You guys… I’m really starting to think that Ashley might not be over Bentley yet.

Which means she’s probably neg-lacting all those others guys.  Which is sad because about one or two of them actually would consider dating her, potentially for close to a year.  Now, I realize I don’t have much to go on re: my Bentley suspicions, other than her bringing him up incessantly in every interview and discussing with Chrisharrison their very real potential for dot dot dot, and how she spends critical get-to-know-one-another-date time measuring her current date’s openness to her mentioning the fact that she misses Bentley with everything in her being but that they’re doing a great job helping her get through those difficult emotions, and how she’s already getting out of her hot date clothes and putting on pjs and reading glasses with dates because she wants to make it extra super crystal clear that she’s not going to put much effort into a relationship with non-Bentleys because she’s already lost her one true love in this one life we have… but the following exchange at the end of last night’s episode made me think that maybe, just maybe, he might still be on her mind:

Chrisharrison: “He’s in this hotel…”

Ashley Herbert: “…… SHUT.  UP.”

And you know what?  That really chaps my a$$.

*QUICK-FIRE SPECULATION ROUND (plus intermittent relationship advice)*

Ames is too perfect to be an actual real-life person, or at least is very confused about who he is, beyond his scholarly, worldly exterior.  He’s kind enough, but I suspect he doesn’t know himself very well and feels that accomplishments and great stories are what make a person.  He’s super adorable and he can suck you in, and I fell in love with his adorableness and wit while watching their date, but I really believe that he’s the kind of person who was raised to value accomplishments only, and when it comes to being open and understanding others, he likely has no real understanding or experience.  Or he’s not into girls.  Trust me, because I’ve been in a relationship with his doppelganger (minus that last note… I think).

Dude who everyone thinks is too happy including Ashley when they got down to it: What’s wrong with being happy all the time?  Well, maybe everything.  But he seems genuine.  Though I can understand why that would chap some peoples’ a$$es.

Constantine: I enjoyed him, and so did honey, in fact, he’s a standout favorite of honey’s after he saw their date.  But two things irked me: 1) he said “I’m excited for Ashley to fit into my life… fit into my family” and 2) the guys all talked about him having great game.  Those are yucky things that could be pretty bad signs of what he expects and who he is.  Or I could be judging this guy too hard.

West: Northeast is one of the two guys who would have sincerely dated Ashley for at least six months after the show before moving on.  And she sent him home.  It’s like she’s allergic to quality, sincere guys who are interested in her.  Life isn’t about Jabbawockeez dance moves and spontaneous Far East Movement concerts and dot dot dot.  Life is about being happy, trusting someone, and connecting with someone who wants to connect with you.  Unless Ashley had absolutely no chemistry with Southwest, I cannot excuse her for punishing him for losing his wife and thinking he wouldn’t be open to a new relationship.  I guarantee she based much of her decision on the fact that Flyoverstate hesitated when she asked him if he was ready/had moved on, and that his answer wasn’t “I’m totally over my dead wife.  LET’S DO THIS!”  But isn’t a heartfelt, somewhat thoughtful but overall seemingly healed type of answer the PERFECT ANSWER to her question?  Whatever, he’s gone.  It is what it is.

*MULTIPLE CHOICE ROUND*

As we know, at the end of last night’s episode, Chrisharrison (remember that that is his name, because his name is not Chris Harrison, it is Chrisharrison) tells Ashley that there’s a hotel room that holds something she wants.  Is it:

A) Brad Womack, because he realizes he made a mistake but knows for sure this time

B) Michelle Money, to scold her for not heeding her warning and also to give her makeup and hair lessons on how to handle humidity in Thailand

C) an actual Bentley vehicle so that Chrisharrison can say “PSYCHE!” when she finds out it’s not the human Bentley

D) Bentley, because that would per-fact.

E) Jesus.

