An Unexpected Holiday

Here's what I expected for this lovely Tuesday in Happy Valley: a long day of work, class, and meetings.

Here's what I didn't expect on this lovely Tuesday, November 9th 2010:

...because today just so happens to mark 1) our monthly anniversary--2 years and 9 months to be exact-- and 2) exactly 8 months until we tie the knot.

And as quickly as he came to deliver this little token, he was off to retrieve his illegally parked car, leaving me in smiles and wondering how did I get so darn lucky.

It's 8 months till Bren And Ian Get Married Day. It's a national holiday, dontcha know.

Funky Junkie Wedding Inspirations

For your visual pleasure (depending on who you are, I suppose), some of my latest wedding inspirations...

Love these twinkling lights. I'm thinking it might look neat with old fashioned Christmas bulb lights.

I guess if I never find the antique topper there is always the crafty route!

We've got dozens of these lying around our house...

I know I haven't had a good wedding update recently, but everything is moving along just swimmingly. After the initial frenzy to get the church and reception booked, the rest has been falling into place-- and I am loving every second of it.

The bridesmaid dresses are bought. The only thing I'll tell you is that they were cheap ($55 dollars from Macy's, baby!), and are purple and funky--and my gals all look INCREDIBLY adorable in them.

Ian and I enlisted my dad to take some engagement photos, which turned out fantastic.

Also, my dress has arrived and is currently residing in my former bedroom at my parents house. A lot of people were surprised to hear that I bought it so soon after the engagement--how did I know it was the one? Didn't I want to look anywhere else? What if I found something that I liked better?

Because, I say, I walked out of the dressing room that night and saw my mom, aunt, sister, and bridesmaid erupt in smiles. I looked at myself in the mirror and just knew--I knew that the dress could not fit me better (both physically AND style-wise!) and that I didn't want to look any farther. I had found it. Come on--this was my face when I knew it was the one:

Speaking of weddings and things I love, the fiance should be arriving soon for our weekly Monday night dinner date. On tonight's menu: pasta with broccoli and a side of mashed sweet potatoes. Yes, he is practically marrying Julia Child.

-Bren

Antique Escapes

What do you get when you combine the constant smell of a basement, searching through thousands of cheesy grandma knick-knacks for the perfect wedding cake topper, and chocolate cream pie?

A successful day of antiquing and a very happy Bren, that's what.

It was a cold Football Saturday in Happy Valley, so naturally, I fled town. I had told my dad weeks ago that I wanted to go flea marketing together on a Saturday, and today was finally the day that worked out. Even though my first unofficial rule of thrift searching is to have an open mind (which means not going in looking for any one particular thing, because it often leads to frustration), I knew I was searching for wedding decor inspiration today. But of course my mind was open to other impulses that might arise. Like jewelry.

Our first stop was Street of Shops in Lewistown, PA.

Inside: miles and miles and aisles and aisles of junk. Obviously I was in heaven.

As I got lost in the labyrinth, I was thinking about how something so simple brings me so much joy. For some reason, I see a thrill in buying things that aren't fresh off the factory. I love knowing that I am probably the second, third, tenth owner of a necklace that someone might have worn for their prom or wedding in the 50's. Not only are older things much better quality, since they have stood the test of time, they also have a certain character that the plastic consumer items of today do not-- I can't image we'll be seeing aisles of outdated iphones and computers in 30 years.

Don't get me wrong though--there is certainly a fair share of utter crap for sale in some of these places. Among my favorites today: a Sony walkman and racks of cassettes, a life-size PSU basketball player poster, a light up Jesus lawn ornament, and a styrofoam Coca Cola McDonalds cup. Yes, some things should just be thrown away.

Anyway, after a lovely grilled cheese and tomato soup lunch at the cafe, we moved on to our next stop.

I didn't buy anything here, but loved exploring the three floors of this barn-turned-antique mall.

We finished off the day with some dinner and pie at the Lewisburg Country Cupboard (a swell place, if you'd like to check out the chronicles of the smorgasboard in my other blog).

I'm sure you're dying to know what I bought, right? Did she find her perfect cake topper?

Unfortunately, I did not--not one I loved, anyway. I did, however, find plenty of newlywed Precious Moments and teddy bears and creepy porcelain doll-esque figures that once stood on someone's cake. Oh well--there will be more antique trips. :-)

However, without giving too much away, I found a fantastic decoration that will definitely make a statement at our reception. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but I will tell you that I found it here:

And for another little decoration sneak preview:

You'll just have to stay tuned!

I also found a beautiful 1970's dress that you'll get to see after some alterations. It fit almost perfectly, and had a fantastic pattern. With some shortening and taking in, it'll be real neat.

I would say today was a great success. Thanks to Dad for going with me!

Stay warm! I'm hearing rumors of snow....

