Happy late Thursday peoples!

So, you’re saying *photos* are the orange part of my iphone memory, correct?

Yup.  That seems about right.  Certainly would explain why my phone takes an entire 1.7 seconds to do anything, ever.  HEY 1.7 SECONDS IS LIKE FOREVER THESE DAYS OK?!!!!  Whatever I didn’t ask you anyway.

Ok, if I’m honest, I have a habit of taking too many pictures of Bambino so it’s all my fault.  This intervention worthy?  Those seem like fun, low-pressure meetings from what I’ve seen on the Deeeep Deeeeeply Depressing Programming Network.  Or, A&E.

~ Interlude ~

Starting to think I should warn people before I keep talking about something with which some may not be familiar.  Ok, so if when I say “Instagram” you go, ”huh?”  And that this is what happens……

Old Man: “…. uhhh, hey honey – HONEY – what’s ‘Insta-gram.’

His Wife: “Whaaat?  Say again I couldn’t heah yah.”

Old Man: “INNN-STAAA-GERRAAAMM.  Kid’s talkin’ bout it on this hea blog ova heah, an’ I stahhted readin’ it when tha gran’kids got off the personal computah cause dayzz left it up heah.  Up on tha screen.”

His Wife: “…. oh.”

Old Man: “So do yah know it?  What it is?  IN-STAH-GRAM.”

His Wife: …….

Old Man: ……. Honey?  Do ya?

His Wife: “….. WHAAAT?  Say again I couldn’t heah.”

Old Dude: “So’kay sweet haahht.  Whatcha cookin’?”

Yeah so if that’s what unfolds, just skip down to where there’s a little pink flower part of the post, where the beautiful wedding I’m sharing today is, and forget about Instagram.

~ Interlude Has Concluded; Back to Post – Only People Familiar With Instagram Allowed Past This Point ~

Sooooooo… did you notice that the Instagram photo action going on above is seemingly spawned from what could most likely be the old school Instagram version, and not the after-the-update-Instagram version, which sucks?  WELL, that’s because SOMEHOW I GOT IT UPDATED TO SOME NEW-FANGLED SITUATION WHERE THIS HAPPENS!

If you know me on Twitter, you may have noticed my– well my *subtle complaints* about the worsened state of Instagram’s new filters and how distraught it made me… in the kind of way a person can be distraught when she is using a very awesome free app that has improved her life dramatically – on a shiny futuristic miniature hand-held people calling device, no less – and that she is lucky to have the, again free, app, but is choosing to find a way to be dissatisfied with some component of it even though again it’s free.

Thing is, much like the people who accidentally stumbled upon erection pills (aka, *let’s go ahead and masque that first-sign-of-a-much-bigger-illness limp dick’s sporting goods for ya* pills), I was going into the process in search of an older version, when I discovered this best-of-both-worlds-version, which by all accounts (mine, and… just mine) seems simply to be the latest version.  I can’t be certain that what led me to my current update is necessarily going to lead you there, as well, but I’ll tell you what- I updated my version to the latest and…

Schlemiel… Schlimazel… Hasenpfeffer INCORPORATED!

See how it has the frames again?  And how the photos aren’t jacked the eff up by processing, and instead, enhanced?

Ahhhhhhh.  Happy. :)

Okely dokely!  Next stop, Killer Wedding Station.  Please refrain from leaving your bags and/or children on the train, thank you.  Today’s beautiful wedding was submitted by the hella fantastic Kisa, of Kisa Koenig Photography.  And you wanna hear the coolest thing?  Kisa told me “Both the bride and groom grew up in Riverton, Wyoming, but met in Brooklyn where they live. They decided to come back west to have their wedding.”

LOVE.  ING.  EHHTHAT.

See, Attia and Jeremy got married, and not only do they totally get and expertly employ the “one fedora per crew at one time” rule, they are full-on happy-faced throughout their entire wedding day.  It’s as if they actually want to be together.  Whoa!  I’m being snarky but I have a crush on this couple and their dynamic.  You can tell they’re great together, and meant to be together, and I’m a big smile-on-your-wedding-day proponent so, I mean, open and shut case here.  (I simply don’t fully get the straight-faced-all-the-live-long-day-so-my-laugh-lines-don’t-show weddings.  Don’t you want to look like you were having at least a little fun that day, when you look back?  And show your kids?  Anyway that’s my piece.)  So I get to feature a gorgeous wedding, that happened outdoors, was shot by a stellar photographer, and involves a couple that’s totally in love and it shows.

Why do I get to have this job again?  Of sharing people’s love stories?  Because seriously this is just too good to be real.

Arighty, here’s the rundown from our gorgeous bride, Attia:

Jeremy and I both grew up in a rural Wyoming town, and now live in Brooklyn, NY. While we considered the convenience of a city hall wedding, the appeal of bringing together all the people from the different parts of our lives was too strong to pass up. We decided on a low-key ceremony and reception in the mountains of Wyoming, as well as a few weekend events to maximize our time with everyone.  