Anyway, moving right along as we always do, segue or no segue…

OMG SUCCULENTS

You guys get it.  You know I love succulents, it’s a well-known fact.  And it’s rather time I slam some succulent love directly into your faces, no-mercy-style.  Starting with, and in NO PARTICULAR ORDER even though I called this a Top 10 List…

1. Low to the ground centerpieces that allow for zee clinking of zee glasses between zee guests – something worth considering…

Here’s a better look at the crazy pretty combo of rustic decor + succulent lovin’…

2. Gorgeous gorgeousness via Stephanie Williams’ This Modern Romance blog…

3. More inspo via {JooJoo} on a window sill…

4. There’s this mothereffing hunk of pretty from Jennifer Eileen Photography and with help from Enjoy Events, with gold and of course succulents involved so I’m going insane over it…

5. Escort card perfection by Kelly of Bash, Please:

6. A novel idea for fans of the written word…

7. His and hers busts for succulent holding…

The head vases can be purchased here at Floral Art.

8. Here’s some fantastic decor that pretty much blows my mind, again from Jennifer Eileen Photography…

9. A simple setting of succulents in stoneware pots…

… as well as succulents and cake stands.  A marriage made in heaven.

10. My girls over at Style Unveiled featured a shoot with massive succulent love…

10.5. :) Then there is, of course, the brilliance that is our fantastic resident DIY blogger, Lauren Elise, who brought us this DIY fabulousness…

By the way, The Bam won’t leave me alone today.  He keep staring up at me, then repositioning himself, then staring up at me again, from a new angle, and longingly.  With whimpering.  Sux.  Because I’d absolutely LOVE to hold him a-like a-so…

all the live long day (that’s his papa holding him)…

But instead, most of the time I just have to let him do this…

:)

Soooooo…. any thoughts on anything going on in this post?  Have at it.  Whatever you’re feelin’.  That’s clearly my MO.

By the by, that wedding we attended in Laguna a week or so ago?  They’re in the exact same area of Thailand where Ashley twitted around and generally was a ridiculous.  I’m sure they’re spending their time there much more wisely and without sulking over lost loves.

On a final note… do me a favor: no more tutu flower girl dresses that result in little girls’ torsos popping out where it counts.  I just feel like a creep every single time I see that.  (Tutu dresses are great; just not the low rida ones, if you’re pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down.)

xoxo!  – Alison

]]> http://theknottybride.com/23473/feed 23 http://theknottybride.com/19730 http://theknottybride.com/19730#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:48:53 +0000 theknottybride http://theknottybride.com/?p=19730

Hello and welcome to your Thursday afternoon post. :)

Thanks for your patience, mes amours… got lots of uncluttering done this morning in the “studio;” felt motivated so I took the opportunity.  Very glad I did.  Plus, I gotta say, it feels like my brain has so much extra empty space in it all of a sudden.  (Hey.  HEY.  Don’t you say anything.) 

Anyway, I love you guys.  Yeah yeah I know you know that, but I hope you know that I seriously, seriously LOVE you guys.  Alright, that’s certainly enough of THAT.

Ok, I’m redonk excited to share Part 1 of the story of HWTM’s amazeballs brunch with you today… BUT FIRST, a totally unrelated story, as usual – wheeee!

After accidentally landing on (and, I swear, immediately clicking off of) a new reality wedding competition called “Wedding Wars” last night, something has become painfully clear.  I am not the kind of person who could ever win a reality show competition.  Here’s why:

I can’t be without my iMac, MacBook Pro AND cell for more than a few hours at a time;

I am hopelessly incapable of lying through my teeth to get to the top (if you ask anyone in my immediate/extended family/network of friends/colleagues/nursery school classmates, you will know that the intrusive and lie-demolishing giggle always accompanies even the most harmless fib);

My teeth are not, and will never be, white enough;

I’m really, really competitive when it comes to playing sports, which is a bad thing on competitive reality shows and tends to get you sent home (go figure);

I have moderate difficulty pinpointing people’s weaknesses with the express purpose of exploiting them;

In high school, the cafeteria was often more of a personal hell than a place of nourishment.  Reality shows are worst-case-scenario high school cafeterias.

Cameras 24/7?  No thank you.  I don’t care if you’re not airing it; I don’t want B-roll of me, as Jessica Simpson would say, “dropping the kids off at the pool” anywhere in your film library.

I have love in my heart.

You know, it’s that last one that really seals the deal.  Because when you have love in your heart, heartlessly effing over everyone against whom you’re competing and talking behind their backs every day, all day, as you do it… well, it’s much harder to do that when you have feelings and empathy and generally want humanity to flourish.

