C + K2 = ∞

Rawr!

A couple of weeks ago, Chris and I went down to the Celtic Shoppe in Campbell, and we totally ordered a BUNCH of stuff.

Chris is going to get married in a traditional formal Scottish kilt.  Well, mostly traditional.  He already had the kilt and sporran (that’s the bag that hangs in front).  We needed to order him the jacket, which is called a Bonnie Prince Charlie.

We wanted to order from a local small business, and we wanted it to come from Scotland.  The Celtic Shoppe was the perfect place, as they’ve been a Campbell mainstay for over 30 years and the folks who run it are the sweetest ever.

So, we went down, he was fawned over and fitted, and we ordered his Charlie!  It’s coming from Scotland, so it’s going to be another month before it gets here, but he is going to look SMASHING.

While we were there, we also ordered the ties for our groomsmen, and kilt pins which we will make into buttonieres for the boys.  They’re going to be awesome, and I can’t wait to see them.

In addition to all this amazingness, Chris found his wedding shoes.  We’ve been talking about mixing traditional and offbeat into our wedding, and Chris’s outfit so far had been completely traditional.  However, he had a brilliant idea and went looking, then found the most fantastic two-tone doc martens you’ve ever seen.  They are going to look fabulous, and then I get to see him wear them lots and lots after the wedding!

I just got the best piece of advice I have seen since we began planning this wedding almost a year ago. And it was needed, as my anxiety has risen over the course of months. :>

“A wedding is not an originality contest”

That’ll be my mantra from this point on.

It got here on Saturday.

It’s beautiful, but needs some work before I can even try it on.  I’ll also need to sew in some hooks and eyes so that we can bustle it after the ceremony.  And I’ll be adding sleeves, a wrap, or a shrug – haven’t decided which yet.

But, it’s here! Now there’s this big giant confection of a dress hanging in my closet, sparkly, whispering that the biggest party we’ve ever planned is only 8 months away.  :>

Next up: Chris’s Bonnie Prince Charlie!  He’s going to look SO HANDSOME.  <3

Flower prototypes

Saturday, the lovely Michelle Marovich (bridesmaid extraordinaire) came over and shared with me swanky techniques and materials, and we got crafty together. We tried several different flower types, of paper and fabric, and based on the stuff we tried, I’ve decided on three different flowers for my bouquet and tables.

1 – Roses: Michelle came up with a great concept and I’m tweaking it a wee bit and making a pattern so that we can mass produce.

2 – Mums: Another one that Michelle figured out, which I’m going to refine a wee bit and play with, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be using these.

3 – Peonies – I saw a tutorial online that showed me that the edges of plasticy fabrics curl nicely when melted, and stacking a bunch of circles on top of each other makes a really pretty peony.

I’m also shamelessly stealing Michelle’s pinwheel technique for the tables – I’m thinking at least one pinwheel in each centerpiece.

Next time, we’re going to try making some scottish thistles out of feathers – I can’t wait to see how those turn out!

I tried making these kudusama paper flowers, because I love the way they look and their crisp, precise edges.  They ball together nicely for a bouquet, don’t they?

It totally didn’t work out for me.

First of all, I was using scrapbooking paper, which is a lightweight cardstock.  No good.  You definitely have to use origami paper for those.  Second, it takes 5 pieces of paper to make one flower.  No good there either; it would be a big pain in the butt to find matching origami paper in such precise numbers.

And, in the long run, the theme of the wedding is more about our scottish heritage than it is about origami.  These are beautiful, but they’re not going to be our wedding flowers.

I’ve linked them here in case any of you ever want to make them, for anything,  Heck, I might still make them for something someday.  But heed my words, kids:  use origami paper!

Okay, I’m totally having that stereotypical bride squee moment. Victorian Trading Co called to say that the extra fabric I ordered is in, and they send me pictures. And I’m sharing, because I am twelve at heart.

This is the scalloped edge of the fabric, showing the embroidery and pearls.

First paper flower prototypes

We’ve decided on tables (9), coverings (muslin), runners (plaid), table numbers (that’ll be a surprise so there  :P) and centerpieces.  We looked into flowers, and after some consideration, we’ve decided that we won’t use fresh flowers for a couple of reasons.

