Happy Dance!

I just have one thing to say.




I am a design genius.



It's true. Sure, blowing my own trumpet a little, however someone just told me so.



So there.

*raspberry*

Welcome to our new family member

After a long and painful, sometimes heartbreaking journey, yesterday evening we finally met her. She's currently at the doctors having some essential surgery, but will be coming home hopefully on Friday.

So, without further adieu, meet our - as yet unnamed - member of the family.





She does not have the dark features as the one above, but we'll get her tinted later on.

She is a 1998 Mitsubishi Magna Executive V6 Advance

Bring on Friday!

I'm a little petunia in an onion patch...

I am sobbing. Well, almost.

Got my first flower quote today for the wedding and it is significantly more expensive than I had thought. When I was interested in only Singapore Orchids, the quote was "Around $100" for a cascading bouquet.

Well I changed my mind, and decided I liked other flowers - as I posted earlier on. The new and improved quote - $220. Ok, I don't begrudge the florist for charging this, and I know that flowers cost a lot, but that's fairly excessive for Hamilton standards! Maybe Hamilton has moved up in the world.

$45 each for the bridesmaids.

$10 each for buttonholes for the boys

$15 each for mother's bouquets.

Total cost is $440 inc GST.

Maybe I have to rethink completely what I want.

Maybe a posie instead of a cascade...?

I am looking at artificial for the boys... am looking at other options for the girls.. it's just depressing.

A Post for Alice

Hello Alice!

here is the earrings that I was looking at for you - but the bottom crystal (the big one) would be a pearl... (http://www.rushcreations.com.au/c/25006/1/swarovski-colour-chart.html bottom picture, the blue pearl Night Blue)

And then a necklace on tigertail with the same drops as the earrings.

Crystals would be Light blues....

What are your thoughts?

Time for a change...

Well, since having 99.9% finished the www.princessallure.com.au website, and now having Anjella think I am funky and wants a new logo, I thought the website frontpage just saying "will work for longies" was probably not the professional look I should be going for.

So, cast your eyes on

www.designsbykristie.com

I might be bored of it in a week and decide it is crap, so feedback is welcome (and typo checks welcome!)

Oh look, I am famous!

lookie lookie

Gold Stars for me!

http://www.greatparasolz.com
http://www.cinderellabella.com.au

the first place is a bit exxy :( but I love the one you can choose the handle on. But I cannot afford that price for a parasol.

I wonder how easy it would be to dye the Empress one at cinders...

20 Gold Stars...

... to the person who can find me a Victorian or Edwardian Ivory parasol, with or without fringe/tassels/lace edging.

NO battenburg parasols will be accepted in this hunt.

Under $70AU please.

Will consider a frame only, or a cheap frame with dodgy fabric.

Mourning Parasol considered in blacks, if in bad condition ('cause I don't want to wreck a perfectly good parasol).

HELP ME PLEASE!

oooh.. so I did get a bargain!

My bridal shoes are apparently worth $80... :)

So I did get a great bargain!

All about Tara.

She says words. OK, so they are not words, but I can hear what she says.

"Hello"
"Thankyou"
"Oh-Oh"
"Mmmmmmm!"

they are probably her favourites.


She has started pulling cheesy grin faces.

She looks like a little girl now. This last month she has really changed.

She loves to try and dress herself. Today it was a green teeshirt over the feet, and my knickers over her head. But she is trying.

She loves milk in a cup when I have my morning coffee. She'd have coffee if we would allow it... it must run through her veins.

She loves giving cuddles and kisses.

She almost strangled the cat trying to give it kisses.

The telephone is still her favourite thing.

She loves baths.

She can brush her hair.

She loves to run.

She melts my heart.

Look at me, daaaahlink!

So we met our wonderful photographer yesterday!

So, it felt a little bit awkward in the beginning - mainly because I kinda felt I knew Anjella like an old friend the thought crossed my mind that hugging on the first meeting (especially someone you are essentially hiring!) is probably not the best approach! It felt almost weird talking on a "we just met" wave, when it felt like I'd known her for years. Next time I'll hug though!

Anways, Anjella (Angela - say it with me people!) took some pics of us, and here are my favs, blog ready, for you to stare at wonderment with.

The one of Tara staring at the camera is possibly going to be on a studio wall in the future...









and a coloured version of the mirror shot..


And some exciting stuff is cogging around in the background for me at the moment. Maybe a bit of a "break" has landed in my lap. I feel truly blessed.



Oh and on a completely random topic. Did you hear about the cop hit over the head with a bottle in QLD? He's awake, talking and making an amazing recovery. He used to be a Macarthur Boy (where I grew up) and everyone is just astounded by his recovery. If you would not mind sparing a thought for him please...

We all love pics, don't we?

OK... PICS! lots of!

The tree we will marry under


The gazebo for wet weather


Photo locations
Permewans Sheds - this is a possible one...


Private residence


Another of the residence


The Local Cemetary - it was pissing rain and I was not getting out of the car


What mum is wearing


What the bridesmaids are wearing (sort of)


The cars - a citroen circa 1930s..


or a Riley circa 1950s... (this is the one I love)


A dodgy make up pic


and another one...


