Gowns I love, but could never wear....pt 2

And to be honest, with some of these dresses it's not that I could never wear them; it's that I already have my dress and it's the most perfect thing you will ever see after I get hitched (correction, second most because duh your wedding dress is the most perfect). Here they are: some gorgeous gowns that will run you less than $500:

Let's get right into it.

1. Sue Wong Embroidered V-Neck Gown, $488 at Nordstrom.com. This is great for someone who loves the laced beaded look for less. Antiqued styled dresses can often be exceptionally expensive because lace is costly and beading is labor intensive. This lovely Sue Wong gown offers the same vintage inspired feeling for a lot less than some others will run you.

2. Aidan Mattox Strapless Gown, $370 at Norstrom.com. I love this gown and so do people who have purchased it! It has gotten rave reviews from people who bought it online for both weddings and vow renewal ceremonies. That's always nice to read, right? People were enthused with the quality and loved the way the subtle silver patterning was set against the ivory. What I love about this dress is that the designer remembered my favorite rule: elegance is simplicity. I feel like sometimes less expensive designers go over the top with embellishments trying to create an uber fancy gown and they end up making it look costumey. I think this is a chic feeling dress with a good price tag.

4. Open Back Pleated Gown, $398 at BCBG.com. The Grecian revival is not my style at all, but this gown embodies the trend of the times in a classic way. Without the over done drapery that, in my humble opinion, has some wedding gowns looking like a toga hybrid, this gown has a flowing elegance and simplicity that makes it wonderful for an intimate wedding or beach setting affair.

5. Silk Avery Dress, $450 at JCrew.com. You didn't think I would leave J Crew out of this, did ya?! I have spied so many brides wearing J Crew in the last year and (bahda-da-da) I'm loving it! The clean cut, irresistible lines and natural cling of the fabric just make this dress my choice; and it has also gotten rave reviews!

I wanted to say something about wedding dresses in general again, inspired by a post on Sane Bride about picking the dress. Everyone has their dream dress and what they think they want and what they end up with. My advice is pure and simple: go with your gut and never be discouraged in your choice. Sometimes it's painful to be looking at these weddings online and seeing these ravishingly expensive gowns. No matter what your budget, as long as you carry yourself with grace and sophistication and allow all of your joy radiate out, you will be the most gorgeous bride on the face of the planet. Trust me! Every bride I have seen has been the most beautiful girl in the world (except for one bride, but I h8 her so she doesn't count). The main function of the gown is to enhance your shine, your energy and your confidence.

I knew that my dress was the dress because when I looked in the mirror I started to cry uncontrollably. How did you know?

Do you know what excites me?

THIS!!

I am a rabid J. Crew fan. Even if my wallet cannot always support the habit, I am dually devoted. I have been stalking their dress selection for bridesmaid since I was pre-engaged and their extensive opportunities for stylizing should never be over looked. I cannot wait to schedule an appointment to see the bridesmaid dresses in person. I hope they are as gorgeous as they look online. We will also have so much fun with accessories! And suits! And shoes! Oh, my!

While I know a lot of ladies are waiting for the Anthropologie bridal boutique to open its doors, this has been such a long time coming for me! Sometimes I look at J Crew catalogs and say, "Yes. That makes sense." It would be my dream job to work as a merchandiser for le Crew (I mean...if I didn't already have my dream job as merchandiser for a Museum) and I would consider it a blessing if I could just have a smidgen of the talent their stylists have. Lime green jell-o, girls.

That's not even the full spectrum of the greatness of this launch. I feel like it could totally revolutionize the wedding industry. I'm sure Anthropologie wouldn't have jumped on the bandwagon had J. Crew not had success. In reality, it's simplifying a lot, bringing down costs and making things more accessible to a wide range of brides and bridesmaids. The economics of wedding attire could see a mighty, mighty shift.

I was going to play a game of: let's find my favorite things on JCrew.com but, MY PROOFING DISC JUST GOT DROPPED OFF!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Did you take good care of your Mother?

My mom came to visit for the weekend. On Saturday night we went to this exceptional gluten-free restaurant called Pala. We had three delicious appetizers to share, then had their agnello pizza (lamb sausage, scallion, pecorino cheese and mozzarella cheese) and I will have dreams about that it, I bet you $5. The restaurant is wonderful because it has gluten-free, vegan, and just plain ole' normal menu options and they also have a wonderful cocktail list to accompany the food; I had the Pera and will definitely be trying to recreate it in my kitchen.

From there on Saturday we went to HiFi, an east village bar, to meet with my friends for happy hour. My mom ended up pool sharking the place. She hadn't played in years and was excited to hop on the table. Much to her surprise and everyone else's chagrin, she held the table all night as reigning champion. I made a couple of choice shots too, if I do say so myself. We went to Planet Rose Karaoke for some Crocodile Rock. I always get such a kick out of that place. It's like where serious people go to karaoke. There isn't a stage so half of the time someone is singing and you're looking around for to see who has got that voice and its just someone seated at the bar, chillin'.

