turtlepapers: thank-you notes

personalized whimsy flat notecards (custom set of 20 with envelopes)


congratulations notecards (set of 6 with envelopes)

delicate and froufilly satisfying (yes, that is now a word) -- these are girly-notes done right. my sister has been looking for good thank-you notecards, and these even come custom-personalized with your new initial/old initial/preferred letter of choice. lovely! comes in a set of 20, or you can order larger quantities as well. if the listing has sold, you can send a note with your request. (see also the bundle of 6 assorted bird thank-yous, supercute.)

the congratulations set works great for those (like me) whose friends are either marrying or having babies (6 in the last 2 months!) in multiples. (for another great set, see the darling happy elephants).

seattle-based turtlepapers also makes gocco screenprints, adorable tees, and pretty, pretty cards. more at turtlepapers.etsy.com

happy holiday weekend, friends!

pamelatang: modern quilts

modern silk quilt in bordeaux red with rust brown


quilted silk journal

with all respect to dear mrs. freda, these are not your gramma's quilts. an australian designer working out of singapore, pamelatang makes stunning handcrafted limited edition quilts (both full-size and nugget-size), runners, table linens, journals, cushions and fabric artwork. unusual color combinations and attention to detail -- slight variations in design, asymmetrical piecework -- achieve a succinct mission: to reinterpret the traditional patchwork quilt with a stripped-down, eastern simplicity.

not everyone will love the 'shininess' of dupioni silk -- it has a certain formal elegance i don't necessarily want to cozy up to (although this runner would look smashing over a crisp white duvet)...

sage green and lime silk bedrunner

...but i admit i aspire to the sort of "monastic elegance" (my friend jeanne's term) of a simple, lovely, zen-like respite rather than the vortex of jewelry-making chaos that is currently my bedroom. time to class it up, perhaps!

shipping from singapore seems fairly straightforward, and these would make sterling and original (even one-of-a-kind) gifts for that impossible-to-shop-for couple. or register for your very own (myregistry.com), instead of the same-old pottery barn choices. very well may be quilt nirvana: pamelatang.etsy.com

lemonlovespaper: happy homemakers!

happy homemaking helps ACEO*


vintage cookware mini journal

what is it about registering that brings out the "happy homemaker" in otherwise non-domestic sorts? my sister steadfastly refused all entreaties to yuppify her registry, which consists primarily of towels and power tools at sears.com. sadly, the realization dawned that while i'd never thought of myself as molly cooktop, suddenly she *NEEDED* an artisan stand kitchenaid mixer, and an oxo goodgrips pizza cutter, and a 12-cup coffeemaker (for when i visit, since she doesn't drink coffee for the love) and a ridiculous list of things to outfit the kitchen. not just bridesmaidzilla but the registry nazi. at least she cooks!

happily have returned to my pre-wedding anti-registry state, so the top ACEO* card isn't practical, but it made me laugh. something about that acid green color with the happy homemakers -- combine it with a happy vintage cookware mini journal and you've got yourself a cheeky gift.

or, even better for the bride-to-be:

blueprint mini journal

when planning, i found myself overwhelmed by scraps of paper with vital bits of info, by the dozen, and they all wanted to be in my purse at the same time. here's a pocket-sized mobile info center for all those notes to self. your blueprint for success, if you will.

no more bad puns. fun paper goods at lemonlovespaper.etsy.com, or check out megan's other store, lemonade.etsy.com, for more lovelies!

*Art Cards, Editions, and Originals -- essentially artist trading cards :)

toybreaker (tielab): silkscreened ties

matching silkscreened groomsmen neckties

detroit-based tielab, aka toybreaker, not only prints rockstar neckwear for bands on tour, they offer a bulk wedding discount on multiples of their fierce hand-screenprinted ties -- poppies as above, or check out the revolvers, clipper ships, and mechanical prints. for weddings with 10 or more, you can purchase wholesale; a wide range of colors and styles available (give them 3 weeks lead time and they'll match your color). their motto: "be prepared for big dates, court dates, and dates with destiny." more glorious tie love at toybreaker.etsy.com

robandlean: titanium ring

titanium and diamond tension-set ring

this is just so cool and so different: a tension-set diamond with an indestructible titanium band. embodies strength, beauty, mystery, and faith: the delicate balancing act of marriage. mystery: how does it hold together? faith: we just know it will.

more gorgeous rings at robandlean.etsy.com

retrospectivedesign: invite map

custom invitation map and directions

having labored over my sister's map for hours in illustrator, and yes, i know that makes me bridesmaidzilla -- my sister couldn't have cared less what font or colors were on her map (no!! must... match... invitation... aiiiiee) -- i can say as a professional that this map is a both a great deal and a great idea. retrospectivedesign keeps it simple, clean, legible, and (most important!) easy on the bride.

the pdf file is yours to print on whatever stock (vellum! papersource trip!) you please. my tip, having attempted to print and cut all 150 myself (hell, i have a giant papercutter, how hard can it be?) -- have them printed and cut by your local copy shop, the what, $10? will be money very well spent. of course you knew that, because you're not bridesmaidzilla. like me.

a good map is important. brings me to a somewhat related point: the road ahead. having gotten my sister successfully hitched, i am confronted by the fact that i quite enjoy blogging about wedding shops on etsy, but as an unmarried-yet-attached woman-over-thirty, there may be a sad pathos in my continuing to do so. bridesmaidzilla no longer: now sister-in-law-zilla, way more satisfying and *much* less work.

