New Fabrics: Check!

While looking for pillows, of course I made the usual rounds on Etsy. I respect people's craft, and the fact that they're trying to make a living. That being said, if you can sew yourself (or have a family member who can) it's much more cost effective to make them yourselves. I used Etsy and some design blogs for fabric inspiration, and came up with these three. What do you think?

Premier Prints- Chipper Twill
this will go vertical instead of horizontal

Premier Prints- Zoom Zoom River Rock

Premier Prints- Gotcha Twill

At $7.50/yd they were a great deal. Fabric.com is my #1 stop for purchasing fabric online. Definitely check out their selection if you're in the market for some fabrics.

First post on this topic

Rose & Yellow Gold Bands

our rings

Now ladies, before you get your panties in a twist...I am perfectly happy with my ring and band. It's only been (almost) 1.5 years since our wedding and I'm not thinking about adding another band to the mix. But if I was, I can't get past these gorgeous mixes of white/gold and white/rose. What do you think? My band and engagement ring are already mixed in textures, so I think it'd be fun to bring a color into the mix.

huge stone- but you get the idea

A steal at only $30

from Pinterest

Love this set! Would like it more if the engagement ring was white gold

Only $150, sapphire

Perfection!

and if I could get a right hand ring, this would be it

Do you like matchy matchy bands with rings, or are you game for a little mixup?

Pinnable Friday

Good news, friends. My new Kate Spade bag arrived, and boy was she beautiful as ever! I'm in love! This craft popped out at me today on Pinterest, and I'm going to give it a try. What do you think? Nothing you can't tackle with some fabric paint and 40% coupons to Hobby Lobby!

Of course, you can buy the original here on Etsy. Or if you're like me, you can try and get creative with a knock off version for less moolah!

Follow me on Pinterest! www.pinterest.com/MissSE06

Denim Rug

This is the rug that started it all. I spotted this beauty on the Anthropologie website, and knew I should pin it to admire for all eternity. Fast forward to last night, when I was watching a DVR'd episode of Secrets From A Stylist on HGTV, and my little jewel Emily Henderson used the denim rug in her room! Holy happiness! Lo and behold, the couple's color pallet mimicked that of ours in our living room. Fate!

love her- watch her show!

Who knew recycled denim was so chic? I love the deep indigo color, and think this rug would look quite fashionable underneath my new oak pedestal table. The table will be refinished in a walnut color, and look something like the below image.

Here's an Etsy seller that sells a dead ringer for the Anthro version (for much less!)

What do you think about the up-cycled rug?

Ticking Stripes: Major Crush

Oh boy, I do love a play on words. It started with this pillow, purchased as a gift for my mother in law (and one for myself because it was too darn cute). And now I am OBSESSED with ticking stripes. I'll have you know, my obsession came several months before Nate announced on his show that ticking stripes were all the rage. I felt proud at that moment. Etsy is ripe with lots of ticking stripe pickings- and I cannot get enough. They compliment just about any decor.

Right now my mom is making red/cream ticking euro pillow cases for our guest room. I love how they're juxtaposed with the crisp hotel bedding to provide a layered, lived in look. Can't wait to get them in the mail, and post pictures of course.

Here's some of my favorite ways to incorporate ticking stripes into your home...

 Ruffle Runner

 Bulletin Board

  Chandelier Cream Ticking Pillow

Vintage French Matress Pillow Cases

Anchor Ticking Stripe Clutch
(made in Nashville)

Yarn Wreath

 With high temperatures in Nashville, I've definitely got spring fever! Today I rolled up our area rugs and let our floor breathe, and I'm on a mission to give the house a good cleaning this morning. This part of spring is the best because my allergies haven't quite hit yet- so I can enjoy the weather without suffering!

As part of my spring fever- I've become head over heels with yarn wreaths! Just doing a search on Etsy provides a bevy of eye candy. The wreaths are seemingly simple to create, with tutorials all over online. This tutorial from Mrs. Priss is my favorite, just because her wreath turned out so darn cute. I love the idea of doing the wreath in a neutral color, and using straight pins for the appliques. This way the wreath can change with the seasons; switching up the hanging ribbon and flowers would be relatively simple and create a different look.

Is this flash of warm weather giving you spring fever too? I'd love to hear about any fun plans you have for the weekend- or whether you've got the crafting bug like me!

Photo Credits:
 Easter
Mrs. Priss
Vintage Banner
Our Nest

An Etsy Giveaway!!!

