DIY Wedding: Chapter 3. Etsy Love, Etsy Love.

WeddingChannel.com just informed me that there are 25 days left until the wedding... I would consider myself a mix between Emily Post, Anthony from Sex and the City, and Bridezilla at the moment. (Want to hang out anytime soon? Call me!)

Anyway, I wanted to spotlight the lovely Etsy finds that have come to comprise a LOT of what we're doing for the wedding. I have had such great experiences with every one of these sellers and wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of them at any time.

Invitations: TwoCardinalDay

Laura, the owner of this shop, is incredible. She designed my invitations from photographs I emailed her and I was so thrilled with how they turned out. I've gotten more compliments on these invitations than I ever could have imagined, and it's because she's got such talent and style. In fact, I took inspiration from this suite she had already done:

"Rustic Romance on the Farm"
Sent Laura two pictures of the church and farm where we'll have our wedding and reception, and got this:

These depict the buildings SO very perfectly, and she did it in 48 hours for only $30 (on top of the $50 listing fee)! All I had to do was buy the cardstock (she helped me find good sources for that, too) and literally took them to FedEx/Kinko's to print. Viola! And I was so happy with the outcome.

I'm happy to say it even inspired a new invitation suite in her shop!

Next Etsy find/love:

Handmade, custom order silk ties for $18.95. Yes. $18.95. 

rabbitstop on Etsy

Vivian at RabbitStop/TieObsessed is incredible. I sent her a picture of my bridesmaid's gowns (exactly like the ones in this picture), and not only did she go to the fabric store that week to find a swatch, she found two and let me choose the one most to my liking. And here you go:

So, groomsmen's gifts? Check. Matching itty-bitty tie for ring bearer? Check. All for $18.95 a piece. My fiance has declared that he's never buying another tie in store again-- the selection here is amazing and the price can't be beat.

Last up for now:

Bridal Couture on Etsy

I actually found this shop via StyleMePretty.com which is the site of all things Beautiful Wedding.

 And this is no exception. Ce Juane made the fascinator I will wear in my hair and it is exquisite beyond words. They customized it for me, by putting the pearls from the Mina onto the Mia style because I'm wearing pearl earrings.

It's a work of art, for sure, that I hope will be a family heirloom one day. And it was $60. 

It's gonna be an Etsy kind of wedding, my friends!

{ Springtime, the Only Pretty Ring Time }

"Every man and every living creature has a sacred right to the gladness of springtime."
- Leo Tolstoy, Resurrection

The Monet French Country House at Giverny, France

le blog de la mechante

I love the coziness of Christmas and guarantee of too much barbeque on the Fourth of July; but Easter tops my list of favorite holidays. The sunshine and flowers wake me up from a long winter's nap, and get me excited about all things new, fresh, and beautiful. I feel like it's God's way of rejuvenating the human spirit, in honor of the miracle of Easter.

This year, Springtime is particularly special because I'm getting to see the yard of my new home bloom for the first time. The previous owner was amazing and innovative in what she planted. Every day there seems to be a new surprise-- fresh mint and basil sprigs, a yellow bud peeking out of a shrub I thought was evergreen, or (my favorite suprise so far) a gorgeous blanket of pink, red, and white flowers on what I thought was a "dead" tree.

Time to celebrate the season! This is my ode to all that is new and gorgeous this time of year.

Salon.com's "Spring Fever Fiction" List, including:

*This list was published on Salon.com in 2001

In contrast, Joie de Vivre's "My Brain Needs a Spring Break Too" Spring Reading List:

Spring inspired decor.

I love the dainty pink window dressings, with a splash of sass on the animal print stool.

Those damask print pillows in juicy colors bring the beige couch to life.

Flowers everywhere! Bringing the outdoors in.

All above pictures from House Beautiful Spring Inspired Rooms

A Kelly Wearstler montage... lots of color in various textures and prints.
Kelly Wearstler Designs



House of Turquoise
Turquoise and white... sublime. With a pop of-- what else? Hot pink tulips, of course!


And last, but certainly not least... Spring Fashion.
Long live the Little White Dress


Handbags...
Hermes Snakeskin Bucket Bag; Fendi Tapestry Peekaboo bag;
Valentino Embroidered Bow Bag.

And some sassy jewels. Fabulous.

Lanvin Glass Pearl Necklace

Sonia Rykiel Studded resin bracelets.
Bijoux Heart 24-karat gold-plated Tropica necklace

{ Bargain Alert! }

As if I needed more of a reason to love this Etsy seller, I just received the sweetest email from her offering my readers (hi, Mom)...

5% off any purchase from her store for the month of March 2010!



Some more eye candy from her shop:

And here's her other shop, the "big sister" to Shup(g)lite, with more gorgeous handmade accessories!
I LOVE her stuff.

{ Shopping With a Story to Tell }

“People respond much more to authentic, human-centric design now,” said Chee Pearlman, a design consultant. “As opposed to the extruded-plastic sort from China. It’s clearly a time for genuine connection to the objects in our lives.”
New York Times article, 11/25/09

One of my favorite things while procrastinating as of late has been to peruse Etsy, an online marketplace full of beautiful antiques, vintage pieces, custom-made clothing, and other hand-made things.

I love the layout of the site (you can shop via "color"-- click fuschia on the color wheel and it will pull up all things hot pink, regardless of item type).

I also find it charming that each and every piece has some element of a human touch. The site is eclectic, whimsical, and lovely.

It's like eBay in the fact that you start looking and realize there are things you need now that you never considered buying before; but without the cluttered garage-sale atmosphere. And a lot of things on Etsy are super-affordable.

Take, for example, this silver double chain necklace I purchased from a precious girl who lives in Singapore and Sidney:

It was called "Believe in the Crown of Glory," and was $28. And if the look and price wasn't enough, I was sold by the item description:

"Crown of glory and a simple reminder to Believe. Double chain necklace, you can adjust the crown to be above the silver "Believe" charm or vice versa!

When the necklace arrived, it was packaged in a charming box, with a hand-written note from the sweet seller. Her creations are beautiful and unique, and I will be back for more from her store, Shupglite

Here are some more of the lovelies I have seen on Etsy...

How fabulous is this? A jewelry holder (or serving piece for petits fours) made from antique plates and tea cups.
$85.50, WhoMadeIt

These two gorgeous prints are only a sample of what this seller has to offer. Appropriately, this store's motto is "Poetry for the Eyes," and most prints run around $20. ISPhotography

And here is the shop of one of my favorite bloggers, Eddie Ross.

His shop's description says it best: "Eddie Ross at Etsy, a unique collection of hand-picked, vintage tabletop and giftware. Every piece in the collection I selected and refurbished myself. Every piece carries with it detailed descriptions full of ideas. Every piece I would most certainly use in my own home. And every piece is $100 and under."

Eddie Ross Vintage

This barely touches on the fabulous finds on Etsy.com, but gives a little preview of why I love shopping there so much. I would love to hear about your favorite Etsy shops, so please feel free to share!