Girl Meets Gown

4 weeks ago, I said yes to the dress. I know this post is a little late, but I wanted to share anyway because better late than never, right? :-)

I know that most wedding professionals recommend brides begin shopping for their dress at least 9 months before their wedding. Since Alan and I are having a pretty short engagement (just 6 months) I really should have begun dress shopping the minute I got engaged. But I chose to wait. It was important for me to fly my Mom in for this very special shopping occasion, and I was willing to risk having to pay ridiculous "rush" fees to get my dress on time if it meant my Mommy could be here with me to experience it all. 


So, Mom came to town and the hunt for the dress began the first weekend in March.
And it ended about 2.5 hours later. 


I had no idea where to shop for wedding dresses in Vancouver, so I asked around and Lisa's Bridal was recommended by many. I booked an appointment bright & early for Saturday morning. After a quick stop at Starbucks for some lattes, Team Bride - me, Mom and 3 of my lovely bridesmaids - headed over to the salon. From the very moment I stepped into Lisa's, I was treated like a princess. People have asked me if it was anything like what we see on the wedding shows on TV and YES it was! It was all that, and more. 


I arrived with a very specific idea in my mind of what I wanted. I wanted something feminine and flowy that would complement my curves - because, in case ya missed it, I am a pretty curvy girl. I wanted lace. I did NOT want a big ballgown or a full ballerina skirt (did that for prom, so been there/done that). I was definitely leaning toward a mermaid style ... tight and form-fitting at the top, flaring out at the bottom.


I showed Rita, the consultant, some magazine clippings of styles I liked, and she pulled some dresses for me based on those. She also pulled some dresses that she thought would look good on my body. I tried on a few of the mermaid style ones that I had been eyeing, and they just totally weren't cutting it. They didn't flatter my body at all. At the end of the day, the lady with 25+ years of experience was right. When I slipped on one of the dresses she had chosen, I got those little butterflies in my belly. When she brought over some lace sleeves that we could add on to the dress and held them up, I gasped. When I walked out of the dressing room and saw the looks on everyone's faces (and the looks on the faces of the group beside ours, too) I knew without a doubt. It was *the* one. 


The dress I fell in love with is absolutely gorgeous - it is everything I wanted, but nothing like I expected. It's a couture gown from Australia made of soft organza and dolce satin. It has the most intricate designs on the bodice and skirt, and it really fits my body well. To be blunt - it makes me look (or at least feel) like a super model. What more could a girl ask for, right? Done deal! 


It was only dress number 6 or 7 that I tried on. I thought about trying on more, just for comparison, but in my heart I knew I would never find another dress as perfect as this one ... and even if I did, I didn't want the agony or stress of having to choose between 2 or 3 gowns that I loved. So I committed right then & there, and ordered it. And, in case you were wondering, I ordered it just in time ... no rush fee necessary! Woot. 


So, 99 days to go until the wedding.
99 days until I get to wear this beautiful dress for all to see. 


And, on a completely random note - the show Girl Meets Gown on Slice is a bazillion times better than Say Yes To The Dress on TLC. If you haven't watched it, you should.


xox

random reviews

Fact - I am a sucker for good commercials. Fact - I go through beauty phases, and I am currently in the "I want my skin to glow like a halo!" phase. Is it any wonder, then, that when I saw this commercial last week I desperately wanted to go out and buy the cleanser right then and there?

I managed to restrain myself (I *am* on a budget you know) but I just couldn't get it out of my head. I'm not kidding - I literally thought about that silly cleanser all week long! Last night, I finally made my way down to London Drugs and "invested" in the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser, the Morning Burst Glow Moisturizer with SPF 15 and the Makeup Dissolving Foaming Cleanser.

I have to admit that I was never a big fan of Clean & Clear. It was *the* brand to be using in high school but I always preferred the cheap coconut-scented products from Wal Mart. My sister swears by their Daily Pore Cleanser and has been using it for years but I always just assumed their products were for acne-prone skin and my skin is tends to be dry, not oily. For this reason, I was a little hesitant to splurge on Clean & Clear products but I'm so glad I did!

I'm only on Day 2 of using my new goodies but I'm already hooked. I LOVE the smell of the Morning Burst cleanser - oh my gosh, it smells like heaven! No joke. And it leaves my skin feeling all soft and silky. ♥ LOVE ♥ I'm also quite a big fan of the makeup dissolving foaming cleanser. I used this one by L'Oreal in the past and it's really great too but it's way more convenient to have the cleanser come out as foam straight into your hands than it is to have to pour liquid cleanser onto a face cloth. Less laundry makes me happy! I also want to mention that I got the dissolving makeup remover in my eyes several times while washing last night, and it doesn't sting or hurt at all.

