So, yes, you notice the difference between a wedding dress that has a few ruffles and one that has many ruffles. And you see the difference between wedding flowers that are “pretty” and wedding flowers that are “omg amazing.” The more research I do, the more obsessed I get with paper flowers. And even though I’m the least crafty person on the planet, I’ve convinced myself that I can make beautifully realistic-looking flowers for our wedding. And it will be so much better than typical flowers because a) they’re totally unique and b) all my blood, sweat, and tears went into them.

Am I crazy? Chris thinks so. But come on and tell me these aren’t all fabulous.

I’ve somehow made myself believe I can make my own paper flower wedding bouquets with a little help from Martha Stewart:

Courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

This Martha Stewart bouquet is even easier.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

I’m obsessed with everything on this Project Wedding spread. Especially the idea of having paper flowers at every napkin:

Courtesy of Project Wedding

Or having them on a table as escort cards:

Courtesy of Project Wedding

Allegedly, Martha Stewart used to have a paper flower making kit that assisted in making the single flowers above, but I can’t find it anywhere. If anyone spots it, let me know!

Etsy also has lots of stunning paper flower bouquets and centerpieces available for purchase.

Courtesy of Etsy/FlowerThyme

Because flowers don’t have to be real.

Courtesy of Etsy/BouquetsBySelena

And for something even more unique, but equally as stunning, how about a brooch bouquet?

Courtesy of Etsy/BestofBuds

Then again, I see bouquets like this one from Studio Choo featured on Style Me Pretty and I fall in love with real flowers again:

Courtesy of Janae Shields Photography/Style Me Pretty

And the purple and yellow make them perfect for our wedding palette!

Courtesy of Jenae Shields Photography/Style Me Pretty

And what about these beauties from JL Designs and featured on Jesi Haack Design?

Courtesy of Gabriel Ryan Photography/Jessi Haack Design

In the end, we’ll ideally have a healthy mixture of real and paper flowers at our wedding. But first I need to experiment a bit and see just how difficult these paper flowers are. Seriously though, Martha Stewart has amazing tutorials that make paper flower bouquets and centerpieces totally attainable.

Plus, I’ve got 11.5 months to work on them. Ready… Set…. Go!

Now that our wedding is becoming real (albeit a bit far away… 13.5 months!), I’m struggling a bit with knowing how much to share. I don’t want to give the whole wedding and all my grand ideas away, but as a blogger, I have a natural inclination to SHARE EVERYTHING! All the time! So, I probably will share a lot of ideas, without giving tooo much away.

I recently started blogging for a beautiful wedding website called Blueberry Weddings and it’s been a fabulous source of inspiration to me. I mean, what better job for a writer who’s planning her wedding to have than blogging for a wedding website? Basically, I look at other people’s weddings and write about them. Heaven.

And now for some things I like, including my current wedding dress love. I have a wide range of tastes when it comes to wedding dresses, but one thing it has to be is modern and fun. Of course, when I find a dress, I won’t blog about it until the day, but here are a couple of my current dreams. And I say dreams because um, they’re way beyond my budget. But still.

Monique Lhuillier’s Sunday Rose:

(source)

And Badgley Mischka’s Tracy:

(source)

So, I haven’t asked my bridesmaids to be in our wedding yet because I wanted to get the date and location down first (and it finally is!!!), but I’m already thinking a bit about the type of dresses I like.

They’ll hopefully be fun non-bridesmaidy dresses. I am in love with something like these Jessica Simpson ones:

(source)

And wouldn’t a dress kind of like this one look adorable with purple shoes?

(source)

I want something light, fun, and not crazy expensive or “omg that’s obvioulsy a bridesmaid dress.” I also want fun shoes, though I have mixed feelings on having everyone get the same shoes since I know what a pain that can be. Perhaps, we can all get together and sparkle our shoes Or else we can find a shoe sponsor. Hello, Christian Louboutin? Are you out there?

Wouldn’t those dresses look cute with these suits? I kind of like how the groom is wearing a different color from the groomsmen.

