My husband is the kind of person who can work with music blasting in the background. Honestly, I think it helps him and does not distract in the slightest. I, on the other hand, cannot. For me the issue is lyrics; if the words of the song are audible, I focus on them instead of the those that should be flying from my fingers for work or personal writing.
It's my cross to bear, what can I say.
However, there is an exception to this rule which is probably obvious: music that has no words. Ahhh! I'm talking classical music, instrumentals, string quartets... the list goes on.
This morning, to kick off my favorite day of the week, my best friend Britt sent me this accordion quintet's rousing rendition of one of my favorite 80's hits... A-Ha's Take On Me!
Tell me you weren't bouncing in your seat while listening to that... if you deny it, I won't believe you!
Speaking of not believing, or trying to keep yourself believing, it inspired me to share a few of my favorite instrumental covers by various groups, one of which is the song I walked down the aisle to when Kyle and I got married: Journey's Don't Stop Believin'.
Just in case you're planning on getting married in northern California and would like the information for the string quartet who played at our wedding, you can check them out here.
Another favorite cover is Fix You by Coldplay. I blast this in the car when I'm driving alongside the ocean on PCH and I can't tell you how happy it makes me.
And finally, for any Smashing Pumpkins fans, check out this cover of Today... it is seriously awesome.
If this sort of thing floats your boat, I recommend downloading Low Strung's or Vitamin String Quartet's albums, both available on iTunes. They are fantastic.
What a week, what a week! Happy Friday, everyone.
Showing posts with label Wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wedding. Show all posts
Friday, February 3, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Wedding love on a Friday: Ivory Sparrow and a Call to Action
I remember what it was like being a bride... the excitement, the anxiety, the stressing over decisions and details that, as it turns out, won't stop the world from spinning on its axis. Today I had to start with this little video via The Knot because I couldn't help myself:
A few of you probably saw the title of this post and thought, "Didn't you get married almost three years ago? Haven't we already been subjected to you talking about it and sharing it and reliving it over and over and over again?! Leave us alone, woman!"
But it's actually even more exciting than my wedding, friends (ok, maybe a little less exciting, but it's up there). Today's the big reveal for a project my mother-in-law and I have been working on for the last two years... Ivory Sparrow.
When I was getting married, I was a fiend about planning our trip down the aisle. The websites and blogs I frequented and the wedding magazines I purchased... overzealous may be the word for it. I never brought myself to tally up how much money was spent on those publications from April 2008 to June 2009, which was probably a good thing for me (and my husband's sanity). I bought a cute accordion folder and loaded it to the brim with fabric swatches and brochures and mostly, tear outs from magazines filled with wedding inspiration deemed awesome by me.
During a visit to my soon-to-be in-laws all those years ago, Kyle's mom, Cyndi, and I were looking through the pages when I showed her a tiny little photo of a bride and her bridesmaids getting ready in some cute terry cloth wraps. We thought it could make for a fab gift for my girls and also create a great "getting ready" photo opportunity on the big day, so we scoured the Internet for them. We discovered the options for bridal wraps were, well, less than pleasing to the eye. They were made with cheap fabric, ugly details and provided a less than flattering fit.
Cyndi thought she could do better... and boy, did she!
The fabric she crafted them out of is superb. We spent hours discussing buttons and fit and thread: if we were gonna do this, we wanted to do it right. She developed wraps for flower girls as well, totes and quality flip flops with Swarovski crystals to round out Ivory Sparrow's collection, and plan to include robes in the near future.
Since my own wedding, we've had the honor of working with a few other bridal parties while we toiled to get Ivory Sparrow off the ground. And now that we're ready and open for business, we know other brides will love them too.
The hours leading up to a girl's wedding are special and made even more so by the people with whom the future Mrs. chooses to surround herself. Our wraps make getting hair and makeup done a breeze, and add to the overall camaraderie of the day (because, let's be honest, there's nothing better than sitting back with your girlfriends, sipping champagne and getting pampered).