so what to do? keep the blog going because it's fun, even though my mother asks for the umpteenth... so... what's going on with you and M? offer it out in the etsy fora and have someone take over? make a final sweet hurrah of a post and call it a day? i just don't know -- hadn't exactly planned on becoming a wedding-shopping blogger :). what do you think?

enough about that. i promised photos of cone boobs, and since my camera remained behind to enjoy las vegas, am relying on family to post photos to our shared photo site online, and promise to get you all a good one.

yes, etsywedding: your source for all things cone-boob. for great maps and other custom items, see retrospectivedesign.etsy.com

allisonstrine: be happy

she is perfectly imperfect mixed media pendant charm

for my little sister: happiness today and always!

our grandmother's favorite toast:
salud, amor, muchas pesetas y el tiempo para gozarlas
health, love, wealth, and the time to enjoy them.



more lovely and beautifully sentimental things: allisonstrine.etsy.com

it's done!

what a strange feeling: my sister is married, the photos are printed, the brunch was hosted, and we all flew home. and it was *amazing.* so many stories i could tell. you'll forgive me for being away.

first valuable life lesson learned:
have a backup camera, in case you leave yours in a restaurant on the first night of the weekend like an ass. (or like me.)

second valuable life lesson:
*never* alter yourself to fit a dress. alter the dress to fit *your* shape.
those boobs from nordstroms? little silicone anchors. stupid little chest-weights.

combined with a strapless bra, i didn't stand a chance. i could feel the contraption sinking even before i walked down the aisle. thank god the video doesn't show me at all -- me with my red satin cone-boobs sticking out from mid-torso. but the photos do -- if you're nice, i will post a good one. better to show one's real strapless self than spend the reception hiking up your al-qaeda torture garment.

third valuable life lesson:
tell the hairstylist when something is going very wrong.
this one for my 11-year-old sister, who ended up with, in her words, "pageant hair." an odd soup-can-curl crown with a weird shellacked half-mullet. with sparkly pins stuck in it. (we're from texas, and we know from pageant hair.) the owner of the salon overheard us discussing how we'd wash it out back at the hotel room and insisted on fixing it, sweet mercy. the day goes by fast but the photos last forever. you don't want to pass by pageant hair in your sister's hall the rest of your life.

finally: have brunch the day after with everybody. sure, it's one more thing to plan, and not entirely necessary, but people love it. i loved it so much i've gone into hock over it (did you know that a carafe of coffee and two carafes of OJ is $106? only in vegas) and i swear i don't regret one minute. it was awesome to get everyone together again.

one of my uncles i hadn't seen since i was 16, who is barely out of chemo for a wickedly nasty cancer (and is at the moment miraculously kicking its ass), remarked on this at brunch -- these days the only times family comes together from all across the country is for weddings or funerals, and he was damn sure glad this was one and not the other. too true, and easy to lose sight of when you're freaking out about losing your camera and how the eff you ended up with pageant hair.

everything will be fine -- it will go by *way* too fast -- your cheeks will cramp -- you will yell at one of your closest family members (guaranteed!) -- something will go wildly off -- but the little blue spots on your retinas will fade, so enjoy the hell out of whatever you've put together for your day. do at least one thing that feels to you like the best celebration ever. and just think how weird it will feel the week after, not having everyone call you for 1000 decisions. i kind of miss it :).

thebeautifulproject: sweet card

you are easy to be around notecard

awww. there are funnier ones (a la "hooray for me and f*@! you" and "even your farts are cute") and more practical ones ("hey, thanks a ton") in this vancouver-based etsy shop, but this one is just right. more at thebeautifulproject.etsy.com

weekly DBA: towel cake

this week's david's bridal award: elegant towel wedding cake

huh. so... it's a cake... but it's made from rolled-up terrycloth bath towels and hand towels... so... you can't eat it. but it *looks* like you can eat it. but you can't. and... it's $65. so it's not like you'd take it apart, really, and... bathe with it. you just... keep it? for next time?

huh.

weekly DBA.
(what's a DBA?)

sidneyann: coasters and gifts

vintage fabric tree-print coasters


flower vintage scarf coasters

sidneyann in seattle makes *wicked* cute coasters, handmirrors, and glasses cases with vintage scarves and fabrics -- plus great-looking custom cosmetic cases -- in sets, great for the bridal party, or individually as a shower gift. fun! more at sidneyann.etsy.com

worst. bridesmaid. dress. ever.

was feeling a teensy bit sorry for myself and my morticia-hair and my red satin barbie-ballgown last night. but really, it isn't so bad. in that vein, i present the following sent from the archival files of my dear friend.

her mother had a late december wedding, complete with ermine-trimmed wedding gown... so naturally she chose red as the color for the bridesmaids. but what to do to make them match a little better? why not trim them in ermine too?

ladies, i give you santa-bridesmaids:


see? it really isn't that bad.

invitedink: invitations

"scroll of hearts" digital printed invitations

a mother-daughter team based in CA, invitedink has some unusual options, and does both letterpress and digital printing as well as custom work -- i love the rounded corners on the lovely card above. and the rrrrred. excellent.

plus -- who doesn't want to see the flintstones get hitched? one heck of a maiden name.

they also have a lovely website where you can look at swatches and get more info on custom orders/options. i think the best part is that grandma and great-grandma invitedink worked for the zellerbach paper co., so this has been in the genes for a loooong time. more at invitedink.etsy.com