June 14, 2010
A SATC Bachelorette!
My OC girls threw me the most fabulous night out on the town, Sex and the City style. The movie had just opened (I know, I’m a little late posting this), and, ardent fans that we were, we had been planning for months to make a day of it and see it together.
When my bridesmaids (who live in NorCal) realized they needed to host a party there, an 8+ hour drive from the OC, and we quickly realized that what with graduations and schedule conflicts, nobody from down here could make it up there, my OC girls decided to turn SATC day into a celebration of my devotion to one man, since they are awesome like that.
What was meant to be just a last minute, mini-bachelorette turned out to be my largest (with five of us altogether) bachelorette party! (Stay tuned to read about the other bachelorette party!!)
After getting dolled up in our carefully-planned and coordinated SATC-inspired outfits, we hoped in the car (fully intending for our men to pick us up later on):
Miss Paisley and her great and gorgeous friend, D.
More beauties: S, whose hot car got us there, and A, aka “Agnasty,” my recently-engaged-friend who will probably soon discover the joys of Weddingbee!
We arrived at The District, and I confirmed with Professor Paisley that he could come pick us up later if A’s boyfriend-now-fiance for whatever reason couldn’t… (but he did, thanks Dave!)
My outfit, by the way, totaled just $10, since I got the skirt on clearance at my fav, Anthro, and everything else was already owned.
We started out the night enjoying quite the spread at Ra. The girls pulled out all the stops, ordering dish after dish and drink after drink:
Ra must have known what was on our agenda for the evening, check out the cute stir sticks in our Cosmos!
We cheersed!
We noshed!
We flirted with our sexy waiter and laughed hysterically every time we called him “sexy” to his face!
We cuddled!
We kissed (on the cheeks, lol)!
We posed, giggled…and posed some more!
Miss Paisley, C, and S!
By the way, this is what happens if you even just TRY to pay the tip at your bachelorette dinner:
Your $20 WILL get torn in half and then silly, suggestive photo-ops will occur.
We made our way to the flick, SATC style:
And one of the many highlights of the night, as I walked in, I received a standing ovation from the crowd in the theater, sneakily and brilliantly choreographed by the fabulous A!
Inside, much silliness continued as we ate delicious Sprinkles cupcakes, photographed our cute shoes and then thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
Afterward, the antics continued complete with free drinks and free comedy (where I was of course a main target by the comedian) at a local pub. It was a fabulous night and we had a complete blast! Thank you girls! I really <3 you!
Have you had more than one, intimate bachelorette parties, or did you do it up once in grand fashion with a whole dozen or more of your gals?
May 29, 2010
Paisley (Finally) Reveals Her Dress Pics!
I think I waited until a month before my wedding to show you guys my dress because I was secretly worried some readers would criticize me for picking such a ubiquitous dress. Yuppers, mine is an extremely popular one….as the bridal shop informed me, and the alterations place, and many people around wedding blogosphere.
Actually, my seamstress ever-so-slightly-passive-aggressively informed me it is not popular anymore. So maybe I have nothing to fear! According to her, it’s practically vintage! She got “thousands, literally thousands of this dress like two, three years ago” and I quote.
Sweet! Not only has everybody and her sister worn my dress, but now it’s old, too! 
You know what I say to that? What-freakin-ever! I fell in love with my dress two years ago after seeing it in a magazine, and despite trying on dozens of others, I couldn’t find another I love more.
And so without further ado, I give you, arguably one of the most popular dresses of the ’10s, (and for good reason) The Melissa Sweet Lia:
Please ignore my un-makeuped, un-hair-did, early morning face with puffy eyes. Ugh.
Focus instead on the back, in all its whipped cream-like, buttery, double-faced satin glory:
Woah. Is my back really that huge? Yes, yes it is. But it’s good for things like sports and amateur hatchet-throwing contests:
I came in something like 3rd place, and I’d like to thank my huge back.
Anyway, here’s a photo of the veil I’m wearing. Cathedral length Jeniffer Leigh “Corby” veil. I like that “Corby” is only one letter removed from Professor P’s actual name.
Next up, I’ll need help from all of you ladies in deciding where to place my veil. High up near the top of my head like in the picture? Or lower on the back of my noggin?
