Thrifty in White

The Fiercest Wedding Necklace of All Time

...in my humble (and always correct) opinion, anyway.

 

It's my epic Native American squash blossom wedding necklace!

My grandma picked it up in the '60s on one of her many travels, and I'm honored she's letting me borrow it for the wedding. Maybe now you can see why I was faced with the conundrum of finding the perfect dress based on this necklace, because HOW CAN I NOT WEAR THIS?!

So, I mentally ousted my first dress and randomly bought a second dress, thinking it would be utter perfection with the necklace. Long story short, I tried the latter dress on for everyone and they had a major fit and I ended up returning it. The truth is, I wasn't super obsessed with it once I tried it on, so the return was relatively painless.

At the prodding of my mom, I tried on the first dress and still loved it. Damn! Luckily it hadn't made an appearance on an eBay listing quite yet and I still had it hanging nicely in a dress bag. After further prodding from my dear old mother, I tried this necklace on with the first dress and...

...MAGIC. PERFECTION. FIERCE WEDDING DRESS REALNESS. 

It all just sort of went together and didn't look overaccessoried in the least bit. Granted, wearing a giant, head-dominating hair flower like I had planned would be definite overkill, but I'm pretty sure I can live without that minute detail if it means wearing this necklace.

Major lesson learned: Don't rule something out without trying it first. 

Dustin isn't immune to Southwestern wedding accessories, either. He agreed to wear one of my late grandpa's bolo ties...during the ceremony at least:

 

 

As I arranged the two bolo ties on the table to snap a picture for this post, I couldn't help but tear up thinking of Dustin wearing one as I wear my grandma's turquoise necklace.

Dustin wearing a bolo tie as we say our heartfelt vows will be the perfect homage to my amazing grandpa (who used to let me dress him up in my grandma's old square dancing dresses and petticoats, which tells you a little bit of how wonderful he was).

And there you have it. One more piece to the puzzle and 54 days to go.

Anybody out there wearing something special when you tie the knot? Are you as infatuated with turquoise and silver as I am? Should I take an extra suitcase on our honeymoon in case I find more amazing jewelry?!

 

Stay thrifty,
Hollie

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Literary Crushes & the Fiercest Spectacles on the Block

Before I get into my whole “OMG, you’ve got to check out this site before I self-combust with money-saving excitement,” we have a very, very serious issue on our hand.

My literary crush is in grave danger.

Obviously I’m talking about Peeta Mellark and the impending Hunger Games movie, otherwise known as the only time I plan to camp out in a movie theater line. With candy and spiked hot chocolate and a shirt that has a giant glitter mockingjay on it, naturally.

Long story short, the casting agents wore blindfolds and earmuffs and picked the most random people ever, like Miley Cyrus’s ex-boyfriend. The fact that he is known primarily for dating the Fallen Disney Queen herself just tells you how talented he is in the acting department. Oh, pardon me. He was also in “The Last Song,” which also starred Miss Miley. Of course it did.

But when it comes to my beloved Peeta (which is sort of creepy considering he’s only 16 in the first book), they messed with the wrong lady. And by wrong lady, I mean ME.

 

(Scary Josh Hutcherson in the left photo, handsome Hunter Parrish in the right photo)

If this photo doesn't prove my point, I don't know what does. I would NEVER have a literary crush on the boy kissing the Target dog. Even the Target dog looks horrified.

Peeta just so happens to be a strapping, gentle blond, and the fiercest baker specializing in the prettiest and most delicious icing designs this side of dystopian Panem. In other words, I’ve imagined him to be everything the guy on the left isn’t (although to be fair, I don’t know anything about that guy’s baking skills).

AND, I read online (because everything I read online is true, of course) that the guy on the left HATES TO READ BOOKS.

*Faint*

Now that that’s out of my system (even though it’s really not), let’s get on with the real point of this post, shall we? And that point is if you’re gonna be a bride or groom (or wedding party member, whatev) who wears glasses, do yourself a favor and splurge on some wicked frames.

 

Image via Rock 'n' Roll Bride

 

And by splurge, I mean spend less than $50 for frames and lenses… COMBINED. Teehee! You thought I was going to support overindulgence, didn’t you? Not today, thrifty readers! Save that tax return for a rainy day and spend less on new specs than you spend on lunch in a week.

So if you haven’t met before, it is my pleasure to introduce you to…ZENNIOPTICAL.COM.

