Fall Favorite: Forever 21

It's no secret that I heart Forever 21. There's no sense in dropping big bucks on fashion that won't stay in style very long. I'm loving this dress for a casual night out. It would be perfect for beers at the Flying Saucer with Mr. SE. Depending how long this would be on me (I'm not 6' like the model), this could even work w/a pair of flats for casual friday. $13.50? I think so.

Sex & The City: For the Budget Bride

Found these amazing Carrie Bradshaw look alikes via Zappos. Enter Martinez Valero: Zenith. These shoes are so incredibly beautiful and I would love to see them peeking out from under a wedding gown. They're dead ringers for Carrie's beloved Manolo's, but without the crazy pricetag. These babies can be all yours for $179 (and free shipping). Oooh I want them so bad!I also saw these cute little tootsie toppers, Ivana by RSVP (only $89). These would be a fantastic option for the more traditional bride (white), that wants to infuse some fun into her day (heel applique). I've never purchased a pair of RSVP shoes before, but they definitely have some great options for brides.

Christos: Spring 2010 Preview

In the words of Rachel Zoe, "I die". Enough said.

Rachel Zoe Project: Season II

I am obsessed with Rachel Zoe. She's over the top, way too dramatic, and I can't get enough. Last year my roommate and I drooled over every single eposide of Season I. Loved it when Brad & Taylor had to share a room during NY's fashion week- hilarious.

Because of a prior engagement, I missed the premier on Monday night. But no worries- I DVR'd it to watch later this week. The fashion inspires me and I can't wait for the next episode. Here's my favorite look from the show last night...

Pro Pics: Amy & Matt

Amy and Matt's photographer just posted some teasers from Saturday. Guess what? They're delicious! Enjoy.

The SE's Have an Outing

Sometimes I like to leave my bronchitis cave and make a public appearance. This weekend was no exception. Mr. SE and I flew up to Baltimore for the wedding of Mom & Dad SE's goddaughter. Amy was an absolutely beautiful bride, and her husband was moved to tears her entire walk down the aisle. Most touching wedding moment to date: best man reaching out and patting back of groom as he's crying, watching his bride walk down the aisle. Holy waterworks! Mom SE did a reading in the wedding and she did very well, despite being incredibly nervous beforehand. Amy wore the most classic, timeless dress- she looked like Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn (you'd love it Mrs. Smith). My pictures came out awful- but hopefully you can get a feel.

The reception was held at Washington Golf and Country Club- hello fancy! Cocktail hour was on a covered portico overlooking the green. I had a hard time keeping Mr. SE from trying to get down there and play (yes, in the rain). This wedding was so perfect to me. I would've been incredibly happy to just cut and paste myself and Mr. SE into it. And because I know you luuurrrve the detail shots...all anonymity just went out the door...And if there's any males reading this- perhaps this will keep you interested. Please don't write a rude comment since I assumed only guys play golf. Actually, I play golf. And it's my blog, so I don't need a disclaimer.

And With The Monster Veil...

Comes the monster dress....I tried on the. biggest. dress. at David's on Saturday. The attendant kept trying to convince me that it'd be "perfect" for a Cathedral wedding, while I kept trying to convince her how hot Tennessee gets in August. For your viewing pleasure:

and this was all I could think of...Holy Moses it was a big dress! Honestly, I could've definitely hidden a person under there. Normally I'd be completely opposed to someone hiding under my dress, but I think it'd be necessary to have under-cover fan personnel under a garmet of that grandeur.

Onto more realistic dresses. Disclaimer: I wanted to sleep in, so I decided not to wash my hair. Don't judge me- it gets greasy really quick.
**Update** Mr SE saw these pictures on my computer and claimed that he does not care for either of the dresses. He doesn't know that they're my favorites and I almost wanted to buy one. Did anyone else encounter something like this?

Bridal Style: Inspiration

Since we're on the topic of bridal style, I thought I'd share an inspiration board that I made on Style Circle. Haven't joined the Style Circle? It's the brainchild of Style Me Pretty and it's absolutely fantabulous! You can make inspiration boards from their massive galleries, and add "favorites" that other brides have made. What a wonderful idea- there was definitely a need for something like this.

Here's the inspiration board for my bridal style. Now head over to Style Circle and make your own!

Dress Shopping: Part I

I took advantage of our trip to DC and decided to go dress shopping with Mom SE. As you saw in my last post, we chose to visit David's Bridal first. I have to say that I was honestly pleasantly surprised by the quality of dresses. I hilighted a couple in the catalogue, but I didn't expect them to look so nice in person. There were two that I really liked, and one that I completely fell for. I'll upload pictures later. Along with learning what dress style suits me best, I also worked on discovering my veil "type". I knew I wanted a veil, but wasn't sure what style. Here's what I gathered: no mantilla, and no single layer. I want a BIG. POOFY. STINKING VEIL. Here's some inspiration...

