Aaand They're Married!

Hello, loves! I know I have been remiss at getting back in the game here and particularly in telling you all about the wedding…which was now over a week ago. Perhaps I could blame it on the fact that I don’t really know how to go about properly summing up something that was so all-consuming in our lives for a while -- and then happened, and is now over. Or perhaps I could blame it on the fact that I left for Washington, DC the morning after the wedding (where two grandparents, four aunts, two uncles and four cousins (aged 9 - 12) and I meandered the city for three days and it took us an hour to get ourselves anywhere on the metro) and then came back to Harry Potter at midnight and four days of work, and am now only just having a little break from it all…

Either way, it was a beautiful time, following an insane weekend. Linnea’s best friend from our high school in Ethiopia, Marcia, came with her husband from Holland, and Linnea’s best friend from her high school in Germany, Corrie, came from Arkansas, and my best friend from middle school, Danielle (who was boarding sisters with Marcia back in the Ethiopia days) all came early and we ran errands and put together programs and attended many pre-wedding events. We had adventures that included getting incredibly lost driving around Richmond in the dark and pouring rain (and paying to do so. I hate tollroads.) as we absolutely had to be at our destination BEFORE 9 o’clock. (We didn’t make it.) Then there was the internal dilemma of whether or not I should paint Beta Bridge for Linnea, as I had been planning to do for months, even though I saw people painting a birthday message to their friend Bill on it about two hours before we planned to. (We did anyway. Sorry, Bill.) 

But the day itself was wonderful and went off without a hitch*. Linnea was beautiful, the ceremony was lovely, and there were all sorts of friends and family to talk and dance with at the reception. It was especially fun to see the Hales, Kyle Davidson and Anne McClary (and Danielle and Marcia, of course!) – all friends from Ethiopia!

I can’t wait until we get the official photos taken by the talented and delightful Elisa B which I will definitely share with you (because I know everyone likes to stalk wedding pictures. No shame.), but in the meantime we’ll have to make due with a few of ours:

Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Walker!

First Dance to this song

Father-Daughter dance to this song

Ethiopia friends!

...and UVA friends :]

Now I’m actually off to Crozet to see the newlyweds, freshly returned from their honeymoon, before they head off to their new home in Rockville, Maryland. Funnily enough, I haven’t talked to Linnea since the wedding (or even hardly at all at the reception, really) so it will be interesting to hear her thoughts on everything -- and just to hang out with my sister and her husband!

[Photos 1, 2, 5 and 11 taken by the amazing Arley Arrington]

*Except that we soon discovered that the material of the bridesmaids’ dresses showed every tearstain and sweatstain…attractive. Oh, and it took FOURTEEN individual ties to bustle Linnea's dress. And I forgot my toast that I had written at the church. But these were all minor concerns, of course :]

Four Days to WEDDING!

Quote Love: “I promise I shall never give up and that I’ll die yelling and laughing.” – Jack Kerouac

Currently Watching: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (In preparation for Part 2 next week!)

Y'all, it is Wedding Week and there is a to-do list a mile long that will be getting done in the next few days. And guess what? I am in charge of doing my sister's hair for the wedding!

No pressure, right?

The thing is, I'm not particularly an expert with hair. My bff Abby is -- before our Christmas banquets in high school (we were a mission school and therefore did not have prom. Or dances of any kind, actually...), when there would be about seven of us getting ready together amidst a pile of make-up and magazines, I would do people's make-up and Abby would do their hair. I think she is the only person with the patience to take the 2-3 hours necessary to curl my hair (even if it the curls are only going to fall out by the end of the night). 

But for this weekend, it's all on me. And it will be good -- we practiced last night to figure out what we want, and we're trying it again tonight. And, of course, I've been looking at all sorts of wedding hair pictures...Por ejemplo, look at all these pretty updos (all via Pinterest):

(I am not capable of creating any of these, but it does give me something to aspire to, right?)

Do any of you have any good hair tips or tricks I should know??

