Eye Candy: Orange & Grey

Bouquet from here

Well dressed men from here

Orange tulip bouquets from this wedding



DIY details from a Ruffled bride

Invitations by Smock Paper

Cute feet from here

Engagement Anniversary

One year ago, today, the most amazing man pulled off the most perfect proposal and made me the happiest girl in the world!

It was a beautiful evening in Maui, a little windy if anything, when Jordan and I arrived for our dinner reservation about an hour early. I thought nothing of it since we had discussed getting a drink at the bar before, anyways.

I remember Jordan was in such a great mood and had had me laughing all day. When he asked to go take a walk on the beach it was hard to turn him down, although, I did put up a little bit of a fight being that I was dressed up and had JUST done my hair. As usual, he insisted that I step out of my comfort zone and (literally) let my hair down.

We were talking about the amazing vacation we were having and that we wouldn't want to be there with anyone else. Jordan said he didn't want to leave and that he didn't want to leave me, after the trip. I tried to tell him that we still had 2 days left and the first rule of vacation is you NEVER talk about leaving...

That's when he shut me up by saying "Lauren, I talked to your dad before we left..."

And I knew what he was getting at.

We both agree that the story gets a little sketchier from there, but I do know he got down on one knee before reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box and popped the question. I said "YES!", cried hysterically and the rest is history.

I can't believe it has been a year!

But, an amazing year it has been!

Here's to the man of my dreams, my best friend, and future husband(in just 82 short days!),

 Jordan,

I love you!

LOVE: SMP "Build a Board"

Happy Friday, bloggers!

I pulled together this pretty little inspiration board on Style Me Pretty this morning. It is so easy to do and allows you to search by category and/or colors to "Build a Board".

I call this one "Rustic Summer".

I'm guessing it will be the first of many.

It's been a LONG time coming...

I was going through some old photos when I found this picture of myself...

Just thought maybe you'd enjoy it as much as I do.

SPLURGE or SAVE: The Striped Blazer

Let me just preface this by saying, you all know my loyalty to J.Crew, AND when I win a million dollars you can bet that the very first thing I'll do is purchase the entire J.Crew Catalog, BUT for now, this bride is on a budget and that means doing my best to be a savvy shopper and getting the look for less.

THE STRIPED BLAZER:

SPLURGE:

J.Crew Maritime-stripe Blazer $118

SAVE:

Forever21 Striped French Terry Blazer $22.80

A savings of $95.20!

And my guess is either one will look fabulous on the plane ride to Costa Rica!

DIY: (easy) Doily Table Runners

As mentioned in my previous post here, I love these doily table runners and couldn't wait to make one myself. Turns out, it is SUPER easy and after the wedding, I can use it to dress up our table at home.

First, I purchased the doilies, in assorted sizes, and fabric glue from a local fabric store.

Then, I laid the doilies out the way I wanted them and glued the edges where they overlapped.

*I measured it to be just an inch shy(on either side) of the edge of the table I need it for. You may choose to have the runner hang over the edge of the table as well. Up to you!*

 And, you're done! Told you it was easy. I let the glue dry. Then gently rolled it up to store away until the big day.



Once again, I feel obligated to apologize for my (lack of) photography skills. Sorry.

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Some Link Love on this Snow Day

I was getting awfully used to the idea of melting snow and warmer winter days, but being a Minnesotan all of my life, I knew it was too good to be true. After all, it is only February, and today, Mother Nature reminds us of that. By noon, tomorrow, the Twin Cities is expected to be burried (again) beneath 12-18 inches of snow.

...secretly, I am kind of enjoying it.

With absolutely no desire to venture out into the blizzard, my to-do list waits for another day while I sit on the couch in my favorite sweat pants, with my favorite boy doing plenty of guilt-free blogging.

Here are some of my favorite finds, today:

DIY party streamers (and some cute socks) here

Colorful Kitchens here

A list of "MN wedding bests" here

Cupcakes for breakfast? find the recipe here

Plus, Something for the boys: Groom Groove has everything from proposal advice, to what to expect the day of, and tips for everything in between from real men who have been there. And, it's not just for grooms, the site also gives advice to the groomsmen including "How to Meet Someone at the Wedding".

