Hunter Boot Care

Hunter boots are all the craze right now and a necessity for my upcoming trip to Park City! My friend Kate and I purchased them together back in college and would joke about how they made us look like Kate Middleton or Kate Moss. Either way, the Hunter Wellie is a nice departure from the bright graphic Coach rain boots I used to have. I opted for the classic "hunter green", in the regular finish. We've spent three winters together now and my dear boots are starting to look a little dingy. Not only are they showing wear from road salt and mud, but they also have the telltale white coating which comes from the wax used in the boots. You can read about that here. So what's a girl to do?

I purchased the spray and sponge from Zappos-- they came with lightning fast speed and I was super excited to try it out. So I did my own little experiment. The boot on the right was treated with the spray- it's really quick and easy. You spray all over the boot and buff with a dry cloth (I used an extra clean dish towel). Look at the difference! Here's my conclusion- the spray works great, however I've heard rumors about some at home treatments for the boots. From the blog world I've gathered that olive oil and Armorall do a good job as well. What have you used to clean your boots? And did yours get the white film like mine?

What else is fun to do with Hunters? Pair them with Wellie Socks! Mr. SE gave me the creme fleece ones for Christmas and they look gorgeous with the classic green.

Rehearsal Dinner Shoes: Part II

The search for my rehearsal dinner shoes continues (read part I here). Thank you for all of the advice regarding the shoes and what style to choose! I ordered several hot pink pairs from Zappos, and they weren't the coral-ish color I was looking for. I loved the shoes, but they didn't have the same style as the dress. So here I am again, checking out from Zappos.com (again- feel free to sponsor my posts please).

If you forgot what my dress looks like, here it is again. And below are the next round of shoes that I've purchased. On the advice of Bridesmaid Nicole (a former pageant queen), I've decided to try the nudes.

Badgley Mischka Randee

I bought them. These babies have been on wedding blogs all over the country, and what's not to love? The color is beautiful, and the frills are so girly and fun. I decided to try a nude-peach"ish" heel with the rehearsal dinner dress from the below post. We'll see if they live up to the hype.

*On a site note- I think Zappos should start compensating me for all the endorsements I provide*

Silk Flower Sash

{Etsy, of course}

That's hard to say fast. Sorry for my lack of posts this week. After staring at a computer for 8 hours a day, it's the last thing I want to do when I get home. Phone update: I love my Blackberry. Big time. At first I resisted it's lustful powers, but now we're fully in love. My gmail comes straight to my phone, and I'm able to handle all of the wedding plans on the go. Loves it!

Today I had some fun shopping for shoes, veils, and rings with Tami from Little Miss Southern. Love her. She's just as sweet as she is beautiful!

More on the shoes and rings later. But I did decide on a veil and another fun accessory. A silk flower sash! Now I'm not revealing my dress because Mr. SE is a super snoop! But I will tell you about the accessories...because chances are, if he does see them he'll forget in the next seven months (7 months!!!). I'm in love with the idea of a silk flower sash. Etsy has hundreds of options, and I've already got my eye on several contenders.

It's going to be ruffly and romantic, and stuck on a white silk ribbon. Elegant and classic, while giving my dress an edge of fun. What are your thoughts on adding a silk flower? Should I wear it for the ceremony and reception- or just the reception? Did you add any extra embellishments ( broach, silk flower, feathers, etc) to your dress?

Accesorize Me: Shoe Edition

While I can't show you the dress that I purchased...I will share that it's white, not ivory, and definitely bridal. It was important to me that my dress reflected the formality of our ceremony, at the Cathedral, while still remaining fun and young. Erika at The White Room has been more than amazing. She was instrumental in helping me find my dream gown, and has been a huge help in finding similarly fabulous dresses for my lovely bridesmaids. More on that later.

My dress won't be in until early January, but I've been itching to start looking for accessories. I requested a sample of the fabric because my designer's white is more off-white and their ivory is more yellow-ish. Like any bride, I want to make sure that my accessories match the main feature! Erika informed me that my designer didn't give them swatches to send to brides, but she would send me a strap from the same dress. Seriously? How awesome! I've heard conflicting reviews about different bridal salons in Nashville. But I have heard nothing but amazing things about The White Room, and I have to agree! They will make sure you feel like the only person there, and they will go out of their way to make sure you have the best experience possible. Hands down best bridal salon in town!

This whole post is to say, that I ordered a possible bridal shoe. My dream is to have rich, royal blue satin shoes. Open toed. Right now most shoes are closed toe and suede, seeing as it's winter. I'll have to wait until spring to see if royal makes a comeback like last year. That being said, I've also begun entertaining the idea of a white shoe. I know- I did a white shoe smackdown not long ago....but I'm not hearing such great things about the dyeable options. My worst nightmare? The gorgeous royal dye bleeding onto my white gown. Horror.

So here's the shoes I bought. Sassy, no? They're high. Mr. SE is a foot taller that me. I luurve the ankle strap. I've never really been into ankle straps before, but I certainly don't want this glass slipper falling off. The best part is that the strap can be removed if I choose to wear them after the wedding. I likely won't. Who wears fancy white shoes? Nobody.
Without further postponing, here they are. Nina Electra from Zappos. Love Zappos. Love Nina (ps they have their own site now). Free shipping both ways?!? How can you NOT order something. If not at least to try. I can't wait to get these. And in case you're wondering. Yes, I will wear them around the house.

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.