I also have the best save the date idea ever, but unless I come up with a grand plan, they’ll be crazy expensive. More on that later. In other news, does anyone have a printing press I can borrow?

While we’re on the topic of all things weddings (I swear I’ll blog about other topics again soon!), Alaina from Image Unlimited contacted me to let me know that all of the wedding-related classes at the Boston Center for Adult Education are 25% off for May and June. So, if you want to take a class about designing your own wedding invitations (with fab instructor, Dustin!)… or a wedding dance workshop, sign up!

But I actually already knew that since Chels and I teach two classes at the BCAE: Starting a Blog and Promoting Your Blog. They’re 25% off too, so should sign up for our classes!

And now I’m going back to reading my million wedding blogs and cutting out pretty photos from wedding magazines. And I also have to say I feel quite lucky that Chris is willing (and I think he secretly likes, shhh!) watching Say Yes to the Dress with me

(Courtesy of Person + Killian, Boston Public Library)

Or the State Room…

(Courtesy of Longwood Events)

But when I got engaged, I quickly realized those were $$$ and difficult to plan on any type of budget (since there are no packages, per say). Plus, we decided getting married in a hotel would be our best choice for us since we have so many out-of-town guests and like that a hotel will take care of everything.

But we’re still going to look at Brookline’s Veronique. Because I hear it’s absolutely stunning. And it’s close to our neighborhood. And I can’t resist:

And I think we’re finally realizing no one venue is going to have every single thing we want. And any time you spend that much money, the decision feels like the biggest one in the world. But no matter what we do, it’s going to be amazing. And hopefully still leave us some money leftover to go on a honeymoon… And buy a house some day.

Of course, we have our top venue contenders, but I won’t mention them here just yet. I get weirdly worried about disappointing people… even venue coordinators we really don’t know. But if they’re super nice and buy us dinner and are very attentive, I’ll feel so horrible turning them down. But we can, after all, only choose one spot in which to get married.

It’s funny how when we first started wedding planning, we had NO idea what things should cost, what should be included, etc. And now I feel like we’re total experts and can quickly look at a package and immediately know if it’s a good deal or crazy ridiculous or contains lots of hidden expenses. I totally get why so many people plan their own weddings and then want to be wedding planners. a) You think you know it all and b) You only got to choose 1 venue, etc. for your own wedding and you want to do more!

Venue hunting is fun… But I really just want to know where (and when) our wedding is going to be!!

I can safely say we have not made one single wedding decision, except for the fact that we know we want to get married to each other. Which is the most important decision, anyway. We really want to get our venue and date down before moving on to more decisions and I think we’re close. We’ve looked at a few spots in Boston and have a few more this week. I think we just need to realize that no one venue is going to have EVERYTHING we want. And that our wedding is going to be beautiful and amazing and fun no matter what. I mean, we already know that, but still. It’s a big, very expensive decision. (hold me).

My sister already declared the fact that she doesn’t want to wear a yellow dress, but if it’s this beautiful would she really turn it down?? And can someone PLEASE tell me where these dresses are from? Or where I can find some like it?

(Courtesy of StyleMePretty)

If you know me, this will come as no surprise to you… While perusing the latest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, I decided to pick out my very favorite dress in the whole magazine. I found it, swooned, and then realized… It’s a dress from a Disney collection. Uh. I mean, there’s really nothing wrong with that, right? Doesn’t every girl dream of being a Disney princess? And it’s not like anybody would know. It’s not like it says Disney on the front. So, whatever, I’m using it as some wedding dress inspiration:

(Courtesy of Alfred Angelo)

Where I can, I’m sure I’ll be scouring Etsy for some wedding finds. I love the idea of having unique touches made by real people we can support. Of course, I know nothing about how I’ll be wearing my hair for the big day. But I do know I want to wear some kind of headband. Here are a few of my Etsy faves:

(From Lo Boheme, $155)

(From Bridal Blooms, $59.97)

(From Lucia Bella, $35.00)

(From Tessa Kim, $74.00)

I love that last bride’s hair, too!!