A Lil' Bridal Shower DIY

Quote Love: “Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80's movies? I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason.” – Olive, from Easy A

So the main reason my family came to Hilton Head this weekend was because some good friends of my grandparents’ hosted a couple’s shower for Linnea and William. This reminded me that I’ve been meaning to share with y’all some things about the shower I threw for Linnea, particularly a quick and easy decoration idea :] (wait, is this about to become one of those blogs? The answer is, temporarily, yes.) (And by those kind, I mean the kind I stalk on a daily basis, wishing my life could be that party-perfect.)

I would have LOVED to go alllll out for my one and only sister’s (not) one and only bridal shower, but unfortunately, it fell in the middle of this week and I had work in the morning and a 12-page paper looming over my head (uggh), and I am only a poor college student (emphasis on poor). But I did still want to make it pretty and special. I love the look of pennant flag banners like these:

(So fun but simple, right? via Pinterest)

…and I wanted to recreate that look, figuring there must be an easy way to do itwithout any actual sewing or (much) time investment. Solution: twine and tissue paper. And double-sided tape. Then, literally, just cut out triangles from the tissue paper, fold the end over the twine and tape it.

I had originally envisioned these against a wall, with two lines of pennant flags –alternating with pictures hanging between each flag – and then another row of just twine beneath, where guests could pin up a note for Linnea. Because of the space, this plan was reworked just a little, but the end result – especially the space to pin up notes, which ended up wrapped between columns (bottom two pictures) – was pretty great, if I do say so myself.

Voila:

 

P.S. speaking of my pennant obsession, check out these invitations (which, yes, I realize are all for baby-related things) and these cake toppers. LOVE.

(A special thanks to Leah Stockstrom's photography skillz and documentation per my request... :] )

Royal Weddings are Tiring

...Both for the American Anglophiles who got up early to watch, and for any little Flower Girls involved:

[Source: Elle, via A Cup of Jo]

Royal Wedding Slumber Party Extravaganza!

Are any of you watching the royal wedding?

I am, and we are having a slumber party at the Shamba and pulling out the two couch beds in the living room so that when the coverage begins at 4am (or, let's be real, at 6, when the actual ceremony begins) we can just open our eyes and watch it without having to get up or anything! ...and then probably fall back asleep.

(This might be the worst decision I've made this entire month, seeing as I have to be at work at 10. But really, how often does a Royal Wedding occur? ...not often. Also, I feel like I need to live up to my self-professed love of England.)

P.S. Wedding blogger Kathryn of Snippet & Ink has been posting some wonderful Royal Wedding posts in preparation (hats, wedding gown predictions -- it will probably have sleeves -- tiaras...) One of my faves was this collection of photos of Royal weddings past:

Prince Rainier III of Monaco to American actress Grace Kelly, April 1956.

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent to Katharine Worsley, June 1961.

Charles, Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer, July 1981.

[images via Snippet & Ink]

Wedding Talk (or: And So It Begins)

Currently Listening To: The coffee pot percolating. Oh, the anticipation. (mostly I just wantd to use the word "percolate")
Currently Eating: Honey Bunches of Oats cereal and a banana.

Today I am going wedding dress shopping with my sister!

I'm super happy for Linnea of course, but also excited because, as maid of honor, this provides a legitimate reason for me to check out wedding blogs!! (...not like I don't anyway, let's just be real.)

And so I feel that is at last appropriate to mention BHLDN, the new wedding line inspired by Anthropologie that has been blowing up the blogosphere (well, the parts of the blogosphere that I pay attention to, at least) since its release on V-Day. And because Anthro is so wonderful, of course their wedding line will be equally wonderful (and unaffordable for oh, say, me. When I have to think about this stuff for myself, I mean. Which is not yet.)

Anyway. Yes, the gowns are beautiful and intricate and unique (which, in some cases, is a nice way of saying a wee bit strange), but I think what I love most about this site is their "Nuptials of Yesteryear" section, which is a collection of old-timey wedding photos. Aren't these just the sweetest?

P.S. I took the "What Kind of Bride Are You" quiz (duh) and got La Bohémienne. Yesss.