Stay tuned for pictures of my hair, makeup, dress and veil in one great big, happy trial run!
Did you choose a popular or, as some in the wedding blogosphere say, “overdone” wedding item, whether it was a dress, veil, color scheme, or other element for your big day? Did you have any regrets about your choice to go a popular route?
May 28, 2010
Let Me Anthropologize…
…if you don’t like my favorite store, because this post borders on Anthro-worship.
But where else would I shop for my bridesmaids’ gifts, since it’s the best store ever, right? (Note: I only ever shop for sale items here, however.)
The question then, was, which of the lovely things in said store should I gift them? (Paisley ‘maids, please go away now! No more reading!)
I recently fell in looove with their monogram necklace:
They were out of stock online, since this was a winter item, but if you call customer service, they’ll locate items in-store around the country and ship them to you for free! Or at least the New York City store shipped them for free! Icing on the cake, because they also were the only store in the country to have all the various letters I needed. And for the sweet, sweet sale price of $10, I threw in one for myself, too!
I’m not sure yet if I’ll ask the girls to wear these on the wedding day, or instead ask that they go bare-necked, as I am. What do you think, are they wedding-y enough?
They’re also getting gloriously-beautiful earrings in two of our wedding colors: rose and pale aqua.
I have been collecting these earrings for over a year, waiting for the expensive baubles to go on sale, and waiting for appropriate styles individual to each girl, so I know they will love them and hopefully wear them again.
They’re so pretty and delicate, it makes me want to get my ears pierced so I can wear them, too! It’s probably really, really good that I don’t, or I would have bought ‘em all in double. Yep, my mantra in this present-buying business has been “one for me, one for you!”
All told, I spent around $200 on their gifts. But full price it would have been more than double that! So, score!
Their gifts will be a surprise, but I did let my maid of honor peek at them through pictures, so she could get her favorite.
Speaking of maids of honor, I got her an extra gift, a gorgeous green beaded necklace.
Yes, I also couldn’t resist buying myself one to match. Anyone else have trouble resisting buying for yourself when buying gifts for your bridal party members?
May 27, 2010
Easy as Tie
Or not.
How hard can it be to pick a tie?
O-oh, oh, let me tell you, it can be a challenge. I *almost* regreted going when Prof. P asked me along this afternoon, if only because with less than a month until our wedding, I’m so over it and making more decisions! But, once there, we had a lot of fun!
We’re narrowing it down, but need a little help from the hive, so please vote in the poll below! Here’s an inspiration board I created, with the help of two photos from our very own Miss Apple Cider and Miss Cowboy Boot!
All photos unless noted are by Miss Paisley
Upper left: Source
Middle right: Miss Apple Cider
Lower left: Source
Lower right: Miss Cowboy Boot
I lucked out that Miss Apple Cider also used David’s Bridal navy chiffon for her ‘maids, because I desperately needed to see a good picture of the color, as the DB website color is not accurate, and all my maids live far away.
The suit in the middle of the inspiration board? That’s what the guys are wearing. Tan seersucker.
That preppy bow tie in navy with pink dots is my favorite at the moment.
Here’s a better look.
Next to the ensemble, I arranged a pink tie to act as the bridesmaids’ bouquet and a pair of navy slacks to simulate their navy chiffon gown, to see how it would all look together. Prof. P had a fun time cracking jokes about how the Paisley ‘maids were apparently wearing dresses made out of pants, while I’m sure the Jos A. Banks men were wishing we’d go home already. But you know what, they can deal, because they were equally annoying!
Side rant: the store guys were kinda saying sexist stuff to us! They were trying to be funny, but failed miserably. No doubt they figured they were building rapport with Prof. P saying stuff like, “Ohh, better go with what SHE says! That’s the only opinion that matters! Hahaha!” Or, “Well, guess that one doesn’t meet HER standards,” said patronizingly.
Yeah, thanks for ALL the ‘spect you showed me today, gentlemen! I mean, this “little lady” can barely contain herself with excitement and enthusiasm to return to your store!
If money weren’t an option, I’d be outta there! But, their 60 percent-off-6-or-more-ties-sale that’s going on for the next two days has me sold.
Here are the contenders:
(For reference, our colors are pale aqua, navy blue, peach and pink.)
