A ring for my man...

Ok, I'll admit it: so much of the wedding planning process is a "me me me" thing, that I sometimes can neglect my fiance a bit! My head is filled with visions of flowers, wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, and the like...

Oh wait...this is a day for us to celebrate our love and commitment to one another...NOT for me to look really pretty and have everyone admire the hard work I put into the event? Darn...

I kid, I kid. But hopefully you get the point! So...lets get back to the topic at hand: marriage. And...the outward symbol of that marriage that Justin will wear on his left hand. I'll admit; I put ring shopping off for months and months. I am not sure why, because I was more than excited to hound Justin to purchase mine (I know, I'm a jerk, right???). Plus, I love to shop...so it should have been no problem for me!

However, I was hung up. Justin and I did go to a few jewelry stores to price out their wedding bands. The problem is that he is a relatively simple guy. He doesn't want anything too "fancy," and I agree. But, the plain gold or white gold wedding band was just not doing it for either of us. It is classic...my dad has been wearing one just like it since my parents got married, and it works just fine!

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But, with the amazing job that Justin did with my ring, I felt like I had to do something a bit more personal or unique.

Enter Etsy. I spent a few days scouring the vast expanse of wedding bands offered. There were some very unique pieces, and I was intrigued!

I kept stumbling upon rings featuring rosewood. I love the rich color and the unique look of it!

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This ring was also very intriguing to me; if you didn't like the rosewood on the outside of the ring, you could sneak it to the inside! Apparently the wood will darken naturally over time when it is in contact with your skin; neat!

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Sadly, Justin vetoed the rosewood rings; he was worried about the upkeep, and was questioning whether or not he would still want to wear it when he gets older (it might be too "trendy" for his liking). I did stumble upon a similar ring style featuring titanium and carbon fiber that had a lot of potential:

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I also enjoyed the hammered look...it is unique, yet still traditional enough for our taste!

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But then I stumbled upon Fabuluster, and my search came to an abrupt conclusion. My heart skipped a beat when I saw these rings. They are the perfect blend of sentimental, traditional, and funky...and I adore them! Seriously, take a look at some of the rings in their Etsy shop:

(following images are from Fabuluster)

As you can see - the outside appears to be a traditional wedding band...but wait! Look inside - what is that? Oh...its a fingerprint...and not just anyone's fingerprint...it is your own!

The artisans at Fabuluster send you an impression kit that you imprint your finger on. To make a long story short, they take your imprint, and using a wax casting process they form the ring with your fingerprint on it! The print can be on the inside, or on the outside, if you're feeling adventurous...

But, which one did we pick? I decided to opt for the classic...I'd like to think that it is business on the outside, party on the inside:

Also, I know it is really sappy, but I love the fact that my hand will essentially always be touching his...and that perhaps this ring will become a great keepsake for future children/grandchildren/etc. I'm really excited to start the impression process and receive the final product!

Did you have a hard time shopping for your SO's wedding band? Which style(s) did you gravitate towards?

My flower girl's frock

Dressing up the smaller members of our bridal party is so much fun! Every time I walk into a store that has a children's department, I find myself veering toward the girls' dresses...and promptly oohing and ahhing over them! What is even better is that with Easter quickly approaching, the amount of dresses available is amazing!

Well...one day Mommy Buttons and I were walking through one of our favorite stores - Marshalls...and we struck gold! Hanging on the rack was an adorable ivory dress that appeared to be a great match to the details on my own gown!

At $25, we snatched it up in an instant - what a deal...right???? I certainly won't stick my nose up at it!

To make sure that it fit in with my gown, I brought the flower girl dress along with me to the dress shop. And what do you know...it couldn't be more perfect! What do you think?

Did you have a fun time shopping for your "mini" bridal party members? Did you find any good deals when you were shopping?

A magnificent mantle

So...remember my venue? If you recall, Mr. Buttons and I will be holding our wedding ceremony in front of Carlouel's huge stone fireplace...

(personal photo)

It is gorgeous on its own, clearly...but something was missing. Mommy Buttons and I were a bit perplexed as to why their fireplaces don't have mantles (there is a matching fireplace opposite the one we will be standing in front of for the ceremony)! I mean, that is pretty standard, right? And...there are such beautiful possibilities for decor with one!

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At first, Mommy Buttons and I passed the idea of building our own mantle back and forth. Then, when we had a meeting with the club manager, my mom mentioned that we were thinking about constructing one, and asked if that would be ok with him. The response we received was unbelievable.

They...are...constructing...one...for...us!

Actually, they are constructing two mantles; one for each of the fireplaces. They will be removable, so the club manager will be able to use them in the future for different events - how cool! But, since they are being created for our wedding, he is building them based on our specifications/requests.

I wanted to jump up and down and do a happy dance when I learned the good news...and then began pondering how we will decorate our creation! At the moment, we are planning on filling it with large white pillar candles, as well as a lush display of flowers that match the bridal party bouquets! I can hardly wait to see how it all comes together!

Did you construct/have anything constructed for your wedding? What was it?

Shoes for ME!

Now that my bridesmaids have their shoes, I suppose it would be time for me to figure out what I will wear for the big day!