{like this level of poof- but fingertip length}

{this is much too much}

What are your thoughts on veils? To poof or not too poof?

Changes

***I would like to thank the following wonderful ladies for providing advice and kind words in my time of intense WPM: Little Miss Southern (I heart our gchats), Future Mrs. Smith (I got my hair cut by Kristen and I loved it), The Thirty Something Bride (Don't even know where to begin- you're probably the coolest person I know), The Answer is You (thanks for the lunch date. Can we have another please?)***

I thought about starting this post with some Tupac lyrics, but it turns out those were a little too intense for this G-Rated blog! Mr. SE and I have been undergoing some changes on the wedding front. To make a long story short- I had a total WPM two weeks ago. Don't know what a WPM is? A Wedding Planning Meltdown. To help aid in the confusion and mass pandemonium that will likely ensue, I've created a chart of sorts.

Things that are staying the same: still marrying Mr. SE @ the Cathedral on August 14, 2010
Things that are changing: reception venue, COMPLETE theme of wedding, budget

We're much like T30SB & The Candyman, in that this wedding symbolizes not only our love for one another, but we also want to spend time with close family and friends who we are blessed to have in our lives. Intimate, and personal- that's our goal for the big day.

That being said, our guest list right now is at 180. We've looked at all the normal RSVP rates, but ours is a little different. Yes, it's a destination for 90% of our guests. No, it's not too far (ie Caribbean). We have NO CLUE how many people are going to come. The majority of our guests are within a 4 hour car ride or a 2 hour plane trip. That's a whole different issue that I'll save for another post.

Miss SE's rule on budgets: just because you have it, doesn't mean you have to spend it. Can I also add another one of my favorite sayings regarding money? Yes, it's my blog. You can spend a lot of money and still look trashy (Kendra and Hank. Hello?). There it is- I said it.

Mr. SE and I have decided that while my parents are footing the bill for this fabulous wedding, we're not going to lose sight of the real reason this is all happening (we love each other). Because of this, I will here and now take a vow (to you, my faithful readers), that I will keep the important things (Mr. SE and our promises to each other) at the forefront of my planning. Thank you Liza for that one.

So now Mr. SE and I are embarking on a 359 day wedding planning adventure. We are (I am) going to keep an open mind about ideas, and we're going to stay focused on the prize (Mr and Mrs). I can't wait to be his wife, he makes me the happiest lady in the world! Keep reading as we'll start to reveal our new inspiration boards and style ideas (omigosh I know you can't wait. And I can't believe you're still reading at this point). Okay I'll add a picture because blog posts suck without them.

{sufficiently awkward. i love us}

Introductions

Hello, my name is Sarah...and I've been a bad blogger. For those of you who follow me on twitter, you know that I a) have bronchitis b) just started a new job and c) am in the process of purchasing a house. Needless to say, things have been a little crazy over at Chez SE these last couple weeks. I try and keep up with everybody's blogs and tweets during the day, but I'm not able to post on my own.

So the posts will continue to be less frequent than before (ie 4 posts a day), but I'll try to post more now that I'm starting to get over the bronchitis. This is how my past three weeks have gone: 5:30 get home from work; 7:00 eat dinner; 9:00 go to bed; 6:00 am get up and do it all over again.

Mr. SE and I have been dealing with some complications on the wedding front, along with an ever decreasing budget. I'll be sure to fill you in on the details once things calm down. Please stay around- I promise I'll be back for some extremely fabulous posts next week. (ps- I lost a follower this week! Sad day!). In the meantime, here's some dresses I'm interested in. But wait- Miss SE, why are you posting dresses from DB? I thought you were going to hit up a fab salon where they served champagne and gushed over how beautiful you are. Yes, my friends, I was. That was before Mr. SE and I had a heart to heart about the budget and what is really important: our love, and honoring the friends and family that mean everything to us.

This weekend we're attending a wedding for the Goddaughter of Mom and Dad SE in Virginia. Mama SE is doing a reading in the ceremony- I'll try and take a picture. Before the wedding, mom and I are going to try on my FIRST wedding dress. I wanted to hit up DB first just to get a feel for the style that I wanted. While browsing their paper and online catalogue, I found some surprisingly lovely styles that I'm really looking forward to trying on. Here's some styles I like...

Forget Me Knot

Saw this ring on Southern Weddings and fell in love. White Fly via Etsy.

Win 100 STDs

Want some gorgeous stationery like the STD pictured above? The Thirty-Something Bride is hosting yet another giveaway! Today is your last chance to enter to win 100 STDs from Rachel Jasper Designs (a Nashville local). Head on over to T30SB to enter- or just enter under my name....