Option A (the navy bow tie above)
Option B
The light blue, pink and navy striped tie
Option C
The striped bow tie
Option D
The peach, navy and light blue tie
Which do you like best?
option a
option b
option c
option d
Have you found ties for your groomsmen yet? Was it difficult to match them to your wedding, or was it simply a cinch? Maybe…easy as tie?
May 22, 2010
Mama Paisley Finds her Dress!
That’s right, ladies, she has her MOB outfit!
We had a difference of opinion when it came to our idea of a MOB outfit. Let’s just say I have an abhorrence of simple, button-down white blouses when it comes to a MOB ensemble and let’s leave it at that!
Let me be clear: it was nothing that resulted in a fight or even a tiff, it was just a misunderstanding that was resolved after we were able to flip through some magazines and inspiration photos together (note: mama P really gets a kick out of phrases like “inspiration photos”… but, I probably would too, if I weren’t the bride obsessed with them!).
After an in-person perusal of my mom’s favorite catalogs, we were quickly on the same page. Here’s one photo I gave her for inspiration, although I’m not sure whether it factored into the decision-making or if it instead ended up floating around in email abyss:
Something about that photo reminded me of my mom. Probably the colors, the linen (her favorite fabric) and the thin arms and pretty hands.
Whether it was used for her inspiration or not, her outfit looked surprisingly similar:
Ignore the collar here, it looks better without the scarf tucked under. I did that, btw, so I take full responsibility!
It’s such a pretty slate-blue color, with beautiful pleat details in the skirt and the top vest-like blouse has a gorgeous asymmetrical cut in the front. It’s from J.Jill. Other than having to return the skirt for a smaller size, Mamma Paisley is all set for the wedding, and while she spent more than planned, it’s an outfit she definitely wants to wear again.
I think she looks beautiful in it, and did such a great job picking out something that goes splendidly with the whole feel of our wedding!
She recently picked up a tan summer sport coat and slacks at Ross for my dad to wear. He’s got the best deal of anybody by far, ringing in at under $50! I can’t wait to see it on him!
Did you take any part in helping your mom or dad pick out their wedding day outfits? How did it go?
April 4, 2010
Suiting E’reybody Up!
David’s Bridal done us good. After all of the hair-pulling, frustrating experiences of shopping for my girls, trying dress after dress, buying and returning, it’s been easy peasy now that DB is in the picture.
I wish I’d gone with them from the get-go.
Check out Maid of Honor Paisley in the winning dress:
She’s gorgeous!
This chiffon beauty looks great on all body types and goes really well with my strapless Melissa Sweet “Lia” gown. Picture it in navy.
I think it will compliment the boys’ suits nicely, especially if they wear navy blue ties:
That’s Professor Paisley modeling the boys’ Jos Banks tan seersucker suit. Please ignore the black t-shirt and instead imagine it with a white shirt and this navy tie with small pink paisleys on it:
Next up will be the MOB dress. Mama Paisley and I are going to go to the cute town of Mendocino to shop for her dress in a couple of weeks. They have some surprisingly great shopping in the little village of Mendocino.
Lastly will be Papa Paisley. He already owns his famous navy blue blazer. So perhaps that with some light-colored pants? It’s been his formal-wear staple for years, I’d hate to deprive him of wearing it to walk me down the aisle!
Has it been a months-long challenge to suit up your bridal party? How’d you cope with the stress?
March 31, 2010
Bridesmaid Dresses, Take III
At first I was frustrated. Scratch that, I AM still frustrated, to be perfectly honest, that I can’t just select an adorable frock for my bridesmaids from my favorite store, Anthropologie. Or perhaps one of the dressier, cute options at my second favorite store, ModCloth.
I mean, that’s what I’d always intended to do, in my caviar dreams of what my wedding would be like. Back in the days when I felt as though I held a magic wand in my sweet little paws. A magic wand that with a flick of the wrist would send make-everything-pretty dust all across Paisley weddingdom.
I merrily selected my bridal party, and then realized: my favorite stores don’t have the right sizes for my best girls!
The nerve! I mean, I’m truly offended.
It really sucks that my best ladies, and many ladies around the world, can’t just walk into any store they please and pick out a cute dress.
