I'm FAMOUS!! (not really ...)

LOOK!!! LOOK!!!!

I'm in "Brides Local" magazine --- which is an off-shoot of "Brides Magazine!"

See my purple crown here (click for a close-up shot).

And here I am again!!! (The "twiggy crown")

Here's a close-up where they mention my name!! EEPPp!!!!!

Here's what the cover looks like in Maryland ... not sure if they same articles are in all the Brides Local areas ... maybe it's just the advertising that's different??? Can anyone report back if I'm in their areas "Brides Local" issue??

On your mark ... get set ....

Sooo ... did everyone have a good holiday?!?! My Christmas was very nice and relaxing! Just hanging out with my parents and boy ... what more could a girl want?

I've kind of been slacking off on creating since I have the once-a-year excuse of Christmas ... But now that that's all over, it's time to get cracking!

You might have noticed my announcement about getting custom orders in early --- and this is SO TRUE!! It's so less stressful to get things planned and taken care of ahead of time, especially when you want to make sure it's perfect!! (Perfection can't be rushed, you know!)

Anyway, for all you lucky newly engaged girlies out there ... here is some wedding inspiration and tips!!!

ENJOY ....

-- Save, save, save: If that means skipping your morning lattes, do it.

-- Skip the planner: Select a family member or friend to help organize your wedding.

-- Get married on Friday or Sunday: It will cost less than a Saturday wedding.

-- Avoid May through October: This is the priciest time of year.

-- Outdoor reception: Many parks can handle outdoor events. You may have to purchase a permit. Also, if a friend has a beautiful home or garden, consider having your wedding there. It’s free, but you’ll have to pay for rentals of tables and chairs and perhaps a tent.

-- Keep guest list small: It’s a newer trend to have only those closest to you at the wedding.

WEDDING CAKE

-- Cupcakes: Display in round tiers or stacked on homemade boxes. They’re a popular trend, inexpensive and practical.

-- Skip the baker: Bake your own or buy a supermarket cake to embellish.

-- Showpiece: Make a small showpiece cake and have sheet cakes made in the same flavor to serve your guests. Or prepare small centerpiece cakes and place them at each table for guests to serve themselves.

INVITATIONS, PROGRAMS

-- Save on postage: Use a postcard instead of an envelope for your return RSVP.

-- Skip printing: Have a family member or friend with beautiful handwriting prepare the programs.

-- Use color paper: Have your programs printed on color paper (to match your wedding colors). For example, color copies at Kinko’s start at 20 cents a sheet. To prepare 125 programs (5-by-7 size) with black and white print on color card stock, prices start as low as $22.

FOOD

-- Timing: Plan your reception for a time during the day when you don’t need to serve a full-course meal.

-- Tea reception: Serve cucumber sandwiches, fruit and nut breads. Or try miniature cream puffs filled with chicken, ham or tuna salad.

-- Cocktail reception: Served hors d’oeuvres. Guests tend to eat less when they are served.

-- Food stations: Have family members do the serving or hire area high schoolers. These stations are trendy because they make simple foods seem more extravagant.

-- Skip the open bar: Serve champagne instead of having an open bar, often one of the biggest expenses. Also, if your reception is a brunch or lunch, guests will be less likely to drink.

DO-IT-YOURSELF FAVORS

-- Potpourri or mints: Make drawstring bags from lace, tulle or silk and fill with potpourri or mints. Tie with ribbon. The bags (20 to 35 cents each) are available at www.papermart.com.

-- Seed packets: Tie with ribbon or raffia.

-- Wine glass markers: Make from wire and beads, place in a small box and tie with ribbon.

-- Lavender sachets: Make a small bag from lace. Sew up three sides, put the lavender in and sew up the fourth side. Attach a small silk flower.

-- Cupcake liner: Fill with candy (silver and gold are classy options). Try M&Ms in your wedding colors.

FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS

-- Use fresh flowers sparingly: Consider fresh for the head table and silk for the guest tables.

-- Divide and conquer: Use three different types of centerpieces, spreading the same color throughout the room. One centerpiece could be fresh flowers, the second could be inexpensive pillar candles and the third a bowl of floating candles.

-- Pedestal bowl: The bloom from a gardenia floating in a pedestal bowl is inexpensive and elegant. Tie a satin ribbon around the pedestal. Use a color that coordinates with your wedding. Camellias are gorgeous used this way.

-- Consider your garden: Blooms and cuttings from hydrangeas, azaleas, dogwoods and magnolias from your garden or a friend’s work well arranged in any style you choose. Zinnia is a colorful annual that can be grown from seed and should bloom for a late summer or fall wedding.

-- Branches: Try a centerpiece made with branches (with leaves) from your yard. Spray paint them with silver or gold and arrange them on tabletops.

-- Potted plants: Caladiums, azaleas, redbuds and other plants with a colorful leaf or bloom.

RECEPTION MUSIC

-- Piped-in: Some halls have background music that’s programmed in and ready to use, so it’s free. But preview the music first.

-- Amateur DJ: You may have a talented friend or family member who can pull this off.

-- Two for one: Hire the same person to be the organist at the wedding and pianist at your reception.

-- Small band: Consider a small group of student musicians or pros.

PHOTOS AND VIDEO

-- Novice photographers: Scour sites such as craigslist.com for professional photographers looking to break into the wedding business. Often they’ll do a full day of photos for thousands less that a “name” photographer.

