Pretty Sweet Sunday

This morning I plopped down on our oh-so-comfy couch to check our RSVP status to the 4th of July BBQ on Evite, and had to check my google reader as normal. 45 mintues later, I'm really enjoying myself, sitting here drinking coffee, watching Wimbeldon (Federer is winning as usual) and eating the most delicious fresh figs I've ever had- a surprise gift from Lon's parents' trip to the Sun Valley Farmer's Market. Note to self: must get up early one Saturday and get over there for fresh produce.

After checking out my usual wedding and style blogs (listed to the right of this post). I realized that I could post more often if I used my free moments at work to do so, instead of checking out what's going on everywhere else. Alas, those free moments are used to free my cluttered mind and posting isn't always quick. Quite the conundrum.

I want to show you a picture of Lon from his recent family reunion on Galveston. I was so proud to see how he paired three different plaids to create an outfit deserving of a post on The Sartorialist. All of my fashion yapping must be setting in, because he's putting together very stylish outfits and commenting on fashion while we're out.

A note on our history: I always knew he had it in him! When we met, Lon did NOT care about his look. He wanted to be appropriate (even in worn out jeans), but that was all. I'd seen pictures of him pre-Airforce and noticed that he was stylish -- four years of wearing camos and black/brown t-shirts every day will set a tone. I've slowly encouraged him to make updates and he looks great! Seeing him put together that outfit was exciting.

We're working on catering and desert now. We've got one quote from Circle C Catering, and will request a few more before deciding. Meanwhile, cupcakes are on the mind.

I tasted the vanilla version of this little dream at a Tribeza happy hour last week and fell in love. Polkadots Cupcake Factory is owned by this charming little woman, and located on UT's campus. I chatted with the owner via email last week, and plan to visit for a taste next Saturday with Lon and his parents. Yum!

Yesterday we tried the cupcakes from Central Market, per a recommendation from the lovely Mrs. Moline. Sadly, they didn't hold up to other favorites and were dry, overly sugary and chemical tasting.

On the radar for future consideration: madCakes and Toot Sweet Cupcakes! This should be a tough one!

Lily of the Nile

I've been searching for the name of this flower for a couple of months now, ever since it started popping up in gardens around Austin. Agapanthus, aka Lily of the Nile, or African Lily. The varietal also comes in Buckingham Palace, Blue Brush, Black Pantha and Jacks Blue (final pic), to name a few.

I was initially attracted to their stand alone quality. I envisioned caring a single flower in lieu of a bouquet and this would do the trick. Pair that with the beautiful color and an appearance reminiscent of a firework mid-burst and you've got love. The price is pretty nice too.

Perhaps I'll try to grow some in my yard and use them for table decor...

Which color would look best with the dress?

Accessories

I saw these on my favorite accessories website Etsy. Luxe Deluxe http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=62605 has so many pieces which fit perfectly with my dress and the style of the wedding, that I have a hard time choosing which ones I like best. These seem like they would compliment the dress perfectly with out being a distraction...

My Dress!!!

Well I'm nearly there, as far as wedding dresses go. Today I found the website of Claire Pettibone http://www.clairepettibone.com/. It was love at first sight. Once the page loaded, I knew this was the style I was looking for - romantic, light and flowy and figure flattering!

I emailed my mom and she recommended I contact my aunt Katherine to see if she'd be interested in making a similar one for me. We chatted this evening, and got the ball rolling. My custom dress is in full swing! I envision a dress inspired by this one but my own and completely unique.

I feel so relieved. Choosing a dress has been on my mind ever since we got engaged last October. Katherine and I agreed that we'd do some preliminary research on my dress and its design, fabric, etc. and officially start on it this fall. I hope to have it in hand by February...so soon!

So, what do you think?