Hard boiled eggs!

There are times when I want a quick and simple snack. So I am faced with a couple of options - one of which is to have a hard-boiled egg. Boiling an egg may not be as quick as opening a bag of chips, but ultimately, I find it much more satisfying! Of course, if you have a few pre-boiled eggs lying around in the fridge, it will be super quick because there's no more cooking involved!

My favorite two ways of having hard-boiled eggs is to either slather it with some kind of sauce, or have it as a deviled egg. My favorite sauce is to dribble some soy sauce and sesame oil over the egg and just eat it like that, as shown in the photo. On occasion, I might use my favorite hot sauce as well or use just a tiny amount of soy sauce. You can pretty much use whatever condiment you want!

The same goes for making deviled eggs, though this takes a bit more work. You'll need to scoop out the yolk and put it in a cup. Then mash it with some flavorings. My favorite mix includes prepared horseradish sauce and a tiny dollop of mayonnaise. Then scoop out the mixture and put it back into the egg. I'll admit this isn't the most weight-loss friendly snack, but I find it to be worth the effort. Again, you can really use whatever condiments you want. If you're making a whole lot of deviled eggs, you can use a food processor to mix the filling. Scoop the mixed filling into a ziploc bag and snip one corner of it. Squeeze the filling through the snipped corner into the eggs. You're basically using a makeshift pastry bag. Yum!

Comfortable wedding shoes, part 2

While doing a cursory search through the web, I came across http://www.danceshoesstore.com. On the site, you can have them create a customized shoe for you for $89, not including tax and shipping. I can't order them yet because what color(s) I want will depend on what my qipao (Chinese dress) will look like. When it's time to get shoes though, I'll be keeping this site in mind!

Comfortable wedding shoes, part 1

Every girl I know of that wears heels on a regular basis have had some experience with horribly uncomfortable shoes. I also know a fair amount of girls, myself included, that have a scar or two on their feet from shoe straps cutting into the flesh. It's a fact of my life that most shoes will just rub my feet the wrong way.

That is, until I started taking salsa lessons and bought myself a couple of pairs of dance shoes! Dance shoes are made of very soft, supple leather and have suede soles so that you can spin faster on the dance floor. The resulting shoe is incredibly flexible and moulds itself to your feet. I bought a pair of salsa shoes with 2" heels and I can practice on my tippie toes for a couple of hours without any blisters or discomfort! Mind you, I normally feel that 2" is too high for me, so this is a real breakthrough! The other thing that I just have to mention is the price! I got my jazz shoes for practicing for less than 40 bux from my dance school, and my formal salsa shoes for about 60 bux at http://www.exoticsalsashoes.com. I believe my style number is C1659.

So now I'm seriously considering buying a pair of dance shoes to wear at my wedding. Apparently, I'm not the first person to have stumbled upon this idea as almost all the online stores that sell dance shoes also have a wedding shoes section, which are basically dance shoes in popular wedding colors. I'm particularly excited at the possibility of wearing something sparkly and red or purple!

Unfortunately, I'm a short girl and I feel like if I wear the style that I have at home now, it will make my legs look short and stocky. This is not a problem when I'm wearing my floor-length wedding gown, but it's a problem when I'm wearing my qipao, or chinese dress. The prettiest dance shoes are not usually offered in pump or sandal styles as they wouldn't make very good dance shoes. Well, as I ponder the issue, here are some photos of my salsa shoes.

AWESOME shoes!!!

Holy cow I SO want these!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28806765

Heated neck cozy

There are times when I want to wrap something soft, cozy and warm around my neck to help me relax or soothe muscles. The electric blanket doesn't fit comfortably around my neck and am not fond of such an electric appliance so close to my head. Lol! So years ago, I took an old knee-high sock and filled it with uncooked rice and tied a firm knot at the open end. It's great because it's reusable and you can use it heated or cooled. To heat, put it in the microwave. To cool, chill in freezer. Wrap it around your neck and enjoy!

