Ribbons Crafts from Martha

Ok, I admit, i'm not getting much work done because i'm totally in Weddings mode because my friends' wedding was just this weekend (which I will share about later). I found these totally cute ribbon crafts from the Martha Stewart Spring 2008 issue and I really had to post.

Celebrate Beautifully's Own Etsy Shop!

Visit my new Celebrate Beautifully Shop on Etsy. So far i've made some handmade hair bands for bridesmaids, flower girls and brides. I'm planning to add chic green-bags, and other neat handmade things. I hope to eventually move into a full fledged online shop (selling more than just handmade items).

All proceeds of things sold from my site goes to benefit NicaraguaHope.org, which helps impoverished children of Bluefields, Nicaragua get an education and hope for the future.

Peach tulle sprinkled with crochet flowers, buttons and hand knit leaves. A frothy pink tulle pouff with white feathers and black and cream ribbon from France.

Spring 2009: Carolina Herrera

My third fave bridal designer is Carolina Herrera. Carolina, in my opinion is the most well dressed and elegant designer out there. Her appearance is always as pristine as her clothes, which excel in line and cut. Here are some of the highlights from her Spring 2009 collection, which showed modernized regal silhouttes (check out the Marie Antoinette Dress, Napolean Empire Dress, and the fur trimmed Edwardian).

Vera Wang & Oscar de la Renta Spring 2009 Collections

It seems like brides are going to be walking down the aisle in 2009 in floating embroidered tulle, silk deco-era columns, and more simple dresses featuring gorgeous details. It's all about glamour and femininity of the eras past, with a more modern construction and fit. I've chosen some highlights from Oscar and Vera (designers of my first two choices for my own wedding dress- I'll reveal which dress I chose on Sept 20!). You can see more on Brides.com.

Vera Wang's latest collection was definitely more on the wearable side this season (as opposed to her more sculptural, Grecian-abstract dresses from last season). A simply gorgeous silk taffeta dress reveals a gorgeous cascade of silk tulle flowers in the back.

I heart pleats!Oscar de la Renta showed a GORGEOUS collection. I love how he is able to show new ideas but is able to design what are truly "Oscar" dresses.

Sheer caps sleeve dresses like these are perfect for those who are slender in the shoulders.

Simply delicious dress that reminds me of a luxurious cream puff! The bow on the shoulder is so Lacroix- i'm loving it!

Grocery Flower Bouquets

I love buying flowers from the groceries because they're so inexpensive and they're not as tacky as most people think. Check out these really great grocery flower bouquet "makeovers" from Real Simple.

Bunches of individual iris, statis and carnations...
bunch, cut and wire together...
and voila! a perfect purple hued bouquet.Your typical $24.99 bouquet at the grocery store with lilies, ranunculous and freesia.makes a gorgeous melon hued bouquet when you take the fern away!My favourite "makeover" - pink and magenta carnations with baby's breath and fern..(shudder)
Becomes this gorgeous bouquet when tightly packed together, cut, and wrapped with wire and ribbon.

Bonus! the baby's breath becomes a lovely bouquet itself with an olive satin ribbon. I also love using large amount of baby's breath as an arrangement in a silver or glass vase. This could be ideal for the reception table.

Bridesmaid Checklist (Before the Wedding)

Our friend's wedding is in a week's time and I sent a checklist out to the other bridesmaids below of things you need to do before the wedding:

Steam Your Dress
- Hang your dress on a hanger in the bathroom while everyone takes a hot shower. It will work after a couple showers.
- You can also use the “steam button” on any standard iron- fill it with water and puff it a few times upright 5” away from the dress’s wrinkled area.
- Make sure the dress is dried before putting it back in the bag (it’ll just wrinkle again if not)

Beauty
- bring a photo of what kind of hair you want unless you don’t mind the hair dresser (possibly) pouffing and/or sparkling your hair in a manner you do not desire ;)
- bring your own lip gloss/lip stick, maybe a bit of cover up or concealer in your particular shade if you wish, as the makeup artist probably wont be able to constantly touch us all up (she will be concentrating on the bride)
- get manicures & pedicures in a tasteful, neutral shade (or do it yourself)

Other Things to Remember
- Bring nude coloured pantyhose in a natural shade. Try them on beforehand, and bring an extra pair. If you are wearing sandals, purchase the "sandal foot" kind, without the seam in the toe.
- Bring your shoes & dress, and any other accessories needed (ie: shawls)
- Wear studs or pearls for earrings if you have pierced ears
- Leave other jewelry and valuables at home so you don’t lose it
- Put together a kit of: aspirin, gum, safety pins, thread & needle, q-tips, cotton balls, bandaids, alka seltzers (take before you drink to avoid redness), bobby pins, hairspray, clar nailpolish stash of granola bars or snacks, etc.
- Anything else that the bride has assigned you to bring or take care of… (ie speeches, etc)

Party Theme: Think Green

I know that people have been buying from Jamali Garden for years, but I wanted to post a source for some of the latest 'green theme look' that i'm seeing everywhere. Whether or not the items are actually "eco-friendly" is another topic!

Fruitwood finish vases
Mangowood vases mixed with delicate hydrangeas.

Natural bamboo cylinder vases.

The now ubiquitous L.E.D. lights sell for about 2.99ea depending on the size.
They've got runners and placemats made from woven pebbles and stones. Perfect for completing the "green look".These cloche vases remind me of the mini-ecosystems you created in 5th grade. Jamali Garden also sells an assortment of shells, starfish, artificial grasses and moss.
Moss flocked rocks!

Wine Tasting Bridal Shower

Over the weekend, we threw a Wine Tasting bridal shower for our friend Jess. We had Heather Anderson, a certified sommelier pick out 5 different wines from regions in Germany, France, Greece, Spain and Italy, plus a blind tasting. The wines represented a "European Trip" that the bride has always wanted to embark on. Each guest had a "passport" to write wine notes in.

Debbie, one of the bridesmaids and resident gourmet chef cooked up a storm, pairing up the wines with food from the various regions perfectly. The menu included calamari with olives and roasted tomatoes (Greece), rosemary-oven roasted rack of lamb tapas style (Spain) and mini potato rosti with chive sour cream (Germany).
After tasting 5 courses and 6 wines, we all enjoyed a slice of gorgeous chocolate raspberry fondant cake baked by Christina, one of the guests. Thanks everyone for all your wonderful contributions!

Favourite Bouquets Part II

I am totally in LOVE with these gorgeous bouquets by Ariella Chezar. They are phenomally well composed and I just love the texture and colours that she incorporates together. Looking at bouquet pictures may help you pick colours for your next event!

Blocks of contrasting colours like these chocolate cosmos, lilies, and orchids make a strikingly modern bouquet.
A simple yet textured pink bouquet made from shades of pink blooms.Even though she used soft melon tones, the bouquet looks bold and textured, featuring ranunculus, parrot tulips and garden roses.

Chocolate cosmos again add interest to this otherwise traditional ivory bouquet.
I love how she worked the tones and shades of her bouquet into her hairpiece. This is simply stunning!
An utterly beautiful compositino of pink dahlias, stephanotis, and what looks like key limes.
My favourite bouquet by far- featuring french black centered anemones and pink roses, cuffed by Galliano for Dior inspired ribbon & french black netting.

A surprising mix of a natural look bouquet pierced with more exotic looking phalaenopsis orchids, and lilies.