I’m obviously a shoe girl. And though I KNOW it’s smart to wear flat, comfy shoes for your wedding, I’m not going to feel like a true bride without a pair of pretty heels. Of course, Chris isn’t super tall, so I won’t go with anything too high… And I’ll probably get a pair of pretty flats for the reception if need be. Here are some of my favorite shoes I’ve spotted thus far:

(MaxStudio, $79.72)

(Stuart Weitzman, $375)

For the reception:

(Steve Madden, $79.95)

(Calvin Klein, $83.30)

See? Isn’t wedding planning fun? Minus all the expensive, major decisions, of course! Luckily, we’re enjoying it so far and just working to to make it the best wedding possible for US. And I’m also pretty lucky my best friend is incredibly creative and artistic and I’m sure will be offering a lot of inspiration to us once we decide on a venue

More wedding inspiration will be coming soon!!

Whooga wha? That’s what I said at first. Until I saw this photo:

Oh, Uggs? Well, no Whoogas. Just trust me on this.

Hi, my name is Susie and I have a shoe obsession (Hi, Susie). Thank you. I especially have a thing for boots. Why? Well, winter is boring and cute boots are the perfect way to jazz it up the blah weather. Also? Boots are generally comfy and have the power to keep me warm. Especially ugg boots. You might think they’re not the cutest things in the world, but comfy triumphs cute in my book. And I personally think ugg boots can look cute with the right outfit (read: skinny jeans or leggings and a winter jacket or fleece). But did you know ugg boots are the name of a type of boots and not just an actual brand? And if you told me there was a more comfortable ugg boot that would keep me warmer and be more comfy on my feet? I’d be ALL over that one.

Enter Whooga. I had never heard of UK’s Whooga until the company e-mailed me and told me about their boots (don’t worry, they ship to the U.S.)! And I swooned for lots of reasons. I’ve been wanting a pair of knit ugg-type boots for a while now:

But these are even better. Unlike those other boots, Whoogas are lined with Thermofleece, which will keep your little toes warm in temperatures as low as -30 degrees (they also keep your feet cool in hot temps. if you’re into that). It also circulates more air than “other” ugg boots, self-shapes to your feet, and never smells! Even better? The Thermofleece contains lanlolin, which increases blood circulation and moisturizes. Bonus! And my toes are happy toes.

Also? I don’t know about you, but my other ugg-type boots have ALWAYS ended up like the photo on the right. Yours?

Whooga doesn’t do that. Woot to the Whooga.

So, basically they’re the warmest, most comfortable, and highest quality of all ugg boots. And the fur inside does not wear down. They’re also a bit cheaper, too.

And you could win a pair! If you head to the Whooga website and sign up for their newsletter, you will be entered to win a pair of Whooga boots! But if you already know you want to keep your toes warm this winter, you can use this special discount count made especially for my readers: 1363BOSTON

Now, I’m just hoping and praying that Whooga starts designing the warmest slippers of my dreams! Though I’d even wear these ones as slippers:

I’m pretty excited to learn there’s an alternative to what is thought of as the traditional Ugg boots. And I have a feeling I’ll soon by wearing Whooga boots to keep my toes warm all winter long Thank you, boots, for making me love winter a little bit more!

Don’t forget to enter the Whooga giveaway!

(Full disclosure: I was compensated to write about Whooga boots, but all opinions and excitement are my own. I rarely review products for $$ on ELBG and turn down lots of offers, so if I do, it’s because I truly want to!)

Happy New Year!!! And what’s a new year if not for making resolutions? Seriously. I know it’s cliche and people rarely follow through with them and blah blah blah. But my philosophy has always been: Since when is making goals a bad thing? It’s not. And this year I’m feeling good about it.

Considering I started my year with a huge plate of cinnamon rolls, weight-loss and healthy eating clearly didn’t make the list of resolutions. But that’s OK, because I’ve got a big one this year.