DIY Scratch offs!

This is one of the coolest projects! I wish I can use it for something!

http://artmind-etcetera.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-make-scratch-off-lottery-tickets.html

Cat playing keyboard paper toy

This is soo cool! You can download a template and make a paper cat playing a paper keyboard operated by a paper crank!

http://www.craftstylish.com/item/51762/how-to-make-a-paper-keyboard-playing-cat

Radicchio roses

So cool! I actually do like roses, but tend to shy away from them because they're so ubiquitous and cliched. However, this is such a cool project that I might just have to use it somewhere!

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/rosy-stationery?autonomy_kw=rosy%20stationery

Embossing paper

This is a pretty cool project if you need one or two items embossed. If you've got a whole stack of stuff, it will be a bit labor intensive.

http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/2009/08/custom-embossed-stationery.html

Create your own optical illusion

Pretty cool and you can use any color photo you have. You will need a image editing software though, I believe.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-Negative-Afterimage-Optical-Illusion/

Oh, for the love of terrariums

I LOVE terrariums and have been desperately wanting one. They seem so easy to make, but I just don't know where I can get some supplies in the city like spaghnum moss, activated charcoal and regular hardy moss. Either that or I've been telling myself that because I'm lazy and have been distracted with other things. I've been meaning to go to the Home Depot for some time and just haven't been able to make my way over there as yet. Maybe they'll have the stuff I need if I can only get myself to go...

:-)

Natural face lift?

Hmmm... not sure how well this would work but here's the article:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/fashion-beauty/get-a-natural-facelift.html

Plants in altoids tins

This is so cool!

http://gomistyle.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/altoids-tin-garden/

Foldable shoes

Like a lot of women who work in Manhattan, we keep some high heels or nice shoes at work and wear sneakers or walking shoes to and from work. We change shoes once we get to the office. However, there are times when I know I'll need nice shoes to wear to an event and know that once the event is over, I'll want to change into walking shoes. Unfortunately for those moments, bringing a pair of sneakers just won't do as they won't fit in the little purse that matches my formal outfit. So I definitely perked up when I started reading about shoes you can roll up/ fold up and tuck away into your purse! A couple I've come across are ideas out of London, catering to the clubbing crowd. After all, after a night of vigorous dancing, your feet are tired! Here are a couple I've come across:


http://www.kigofootwear.com/


Rollasole, currently sold in vending machines in UK and you can also get them from Dynagirl
Or check out Rollasole's website.


http://www.sparesoles.com/products.html#


And the one below was suggested in the comments!


http://www.footzyrolls.com/


Cool no?

Foundation

I generally don't wear makeup, but there are times when I am willing to put in the effort to get dolled up. I used to have really great skin. I mean it used to be totally smooth and even. Now, it's uneven and has rough patches here and there. Chalk it up to age, stress, bad lifestyle or whatever, but it is what it is. So I need something to even out my face.

Depending on how much time I want to spend applying makeup, I may or may not be too lazy to apply a primer. On special occasions where I actually want to look nice and stay looking nice, applying a primer for my face and another for my eyes is a must. I highly recommend Philosophy's The Present Clear Makeup for the face and Urbay Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion for the eyes.

Now that your face is set to take on color, you can start applying foundation. If I want to be quick and dirty, I'll brush on some light mineral makeup or loose powder foundation. You can actually make your own loose powder foundation. My formula uses mostly zinc and titanium oxide, which are white powders often found in sunblocks, and a tiny mix of red and yellow iron oxides to get my skin tone color. I've also seen a recipe where cornstarch was used as a base (good for absorbing oil) and cocoa powder was used to give colored tint. Anyways, mineral makeup may be good for every day use, but sometimes you want some more coverage.