I can tell you about the invitations and the menu’s, about the custom koozie’s, the delicious peanut brittle that Jeremy’s mother labored over for favors, or about the family photos that we set out on the tables as our centerpieces. But while those things were fun, what really stole the show was the ridiculously fun crowd that we had celebrating with us.  

The Thursday before the wedding, there was a bbq so that everyone could meet and get to know each other, and enjoy the beautiful Wyoming night. You know the kind of party where you have to work to introduce people and get things started? Yeah, that wasn’t this party. People walked into the huge back yard and immediately mingled. They partied like they’d known these people all of their lives, and that’s how it felt – like it was a group of friends from years ago. That night’s coda was an impromptu fireworks show that a friend had planned as a surprise, complete with sparklers for everyone to hold.  

Friday was a hike, and that night brought our rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner remains one of the shining points of the experience. We in our favorite local bar in Lander, WY, with some of the most hilarious, brilliant, and lovely people that we’ve known across the many moments of our lives. We ate too much food. We drank locally brewed beer. A live band played downstairs, and people chatted, laughed, and made new best friends. At least one Lander Bar t-shirt was purchased as a gift for a new buddy, and discussions about Queens accents and Wyoming bison could be overheard.  

Saturday, our rock star bridal party helped us decorate the location that we’d chosen for the day. The Sinks Canyon State Park outside of Lander, WY, has long been one of our favorite spots, and we were thrilled to be there. It was a beautiful day with an endless blue sky, and people arrived early to take advantage of the pre-ceremony cocktail hour and lawn games. The ceremony was performed by a close friend, and the reception was even more perfect that we would’ve hoped. Everyone played games, ate, drank, and danced up a storm. The whole experience was capped off at the after party by a surprise ukulele song by my dear friend and bridesmaid. Love was in the air.

Now, enjoy!

This group is very active at pose striking. :)

“Hey…”

“What ah YOU lookin’ at.”

Hehe.  Sigh.  Yes, there’s nothing like a kiddo in shades to close a blog post.  No sir ree Bob there is not.

omg.  I almost forgot a puppy update!  I really owe you guys one of these on the blog, it’s been a while.  This one’s short, but I’ve got some coming soon that I’m weirdly very excited about sharing – compilation/storytelling ones, like back in the beginning. ;)

K here it is, a moment in the Life of Bambino McPuppyPants III, Esquire…

“yeah? what is it–you woke me up.”

FIN

I’d love to know what you think of today’s wedding.  I’m of the mindset that it’s fantasticness.  I mean it’s just so cool when you can like, feel the love through the screen.  AMIRITE?  They seem like to perfect pair.

And I’d love to know if you’ve heard about the instagram update, or if I’m some anomaly or whatever.

Kindly lemme know your thoughts, friendlies.  Really, about anything.  :)

xoxo!  - Alison

Photography: Kisa Koenig Photography / Submitted via: Two Bright Lights / Caterer: Gourmet Catering/ Floral Designer: Woodwards IGA / Reception Venue: Sinks Canyon Center / Dress Designer: Nicole Miller / Cake Designer: Alice Gantenbein / DJ: Rocky Mountain Sound and Light / Ceremony Location: Sinks Canyon Center

↑ I’m dying.  I’m dead.

Real quick before I get into it – did that Ashton Kutcher kid really leave Demi of Ghost?  I heard this recently.  I just sort of thought it would never happen.  Have you heard this, too?

Ok SO… Happy Friday afternoon AGAIN!  :)  As promised, here’s blog post numero dos, brought to you by none other than Brooke, one of our fabulous Knotty Bloggistas and it’s gonna KILL YOUR FACE.  But yeah, so today has turned out to be a much more loverly Friday afternoon than earlier.  At least where I’m located.  And I’m digging it.  Bam is at my feet, lettin’ ‘em loose like he just ate Mexican food or something, and still, despite that, I’m pumped to share everything that is THIS POST.  That’s how good it is.  Actually, speaking of Mexican food, I wanna share some words from the photographer responsible for shooting this KILLER A$$ WEDDING SHENANIGAN… one Taylor Lord Photography:

“What do a custom-made linen bride’s dress, homemade blueberry lemonade vodka and mexican chocolate chip cookies, a beat poet, edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros, driftwood, madlibs, cotton candy, a wedding march, and the cutest ring bearer entrance ever have in common?”

Seriously, I couldn’t have said it better.  ALL OF THOSE THINGS mean one seriously phenom wedding.

