Colored Wedding Dress Crinoline Part 2: Mere Mortals Dye Poly Tulle

So I tried to dye my ivory crinoline yellow about 2 weeks ago with regular Tulip Dye... FAIL. The deeper shade of ivory it turned rinsed right out!
Upon investigation into the material contents of the crinoline, (Read: I did online research, called the shop I bought my dress from, and then FINALLY called my dress designer's world headquarters) I found that it is Poly-tulle. It is made of Polyester.
Now folks, no mere mortal can dye polyester fabric. However, I do not take kindly to the idea of a white crinoline I could have just left attached to the damn dress!
So I did some more research into what WOULD dye polyester. Apparently there is a poylester dye that comes in its very own packet and everything. It is called iDye Poly and although it comes in limited colors, it comes in yellow and it works! Shawnie did most of the work and I stood by with my nervously bitten lip.

We put a stainless steel bucket on the stove with warm-to-hot water in it. We put it up to level 4 on the burner to get it simmering. We added the skirt and Shawn stirred it constantly to keep the color even and to keep the crinoline from cooking!

It got gradually darker over the course of 30 minutes.

Before

5 Minutes

10 Minutes! Soaked up a lot of color!!!

Woohoo! Results!!!

I'd like to thank Shawn (for dying and emotional support), Grandpa (for using his bathtub and carwashing bucket without fear of stains) and my mom (for listening to me bitch when it wouldn't work and I couldn't figure out how to make it work!). I will have a colored crinoline for under my dress.

There is a downside to this DIY: it took SO. FREAKING. LONG. that I handed it off to my alterations lady for Part 3 : the elastic waist. All I will have is after-after pics! Hang in there!

Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day Monday to everyone, including those who are serving or whose familes are!!!
Over the weekend we did something for sheer delight that will shock all my readers: We went to WWE Monday Night Raw in Omaha!!!
The picture above was us outside of Omaha's Qwest Center before we went in. The stripe of flourescent orange and yellow are our signs we made. Mine said "HI GRANDPA & JAZZY!" on one side and "Shawn + Hillary Get Married in 11 DAYS!!!" We weren't on TV, but we still represented. We are huge WWE fans! This is a new development that Shawn's Grandpa is almost entirely responsible for. Shawn and his dad were into it when Shawn was younger, but now we don't miss it! Since we started renting Grandpa's basement to save up wedding money we have had dinner and watched wrestling every night that it is on. At first I was opposed, but now I'm the first one on the couch Mondays and Fridays!
We had a really nice, fun time and escaped from the wedding even though we're thisclose!

Weddzilla

I may be giving my offbeat self away, but I had to write about Steampunk Weddings at Weddzilla!

2 Weeks Until We're Married Bunnays!

14 Days Until We're Married!

Our Birdcage cardholder is done! This was Shawn's Grandma's birdcage from her canary, Tweety. It was destined for garbage last summer until I spoke up and took it, not knowing at the time what it would end up as. Now look at it. Shawn is entirely responsible for the cleaning, drying (with the air compressor!) and painting the whole thing.

He even cut out a cardboard circle for the bottom because he thought it would be more stable. All I did was literally hot glue a few things on it.

The moss bunnies are done, also! They started out with green gingham ribbons around their necks and pink flower eyes. They're HiLLjO+Shawn-licious now! Shawn's mommy painted the eyes and noses and I glued on the bow ties.

I got my Bride's bag in the mail!!! I ordered it from etsy shop Pinkvelvetpress. They made me a custom listing for my order and it was here on time! The bag is only around $12 and they have it in all different colors. You can even customize the color and style of the font! I was very happy with my bag!!!

Weddzilla

I reasearched the Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony in depth this week!

Sock Bunnies : Completed!

Do I need to write a post to go along with these?

No. They are just that awesome. ƸӜƷ

Results of Last Minute Veil DIY!

Hello, lovelies.
So yesterday I described how all the while that I have been planning my Wedding Day ensemble, I simply knew I did not want a traditional veil. I thought the answer for me was a hair wreath. I tried to make one for 6 WEEKS until I finally designed one I like. While that was failing previously I tried a simple flower in the hair, which I love, too.
I took all my accessories with me to my final fitting last Saturday only to discover that I don't like my accessories with my wedding gown! The shoes are too bulky with the dainty dress and the hair wreath only perpetuates my young-as-hell looks. I want to look grown up and womanly like all the brides I see at their weddings. I'm okay with looking like my young-faced self everyday but on my wedding day I want to look like a woman. The hair wreath is lovely, but not for me.

