40 days til mariachis and mojigangas

it's getting so close! i love this picture with the giant mojigangas and mariachi band behind the couple.

the closer we get, the more real it becomes...and we've had such pleasant surprises with the rsvp's. c.r. and l.h. are going to make the trip from brooklyn, which we didn't think would be possible, and g.k. and his wife are coming from san francisco. i might be in trouble if we get too many more surprise "yeses" - i'll have to order more paper for programs! but what happy trouble to be in...

i so wish that we could magically transport all of our dear friends from wherever they are...those that can't make it will be missed.

this next month will be very busy with all of my little DIY projects. stay tuned for my hatling (pics forthcoming), the birdcage veils I'm making for the bridesmaids, menus, placecards, favors, programs, and much more!

shoes for a shoes-y girl

i knew that i wanted shoes that were absolutely fabulous. there would be no white satin and bows for this girl. for a while, i thought that i would do a really brightly colored shoe, but everything i liked either had a four-inch-monster-skank heel, or wasn't elegant enough. lucky for me, i found these beautiful flower-toed numbers from tracy reese. aren't they a vision?

the flower is large enough to cover my all of my little toes, and the petals all have tiny details that make them look oh-so-real. i love them!

and to top it all off (don't you wish that all stories had happy endings like shoe stories??), i am going to get a pair of brightly colored flats to make the walk from El Oratorio down to Restaurante Nirvana on the 15th century cobblestone. perfecto!

k.f. has a birthday

Last night we celebrated k.f.'s birthday, and in typical fashion, it was a raucous good time, complete with all of us singing talking heads songs loudly at last call. turns out my iphone camera is actually perfect for documenting these evenings...a little fuzzy, lots of light...

k.f. and l.d. discussing the absurdities of computer voting systems. obviously early on. 

going home at two o'clock. k.f. and d.a. are arguing the finer points of rock music 1969 to present day. obviously later on...

walking...
k.f. explaining how it is.

boys playing at a construction site. very nice, l.d. - that cinder block looks heavy! *laughs*

overall, a really lovely evening with really great friends. i can't wait until i get my new flip camcorder...then these documentaries will really take on some life!

i heart paper

i've started working on designing all of the details! this is my first go on the place cards...











i am working off the color scheme at restaurante nirvana (see my post on nirvana for some serious eye candy) - which is really warm and vibrant.

when we started planning the first version of our wedding (you know, the big traditionalish thing at the art museum), we were doing all organic food and live plants instead of flowers.

even though we can't control quite as much of that in mexico, we are still really obsessed with the idea of leaves and live plants - thus the leaves on the invitations and on my bootylicious buttocks. haha. i'm not sure if i'll stick with the dandelions, but it's a good starting place at least.

what do you think?

thanks, kelly and doug...

for getting married and throwing a fabulous reception. and also for having your great photographers (kellan studios out in lynchburg, va) take this picture of k.f. and i dancing the night away. i can't wait until kelly posts some more photos on facebook so that i can jack them and post about her wedding...

sixty days...

until we get married. i can't believe that it's coming up so quickly! it seems like just last week that it was six months away.

fortunately, i think that we're pretty much on track. so far, i have:
1. rented houses for all the guests in san miguel de allende
2. reserved a lovely restaurant for the reception
3. finalized a menu
4. bought a dress
5. made sure bridesmaids have dresses
6. booked photographer
7. ordered custom pieces for my hat and wrap
8. bought my shoes
9. designed, printed, and sent out save-the-dates
10. designed and assembled invitations (which go out on tuesday! yay!)
11. scheduled my first fitting
12. bought k.f. a suit
13. met with officiant (k.f.'s wonderful uncle!) and designed ceremony
14. bought favors
15. ordered bridesmaids gifts

so far, however, i have NOT:

1. stopped eating obnoxious amounts of mexican food and pizza
2. stopped drinking beer
3. started exercising

details, details. i've promised myself that i will start a regimen in earnest as soon as i finish grading final exams. on friday.

uuuggggghhhh stamps

so...how irritating is it that the usps changed the price of stamps just before wedding season? the selection that they have is truly abominable. i mean...yoda, harriet beecher stowe, or the year of the rat?? all of those themes really express the feeling of my wedding.


i finally found these stamps with a pic of the okefenokee swamp. in florida. but at least it's pretty...right?

sweet suit - check!

as soon as we decided that the wedding would be south of the border, k.f. and i decided that a dark suit was absolutely out of the question, not to mention a tuxedo. so we decided that a slim-cut light grey suit would be the way to go.

easier said than done. who knew the men had it so hard? we've waded through pleated pants (yikes!), boring tweeds, and offensive wool blends that make you twitch and itch just looking at them.

so imagine my relief when we finally stumbled across this great kenneth cole number. slim, flat-front pants and a nice sheen...i think i'm in love.

thanks, kenny! you saved the day!

leafing my dress dilemma behind

yay! wahoo! i've done it! i finally found a brooch i like to go at the rear of my dress instead of an obnoxiously large bow.

from etsy seller tiachia comes this lovely 1930s signed vintage dress clip that could not be more perfect. it even matches the leaf motif that we started with the invitations.



i can't wait to get it! of course, i'll have to wait to see it with the dress another couple weeks. my first fitting is 6.18.

*sigh*

more lovlies from the geniuses at etsy

i couldn't love this shell & pearl cocktail ring from turkey-based star of the east more. it is beautiful and organic and would be perfectly over-sized on my little mitts. this seller makes all sorts of baubles out of urchins, pearls, and other treasures she finds washed up on the shore.

from montreal (sight of my future honeymoon, holler!) is the polyglot melanie favreau. her pieces are all inscribed with sweet little expressions. this one, which says "from the bottom of my heart" in latin, is my favorite by far. her other creations are equally endearing, and she also does custom inscriptions in most of her rings and necklaces. if k.f. were the jewelry-wearing type, i would totally buy him this pendant. although i'm kind of glad he's not...maybe i'll get one for myself!!


and finally, from one of my favorite stores on etsy, the now famous ring dish from paloma's nest. featured on every blog i read (brooklyn bride was the first place i saw it, i think...), it is such a sweet little token for your wedding day. they are totally customizable, so you can write anything you want...i think i'm going with the ee cummings poem "i carry your heart with me" on ours. we both love that poem and it is one of our readings. since we're not having a ring bearer...or any other children for that matter...it seems like this is a perfect substitution for the pillow.

te gustan?