And, you wouldn't expect anything less than a conundrum from me, would you?

When I originally purchased my wedding gown, in order to measure me for my hollow-to-hem, I needed to have my shoes picked out. So, I frantically searched for the perfect pair of pumps. The original winner? This lovely pair of faux snakeskin yellow/gold peeptoes by Enzo Angiolini. Where did I get them? You guessed it...Nordstrom...with my shoe boyfriend. Actually, I'll confess: I already own 3 other pairs of this shoe in different colors and patterns. They are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own, and they are ALWAYS coming out with new hues. I loved these yellow ones...at the time.

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Well, months went by, and new shoe styles came out! One of which you may find familiar...the shoes that my bridesmaids will be wearing!

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Notice something similar about this shoe? Yep...it is the same style as the yellow ones...but with a ruffle on the toe! So...the heel is the same height, and the length of my gown would still be perfect! I might shy away from the ivory hue though, since I'm partial to a colored wedding shoe for myself.

And guess what...they also come in pink!

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Soooo, when we purchased the bridesmaids' shoes, I also bought a pair of each of these shoes; one in pink and one in nude. Just in case. Gotta cover my bases!

Oh but wait...we aren't finished yet! When I was organizing my closet the other day, I realized that in my excitement to find a pair of wedding shoes, I had failed to consider pumps that I already own! So...these little lovelies have also made it into the pool of possibilities! I measured the heel and discovered that they are also the same height as the Enzo's, so they would work with the length of my gown. They could be my something blue...and since I have worn them before (not a lot...maybe less than 10 times), they are already broken in for me!

So many options! Which would you choose? Did you buy a new pair of shoes for your wedding day, or do you like the idea of wearing a pair of shoes already in your closet?

A gift from Grandma Buttons

My grandma is pretty hip. Let me tell you!

You are probably already aware that my grandma can sew like a champ. She's a crafty gal! She even wants to open her own Etsy shop...and I really hope that she does!

Grandma also has Facebook. Yep! Seriously...and she uses it! When I talked about my bridesmaid shoes the other day, she sent me a message saying that she needed a pair in a smaller heel for herself - sassy, wouldn't you say? Also - Grandma Buttons (as she is referred to over at Weddingbee) reads my blog, and has gotten into the "Miss Buttons" moniker.

Don't believe me??? Check it out!

I received a package in the mail one day from her, along with a card. A card that she created using my Button icon. How cute is that?

In addition to the cutie patootie card, she sent me a few birds to add to my flock that she painted herself! I love that she wanted to contribute to my collection. I'm contemplating the perfect location for the pair!

Do you have any family members who have really gotten into your wedding planning with you?

Bridesmaid shoes: my shoe boyfriend steps in!

Last time we checked in on my bridesmaid shoe hunt, I was back to the drawing board after eliminating the dyeable shoe option.

So, what did I do? I visited shoe websites daily, waiting and hoping that one of them would release a new style that would be perfect. Sadly, one was not forthcoming. However, I started to lean towards a nude/beige colored shoe, as I noticed quite the selection available online!

"Yes! This could work!" I said to myself...and promptly put together a new inspiration collage to test my newfound shoe lovelies.

Dresses: J Crew

Shoes (L to R): Nina - Elijah, Nina - Galvey, Nina- Kora, Jones New York Plumsky Peep Toe

And then, Mommy Buttons and I went to Nordstrom. I should have known that the perfect shoe would be waiting there for me.

Hello gorgeous!

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These Enzo Angiolini pumps were sitting on the display with a golden haze surrounding them. I'm quite sure that angels started singing in the background.

I promptly grabbed it and marched around the floor to find my shoe boyfriend, Victor. I know you probably just wrinkled your brow when you heard the term...but I'm being serious here people! Before I could locate him, I was intercepted by another sales person. He asked me if I needed help, and I let him know that I was waiting for Victor. He offered to search for the shoe in a size for me while I waited, but as soon as I said "7 1/2," he responded with "oh, we definitely won't have your size in that shoe."

Oh Mr. Shoe Salesman...you are so naiive.

Now, let me explain why Victor is known as my shoe boyfriend, and why it pays to have one! For a few years now, I have been a loyal shoe shopper at Nordstrom. I wouldn't say I buy in volume, but when I do purchase a pair of shoes I want quality. It only took me a few trips to Nordy's to realize that it was smart to become loyal to a salesperson. Time and again, I would go to Nordstrom, and Victor would assist me with my shoe shopping. He quickly learned which styles I liked and disliked, the brands I was partial to, and the like. He even puts the shoes on my feet for me and fastens any buckles...I'm spoiled. Soooo, when I handed him the pump that the previous salesperson assured me I wouldn't find, I was confident that I'd hear a different story.

Annnnd guess what? I was right. Victor checked the store inventory, as well as the inventory across the country, and BINGO - we were rolling! Although they were rather hard to come by, we were able to locate a pair in each of my bridesmaids' sizes! And, we were able to have them shipped directly to their homes...FREE of charge (because my shoe boyfriend only gives me the best...)!