I don't recall where I saw it but recently there was a bride featured on one of my favorite blogs who had a version of a birdcage where the netting was in a crescent shape across only her eyes. I wanted to try one of those, but I had to find a good picture and find out what it was called!
After much googling of terms like "mini birdcage" and "eye veil" I found out that they are called bandeau veils or visor veils.
I googled up some good reference and inspiration photos and got to work making a diagram and list of supplies for myself (I have become VERY organized whilst planning!). I had everything but mini combs to attach it in my hair. After going to Sally Beauty I didn't find mini combs, but I got the 2-prong pincurl clips that looked like they would work, too.

I went home and laid out my supplies and got to work. It took around 5 minutes. Ava helped me mark my tulle; she bit it! But it was actually just where I needed to cut it... odd, yet wonderful! I cut a double-length to make a double layer of tulle by folding it in half. Then I folded the outside corners on each end to the center, pinching the layers together as I folded. Then I sewed a stitch and knot into the layers to keep it together before attaching it to the clip. The clip felt most secure in my hair with the prongs pointing down towards the floor, so I sewed each one onto the backside of sewn tulle clusters. The veil itself was "done" after that. I chose to add a sunflower barrette on the left side of it for my flower in the hair.

Which do you like better?

16 Days to Go!

2 Weeks and 2 Days Until Bunnays is Married!



Why do I do this to myself?!

After my final dress fitting on Saturday with all my extras, I came to a hard realization: I love my dress and I love my accessories, just not together! I think I am lucky because I still have time and I am not discovering this the day-of. I also feel lucky because it is freaky-common for brides to start hating their dress around the point we are at in wedding planning. Neither of those things happened so I am just focused on fixing my accessories at this point.
I am going to go barefoot until someone tells me to put shoes on that day. I love my sandals, but I REALLY love how my dress looks with me barefoot. It's so right.
The headpiece makes me look like a little girl in a big wedding dress. I do not appreciate looking younger when I already look like a baby! I want to look like a woman on my wedding day for my Shawnie.


lifespringphotography.com

 So, having said all this I go forth to make something new. Yes, at 16 days to the wedding, a new project.

The Last-Minute DIY Visor Veil

Inspiration:

Check back tomorrow for the results and a whole good lot of photos!!!

Weddzilla

How to put that stress the 30-days before the wedding in check.

My Solah Shringar : Chooriyan

Courtesy of The Lucky Elephant



Happy Monday, everyone.

After this weekend I'd prefer not to discuss what is all left to do. It's not that much but it overwhelms me just the same. We'll keep it positive by just saying that I am struggling with my wedding accessories meshing with the look of my gown. To help me with this, I have been notified by Diana that I have won the Lucky Elephant giveaway that she featured last week on AllWomenStalk! This made me cry happy tears because I have no more money or time for any more DIY projects or extra purchases. Now I still get my Hindu Chooriyan!!!

Each Lucky Elephant bracelet is handmade by etsy shop owner Jutta, who gives 10% of all the proceeds to Chicago's Urban Initiatives. I can't think of a more beautiful bracelet to wear on my wedding day.

Thank you Jutta and Diana. You've made my entire day!

It's raining outside... but I feel all kinds of sunshine.

This morning it was raining for me, but about a half hour ago, the sun poked out and all was well again.

Last week I tried to schedule MOH Meaghan and my hair/nail/toes appointments when I got my awesome haircut. The next day I called to make it 2 nail/toe appointments and they said they'd call back. I never heard back so I called again today and they told me Kristin, my personal hair dresser, is booked for my wedding day.
CRASH. BOOM. BANG.
My world fell down around me. I finally decided not to DIY my own hair with my DIY makeup and I can't have it? The one lady besides myself I let touch my hair is busy on my wedding day?
I intermittently cried as it showered outside.

At 12:45 I decided to go see Shawn at lunch and cry to him. He made me feel better and told me, just as my mom did when I called her on the way, "Everything will be ok."

And it was.

At 3:21 PM Kristin called me herself to say that since she is doing my pedicure, she'll just steal me away to do my hair!
Isn't she amazing? Anytime I need anything for my hair whether it's Tuesday or my wedding day, she gets it done and it's done how I see it in my head. That is why I only let her touch my hair!
So even though it's rumbling thunder outside still, I am all sunshiney and happy again.
I'm still crying, but I'm happy now!

