Bachelorettes Invading Southwest Michigan

My bachelorette party is this weekend! I have been talking about and planning this weekend for so long, I can't believe that it is finally here. My girlfriends, my sisters (new and old) and I are headed up to the lovely Coloma, Michigan for a weekend of trashy magazines, margaritas way before 5:00 and girl talk. If everything goes according to plan, I won't have to talk about the wedding at all... ahhh...

How cute were the invitations that my sister designed?

Aside from some quick storms tomorrow, the weather forecast is 80 and sunny! The plans for the weekend are a complete surprise. I keep hearing little things about goody bags and activities, but I have tried my best to stay out of it. All I know is that Coloma is mostly without nightlife or strip clubs (thank goodness). I will fill you in on all the details on Monday!

Is anyone else celebrating their bachelorette this weekend?

Putting My Bridesmaids To Work

... on their own gifts!

I surprised my bridesmaids a few weeks ago with a trip to the 1154 Lill Studio in Lincoln Park to make custom handbags as their bridesmaid gift. I was able to keep it on the DL until they arrived, which was no small feat, and treated them to a little champagne, cheese and these amazing key lime tarts. I gave each 'maid a gift certificate to cover the cost of a Grace plus tax and let them go to town!

The LP store is their flagship store, so there were two floors of custom bag goodness.

All the fabrics!

Mmmm... key lime tarts...

My sister/MOH Elise, Erin and the very popular Yellow Stone fabric.

I brought along a sample of the bridesmaid dress fabric (the aubergine swatch on top) so that they could match the dress. I let them select whatever fabric they wanted, but most of them opted to create something for the wedding day.

Trying to act "candid."

The bridesmaids and my mom. She made a very pretty little Grace.

We had a lot of fun messing the store up. There were fabric swatches everywhere! In the end, we had each created (at least) one bag that will be ready a few weeks before the wedding. I made one to match my shoes and the ribbon that I bought for my bouquet. I am sure that my sister will end up keeping track of my lip gloss, but I couldn't stay out of the fun!

For anyone interested in doing the same, we had private space in the store where we could set up our snacks and construct our bags- although we did not have the store to ourselves. They do home parties (like the one Mrs. Penguin attended) for those who do not have a store close by, or who would simply rather do it at home.

Does anyone else have a fun, social idea for a bridesmaids gift?

Shoe #1 Is The Winner!

Thank you all for your feedback on my shoe dilemma. Although I did not go with the winner of the vote, it was your insistence on picking for comfort that really swayed my decision. I brought both pairs to my first dress fitting and took turns wearing them as the tailor hemmed and hawed over my gown. There was a noticeable difference in comfort with shoe #1. I was happy to stand there without needing to constantly adjust my posture. They were also very light and easy to walk in. I also love the idea of adding some cute shoe clips and I would not be able to do that with the second pair.

They also seem to have a bit of a crush on my dress. I couldn't tear them apart.

I Heart Saipua

In my search for soft, loose arrangements, I found saipua flowers. There is so much wonderful inspiration in blog and a few laughs thrown in. I love, love, love her style. The flowers are so loose and garden-like; natural.




My placecard table was gathering dust on the backburner until I saw this image-


I will be using both moss and ferns in my arrangements, so this was like a lightbulb for me. Its like, "oops, I just stumbled into a wedding as I was walking through the forest." Anyway, if you are looking for a little break from the typical wedding stuff, I would definitely recommend spending some time on her blog.

Like Looking For A Peony In September

I looooove peonies. Love, love, love. They grow like crazy around my parent's home in June and then quickly disappear in July.

Peonies courtesy of Mama Peacock

The multitude of soft, romantic petals in just the perfect shade of pale pink and the dark, shiny leaves make them perfect for my wedding decor. My September wedding decor. D'oh! I found this bouquet on Livia Cetti's site and it pretty much summed up what I wanted all the flowers to look like: soft, loose, pale pink, shades of white, lots of greens and a hint of aubergine.


I have been searching for something big and soft to replace those peonies. My florist is on board and seems to be enjoying the challenge. I have received a few great suggestions, including dahlias and ranunculus. In order to test drive this idea, I purchased a "dinner plate" dahlia for my mom as a birthday gift. Holy Moley, is this thing awesome!