-Bren

A Nifty Thrifty Halloween

I was drawn to the idea of being a 1950's pin-up girl for Halloween this year. Why? I wanted to be something sorta sexy, but not of the sexy policewoman/ladybug/doctor persuasion. I figured, why not do something cute and vintage?

I scored a red collar tank top and high waisted black shorts from Goodwill, back seam fishnets from Rag and Bone, wore my thrifted red heels, and topped it off with vintage flower clip on earrings and bright red lipstick. The whole thing cost about 8 bucks.

And Ian, the crafty fiance that he is, swiped some fabric from his mom and whipped up some stripes to pin to a WalMart khaki shirt (which he saved the packaging from and returned the next day) to go as a 1940's soldier.

Hey-- if employment falls through, at least we can make crafts. And look good while doin' it.

Cut Yourself a Piece of Cake

My fabulous mother found my roommate and I this funky junk decoration for our kitchen at an antique shop in Central PA a few weekends ago:

I haven't played the piano much since I've been in college, but when I did, finding vintage sheet music was one of my favorite things. It's quirky, cheap, and readily available--just look in bins at antique shops or in your grandparent's attic. Seriously--you don't find good, wholesome odes to baked goods like this anymore.

Because I was curious, I opened up the frame to look inside at the lyrics of this 1923 hit. Here's a little tidbit:

My friend Jonesie he got married just the other night
Jonesie was a man who had an awful appetite
His wife went to cooking school, but only learned to bake
When he kicks about the meals, She says "John for goodness sake",

Just cut yourself a piece of cake and make yourself at home,
I'm sorry that I can't cook steak, but cake is so high-toned
You'll get corns and bunions
From eating Spanish onions
So cut yourself a piece of cake and make yourself at home.

Perhaps the song is a foresight into my domesticity and upcoming nuptials.

-Bren

And for your listening pleasure:

The Red 80s-Tastic Jacket

About a year ago on winter break, I went on a Goodwill jaunt and decided I was going to venture into a new territory: sewing.

I bought an array of colors, patterns, and fabrics that I thought, by some stroke of genius, I would be able to transform into something fabulous. That five-year-old's polka dot frock would soon be an adorable mini skirt, the Marilyn Monroe tee would magically become a handbag, and those huge buttons on that 80s-tastic red coat would be great earrings.

After taking the scissors to the bottom of the polka dot skirt off and noticing all I had was a mess of cheap black and white satin imitation, I decided to give up my sewing efforts. And I hadn't even touched the sewing machine yet. Now all I had was a pile of ugly clothes.

Ah! But that red 80s-tastic jacket! I love red, and I love the 80s, I thought. I tried it on, just for kicks, and it fit like a glove. But I wasn't sure--it was a little out there; I had never worn anything like it. While the other sewing misfits were thrown in a bin, the red jacket hung in my closet to be judged. Every time I could potentially wear it, it was always the loser to whatever other jacket wasn't as much of a statement. I wondered, why did I even spend the two bucks on this? Something in me couldn't give it up, though. I needed some sort of a sign.

The sign came in the form of a celebrity. Sarah Jessica Parker. Not even two months later, I opened the latest issue of Glamour to find SJP sprawled on two pages in this:

No more confirmation needed. Wearing that red 80s-tastic jacket would make me look like I belonged on Sex and the City. It would turn heads as I froliked down the streets of New York with my shopping bags and zebra leggings.

So I now wear the jacket with pride. SJP may not know it, but her and I are a little like kindred spirits.

-Bren

Here's What You've Missed...

Two weekends ago, my mom and I traveled to Allentown to visit some friends and family, and to hit up the thrift store circuit. First thing you think of when you think of Allentown, right? Well, we had some major scores and some major steals. Among my favorite purchases, which mostly included an array of fall jackets and offbeat jewelry, were some fabulous dangling earrings that look like something you might have hung on your Christmas tree in the 1950s:

A sweatshirt-fabric fall blazer and an 'out there' necklace:




However, it's been a little difficult lately to pull off my cozy fall fashions due to the weather going from this:

To this:

  

But it's OK, because my fiance (!!!!!!!!!) is the best, most wonderful, handsomest man of all time. OF ALL TIME. Despite our crazy busy schedules, Monday nights are our night for each other. This week I made stuffed green peppers (fresh from the Saylor garden!) and there was slow dancing to Queen in the living room, back rubbing, and trying to form our own two-person acapella band to various songs...while a thunderstorm raged outside. It was all very romantic.
Also. One of my best friends (and bridesmaids!!) was on the PSU Homecoming Court. No big.

With all this excitement, the only things getting me through the drudges of school are excessive wedding blog stalking and lots and lots of pumpkin things. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin butter, pumpkin margaritas (beats the apple cider margarita by a landslide), pumpkin beer, and pumpkin donuts. I may just turn into a pumpkin.

And that's what you missed.