That's when I started hunting for liquid foundation. I happen to like Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup. I had an old bottle that had to be thrown out and was about to get a new one when one day, I happened to be browsing at a Sephora. I was very intrigued by the rave reviews of Makeup Forever's HD foundations so I shelled out the big bucks and got myself a bottle. Was I a happy customer? You bet! Would I get it again? Not sure. Neutrogena's is cheaper and really does work quite well for me. However, I will say that Makeup Forever's HD foundation keeps me matte all day long, which is a big plus for me! In the end, I'm not sure what I'll get when I finally run out of my pricey foundation. For now, I can say I recommend trying out both brands for yourself.

Of course, you can also mix up your own tinted lotion as a foundation. Just use your iron oxide colors and mix it into your favorite facial lotion to tint it to your skin tone. If you want more coverage, add some zinc and/or titanium oxide to it, which gives it the added benefit of adding a sunblock element to your lotion. Don't overdo it with the powders because it changes the texture of the lotion by making it heavier and thicker. One of these days, I'll get around to posting my favorite lotion recipes here too! Lotions are easy to make!

Best makeup primers

While I was still thinking seriously about doing my own makeup for the wedding, I started researching ways to make my makeup applications last. See, I have a major, major problem with makeup meltdowns and smudges. I always end up shiny with panda eyes at the end of the day. Of course, it doesn't help that I don't generally wear makeup so my experience applying the stuff isn't very steady.

Anyways, I came across recommendations for face and eye primers. At first, I was really impressed with silicone primers. I've tried the Smashbox brand and the Sephora Professional brand. I liked them because not only did it smooth the texture my skin, allowing for a smooth application of foundation, but it also made my face matte. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't last the entire day, and using them often made my face break out. Not good!

Then I read some rave reviews for Philosophy's The Present Clear Makeup. It's a better deal in terms of price compared to Smashbox and the Sephora Professional and when I tried it out, I loved it! Honestly, my foundation stayed on all day and my face stayed fairly matte. It also didn't make my face break out!

So now that I've found a primer for my foundation, I needed something keep my eyes from looking like I got punched at the end of the day. Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion to the rescue! This stuff is GREAT! I mean, for the first time EVER, my eye makeup didn't smudge! I totally love this stuff!

So right now, my fave primers before makeup application are Philosophy's The Present Clear Makeup and Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion. They're not cheap, but well worth the price if you want some assurance that you won't end up looking like a clown.

Homemade butter

I think it would be totally cool to make my own butter, but I'm not sure that it'll be cheaper to do that in the end. Still, it's an interesting project to keep in mind should I ever get the urge. Basically, you just beat some cream and salt in a stand mixer past the stage where it looks like lumpy eggs and buttermilk liquid starts forming. Strain out the buttermilk (you can make yummy pancakes with it!) and fill bowl of butter with cold water and start mushing the butter into a ball of butter. Keep mushing the ball until water runs clear, then wrap it up for storage!

http://www.overthehillandonaroll.com/2009/06/how-to-make-butter-in-under-5-minutes.html

There is hope for humanity after all

Check out this article about a billionaire philanthropist:
http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/9262/billionaire_philanthropist_leverages_stimulus_money_for_low_income_youth

Oh how I love to consume!

I understand why progressives decry our consumerist culture, but I just stumbled upon some photos of some new bags from Envirosax! For the record, I LOVE Envirosax bags! Not only are they light and very compact, durable, waterproof, very pretty, and just the right size that I can carry them at my sides without dragging the bags on the floor. They also can fit a very surprisingly large amount of stuff and are really pretty! They aren't cheap, but I don't mind paying a little more for something cute if it I can get a lot of use out of it. So far, I've gotten quite a bit of use out of them and they are still going strong!

So what's the big deal? Well, so far I've been totally happy with how pretty my set of 5 Flora series bags are. Now, I see a gorgeous Botanica series on their site and I'm drooling! How beautiful!

http://store.envirosax.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BT.P.D

Insect repellent

I am not a fan of mosquitoes and I think that many people would agree with me. In general though, mosquitoes tend to love a certain friend of mine much more than they love me. I guess I'm just not as tasty or technically, I just don't emit as much carbon dioxide. :-) People I know who get swarmed by mosquitoes have a particularly paranoid reaction when they see tiny bugs flying around.