 

All deliciousness pictured above from Zenni Optical

 

Feast your eyes on a few of the frames I'm choosing between, some starting at just $6. FOR GLASSES FRAMES. Gone are the days of begging my mom for the super expensive Nickelodeon-brand frames at the eye doctor's because they included an orange blimp-shaped eraser I wanted to show off at school. No, seriously. I did that. 

And at this price, if I get hit in the face with a volleyball and break the frames one week later because I'm convinced junior high tryouts are a good idea, nobody will be out too much money. 

So whether you're going to rock some fierce frames on your wedding day or you're just looking for some reading frames while you hunker down with the Hunger Games trilogy (OMG READ IT), check out Zenni Optical. Because even if you can't afford to do a wedding dress costume change before the reception, you could at least afford a eyeglasses change. And let's get real; that sounds pretty damn great, huh?

*This post wasn't sponsored by Zenni Optical or the Committee to Boycott the Hunger Games Movie Until They Cast Hunter Parrish as Peeta Mallark. 

  

Stay thrifty,
Hollie

Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
And we're finally on Facebook!

 

Dropping Pants? Let's Hope Not.

I've always assumed my beloved snickerdoodle Dustin would be on top of the whole clothed groomsmen thing. And he was...in thought.

And until a late-night phone call last night, I hadn't given much thought to guy's attire. The ladies? Clothed and fierce, sure-fire fabulousness. The groomsmen? Ehh...not so much. We already have their ties, but it only amounted to a Chippendales costume, sans pants.

And so the great "Find Our Dudes Some Duds" hunt began.

Chocolate brown pants for a bargain despite oodles of stores not having them in stock because the color is apparently not fit for their spring or summer lines? We found 'em for a whopping $37 each. Crisp white shirts? Each guy can handle that. Accessories like suspender and belts? That will be easy...

...but WAIT. Did you know that suspenders and belts weren't really meant to be worn together?

Seriously. I consulted my sources (ahem, Google) and discovered this gem by The GQ Style Guy:

 
"Should I wear a belt when I wear suspenders?

Whenever I see a man wearing a belt and suspenders, which is not all that often, I think, Now, here is a pessimist. Guys who wear a belt and suspenders probably carry umbrellas on sunny days and wear more than one condom."

  

Hmm. OK, then. I clearly had no idea that people who wore a belt with suspenders were that afraid of their pants falling down. And you know what? We really don't want them to appear so pessimistic.

 

(Photo source) This is apparently wrong.

 

Amid my ferocious online shopping for suspenders and various other manly accessories, I frantically called Dustin:

Me: "HOLYOMG, did you know that people don't really wear suspenders AND A BELT? AT THE SAME TIME? What are we going to do?! Suspenders or a belt?! I JUST DON'T KNOW."

Dustin: "Oh, OK. Suspenders then."

Me: "So that's it? Suspenders? Just like that?"

Dustin: "Yeah. We'll just do suspenders."
   

And there you have it. Dustin saves me from Bride Brain, yet again. Still looking for suspenders, but we'll make note to not have the groomsmen pair them with a belt. Ta-da!

 

(Photo source) And this is apparently how it's really done. Who knew?

 

Stay thrifty,
Hollie

Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
And we're finally on Facebook!

Hurting Feet and a SHOE-volution

I love a picture of a sky-high heel as much as the next bride-to-be, but I've always known one thing about my potential wedding shoe decision: It would never, ever, under any curcumstances, be a heel. EVER.

OK, hang on. We all just got the "I want to see some of these heels you speak of RIGHT NOW"  itch, didn't we? Let's take a little peek at the girliest pair I could find to appease us:

 

Source

 

Ignore the fact that the wearer could possibly go up a half-size or so, and instead look at the flowers and be filled with ooey-gooey thoughts of springtime. Will it ever be here? Will this be the year I miraculously acquire a green thumb? Also ignore the fact that the wearer may or may not teeter as she walks, because HOLYOMG these look treacherous.

Now, back in the day (otherwise known as up until three years ago), I lived in heels. I even had an e-mail address that included the word "Heels." I once spent a a long weekend sightseeing in Washington D.C., and I walked every single day into the wee hours of the morning with nary a flat shoe in sight and I loved it. (In reality, my dogs were barkin' up a storm, but I stood taller! My legs looked longer! They clicked as I dragged my tired feet from one sight to another!)