Anywhooooooo… here’s that something that has nothing to do with any of the above, which is the actual topic of today’s post.  Which is, of course, also totally par for the course.  Wheeee!

I have an obsession that I think I’m ready to share with you guys.  It’s a total wedding decor WIN.  (I’ve had enough alone time with it myself; gotta pay it forward.)  Jenn of Hostess with the Mostess invited me to come to this amazing brunch she threw together at Gramercy Park Hotel in coordination with Arbor Mist about a month ago at and I’ve been super duper excited to share the deets of the day with you, mainly because of one special thing in particular…

When I say “threw together,” I am of course making an offensively huge understatement with regard to Jenn’s styling efforts.  She flew in on like a red eye I think the night before (she’s from CA; the brunch and I are from NYC), and in what must have been a scene straight out of Looney Tunes – who’s the guy who spins like a tornado and changes the whole scene?  I’m blanking, and, therefore, killing the joke – she decorated THE ENTIRE BRUNCH SITUATION IN 2 SECONDS.  With her bare hands.  So we walked into this:

Quick note: I’m really excited to share the rest of this event with the quickness (aka soon, not right now; deserves a separate post) but for today, I want to focus on my FAAAAAAVORITEST part.  These things.

Yeah.  I know.  Slightly amazeballs.

I was an A minus student in middle school science so I’m proud to say I know that these glass thingies are called test tubes. ;)  (Stay in school, kids.)

I’m also pretty sure I love this concept.  We’ve seen it executed on occasion in a few styled inspiration shoots, and it hasn’t gotten old for me yet.  In fact, my affection for this type of art installation-meets-floral-decor-meets-science-experiment is only growing.  Of course, ask me again in a few months.

Snapping these pics of Jenn’s handiwork immediately brought to mind thoughts of a favorite Etsy shop of mine, called Pigeon Toe Ceramics.  Because not only do they have test tubes… they have ceramic test tubes.

And they are ruuhhdiculous.

Wait… we definitely need a closer look at that absolute freshness…

I would like 78 of the above tout suite.  Please and thank you.

Wait, you guys, those are wall hanging!  We don’t want wall hanging, we want alien hovercrafts carrying flowers that float above our heads!  Done and DONE:

You can pick your preferred twine color, too.  I LOVE THIS SHOP.

So many ways to dazzle!

Ceramics: Pigeon Toe Ceramics on Etsy. 

… not into ghostly objects hanging precariously above your guests’ noggins?  I understand; Aunt Sue’s nicely coiffed ‘do turns to a major fro if even the smallest droplet of water hits it.  This, we do not want.

Here’s a safely grounded option for ya, from Urban Outfitters…

Yeah boyyyyyyye!

So, what do you think of this wedding decor concept?  And what do you think of Jenn’s styling?  If we’re talking a scale of 1 to 10, I think ratings should be 10 or above.  Because she turned that volume up to eleven, if you ask me.

By the way, Jenn – I’ve been nursing the Arbor Mist they gave us and finally finished it last night.  I think they hooked me.  6% alcohol makes it totally fine though, right?

xoxo!  – Alison

So, it’s Monday peeps!  How about that?!  I know it’s not the custom but I’m pretty pumped about this whole Monday thing.  Let’s forget for a moment the fact that tonight involves having to brace the bitter cold that is NYC’s current weather pattern, and let’s also put aside the fact that this weather is going to freeze my nips until they’re cold as ICE.  That part’s obviously not the reason I’m excited (I get that it would be for a select few types in this world… the types that go to conventions for said things… but it’s not for me).  I’m pumped that it’s Monday because we’ll be attending a great little event tonight at Landmarc, and Ron Ben-Israel cakes are on the menu.  Wheeeee!  Colleagues, I’ll be wearing a head-to-toe Maggie Simpson snowsuit.  Kidding.  Maybe.  I really hate being cold and I did see one rather fashionable onesie at The North Face this past weekend.

Anywho!  On my rounds this past Friday, I fell into the lap of the cutest little engagement session between an Amanda and a Levi, shot by Sloan Photographers.  … But Alison [you say], I’m sure you fall into the lap of gads of cute little engagement sessions.  What makes this one so special?  And to that I laugh heartily, head tilted back ever so slightly, and I say to you, person who reads this blog, it’s special for two whole reasons: 1) the moss letters Amanda and Levi are clutching are the first two letters of my name (and I’m an egomaniac) and 2) they are cute.  Very, very cute.  And I want you guys to consider them as the perfectest little engagement shoot props, or as details for your wedding day!