Most of them swear by DEET. Unfortunately, DEET is a rather toxic substance. The CDC also recommends picaridin and repellents made with lemon eucalyptus oil. Picaridin is still an artificial substance, but it is considered a more desirable alternative to DEET because it doesn't smell and it doesn't eat plastic. On Wikipedia, it looks like picaridin in concentrations below 10% is rather ineffective. If I were to get a picaridin repellent, I'll probably try looking for something with 15% to 20% concentration. Right now, I'm leaning towards a lemon eucalyptus repellent. You probably have to reapply the lemon eucalyptus one more often than DEET or picaridin, but I like the fact that the active ingredient isn't something artificial. Not that there's anything wrong man-made substances if they work and aren't toxic, but picaridin is a new substance to me and I'm a bit leery of it right now.

Anyways, I have a year to mull this over as I won't be going anywhere until the honeymoon, it looks like. I'll definitely bring some insect repellent with me considering the allergic reactions I got last time I went on vacation!

Homemade insect deterrent

I have no idea if this would work for me, but it certainly is intriguing. As the author says, it's not the "holy grail" of insect repellents as it doesn't last very long and you may still get a few bites, but the author seems to like it for what it does. I do like the fact that it's a spray rather than a lotion or oil that you have to slather on yourself. Anyways, here's the recipe and the link to the recipe:

1 cup vodka
2 T. aloe vera juice
2 tsp. favorite conditioning liquid oil (soybean, olive, castor, etc.)
1 1/2 tsp. essential oil blend

Combine in a spray bottle and shake before each use.

http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/06/make-your-own-insect-repellent.html

Finished my dress!

I totally LOVE this fabric! Anyways, I finally finished this dress and am looking forward to wearing it out!

Photobooth

What a fun idea! I really, really would love to do this at our wedding, but it costs almost $2000! There's absolutely no budget for it and if I had the money, I probably would spend it on a nicer, more meaningful wedding band. Of course, there is always the DIY route. Some DIY photobooths are more work than others, but it really depends on what you want.

The photobooths for rent for lots of money has some functions that you may or may not be able to get in a DIY photobooth. For instance, the professional one prints a copy for the guest and also saves a copy for a CD. That way, your guests get a souvenir and you get all the funky photos they took. The professional one also has dudes to set it up and take it away when done. A DIY one means we have to do everything ourselves. In terms of logistics, adding another DIY project can make things way more complicated than it has to be. I mean, we don't really NEED a photobooth. Lol!

However, it's not that hard to set up something very basic and very simple. The simplest version I've read about requires a backdrop made with some fabric draped over a frame and a camera on a tripod. This setup will probably need a table nearby with props, an extra battery and memory card, and a camera remote. You can also have the camera set to a timer instead of responding to a remote. The guests won't be able to take home a souvenir, but you can send them copies of their photos after you've downloaded them.

An alternative to the above set up is to hook up a printer to the camera and set it to print the photos from the camera. This way, your guests can take home their photos and you also get a copy from the memory card. Of course, this will depend on how portable your printer is and some printers are not capable of printing without direction from a computer program, in which case, you'll need a laptop. You can actually buy a portable photo printer for anywhere less than $100 and up. For instance, a Canon iP4600 Inkjet Photo Printer (2909B002)is less than $100. An Epson PM 260 PictureMate Dash Photo Printer costs less than $200. An HP Photosmart 475 Compact Photo Printer costs a little over $300. As with any home printer, remember to factor in the cost of extra ink cartridges and photo paper. The printer may be cheap, but the ink and paper might be super expensive. Don't get fooled by concentrating only on the initial cost of the printer.