First, they’re really expensive and we’re trying to be budget-conscious.  Second, I feel guilty about the idea of killing a bunch of beautiful flowers just so they can sit on some tables for a while and then get thrown away.  Third, it’s one less thing for me to ask someone to pick up, arrange, and then for us to have to clean up after.  Fourth, and this is a little bit of a stretch, bees.

So, no real flowers.  I have a ton of patterns and ideas for both paper and cloth flowers, some of which are more complicated than others.

This weekend, I made the first prototypes from the first pattern.  It’s a bit fussy and involved, and the cutting of the pieces takes a super long time, but I HEART them!  They are so pretty!

I’m still going to make all the others, but if none of them are super amazing, this very first one is rockin’!

At the Steampunk Build in LA

Chris and I started talking about who would officiate at our wedding back when the whole thing was just a theoretical probability. Probability being what it is, we continued debating and deliberating well into the planning phase of the real, gonna-happen thing.

We are delighted to announce that we’ve finally agreed on someone, and asked him to pronounce us -and he has agreed!

So let me introduce to you Peter Overstreet, artistic genius, mad scientist, visionary, aeronaut, walking hilarity and all-round Nice Guy.  Pete is a disgustingly talented illustrator, the father of Legion Fantastique, and the Steampunk: History Beyond Imagination museum exhibit we worked on earlier this year was all Pete’s baby.  We have loved working with Pete creatively – and he’s the perfect person to stand up with us and say the stuff and do the thing and start our official partnership.

Thanks, Pete, for being willing!  It means the world to us.

It’s bridal satin and lace, and beaded with rhinestones and pearls.

Thanks to one of my bridesmaids, Michelle, I have chosen and ordered my dress.  :>

I had previously fallen in love with a dress that I found online, from China – but the company had horrible reviews online and they had a NO returns or exchanges policy.  I was afraid that if I ordered that dress, it would come in the wrong fabric or color, with crappy workmanship, and not fit – and I’d be out the money.  Even though it was ridiculously inexpensive, the lead time required for these things might have left me ordering a new dress from somewhere else, only a few months before my wedding.  No go, buddy, I like less risk than that when I’m planning stuff.  😀

So, Michelle showed me this amazing site: victorian trading company.  OMG do I want all of the things on that site? Yes I do.  But most importantly, there were like 4 dresses I’d wear for my wedding, and they were all affordable.

After my one experience trying on traditional wedding dresses in a bridal boutique, I was totally burned out on big poofy satin confections that don’t fit me or flatter my shape and cost thousands of dollars.  For a dress I’m going to wear once, for a few hours?  Why not spend those thousands on the honeymoon?  In the end, I chose a dress from victorian trading co that’s GORGEOUS, affordable, elegant, and not too traditional. It’s very my taste, simple but sparkly.  And while I didn’t want a train (who wants all that crap dragging behind you and picking up pine cones?) I am totally in love with the wee scalloped train.  :>

I’m a little nervous about ordering an expensive piece of clothing from a website without ever having tried it on, but I also have a great seamstress in my pocket, and lots of lead time to Fix It.  And really, compared to what other people pay for their wedding dresses, this was a steal.  So, it’s on its way (it’ll be 6-8 weeks more before I receive it, at least) and I’m glad to have another checkbox checked in the to-do list.

This is one of Laurie’s previous pieces

Laurie Clark is a brilliant cake artisan.  Not only are her cakes gorgeous, creative and impossible to believe, they’re delicious.  She’s been doing this for a REALLY long time, and she teaches other decorators how to make beautiful confectionary masterpieces.

Laurie also happens to be married to one of Chris’s high school friends. We met her at her husband’s 40th birthday party, where we were blown away by the gorgeous cake she made him.  We discussed right then and there, the idea of asking Laurie to make our cake.

We came up with an awesome (or so we not-cake-designers think) idea for a cake and pitched it to her at her husband’s brother’s 40th the next year. And she agreed!  So we’re officially announcing that Laurie of Sweet Celebrations will be our cake goddess.  :>

I highly recommend her cake classes – she is someone who lives and breathes cake and knows pretty much everything there is to know about it. Even if you’re already a whiz, she’ll take what you know and bring it up a notch.  Check out her website and we know you’re going to enjoy her cake at our wedding!