Trend Alert: Rustic Wedding Details

Image Credits(top to bottom): 1) Rustic Flower Box 2) Signs  3) Rustic Centerpieces 

4) Cupcake-in-a-Jar Favors 5) Cocktail Hour Menu

Marriage is: "Meatloaf Mondays"

I saw one of my favorite clients this week. I have been seeing him and his wife for several years now. They have been together since his wife was 15 and now they are in their early 70's. And, although retired, they maintain very busy lives traveling, volunteering, chasing grandkids and taking care of their home and cabin.

 On Tuesday, he was in for a haircut and we got to talking about Valentine's Day. I asked him how they celebrated and he told me that his wife had just returned home from visiting her sister for the weekend, so, they were going to celebrate Valentine's Day, a day late. He had flowers and chocolates waiting for her arrival and because she wasn't home for "Meatloaf Monday", for dinner, they were making meatloaf.

I'm sure he has no idea that I am still thinking about this conversation but, to me, it spoke volumes about marriage. And, more so, successful marriages, the importance of making time for eachother and even if date nights are nothing extravagant, it is important to make time for them so that when life gets busy, you've always got "Meatloaf Mondays".

At a time when I am so consumed with this wedding(which, clearly, I enjoy and wouldn't have it any other way) and little decisions like the wording for the invitations and how many tea light candles I need, it was a great reminder to take a step back and remember why we are doing all of this: because at the end of the day, it is not a wedding, it is a marriage and marriage is: "Meatloaf Mondays".

Eye Candy: Lazy Summer Afternoons

Longing for fresh squeezed lemonade, pretty fresh-picked flowers and lazy summer afternoons, today, with a little help from Snippet & Ink.

Party Dresses

Well, my wedding showers are on the calendar and I recieved the first invite in the mail yesterday, which got me thinkin'...

What am I going to wear?

Fountain Fixture Dress

Cheek to Chic Dress

Gazebo Glam Dress

Gentle Calm Dress

All dresses from ModCloth.

LOVE: Carolee Jewelry

I don't know about you, but I had the hardest time finding (affordable) jewelry, for the big day.
 I could envision exactly what I wanted, but my online searches and trips to the mall were leaving me empty handed.

 It wasn't until a trip to Bloomingdales, yesterday, that I discovered Carolee Bridal Jewelry and the search was over!

BHLDN faves



Burnished Organza Gown



Cascading Goddess Gown

Gilded Trillium Kisslock Clutch

Gin Fizz Shift

Origami Pleated Dress

Scalloped Platforms

Joie De Vivre Netted Chiffon Bra

Tranquil Morning Cami

All images from the fabulous BHLDN.

Twas the night before BHLDN

On this Valentine's Day eve, there is just one thing on my mind:

BHLDN 

The much anticipated launch of the Anthropologie inspired bridal line, pronounced: beholden, is just hours away.

This past week, all of my favorite bloggers were invited to the sneak preview and, as predicted, they were not disappointed.

Photos from 100 Layer Cake Blog

See more from other bloggers here, here, and here.

If you haven't already, go to BHLDN and get on their mailing list and don't forget to check back tomorrow for their debut!

99 days!

Only 99 more days 'til our wedding!!

Double digits? I can't believe it!

This week, it is really starting to sink in.

On Tuesday, we recieved our first official wedding gift: Beautiful luggage from our registry. Which means we can return the suitcases we have been "borrowing" from our parents and start packing for the honeymoon!

Along with the excitement, this countdown brings just a small amount of anxiety...

I started paging through my little blue book of lists this morning and coming up with some wedding projects for the weekend! (Sorry, honey...)

 Jordan's suit fitting:

(Spoiler Alert: He is not wearing a bow tie)

We picked out the suits a few weeks back, but they didn't have anything in stock for my tall(6'5") dark and handsome groom, so they special ordered it and, now, he can get a better idea of the fit.

 Wedding bands:

We are meeting with the same jeweler that did my engagement ring (pictured above) to look at wedding bands, on Monday.

Invitations:
 We got the final proof of our invitations last week, so it is time to finalize the wording and collect the rest of the adresses we need to send off to the printer.

Reception Decor:

I love these doily table runners. Maybe for the dessert table?
This, and other DIY projects, means a trip to JoAnn Fabrics, Archivers and IKEA.

Okay, getting overwhelmed...
Happy Hour, anyone?

Trend Alert: The Roaring 20's



How great is this wedding party?



Love this inspiration board





20's fashion from here

Vintage centerpieces from the knot

Vintage inspired invites