"Maybe the dingo ate your baby."

Yes, I have a little Elaine in me. I think we all do. However, until very recently, her antics had ruined the word "fiance" for me. It took some time to get used to introducing my better half as my fiance. It sounded so braggy. But the more I did it, the more proud I became to be honored by his choice in marrying me. I do still hear dingo when I say "fiance", but I do love my dingo.

Junebug's find: Good Stock Book and Bindery

What Junebug Loves never disappoints, but today I think they posted my favorite find of the last few months since becoming a faithful follower. Follow their lead and check out Good Stock Press and Bindery. Now you can make that book of photos you have always been fantasizing about. (Or is that just me?)

Of course most brides get their albums for the wedding through their photographer, but here you can personalize you book down to ever little detail and give them to parents, grandparents, or others who would love to have a memory book of your day. And while this is grrreat for brides, these books can be personalized for any occassion: new baby, your pets, your family tree.... The possibilities are limitless as your imagination.

{images: Good Stock Press and Bindery}

Happy Thanksgiving!

{image: fireinmykitchen}

Searching for the perfect tree inspired wedding invitation....

Wow. I say wow. The is something I imagine would be in a fantasy filled children's book. Love it.

{image: Wedding Paper Divas}

If you ever watched Six Feet Under on HBO, you will know why I adore this one.

{image: hello lucky!}

This is just one seller on Etsy I am obsessed with since deciding on using trees to tie in the details of our wedding. Her work is beautiful. No, flowers don't always grow on trees, but they should! Her work is customizable too! Woot Woot! I wonder how I can get a customized wooden tree box on my registry? Hmmmmmmm....

{image: etsy seller - SixthandElm}

You are now a witness to the fact that I have always had a hard time making up my mind. So I just let go of this "to-d0" on my planning list so I don't have to make a decision. When it came to picking out an invitation, which is what reflects the central theme of your wedding by providing a few details of the type of event guests can expect, I was lost. Having a fall wedding I couldn't ignore my love for fall foliage in pulling and invitation together.

So, my Step Mother is having her niece, Laura, who is a student at an art school in Los Angles, take all of the elements that I have been lamenting over and create a wedding invitation just for me! What a fantastic way to have something unique while saving some money by giving an up-and-comer a chance. I CAN'T WAIT to see how they turn out.

Melangerienyc's fantastic geneology trees!

This is such a neat idea. The company melangerienyc creates these one of a kind wedding geneology charts which display your relationship with all of the guests you invite to your wedding. Each chart details the relationships of the bride and groom to their various guests, calling out interesting connections between guests, and the occasional little-known fact. The charts are offered in three, distinct design styles: a modern aesthetic (6 degrees of the bride and groom), a traditional aesthetic (wedding lineage), and an illustrative design (a wedding tree).

A top ten list to get me back on track!

So life has been a bit crazy between school, redecorating the house, and life. Even though finals are creeping up I thought I better buckle down and get back on track with planning my wedding. Because my first step towards organized chaos always inludes lists, I thought I would share my favorite wedding planning blogs with you. I find the ideas discovered on blogs are much more unique than those found in books or magazines and the majority of brides just don't know what they are missing!

10. Victoria with Roses

9. Southern Weddings Magazine

8. The Bride's Cafe

7. Polka Dot Bride

6. Once Wed

5, Style Me Pretty

4. What Junebug Loves

3. Lucky Me!

2. In this Instance

1. Snippet and Ink Daily Wedding Inspiration

(image-simple song design)

Happy Halloween!

(image-cinemastrikesback.com)

Get ready to make your opinion count!

Don't forget we have less than a week to vote! Make sure you know your polling location so you aren't wandering around aimlessly with an uncounted vote. Download this great print (and others) from Tomorrow Partners and distribute it to your friends and family.

Get your free downloads for free here.

Get out and VOTE!

Lucy Maud's creation... Anne

I admit I LOVE the films produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea are especially precious to me. Here is a scene in which Anne, portrayed by Megan Follows, daydreams her way through a day that would bring most of us to the "depths of dispair."

Thank goodnes someone else has a problem "holding her tongue". Anne must apologize to Rachel Lynde even though she was quite rudely insulted by her comment that Anne's hair was "red as carrots." Oh, the things we will agree to do just to have a place to call home.

Anne enjoying the many beautiful sunsets of Prince Edward Island. I wish Icould just pop into this picture to see more of the view.

(images- all were found at immortals.net )

Hidden Inspiration

Lately I have been running into inspiration in the strangest places. I have been cleaning out the house of "stuff" I just don't need anymore and ran into something that has been a hidden inspiration in some of the beautiful things I am finding myself gravitating towards while planning my wedding: Anne Shirley. I have always loved "Anne of Green Gables" and almost anything associated with L.M. Montgomery's fantastic series of books about the most wonderful, redheaded, optimist I have ever had the pleasure of "meeting." Because my Mom just reminded me how my Grandmother always used to ask me when I would find my "Gilbert," and my matron of honor told me about a bride she knows who used "Anne's Theme" in her wedding ceremony, I thought it appropriate to delve back into the series as a treat for doing well on my midterms.