Just for comparison's sake, and I have ginormous hands, but this thing is HUGE! And its not done opening yet!

We also bought her a normal sized white dahlia, and it is quite beautiful, too.


Has anyone else been on the hunt for an out-of-season flower or its replacement?

Little Ballet Flats

Like so many of the elements of our wedding, we wanted to make sure that the flower girl dresses and shoes could easily be worn again. My mom and Mr. Peacock's mom are making the dresses in a pale pink silk shantung rather than white so that they might reappear at a birthday party or on class picture day. Trying to find a pattern was much more difficult than expected, but we came up with this Simplicity pattern. A few modifications, and it should be just right.


We are going with version F, the raspberry colored one, without the little flowers. How adorable is that outfit on the model. She looks like a little cupcake! Our flower girls and our junior bridesmaid will not be sporting the detached sleeves and hip wing things.

I wasn't all that concerned about the shoes until the moms asked for a little direction. I thought these Nine West ballet flats would be perfect. Comfortable, stylish and perfect for school. The bridesmaids and the bride are also wearing gold shoes, so they will fit in with the big girls.
And they come in a cute little bag! After they take their shoes out, they can pack in Barbie clothes and My Little Ponies to their hearts content.

Is anyone else making their flower girls dresses?

Little Bow Ties

After we had the big boys outfits squared away, it was time to move on to the little guys. Mr. Peacock is the lucky uncle to three adorable nephews and we didn't think twice before asking them to serve as our ring bearers.

I don't think there is anything cuter than a little guy in a tuxedo. It totally kills me. When we called around for rental prices on those sweet little suits, we learned that the price wasn't so cute. I think that renting a five year old's tuxedo for the same price as an adult's is crazy business. I had to do better. I did a little digging online and found a few sources where I could purchase a boy's tux for under $75. Although they may not have another black tie event to attend any time soon, they could all go as James Bond for Halloween. Or a waiter at a fancy restuarant. Or a penguin.


Kids Formal has a nice online shop and stores in the Chicagoland area. I liked this option because we could go check them out first for quality, and returns to the store would be relatively easy.

Mrs. Petunia bought her ring bearer's adorable top hat from Tiny Tux. They have a great selection of accessories, such as pocket squares and bow tie sets.



I have heard good things about Fairytailes on the Knot and their prices are some of the best. It takes a little digging to find what you are looking for, but it may be worth it!

Does anyone have any other recommendations or feedback on these sites? I am wondering about the quality. It doesn't have to be anything fabulous, but I want to make sure that they fit well and keep their shape throughout the night.

Three for One Tuxedos (dot com)

Mr. Peacock decided early into our engagement that he wanted to buy himself a tuxedo. It was a bit surprising to me as he and I rarely go to black tie events, but he said that even if he only wore it to the wedding, he wanted it to be his own. I think he had romantic ideas of pulling the tux out of his closet decades from now and wearing it to our children's weddings. Cute, right?

We decided to go very traditional with the guys look- bow ties, no vests. I think this is so sexy and romantic- but it might just be that I am also a sucker for Cary Grant.

I think that I found this picture on the Knot, but it has been in my files for so long that I can't remember! Please let me know if you know :)

Based on our research, tuxes were a lot like wedding gowns. You could really go to town with the high end designers and fabrics, you could find a middle ground at a department store or you could find yourself a great deal at a warehouse store. We started with the warehouse stores. We were happily surprised at what we found at Mr. Peacock's favorite place for inexpensive suits- Cosmo's Designer Direct. Their tagline is "3 for 1 suits" (dot com). They also offer three for one shirts, socks and shoes. Included in their suit selection were a variety of tuxedos at different price points. We found a very nice, traditional tux for $299 (the lowest price point)- which broke down to 3 tuxes at $100 a piece.

Mr. Peacock had been part of several tuxedo rentals gone wrong and though it might not be so crazy to offer this as an option to his bridal party. He did a little research and found a place that would sell him a tux shirt, bow tie, cumberbund, studs and cufflinks for $100. The guys could either rent their tux for $150 or buy it for $200. It worked out perfectly. A few already owned tuxedos, and no one was asking them to rent just to match the other dudes. Out of the 7 remaining, 5 decided to buy, which led to a fun trip to Cosmo's on a Sunday morning for fittings. My Grampy wanted a new black suit, which kept us at a multiple of three. The two that wanted to rent just coordinated it on their own, therefore lessening the chance of a huge mess-up due to the confusions of a group order. The purchased tuxes came in a week later with no problems whatsoever. I cannot wait to see those guys in their nicely tailored suits that morning- hubba hubba!