Our wedding is getting closer and closer (46 days- but who's counting?) and I'm getting more excited by the minute. There's some exciting things coming down the pipeline for the SE's and I can't wait to share with you. But because I'm in a super happy mood, I've decided to host a giveaway! Crissy at Gypsy's Closet on Etsy has graciously allowed me to give away a pair of her earrings. I stumbled across her shop last week and haven't look back since! All of the earrings are too cute and I want them all- they're perfect for summer.


To enter- head over to Crissy's shop to pick your favorite item, and leave me a comment letting me know which one it is. 1 extra entry if you tweet about the giveaway and 2 extra entries if you blog about it. Contest will end at 11pm (CST), June 30th. If you tweet or blog about the giveaway, please leave a comment letting me know. Here's the pair I'll be giving away:

Spring Fever Bobble Earrings

Sunny With a Chance of SHOWERS!!!!!

This weekend I'm up in Virginia for my bridal shower! I couldn't be more humbled by the outpouring of love and support during our engagement- and this shower is just another way I've been reminded. My two aunts have planned the shower, and it'll be hosted at my parents' home (the house I grew up in). We've already received several gifts, and I can't wait to post pictures of the crazy decor.

But for now, please see the beautiful invitation made by Amanda from Customized Stationary. Amanda has been amazing during our planning process, and has provided paper products for our save the date, engagement party, and now my shower. Her prices are amazing, and she loves doing custom work. Head over to her Etsy site to take a look at some of her designs.

Welcome Home

{picture from her Etsy shop}


Mr. SE and I are starting to settle into our new home, and it's slowly hitting me that we actually own the place! The first couple weeks felt like we were staying at a friends' place, or at a hotel. Every morning I wake up in our spa-like bedroom and it feels like a dream. I can't hardly believe how much we've accomplished since I moved here a year ago (May 26th to be exact!).

As the inside of our home is taking shape quite quickly, the outside has been a little slower to come around. Mr. SE has taken to the lawn mowing and weeding, while I've focused on the pretty accents. One of my first purchases was a pretty wreath, because a home looks so inviting with a wreath on the door. Some of my more recent purchases have been through my love, Etsy.
My mom is a huge fan of Uppercase Living/Wonderful Graffiti, and I knew I wanted some for my house. Mr. SE and I initially wanted one of those metal house number plates, but the price tag quickly turned me away. Enter Etsy seller PiccadillyPeddler. I purchased this super cute house number decal from her shop for only $10. It was super easy to apply, and I just love the way it looks.


Our door is cream, and the decal is black. Go over to Etsy and get one for yourself- this is a price you can stomach for an adorable welcome to your home! What do you prefer- working on the inside or outside of your home? Let me know your favorite little project that made a big difference!

Sneaky Peaky: Invitations

I'm super excited about our invitations. We have a great team, and totally lucked out with Jess Lehry Designs and Jive Digital Printing. What's better? They're both in Nashville! We're all about supporting our local businesses. The design that Jessica did is beyond fantastic and I can't wait to share it with you guys. But sadly, it won't be revealed until the invites are mailed in June. Right now I'm working on ordering the different components of our semi-DIY invites. You might wonder what semi-DIY means. Here's my take:

Invitation design and layout: Jess Lehry Designs

Printing of items (RSVP, invite, info card, etc): Jive Digital Printing

Blank stock: Envelopments, ordered online

Stamp for return address: Etsy (see previous post)

Calligraphy: Mr. SE's aunt (what an amazing wedding gift!)

Assembly: us!

So there's lost of components coming from many different resources. It's our responsibility to put them all together. Curious about the cost? Right now my calculations are around $4.00 an invite (including postage). For those of you who are really into details, our invites include the following: outer envelope, inner envelope, formal invitation, stock backing, information card, reception card, RSVP card, and RSVP envelope. Whew, no wonder I've been so stressed!

Here's some pictures of the envelopes we're using. We are obsessed with the "peacock" and just love the textured metallic look. Mr. SE's aunt Sally will be using gold metallic ink on the outer envelopes and I think they're going to be fantastic!

Images from Barbara Kua Calligraphy

Stamptastic!

{gorgeous}

We'll be using a stamp on our outer envelope (gold ink) and RSVP envelope (black ink) for the return address. Mr. SE and I are in the process of buying a house, so our "unknown address" was really throwing a wrench in our invitation process. These envelopes need to be ordered! My amazing Florist and wedding crisis manager, Hillary, had an idea to get a stamp once we know our address. Genius! The stamp can be used after our wedding too, and wouldn't hold up ordering our wedding invitations. #45 why Hillary is amazing.

