrellas from here

Honestly, I'm so excited about these boots I might be a little disappointed if it DOESN'T rain.

Have you purchased anything weather related for your big day?

free photoshop actions...

Hi Ladies,
First off, Thanks so much for the congrats! and Happy St. Patty's Day!!

I was strolling around the internet the other day and stumbled across this great site called Pioneer Woman Photography. She has some great posts about photography and Photoshop. If you don't know, Adobe Photoshop the ultimate tool for photo editing - it's quite expensive to buy if you don't use it all the time but you can download a free-trial at Adobe.com.
Anyways, she has created some 'Action Sets' that you can download for free! Actions modify your photos through the use of layers to create different effects and can easily add drama to your photos. It basically takes all the guesswork out of adjusting your own photos and saves a TON of time.

Action Set #1
Action Set #2

This is a picture I took a few summers ago - these old men sat on this bench downtown every day. I like to imagine they are the oldest of friends and will be sitting here until they have each moved on. I'm not sure why the guy on the end looks so confused, I asked if I could take their picture....but I kind of like it anyways!

The Original -
And here is what happens with the click of a button!
First, 'Soft and Faded'....
next, 'Heartland'...and 'Seventies'...then 'Vintage'...and lastly, 'Fresh and Colorful'...
ENJOY! I know I am!!

the "L" word...

Let's talk about the "L Word".....
no, not 'love'- LINENS!

And how my potential rental company thinks they can charge 30 to rent a plain white tablecloth, can't I actually purchase them at that price? No, you can't- you can actually purchase them for much cheaper, like $17. Hello? That's almost half off and I would own it! But what would I do with 20 tablecloths after our wedding, storage is key in the Glossy household and apparently tablecloths en masse weigh a ton. I've never held 20 tablecloths but they must be pretty beefy if people are looking to charge me $140 for shipping and handling.
So, in true Miss Gloss fashion, my mind immediately jumps to 'How can I make this work for less $$$'.

Option #1: Rent from a linen rental company. Cost- $9.99! Seemed reasonable until they tacked on $140 for S&H (to and from included).

Option #2: Make them. I can get a 15yd. Bolt of muslin at Jo Ann fabric for $107, if I waited for a 50% off coupon that would be around $13/table. And maybe I could do 'in-store pick-up' to avoid S&H charges. I don't think muslin would look terrible with our design scheme, but it might need to be tested.

Option #2.5: Buy 45" wide fabric and have a seam down the middle. We will have runners down the centers of the tables so you wouldn't see the seam except at the ends hanging down, which would be drape-y anyways. I would just need to locate some fabric for like $.99/yd. (which hasn't happened yet) putting each table at around $9, around $14 if the fabric was $1.50/yd.

Option #3: Give up on floor length tablecloths. The smaller tablecloths are only $7/8 to rent from our rental company. Would you really notice if they didn't go to the floor with all the chairs pushed in? Also remember we are outside- maybe it would be normal to have shorter ones?

What do you guys think? How important are floor length linens?

the big secret...

So, now that it's FINALLY Monday, I can share my secret with you guys -


Today I will be making my debut at Weddingbee as the newest bee 'Miss Gloss'! I hope you can pop over and say 'hi', but also keep visiting me here since not all my posts will be carried over and I hate to think that you guys were missing out on any of my fabulously random thoughts about wedding planning!

image from here

would you change it if you could?

As I was driving to work today I passed a billboard announcing the weekly mega-millions lotto amount. We buy tickets sometimes when the prize gets up there (20 million +only, because really what would we do with like a measly 8 million?! ha). Since I had another hour and a half to go before I reached my destination the wheels really started turning - say, we won the lottery tomorrow, how would our wedding be different?
Well, after I thought about it for awhile - I really wouldn't change anything! Although, I wouldn't worry about the ridiculous cost of linens as much, and would probably upgrade to the coveted Chivari chair, but really I love everything we have done so far!
I wouldn't change our venue to some amazing and luxurious ballroom with a plated six-course meal from some famous chef and buy a dress from the upscale Vera Luxe collection.

I might change our invitations to letterpress - just because it is soo delicous, but really - raised or indented our guests won't care.
I would hire a Day-Of-Coordinator just to ensure everything flows smoothly, and someone to apply make-up to my face since I rarely do......... and fly in Still Motion for the most amazing videography ever. But really, these things will not make-or-break my day, just make it a little more amazing.
Well, to be honest, if Still Motion was there I might just have heart palpitations, but other than that, I could be a millionairess and I would still want to get married on our boat, with my family and closest friends standing beside us and details that I lovely crafted myself - and that is very comforting to know.

Would your wedding be vastly different if you won the lottery?

secrets secrets...

I have a exciting secret for you ladies. Hopefully I can wait until Monday before I spill the beans (I'm not very good at keeping secrets).....hence this post.....but I was just too excited not to half tell you!

image from here

midnight and mimosa...

I searched for the prefect wedding inspiration photo for a very long time - something with our color scheme and all the qualities I was looking for in our wedding day.
I needed:
a. Something classic (so our wedding pictures wouldn't feel dated in 5 or 10 years).
b. Something modern (so our wedding isn't exactly like every other wedding from the past).
c. Elegant, but not formal or stuffy.
d. Strong sense of design/style without being trendy.
e. Our color scheme du jour - navy, yellow, white and a cool gray.

