so in January we're gettin' married. diy invitations.

Wedding planning so far...

I've been engaged now for just over 8 months and I feel like I have a pretty good handle on things.  They say the average cost of a wedding in New York City is $76,000 (anywhere else U.S.A. $25,000).  I don't know about you, but in my book $25k still seems like a lot.  But, at some point you just accept the fact that it's going to cost... and hopefully all be worth it. 

That being said, we're striving to spend more along the lines of the national average, but we'll see how it all unfolds.  We definitely have our work cut out for us.  I have plenty of resources in the city, so I fully plan to use them.  But, being that I have recently entered my third decade of life, and none of my city friends are married or engaged, I haven't been given any wise words or friendly advice on how not to have a wedding in the city that costs a million dollars.  

So I'm really excited to share my experiences with you, and hopefully add some inspiration to your own weddings.  One thing that I've realized is going to be really important for me... is to not bite off more then I can chew.  I am well aware that if I try to DIY everything, my head will probably explode, so I really have to recognize some of the choices I make and think objectively if it will literally make me go crazy.

The first thing I am 100% DIY'ing are my wedding invitations!

I found this great Portland based etsy seller named

PAPER SUSHI 

that makes these amazing custom wedding invitation suites, that are stamps.

You buy the right kind of paper and ink, and you have everything you need to print them yourself.

So it's perfect incase you forget a few people, you can just make a few more.

This full suite + the save the date are $240 & available here.

  

the blend by fred segal.

The Blend

These are my favorite new (to me) fragrances this summer & the concept is so absolutely genius.

The idea is to create an entirely customizable fragrance experience.  I got #5 for my birthday, (which is a lovely intoxicating floral) but have yet to actually use the 'blends' as intended, but #5 is amazing all by itself. 

You can purchase the 10 piece set for $150 or a la cart for $38.00 each.

gel manicure & metallic striping.

Here are the exact products I used to create this design.

1. Red Carpet 'Prep' $3.99

2. Sephora by OPI gelshine 'base coat' $17.50

3. Red Carpet 'White Hot' $9.99

4. Sephora by OPI 'what's a tire jack?' $17.50

5. Sephora by OPI 'top coat' $17.50

I cure each layer for 120 seconds, I might not need to do it for that long, 

but I don't want to take any chances.

You will also need a UV lamp but you can literally use any UV lamp to cure your polish. I'm sure some of them are less harmful then others, but mine is a simple one I found on eBay for $35 a few years back.

The last thing you'll need is some silver metallic nail striping.  Which will cost less then $10 for a few spools. I just use my cuticle scissors (and try not to touch the sticky side) to size each piece across my nail bed. Then I then press down the corners to make sure it's secure with my fingers and then sandwich it between two layers of top coat.  

I do occasionally get a small amount of lifting in the corners but I've sort of figured out to just add extra top coat. But it'll last longer the thinner the application.

Very last step: 

Use a cotton ball with nail polish remover on to and sweep across each nail to remove any weird residue and really make your nails shine. I know this one sounds weird, but I saw my manicurist do it and it really works without messing anything up.

summer scents.

top fragrances for this beautiful time of year.

1. jo malone -  wild bluebell cologne

bluebells, persimmon, lily of the valley & eglantine

[especially great for the summer because it's light, sweet & floral]

2. s & p factory - neroli

this is a beautifully simple scent that will take you from summer to fall 

[i like to combine it with #3]

3. issey miyake -  l'eau d'issey body lotion  

lotus, cyclamen, freesia, carnations & white lillies with amberseed & musk 

[layered with #2]

diy. stella mccartney resort 2014 inspiration.

kerry washington at the teen choice awards 2013 in stella mccartney resort 2014

i can't decide if i love this or hate this, but it looks super easy to diy.

all you need is a pale pink dress, some random bling to attach (old earrings, cut up a bracelet etc), 

beads to create the match stick and other shapes, and a few heart/lip patches that you can easily get on the internet. search for "beaded applique's" too, you will get more options. 

examples: 

crystal hearts

 heart appliques

lips patch

diy doughnut sweater.

enjoying a peach yeast doughnut at the doughnut plant on grand & essex today, 

contrary to my lackluster expression - it was AMAZING!!! 

supplies:

1 grey sweater/sweatshirt

(mine cashmere blend from uniqlo for $30)

1 standard piece of felt - pastel pink

various round objects to trace circumference 

safety pins for placement

an assortment of tube beads, sequins and seed beads

1 bead needle, 1 embroider needle

1 white skein of embroidery floss

i just learned the definition of the word skien***

A length of thread or yarn wound in a loose long coil

those wrapped colors of embroidery floss are indeed called skeins

MORE AFTER THE JUMP

flower district. peonies & roses.