ring-a-ding-BLING

so guess what!? i'm going to be a bridesmaid! my friend sarah's bf jason popped the question on christmas, and sarah officially popped the bridesmaid question to lacey and me a couple of weeks ago over pf changs. (note: i will probably say yes to almost anything if you ask me over pf changs.) while i don't get to wear a big white dress and have everyone's attention on me, i get to wear a green or blue dress and celebrate my friends sarah and jason. i'd say that's pretty great as well. this is my first time being a bridesmaid and i'm super duper excited.

i went to the bridal showcase last weekend with sarah and it was fab-u-lous! while my taste for weddings is a little different than some of the vendors that were there, (i'm really not a fan of wedding clichés. if you know me at all, you probably have heard me talk about this and for that, i apologize.) but it was still really fun to get fun wedding/shower ideas and free samples.

speaking of which, i shamelessly accepted every free food sample that was offered (which probably adds up to about three full-size cakes.) i was feeling pretty gross when i left. overall, i had lots of fun exploring with sarah, her moh katie, sarah’s mom, and jason (who was totally a trooper and tagged along with us)!

our free photo shoot with shutter booth...

there was an entire photobooth strip of these, but i'll spare you the rest.

weddings and the city booth, featuring elements from carolina bride cover girl lindsey regan thorne's wedding at the mint. you can see her wedding photos here.

new york bride and groom, which just expanded their shop in charlotte, showing off some delicious dresses.

my friends stephen and cj torrence of torrence photography's very cool booth (they had all these old cameras on display in the case.)

you should also check out my friend lindsey lee's booth photos. i didn't snap any shots because i was too busy chatting, but it was like a mini anthropologie store. so cute.

delicious free samples. i ate like a fat kid and was not the least bit ashamed.

cuppycakes from the blushing bake shop, which just opened in ballantyne village. how pretty are these?

more blushing cupcakes... almost too pretty to eat (but not quite)

why, yes, i would love a piece of the almond cake...and the chocolate...and the vanilla. this booth gave out full-size pieces and therefore was one of my favorites. laura's bakery in matthews, however, won the best cake of the day award. and i definitely did my research.

i'm liking this this table for a fancy schmancy beach wedding. i love the blue/gold tablecloth.

a little over-the-top, but also a little fabulous.

i've got wedding fever at this point and am so excited to help sarah plan her big day and throw her an amazing shower and bachelorette with lacey and katie. stay tuned, as i'll for sure be keeping you posted!

happy (happy!) weekend!

hellllooooo friday! for no particular reason, i am so looking forward to this weekend!

enjoy your lovely days off as well and in the meantime, here are a few links of interest from around the web. enjoy!

wouldn't you just feel so great all the time if your closet/office looked like this?

i'm pretty tired of seeing strapless wedding dresses, but this one is divine.

i want to drink this somewhere tropical.

winter impressionism is utterly gorgeous and remarkably impressive. as soon as i buy some frames, print #1 and #2 will grace my walls.

are readers really this lazy and gullible? i'm not, and neither is she.

image by philip newton

homes for haiti

as i'm sure you are, i'm terribly saddened by the earthquakes in haiti, and the devastation that has been caused in an already needy country.

as a habitat employee, we have been kept apprised of the situation almost daily. habitat for humanity international is working hard to create both short-and long-term solutions for its 2,000 haiti homeowners and thousands of others in need of simple, decent shelter. the saddest thing i've heard lately is that although most haitians are in desperate need of shelter, many are more willing to brave the elements, as they are terrified to be inside following the horrific quakes.

thankfully, however, habitat has reestablished its affiliate office in haiti and is working hard to carry out its mission during the relief efforts. habitat has jumped on the bandwagon for text donations. you can text "habitat" to 25383 and $10 will be applied to your next phone bill. it's simple, easy, and since i generally pay about that much in extra text charges anyway (oops), i figured i could handle it.

i personally like to know specifically how my dollars are helping, and habitat has done a great job of specifying how they will move forward with a three-fold response effort, which habitat employees have identified as the best approach for the present and the future:

1. clean-up - habitat plans to immediately mobilize efforts to clear away destruction to provide space for new shelters. this will also give haitians a small wage and a specific way to contribute to rehabilitation in overwhelming ruin.

2. shelter kits - habitat will provide specific tools and materials needed for haitians to make simple, sturdy shelters in large quantities.

3. transitional shelters - habitat hopes to begin building transitional shelters soon, which meet all sphere humanitarian standards and will be built with future hurricanes and earthquakes in mind. these shelters include a strong foundation which can be expanded upon as the country continues to rebuild.

i know that's probably a lot of information to take in, but i wanted to share as i really like habitat's clear and concentrated approach to rehabilitation and rebuilding. i think that if i were to experience a similar disaster, i would find relief and hope in having a safe place in which to stay. a home is important to me, and a privilege which i often take for granted. i continue to find my work at habitat so inspiring for that reason, and while i know there are millions of very legitimate medical, food, and emotional needs in haiti right now, i feel a little better knowing that many haitians will soon have the comfort of a place to stay.

image via habitat.org

reason #457 why i love tjmaxx

if you don't shop at tjmaxx/marshall's/ross you really should start. i work for a non-profit and have expensive taste. you do the math. the great part about shopping discount stores is that i can often satisfy both my bank account and my label lust at the same time.

if you don't believe me, here are a couple of my favorite finds:

1. two laundry by shelli segal dresses, both of which retailed for more than $200 for $29 and $39, respectively. that's a lot of percent off. they're classic and well-made and i wear them often.

2. a pair of vertigo paris pants that are (gasp!) shockingly long on my tall frame. the original tag was still on them - $198. i paid $12.

3. a $30-something aerie bra (which i love) for $7. i'll take one in every color, please.

but this weekend i hit the jackpot. my favorite fragrance is marc jacobs' original, which, other than applying liberally anywhere it's sampled, i've never been able to afford. i've never found it on sale and because daisy and lola are his bigger fragrance sellers, it's not easy to find. it generally retails for at least $70 and ranges up to $90 for the larger size.

until this weekend.

...when i walked in to tjmaxx, and sitting all alone on the perfume shelf, was a giant white box that said "marc jacobs" on it. and inside was not only 3.4 ounces of eau de parfum ($90 value), but a lotion and a travel-size bottle, all packed in to a lovely marc jacobs tote. for just $39! i was ecstatic. seriously, i think my heart skipped a few beats when i saw the price. and better yet, i actually ended up purchasing it for $35, because the box (which was cardboard and about which i did not care) had been a little damaged. it never hurts to ask for a price reduction.

so, once again, discount shopping has paid off. not only did i get a price with which i could cooperate, but i got the fantastic adrenaline rush and satisfaction of a perfect find. try and beat that, nordstrom.

happy new year!

helloooo 2010!

there's something about the start of a new year that makes me really giddy and ambitious. i'm not much of a resolution maker, i usually just fall asleep on new year's praying for the year that's to come...

let's hope it's fabulous!

images both via flickr