with love from abu dhabi

{ everyday greetings collection in arabic and english by natoof }

hello from the united arab emirates! of course there are etsy crafters here.

both of the above cards are true: miss you much. and you rock.

thank you for your patience while i take a much-needed vacation to see dear friends and regroup. can you believe it's almost december? i can't.

tomorrow, dubai. inshallah. this is the furthest i have ever been from home.

happy thanksgiving to my friends in the states!

{each photo links to its shop}

50th: golden wedding anniversary gifts

{each photo links to its shop}

my stepfather's parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this weekend -- 50! years! -- and i've been trying for several weeks to think of a gift. originally we thought to hire a photographer to come and take a great family shot, but then we found out they don't want a big fuss and want the party to be very low key. we're taking them to fancy dinner the day after the party, but what does one give a couple who has been together for so long, travels frequently, and is not lacking for much? what would be meaningful to commemorate 50 years?

maybe... a cd with top 10 hits from the year they got married -- 1959! -- or something with "gold" in the name that isn't a gold-rimmed plate or picture frame... and we don't have vintage photos, so photo/slideshow is out. any ideas?

evies: handmade ring pillows

{ chocolate and lavender ring pillow }

as part of catching up, evie wrote (back in *august*, mind you) with these gorgeous ring pillows, which you may have seen featured on stylemepretty around then --

i think these are *wonderful* -- am wishing you all success, evie!





for more, see evies.etsy.com

top ten vintage wedding items on etsy: nov. 1st

{each photo links to its shop}

11 reasons you should keep reading etsy wedding

{ where am i going? art journal kit by elisejoy }

i know, i know. i never call, i never write.
was in NYC last weekend briefly on a music adventure to CMJ, am planning a trip to dubai/UAE, doing some behind-the-scenes research for this blog... no excuses!

my readers, i need to get on a posting schedule. i have roughly 11 things on deck, some of them for months, some of them i'm embarrassed to admit to because i've left blog friends hanging.

looking in my drafts folder, they are:

1. bridal-party gifts for women under $20, to follow up men's gifts under $20
   
2. silver earrings post requested in august by meg of a practical wedding, who is already married and no longer needs it...
3. bridesmaid dresses you *might* actually like
4. eco-housewares worth registering for
5. real etsy wedding: dorie
6. call for entries: seeking 20 motivated etsy wedding vendors for the wedding show, jan 15-17, toronto, see http://www.theweddingco.com/thedailynews/2009/10/calling-all-etsy-sellers/
7. a really really great giveaway with a prize (a really good one!) that i have needed to post since *june*. 
8. a post on the wonderful twin oaks bed+breakfast, where we stayed in natchez on our road trip in september, and proprietor regina charboneau's amazing food writing (and recipes!)
   
9. polls: what do you want to see more of? budget features? top 10 vintage? individual seller features? also: if people offer me non-etsy products to review, would you like me to accept them in order to pass them on to you as freebies?
10. for hannah at the daily etsian, an interview she gave me weeeeeks ago....
11. plus a really good story i've been holding out on.

i hope that by listing them here it shows that i do think about you far more often than it shows the last few months. plus it's the first step toward finishing a few of them, for the love. i also purchased (months ago!) a domain name for the site: etsyweddingblog.com, but have yet to revamp the template and reorganize the resources now that they've grown. i need an assistant. perhaps an intern... (don't we all!)

being at fort point open studios and working with other artists reminded me why i do this: to connect couples with amazing craftspeople and artisans, and to give exemplary indie design a wider audience. i've been neglecting that job of late, and plan to be more mindful of your good faith in reading.

for all waiting to hear back by email, i am catching up slowly.
i thank you all for your patience and for reading!

greetings from fort point boston!

{ fort point open studios 2009 }

hello from boston! am back in my old neighborhood, at fort point's 30th annual open studios this weekend. forgive the slow posting, have been feverishly making jewelry for this weekend -- today was great!

if you're in the boston area and don't think the head of the charles in the rain sounds like fun tomorrow, stop by! 150 artists are open 11am-6pm -- i'm in the group space at 311 summer st., just across the ft. point channel from the south station T, or there's free parking.

for more info and a map, see fortpointarts.org, and thank you so much to everyone who came by today!!

sea glass jewelry for your wedding day

{ photo by christina friedrichsen, intimateweddings.com }

[as a special friday treat, please welcome today's guest host christina friedrichsen of IntimateWeddings.com, the go-to website for anyone planning a small wedding. not only a wedding expert, she's here to talk about sea glass, a fascinating subject i knew *nothing* about. etsy has a whole world of sea glass jewelry and supplies i'd barely even registered -- thank you so much, christina!]

Sea glass is my latest obsession. Not only is it a hot collectible—it makes gorgeous wedding jewelry.

Just in case you have no idea what sea glass is, it’s glass—mainly from bottles, but also from tableware, pottery and other glassware—found in lakes and oceans that has been smoothed by the sand and tumbling action of the waves.