Sunday we slept in and then went to Hare Field Road for brunch (Hello, Huevos Rancheros). Sunday was such a blustery day and we were pretty lazy from Saturday night (my mom totally raged) so we were up in the air on what we should do. We ended up stopping off at a jewelry store on the way back to the apt. I hadn't even thought about bands yet but saw some I liked. Steve and I got into a debate over what my band should look like. Disgruntled and determined to settle this mess we hopped in the car and over to the bridge to Little King. LK is where Steve had my engagement ring made. Not only did a find a birthday present for my dad, but I also found the perfect wedding band! I'm so excited. There isn't an exact picture of it online, but here is the general vibe:

A very lovely bezel set band. After looking over a bunch of pave settings, I ended up preferring the 360 degree diamond band. Also, with each diamond having its own setting you end up preserving the safety of the stones, which is nice and responsible, etc. The actual one I picked out is a lot different. The metal is somehow magically less visible around the stones and its engraved on the sides to give the ring a more textured feel. The diamonds end up with a weight of about .30 Carats. I don't even think I want it set in yellow gold, against my engagement ring the white gold looks just fine and the stones just really pop. Squee!! I can't wait to wear it. I'm so stoked. We obviously didn't buy it, but we took notes.

After trying on a bunch of jewelry and having a wonderful chat with the owners, we walked a couple of blocks to discover another new and wonderful Gluten Free gem, Tu-Lu's! I am serious, this bakery tops my previous uber-king GF cupcake from Risotteria. These cupcakes and cookies are so delectable - and they have vegan options. I am looking forward to going back to visit and try the paninis, too. We took home a mini-cup sampler and have been sneaking tastes ever since. Something tells me I see the possibility of a wedding cake...?

Probably! It was a really lovely weekend and I wish it hadn't ended. I am counting down until quitting time. I am exhausted! (...and I want a mini-cup)

Gowns I love, but could never wear (pt 1)

I am calling this a part one because I'm sure over the next year I will see many more wedding dresses that I will love (but won't be wearing). Confession: I already have my dress. It's too early for this to be a fact, but it is. I found my dream dress online the day after I got engaged and there is a story that goes with it but I'm not going to retell it. We'll just leave it at this: I have the perfect dress for me. Here are four gorgeous dresses that are not the dress for me:
Clockwise from top left:
1. Cymbeline Paris, "Dolly", I actually tried this dress on. It's so beautiful in person and on the right girl, I can only imagine it would be stunning. It didn't look horrible on me, but it just wasn't right. I'm a small girl but I'm not straight, I have a bit of curve to me. The fringe (which is oh so soft and light weight) made my hips expand in the mirror. I still love this dress. My dress is from Cymbeline and all of the designs are gorgeous, the store in New York is also amazing. They have a great sales staff there and prices range from about $1,500-$5,000. They have a set alteration fee of $500.
2. Monique Lhuillier, "Venice", This dress is just breathtaking to me. It falls under the category of: I think it would devour me if I wore it. I love the ivory lace, very fitted bodice juxtaposed with the tiered pistachio skirt. It's unique and gorgeous at the same time, whenever I see it in ads I can't stop admiring it. Lhuillier's gowns start at $3,000 and end up around $10,000. This one is priced between $7,001-$8,500. (another reason why it is not for moi)
3. Jim Hjelm, JH8063, The beautiful organza flounce that this ball gown must have...wowee, right? What you can't see is that the back is open creating a perfect frame of classic lace. The flower accent on this natural waisted gown is so subtle that you can't even tell the extra fabric is there. My friend Amanda was married in a to-die-for Jim Hjelm gown and before I started trying dresses on, I was sure he was going to be my designer. I tried on about 6 Hjelm dresses and none of them were perfect. I priced out a few that I liked and from what I can gather he ranges from $3,000-$7,000. I'm sure he has some that go beyond that, but I haven't seen any. He also has Jim Hjlem Blush (see linked website) which features lovely, lower price point gowns.
4. Lazaro, LZ30006, I can't even say that this dress is too over the top for me, it really isn't. It has this understated extravagance that I love. It's all in the details. The ruffling is truly delicious. If I were a wedding dress designer, and I am not - I probably would have kept the neckline straight instead of adding the sweetheart. I think this would have kept the lines a little cleaner so that the skirt is the guaranteed wow factor. You don't need much after that! I haven't tried on any Lazaro dresses, nor have I priced any out, but from what I can gather most of his dresses are over $5,000.

That's that. Whose gowns do you love?

chit-chat

me: I think dyable shoes are ugly.
michelle: hahahahhahahahahaha
me: Why is that funny?
michelle: cus I forgot they existed and when you said that I remembered them and how atrocious they are.

Really though, I guess I can understand why people can appreciate dyable shoes (sort of)? No offense if you love them! Please, explain them to me, if your panties are bunched. Also, please, when was the last time you saw an amazing pair of dyable shoes? The composition of this ad even screams late 1980's. Can you pair that with a peach colored, hoop skirt, puffed sleeve bridesmaid gown, please? Or, maybe seafoam?

If you're going to make your bridesmaids wear these, you best be paying for them. It would be so embarrassing to force your closest friends to invest in such a small return item. I give the dresses that, "they can wear them again" defense - but dyeable shoes? Not unless you've registered for a time machine and y'all plan to host your "'80s Night Party" during 1987.