The past 10 months (I am not exaggerating) has been an exercise for me in life as an above-size-20 lady.
As junior high students, I remember shopping for an evening gown for a big school dance (I was not attending) with my future MOH. It was a difficult day trying to find something that worked. We only had two malls, and those were even an hour and half drive away. So, we made an entire day of it, my future-MOH, her mom, and me.
We probably made six trips, no joke, driving back and forth between the two malls. The gowns, made for a dress model and not for the myriad body types that are out there in the word, did not work. It took all day until a possible workable dress, a black one with beading, was procured.
I still remember her mother whispering to me just in case, to remind me to be sensitive in all my comments. She didn’t have to worry, I had been made both mute, befuddled, awkward and profusely sympathetic because of the experience. Every time a possible dress was donned, I overflowed with enthusiasm like a Cowboys cheerleader on steroids. More than anything, I wanted that magic wand RIGHT NOW, to wave and make all the dresses become flattering for my best girl.
I only felt empathy for her as I came to this new realization in my uneducated eighth grade mind: off the rack clothes don’t always fit just as-is. Many people struggle. Many people are not 5’9 1/2″ tall size 2s or 4s or 6s. They get things taken in, let out and hemmed. I had no idea.
When it came time to select my bridesmaid dresses, and my initial bubble was burst when I first realized the size limits at most of my favorite stores, my memory dredged up that junior high experience of long ago. I braced myself, and began my search like a soldier going into battle. Despite my best efforts, I came out like Napoleon at Waterloo.
If only I, too, could be banished to an island with a limited wine list as my punishment. Then I would be far, far away from this hell, this utter and complete hell, I find myself in now.
Yes, planning a wedding is hell. There comes a time when every resource has been wrung dry, when every single possible dress has been tried on, purchased and sent back.
Then the reluctant bride stares straight in the face of the place she’d been too high and mighty to acknowledge, exalted as she was on her high throne of supposed “bridal standards.”
David’s Bridal.
Da da dum. If my grandmother even knew what David’s Bridal was, I could see her turning her WASPY nose up in the air and, in her best Miss Jane Brodie, saying: “You, my dear, are the crème de la crème of brides…and the crème de la crème doesn’t do David’s Bridal.”
You know what? Let me just stop right here to say that brand loyalty and loathing are really the hallmarks of human stupidity. We’re willing to pay more for something just because of a stupid name. I’ve fallen for it. The advertising and brainwashing’s worked, damn bridal magazines, Style Me Pretty, and yes, Weddingbee.
David’s Bridal.
It has the sizes. It has lots of stores, so that’s it. With time ticking away, it’s a done deal. I’m sending my ‘maids out into the front lines this time. No more five hour drives to try on dresses for them, no more countless hours researching. I’m picking a color, a fabric and a few styles, and sending them in to choose and try on. They must try on. I’ll have no more send-backs, thankyouverymuch.
OK, one more battle for me: I’m going in today to see the styles in person and set up my account so my ladies can place their orders.
For a hot minute, I contemplated with envy how my MOH could walk into David’s Bridal and pick any style for me, her MOH, and her sisters and other bridesmaids, without needing to worry whether they’d fit properly. Then I realized, for this one experience, she gets to have an easy dress buying experience. She damn well deserves it. With my dress buying experience, I’m getting to see life from the perspective of someone with curves. And for all the hair-pulling frustratingness of it, I’m actually glad to walk in someone else’s shoes for awhile.
Humor me and let me pretend you’re all devout readers of my blog. Then, you’re probably wondering, wasn’t I all set with the cute Aria dresses?
You’re right, I was! Sort of. We were just about to order within the cutoff time at Aria when…
…My mom found a beautiful, affordable dress within the Paisely ‘maids’ tight budgets, and in all the right sizes. She found them online at one of her favorite shopping sites, Northstyle. Here it is:
Gorgeous! That’s my beautiful cousin and bridesmaid modeling it for me. She is so sweet, taking numerous photos the second it arrived and sending them to me.
At $70, it was such a great price. I thought the Battenburg lace and pale gold color looked like something out of Anthropologie:
But then not everybody ordered it by the deadline I set for them. I wanted them to order it in time to potentially send it back and still have time to order the Aria dresses in case these pretty gold dresses didn’t work.