And suddenly, after years of wearing heels to classes and parties and dates and study sessions alike, I met my match: GLADIATOR SANDALS.

Just like that, my life was forever changed. Gladiator sandals are absolute perfection and total comfort with anything you could possibly wear, and I wear them with EVERYTHING. Why not wear them with a wedding dress, too?

So, I did something crazy this weekend. Um, especially crazy considering I don't even have a wedding dress.

I. BOUGHT. WEDDING. SHOES.

Behold my even-better-in-real-life dreamshoes:

 

Elizabeth & James E-Stint gladiator sandals, photo source

  

    

First of all let me say that even though I'm a budgeted gal through and through, I am seriously infatuated with two things: Designer clothes and the Olsen twins as style icons. I guess that's technically three things, but you get my drift.

  

I also happen to love everything MK+A design for their fashion lines, so how fliptastically happy was I this weekend as I perused my local Nordstrom Rack and happened upon these suede Elizabeth & James gladiators? Hello, something blue. And an even bigger hello, shoes originally priced at $255 for just $30, which I would have bought even if I wasn't planning on wearing as part of my wedding day look.

  

And even though it's cold and icy outside, I've been wearing the wedding sandals around the house non-stop since I bought them. Perfection! Comfort! Style! You guys, it's like my ultimate gladiator sandal crawled out of my imagination and onto my feet.

  

I cannot WAIT until this wedding is over so I can wear a little piece of my big day look everywhere, and I absolutely plan to wear holes in them...it certainly wouldn't be the first time.

  

Anybody else out there rock some gladiators on their wedding day? Or do you rock gladiators every other day of your life because they are the best shoe style known to modern man? And if you agree with the majority of my friends and think gladiators are the fugliest shoe style known to man...did you at least find a bargain shoe and rock it out post-wedding? It's a real shame that most people don't wear their wedding shoes after the big day, agreed?

  

  

Stay thrifty,
Hollie

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Dear BHLDN: I'm Just Not That Into You

If you follow the wedding industry at all, you've probably heard of BHLDN. Apparently that stands for "Beholden," which clearly shows someone's distaste for vowels on a quest to stand out in the wedding world. "Do we hate vowels? Not really...but let's take them out and make everyone wonder how the hell to pronounce our brand's name!"

And that brand is the wedding-related, highly anticipated, cooing baby of Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie/a few other places I didn't hear about until I saw press releases. And? It debuted today. But I don't understand the reason for the hype today, because we've been seeing teasers and product pictures everywhere in the wedding blogosphere for the last few weeks. 

To be honest, I was kind of excited about BHLDN because I thought it would be innovative and bring fresh ideas to the industry. Plus I love going to my local Urban Outfitters, because they're notorious for marking things lower than they should be and then honoring the marked price. Leather ankle boots that were originally several-hundred dollars accidentally marked for $19.99? Thank you, retail karma. Anthropologie is the more-expensive, less-edgy cousin (sister?) to Urban, but it's usually way over my budget. And coming from a girl who has sale-radar, I mean way over my budget.

But their wedding line? I was hopeful. Key word: WAS.

“We’ll attract a bride who is looking to reflect her vision,” said [Kristin Norris, Bhldn’s managing director]. “She may be a more mature or sophisticated bride. Our customer skews slightly older, but she’s still under 30.”  (via WWD)
   

Mature or sophisticated and looking to reflect her vision, huh? Clearly (at least according to their intended demographic), I am none of that.

First of all, the models. I just can't.

 

Image via BHLDN, $1000 dress

 

I understand that fashion-minded people think clothes are best displayed on models who weigh as much as one plastic hanger*, but come on. COME ON. What about real women with BOOBS? And thighs? And arms that don't resemble pencils? People have been touting the fact that BHLDN is going to show videos on their site of the dresses' movement, but how about showing us what they will look like one a gal who rocks a size 6? Or 12? (But no larger than that, because it seems that's as high as their sizes go.)

And you know what dress I would love to see on a more average-sized lady?

 

Image via BHLDN, $3,600 dress 

  
This one. Because all of those ghastly pleats almost make the model look like she has a average-sized body, but one peek at her arms and we know that's not the case.

There are other cases of huge, fluffy flowers and cascading fabric across the belly-regions, which believe it or not, does nothing less than accentuate the areas I wouldn't want to accentuate. May as well sell a flashing red arrow that screams, "Look at my belly and know that I didn't diet like I said I would before this wedding!"

