meaning of the word 'bungalow'

What do you think of when you hear the word 'bungalow?'

My vision is something along these lines....

I'd like to spend a weekend or a honeymoon in one of these! SOON!

P.S. Our potential honeymoon destination, St. Lucia, was just hit by hurricane Tomas. Sweet, sweet Lord. Sending prayers to the Caribbean!!!

i heart this website

I can't tell you how many times I've lost my cell phone while home alone with nobody around to call it for me! This website will truly come in handy during those frustrating occasions when you've got somewhere to be but you can't find your celly!

 Go to the site, enter your cell number, and within seconds your phone will be ringing {it's legit; I tested it!}

{info on site from Cup of JO; pic from weheartit}

 

cute DIY gift wrapping

Does anybody else love burlap as much as I do? I'm just a big fan of natural fabrics. What's your favorite go-to wrapping material?.....and I mean BESIDES wrapping paper! Anything creative?

X-mas list for 2010

This is what I want for Christmas. A glass table & mirror for my bedroom where I can store all my makeup and jewelry. AND...actually sit & put on my makeup. To be honest, I would ALSO like one of these for X-mas...

but I don't know if THAT'S gonna happen ;)


Have you concocted your X-mas list already?

awesome pic

Umm...soo...there's nothing I don't love about this pic ;)

And....I love these bouquets like the proverbial fat kid loves cake...hee hee

I bought my wedding dress!

It's from Paloma Blanca! Check out their website & have fun guessing which one I got : )

I purchased the dress from The Ultimate Bride on Brentwood in St. Louis just south of the Galleria. Megan is the manager, and she helped me get through a TERRIBLE SITUATION. A situation involving Paloma Blanca raising the price of my dress by $1000 THE DAY BEFORE I WAS SCHEDULED TO BUY! It was insane...so thanks, Megan, for helping me out of that one!

fall flowers & sir snoops a lot

 If your wedding dress is white WHY NOT go vibrant with your bouquet?

 Why spend money on vases? Vintage canisters, jars, anything recyclable will work. Rinse it out & go to town!

  I love that somebody made a boutonniere flower out of sheet music! 

 It's not 1995. Who needs those elaborate & over-the-top centerpieces anymore? Half the time they are so big you can't even see or talk to the person sitting across from you! Tone it down with unique flowers in vibrant colors in an interesting arrangement with a cute/non-traditional vase.

 A boutonniere out of raspberries? LOVE.

Don't you love snooping on other people's weddings? There's so much inspiration out there.

  Two of my favorite ways to snoop are via Style Me Pretty & Green Wedding Shoes. These sites make wedding snooping easy! Enjoy : )

the most beautiful braid

Would you wear a braid on your wedding day?

I would if it looked like this : )

image via stylemepretty

are you kidding me?

This {Style Me Pretty} wedding pulled off an elegant/rustic theme with the adorable chairs that I previously posted about? Maybe I can pull it off, too?

colorful bridesmaids

Love this color combo and the interplay of textures!

This is my definition of the modern bridesmaid : )

Did you watch Treme?

Treme is an amazing HBO series that follows several New Orleanians post-Katrina. The show really brings light to what life was like for those who nearly lost the city they loved and called home. And because the show follows several different characters from all walks of life instead of just following one character you really get to see post-Katrina New Orleanian life from many different angles. The show also intertwines all the very different characters through the happenings of daily life, thus showing how interconnected they really are through their mutual love for the city of New Orleans: "The city that lives in the imagination of the world."--one of my fav lines from the series.

Click here to purchase Treme, Season 1!

The show aired this spring and has been renewed for another season. Not sure if this is true or not but I heard that TV shows and movies filmed in the Gulf area are denied insurance if shooting during hurricane season. Does anyone know if this is true? That means that if they didn't already shoot season 2 of Treme over the summer they will not be able to shoot it until January. Which means we have to wait until the spring/summer for season 2. HBO really knows how to keep us waiting don't they? Trueblood won't be back until next summer either :(

I love Treme and New Orleans in general for three reasons: the music, the food and the culture. When you are in New Orleans, you just feel different b/c the energy of the city is absolutely contagious, and the city is unlike any other place you have ever been. It is truly unique; truly special. For a little of NOLA at home check out Treme's Soundtrack. Everything's cheaper through Amazon so click on this link to purchase!