I found out from one bridesmaid 6 days past the deadline I had set that she hadn’t ordered it. Sometime after my deadline, the store had closed temporarily for inventory until mid-April. Meaning, if the dress didn’t work/fit for this bridesmaid, who along with my MOH also has concerns about it fitting correctly, even more time would be wasted and the options would fast be slipping away. Even David’s Bridal has a cut-off ordering date of 8 weeks for a dress to be made and shipped. My wedding is in June here, folks!
My MOH, (who ordered when I asked, good girl!) received it the other day. But she tried it on and “HATED” it. I mean, and I quote, she thought she looked like a “gold Oompa Loompa.”
Of course she would wear it. She’d wear anything for me. But even though I thought it looked great on her, I didn’t want to have to look at her all day on the Big Day thinking about her Oompa Loompa comment (and potentially cracking up, because admit it Paisely, that is really funny).
By the way, if you’re going to say you hate something, but then quickly say you’re going to wear anything the bride wants, why say you hate it at all? Why not let the bride decide whether you’re Oompa Loompa-like? Because really, how can a bride possibly look past that sort of thing and forget it? She can’t!
Therefore, David’s Bridal, here we come.
Based on the experience of the Oompa Loompa dress, Aria might not have worked out, either! I think it’s best in this case for the girls to each try them on in person to ensure they’ll be satisfied.
I’m thinking anything in long navy blue chiffon. Let’s see how contorted that seemingly-simple sentence gets over the course of the next week or so when I come back with a Bridesmaid Dresses, Take IV post.
Hopefully that post will be my last on the subject.
Has anybody else had a harrying experience with bridesmaid dresses as the countdown to your wedding dwindles?
March 20, 2010
Bridesmaid Dresses, Take II
My first bridesmaid dress plan tanked. Remember, I had put a deposit down on some used Twobirds designer dresses I found on the Weddingbee classifieds? Well, the bride I was getting them from no longer had the size B I needed for one of my ‘maids. Full price the dresses, at over $300, are waaaay out of our price range, so, I got my deposit back, and then it was back to the drawing board.
I found out there’s still time (barely) to order dresses from Aria, so I went to the Pasadena store last Friday and tried on about 50 different styles. It was actually pretty fun. I had the whole salon to myself for two hours, with one assistant who willingly snapped front and back pictures of each dress I tried on! And she even dealt with my slightly-broken-camera issues, in that the camera turns itself off each time a picture is taken. Thanks, Aria assistant lady!
I loved all of the dresses I tried on. Really, how often does THAT happen?!? Each one fit me perfectly. They’re really very well made.
If I go with the Aria dresses, the Paisley ‘maids will pick out any style they like, and now it’s up to me to pick a color and a fabric. Da dum, da dum. *Cue ominous JAWS soundtrack music.
I find it extremely challenging to pick out a dress color and fabric when it’s not me who’ll be wearing it. I’ll think “well, THIS color would be rewearable”–but then realize, to another girl, it might not be a rewearable color.
Or, “THIS cheaper man-made satin is nice and affordable, but I wouldn’t want to wear a cheap-looking dress out on the town. I’d probably just use it for the wedding and then toss it.”
Why this emphasis on rewearability? I know every bride says that, and most often it’s not true. Get over it, they say, your bridesmaids will not rewear their dresses! But I’m REALLY trying hard to achieve this for my maids, because they’re all in college, and one has a new baby, so I want what they spend their money on to be something they can use again.
If I could have, I would have chosen for my ‘maids to wear a cute dress from Anthropologie, or a non-bridesmaid-y dress from J.Crew or a cute boutique store dress. But those stores don’t accommodate the range of sizes I need, damn them!
It’s also frustrating, because I know all these bridal stores ramp up prices just because they’re selling bridesmaid dresses. The fabric quality and construction of most of these bridesmaid dresses is really not worth the $200 price tag.
But, I just don’t know where to shop for non-bridesmaid dresses in the range of sizes I need (size 2 to size 24). Do any of you know of a store with cute dresses in those size ranges?
Our budget is preferably around $150. I’m trying to keep costs down in other areas as well, like shoes. They can wear whatever metallic-colored heel they want. And I’ve bought gorgeous earrings from Anthropologie for them to wear, each are different earrings, so hopefully it will help them individualize their look a bit.