Has anyone else gone this route? Did any grooms choose to buy rather than rent?

I Give My Calligraphy a B+

I decided long ago that I was going to teach myself calligraphy and that I was going to use said skills on my wedding invitations. I have always wanted to learn and now was the time. So I bought a book, studied it, practiced it and became slightly confident in my skills. Then my invitations came- my beautiful, meticulously designed and carefully crafted letterpress invitations. They are my pride and joy. How was I going to mess them up with that slop that I was calling calligraphy? I panicked and started considering labels, printing or just buying a nice gold pen and trusting in my normal handwriting.

Fortunately, my mother knocked some sense into me. I had already spent a decent chunk of change on the book, pens and inks, not to mention hours of practice. Even if it wasn't perfect, it would still make me happier than throwing in the towel and using labels. So I bought some gold ink that would perfectly match the gold ink already printed on my envelopes and I went to town.

Here is one I made just for you! Yes, I chose a smeared and discarded envelope to display my skills, but you can still get the picture.

Please disregard the smear next to the zip code :(

I could not break myself of the habit of writing into the top right corner. Some are better than this one, but most look best if you tilt them slightly to the left. I am pretty happy with how they turned out! In the very least, I haven't had any phone calls advising that I fire my calligrapher. The invites went out last Wednesday and we are already receiving RSVPs! I am so, so excited. I will show off the rest of the invite once I am confident that all my guests have seen them.

If anyone is interested, I used Gold-Metallic Bronze ink from Windsor and Newton and a C-4 nib. It was like banging my head against a wall as the gold flecks constantly separated from the liquid, but the color was just right. I also do recommend an Idiots Guide to Calligraphy. They gave some great tips on positioning the paper and creating a good working surface. I did end up buying a new book from Dick Blick's so that I could try out a few more styles, but the Idiot's guide was a great place to start.

More Google Wedding Fun!

These past few weeks have been CRAZY! Before I go on a posting spree and fill you all in, I thought I would share something fun that showed up in my inbox this morning. Google, as part of their docs application, has added a few wedding specific templates. Although I have pretty much created my own budgeting spreadsheet, payment schedules and to-do lists, I thought these might be really helpful for the recently engaged. Although there are these kinds of checklists on every wedding website out there, I like being able to modify the style and method as well as keep everything in one place, i.e. my Google docs. I also like that you can easily share these with others without having to create Versions 1 through 2433.

I thought this budgeting template would be particularly helpful:



And the checklist:



And a photo album as part of their Presentation (kinda like PowerPoint) application:


Even though I only have 6 weeks to go (AHHHH!), it was nice to run through the budgeting worksheet and the to-do list, as it never hurts to double check! It actually made me feel as if I was on top of my game. We will see how I am feeling a few weeks from now...

Distractions For Little Hands

We didn't invite every kid in our life as a guest to the wedding, although it is starting to feel like we are planning a circus. But who doesn't love a circus (without the clowns)?

These cases of fun are for the three eight/nine year old girls. I included some little goodies from Bath and Body Works (Bubble Gum lip gloss, Sweet Pea lotion, a plastic pocket mirror), a bouncy ball and a card game in a Paper Source suitcase. Our four year old attendant will receive a coloring book game, markers and other fun drawing supplies. Their ballet flats and a sweet little headband from twigs and honey will also be included before we hand them over.


Our two five year old boys will receive an Old Navy backpack with some fun games and coloring activities inside. The two year old is receiving the same thing, only more age appropriate.

I love that fishing game!

We will ask their parents to bring them along to the wedding so that they will have some distractions when things get slow- when they aren't smiling for pictures, during cocktails, when their feet hurt from dancing. Cafe Brauer is part of the Lincoln Park Zoo, so if that doesn't serve as a distraction between the ceremony and cocktails, I don't know what will!

What are you doing to keep the little guys in your wedding busy?

