My Etsy Wedding Part Two

My Etsy Wedding Continues....

Bleu de Toi:
Once again, I heard about Bleu de Toi in the blogosphere and immediately knew that I wanted to guest book like this.  It is so whimsical and different, and I loved it.  I also knew that I wanted a guest book to hang on the wall to look at forever as opposed to a book that would be put away on a book shelf to collect dust forevermore.  I am beyond happy with how it turned out and would absolutely recommend it for any nontraditional brides such as myself.

Chrissy's Creations:
Full disclosure here:  I initially received these handkerchiefs, and two of them had errors.  The numbers on two parts had slight imperfections.  I didn't want to deal with getting a replacement and so left neutral feedback for the seller.  Well, she just wouldn't have it.  She went above and beyond to replace my handkerchiefs WITHOUT ME EVEN DIRECTLY ASKING, and I wound up with two perfect replacements.  Excellent product and even more amazing customer service.

 Vibrant Trains:
We love our ring bearer so much, so we wanted to get him something special as a ring bearer's gift.  I was searching forever, but could never find anything that was special enough.  I finally stumbled across Vibrant Trains and immediately ordered one, in a theme to fit our ring bearer's room.  I could not be more pleased with the outcome and the communication of the seller.  The train is perfection and is hand painted with such care.  I hope they are still in business when my time to have kids comes around!

Jolie Marche:
I ordered this pillow after wanting to have a more customized look to a lounge area that we have set up at our venue.  I could not be happier with this pillow.  We had our entire wedding date written on the bottom instead of just the year, and it turned out perfectly.

My Etsy Wedding Part One

We are MARRIED!!!!!  Our wedding couldn't have been more perfect.  It was the best weekend of my entire life.  I worked hard thinking about all of the little details, and I am so glad that I did!

I was introduced to Etsy by a dear friend many years ago.  I have always loved the site, and it made sense to use it to purchase and/or inspire most of my wedding decor.

I don't even want to know how many hundreds of dollars I have spent ordering beautiful Etsy items to make our day extra special.  I wanted to share all of my fabulous Etsy finds to pay it forward, since I used many blogs to research reliable Etsy sellers/products when I was doing my searching.

The Stampin Place:  First thing is (was) first, I purchased an address stamp for my sweetie and I's home.  This was the best first decision I made.  I have used this thing hundreds of times stamping thank you cards, invitations, save the dates, etc.  I opted for a stamp without the ink pad, just in case I wanted to switch up ink colors.  This is the exact stamp style we purchased, and I have been extremely happy with it.

PennelliBelle:  I found this site on a blog (paying it forward), and love this bracelet.  My sister ordered me matching earrings, and while I decided to go with some daintier jewelry for the wedding, both pieces are excellent quality.  Also, the communication with the seller was amazing.

Pretty Paris:  I ordered this vintage fork set to keep at our cake table for decor and also to use as our cake-tasting forks for the day of.  I absolutely love this sweet set, and the quality is also excellent.

Florrie Mitton:  Let me tell you the story of my garter.  Yes, I later found out that your maid of honor is supposed to purchase your garter for you, but my MOH is a broke college student, and that's just not how I roll.  I saw this garter, and I immediately swooned over it.  It was everything I wanted in a garter, and not some cheese, satiny cheapo one.  This, to me, was heirloom quality, and I had to have it.  I was hesitant to pay this much for a garter, but after I saw this seller also selling items from BHLDN (my love Anthropologie's bridal equivalent), I had to have it.  I purchased it, and this is probably my favorite wedding purchase I've made.

The Giggle Room:  Since we're not having a flower girl, I was okay with spending a bit more on our ring bearer's pillow.  I saw this originally on Style me Pretty and had to have it.  Burlap is a running theme in my wedding, and the pillow fit in perfectly.

Original Findings
I wanted to make some picture pendants for my bouquet of my grandparents who have passed away.  In searching for pendants, I was shocked to see how expensive some where!  I even saw some for $30 PER PENDANT.  No thank you.  I purchased these and ended up mod-podging photos on them, and they turned out perfectly.



 

How I Saved 5 Minutes Blow Drying My Hair

Since the wedding plans started, I have been growing out my hair.  I do like it, and have finally managed to find a hair care regimen that leaves my long locks soft and tangle free.  However, it takes forever and a day to blow dry it!  Since it has been warmer, I have had wash-and-wear hair.  Although it doesn't look all that great, it cuts by morning time by the 15-20 minutes it takes to fully dry my hair.

The other day, while reading my beloved most recent edition of Real Simple magazine, I stumbled upon a review of brushes.  RS recommended the Goody Quik Style Paddle Brush to cut down on drying time.  While at Target last week, I bought it!

 It is a bit of a monstrosity, with microfiber towel-like fingerlings sticking out from the normal paddle brush bristles.  The brush is also hollow, with side vents, allowing for more air circulation from your blow dryer.  The microfiber fingerlings (or whatever you'd like to call them) and supposedly antimicrobial, which satisfies my germaphobal side as well.

I finally got around to trying the brush over the weekend, and it really worked!!  I was very pleasantly surprised.  My hair was sopping wet when I started, and it easily shaved off 25% of my normal drying time.  At around $12, it is a bit expensive for a drug store hair brush, but it it definitely worth it.  Time or money, people!

Hair Care Product Favorites

I have very fickle, troublesome hair.  It is color-treated, oily at the roots, and dry at the ends.  It is fine, but I have lots of it, and it is naturally wavy.  I have tried dozens of hair care products over the years, and while my regimen is ever-evolving, this is my current holy grail of hair care products:

Redken Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner:  I used to be an All Soft freak until I tried these babies out.  I wait until the liters go on sale at Ulta, and it actually ends up being cheaper than drugstore shampoo.  This is the absolute best combination I have found.  The conditioner is thick enough to moisturize my dry ends, but not too thick to make my oily scalp oilier.  The smell is divine, and I definitely notice that my color doesn't fade.

 

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri Wheat Conditioner:  HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THAT IS GOOD this is the greatest thing I have added to my hair care regimen since...EVER!!!!!!!!  It has literally transformed my parched ends and decreased the crazy amount of split ends that I used to struggle with.  I apply it sparingly to the hair near the nape of my neck and down right after my hair is towel dried and comb through.  BONUS: it also decreases the tugging and breaking that my wet hair used to do.

 

Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream:  This stuff is GREAT!  I apply it to just the ends of my hair before I blow dry, and it makes my usually frizzy, wavy hair glossy and super moisturized.  I also have very sensitive skin on my neck and back, and this product doesn't cause me to break out (I used to use BioSilk until I realized it was to blame for said issue).

L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray:  While, I admit, I don't really care for the smell of this hairspray, this stuff is amazing.  The nozzle is a continuous spray with ZERO splatter, and the hold is incredible.  I will usually spritz a little perfume after I use my Elnett, and the smell isn't noticeable as my day/evening progresses.

 

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray:  I've tried several times of dry shampoo, including the Suave Keratin one, and this one is the BEST!  Also, with a price tag of less that $4, you can't go wrong.  This stuff sops up oil on my scalp while freshening it with a great, fresh scent.  It also adds tons of volume to my normally limp locks.

 

I have a few other products that I use that aren't worthy of a 'favorite hair care product' title...still searching for a few favorite products.