Soooo, since we're friends, and I'm hoping you'll wish us a fond "Bon Voyage" as we take off on our journey, I'm hoping you'll like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter. I'm sure there's some eye-rolling going on out there, but take into consideration a few things: (1) What can it hurt? and (2) I'd do the same for you! You have to click on the link for Facebook because until we have 25 followers, it won't come up when you search for it.
On our page and blog, we'll be sharing "Ivory Sparrow Weddings," decor inspiration, DIY tips and more! Also, for any engaged or soon to be engaged ladies, we'll be doing monthly giveaways of our wraps, totes or flip-flops.
If you're worried we're going to bombard your feed with posts and links (I'm looking at my guy friends here), you can still "like us" but hide our posts from your feed... it's a win-win for all!
To sum it up, help a sista out: like us on Facebook, check out our site and have an amazing weekend!
A few of you probably saw the title of this post and thought, "Didn't you get married almost three years ago? Haven't we already been subjected to you talking about it and sharing it and reliving it over and over and over again?! Leave us alone, woman!"
But it's actually even more exciting than my wedding, friends (ok, maybe a little less exciting, but it's up there). Today's the big reveal for a project my mother-in-law and I have been working on for the last two years... Ivory Sparrow.
When I was getting married, I was a fiend about planning our trip down the aisle. The websites and blogs I frequented and the wedding magazines I purchased... overzealous may be the word for it. I never brought myself to tally up how much money was spent on those publications from April 2008 to June 2009, which was probably a good thing for me (and my husband's sanity). I bought a cute accordion folder and loaded it to the brim with fabric swatches and brochures and mostly, tear outs from magazines filled with wedding inspiration deemed awesome by me.
During a visit to my soon-to-be in-laws all those years ago, Kyle's mom, Cyndi, and I were looking through the pages when I showed her a tiny little photo of a bride and her bridesmaids getting ready in some cute terry cloth wraps. We thought it could make for a fab gift for my girls and also create a great "getting ready" photo opportunity on the big day, so we scoured the Internet for them. We discovered the options for bridal wraps were, well, less than pleasing to the eye. They were made with cheap fabric, ugly details and provided a less than flattering fit.
Cyndi thought she could do better... and boy, did she!
The fabric she crafted them out of is superb. We spent hours discussing buttons and fit and thread: if we were gonna do this, we wanted to do it right. She developed wraps for flower girls as well, totes and quality flip flops with Swarovski crystals to round out Ivory Sparrow's collection, and plan to include robes in the near future.
Since my own wedding, we've had the honor of working with a few other bridal parties while we toiled to get Ivory Sparrow off the ground. And now that we're ready and open for business, we know other brides will love them too.
The hours leading up to a girl's wedding are special and made even more so by the people with whom the future Mrs. chooses to surround herself. Our wraps make getting hair and makeup done a breeze, and add to the overall camaraderie of the day (because, let's be honest, there's nothing better than sitting back with your girlfriends, sipping champagne and getting pampered).
Soooo, since we're friends, and I'm hoping you'll wish us a fond "Bon Voyage" as we take off on our journey, I'm hoping you'll like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter. I'm sure there's some eye-rolling going on out there, but take into consideration a few things: (1) What can it hurt? and (2) I'd do the same for you! You have to click on the link for Facebook because until we have 25 followers, it won't come up when you search for it.
On our page and blog, we'll be sharing "Ivory Sparrow Weddings," decor inspiration, DIY tips and more! Also, for any engaged or soon to be engaged ladies, we'll be doing monthly giveaways of our wraps, totes or flip-flops.
If you're worried we're going to bombard your feed with posts and links (I'm looking at my guy friends here), you can still "like us" but hide our posts from your feed... it's a win-win for all!
To sum it up, help a sista out: like us on Facebook, check out our site and have an amazing weekend!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Big Day Memories
It's been an exhausting day. Three and a half hours at the vet which eventually led to a scheduled surgery for next week. Poor Moe!