Not saying we all need to diet, but you know what I mean. I wanted to work on my arms and I still have yet to lift a weight, so I'm simultaneously guilty and unashamed. I still wouldn't want that flashing red arrow accentuating the areas that make me self conscious.

Other than the skinny models and the dresses that really don't do much for me, they offer lingerie (that wouldn't seem to be suitable under clothing or for girls with, ahem, a less-than-perky chest region and hip bones comfortably lying under a few layers of what we will call warmth); jewelry that is borderline yawn-worthy and far less thrilling than what you could unearth in cool local boutiques or antique shops (and it costs way more to boot); and hair accessories that you could find cheaper on Etsy or at local craft fairs.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Hair flower should not cost an arm and a leg. Unfortunately, the cheapest on their site is $58...and they range up to $825. FOR A FEATHER?!

BHLDN, I don't know why the wedding world is so smitten with you, while lots of us realize we could get the same stuff (or, honestly, better) on Etsy or eBay for a fraction of the price. And the fact that they promote their use of vintage fabrics and details? I just bought gloves almost identical to this at an estate sale for $2 last month. No estate sales near you? A quick online search just proved to me that there are an abundance to be found...for about $5-$10. 

And, um, that's a $50 savings.

What do you think, thrifty readers? Are you digging BHLDN? Do you have hostility toward vowels and an affinity for overpriced wedding accessories? Let's be honest with each other, and feel free to disagree: Do you think the collection is stunning and I'm just being a snarky crab?

Oh, and one more question: Would YOU rock this wedding day 'do?

 

 Image via BHLDN, $128 headband

    
Yeah, neither would I. Unless I was getting married in a field with wind gusts and I had no control over it. Or a wind tunnel.

Stay thrifty,
Hollie

Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
And we're finally on Facebook!

 

*When I chastise BHLDN for their use of thin models, I clearly don't mean skinny people aren't real people, because I know they are. And if you're a size-0 Thrifty in White reader, I realize you might look a lot like this in your wedding dress. But would it be so difficult to show models who are 6 or 8 or 10 sizes larger than that? Yes, BHLDN...we're looking at you.

Major Must-Have: Rings With Personality

To say I'm a little bit gypsy when it comes to rings may be an understatement. Each ring-a-ding-ding says a little something different: two are antique turquoise from my fabulous grandma's killer jewelry collection; one is a band Dustin found and wore as a faux-wedding ring this Halloween when he dressed up as the newlywed Russell Brand (yes, I was his Katy Perry); one is obviously our engagement ring, which I big-time heart; and one was $1 at a dollar store and turns my finger green when I sleep in it.

When I'm feeling especially fierce, I find room for a thick spoon ring Dustin made for me at an annual Sweet Corn Festival near our hometowns. That's six rings total. Every single day. How the hell was I going to find empty real estate for a wedding band?

  

  

Be honest: Is Jewel's song "Hands" in your head right now?!

  

  

Jewelry is one of my passions, and I tend to gravitate to anything that can be described using the words Statement, Kitschy and HolyOMG. (Yes, my wedding jewelry can definitely be described as HolyOMG. More on that later.) So finding a wedding band that looked a smidgen offbeat and still could blend in with my other everyday rings has been the task at hand for the last few months.

And lucky for me, one just about jumped in front of my unsuspecting face at the IndieWed bridal show in Chicago last weekend.

Source (Bonus! It's ethical and eco-friendly.)

  

DROOL. My thin, hand-braided wedding band, only in silver. At $140, it could be considered a bit of a budget-buster (well, for our budget, anyway), but we decided to forgo Christmas presents to each other this year and instead do the ring thing. It turned out to be a pretty wise decision, because this is more than we wanted to spend on just one band.

  

But I tell you what, when I saw this ring at IndieWed, I shoved it down onto my finger and hoped it wouldn't be able to come off...that's how much I love it. Plus, it looked pretty darn perfect with my other daily baubles, so we'll chalk that up to a match made in glittery, jewelry heaven.

  

Dustin, on the other hand, is a bit different. He covers both wrists with prettythings and has never worn a ring on a regular basis.

  

  

Dustin's manly (and accessorized) wrists.