Going-Away Outfit

How lovely is this going-away outfit featured on Style Me Pretty?!? The look is so classic and timeless. I have visions of me and my Mr jetting off to some exotic local. The hat? Definitely.

Who's excited about Elegance Bridal Gala tonight?? I am!

New House, New Furniture

I'm home from work today because of this nasty bronchitis I can't seem to kick. I finally got a good night sleep, after we returned from the ER after midnight. So now I have an inhaler, cough syrup w/codine, steroids, and antibiotics. Holy Moses. I would rather heal by body naturally, but that just wasn't cutting it these past couple weeks. The frustrating part is that this happened just when I started my new job. It's a temporary assignment, and I'd really like to impress the department so they'll keep me on permanently after my assignment (3 months) is up. Hopefully this day of rest will help me recuperate and put me back on track...That's all for the recap of my ailments... Onto more pleasant things, like dreaming of decorating our new home. As you know, we purchased the Hemnes 8 drawer dresser for our bedroom. The master in the new house is larger, and I'd like to add another piece of furniture to our collection. This smaller dresser plus super chic mirror, is another item of the Hemnes collection. On the other hand, I'd like to put a large decorative mirror over the dresser that we already have and add a luxuriously large wardrobe to our room.

Blog Love: Emersonmade

I'm in love with the floral goodies featured on Emersonmade. I found her items through an inspiration board on Snippet and Ink. What a lovely way to brighten up a plain t-shirt or dress! It's a little J. Crew- but a little over the top too. I think I'll be purchasing a set for myself.

Puppies Behind Bars

Perhaps you've already heard of this organization- or maybe you're like me and hadn't. I clicked a Puppies Behind Bars button on one of my favorite blogs, Mrs. Newlywed, and discovered a fantastic organization that is helping both people and animals.

Several prisons in New York currently use this program, but they're trying to implement it in more facilities nationwide.



Puppies Behind Bars
Puppy Love Collars

House Hunting: Part II

So this should actually be titled House Hunting: Part XXI. We've looked at so many houses, online and in person. This sort of thing is actually quite exhausting. Mr. SE and I found a house that we both love. It was purchased last year by a realtor and he fixed it up- nobody has lived there since he did the upgrades. Brand new carpet and cabinets. Hardwood in the kitchen, and professional paint job throughout. Duffie will be thrilled with the definitely "fencable" (is that a word?) yard, Mr. SE loves the deck and upstairs media room, and I love the TWO (yes, two) walk in closets in the master. The best part? It's under our price point. We can't wait to make and offer and try to make this our home. Mr. SE and I have some great ideas for decorating and I can't wait to chronicle those projects on my blog.

Ballard Designs

Y'all, I received the best catalogue EVER in the mail yesterday. Ballard designs. I mean, it seriously kicked Pottery Barn's butt. Granted, the prices aren't in my budget, they're definitely a lot cheaper than the latter. Every time I turned the page there was something else I started to lust over. Here's some of my favorites.

Printable Press: Oh My Amazing!

These invitations are blowing me away! It's exactly the kind of feel I want for our wedding: somewhat formal (but it's during the day), so with a touch of whimsy to even things out. The prices at Printable Press are fantastic: you can print them yourself or use an online/local printer. It's DIY for the DIY-challenged. What do you think? Would you be excited to attend this wedding?

Oh Boy!

Ladies, start your engines....this is going to be a great sale weekend! I'm armed with a 20% coupon (BR, ON, Gap) and a $10 reward from my Banana Card. I can't hardly wait!

Cedarwood Visit:: Part II

My first day of work was a success! I had a blast meeting all the ladies (yes, all females) in my department. There's lots of work to be done right now, as our event is getting close to go-time. I had a chance to visit the doctor yesterday, and it turns out I have bronchitis. Those of you who follow me on Twitter, probably read that yesterday. So I'm staying medicated and hoping that this will pass fairly soon. I tried to hit the sack at 9:30 yesterday to compensate, but I still managed to stay up all night coughing.

Here's some pictures from our trip to Cedarwood a couple weeks ago. We're incredibly excited about hosting our reception there! Pictures: Darling sign that welcomes you to the property, covered pavilion for tables (buffet is inside the house), dance floor. How pretty!

First Day of Work

{meet my best friend}

Friends, today is my first day in the corporate world! I can't wait to start work (and finally receive a paycheck). But there is one thing that's hanging over my head....this cold slash cough! My body thinks it's January or something.

I've been taking DayQuil/NyQuil on regular 6 hour intervals. Hopefully I'll be able to see a doctor before my coughing scares everyone away...