Fresh As a Peony

It seemed like kind of a random thing, but people get really excited their deodorant. There have been quite a few posts on Weddingbee as we worry about how to stay dry on our wedding day. Us brides will be running around, smiling for the camera, hugging aunts and uncles, trying to sneak in private moments with our new hubby, all while trying to look and smell fresh. My favorite Kiehl's Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant and Deodorant.

I love it because it smoothes on like lotion- not a stick, gel or other goo- and absorbs into your skin. It doesn't smell like anything. I don't know about you, but when I warm up I would rather not be smelling my deodorant, even if it smells "tropical fresh." It just fights sweat and I love it. The fact that it is Kiehl's and I love all of their products doesn't hurt. It is a little pricier than most drug store brands, but the big tube lasts for such a long time that I feel justified.

My deodorant passed its first test last summer in Key Largo, Florida. It was 92 degrees and humid as can be without actual rain forming. I spent all morning laying out by the ocean and was literally dripping in sweat. Pretty picture, I know. You know how when you are on vacation, sometimes showers fall by the wayside? I put my deodorant on the day before and around 3:00 the next day it was still working. If I was going to trust anything on my wedding day, it would be my deodorant. My dress might rip while I am putting it on, right before I spill red wine all over it. My florist might show up with a truck-full of spray painted purple carnations. Mr. Peacock might decide to go for the Fighting Illini tux after all. But I will smell fresh as a peony.

Anyone else really tested their deodorant? Don't make me stand alone with my gross story :)

Make My Decisions For Me

I like shoes. I wouldn't say that I love shoes, unless I am talking about my. But looking for shoes for the wedding has been driving. me. crazy. I decided awhile ago that my shoes would be my something blue. That plan has taken a nose dive as I have not been able to find one pair over the past year (aside from these blue Loubs, but those weren't a realistic option) that is the right shade, shape, height, etc. I have settled on gold shoes, possibly with a blue shoe clip to finish it off.

I bought one fancy pair that were about as close to perfect as they could get. They were a little more than I was planning to spend. As much as I loved how they looked and felt, the price didn't sit very well with me. When I stumbled upon a pair of shoes that looked very similar to the first pair, I snapped them up. I am still undecided on which pair to keep.

I thought I would throw this out to the hive for a vote. I have attempted to black out the brands so as not to dissuade the brand conscious. Shoe sleuths- don't give it away! Here they are...

Number 1 and Number 2

Number 1 (bottom) and Number 2 (top)

Number 2 and Number 1

Number 1

Number 2

Here is shoe #1 with a "clip" (a clip-on earring). Shoe #2 doesn't work as well with the clip.


I took some pictures of them on my feet, but I think feet are icky and I couldn't bring myself to post them here. What if you were eating and reading this at the same time?!

So, ladies- time to vote! Number 1 or Number 2?

Our Bridal Shower Brunch

This past Sunday, Mr. Peacock's sister Sharon was kind enough to host a brunch in our honor. Everything was absolutely gorgeous.

They were greeted at the door with this lovely chalkboard sign. This has become a trend at our showers and it will be carried through to the wedding day!

Mmm... mimosas with raspberries.

All the ladies brunchy foods were present, and delicious.

The chocolate fountain was a highlight of the party.

Presents!

There were hydrangeas and tulle everywhere! Mr. P's mom put together the cases, adding black and white pictures of us along with the overflowing flowers.

If you look closely, you can see Mr. Peacock's shortly lived beard. It looked pretty good on him, actually!

Me, Erin and my sister. They were very helpful during present time.

Sharon purchased these mugs to pass around while we were opening gifts. Everyone was able to write a little note and sign their name. I need to bake these for an hour or so to ensure that the signatures set. It was a wonderful idea!

My exquisite ribbon bouquet. Everyone was nice to me and I didn't need to break any ribbons. There were some fun flowers and other little curiosities to top it off.

My Goddaughter/cousin Martha and Mr. Peacock's cousin Jenna. These two were BFF 30 seconds after they met. They even exchanged email addresses!

The lovely couple and their mothers.

Everything was absolutely perfect. When most of the guests had left, we sat on Sharon's couch and tried to take it all in. Showers are kind of crazy things. The love is a little overwhelming. Sharon and Mr. P's mom were up until 4:00 am getting her home ready and making food. There were so many friends and family members that, until Sunday, I had only heard about. Everyone was so generous, both with their lovely gifts and the amount of time they spent traveling. We both felt so blessed!