So the next version I want to outline requires a homemade backdrop, a camera on a tripod, a laptop computer and a printer. First, you have to get software for your laptop. If you are using a PC, you can try PSRemote. Check its list of compatible cameras to make sure your camera is supported. If you are using a Mac with an iSight camera, you can use the pre-installed Photobooth software and just set up the computer without a separate camera. A computer gives you more options and control, and in my opinion, requires a person to remain at the station to handle operations.

Another version also requires a homemade backdrop, but instead of a regular camera, computer or printer, there's a polaroid camera on a tripod. You'll need to have extra film paper nearby and unfortunately, polaroid film is expensive! In this setup, guests can take home their photos, but you won't get a copy for yourself.

The last version I want to mention requires a LOT of work, but it results in a product much like a professional photobooth. It's actually pretty awesome! Unfortunately for me, it's beyond my abilities to create right now. If you're interested, here's the tutorial:
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Photobooth/.

After thinking upon the above options, I'm leaning towards making a backdrop, setting up a camera on a tripod and hooking the camera to a printer. In a pinch, I can drape a sheet of fabric over a PVC or light wooden frame. If I have more time and energy, I would LOVE to do something like this:
http://community.theknot.com/cs/ks/blogs/wedding_style_file/archive/2009/07/16/reception-ideas-genius-photo-booth.aspx

As for the printer, the one I have at home is big and clunky and totally not portable. As an alternative, I could purchase a Canon Selphy CP780 or an Epson PictureMate Dash PM260. The Epson Picturemate seems pretty popular in the blogs for DIY photo booths, but the Canon Selphy looks cuter and more portable.

In the end, though I'm enamored of the idea of having a photo booth at my wedding, I'm not certain yet that I'll have one. We'll see how overwhelmed I get. If there's time and resource, it will be placed on my list of DIY wedding projects.

Wedding recap 3: The Photographer and Music

After the dress saga was over, I started the search for a photographer. I looked for photographers on theknot.com, pictage.com, asked for recommendations on weddingbee.com and on Craigslist. Most of the photographers on theknot.com and pictage.com were out of my price range. The weddingbee members had some good suggestions but I was not impressed with some of the online portfolios and one that really, really liked was located too far away. In the end, I was able to make appointments for 4 photographers and we chose the last one for reasons I'll explain in a bit.

The first photographer we met with was Anna. She was very sweet and we really liked her. I totally loved the vibrant colors, contrast and depth in her photos. She was very good with the traditional group shots and seemed very experienced. When we met with her, she definitely sounded like she knew what she was doing.

The next photographer we met with was Dreamlife. The photos here were a bit more artsy than Anna's and they provide their own transportation. The guy also does very nice work, but we felt more comfortable and more connected with Anna. My honey bear actually thought the guy seemed a bit nervous when he met with us, but I think it was because it was so hot in his studio!

The third photographer we met with, I won't mention because we ruled him out as soon as we met him. His work simply wasn't as good as the other two and when we met with him, I just felt like we had no connection with him and he wasn't even very willing to make one. I guess you can say there was no chemistry there and add in the fact that we weren't very impressed with his work after seeing the previous two, it was easy to cross him off our list of potentials.

Then a friend of mine recommended Jimmy Dee Music and Fantasy Flash Photography. They are listed as separate businesses, but are really the same place. They do photography, videography, DJ and music. We had not even begun to audition for music yet, but we were excited to think we can end up crossing two things off our list with one company. We met with the sales rep and we were hooked! They were super professional, VERY organized and really friendly. We were shown short video clips of their DJs in action and an album of their photography. We were really happy with the photographer's work and we thought our sales rep would make a great DJ for us. We skipped having a wedding video cause I just can't imagine us spending a thousand dollars on something we're only going to view a handful of times. I will say that in terms of photography they are on the pricey side and more expensive than the first two photographers we met, but they have a very professional set up and I really felt like I was in good hands with them. In the end, even though they may not be the best deal for a bride on a tight budget, they seem to do great work and they were convenient in that they do both photo and music. So that's two crossed off our list of todos!

