VID

Very important details!

My mom made a comment a few weeks ago that she was once at a wedding where no one in the entire party matched as far as accessories/nails/shoes/jewelry etc... She said it was jarring, you wouldn't think it would matter, but it really stood out.

Mia gave all her girls really sweet necklaces and earrings as our gifts and they doubled as being the cohesive element that pulled us together. We also all had the same shoes, but that's because we just loved those shoes!

So I sometimes think about these things, but I really need help from my girls to figure out what you like, what you don't like, and what you don't care about;

• Do you plan on wearing necklace/bracelet/earrings?
• Do you want flats or heels or something in between?
• Do you want a cover-up? What kind??
• Do you want to have a nail salon day close to the wedding and all get the same color nail polish???

On jewelry, I'm stumped, I have no idea what anyone should wear because I never wear jewelry myself. I am wearing a very simple necklace that my parents got me for my 18th birthday as my only adornment (I might get a small chain to match for a bracelet, haven't looked for it yet). It looks very similar to Kate Middleton's engagement ring (not that I need to show you that, but here):

Does it match anything else? No, but I don't care, because it means something to me and I am certainly not going out and picking out all new jewelry that means nothing to me and that I'll never wear again. I encourage my girls to do the same, because if you trust me to buy you jewelry, you're probably going to hate it, so you might as well use your own, in which case, do not feel that you need to go out and buy new jewelry that you will never wear again.

I think, because I am so bad at jewelry, that that's one thing I am definitely not going to insist upon being the same. Moreover, this is a small, intimate party. If it was a classic ballroom wedding with sleek, long, satiny dresses and 10 bridesmaids and 500 guests, I think it would be much more noticeable, but as it is...

My mom mentioned statement necklaces, which I absolutely love:

If you've seen anything else on Etsy or elsewhere that you love, bring it to my attention!!

This actually brings to mind something that I just ordered and received and forgot to tell you about!

Guinea hen feathers and balsa wood flowers!!! I'm so excited!! I'm making an awesome hair accessory with them!! Like a statement piece for my head!

Imagine it about that size but with guinea hen feathers and balsa wood flowers (OK, maybe not that big, but c'mon, let me have a little fun)!

I can't wait to show you once I make it!!

I had a great idea too that to be cohesive, I could make miniature versions of my hair accessory for my girls (not that they have to wear it, they can decide once they see it). Maybe?? OK, we'll see.



Anywho...

I feel the same way about my shoes [as my 10 year old necklace], which are a little old, a little worn, but are awesome shoes (I don't have a picture, but I'll try to get one soon). They're deep wine-colored suede loafers from Payless. Yeah, that's right... loafers... from Payless. I love them, I love the color, I love how cute and comfy they are. End of story!

Shoes are only slightly tricky, I do not want to dictate shoes because I know that no matter what Keri and my sister pick, I am going to love them. The three of us do have similar tastes in shoes. I went to my trusty DSW and started poking around. Keri said she might want to wear low heels, but I was pretty disappointed with DSW's low heel selection. This is pretty much what you're stuck with:

Pretty much wherever you look, this is the standby.

But when you want flats, a whole new world opens up to you:

And from Nordstrom:

 

Check out the cute loafers!!! See, loafers can be adorable!

And even from Payless:

The only other cute pair of low heels I found, Keri.

I might be missing some stores though, send me links or images, I am open to anything!! I also haven't looked at the colors provided for these styles either, I just wanted to look at shoes!

I think, since the girls will be wearing short dresses, that the shoes should probably match. Now, you girls can also let me know if you just want to wear the standard wedding strappy sandal:

(I just picked a style, these are generic enough, you get the idea). But I see no need to deprive your feet of pretty little shoes just because you're in a wedding. I think they should be the same color, and that the color should be neutral (also no black or white, the wedding is more brown and cream) but other than that...

Moving on, I'm more than halfway done knitting my shrug:

Imagine that in burgundy. Mine's not as clean or professional-looking, but it cost me a heck of a lot less than what this etsy seller was charging and I made it :D.


So girls, would you want something knit for a cute, country feel or just fabric, like a bolero?



This particular artist (Tickledpinkknits) and another (Sweetknitting) are always tugging at my heartstrings:

How sweet, yes?? But I know that a lot of people may see these as old granny-ish, I think the general opinion is changing towards knits and shawls and shrugs but I get it, it's not for everyone.


How about something more along these lines?

Ignore the bridal gown, whatever color you want, but something in chiffon? instead of knit?


How about something simple:

With no bells or whistles? I personally think silk would be uncomfortable and constricting, but no other fabric is as smooth.

Again, girlies, let me know what you were thinking. I haven't thought about color or anything either.

Lastly, a quick note about nails, which I also haven't thought about too much. I picked up a few colors at a RiteAid a few months ago but never really did much else. I think I've painted my nails a whole one time since I bought them.

They looked something like this:

I got two, Revlon Devilish and Vixen (Vixen is slightly lighter than Devilish) but haven't decided between the two because I've only used one so far!

I rarely have the time or patience to do the base coat, two coats of color and then the top coat.

But I can say though, from my one run-through (while Kyle was away on business and I stayed up till ridiculously late to do it) that as dark as it was (it looks a little brown in the picture, it's more purple in real life) when I cleaned it off a few weeks later, it came off clean; no stains on my nails. I definitely stand behind this Revlon brand; unlike some very expensive, very popular brands out there that stain really badly.

But I digress, I was thinking, since the bridesmaid dresses will be burgundy, that a lighter color would be really nice on their nails:

Now, don't think of this as pink, think of it as light burgundy :D

Seriously though, I love the idea of the contrast; I'll be wearing ivory with dark burgundy polish, the ladies will be wearing burgundy with lighter [blush] polish.

Maybe??


Well, this has turned into a very very long post. In case I can't post tomorrow, I hope everyone has a wonderful July 4th holiday, I think I need to cap it off here for today.

Ladies, I know it's a lot to process... but what do you think?!?! Are you excited??? Tell me your thoughts/preferences/wishes, I want to know!!