Either way, two days ago, I finally ordered my wedding album. Some of you may be thinking, didn't she get married 2 and 1/2 years ago?
Yes, yes I did.
I don't know why I dragged my feet in getting it done. There were over 4,500 photos and I am a picky girl, but most brides can't stand the wait.
In having to pull the trigger, I was reminded of how wonderful this day was. K and I felt completely surrounded by people who loved us and wished us nothing but the best in our new adventure together as husband and wife. Almost everyone that had or has an important role in our lives was there, our friends and family, and it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Also, I was proud of how everything came together. Even though there are some who would lead you to believe otherwise (she will not be named), I planned my wedding completely on my own. The lighting, the music, the food, drinks and olive oil... it was all organically mine. Please do not think I had no help. To the contrary, without the help of my mom and now mother-in-law, this wedding would never have been as spectacular as it was. Also, we had the kind of guests who boogied before, during and after dinner, including getting down to a few special Indian Bollywood hits.
How often do you see that, I ask?
It makes a difference when it comes to the atmosphere of an event, having fun loving people celebrating you and your husband, let me tell you.
I hope you enjoy these. I'm trying to give a sense of the day, the best way I know how. Note we had a plethora of cute children attend. I know a lot of events are sans kids nowadays, but they wonderfully add a sense of frivolity and joy to parties such as these.
Don't stop believin' and remember, all you need is love.
Happy Labor Day Weekend, everyone!
Either way, two days ago, I finally ordered my wedding album. Some of you may be thinking, didn't she get married 2 and 1/2 years ago?
Yes, yes I did.
I don't know why I dragged my feet in getting it done. There were over 4,500 photos and I am a picky girl, but most brides can't stand the wait.
In having to pull the trigger, I was reminded of how wonderful this day was. K and I felt completely surrounded by people who loved us and wished us nothing but the best in our new adventure together as husband and wife. Almost everyone that had or has an important role in our lives was there, our friends and family, and it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Also, I was proud of how everything came together. Even though there are some who would lead you to believe otherwise (she will not be named), I planned my wedding completely on my own. The lighting, the music, the food, drinks and olive oil... it was all organically mine. Please do not think I had no help. To the contrary, without the help of my mom and now mother-in-law, this wedding would never have been as spectacular as it was. Also, we had the kind of guests who boogied before, during and after dinner, including getting down to a few special Indian Bollywood hits.
How often do you see that, I ask?
It makes a difference when it comes to the atmosphere of an event, having fun loving people celebrating you and your husband, let me tell you.
I hope you enjoy these. I'm trying to give a sense of the day, the best way I know how. Note we had a plethora of cute children attend. I know a lot of events are sans kids nowadays, but they wonderfully add a sense of frivolity and joy to parties such as these.
Don't stop believin' and remember, all you need is love.
 |
| Let me know if you want wraps like these for your wedding... Ivory Sparrow is about to take flight! |
 |
| Momo, my godmother, made it out all the way from Kansas City! |
 |
| Our sweet wedding girls... |
 |
| My Dorothy Sparkle shoes... |
 |
| The people sitting in the back row were my grandma's best friends. They sat there every Sunday for church. |
 |
| I LOVE this photo of my parents. |
 |
| The mayor of Calistoga stopped by to wish us well! |
 |
| Kyle accidentally hit our photographer in the face with the champagne cork.. |
 |
| Clearly somebody let their four year old drink too much... and pass out in a planter! |
 |
| Olive oil for the adults, M&Ms for the kiddies! |
 |
| Our mutual friends from college... minus a Mong and a Krusty Nut. |
 |
| A bagpiper led everyone to dinner... |
 |
| Our first dance to Ryan Shaw's "We Got Love." |
 |
| Every person in this family has moves. |
 |
| It's ok... I don't understand what's going on in this photo either... |
 |
| Gettin' down, just like grandma (see above)! |
 |
| She may have illegally won this bouquet, but she was proposed to two weeks later, so... |
 |
| I bet you didn't have resident Indians at your wedding... |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