-- Do your own printing: Hire a photographer to shoot the wedding and give you a CD with the high-resolution images. You can save on printing costs by going to discount stores, such as Wal-Mart, or online sites, such as www.snapfish.com.

-- Packages: Hire the same company to do video and photos. You often can save on a package deal.

la la laaaa

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

Here's what I bought myself this year for my Christmas present. It's called a Foks :) hehe It's like a cross between a vintage mink stole and a comfy cowl!!

BONUS.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! I can't wait for this coming year. SO MUCH will be happening!!! :D :D :D

Can't say what yet though ;)

Love you! --Emily

(It looks cooler on her... )

http://www.etsy.com/shop/celapiu

I got some ...

S-N-O-W

the end.

Happy Christmas everyone!!

Style icon: Meg Ryan

I happened upon "Sleepless in Seattle" on TV this afternoon before I had to trudge through the snow into work. (16" around here today!!!)

Why did I never notice before!! Meg Ryan's hair in that movie is to-die-for!!

This is what I'm going for with my hair grow-out attempt: Loose, long layers with messy updos. She has this great effortless look in the movie ... like she's never touched a bottle of hairspray :)

I tried to find a clean shot of the back of her hair on the Interwebs ... but no luck.

I recommend you Netflix it if you haven't seen it in a while... definitely worth another look! She also has this super-cute shabby chic kitchen in it, too!!!

Oh -- and another, more recent one ....

Hmmm.... I'm feeling the pull of the scissors!!!! AHHH!!!

tutus and feathers

I guess every little girl wants to be a ballerina at some point in their childhood. The idea of transforming into this magical, ethereal creature that gracefully bends to pick up flowers at the end of a performance can't be beat.

I still hang on to this obsession just a tiny bit. I think I quit ballet too soon ... and I really wish now that I had stuck with it! Especially since I turned out to be naturally skinny and non-stacked!  Ah well. Such is life.  

BUT --- on the upside --- ballet is chock full of whimsical inspiration! I'm especially enthralled with "Swan Lake." The white feather look is just too perfect. 

I know I said I was going to do an "Alice in Wonderland" line ... (and I've made some pieces if you look carefully!) But I think it's going to be Swan Lake all the way for the winter months :)

bbuuuuuuhhhh ......

I've been sick.

UGHH!!!

It started with these weird bumps on my neck ... and I thought "that can't be good." And it wasn't. Had a KILLER sinus infection and couldn't even do Etsy!!!

It was a good thing I had some time off work anyway, but it sucked that all I could do with my time off was sit on the couch and watch movies. Normally, this is my ideal activity ... but when you're sick ... nothing is fun.

My bird, Caesar, was my only entertainment when there was nothing to watch on TV and I was out of good movies. Here he is giving some love to his mirror. Such a narcissistic bird.

I'm just about at 100% now ... got some sweet antibiotics (just in time to go back to work.) SIGH. Ah well. I am thankful that I can taste food and breath through my nose again :)

OOOHHH. I want to make a new video but and out of ideas.....Any suggestions for some sort of tutorial video???

The road less traveled

I know I sometimes randomly blog about movies --usually romantic ones, or dramas --- but this one has NO relation whatsoever to Etsy or crowns, or anything whimsical and pretty. In any way. AT ALL. haha. But, whatever, I liked it!

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy (the same guy who wrote "No Country for Old Men" ) is a chilling and enthralling read. To be sure. 

If was the first subject that me and my now-boyfriend talked about when we were in that "awkward talking stage." We had both just finished it and had heared they were making a movie with Viggo Mortensen (sp?)---(that dude from "Lord of the Rings.")

Anyway, over a year later --- it finally came out! But only in limited release.

We saw it last weekend at this indie movie theater in Baltimore. 

It was SO GOOD. I am usually not a fan of book-to-movie translations ... but this one was superb. 

If you live somewhere where it's playing -- definitely go for it. I think it *may* be coming out it wide release soon, but, who knows.

It's not a particularly happy or up-lifting flick ... but even amidst the end of society, you find bits of humanity that remain. 

I can't really talk about much without giving away crucial plot points .. but basically, there's been some kind of catastrophic nuclear event, and a young boy is born just as all this is going down.

After about a decade of enduring this harsh life, the father and son decide to head South (where it would be warmer.)

They follow the road.

Where does it lead? Read (or watch) to find out!!!

I have no shame.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Beginning to look a lot like you know what.

(I just thought this was cute. It has no relation to the rest of this post ... except that maybe I want a kitten for Christmas!)

====

Well, It's officially the Christmas buying season. Again. I know I say this every year now, but (SERIOUSLY) didn't Christmas JUST happen? 

I've gotten organized, bought some stuff ... but I still have a lot more to find. 

And by find, I mean THINK OF! Why is this always such a problem for me?

You get the entire year to think of a great present for someone, and then you leave it up to the last 15 days to find it. RIDICULOUS. 

Whatever. Gift cards all around.

But really, I've been trying to buy exclusively on Etsy and local shops in the downtown area here. I'm pretty lucky since there are a lot of super cute boutiques and specialty stores. I know a lot of places only have a Wal-Mart and a mall. 

It just seems so much more special to get something that isn't mass-produced. Or, then again, maybe it is mass-produced, but it's just really marked up in the boutique store. Oh well. Buying local and supporting local business owners is almost like donating to charity. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside like you're doing something nice for your fellow human being. :)

Here is something that always gets me in a Christmasy mood. It's an old Disney cartoon about the night before Xmas and the toys come alive and all that. Classic!