Drum roll, please…

1) Get Organized!!!!!:

This is my main goal of the year. Ladies and gentleman, I am a mess. I’m able to admit it and now I need to do something about it. Other than shoving more junk under the bed and ignoring more e-mails. My file box is overflowing with tax papers and important documents. My bedroom is filled with food magazines with half the recipes torn out. Last year’s calendar was filled out to July 2010 when it abruptly stopped. And not because my life stopped. Sometimes I feel too deep in to crawl out. But this is the year I’m doing it. I’m crawling out from the masses of papers, e-mails, clothing, and stress.

So, starting now in 2011, I vow to:

a) Completely organize my files. I even bought a brand new file cabinet… I just haven’t touched it yet. But that will be changing in the coming weeks as I rifle through my massive amount of (scary) papers and try to be organized. I work for myself, so um, this is kind of necessary and I’m sure I’ll be feeling the pain come April.

b) Finish ripping recipes out of my magazines, throwing the magazines out, and putting the recipes in their respective scrapbooks. Continue doing this with each magazine I get in 2011. Come on, Susie, it’s really not that hard.

c) Keep my GCal and Filofax completely up-to-date. Throughout the entire year. Because things happen. And I can’t keep them all in my head.

d) Keep my e-mail accounts at zero! You have NO idea what a big deal this will be for me. Earlier this week my e-mail accounts were at 1,366 (personal) and 1,839 (work). That’s NEW e-mail. Now, I have them down to zero, meaning all e-mail has been answered and everything has been archived. I need to keep this up and it doesn’t sound hard but for me? It is. This isn’t the first time I’ve tried. But it’s never lasted more than a week. I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I hate answering e-mails and procrastinate like nobody’s business.

e) Putting my clothes away every night before bed. Instead of having them strewn around my bedroom. No, I’m not 12 years old. Yes, I live with my fiance. Yes, I know this needs to stop.

f) Staying organized with the wedding planning process from the start. I need to keep everything together and not spread out around the house. And I need to keep notes on every vendor we talk to (fun fact: I am the WORST note-taker in the world. I always think “Pshh I’ll remember this; I don’t have to take notes.” And I always forget).

g) Keep on top of blog posts, especially for We are not Martha. Again, I often cook a meal and then wait to blog about it for week or so. And then I forget what it tastes like and end up rushing a blog post. From now on, I’ll write the posts as I make the food. And I’ll take my time. And read things over. And work on making the best posts I possibly can. Really, I will. Maybe going along with this should also be to stay on top of my Google Reader.

e) Make a to-do list every day. And work my hardest to complete items on to-do list. I’m usually good with lists for about 3 days in a row before they just stop.

f) Send out thank you cards, birthday cards, etc. in a timely manner. That means I need to send out my thank you cards from Christmas now. It’s rude not to send thank you cards and I’m a freaking adult now so I need to grow the heck up.

g) Take a few nights off. I generally never end my work days. I work from the time I get up until the time I go to sleep… with a few breaks in between. It’s what I have to do to make money and get ahead, but I hope by the end of 2011, I can have my career organized enough that putting the computer away for an evening or two is not a big deal.

2) Um, do I really need a #2?? Did you not happen to see all those resolutions up above? Honestly, if I can get myself completely organized in 2011, I will be the happiest person ever. OK fine, I’d also like to save money, too. A lot of it. You know, wedding’s don’t come cheap. Nor does the eventual house we want to buy. Nor do all the clothes I want to wear. Le sigh. I think I need a life coach or something.

Here’s to a well-organized and prosperous 2011. I can’t wait to look back on this in December of 2011 and see how I did. Eeeek. Taking bets now. Go.

(Shhhh)

I’m amazingly excited and in love and just so, so happy. Plus, I can’t believe what an awesome job Chris did picking out my ring. OK, I believe it because he is pretty awesome, but I love it more than I ever thought I’d love a ring

I’ve never really been one of those girls who grew up planning my wedding. In fact, I go through phases of “big weddings are such a waste of money, ugh” and “omg can’t wait to plan our big, amazing wedding!!” So, this whole process will be interesting. I’m not much of a DIYer (my artistic gene is missing), but I might try to get into it some, considering we’ll probably have plenty of time. And the one thing I know is that we want the wedding to be totally 100% personalized to us.