  

  

He also loves nature and hunting and sitting in a tree wearing camouflage. What better ring for him to wear than one with wood inlays?! Every time he looks down at it, he can imagine he's hanging out in the woods waiting for a deer to come along. (Yes, I think he's a bit crazy for loving hunting, but he thinks I'm a bit crazy sometimes, too. We don't judge.)

  

  

Source

  

  

Good news: He loves it and can't wait to wear it. Even better news: It's around $50, and super budget-friendly. Could it be any more perfect for that guy, seriously?!

  

So tell me, engaged & married folk: Did you choose rings based on stuff you liked, your personalities, or jewelry you already wore on a daily basis? Were you stressed out about cramming even one more ring onto your hands, or have you been reserving that real estate for years?

  

And really...aren't you so flipping antsy to put that ring on for good at the ceremony?

  

Stay thrifty,
Hollie

Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
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Ready, Set...PLAN. But Not Too Fast.

It's really hard to believe that Dustin and I have been engaged for almost a year. It feels like yesterday he surprised me with the ring o' my dreams, put it on to my freezing cold finger amid a Chicago ice storm, and then we kept the biggest secret ever from our family and friends for over 24 hours (yes, that was incredibly hard and I hated it).

And now that we've planned this long engagement so we could leisurely plan our shindig...we realized we have done NOTHING. OK, not really nothing. We booked a photographer, DJ and venue. And I got the dress.

But other than that, we've done NOTHING. I realized this when we went to dinner with some couple-friends who are getting married a mere month before us and have everything booked, done, and paid for. Dustin and I felt like failures.

Sure, I've spent hours melting my eyeballs out of my head looking at endless "wedding inspiration," which seriously seems to form one big meaningless mass in my brain at the end of the day, and we've talked about what kinds of stuff we want. But we've not acted on anything, and now that we're at the 7-month mark, it's time to get serious.

Ready, set...PLAN!

While my beloved was out deer hunting innocent Bambis all weekend (...don't get me started), I was a hunting widow. And you know what? Being a hunting widow for a weekend is not all bad: I went shopping. I ate food that Dustin hates and got the bed all to myself. I got uninterrupted snuggletime with both pets. And I watched the documentary Babies, which almost made me want to drop everything and have a baby. Almost.

But perhaps the most substantial thing I did all weekend was start the wedding planning ball on a slow roll. I took the collection of sloppy, vague notes Dustin and I have been scribbling for the last year, which included "ideas" that were nothing more than a song we liked or a color that makes us happy, and I expanded them.

And you know what? Wedding planning turned out to be kind-of-hard-but-not-so-much.

I had to have a starting point, and that starting point was Google Wedding Docs. Seriously, go on this site and make yourself a damn spreadsheet if you haven't already. And color-code it if you're feeling sassy or incredibly organized.

And now with just 7-months to go, we've compiled our guest list. Huge accomplishment! We're ready to take on the world! Look out, wedding planners of the world: Hollie and Dustin and taking 'yer jobs!

Unfortunately for us, blathering about our 150-person casual summertime wedding-fiesta turned out to be for naught...it's now an over-200-person casual summertime wedding-fiesta.

HolyOMG. More on this later, because we're too weirded out about the fact that we even know this many people, let alone inviting this many people to our, ahem, intimate affair.

So until I can muster up the cojones to write about how the guest list grew and refused to be wrangled, here are some other wedding decisions we've (I've?) made:

 

I went to this store in the mall called Icing for the first time (which is somehow related to Claire's but not quite as terrifying) because I'm on the hunt for a necklace to wear to a wedding this weekend. Anyhoodle, I got this feather hair flower and necklace for under $5... combined. Yes, I added a brooch in the center of the flower and made some adjustments to the necklace, but that price? Deeelish.

 

This necklace is also from Icing, and was a whopping $3. Maybe I'll force this stuff upon unsuspecting bridesmaids or wear it myself at the wedding or in engagement photos? Not sure yet. But I got it. And it was a deal.

 

And this is our wedding cake substitute, which will be covered in cupcakes abound on the big day. I was sort of thinking about DIYing a cupcake stand, and then for a hot second I wanted to just collect a lot of cake stands and have them stacked and spread out over an entire dessert table (clearly I stole this from the multitudes of wedding inspiration I've been mindlessly gazing at for the last year), but both of those ideas were scrapped.

