Archive for December, 2008

LOVE/HATE: The Blankie Edition

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

On truly cold mornings, when it’s frosty outside and I am forced by necessity to leave the toasty warm confines of my blissful bedclothes, a nightgown is not always enough. In my sleep-addled state, I will often attempt to wrap myself up in a blanket before making my way to the espresso machine. Oftentimes, I end up looking rather like this:

Black and white plaid wedding gown

Needless to say, I am not liking this wedding dress. While I can’t proclaim that I hate, hate, hate it — honestly, it does not deserve that level of emotion — there’s not much to speak in this wedding gown’s favor. I’m down with the black wedding dresses, and I’m all for plaids, but the sash curving around the main frame of the gown looks like it was hastily pinned on at the last second by a bride who was either very chilly or had a wardrobe malfunction that a few strategically placed pins could not fix. What this wedding dress needs, in my opinion, is to be deconstructed and then put back together by someone who has a bit more talent with a sewing machine.

What say you?

Congratulations, Kate!

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

When Kate Harding of Kate Harding’s Shapely Prose decides to spice up a Friday night, she goes all the way. On a recent Friday night, for example, she and her sweetie Al decided they could either go visit the Hoover Dam… or they could get married. Guess which option they chose.

Kate Harding got married!

They tied the knot, obviously! The pair hit up the famous Little White Wedding Chapel (along with Al’s mom) after what amounted to a few hours of hardcore wedding planning and said their vows.

Can I just say that I’m just a tad jealous? Oh, I’m a lot happy for the resplendent Ms. Harding — don’t they just look lovely? — but still a little jealous. It sounds like she had a joyful, absolutely stress-free wedding, though there’s no word on whether she ever did get to see the Hoover Dam.

Now go check out the Wedding FAQ and wish the newlyweds all the best!

Your Wedding Five-a-Day: Artichokes

Monday, December 29th, 2008

We’ve written about using fruit as reception centerpieces, sweets as wedding decor, and even diamonds as wedding cake embellishments. All in all, we’ve proven we like things that are as yummy as they are pretty, though we definitely recommend picking all gemstones out of your icing before serving your reception dessert. Today I want to put sweet things aside to show you some things you can do with veggies… specifically artichokes.

Using artichokes as wedding decor

Artichokes make splendid wedding table decorations for a number of reasons. They can stand up on their own, meaning they can hold a place card or a candle. And they are relatively dry when compared to, say, a cabbage or even a carrot, so you needn’t worry about drowning them in water when using them in centerpieces. You can even use artichokes in your bridal bouquet (as evidenced above), though beware that they add quite a bit of heft.

Sandra Lee, queen of the semi-homemade craft, suggests using artichokes thusly:

1. Group one small, one medium and one tall cylinder glass vase on a tabletop.

2. Stack whole artichokes inside, positioning some upright and some sideways to make an artful arrangement.

(However, she goes on to suggest that you can make gourmet mac & cheese using Kraft dinner, so feel free to disregard most of the advice found on her web site.)

Reception Desserts: They’re Not Just Cake Anymore

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

For many years, cakes have ruled wedding receptions. One of the first questions people ask about weddings is what the cake either looked or tasted like.

Over the course of the past few years, though, the cake has started losing its place at the party. Oh, it’s not like they’re going away anytime soon. I expect them to continue to be the most popular dessert at weddings for a very long time to come. It’s just that now more people are more open to variations on the theme.

One popular variation that’s sprung up of late is the dessert bar. With this option, the couple may or may not have a traditional cake, but they will offer multiple options in sweet ways to end a meal.

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Is Your Cat Plotting Against You?

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

I have a great fondness for LOLcats. Of late I’ve noticed several with a wedding theme, and decided to share them with all of you.

And a final thought….

Always remember: chances are your cat is plotting against you. Be Prepared.

disclaimer: Mr. Twistie is greatly loved by my cat, who has never ever plotted against us except for that one time that’s still going on.

I Am In Love With This Fabric

Friday, December 26th, 2008

I don’t have much to say today, recovering as I am from the usual post-Christmas travel stupor. However, I am certainly feeling well enough to both look at photographs of wedding garb and find some amazing period wedding attire for you to covet.

Period bridal gowns

The fabric comes from Hyena, which also provides fabric to one of my favorite gown designers, Alisa Benay. The period wedding gown itself was created by Kindred Spirits, which creates gorgeous garments using the traditional methods of haute couture.

Happy Holidays from Never teh Bride and Twistie!

Thursday, December 25th, 2008

Christmas cupcakes for weddings

Whatever your preferred end of December holiday, Twistie and I want to wish you a happy one! My holiday will be all the happier for including cupcakes, like these from Nicholas Lodge. Yum!