I think it’s funny that the second I told people we got engaged, they asked 1) when will your wedding be?! and 2) where will your wedding be?! Answers? No clue! I mean, we’re both fairly certain that we want a Boston wedding, but other than that, absolutely everything is up in the air. I would probably die to get married in the Boston Public Library, but I’m pretty sure the price tag on that is outrageous. I have a few place I know I want to look at, but everything is pretty much up in the air right now.

In any event, I’m totally excited to start researching, checking out venues, and all that fun wedding stuff.

But for now, I need a good wedding planner/organizer! I tend to be a huge spazzy mess when planning things (especially when planning lasts a year+), so I need a way to keep VERY organized. Thoughts? Here are the ones choosing between:

(The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner)

(Martha Stewart’s Keepsake Wedding Planner)

(The Complete Wedding Planner and Organizer)

Obviously I’m leaning toward the Martha Stewart one, but would love to hear any thoughts.

And wedding planning… Go!

But whether or not I’ll be purchasing one this year, I’m still allowed to lust over New Year’s Eve dresses. Right? I really just can’t help myself. Though I feel like I haven’t seen too many amazing party dresses, the one I have seen and loved have really blown my mind. Like so freaking awesome.

I kinda of really, really (REALLY!) need this feathered Jovani. Unfortunately, it’s $640, which is quite a bit over my budget, even for New Year’s. But seriously? This dress is my idea of heaven. (And the skirt is like a nice fluffy heavenly cloud).

This Parker is a bit more reasonably priced at $297.00 and just as glitzy and glamorous. I’m totally feeling the sequin thing this year.

I just can’t get over the feathered dress look this year. Santa, please bring me this ASOS feather corset dress.

There’s not much from Alice + Olivia I don’t like, but this Maggie Strapless Sequin Dress is way up there on my list ($484). More sequins! Grey! Perfection.

OK, if we’re talking budget (and you know I hate talking budget), I suppose either of these will do.

This Express Sequin and Chiffon Dress is actually totally up my alley ($98).

And this Dillard’s Extraordinary Strapless Sequined Dress is only $79! The girl wearing it is totally 12 years old. But that’s OK because I’m definitely fine wearing a junior’s dress. Shopping the juniors department is one of the best things you can do for your wallet.

And it’s a good thing I’m not getting married right now because I’d totally be all over the skirt of Nicole Richie’s Marchesa wedding dress. Some might see it as excessive; I’m too busy swooning (and drooling). It just happens to be 100 yards of organza and tulle. She looks stunning and this is just perfect.

Hey, you can’t say I don’t  know myself quite well. And now, I suddenly want to buy a New Year’s Eve party dress just so I can sit in my apartment and sparkle.

The thing I love about my family is that we’re all about the parties. Anything we can celebrate, we will. And so, my very favorite parties are those that occur around the dinner table with my family, celebrating birthdays, holidays, and more.

I know. I’m an old woman. I’d rather sit around the dinner table at my parents’ house, eating steak and birthday cake and playing board games. And yes, I refer to those occasions as “parties.” What of it? But wait, there is always wine. Lots of wine! And sometimes even martinis. And occasionally even champagne. So, therefore, yes, I believe these events do qualify as parties. Take that.

Other than that, in January 2010, we celebrated We are not Martha’s 2-year anniversary and had a superbly fun party, complete with lots of people, tons of food, a glorious cake, and a full bar. No board games were involved.

But there were super fabulous gift bags:

Happy faces:

And SO SO many of our friends, family, and fellow bloggers. So, yeah I guess that was the party of 2010 for me.

Hopefully 2011 brings many more “parties.” And a whole lot more board games. Bring it ’11.

This post was in response to #reverb10, with prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.