Here’s an inspiration board I made of me wearing one of my favorite Aria dresses at the moment–eyelet lace in powder blue. I included pictures of some of my wedding things to show how the colors will go well together:
Many of our paper products, like the favor boxes (shown above), the candy jar and beverage jar labels, and escort cards feature pale silvery blue and light aqua colors as well as eyelet lace. Plus there’ll be bunches of eyelet lace wrapped candles (also shown above) on all the tables at the reception.
Here’s a close up of the eyelet dress:
Their light blue in silk shantung was gorgeous as well:
Our flowers will be shades of pink, cream and yellow, like the bouquets in the inspiration board above, shown against some navy dresses… which got me thinking, our light-colored bouquets would pop nicely against the navy blue.
So, I tried on a navy blue dress at Aria:
I thought the color looked chic. Navy blue is currently an accent color only in our wedding decor. The addresses on the envelopes are letterpressed in navy, and one of the colors on my invitation suite is navy. The programs will be tied in a navy bow. So, it could work.
Plus my wedding gown, the ever-popular Lia by Melissa Sweet, is very elegant, and the ceremony is at six, which makes me think the navy blue might be the winner.
What do you ladies think would look best? I’m leaning toward the eyelet. It’s just so sweet. Gah! I’m having such a bad case of bridal indecision!
By the way, anyone looking for an eyelet wedding gown, check Aria’s out (I just couldn’t help myself and tried it on while I was there!):
Inspiration board photo credits: personal photos, Martha Stewart Weddings, Style Me Pretty
March 6, 2010
Paisley’s Wedding Day Jewels
Last summer, my best-friend-since-third-grade and MOH Morgan was over visiting at my parents’ house. We’d spent the day at grandma’s, going over table layout ideas for the wedding.
I wanted to show her a cute vintage beaded clutch my grandma had given me when I was a teenager. I pulled it out of my old desk drawer. I nearly didn’t undo the clasp to show the inside, but just as I was putting it away, I did, and was surprised when a pair of deep blue antique earrings slid out.
These were my beloved earrings, also from grandma, that she had gifted me years ago, but I’d thought they were lost! I hadn’t seen them for at least six years, and in fact had searched high and low for them all around the house. Who knew they were tucked away safely in the old beaded clutch that entire time?
I got so excited, because ever since I’d started contemplating wedding jewelry, I longed for these earrings. To me, they are the perfect wedding day do-dads–full of meaning, and just the prettiest things with their delicate gold curlicues, and deep blue dangly jewels. Plus, I had dreaded the thought of having to get my ears pierced, and these are conveniently “clip-ons,” although technically they attach to your ears via small screw-on clasps. I immediately put them on:
Oh, yay, they make me so happy!
Have any of you ladies found something precious to you that you thought was lost forever? It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?
By the way, since maybe a couple of you are wondering why Miss Paisley would be a pansy about ear piercings, let me tell you a little story. You might want to find your fiance first, and hold his hand while you read this, or just skip the next paragraph altogether, cuz it ain’t gonna be pretty.
I dread getting my ears pierced not because of the pain of getting a piercing–I actually had my ears double pierced as well as my belly button and eyebrow. No, I dread getting my ears pierced because as a teenager, I got a very bad infection. I’d just gotten a new set in my ears, for a total of four holes. You’re not supposed to be taking ‘em in and out right after they’re pierced, but I was in a school play, The Rivals, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, in which I portrayed a male character. And the director was reeeeally into being authentic, so she made me take my earrings out for every performance. After the curtains closed the last time, I put my earrings back in. The next morning, I awoke, and discovered an ear lobe that was bright red, like a cherry tomato, and swollen into an unholy pain like none I’d ever felt. My ear had literally SWALLOWED one of the earrings in the middle of the night! Fortunately, a doctor dug around my ear lobe for several minutes with sharp, tong-like apparatus to get it out.
Ahah, yuck! Shrug, shiver, shake it out-Jillian-Michaels-style, because that story’s over with. Now that you’ve sufficiently winced until you feared permanent wrinkle damage… let’s get back to discussing pretty jewels, shall we? Yes PLEASE.