A well-frosted piece of sea glass will have tossed and turned in the waves for several years. In fact, most of the good pieces have been in the water for several decades—and some rare pieces are more than 100 years old. Black sea glass can date back to the 1700s!

Some people call sea glass jewels of the sea, or mermaid’s tears. And some serious collectors travel the earth for rare pieces to add to their collections. Serious collectors will rappel off cliffs, scuba dive and kayak to very remote locations to find the most precious of sea jewels. As for me, I just scour the shoreline.

There are online groups devoted to sea glass (seaglasslovers.ning.com and seaglassartists.ning.com) and even sea glass festivals (The North American Sea Glass festival in Erie, PA will be held in October.)

One excellent resource is Richard Lamotte’s Pure Sea Glass. In sea glass circles, this book is often referred to as the ‘bible’ for sea glass collectors.

Sea glass makes gorgeous wedding jewelry. Everything from bezel cup pendants, to wire wrapped earrings. It’s even used to make flip flops for beach brides.

White is the most common colour of sea glass. Despite its prevalence, I think there’s nothing more beautiful than a perfect piece of frosted white. And it goes so well with a wedding gown!

Sea glass jewelry is also a lovely gift for your bridesmaids. You can choose any colour of the rainbow and a simple pendant can cost less than $20.

I’ve handpicked some sea glass jewelry from Etsy. And if you are interested in learning more about sea glass, please check out seaglassrocks.com, my new blog on sea glass collecting.






{each photo links to its shop}

please also check out christina's Intimate Weddings Blog for heaps of fresh ideas on planning an intimate wedding – and don’t forget to check out the Intimate Weddings Venue Finder for unique, intimate wedding venues. more on sea glass at seaglassrocks.com -- happy friday, everyone!

video: handmade bridal crowns with whichgoose

{ video: etsy bridal crowns with whichgoose }

so, so lovely -- enjoy this meditative jaunt through the sylvan world of whichgoose, one of my perennial favorites for her exceptional work. i swear this video took my heart rate down to human range, it's so peaceful and beautifully shot. pls. check out the full article by etsy video maven weirdwolf for the backstory.




for more info see whichgoose.etsy.com and whichgoose.blogspot.com

{{**apologies, the player doesn't fit in my template -- i have outgrown my two columns. anyone have a good 3-column template they'd recommend? }}

noaki: vintage + art deco wedding jewelry

{ golden feather bracelet }
.
from the mailbag: LA-based noaki's delightful work breathes new life into one-of-a-kind or limited edition vintage and art deco pieces. they have an airiness and lightness to them that's hard to pin down: the same pieces could see a summer beach wedding or a glittering winter affair. then of course there's the eco-friendliness of repurposing and rehabilitating old gems and metals. east coast meets west coast... these are fresh modern takes on classic designs.





for more info see noaki.etsy.com

10 simple handmade wedding bands under $250

{ each photo links to its shop }

your etsy weddings: hannah's daily etsian finds

{ hannah's pick: moss ring bearer pillow by aprilhilerdesigns }

[today's guest host is the lovely hannah, who writes a fantastic blog on etsy, crafting, and all sorts of artistic inspiration, here to tell her etsy wedding story and share her excellent finds:]

My name is Hannah and I can be found over at the Daily Etsian. My darling boy and I are getting married June 12, 2010 at the university where we met and fell in love. We're totally psyched about the wedding, our impending marriage, and life in general. Our reception is going to be held at a hall that is on the grounds of seven acres of gardens. Thus, our theme for the reception has naturally become gardens and outdoorsy-ness.

Here are some Etsy lovelies that I found while trolling the site looking for wedding inspiration. As I'm planning to make much of the wedding details by hand (such as all the corsages, boutonnieres, my veil, centerpieces, favors, etc.), I've included several tutorials in this collection of Etsy Wedding goodness. Enjoy!

{each photo links to its shop}

plus tutorials!

how to make a birdcage veil


how to make a vintage fabric flower


diy kit and tutorial: ribbon flower brooch

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i had never thought of looking on etsy for DIY instructions and templates -- thanks so much to hannah for sharing these! please check out the daily etsian for more tutorials, finds, and etsy inspiration, and best wishes to hannah for june 2010.

etsy wedding street team: weekly giveaways

{ etsy wedding team autumn of giveaways }

the etsy wedding street team (no relation to yours truly, though i've always wanted a street team -- think how much i'd get done!) is hosting a giveaway each week this fall of lovely handmade items. week two's giveaway deadline is 6pm tuesday 9/29, so i'm sneaking it in under the wire. check out the etsy wedding street team blog for more info on prizes and how to enter. found via the ever-inspiring maidavale (she of gorgeous invitations and ideas). thanks!

kelly + vince elope to boston

all photos by the amazing emily sterne

at long last: photos!

my dear friends eloped to boston two months ago and married each other in the public garden. it was ridiculously sane. his friend robbie performed the ceremony, and i carried rings and teetered on heels like it was my job. (it was.)