BUT FIRST.  Something that scares me… a mini personal story:

Two days ago when Honey got home from work, Bam and I were running suicides throughout the home and were generally in good spirits.  You should see him chase me; it’s genuinely the cutest thing you have ever seen in your life.  Anyway it was fun for 10 minutes, and then I COULDN’T BREEEAAATHE.  I actually had to go grab my inhaler (asthma shout out!), take a puff, literally – that elusive, grammatically correct ‘literally,’ not the other one – rest my hands on my upper thighs to steady myself, and then bend over slightly to regain my breath/composure.  Only then was I capable of giving Honey a welcome home hug n kiss.  Then there was the other day, when I was spray painting for hours on the roof, and I can still feel it in my hammies.  My hammies, they’re killing me softly with their song.  And then, a couple mornings ago in the shower, Honey aggravated a neck muscle injury he got during a workout which took place ohh about SEVEN YEARS AGO.  Like, emergency doctor’s visit kind of aggravated neck injury.

So does this mean we don’t need a *something old* for our wedding because we are it, already?  Because I’m not used to having a cramped forefinger just because I spent a few hours spray painting on the roof, not to mention two injured hamstrings, which is all of my hamstrings and I really need at least one of my hamstrings so that I don’t look like I’m working out the kinks of my gangsta walk on the way to the dry cleaner.  And Honey isn’t used to “aggravated muscle injuries flaring up” and other crap like that, either.  We’re effing YOUNG for chrissake.  This seriously puts me in a worse and weirder mood than Sarah MacLachlan commercials AND the absence of nutella throughout Shark Week (but specifically at the beginning, when it’s at its worst and it feels like there’s an alien with a cat tongue aggressively punching and angry licking your uterus from the inside).

Ok, enough of that.  I just had to share it with you because it freaks me out that I sometimes hear myself make a tiny groan when I’m getting up from the floor playing with Bam.  It’s unfamiliar, and so I regurgitate it here so I’ll either feel like A) I’m not alone because you guys experience this stuff, too, or B) I’m completely weird and not anywhere near normal and you pity my very existence.  But at least I’ll have your pity!   Yeah.  ANYWHOOOO…

Like I was saying earlier, Brooke, our lovely planning bride who writes Bright Wishes is back with another stunner of a DIY wedding, and this is 100% pure, uncut evidence that she’s got some seriously good taste, y’all.  Those bridesmaids’ ruffled frocks ALONE have taken my face in their hands, their beautiful, beautiful hands, and shook it so hard I don’t know which ways up anymore.  I mean just LOOK AT THEM:

And now look at them in a standing position, on peoples’ bodies:

TO DIE, right?  TO DIE.

Ok, here we go, with the lovely Brooke, of Bright Wishes!  Take it away, Brooke…

Hey everyone, it’s Brooke from Bright Wishes back with another fabulous wedding photographed by Taylor Lord Photography!  I love everything including the mismatched bridesmaid dresses to the cotton candy machine. Take a look below and see what the photographer had to say about that day.

This Austin, TX wedding was DIY done right! There were so many neat details that gave guests something fun to do as the wedding progressed! They had flavored water in ball jars during the ceremony, fan programs with mustaches and lips to stay cool, and then mad libs and cotton candy at the reception. It was very obvious how much Whitney and Stephen cared that their guests had a great time all evening! 

There were so many neat things about the ceremony that simply couldn’t be captured in a photograph- Whitney and Stephen had two friends at the beginning playing the fiddle and guitar. The bride walked down the aisle to Bon Iver. They had a friend do a beat poetry reading about their marriage, which was unbelievable. Then, to top it off, the sister of the groom and sang Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s “Home” and they blew it out of the water. Such a great idea.

The night ended with lots of sweet toasts, crazy breakdancing, and some amazing homemade Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies. All in all, I have to say this was one of the most thoughtful, sweet, unique weddings that I’ve ever seen, and I’m so glad they invited me to be a part of it.

↑ delicate lace ribbon over kraft paper brown packaging = my happy place. ~ Alison

I love how the bride is casually sitting in the makeup chair calm and collected. ~ Brooke

One of my (Alison) FAAAAAVORITE things, is yarn ball art installations. They are so sensational!

xo – Brooke of Bright Wishes

Thanks, Brooke!  I gotta say, I love me that cotton candy machine.  Seriously.  It’s a great idea, especially if you have kids at your wedding!  But also you might want to have some babysitters at your wedding, too, so they can deal with the sugar crash while their parents party hardy through the night at ya weddins, m’friends. ;)

So, I have a question for ya…

I’m curious, aside from the Kutcher-Demi sitch on which I would appreciate the lowdown thankyouverymuch, I’d love to know what your fave element of this wedding is.  Because that feels like an impossible question and I like that about it.  Please try though?  For me it’s a tie between the bridesmaids dresses, the heart fringe art installation, the yarn ball installations, the cotton freaking candy which is awesome and the beautiful bride and her groom and how much ridiculous fun they had!