Pssst… there’s something about Amanda you don’t know.  And it’s that she makes gigantic letters and sells them in her MandieCandy shop on Etsy.  Very awesome, Amanda!

So!  Because I got a little obsessed, I went out and found you guys a whole bunch of lettering options, in case you want to hang some letters from your bride/groom chairs at your reception, or from your ceremony doors, or your necks if you’re weird, or your dog’s neck (if you hang it from your dog’s neck I will personally come down there, remove it, and then kindly but firmly lecture you on the importance of respecting your pet’s dignity and, depending on the size of your pet, his spinal integrity).

We’ll start with a stunner from DesignsByLeeAnn…

Here are some picks from ChoosingYou…

… I hear “H” is a professional baseball player, so I have my suspicions about his size…

Perfect for hanging on the doors that lead to your ceremony…

Ampersands are fun and they make me happy.

Check it out!  My middle initial too!

Awww…

Some more options for those of you who aren’t so into the whole moss thing:

Wire Frame 10″ Letters from Urban Outfitters

Acid Etch Letters from Urban Outfitters

And we’ll end on a little moss wedding ring pillow by AprilHilerDesigns that’s close to my heart – because it’s got succulents on it (duh).  I’ve featured it once before in a wedding, but I’d like to breathe new life into it, here. :)

E-session photography by Sloan Photographers

So, what do you think?  Do you dig monograms?

xoxo!  – Alison

I’ve recently jumped headfirst back into a Fiona Apple kick (past two days) and it’s kind of awesome.  I used to listen to her ALL THE TIME (ohhh boy if cars had recording devices…), and there’s nothing better than taking a little break and returning to an artist over whom you once obsessed.  Ohh Ms. Apple, you ironically bring such exuberance and happiness to my mornings with your sad, deeply introspective, brooding lyrics and melodies.  Thank you for that. :)  Even though I’m kind of sure that wasn’t your intention.

Oh well.  However it hits the ear is how it hits the ear.  I just hope it hits my neighbors ears in a similar manner, because I’m belting the crap out of her songs right now.

Anywho!  The lovely bride in that photo and all those that follow is named Kristen.  Kristen wore Kate Spade on her footsies, and I love her for it.  Now, I’m sure she’s a great girl with amazing qualities, but all I can base my feelings on right now are her shoes, which I think are BANGIN’.  Not bangin’ in the way that bat-out-of-hell Snooki meant when discussing her feeling that all girls “deserve to look bangin’ no matter how young they are,” and then she proceeded to makeover what appeared to be an 11 year old girl.

No, not the Snooki way.  Bangin’ in the appropriate, totally not disgusting way.

Yeah. Ew.

Moving on.  More heel shots!!!!! ↓

Those sparkling beauties pair up to be called the Twirl Karolina.  They’re by Kate Spade, and…

♥ … they’re available for purchase here. ♥

Now, I’d be doing you a disservice by ending this post here, at her shoes.  Especially when there’s so much more inspiration to behold…

Yup, this is happening.

I know.  Amazeballs.

… I think everyone knows that those centerpieces are the kinds that live in my dreams.  Bravo, Bash, Please.

So, think you’d wanna rock a pair of sparkletastic heels on your wedding day?  Or are you planning on a more subdued look?  And what about the table decor?  Are you a succulent lover?

Also, if you’re sharing in the #TuesdayShoesday fun, comment below so we can let peeps know!

xoxo!  – Alison

Style Me Pretty / Photography: Max Wanger / Design, Florals, and Coordination: Bash, Please / Music: The Flashdance / Catering and Bar: Heirloom LA / Venue: Marvimon / Fabric Flowers: Ashley Meaders and Stella Alberti / Wedding dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bunting and table runners: Roberta Maran -323-463-0014 / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Shoes: Kate Spade / Hairpiece: Whichgoose

♥

*RANDOM KNOTTY TIP TIME*

1. If you need to remove wax from table linens, try placing facial tissue folded several times under and over the affected area and pressing with a warm iron.

2. For large parties, you can use a washing machine to store ice, cool beer, etc.