Everyone go say Congratulations to Laura of Saying I Do. She's getting hitched tomorrow!!! We love you, Laura!!!

Weddzilla

Today at Weddzilla I am discussing Irish wedding traditions!!!

Favorite Things : Etsy's Unfound Treasures

artfuldesignsbykarin.etsy.com

I love etsy! It's definitely no secret. But did you know there's special searches you can do on etsy? One search function I really enjoy is the one where it takes you to shops that haven't had a sale yet. One shop I found was artfuldesignsbykarin. She makes the most beautiful shell ring dishes! They would be perfect for a ring warming ceremony accessory.



They are so dainty and lovely! They would be a great substitute for a ring bearer pillow as well at a beachy wedding! Perfect for the summer coming up!

So if you're in need of a nautical ring holder for any reason go and see artfuldesignsbykarin.etsy.com!!!

Groom in Shorts - Inspiration

My future husband is the smartest, coolest, most unique and stylish man I've ever met. He is what we can deem to be an "offbeat groom." Having said this, you may already know I am an Offbeat Bride member. Offbeat Bride is basically a hardcore community-blog created by a pink haired lady on the NING platform. It pulls together people who are disquieted by the normal wedding magazine weddings. The offbeat brides and grooms submit photos of their weddings to the community Flickr pool and you can search around for offbeat ideas. ANYWHO... I had seen a picture of the groom and his guys ALL IN KNICKERS. I wish I had the photo! I just remember thinking how unique that was; I had never seen a groom in shorts. So I googled. There is nothing, save for beachy grooms in shorts. I never mentioned this to Shawn.
Around September after we were engaged for about a month we were having a laying-in-bed-at-night chat. He was mentioning the kind of suit he wanted for the wedding. He wanted to wear something with different blue pinstripes that had tails and shorts.
My mouth dropped to the floor and I just thought "This is the perfect man for me." I jumped on his bandwagon immediately! I encouraged him to do this because it is rockin', he always wears black flat-front Dickies shorts in the summer and because he decided he wanted to wear sandals.
Shawn and I have said it before and we'll say it again together:
Sandals + Pants = Cheese
So the sandals fit his outfit perfectly and his outfit suits him perfectly. I listened to each idea he had for his outfit and kept my eyes peeled online and in the stores until I had a good idea of what he was going for.

One day at Kohls I found a suit that was perfect but I didn't buy it. This was Shawn's decision and I picked my dress, so he gets to pick his suit. I told him about the suit immediately. It was a navy blue Ralph Lauren suit with a blue multicolor decostripe through it. It froze me in my tracks when I saw it; I knew it was for Shawn! When he saw the suit, he was immediately taken with it.

He has his final fitting in his custom creation coming up soon. I won't take pictures of him in it but I'll take a pic of the before and after for everyone to see the changes! It is awesome.

Verbal RSVP's - Painful!

24 Days!!!

Shawn and I made and sent around 115 invites total. Of those, around 80 were mailed with stamps but all 115 included RSVP cards with pre-stamped envelopes with which to mail them back. Currently I believe we have around 80 RSVP's total. Shawn's friends and some of our family members are not RSVP'ing! We spent SO much on stamps for all those RSVP envelopes because we need a headcount for food! I thought it'd be no problem having the cards returned by including a pre-stamped envelope, no matter what the answer is.
Verbal RSVP's are only okay for immediate family like our parents because they only got keepsake invitations and I don't expect those RSVP's back.
It is much more thoughtful not to verbally RSVP to someone who is less than a month away from getting married and tying up the ends of the wedding and purchasing a home. I can't keep track of 20 verbal RSVP's; my mom needs those RSVP cards!

Weddzilla

Go check out Germany's traditions for weddings!

Mushy-saurus Day

I'm having a very emotional day.
Not only is it a mushysaurus day where I cry everytime I see something that is nice and wedding related, or if I think about our wedding in depth(more than 60 seconds).

Bunnays is Licensed!

We have officially gotten our Marriage License from the State of Nebraska!!! We got out of work early last Thursday and made the trek to the courthouse!

You need a form of identification, to know your parents' places of birth and mom's maiden name... and $15! $20 will get you pre-paid for a certified copy with which to change your name. Funny thing about changing your name... to do it ladies, take your marriage license copy to the Social Security office and tell them you'd like to change it. That is the straight answer on the "how?"

