Wedding: Taffeta Bridal Shrug

After looking at bridal shops trying to find some sort of "cover-up" to wear with my wedding dress, I came to the conclusion that I was not going to find what I wanted at a chain store. I wanted something unique but still elegant and flattering. I searched Etsy for something and I came across this beautiful Dorethea Shrug made by Countessa. I fell in love with every single one of her items but I knew this one would best match my dress' style.


I was a little concerned about ordering something like this over the internet but Countessa was a pleasure to work with. I made a special request for white taffeta so it would be the same fabric as my dress and she promptly sent me a swatch to make sure it met my approval. Then she took my measurement via email and created this wonderful custom piece. I was thrilled to receive it in the mail yesterday... everything about it is perfect... the sleeve length, the back, the ruffles. I love it!

On a side note, I'm generally comfortable with myself, chubb and all, but one thing that I have always had issues with is the dreaded back fat. I hate, hate, HATE seeing pictures of myself where I have that little roll bulging out over the top of a tight tank or tube top. Call me weird but it bugs me to death so I love the fact that the shrug hides that without hiding everything else.

Anywho, I'm just really excited about getting the dress and shrug together. My dress should come in a few weeks and I can't wait to pair the two together to see the final look. Now I I just need to get my under garments, shoes, and a veil. Oh the decisions!

Some Great News!

It's kind of late considering it's been over 2 months since it happened but I have an important announcement to make. On November 11, 2010 my better half, Pete, popped the question. Not just any question, but THE QUESTION! After a wonderful 5 and 1/2 years, we finally got engaged!

Pete wanted the proposal to be a surprise even though we've been talking about getting married for a couple of years now so he got creative and here is how I found my engagement ring!


(You can read our proposal story here for all the little details)

I'm really excited and can't wait to be Mrs. Caprara but for now, we have this whole wedding thing we have to figure out. Lucky for our wallets, I think I'll be a DIY kind of bride which means a lot of new projects over the coming year!



Until next time, happy crafting!

Super-Awesome Wedding Guest Frock

This Sunday, two of my wonderful friends are getting married to each other. I'm really excited about them taking the plunge and as an added perk, I love any excuse I can get to buy a dress and new shoes. I mean, what girl doesn't, right? So I went shopping this morning and the retail stars must have been aligned because I only went to two stores before I found the perfect frock and heels. Check it out!


I went to Dress Barn Woman to see what kind of stuff they had. I had actually never been to one before... I just felt weird about buying clothes from somewhere with "barn" in the name. (please don't tell me I was alone in that thinking! lol) But I'm glad I went because the first and only dress I tried on was perfect. I'm a plus size girl so that never happens! I was stoked because there was no trying on 20 different things before settling on something just because it looked decent. I mean, this dress doubled my confidence level just by putting it on so I just had to buy it even though it wasn't on sale. I shelled out the full $59.99 for her but it's totally worth it. I justified spending that much on a single dress with the reasoning that I can wear it to the wedding, cocktail parties, out on a girls night and even to the office with a jacket or cardigan. So yay for me!

I'm loving this fabric!

Now a smart looking dress like this can't go with just any shoe so I headed over to DSW. I only allow myself to go there when I "need" shoes because seriously, I would buy their entire stock if I could. I always head straight to the clearance section because I'm cheap thrifty like that. I found an awesome pair of Madden Girl Kandel Pumps. They are so freaking cute, I can't stand it. They were only $32 and change after the sales tax was added.



So after all was said and done, I spent about $100 total which is a lot for me but I think the look was well worth it. We'll have to see how the pictures come out on Sunday... I can't wait!



UPDATE!
They had a photo wedding booth! Cutest idea ever!


So you know we had to go straight gangster! :oP