So, without further ado...beautiful heels were on their way to the Button bridesmaids, and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief!

What aspect of your planning were you absolutely relieved to complete?

Va-jazz-a-what?!?!

So...have you heard of the newest beauty craze sweeping the nation???

...it is called VAJAZZLING...aka bedazzling your...well...um...va-jay-jay. Apparently even the celebs are doing it; Jennifer Love Hewitt raved about it on the George Lopez show back in January...

Want to see the process in action???

Here is the "tame version" for those of you who just want to hear about it...

And if you really want to see the entire vajazzling experience...

So...um...what do you think? Apparently this process is getting very popular for soon-to-be brides. Call me a prude...but I am not putting this on the list of beauty procedures I want to do before the wedding. I just don't really want to have someone up in my bid-ness like that...and I am pretty sure that the fiance would be extremely perplexed by it.

Has anyone out there had this procedure done before??? If not, would you be willing to go to one of these salons and have an attendant meticulously place Swarovski crystals on your...nether regions? What kind of design would you want? And, do you think that your SO would like that kind of sparkly surprise on your wedding night?

Gathering my hair inspiration

If you've been following along, you might recall that a few months ago I started to gather some hair inspiration.

Over the course of the past few months, I slowly built up a folder of images that I had stumbled upon. Seriously, for those of you with "medium" length straight hair, it can be daunting. I was constantly bombarded with images of gorgeous brides with low, loose, curly buns...messy yet beautiful hairstyles that I drooled over. The thing is, I LOVE my straight hair...from day to day. However, this is the ONE time in my life that I was wishing my hair had some texture! Alas...

Although the pictures were hard to come by, I managed to gather a small collection of feasible and achievable hairstyle inspirations to bring with me to the salon for my hair trial...

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Ok, first of all...I just adore Reese Witherspoon. What I really love about this hairstyle is the volume on the top...it isn't a ballerina bun that is flattened to her skull!

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Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy are so cute! I really liked the placement of this hairstyle.

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You may recognize this chignon photo from my original post. I like that you can tell the model doesn't have too much hair, because I sure do not! Upon further consideration though, I realized that I don't like the idea of having bangs falling down in front of my face. End of May in Florida = humid, and I know that bangs would turn into a greasy mess...

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Ohhh my gosh I adore this hairstyle! I saved it, but was unsure if it would be possible with my hair...but I decided to bring it along regardless!

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Some more bun-loving goodness...because I can...

Did you have a hard time finding some hair inspiration? Is anyone else in the straight, short hair boat? What look did you/are you going for?

Bridesmaid shoes: the hunt

It is official: I get hung up over the most ridiculous things when it comes to wedding planning.

I think it is perfectly understandable when a bride-to-be frets over the bridesmaid dress selection process. There are so many options, so many colors, so many styles...it can be a daunting task! Well, if you recall, I made that particular decision rather quickly. Remember these?

J Crew

It was easy peasy to select these dresses...and I quickly moved on to planning other aspects of the day. I wasn't concerned with jewelry, as I tend to like subdued things (aka I'll probably just have them all wear pearls in whatever way, shape, and form that they want).

Oh but wait...what about their feet?

SCREEEEEEEEECH. The bridesmaid attire train (which had previously been speeding down the tracks) halted to an abrupt stop.

Initial impressions from some people; "have them wear gold or silver shoes."

That would be the easy and simple route, wouldn't it? I will admit, I pondered this for a short time, but to be really 100% honest, I was not feeling it. I don't even own a pair of gold shoes (or silver) myself...I guess they really aren't my thing?

I emailed the bridesmaids and asked them to send me photos of any and all shoes that they owned that would match the dress. My thoughts were as follows: if everyone has something that will work, and they will somewhat coordinate, then that would be awesome!

Well, that was wishful thinking on my part, because it didn't work. Only 2 of the 4 actually owned shoes that would look appropriate with the dress. Darn it! Well, at least I tried, right?

Resigned, I started to hunt more vigorously online and in stores for something that made my heart skip a beat. The first question I tackled: what color shoes do I want? Originally, I was set on green...but upon further inspection, I realized that locating the appropriate color of green shoes in stores was almost asking the impossible. Oh, I could find some amazing green shoes...don't get me wrong...but they usually carried a price tag of over $100, or were so hard to track down that I wasn't unsure if we would be able to find a pair for each of the bridesmaids!

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Sigh...I wish...

My next venture was to investigate dyeable shoes. I visited both Payless and David's Bridal to test out a few pairs and view their color selections. I was happy to find that both stores carried a beautiful grassy green hue. BUT, when I tried on the different styles, I was underwhelmed by the cuteness factor, and actually a little bit in pain.

All images from David's Bridal

There were a few shoes that I thought had promise, but when I walked around in a few of them, my typically tough feet were feeling a bit sore...darn it all! As much as I was hoping that they would work, the dyeable shoes were nixed.

Ok, so what in the world was I going to do?!?! As the days whizzed by, I was really unsure if I would ever find the perfect shoe(s) for my bridesmaids...

Did you select shoes for your bridesmaids, or did they go on a hunt themselves?