I know this is a bit of a random post, but I just get so excited when I find fun products and I wanted to share.

What does your skin care regimen consist of?

xo

uh oh.

Maybe it's the wet, rainy weather we've been having.

Maybe it's the lack of Starbucks.

Maybe it's that I'm just feeling kind of frivolous this morning.

Whatever the culprit, when I spied this photo on one of my new favorite blogs, I'm Clothed Much, I just about died right here in my seat. IT'S SO GORGEOUS. Classic. Elegant. Chic. Stylish. It's a city girl meets rural charm kind of purse. *So me* Or, at least, *so the me I dream to be*.

Photo from this post, no copyright violation intended :)

I had to have it. I just HAD to have it ....... so I bought it. A few clicks, and voila! It's on its way to me as we speak. (OK, well no, not exactly. They do need to process and ship and all that jazz. But it's coming soon-ish!)

I haven't splurged on an impulse buy like this in awhile but in all fairness, I *do* really need a new purse. Mine's getting a little tattered and torn. And this purse was just sooooooo pretty and it was a reasonable price and it's just soooooo pretty - oops, did I mention that already? My bad.

And, you know, because I was paying for shipping anyway I also bought these cuties:

The fact that these earrings and the purse will look great together was a total coincidence, I swear. Now if only I could find a pair of matching shoes ....

(Kidding. Sort of. Not really.)

Happy Wednesday loves!

xoxo

Dinner Party Dishes

I got a beautiful Valentine's Day card in the mail the other day from my sweet Momma and along with a little love note reminding me how adored I am she also included a gift card to Winners. Winners, for those of you who are just starting to get to know me, is pretty much my favorite store on the face of the planet. I could (and often do!) spend HOURS just browsing through their selection of clothes, photo frames, artwork and shoes - oh! The shoes. You know, about 3 weeks ago I was in Winners and I found a pair of black Stuart Weitzman heels for $70 and they were a perfect fit and I didn't buy them and I am STILL regretting it.

*sigh* But this post isn't about shoes. It's about dishes. I used the gift card my Mom sent me to buy these beauties -

Aren't they lovely?! When I moved into my apartment, my roommate and I had very little in terms of dishware and furniture so everything we acquired was second-hand. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - we not only managed to furnish our entire apartment for next to nothing, but everything pulled together really well and the decor is cute. Our dishes, though, are kind of bland. They're off-white with a light green rim ... practical, but not particularly stylish. My intent was to use the Winners gift card to buy some new jeans but when I walked into the store and saw this dish set, my heart was smitten.

I bought a set of 4 plates and 4 bowls. Yes, it was a bit of a splurge but I just love them and I love the idea of serving my guests on pretty dinnerware. I'm already planning the menu for a little dinner party in the very near future. :)

Have you splurged on anything recently?

I'm having a party...

... no, it's not a birthday party. It's not a holiday party or a special occasion party or anything like that. It's a "let's just have a good time for the sake of having a good time" party. It's a "come one, come all, the more the merrier" kind of party. It's a "let's stuff our faces" party.

It's a cupcake tasting party.

I've been wanting to host a cupcake tasting party for a VERY long time but I just never got around to organizing it. Well, the time has finally come and the date is set for late February. I plan on baking at least 5 different kinds of cupcakes from scratch, having little voting cards where my guests can vote for their favorite and cute little take-out boxes to send them off with a cupcake or two to enjoy later. This afternoon, I did a some online shopping and purchased these goodies for my party from The Cupcake Social store on Etsy -

Zebra-print cupcake liners

Red paper straws

Black damask cupcake liners

Choosing cute liners to bake my cupcakes in was easy. Actually choosing the recipes I'll be baking isn't quite as simple. Root beer cupcakes and red velvet cupcakes are a must. Chocolate and vanilla are always popular choices, but they're kind of boring. Lemon cupcakes could be cute. Peppermint? Peanut butter? Coconut? Cherry, cookies 'n cream, lime, fudge, caramel, Irish cream? I've got a headache just thinking about it. Thank goodness I've got a month to narrow it down!

What kind of themed party would you like to host someday?

xo

New Boots

If you live in Vancouver ... or, if you don't live in Vancouver but have a unique interest in watching the Weather Network on a regular basis ... then you're probably well aware that experts are predicting CRAZY amounts of rain on the west coast this winter. On the East Coast, you get snow and flurries. On the West Coast, we get rain and apparently this year we're getting lots of it. Yay. Can't wait. (And yes, that *was* sarcastic).