Because isn’t it all about having fun, on your wedding day?  I mean, duh. :)

xoxo!  - Alison

Photography: Taylor Lord Photography / Venue: Vista West Ranch / Event coordination and planning: Kevin Molesworth from Brass Tacks Events, Austin / Catering: Catering with a Twist / Flowers and centerpieces: DIY! / Cakes and homemade cookies: Mother of the bride!! / Cotton Candy Machine: Train Quest / Poetry Reader: Peter Faile (friend of the bride and groom) / Makeup: Lisa Juaregui / Wedding dress: custom made by Austin-based Heather Stevens; it was entirely out of linen! / Co-coordination of decor: Jennifer Kemper of Truly Felicity

We’ll get to THAT loveliness in a minute…

Before I address the pretty going on in this post, I have a few factoids/tips/comments to make, so bear with:

I missed the Bachelor this week.  A) I know, I can’t believe I wanna watch this crap but, B) DON’T TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED.

RANDOM SERIOUS TIP: Brides, please don’t try to get *skinny* for your wedding day.  Getting in shape is a noble goal, but skinny doesn’t look as good as you think it does in photos.  In fact it’s the first thing I notice, and it makes me sad to see.  Also, losing that little bit of extra weight between your final fitting and your wedding day can often mean a too large dress on a too thin body.  Slightly disastrous, if you’re a stickler about your dress properly fitting your hot bod on your Big Day.  Which I am.  (Nerves can cause this, too, so do your best to stay calm – yeah right – during that interim period of time.  We’ll call it “nuptial limbo.”  Yeah, I like the ring of that.)

Ok, now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s get to the good stuff…

We heart Lauren, *this much* (arms spread wide apart, depicting the largest amount of love possible).  She’s two very wonderful things: incredibly caring and loving, and mindblowingly creative.  Oh, I mean three things… she’s also, as you know, our DIY contributor.  And we’re sooo lucky to have her here with us twice a month!  But she’s got so much more to her, and I’d like to take this opportunity to give all of you a little peek into her wedding crafting world of wonders.

Try to resist buying up 100 of these babies for your wedding day.

That’s right… she’ll make them for you.  You can get them here.

She also makes ALL OF THIS…

You might remember her silhouette lace garland from this gorgeous DIY project she did for us.

… Well, Lauren can make it for you, too.  :) Check it out here.

These Vintage Silhouette and Sheet Music Wedding Paddles are also from that DIY project…

♥

She also makes radtastic photobooth props, my dears…

… which you can grab here.

♥

Quick fire round:

Pom & Pinwheel Escort Cards and Lapel Pins

♥

Embroidered Vintage Postcard Set

♥

Vintage Bridesmaid Hankie Gifts

Can you tell we really love Lauren here?  Because she’s kind of a big deal. :)

So, you know how we feel… tell us, how do you feel about Lauren? :)

xoxo!  – Alison

Hello, dahlings.  As most of you know, today marks the beginning of what has become an incredibly anticipated series.  YOUR PROPOSAL STORIES!  And we’re easing you into it with a simple, fun story about a boy who was really good at keeping his plans a secret from the love of his life.  (That is seriously hard to do, for reals.)

I present to you, the story of Heather and Travis’s engagement…

♥

Take it away, Heather:

The story behind my engagement might be a typical one, but of course to me it’s totally fantastic and amazing :)  I’ve known my fiancé since we were in junior high, and we were always just friends — but, of course, he has always been in love with me.

We remained friends through high school and college, both moving out of our little Southern California town to San Diego.  We eventually started dating three years ago…

For our entire relationship the only kind of clues I could get out of Travis about marriage was that it was going to happen “WAAAAAAYYYY” down the road, or not at all.  In fact, the week before he proposed he uttered the words every girl dreams of, “We should just be like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russel forever.”

Let’s just say I was SHOCKED…

… when he proposed a week later on a trip to Las Vegas!  We road-tripped it out there to celebrate my birthday, and he dropped down on one knee during an amazing dinner at the Bellagio.  All I could say was, “Are you serious?  Is this a mean joke!?”  I couldn’t believe it.  Well… of course now I do and we’re planning our September 5, 2010 wedding!

We decided to take our engagement pictures in our hometown, Redlands, around landmarks and in the orange groves.  Redlands is hugely known for their oranges and the entire city smells like orange blossoms once a year – we thought it was fitting.

Photography: He & She Photography / Venue: Redlands

Congratulations, Heather and Travis!  So excited for the two of you… we can’t wait to see your wedding!

☛ So, what do you guys think of Travis’ trickery?  And, by the way, how darling is this couple???!!!!!

Quick note: there are SOOOOO many more proposal stories to come, people.  Funny ones.  Tricky ones.  Effed up ones.  Come-on-already-and-DO-IT! ones.  Oh, and romantic ones, too.  Obvs.  (:

xoxo!  – Alison