Wedding recap 2: The Dress

I lost enthusiasm for clothing shopping ever since I gained weight. It only reminded me of how much fatter I am now. Still, I thought there had to be a wedding dress for every body type and even bigger brides have looked beautiful in wedding gowns.

So I was hopeful, but my first experience, shopping at the Demetrios salon in Macy's, was not fun. I got a couple of rashes that day and none of the dresses made me feel pretty. In fact, they made me feel just the opposite. I have a LOT of insecurities when it comes to my looks and that experience just made me feel like I wouldn't look good in anything because my body shape was so malformed. It also didn't help that people in my life were commenting on my weight gain and was mum on how pretty I might look in a gown. The friend I went with had opinions and all, and it's not her fault I have insecurities, but I just didn't feel like she really thought I would look pretty on my day. It's like everyone was just being tactfully quiet but inside they were thinking I was so ugly and fat.

The truth is, I know I'm not fat and it's silly to think that way, but I can't help how I feel. Sometimes, I just need a little positivity and encouragement. Sometimes, I just need someone to tell me I am pretty and not to worry and that there is every faith that I will look beautiful on my own wedding day.

Anyways, the next few times, I went dress shopping on my own. My trip to RK Bridal was a much better experience. Even though my insecurities were still there, I didn't feel like the strangers there were judging me. In fact, every time I walked out in a dress, they would smile at me and some even said that I would make a beautiful bride. I loved it when the consultant said stuff like, "I love how you look in that dress, but it just isn't you." It made me feel good to know that if a dress wasn't working, it's not because I'm chubby, but because the dress "isn't me." And it was there that I began to feel happy about wedding dress shopping. It was there that I found dresses I felt pretty in because the people around me were so encouraging. There was a sense of knowing camaraderie with the other brides there. It's a good feeling to smile at each other trying on wedding dresses, cause it's a smile that says, "I know what you're going through and wow, you look like a real bride in that!" So at RK Bridal, I found a couple of dresses I really liked and sent pictures of the dresses on fashion models to my bridesmaids.

I had planned to go back to RK Bridal and buy a dress because there really aren't any other bridal salons that sell dresses at those prices, but I decided to check out a boutique anyways. So my next and last stop was at Wedding Atelier. I tried on a few more dresses there, but most of them only felt okay on me, which didn't justify the higher price tags when I felt so much happier in a cheaper dress from RK. However, there was one dress that I tried on that I really liked! It was way over my budget for a dress, so I went home thinking I'll just get something similar for cheaper. I looked and looked everywhere online for the dress and could not find it anywhere! How can I even begin looking for a knock-off if I can't even find the original? That night, I dreamed of the dress and as my rule is, if it won't haunt you, don't get it. Well, the dress was haunting me! So I had to get it. The following Monday, I went in and bought the sample dress (read the dress saga posts for the full story on that). I sent pictures of me in the dress to my bridesmaids and they all loved it!

So now I have the dress and am worrying myself silly about the alterations. First of all, I don't want to spend a fortune on the alterations, but I may have to because it's a complicated dress with lace, boning and several layers. Also, I'm concerned with how much the dress will need to be taken in. It's already too big on me and I'm currently trying to lose weight. That means that the dress will need to be sized down several sizes when I am finally fitted next year.

Aside from the dress, I also need a chinese dress (qi pao or cheongsam) and an evening gown, both of which I am planning to sew myself. The wedding gown needs an underskirt to get that nice A-Line shape. I can sew that myself, using an idea on a 1-hoop skirt design. Also, since I'm... well, not well-endowed in the chest, I will need to get some well-fitted padding. Lol! The garter will most likely be made from the excess fabric of my wedding dress and I'd like to not have to purchase new shoes if I can get away with wearing something I already own. I will also need to get hose and the rest of the materials needed for my veil. I'm planning on making a fingertip veil with a cut edge and small scattering of tiny crystal beads along the border. Whew! Breathe... breathe...