however, since i am the original bridesmaidzilla (see also: starting wedding blog when planning sister's wedding), it couldn't be too hard to complicate a simple elopement. right?

i thought: kelly and vince both love art and photography... we had to find a photographer to document this! yes! and posted an incredibly last-minute note to see if anyone wanted to join the adventure in exchange for a post on the experience. and that's how we found emily sterne, who I must tell you is a treasure. (thank you, thank you, thank you, emily! your time and your beautiful images are the best gift i could have hoped for for my friends.)

from the beginning, emily was gracious, generous, flexible, and patient -- but what i hadn't expected was how genuinely excited and moved she was to take part, and how much *fun* we all had.

in a way i don't want to tell too much of that day, you can see how wonderful it all was from emily's photos. everything was simple and straightforward -- flowers from the copley square farmers' market, the public garden "reserved" at 4:30, pick out a spot to meet, have a best friend as minister for the day (MA allows), and then -- dress up, look gorgeous, and change your life. it makes me teary thinking about it even now, how profound and good the minutes in these photos were.

it has taken me a long time to post this maybe because it was so uncomplicated, and i just haven't known how to say how much i feel about it -- it was such a private, beautiful thing. these are my beloved friends, and i was so honored and overwhelmed with gratitude to them, to share a part of this new beginning. i brim with cliche, and wish i could do it more justice. the photos tell the story. :)

for those of you dying for more details, let me know what questions you have. and if you are looking for a truly wonderful, sane, lovely, talented boston photographer, emily sterne has my highest recommendation -- and my deepest thanks for taking a risk and volunteering her time on an otherwise normal july day. you can see more info on her site emilysterne.com.

thank you emily! and thank you kelly + vince, for inviting me into these photos -- am sending all my love.









please see emily's blog for more photos from the shoot!

sankofa sampler: an african wedding

{ strength and humility cup -- west african series #5 by dovecotedesign }

the african symbol dwennimmen above is based on the curve of rams horns, and like so many symbols represents a graceful balance of two opposing ideas. strength and humility -- those and a sense of humor, and you've got your wedding planning mantra. this artist's "love never loses its way home" cup is my favorite of the series, was sold in 2008 -- perhaps she will make it again for you?

one of the many reasons blogging has been so sporadic is that in addition to travel and my normal jobs (magazine, jewelry, blog) i have been working on a big freelance project this summer, incredibly challenging and rewarding (and stretching into september!), with the new york african burial ground project reports.

the earliest colonial african american burial ground was discovered in 1991 during excavations for a building in lower manhattan; from the late 1600s to 1790, upwards of 15,000 people were buried there, and then the area was filled in and covered over during the next two centuries as NYC grew up around it. i simply can't do the project justice here, but encourage anyone interested in an amazing and moving piece of our american story to visit the project site, a lovely quick online overview, or the beautiful memorial at 290 broadway.

one symbol from the history report resonates particularly -- at first glance it resembles a heart with spirals, and can also be a bird looking toward its tail: the lovely sankofa, in both its forms. "go back and get it": go back to the past to retrieve what is good, so you can learn and take it to build a future.







{each photo links to its shop}

top ten vintage wedding items on etsy: sept. 6

{each photo links to its shop}

oldnewagain: wedding gift idea

{ metallic silver blue retro wall vase }

i can't resist just one post, from a store i saw in an etsy finds email...
check out these *great* handmade organizers by oldnewagain using reclaimed wood and recycled jars. too cool. maybe a gift for your offbeat bridal party, or for a fun couple off register. lovely!




more at oldnewagain.etsy.com

road trip: days 3, 4, 5

day 3, natchez, mississippi:





where we saw family and stayed in a wonderful bed and breakfast, a story i will tell soon!

then on to day 4, in jackson, mississippi -- drove the natchez trace to a family social; day 5, atlanta, to stay over with a dear friend; ending in DC, by way of some factory outlet mall and my college roommate in NC. a wonderful trip, full of both of our families, laughter, and a *lot* of fried chicken and sweet tea. helloooo gym.

between this and the montauk trip, we finally achieved summer. just in time!

after the long weekend, hoping to catch up with a couple of giveaways, some longstanding draft posts, and those elopement photos you've waited for so patiently. back to school time for etsy wedding!

road trip day 2:

{ ft. walton beach FL }

remember this guy? my little nephew is almost one and walking...

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sent while on the go

road trip!

{ clearwater beach FL }

no weddings today, friends -- we're doing just under 80 on I-10 past biloxi ( helen if we had more time we'd stop in and say hi!) on our way to natchez to see my boyfriend's grandmother. if this mobile blogging works will write more, driving from FL to DC (!)... hope you're having a great weekend!

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sent while on the go

montauk, revisited

{each photo links to its shop}

today was the best. victory at sea!

we're in montauk, at the farthest reach of long island. he's surfing, i'm being an artist. just closed the october issue at work, and life is good. tomorrow: surf, horses, sun. happiness.

go out and enjoy these last sweet days of summer!