I’m also going to wear a bracelet on my wedding day. It’s loaded with pale blue crystals. They don’t match the deep blue of the earrings at all, but the gold matches. I got it on sale from J. Crew.
The gold is a lot less brassy-looking in person, as you can see here in this shot that really does wonders to enhance my huge man-like hands:
Um, at least my man-hands make my wrists look tiny?
Haha, yeah, no. Anyway, here are all of the jewels I’ll be wearing on the big day, gathered merrily together in an oh-so-artistically-shot little “handscape,” if you will:
OK, enough sarcastic jokes about my hands. What should I wear as a necklace? I suppose I’ll have to show you girls my dress in order to decide that?
I’m wondering how the matching J. Crew necklace would look on me, with my matching bracelet but totally-different-earrings?
Hmmm. Hemmm. Hmmm. I just don’t know. Can’t picture it, really. At least with the non-matching bracelet, it’s way down there away from my earrings, cloaked in the shadow of my man-hand.
Plus, I’m clear outta money for such things as necklaces, so I may go bare-necked on the big day. Or raid my grandma’s jewelry box to see what other antiques I can find.
Is anybody else having trouble putting together a jewelry ensemble? Oh, and don’t forget to tell me stories of your long-lost treasures that have magically resurfaced. Those are the best. Even better than finding an unexpected $20 bill in a pea coat pocket.
February 13, 2010
Get ready for some busy days ahead!
Hello there! It’s so nice to see you! I’m Miss Paisley, and I’ve actually been a Bee since I was a very young gipper. First, I was a “busy bee” at Busy Days Preschool, where I adored the mascot bee with all the unbridled enthusiasm of a five-year-old.
Then, my first job out of college was as a daily news reporter at the Record-Bee newspaper! Of course, the bee was also the mascot there. On a recent visit back to my hometown paper, my dear friend and editor of the Bee gifted me this lovely hat:
Please excuse the harsh lighting. It's a self-portrait taken late at night, after seeing Dear John at the movies
Which I think is so appropriate considering I’m once again…a bee!
I can’t wait to get started telling you all about our chic, family-lake-house wedding we’re planning. Get ready for a healthy serving of DIY projects, a little letterpress printing, and a side of bumps, surprises and relationship lessons.
But first, let me tell you more about Mr. Paisley and me. He’s a Spanish professor, and I’m a journalist. I used to work as an editor for a national glossy magazine, before I decided to start my freelance writing career last summer (so glad I did).
Professor and Miss Paisley, aboard the Paisley Italian Stallion (Vespa)
Professor Paisley and I met on the forever-exquisite day of Jan. 3, 2007. The date is seared into my mind because I was moving back to Santa Cruz to complete my Feminist Studies degree after just having finished a 10-month stint in the UC Center Sacramento journalism program. The future-Professor-Paisley greeted my mom and me in the hallway.
“He is SO cute!” I said to Mama Paisley.
“And he’s a professor, too!” I squealed. “Biology, wasn’t it?”
“I think he said Spanish…but now don’t you go after him, young lady!” Mama Paisley warned. I’m pretty sure she even wagged her finger.
She was right about the first part–the Spanish Professor bit–but the second? O-oh no! I’m glad I made the first move. He followed up with a date to Greek food, and we’ve been pretty much inseparable since, save one year when he was in Orange County and I was up in NorCal working. Let’s just say there were a lot of long nights in the newsroom followed by 8-hour-long drives with me arriving in the OC at 5 or 6 a.m., only to turn around and leave again 24 hours later. Yup, it was love!
Together, we’re a couple of goofballs who dig all things outdoors. He’s a Utah boy and an avid rock climber. I’m a NorCal-turned-SoCal girl, and an ex-river-rafting guide and ropes course facilitator.
Here we are in August about to summit Mt. Whitney, with Groomsman Josh. I think we all look pretty funny.
But not as funny as this:
It ain't called an Italion STALLION for nothin'
Weddingbee has been an important community for me for the last year-plus, so you can imagine I’m feelin’ extra honored to be here. I relish this opportunity to build friendships in the ‘hive, hear what you have to say and share my thoughts.
With less than 5 months until the wedding, get ready for some busy bee days ahead!