I picked this up at some random home goods store for $15. Not only will it look fancy at the wedding, it will look downright delicious covered in cupcakes at our annual Christmas party next month.

 
More on the new-found planning next time. Anybody else out there slack during their first months--or year--of being engaged? Did it hurt or help you in the long run? Are you finding any good deals out there on wedding accessories? Yeah? Then spill your guts!

 

Stay Thrifty!
Hollie
  
Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
And we're finally on Facebook!

The Newlyweds And An Accidental Wedding Band

A THRIFTY IN WHITE EXCLUSIVE: Katy Perry & Russell Brand's wedding pictures!!!!!!!

 

 

Can you believe the paparazzi even caught them feeding each other cake?!

OK, seriously that's just Dustin and me dressing up as the newlyweds for our friends' annual celebrity-infused Halloween shindig. And guess what? Something wedding-y happened to us while we were getting ready, too:

While Dust and I were searching my costume jewelry collection for the perfect "wedding band" to complete his costume, we came across a small, 1.5mm silver band. It didn't fit his left ring finger (we had to actually use an adjustable toe ring for that...ew.) but it's just what I was looking for--for my real wedding band.

 

Pumpkin-hued nails and a possible wedding band that is entirely too big.

I have no idea where the ring came from, and at the moment it's in desperate need of a re-size, but it's exactly what I want. The skinny, plain silver band works for me because I want a simple look if I choose to wear it alone. Like when I'm ripping our landscaping out next spring. Or when I'm painting my office a lovely shade of sea foam. Or when I'm wearing mesh next Halloween and I don't want to risk snagging it.

But the most important reason is because I usually wear more rings than a gypsy, and I don't want my fingers to look more complicated and messy than they already are. No, really. I'm wearing five antique rings and my engagement ring right now. Having a huge, sparkly band would just ruin my whole look. Plus, this band would be free (with exception of re-size cost).

Before we commit to anything, we're going to head to some antique shops and take a gander at some other wedding band options. Dustin sort of likes titanium bands with wood inlays (similar to this), but I think he should get something a little more chic. Or don't men do "chic?" Hmm.

Anyhoodle, did everyone have a great Halloween? Any good parties? Hand out lots of candy? EAT lots of candy? I did the latter for sure. And what does everyone think about wedding bands? It's Monday...are you even alive?

And PS: National Novel Writing Month starts today! My feelings about this: Nervous, terrified, sick, overwhelmed, etc. I'm thanking my lucky stars for Mallory and Jen, fellow wedding bloggers and NaNoWriMo participants, and I hope they prepare themselves for a month of nonsensical e-mails at all hours of the night.

 

Stay Thrifty!
Hollie

Man of honor Brett as DEXTER = holy crappola. The best costume ever!

Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
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All Tied Up With A Pretty (Awesome) Bow

Guys, I've been feeling a little sick lately. No, it's not because of the changing seasons, or the fact that we still have so many wedding details up in the air, or even because gas prices in Chicagoland refuse to stop increasing.

No, this sickness was actually brought on by the high cost of hair accessories. I mean seriously, fabric flowers and fascinators, how on Earth do you cost hundreds (yes, plural) of dollars?

OK, this might not really apply to lots of readers. Maybe you're cool with splurging because you're going to wear some super-duper flower cluster on your wedding day, and it's your wedding, so who cares how much it costs?

But not for this gal. Remember when I got my PWC (ahem, PRE-wedding chop)? Well since my hair isn't even ponytail length, I rely on a steady stream of hair accessories. Like every single day. I even have plaid flowers for fall. No, seriously. But this is getting a little off topic.

 

Anyhoodle, I'm getting sick of the high prices, and I'm also kind of getting sick of hair flowers. SO I have a Thrifty in White DIY project for you:

 

Yes, I am wearing a Hanson T-shirt circa 1997. Don't act like you're not jealous.

 

A super-sassy bow/birdcage veil combo! Maybe it's a little too funky for your wedding day, but for your engagement photos OR as a unique reception look? YES.

The total cost for this project is just $8.75. So even if gas prices around you are skyrocketing, you can probably afford to make one.

Let it be known that the size of the bow is completely up to you. I happen to have large hair and therefore only love large hair accessories. Plus, I liked the idea of a oversized bow to look ultra-girly in an editorial sort of way. You dig?