So, what's a girl to do? Go shopping for cute (and warm!) rain boots, of course! I found these beauties while strolling along Broadway Street this afternoon. They were on sale for just $60 at Shoe Studio, they're waterproof, they're lined (so they'll be warm enough to wear when I visit my sister in the winter wonderland that is Whistler) AND they're comfy. Oh, and they're purple. SOLD to the buyer with the matching purple purse!

~xoxo~

LOVE. ♥

Today, I went to a traditional Chinese market with sweet Xinxin who has taken me under her wing and is teaching me everything I need to know about Asian cuisine. I could write a blog post about that and share a recipe that I made tonight for the first time (Asian sesame pizza) ... but, instead, I am going to make this blog post completely self-centered and brag about my amazing winter coat ....

HOW CUTE IS MY COAT ??!??!??!

Picture it with a new purple scarf ... perfect, right? *happy sigh*

And here's the best part ... it was on sale for $45 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE.

And the award goes to

If you're a makeup junkie like me - and yes, I've become quite the makeup junkie since moving to Vancouver - then you're probably aware that it's award time in the cosmetics industry. In Style magazine just released its 2010 Best Beauty Buys list and so did Allure Magazine. So, just for fun, I thought I'd give you all a peek into my makeup bag and let you know which products won my votes! :)

Best Makeup Bag:

Harajuku Lovers Solid Clutch Makeup Bag, $22 at Sephora

Best Mascara:

Quo Miraculous Lash, $20 only at Shopper's Drugmart

Best Powder Blush:

Maybelline Mineral Power Blush in Original Rose, approx. $8 at any pharmacy

Best Eyeshadow:

MAC Eyeshadow (all colors), $18 at MAC stores

Best Facial Cleanser:

Derma E Papaya & Soy Milk Foaming Facial Cleanser, $20 at Fabove

Best Facial Moisturizer:

Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Moisturizer, $10 at any pharmacy

Best Lipstick:

Maybelline Moisture Extreme in "Born with It", approx. $6 at any pharmacy

Best Hair Styling Product:

Sebastian Trilliant Thermal Shimmer, $17 at Fabove

Best Kept Beauty Secret:

Parnevu Tea Tree Leave-In Conditioner, $10 at Shoppers Drugmart

I hope you're all having a beautiful (pardon the pun!) week! Tomorrow night I'll be getting all dolled up and going somewhere special, so stay tuned!

xoxo

Kioshi ♥

OK, so I have a little confession. Since moving to Vancouver, I haven't really felt creative much. Oh sure, I checked out the local scrapbook stores and bought a few items but I've only scrapped two layouts since moving here. I know - the shame! But yesterday I was browsing around on the Scrapbook Star site and saw that the new Basic Grey collection had arrived ... and it was love at first sight! Purple and gray is my FAVORITE color combination, so it's no wonder I'm head over heels for this collection. I decided to splurge and bought the paper collection pack:

The flower blooms ...

... and the matching buttons!!

These lovely spring goodies are scheduled to arrive at my apartment on April 1st, just in time for Easter! So excited to get back into the scrapbook groove.

xox

Paboom!

I am so in love with this store:

It's just a few blocks from my apartment and they have the greatest home decor items at such affordable prices. I bought super sweet pink lanterns for just $4 and today I bought a bright pink garbage can for my bedroom for just $6. I think this might be my absolute favorite shop in the whole city. *sigh* Who knows what I'll find next?!

-xoxo-

Some Etsy Eye Candy

I know I haven't been very good at keeping up with my blog ... I've just been so busy lately, trying to get all my school work done. The end of semester is quickly approaching and I have lots of papers to write and assignments to complete before December 1st.

This morning I spent some time browsing around Etsy for the first time in months and I found *tons* of great things! The following items have officially made my Christmas list --

5 Strawberry Sundae Dishes, available here.

Hot Pink Blooming Blossom pillow, available here.

Bathroom sign decor, available here.

*happy sigh*
I just love shopping. :o)

Loving cows ...

This summer, I fell in love with cows.

As most of you know, I live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and there's a farm just down the street from my house. Actually, there are several farms. And apple orchards, too. And a mountain and a river ... but anyways. Moving on with my story. I never really paid much attention to the farms and certainly never paid much attention to the animals on the farms. But this summer, I fell for the cows. I dunno how it happened, or why, but it did. Everytime we drove past the farms I'd point out my window and squeal "ahhh look at the cows!" like I was six years old or something.

And now, more than anything, I want this cow die by Sizzix. It would probably be a huge waste of money because, honestly, how often am I going to put a cow on a scrapbook layout or even on a card? But gosh darn it ... it's just sooooooo cute!

