wedding wednesday {no.2}...

Sorry for the late night post, but this Wedding Wednesday I have a great excuse! After a morning appointment today I went to try on some wedding dresses for the first time with my Mom. We visited two of the city's best stores, where I quickly learned that the styles you don't like on paper actually look very different on. Puffy, princess, mermaid, fitted... I tried them all and had a lot of fun doing so! It's amazing how heavy some dresses are though. I swear I tried one on that weighed about 15 pounds. How does one even move in a dress like that?

Twenty or so styles later I think I found one I really, really adore. There were a few maybe's, but when I thought, "Would Rick like this one?" I really fell in love with it. It was one the saleswoman had taken off the mannequin for me to try on. I saw it immediately when I first walked into the store, but thought, there's no way that style will work on me. Well, it does! And later when my Mom and I had returned home I took a peek through the tear sheets of dresses that i've been saving the past few months, and it turns out I had saved the exact dress and didn't even realize it. Crazy, right? I'm headed back in two weeks to get the "Maid of Honour approval" from my best friend Ashley, and then we'll see... I might have found my dress already! Is it supposed to be this easy? Such a great day...

Photo: Kate Osborne Photography

P.S. "My" dress looks nothing like the one above – can't take any chances with Rick. His detective skills are pretty good, even when he's not intentionally looking for something. You'll have to wait until pics are taken for the details... sorry!

for apple cider...

Lately i've been obsessing over pretty little kitchen items like linen tea towels, vintage milk bottles, and wooden cutting boards. I blame Rick really. Over the years he's added a panini press, martini shaker, baking pan, garlic peeler, pestle and mortar, meat thermometer, slow cooker, and numerous other kitchen gadgets to my cupboards and drawers. There's something about this little enamel saucepan though that I really love... the minty hue, the thin rough edge, the miniature size for sauces or a cup of soup. And more importantly, for heating up apple cider with cinnamon sticks in the Fall... perfect use...

Photo: Neest, Enamel Saucepan $31 CAD

monday morning...

Hello everyone, hope you had a great weekend! The wedding I went to on Saturday ran quite late by the time we made it home and i'm thinking it's caught up with me this morning. I would have liked to sleep in a little longer and then enjoy a quiet cup of tea in the sunshine... so hard to wake up lately!

It was a fun evening though, and happy to report the DJ was great. We're so glad we went ahead and booked them. We also met with our officiant on Sunday and booked with him as well. We'd been searching for someone both Rick and I would be comfortable with, as having a stranger marry us seemed a little weird... it's such a big part of the wedding, you know? We ended up going with my friend Sandi's Dad, which works out really well. He's a pastor, but also does non-denominal ceremonies, so we're happy to have found someone we both kind of know. One more thing off the list!

Hope you all have a great week, I have a few exciting things coming up but enough of the wedding talk for today. I promise i'll have some non-wedding posts to follow...

Photos: By slumbering heart, csevenm, both on Flickr

happy weekend...

Hope you all had a wonderful Friday! Rick and I are headed to another wedding this weekend – an outdoor ceremony on the water. The couple has the same DJ we've booked, so i'm kind of excited to see what the night will be like. Other than that i'm hoping for a relaxing Sunday and a little extra sleep. These Summer weekends keep flying by, don't they?

Here's a few of these week's links...

Lights at night...

Cute engagement session...

Shades of orange...

Beekeeping...

Made this delicious soup on Thursday...

Photo: Clary Photo

white lace...

Yesterday I started writing thank you notes to everyone who came to Rick & I's engagement party and made it through about half (20 of them) before my hand gave out. I don't mind writing them all though, there's something about making sure each person gets their own personal note that I really love. I'm using these pretty Queen Anne's Lace Notecards, as they seem to fit well with Summer and the outdoor party theme we had. I love the pale green and wispy white flowers. Queen Anne's Lace grows like weeds here in Ontario and can be seen anywhere from parks to the side of a busy road. I'm seeing it more and more in wedding bouquets lately, as it gives such a traditional, romantic feeling. It's funny how weeds to some, can be a pretty bouquet of wildflowers to others...

Photos: By JavaJem - Jody McKinley, Chica D58, Richard Wanderman

switching it up...

I'd really love to learn another go-to hairstyle that's quick and easy but looks like I made a little special effort in the morning. Curly hair can be boring at times (i.e. ponytail everyday) and there's rarely pretty tutorials available for those with curls. A braided updo though, could totally work, as i've fallen in love with this "Pretzel Braid" over on A Cup of Jo. Looks easy enough, right?

Photo: Alyssakai - Alyssa Young, Flickr

wedding wednesday {no.1}...

Today I thought i'd start a little weekly wedding column to share some of Rick and I's plans for our wedding next September (yes, date booked!). I realize "wedding wednesday" is a pretty predictable title, but "wedding thursday" just doesn't have that ring to it. So far we have a few of the big things booked - ceremony, reception, photographer and dj. According to most wedding planners, I had lots of time, but it's actually a good thing I started looking around early. Everything is booking up like crazy! How is it possible that photographers and dj's are already booking up into October of next year? The wedding industry is crazy, but I have to admit, a lot of fun too.