Wedding recap 1: The Venue

Ever since I got engaged, it's been a whirlwind of wedding planning stress and activity. All this, and I'm not even being obsessive or picky about stuff! I think it is because I'm not obsessive and picky that I got as much done as I did. I'm moving along at a good pace though I feel like I'm pretty much bleeding money out of my ears right now. The thing is, as laid back as I think I am, I'm really rather spoiled. I definitely want things a certain way.

A good example of that would be how I chose our venue. When searching for venues, I automatically ruled out any place that did not have a website with pictures. Then I ruled out any place with pictures I didn't like. Some venues were really beautiful and very fancy-looking, but just not the kind of place I wanted to celebrate in. As I'm ruling places out, I realized that I tend to like places with flowers and gardens, which meant no uppity country clubs, hotel ballrooms, golf courses and vineyards. Then I ruled out any place that does more than one event at a time.

Here's where I'm being spoiled. I just feel that the celebrations won't feel intimate and personal if there are other people for another event walking around the venue. I've been to weddings where I could have walked into another wedding's reception and hang out there. I just don't want that. I want the place to myself for the hours that I have it!

Anyways, after all that, I started crossing out any venue that charged over $100 per person. That pretty much left me with only a few choices, which is good because that means fewer trips we have to make to visit these places! The first place we went to, F.E.A.S.T. at Round Hill, was wonderful and we really liked it. I was definitely happy to just go with this place even though we hadn't seen any others, especially since they were a good deal for $75 per person and no ceremony fee. However, I just had to see our second top choice and when I did, I just HAD to have it there! The place, Catlin Gardens, charged right up to the limit of our budget and charged a ceremony fee, but it was just sooooo beautiful there! I was a bit hesitant about the second place because with the 100 person minimum, it was going to make us go over-budget on the venue. My honey bear actually preferred the first place, but I really wanted the second place. So he said to go for it since it's such a special, rare occasion. So we did, and I ended up squeezing money out of the budget for other items. Keep in mind that the prices I'm quoting is for a Sunday wedding, which is cheaper than a Saturday wedding.

The allure of silk

I have always loved silk fabric, and there really is nothing else like it. However, I don't like boiling the wormies in water to harvest the silk. Unfortunately for me, I am always drooling over the bolts and bolts of gorgeous silk fabrics every time I shop at Mood Fabrics, and when I say gorgeous, I mean GORGEOUS! I see myself trying to justify a one-time purchase of a yard or two every time I stand before the awesome racks of silk fabrics. For me, to touch is to yearn and dream of all the wonderfully draping skirts, wraps and dresses. In my limited experience, nothing drapes quite like silk.

It is this yearning that I am confronted with when I went to Mood Fabrics to look for bridal illusion tulle for my veil. To get to the tulle section, I had to pass by the racks of silk. I couldn't resist touching, and as my fingers envelope themselves in lengths of organza, brocade and charmeuse, I couldn't help but think about making an exception to my avoid-silk rule. In the end, I did resist. There was no need to purchase such fabric to make clothes that I don't need. Lol!

As for the tulle, they didn't have any beyond a 44 inch width. Ideally, I'd like a few yards of 108 inch tulle so I have lots of options when cutting my veil. As I realize that I'd have to look elsewhere for my tulle, I suddenly began to yearn for luxurious silk tulle. At about 80 to 90 dollars a yard, silk tulle is not cheap, and even many high-end bridal boutiques do not carry silk tulle veils. Certainly, my budget cannot justify such an expensive purchase just so I can feel luxurious for one day - especially when bridal illusion works just fine for only 2 dollars a yard. So though nothing drapes quite like a silk tulle veil, I'm sure it won't be missed on the day of the wedding.

Wine-colored a-line skirt

I love skirts and dresses and now is the season to wear them. Behold the homemade a-line skirt! I seem to have lost some weight since I made the pattern because I actually had to take about half an inch off both sides. Yay!