Us with the pretty keepsake copy in the courthouse!!! YEEEEE!!!! 24 Days!

My Solah Shringar : Bichuas

My Solah Shringar is going well!
I just got my hair cut and it is lovely!!! My hair lady is super-amazing and always does EXACTLY what I have in my head. Seriously, Nebraska, go see Kristin at John Edward's salon; she has been called innovative by Redken stylists at the hair shows I modeled for in the past!!! She even shampoo'd me with sulfate-free shampoo since I go no-poo/no-sulfate poo. AH-MAZING!

Haircut with Naath on display!

Shawn's momma Donna bought me my Bichuas toe ring! I was going to buy a toe ring/anklet set with a butterfly theme. Donna texted me last week "Do you wear toe rings?" I replied "Yes, I actually need to buy one for the wedding for my bare feet!" She sent me back a picture of this:

AMAZING! When Shawn and I were first dating before we became yellow and orange bunnays, were were green & blue puppies (remember the color book pages, Bun?!) So this is a perfect blend of old and new; plus it's freakin' pretty. I can't wait to wear it!!! What kind of anklet should I get? I kind of want a silver one to match. Any ideas on where to find it, too?!

So Much to Update!!!

This weekend was again a very busy one. We took a cue from last weekend and weren't quite so rough on ourselves. We also took some time out for a bunnytime date on Sunday night to see Bridesmaids! Shawn really is my BFF for taking me to that movie on a date! It was surprisingly funny, though!
Friday I received my lilafrances hanger that says "mrs finley" for my wedding dress. People, I cried. I opened it and just ran my hands over it. It was made just for this future mrs finley and no one else has it! It is for my wedding dress alone. It's one material possession that transcends a material meaning.

We also went out on Saturday seeking to purchase Shawn's wedding band once and for all. We went to the mall, tried on each and every men's ring in the whole mall until we found the one that Shawn liked best. It looks so amazing on him and next to mine as well.

We attempted to dye my crinoline yellow... not so good. It didn't take very much dye!!! My cardigan I dyed along with it to match turned out lovely, though. I'm going to attempt to overdye the crinoline bright yellow again tonight. There are more updates but I'm going to be writing about more throughout the day!

Stay tuned!

see the girl with the diamond ring... she knows how to twist that thing

When I was first engaged, I would take about 100 pictures a day of my hand with my new engagement ring. Ok, so it wasn't quite that many, but I saved these photos and now have a collection of them. I'm sure it's something we all are doing/did at one time!

JUST ENGAGED!!! Like 5 minutes prior!

The Photo everyone MMS'd me for!

Summer love and an engagement ring!

It looks super good in the Beetle while I'm driving, too!

In comments, link to your photos of your ring!!!

Weddzilla!

Today head over to Weddzilla's blog to check out Italian Wedding Traditions. Per Cent'anni!!!

How sweet it is!!!

Shawn's mommy recently got all of our mini chocolate bars wrapped in the personalized labels!

The company that made our matching seed packets sent one of these candies with the seed packet order as bait! We took the bait and now we have 300 total!

YUM!

Aisle Runner FAIL comme Headpiece FAIL

Last weekend we got a lot of things done. We were wiped out, but we had a general feeling of well-being from things being taken off our backs. One thing we tried to do that was a FAIL was the aisle runner. These DIY's that are repeat-FAILS astound me. I never expect them to be so difficult to execute! The other hard DIY was the headpiece... unfortunately that took 6 weeks and we don't have half that time. I might just be painting one or several large flowers on it near the personalization and then call it good. It's only 40ft long, how much can I do in under a month?!
The biggest struggle is laying out the runner in an area that is clean enough and long enough to paint it. Outside is a no. Our hallway turned out to be a no. Upstairs might work but we'll have to lock Grandpa's dog away... *shudder.* She's wild.
The thickness... well thin-ness rather, of the runner itself is a challenge as well. It's SO thin. I'd venture to say it's paper-thin. Good thing about that: minimal paint required. Bad thing about that: My fingernail could tear it. We'll keep those fingernails crossed that it stays in one piece and looking nice.
Shawn tried to help me roll it out, roll it up, everything. Poor thing is probably so sick of me! He helps me sooo much. I'm lucky.

I'll be sure to keep that topic updated on here. I hope we get it done!