And then I found this:
Crisp, modern, classic lines, navy, yellow, hint of cool silvery/gray.
And I was sold. That helped me to really pair down all the images on my hard drive into one cohesive inspiration board.

Presenting, Midnight and Mimosa:

click to make LARGER

Most of the images are from Snippet and Ink, they all have been saved on my hard drive for too long to know where I got them. If they are yours let me know!

honeymoon excitement...

Mr. Gloss and I have been discussing where to go on our honeymoon. Iit has made me so excited to wear this:

somewhere like this:

and drink these:

confessions...

shame, shame.
i have totally fallen off the wagon and have not gone to the gym in two weeks. one week i was sick, and am somewhat still recovering....but it shall be an excuse no longer.

except i really don't want to go tonight -

the invites...a work in progress

I've been working on invitations as of late. I originally fell in love with the 'handwritten' invite featured in the MS Weddings a few months back.


And then found this great suite at Mr. Boddington's Studio:
I have a few design options laid out - but as of right now, this one feels the most 'US'. All the navy 'handwriting' will be embossed (since letterpress is not in our budget), and the edges of the pieces will be a bright yellow. This invite was inspired by a combination of elements from ChereeBerryand Linda & Harriett.

-click to make larger -

What do you guys think? Too informal? According to our etiquette adviser, Ms. Emily Post, a handwritten invite is the most formal of all invitations. Do you think this form of handwriting applies?

today lists ARE NOT my friend

It's been pretty quiet around here and I apologize, but it just seems I have back lacking inspiration lately. When I started this blog I thought I would have tons of DIY posts (knowing the amount of stuff I had planned to make for the big day), and so far that has not really happened. In my mind I don't have that much left to do for the big day, most of my major vendors are either signed, or just about signed (minus flowers).
I had a free moment at work today and decided to make a list of all the items I plan on creating prior to August 15th. It started off sensible, and quickly turned into OMG.

Bathroom:
1. Bathroom baskets - (2 for the boat/2 for reception) *need Dramamine and SPF in addition to typical bathroom items.
2. Monogrammed hand towels for the bathrooms. *Buy towels.

Ceremony:
3. Programs.
4. Signage. *Cute rustic-y wedding signs pointing to the boat.
5. Wishing rocks. *Artfully write our names and wedding date...on rocks.
6. Make something really pretty to hold our vows.
7. Stitch handkercheifs to wipe away any happy tears for me and my favorite ladies.

Reception:
8. Mason jars with cute tags to hold the girl's bouquets.
9. Buy containers for beverages. 5 large glass containers for specialty drinks, large galvanized tubs for beer/soda/wine/water.
10. Monogrammed table runner for beverage table.
11. 120 Navy linen napkins. *Tied with rope.
12. 15 Navy linen table runners. *yellow stitching.
13. Table numbers.
14. Signage. *Food ID, S'more station, beverage ID.
15. Entry table word search. *Chalkboard
16. Favors - Homemade Jam. *Made by mom, make cute tags and labels, package with string and cloth, buy jars.
17. 100 Chinese Lanterns. *300 LED battery powered LED lights with ON/OFF switches. String to hang lanterns, string to hang lights.
18. Make string candle holders to hold tealights on cocktail tables. *Buy string, and tealights.
19. Grow flowers for centerpeices. *Mom
20. Make large light installation to frame dance floor.
21. Find the perfect birch trees to light inside the tent.
22. Find something to hold cards.

Food:
23. Monogram stickers for to-go coffee/tea cups.
24. Purchase selection of unique teas and something to display them with.
25. Water bottle labels.
26. S'mores Bar. *Purchase marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate. (Already have lg. glass apothecary jars). Buy sterno, roasters, and bamboo skewers. Make cute labels.
27. Buy and monogram drink stirrers and appetizer sticks.

Paper Items:
28. Invitations. *With lined envelopes. Hand addressed?
29. Flickr Cards.
30. 'Just Married' sign for the back of the car.
31. Napkins with 'Fun Facts'. *Come up with fun facts.
32. Placecards.

OOT Bags:
33. Syrup. *Being boiled by a friend, buy containers and cute packaging.
34. Postcards.
35. Information package of things to do/eat/go.
36. Snacks/water/candy.
37. Invitation to Sunday brunch. *Are we having one?

Miscellaneous:
38. Cute hanger cover for fabulous dress shots. *Find great base hanger.
39. Sparklers and matchbooks.
40. Make jewelery for bridesmaids.
41. Make homemade sugar-scrub for bridesmaids.
42. Kids Bags. *Watercolor paint with personalized bookmark. Crayons and coloring books.
43. Paint cans white, tie together with bright yellow and navy ribbon to tie to the back of the car.
44. Make some type of veil/headpeice.
45. Aisle runner?
46. 'Just Married' flag to raise on the boat's flagpole?
47. Make a cute bow for #2 shoes.
48. Find/make a cake topper.
49. Find/make my own jewelery.
50. Bride/Groom signs for dressing rooms.

So, if you made it to the end of the list - you'll know what to expect in the next 6 months. and it seems I better get crack'n. No wonder I had dreams about not getting everything done....I had no idea I was so behind.