I have a pretty good idea of what i'd like our wedding to be like... traditional, elegant, with lots of white, cream, and pale green, possibly with a little lavender. Rick is on board, but i'm trying not to overwhelm him with wedding decor ideas quite yet. Guys can really only take so much of that stuff, lol. You can check out my wedding board here over on Pinterest if you'd like to see what inspiration i've been collecting so far. I also purchased a Martha Stewart Wedding Planner a while ago and I love it! Great for organizing all the little details and it's gorgeous. Don't you love that pale green? I swear it was a sign.

To those who are already married, do you have any tips during this exciting time of planning? I'd love to know your thoughts!

Photos: My own; Martha Stewart's Keepsake Wedding Planner

bonne maman...

The other day I realized that I might have a minor obsession with Bonne Maman jams after Rick asked me why I have so many jars in the fridge (it might be six jars...). The made-in-France jam has no artificial colourings, additives or preservatives, which makes it all the more enticing, not to mention the adorable branding. Perfect for toast! I came across Bonne Maman at my local gourmet grocer along with their fruit preserves, caramel, and chocolate spread. Once they're empty I plan on keeping the jars as fun little drinking glasses or vases for some wildflowers. Fun, no? Have you tried Bonne Maman before?

Photos: See/Saw, Leslie Thomson, both from Flickr

crisp monday morning...

This morning I woke up to my room filled with sunshine, which proved to be a little misleading after walking outside into crisp, chilly air and a pretty strong wind. The sounds of geese earlier in the morning probably should have tipped me off that Fall is slowly creeping in... I guess they're heading down South early! I don't mind the sudden change in the air though. I don't ever want to wish the Summer away (we really only get so little of it) but Fall brings cozy sweaters and leather boots, apple pie and warm cider, amongst so many other enjoyable activities. September is always a great month for re-evaluating goals and getting a better routine together, at least for me! It must be that "back-to-school" feeling. I'll be starting yoga up again soon, and I really want to get a better breakfast going. Something as simple as granola will do for now... In the meantime though, let's enjoy the warm days yet to come.

What's your favourite end-of-Summer tradition?

Photos: Raychel Sonveeco, Hannah - Honey & Jam (2 & 3), on from Flickr

happy friday...

The weekend has finally arrived! Tomorrow i'm off to a friend's wedding and then a bridal show on Sunday. I've been looking forward to Alison's wedding for weeks now. There's something a little more special when it's one of your girlfriends, don't you think? Maybe because we're all around the same age? Either way it'll be a lot of fun in a cream-coloured dress with a graphic print and matching peep-toe pumps! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thanks for joining me on my new blog. Here's a few of this week's links...

Creative list...

A darker side to Anne... and the funny side...

A cashmere affair...

I love option #1...

A lovely quote...

Sew your own...

Top 10 french essentials... and top accessories...

Photo: My own; Augusta peep-toe pumps from J.Crew '09

peach season...

It's officially peach season here in Ontario and I couldn't be happier. I love peaches, especially during this time of the year when they're local. I end up eating them at practically every meal. A co-worker owns a peach orchard in the Niagara region (where 90% of Ontario's peaches come from) and I ended buying a case, much to the shock of my other co-workers since I live on my own at the moment, lol... but I just can't get enough. They're the perfect snack or sweet dessert paired with french vanilla ice cream. The best way to use up rapidly ripening peaches though? A crisp! Below is a recipe my Mom gave me quite a few years ago... it's quick, easy, and delicious. The perfect end-of-Summer treat...

Peach Crisp

Sliced peaches (enough to cover the bottom of a 9 inch pan)

2/3 - 3/4 cup of brown sugar (depending on your taste)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup butter (slightly melted)

Heat oven to 375˚F. Layer the sliced peaches in the pan and mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over top of the peaches and bake for about 30 minutes until browned (keep an eye on it in case your oven temperature varies.) That's it! Enjoy.

*For tips on how to buy the right peaches, how to peel them easier, or when to put them in the refrigerator, read more here. Also, if you end up with too little "crisp" topping, just make a double batch! Photos: My own

welcome...

Hi everyone, welcome to my new blog! I'm excited to be starting fresh, full of new inspiration and ideas. Under a new title i'm hoping to create a more personal aspect to the blog, including topics such as well-being and more of life's daily adventures. Don't worry, you'll still see a lot of Dress, Design & Decor here, just from a different angle. The new layout may change here and there over the next few weeks (a graphic designer is never done designing), but thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll continue to follow along as I get all the details smoothed out.

Above is one of the many amazing photos my friends Natalie and Amanda took for Rick and I's engagement photos. I'm so happy they agreed to do it for us! The shoot was much more relaxed and it was a pretty fun Sunday outing. Isn't is great to have talented friends?

Full shoot to follow... stay tuned!

Photo: By Amanda Keenan