The jewellery and a sneak of the dress


A detail of mum's veil


My $10 shoes


The ring I am in love with


The outfit I made Tara


Hair pics






I am starting to lean towards this at the back though instead of the first pic


Mum's house Bethany, and where I will get ready




and what you have all been waiting to see....

for those coming to the wedding, and who don't want to see my mug, don't click the link!

Here is the front of the dress
Here is the back of the dress
And this is how it will look at the reception over my wrist

wooooot! 85 days to go... argh

Will do another photo post later on thanks to our wonderful photographer!

Oh... the ring!

I found the perfect ring. I forgot to blog it before.

It is adorable, I love it... but it is out of our budget. I have to work something out because it is the ONLY ring I am 110% happy with. the other option is a plain band... and it looks great, but this other ring is perfect!

Of Course it could not be seamless!

I sent out most of my invites last week

I found out two days ago that the URL for our wedding website was wrong.

ARGH!!!

It is now fixed for anyone who cares.

ARGH!!!

Stuff always has to happen, doesn't it?! LOL


We get to meet Anjella tomorrow! WHOOT. I am so excited. bounce bounce

Going to put my dress on again today. Mum found her veil and I think, after all the dramas associated with my purchases, I might just wear it. Another part of my Something Olds.

Something Olds: Nanna's Hanky - which will be embroidered with our wedding date and stitched into the back of my dress. Mum's veil which is a scalloped edged and embroidered two tiered veil (actually, it is three tiered but I want two so will get rid of the blusher...
Something News: My dress, Shoes, Jewellery....
Something Borrowed: oooh.... maybe this should be the veil... will think about that.
Something Blue: My undies... :) And my stripey socks if I change into my second shoes at the reception...

So... have been at mum's for the last two weeks. We leave tomorrow to head back to Sydney. There are 86 days until the wedding. Well, actually there are 85 because that counter is based for the states I think. One way or the other, there is limited time left!!

Tara's dress is 90% made. I Need to put interface netting in the bow, and possibly make a cape for her. She is going to be adorable. Need to get her shoes. And we need to pray that her chest size does not change between now and the wedding because I became a little excited with my overlocker and taking in the seams....

I have wedding shoes! $10 bargain from the south melbourne markets. OMG... I loved that market. Much smaller than queen vic... hardly any people and some funky bargains. I soooo would have bought a fur stole, however Ally does not like them.

Which reminds me. Need to find a shawl to match my dress.

My dress is living at Mum's until the wedding. I don't need it in sydney (other than to look at)... so it can live here. If I loose weight the dress will need to be taken in. My sister has the name for a lady in Cobden who can apparently do alterations in a day.... so if I do mysteriously loose weight instead of putting it on, we are covered!

The Fans have all been ribboned... so have the parasols. I need to find myself an extra parasol, because I am a little over all brides having the chinese ones... as lovely as they are.

We have photo locations worked out! The Gardens, The Cemetary, A private residence with the most amazing gum trees... and if we need one more there are some old metal sheds that would be a cool backdrop... will see how it goes with time, and what the Magic Anjella thinks of them/thinks of the time factor.

I had a hair Trial... It looked great. Not as much like the one that I wanted but apparently I have more hair than I needed for that particular style, and also not enough hair for another style. I have holes in my hair so it is going to be interesting. it will be out mainly with lots of waves, and bird-nesty at the back with twirls pulling it off my head. Photos will come. I have lots of photos.

I had a makeup trial with Napoleon Perdis in melbourne. Lovely stuff - the eyes are going to be dramatic - as will the lips when I can find a different brand of lippy. The colour was nice, but the lippy bled everywhere... blergh. I need kiss proof stuff as ally Hates makeup. That is the one thing I really need to get in Sydney when we get back. The mascara from NP was shocking - non waterproof (who gives a bride non-waterproof mascara?!) and it aggrivated my eyes and started burning them. I took it back (I bought it after the trial) and got another eyeshadow. I have some funky eyeshadows now. They'd want to be great for the cost!! haha.

We went and looked at cars yesterday too. I want to arrive in the Riley that we looked at. OMG. it is a beautiful car. That or the Citroen... the Riley is a 1950s, and the Citroen is a 1930s.. they had a 19something Dodge, which is what I was going to go in originally until the guy decided to sell it... so now I get to choose some funky cars. We need to decide on one or two and if we can afford them...

um.. what else...

I got a new pair of boots. nothing to do with the wedding. THey are red, fake leather, scrunchie and flat.. and I love them $40...

My sister got a new pair of boots... Spanish Leather, Leather Soles, Almost kneehigh style, from Midas. Purple. $20. Can we say bitch. She loves me though - I found them for her. Isn't she lucky I love purple and did not pick up the black or brown pairs that were $250. The original price tag was $360.... and she got them for 20.

need to take pics of mum in her dress.

got lots of stuff I need to do today.. not going to do it all.

right now I have to go and save mum's vintage vase.... Tara has found it.

toodles