Etsy Share

OK, so I'll be honest: I'm a selfish Etsy shopper. I rarely tell people about great Etsy shops that I find because I'm paranoid that if I tell people about them all the goodies will sell out before I have a chance to order everything for myself. I know, I know ... doesn't make much sense, does it? However, this Etsy shop is sooooo lovely I couldn't help but post about it.

It's called Lilla Lotta and she specializes in beautiful handmade ribbon with really unique and whimsical designs. I ordered some last week and they arrived today in a cute little package from Paris and they are soooooo wonderful. I can't wait to play with them!

Have a wonderful weekend & happy shopping! xox

Sometimes, cupcakes help.

Wow. I have had one heck of a week. First, my university football team lost one of its players in a car crash and I was (and continue to be) completely devastated about that. Rest in peace Ricky Zieba. Then my favorite NFL football player (Steve McNair) was shot and killed ... total shock. Then, last night, I was in the ER at the hospital from 5:30pm - 6:00am with my grandmother. By the time I got home, I was so exhausted and starving and frustrated and sad that all I wanted t0 do was sleep ... and sleep I did. I slept all day and just woke up about an hour ago. What was the first thing I did when I woke up? Made myself a coffee, went down to the computer and ordered this bag:

What can I say? Sometimes, cupcakes just help.

Anyways, my grandmother is fine and is now at home and back to her usual antics ... but please pray for the Zieba family, the McNair family and all of the broken-hearted people I met the in ER last night ... The emergency room is an incredibly sad place. :o(

xox

my feet hurt :o(

Wow. What a week! I have fallen asleep at 8pm two nights in a row, and I STILL feel utterly exhausted. I need a vacation. I need a beach, a good book and a sangria. And I need it now.

I've been eyeing that *adorable* canvas in Jenny's Baker Shop etsy store, and am tempted to buy it for myself as an end-of-semester treat. What do you think? It's a little pricey, but I looooove it.

-xox-

she scraps.

I ordered some fabulous stamps from My Cute Stamps and they arrived today! I couldn't wait to play with them, so I immediately opened the package and got to work.

Obviously, being an ice-cream junkie the first stamp I had to test out was the ice-cream cone ...

Let's just say that I am a HUGE FAN. Not only are the designs fantastic, but the stamps are really top-notch quality and totally affordable (only $12 for a whole set, plus shipping). I'll be purchasing the robot ones next ... stay tuned! :o)

loves ~xox~

all the pretty fabric

What does a creative soul do when she has a history paper due tomorrow that's nowhere near complete? Why, she shops for fabric on Etsy, of course!!

I bought this lovely fabric designed by Anna Maria Horner and plan to make pillow cases with it. I loved the colors and the design .. it reminds me of a chocolate truffle with raspberry liquer inside. So delicate and feminine ... can't wait to get my hands on it and play!

I also bought this lovely fabric covered with apples and pears and designed by Alexander Henry. It's going to be used for a special project that I'm not quite ready to share yet ... but trust me, it'll be fantastic!

Oh how I love procrastination!

-xox-

today, I treated myself

I splurged and bought these super duper cute stickers from Michelle's etsy shop. I couldn't help myself, I have a weakness for ice-cream. I have no idea where or how I'll use them, but I knew I had to have them anyway.

Life's been pretty busy over here ... I have a bunch of reading to get done for school, lots of homework and research papers to tend to. BORING. I've also been busy scrapbooking, which is much more entertaining than doing school work.

xOxOx

my wish list ...

I am constantly amazed by the little treasures I stumble across on the etsy site. If you haven't spent some time exploring etsy, you seriously don't know what you're missing out on. Handmade goodies, reasonable prices, unique crafting supplies. *sigh* AND it's open for shopping 24 hours a day! Etsy is like music to my artsy soul.

Here are some of my current favorite items ... Santa, are you listening???? ....

New York City wood-mounted stamps ... aren't they just fabulous?

A cupcake pin cushion ... I am in love.

I love the quote, love the art work ... I need this print!

I, Stephanie Joanna, hereby pledge ...

… to use up my current stash of scrapbook supplies before buying new things. I will not let myself be led into consumer temptation by the beauty that is Daisy Bucket Designs (hellloooo have you seen that paper with the curly tree??) … nor shall I be led astray by the stunning Scenic Route and the super duper cute Doodlebug Christmas goodies. And don't even get me started on the sweetness of Fancy Pants.

Seriously though ... I really do need to use up what I already have. So no more scrap supplies for me until the 2-day September crop at Scrapbook Star. :o(

Let the budget countdown begin ...