January 31, 2008

A Happy Day

(sorry in advance, this is a long one)
I'm very excited today because Nick is coming home from his trip to the UK. I haven't seen him in 12 days! That's a record for us since we started living in the same country. haha I can't wait to see him and I know the kitties will be glad too.
The other good news is that I finally found myself a photographer for my wedding. That was a huge unknown up until now. I've been spending a lot of time on the wedding details since I got the bridesmaids dresses taken care of. This is basically what they'll wear.

This past Saturday I went into San Francisco with my friend Amanda to look for fabric for my dress. Unfortunately, I didn't even come close to anything. There was surprisingly little in the way of bridal fabrics, even at Britex. I suppose it's even harder when you know exactly what you want. So far the front runner for the main part of the dress is a special order from JoAnn, that's right, I said JoAnn - Hey! At least there I can use a coupon! I guess, in my head, I had hoped for a more glamorous fabric experience. You know, like I found it in some back alley shop for $3.99 a yard. There was a really great blush colored lace in Orange County, but the design was all over and I think that's just too much. sigh At least I've got the pattern, right?
Anyway, the day was a success and a lot of fun. Amanda and I shopped for about 10 hours, something Nick would never have done, no matter how many stores have a man chair. We went to the Japanese book store I've been wanting to see. There were so many books in the craft section, I was a little overwhelmed. In the end though, I had to get something. This was my choice:

I have no idea what it's called, but it's absolutely filled with amazing patchwork bags. Very inspirational.
Britex was not a complete failure, I did pick up a few buttons. For monkeys, of course. Just a little side note, I've been looking for a lemon button forever! So cool that I found the perfect one.

And last but not least, the yarn shop. No, not for monkeys this time, I can't afford fancy yarn for those guys. Who'd buy a cashmere Gadget Monkey? ImagiKnit was a great store with loads to look at and covet. I ended up with this pretty pink speckled yarn. No idea when or how I'll use it, but it's pretty, no?A lovely day out with lots to share. Can't wait to hear some opinions on that fabric now.

8 comments:

Tami @ Lemon Tree Tales said...

Oooh that lemon button is too cute! Did they have a lot of them at Britex? I may have to make a trip into the city just for some. I love lemons - so yellow and happy looking.

I'm surprised that you weren't able to find some good bridal fabrics at Britex. If you have some time you may want to drive down to LA and check out the jobbers down there. Also a great fabric shop is International Silks & Woolens on Beverly. Around the corner on Melrose (I think) is a fabric shop that carries leftovers from designers - some Chanel, etc. But these options will probably end up being more costly than your JoAnn's option with the 40% off coupon.

Oh, btw I found you via Chickengirl Design. Have a great day! :-)

RetroRugrats said...

You should try the Fashion District in downtown Los Angeles. I bought raw silk there for my wedding dress a number of years ago and was quite satisfied with the whole experience.

jessica said...

I think I bought the fabric for my wedding dress at JoAnn - either there or at Hancocks. It would've been fun to have something more luxurious, but I was happy with the fit, feel, and such of my dress. Good luck!

Kathy said...

I like the lace fabric from JoAnn's. It's very lovely, but it would be nice to know if it the design tapers off to nothing or what and how high. The garment district in LA might be worth a look into, if you have a chance and the time.

Kathy said...

The photographer you picked has a wonderful portfolio. Looks like a good choice :-)

Mrs.Kwitty said...

It's so exciting to watch your wedding plan taking shape! Love the bridesmaid dresses--so elegant and I love how they are not all alike. I like the lace you found--hope you are able to find out more about it. You're a brave woman to make your own dress!

I found my wedding dress at Sears on the clearance rack! lol It was $8.50. (btw, not a wedding gown, but a pretty flowy flowery dress) It was just what I was looking for!

Smiles, Karen

katelynjane said...

I looked in on your Etsy store! Great work! I'm on Etsy too (: Good to see some of us addicts around!

Junie Moon said...

From what the ladies at Jo-Ann's told me, you can order the fabric and if it's not what you want, they'll give you a refund. But I'd check about that when/before placing your order--kind of like getting it on speculation.