Derek's wedding ring

Last week I found this awesome Etsy shop that turns your fingerprint into a work of art! I'm getting Der the ring on the left. It is a basic silver ring, but the cool part is....it will have my finger print on the inside of it! I love it...what an awesome idea!


Check out Fabuluster's Etsy shop!

Aaaaaand I'm back!

The excuse for my absence? WEDDING PLANNING BURNOUT! Mer Mer needed a little time off to think about other things : )

Yesterday signified one year til the big day, so I thought I better jump back on the planning bandwagon.


Here are some pics of a lovely barn wedding, which is exactly what I wanted for my wedding but am unable to attain due to a lack of barn venues in Southern Illinois. Boo. Any hooters...ENJOY!

 

Do you like my Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition?

a fun idea

This isn't the look that I'm going for, but it's cute nonetheless. Renting a bunch of different colored chairs {still within the ranges of a color scheme} and keeping everything else white is an inexpensive look for a reception!

things are coming together...

Groom: black suit, ivory shirt, black tie, squared-off pocket hanky (not shown), flat-front pant

Groomsmen: black suit, ivory shirt, charcoal tie, squared-off pocket hanky (not shown), flat-front pant

Bridesmaids' gown in plum (much less purple and much more elegant in person. I think they enhanced the color for internet purposes.)

My dress? I think not : )

Fabulous earrings for a fab bride!

 

you learn something new everyday

Did you know that Audrey Hepburn (sort of) had a pet deer? Meet Pippin!

if only it was affordable

This Oscar de la Renta wedding dress is the MOST SHOWSTOPPING wedding gown I have ever laid my eyes on. What do you think? $10,000-$15,000? If only....if only..... Make sure you zoom in on that lace work!


P.S. This dress would look so much better on a model who actually knew what a cheeseburger tasted like : )

more purple eye candy

I definitely want more green in my flowers to contrast the purple dresses but loving that floral centerpiece, especially the gold container! Are those plums in the centerpiece? Also, another example of a rosary on a bridal bouquet.

tent lighting

Any ideas on how to get this chandelier for cheap and then hang it up on our wedding reception tent and then hook electricity up to it? LOVE this chandelier. NEED HELP. hee hee

bridesmaids in an elegant purple

The ladies above just look so elegant in this purple! Love the one-shoulder look, too!

{stylemepretty.com}

Remember Robyn?

Ignore the fist pumping and the fact that there is no mic on her mic stand, and this song is pretty good!

Apparently Robyn is big over in Europe!


This is the last time I heard Robyn...until now.

Purchase her CD here!

eat pray love

Have you read 'Eat Pray Love?'

Have you heard all the buzz about it being made into a movie starring Julia Roberts?

The movie opens August 13!

I loved the Italy part of the book, but I'm having a hard time getting through the India portion. I better get reading so as to be done by the time the movie opens!

*The Mickey Obsession*

It's amazing how the character, Mickey Mouse, lasts through the years...

I've noticed some Mickey presence in music as of late so I thought I'd do a little Mickey+celebrity montage...

Marilyn Manson

Britney

Madonna

What is it about Mickey? Is it the idea of becoming as popular and well-loved as him?

MJ

Drew Barrymore

Lady Gaga

Rihanna

...and again

...or is it just fun to mock how pure and innocent Mickey is portrayed? ...or how commercial Disney is? ...or how obsessed OTHER people are with Mickey?

One way to keep the weight off...

Take the stairs next time!

The artist of my moment

I am HUGE on Drake right now. If you have never heard of him, he is a rapper that also sings.

He released a couple singles before ever releasing a CD. You should know this single.

 {ahahahah Sorry about the content of that video!}


He released his first CD, 'Thank Me Later,' just this past June.


 

I love this song from his new CD.


And this song gets me through every workout!


This song {he did with Mary J. Blige} is also great to workout to. You have probably heard this song before as it was used in a recent commercial starring MJB.

So, go listen to some Drake this weekend and get your booty shakin!