 

What you'll need:

I bought:

1 yard of champagne-colored netting for $1.50
1 yard discount floral, floppy fabric for $3.00
1 sheet white sparkle felt for $.25
Fabric glue for $2
Sturdy hair comb for $2

Other things I used:

Iron
Needle & thread
Scissors

Also pictured is a plain headband I already had, just in case I wanted to attach it to that instead of a comb. There are also some random embellishments and buttons in the picture, which could easily be used to jazz everything up.

 
Step 1:

First I cut a rectangle of my floppy, floral fabric. Because I wanted an oversized bow, my rectangle is 22-inches long and 11-inches wide.
 
 
Step 2:

Next, fold the sides in to meet in the middle. Remember, the pretty side should be on the inside in this step! And if your rectangle isn't perfect, it doesn't matter. Look, mine is all messed up & up until this point, it was my little secret.
 

Step 3:

Because 1) I don't have a sewing machine, and 2) I wouldn't know how to use a sewing machine if one magically appeared on my doorstep, I hand stitched the top and bottom openings and left the middle open. This allowed me to turn it inside out, and now it resembles a pillow sham. The pretty side should now be showing.
 

Step 4:

Fold in half, top to bottom. The un-sewed opening will be on the inside of this fold. What an easy step!
 

Step 5:

Take a little piece of thread and cinch the center of your little folded nugget. Another easy step, and see? It's already looking bow-like!
 

Step 6:

I cut another piece of the floral fabric, this time about 8-inches long. From there, I ironed in three pleats to give it some dimension. Was this really necessary? Maybe not. But I like pleats. Whatever.
 

Step 7:

I cut some of the length off & sewed it up to resemble a fabric napkin ring. Because that's kind of what it's going to be doing. Once you've gone this far, slip it around the bow. Voila!
 

Step 8:

Next, I measured out about 11 inches of my netting and cut out a square.
 

Step 9:

I did a pleated-gathering thing with one side, stitched it up with some thread, and then did a freehand cut of the loose ends. The goal is to cut the bottom into a curve, so it will frame your face without any harsh corners.

FYI: This might take a few cuts to get the perfect shape for your face.
 

Step 10:

After that, I simply glued the veil to the back of the bow with a dollop of fabric glue and covered up my mess with a felt circle.

From here, you can sew or glue on your hair clip or headband.

 

And that's IT! Done and cleaned up in less than an hour. What do you think? Would you ever wear something like this? Would you make the bow smaller, or--gasp!--bigger? I'm totally wearing this very accessory in our engagement photos.
 

I'm off to brainstorm more unique hair accessory options since I have, oh, 99 percent of my fabric left. You know what's so awesome about that? It would basically make them FREE.

Swoon!

 

Stay Thrifty!
Hollie

Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
And we're finally on Facebook!

Thursday = Purseday = A Day I Can Really Get Behind

Three words: Leather. Fringe. Rules.

I know I don't have to convince you how cool fringe jackets and chaps are, so I won't waste our time. I'll just assume you agree (and you should).

So on this "Thursday Purseday," I'll obsess over fringe, starting with the most expensive tier:

The Jimmy Choo Snake-Embossed Fringe Clutch = the most fan-freaking-tastic "something blue" you could ever carry on your wedding day. Seriously. Screw the bouquet, this deserves a processional itself.

But it ain't too thrifty at a cool $595. Now I love designer handbags just as much as the gal next to me planning her platinum wedding, but this might be a little much for a blue clutch on my budget. So let's see what cheaper fringed goodies we can scoop up...

 

 

The ASOS red fringed clutch for about $160. So fun, right? I want to shake this around on the dance floor at our wedding...and beyond.

Is this still a little too champagne for our beer-keg budgets? OK, here's one last fringed treat:

 

  
THREE color options! Unfortunately, they're not available online at Melie Bianco anymore, but that just means all three options can be bought elsewhere CHEAPER! We're talking $40-ish, people. Now that's a good, clean deal.

Love that fringe. You dig?

 

For more Thursday Purseday options, check out my Nicole at NicheWhite Bridal Loft, Angela at Swatchbook Weddings, Naomi at Enchanted Dream Weddings & Affairs, Claire at Realistic Wedding, Alicia at The Charity Wedding, Jen the Peach Bride, Liz  the Lemon Bride, and Erin at Sparkle and Hay!

 

Stay Thrifty!
Hollie

Follow us on Twitter: @ThriftyinWhite
And we're finally on Facebook!