Both stamps featured here are from Sugar Letter on Etsy, and I looove her items! She's willing to customize too, which is a necessity for brides looking to match their stationery.

{love this style w/out the vine}

A Flower for My Dress

{le piece de resistance}

*I apologize for not posting a lot this week. We have a huge event at work this weekend and I'm swamped trying to get everything ready (ie I just made more copies and punched more holes than you'd like to know)*

My post on hair flowers received lots of comments, so I decided to follow up regarding my search for the perfect flower. Here's some of the lovelies I'm thinking about. All from XoxoDesigns. She is amazing! The flowers are incredibly realistic, and the prices are great. There's lots of different designs to choose from, and she's willing to customize a piece to match your dress.

Did you jump on the silk flower trend? I'll be sporting mine on my dress, instead of in my hair. If you got one- how did you wear it? Is this a trend that'll be gone soon? I tried to make every aspect our wedding more classic than trendy, so hopefully this doesn't tip the scale!

Save That Date!

As most of our guests have received their save the dates, I'll go ahead and reveal them to you all now. We decided to go with a Nashville theme, so clearly a take off of Hatch Show Print was necessary. Luckily we were able to find a great Etsy seller, Amanda from Customized Stationary, to create our vision. You might recognize Amanda's shop, since she also designed Little Miss Southern's STD's as well.

So here's the finished product. Mr. SE and I couldn't be happier- and our guests have been raving! I definitely recommend Amanda if you're looking to do custom stationery for your wedding (or any other event).

*ps: Clearly this photo is not Mr. SE and myself, and some information has been changed.

Did you try and take a fun spin on your save the dates? What do you think about our first little "welcome to Nashville"?

Omigoodness

This clutch literally took my breath away. Holy wedding palette transformed into the most beautiful silk bag ever. Get one for yourself (or me) at Etsy.

*Afterthought: I wish the clasp was gold. Other than that, perfection.

Stop It Right Now!

Someone needs to stop watching the Rachel Zoe Project (it's me)...

Mr. SE and I received the sweetest engagement card in the mail earlier this week. Our first card other than family, to be exact. It was from Tami over at Little Miss Southern! Not only did she go out of her way to send us a real snail mail card (people don't value real mail anymore and it makes me sad, but that's another story)- but she did it on her own birthday! What a sweetheart! And guess what? She has the cutest stinkin address labels. So I'm not going to take credit for this one, it was all her.

The shop is Letter C Design, and her products are so super cute I'm seriously having trouble not buying them all. The best part? Not only are the handmade (Etsy, hello?) but the price is fantastic! Just try not to buy these for yourself!

Save The Date Inspiration

Love these STD's from A Lasso'd Moon via their Etsy site. It has that kinda-Nashville, kinda-glam look that we're going for. I'd love to see this in our colors. What are our official colors? Oh you'll just have to wait and see... The tell-all post of reception venue and color palette is coming soon. Get excited!

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.

Palomas Nest

I'll go ahead and jump on the Paloma's Nest bandwagon. Mr. SE and I must have one of these for our ceremony. Because it will be Catholic (more on that later), the Deacon will bless our rings. This would be the perfect vessel for that!

And for after the wedding? This would look darling on a vanity (earrings or change), or next to a sink (ring bowl). At this price, I think we'll take one for every bathroom. What's your favorite Etsy find so far?
How darling is this "home" bowl? It would be perfect for a housewarming gift!

Ruffles from Etsy

I'm loving this t-shirt I found on Etsy. My notes say Desi Tee: Eliz and Axel, but I can't seem to find the seller. Such a fun little find!

**Thanks for the link Jenny!

This One's For The Guys

Okay, it's CMT Music Fest and I'm a little sad that we'll be out of town. I'm not sad that Mr. SE's bff is getting married, but I'm bummed we'll miss the concerts. Anywho- I had to give a musical shout out. Obviously, Martina McBride.

My previous post about boutonnieres got me thinking about the groom. Yeah, remember him? The reason your going through these 6, 9,or 12 months of planning bliss. I think the groom is easily forgotten in the madness that we call wedding planing. So here's my toast to the groom (did anybody just think of SATC?), this post is for him.

I recently saw some totally awesome male wedding bands via We Met in A Bar. She posted about how they wanted a simple titanium band, but were able to find a more affordable option by Etsy seller Zoe and Doyle. This seller makes fantastic bands at an even better price ($45-$79). Heather reports that the quality is right up there too! Hello, how cute is the case it comes in?

*I promise to post pictures from the weekend. Mr. SE is a groomsman and he looks darn sexy in a tux*