After lots of back and forth emails and phone calls with Amanda of Twice Blushed, my dress sash is FINALLY COMPLETE!!

Here's what Grandma R.'s dress looked like before:
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Personal Photo
Amanda took the lace from the neckline, waistline and sides; cleaned and restored it - aaaaaaaanddddddd made me this!!!!
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Personal Photo
The lace is nearly identical to that of my dress and looks even better than I EVER could have imagined.  It's an amazing, modern and stylish belt that carries with it a deeply personal history.  It's everything I wanted and more, I am so grateful to Amanda and MOH J for giving me the opportunity to carry a piece of my wonderful grandmother with me on my wedding day.  I just know Grandma R. would say, "My Ali Cat, you look beautiful.  You're Grandma's favorite...don't tell your cousins I said that."
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Grandma R. / Personal Photo
The sash is currently living with my dress at the bridal salon where I've instructed the seamstress to hand-tack the sash (for removal should I decide to sell my dress down the road) to the dress in time for my final fitting in 3 (!!!) weeks!

Did you have an accessory that meant a lot to you?  


 
As I've previously mentioned, I work for a handbag company based out of New England.  To say my handbag collection is larger than the average woman's would be something of an understatement:
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A mere portion of the goods. / Personal Photo
Since I have access to either beg, borrow or steal just about anything my handbag-loving heart desires - I've been debating with myself regarding the need to carry one at all.  While I admit it could make for some amazing, dramatic photos...
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Oh my gah...how gorgeous?! / Image via Etsy
...I really hate the idea of having to keep tabs on a clutch the entire night.  Can't I just stick a tissue and some lipstick into my bra and call it a day??

I ask of my brides who came before me, did you carry a purse?  If so, did it drive you nuts?  If not, did you really miss it at all?
 
Let's put wedding fragrance into the, "Crap I Wish I Didn't Care About, But Can't Seem To Get Over" category - shall we??
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I wish perfume still came in bottles like this!! / Image via Annapolitan Bride
My go-to scents for the past few years are: (all images below via Sephora)
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Dior - J'adore
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Givenchy - Ange ou Demon Le Secret
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Marc Jacobs - Oh, Lola!
A million bees before me have made the argument for a "new wedding scent" by stating that our memory is so deeply tied to our sense of smell and they want that scent to always remind them of their special day and there is definitely something to that.  Every time I smell Bath and Body Works' Sun-Ripened Raspberry I think of me in junior high spritzing that shit on every ten minutes.  Every ten minutes because that's about how long the scent lasted....

When it comes to my wedding day, the perfectionist in me (after perfectly plucking her eyebrows and flossing her teeth) says, "Yes.  You NEED a wedding fragrance.  Duh!"  while the budgeter in me (after getting off the phone with the local cable company to get her bill lowered another $30 a month) says, "ULGH, no!  What a waste of cash - use one you already have!"

Who do I listen to, hive?  I'm so torn!!  While I love "my" scents - they feel so everyday to me now.  Do I start anew for the big day or keep it real with Marc, Givenchy or Dior???


 
Recently, I was chatting with Nana about my "somethings" and mentioned to her that I needed a something old.  

Her reply?

"What about me?  I'm old."

"Nana..."

"What, it's true!"

::shakes head::


When I was a little girl, I used to love going through all of Nana's costume jewelry and trying on her seemingly endless collection of earrings, necklaces, rings and hair pins.

Oh, that reminds me!  Came across this gem awhile ago...
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What even...? / Personal photo
I told her what I was looking for in terms of my wedding day jewelry, she pulled out the box of jewelry as usual, and we sifted through, on the hunt for a piece I could use as my something old.  When I pulled out a double-strand pearl necklace with rhinestone clasp out of its yellowing jewelry box, I just knew - it was perfect!  Pearls + Deco = Jackpot for Miss Jet!

This necklace also belonged to my great-grandmother, Grandma D'Arrezzo, whom I never had the chance to meet.  A nice way to carry on my heritage and honor another member of my family.
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Gawwwgeous!! / Personal photo
So there we have it, folks!  My something OLD, NEW, BORROWED and BLUE!

What are your "somethings"?


 
Hola, Hive-a-ritos! (Kimmy Gibbler, anyone?)

When last we chatted about my wedding day get-up, I had solved my shoe crisis and found my something blue.

When my sister had gotten married last year, she worked with Amanda from Happily Ever Borrowed, a website much like Rent the Runway and Bag, Borrow or Steal that lends out wedding day accessories to brides for a fraction of their retail cost!

They offer all types of accessories from sashes and veils to jewelry and hair combs.  Here were a few of my "wish-I-could-wear-a-hundred-pieces-of-jewelry-on-my-wedding-day" faves!  (All images below via Happily Ever Borrowed)
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have a feeling my sash might look something like this!
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if I had chosen a simpler dress, this would've been a major contender!
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not a bracelet-wearer, but this is gorgeous enough to almost change my mind!
Since I still needed my something "borrowed" and haven't had much luck finding a pair of earrings I absolutely loved, I decided to "borrow" from HEB!  I saw these stud earrings and fell completely in love!
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these studs are small enough as to not compete with my veil/sash/dress/necklace, but large enough to make a super statement. ::drool::
Sadly, I won't see these lovelies until a few days before the wedding, but it was a great way to find a beautiful accessory for a very reasonable price and check "something borrowed" off the list at the same time!

How about you guys, ever "rent the runway"?
 
I'm pretty put-together most days.  



I have a crap-ton of hair and it's usually brushed, straightened or generally just...dealt with.
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Chillin' in NBC studios with Matt Lauer - I hear he's kinda jerky, true story?? / Personal photo
I know my way around a make-up brush and a pair of tweezers.
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Date night with Mr. Jet. / Personal photo
But for my wedding day, I need to call in the glam squad (my hairdresser, Christy!) to make me look supa dupa fly!

Wedding hair and make-up inspiration photos were some of the first "pins" I ever added to my Pinterest board!  I was drawn to really romantic, messy-but-perfectly-messy hairstyles like these:
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Doesn't this chick look like Leighton Meester? / Image via The Knot
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Love the ALMOST braid going on here. / Image via The Knot
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This might be my fave so far! / Image via F@*# Yeah! Hairstyle
For headpiece reference, I am opting for a fingertip mantilla veil.  Here's a sneak peek...
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MOH K and me keepin' it real at the bridal salon. / Personal photo
On to makeup!  In my every day life, I usually wear a tinted moisturizer, a few layered eyeshadows, some eyeliner, mascara and blush.  For my wedding day, I looked for makeup inspiration on celebs who share my skin tone and overall style.  Enter Adele.  Not only is her makeup always perfectly applied, but her look is completely classic and absolutely stunning.  Exhibit A...
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Umm, hello perfection? / Image via Vogue
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This bitch is flaw. less. I could look at her all day and I'm totes jealous of her accent! / Image via Vogue
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It's like the cover of a Fabio novel.... / Image via Vogue
While I'm not graced with her high cheekbones and creepily symmetrical face, Adele and I have a lot of features in common.  We both have fair skin, eyes in the green color family and hair with various red tones so by choosing her makeup style, I can really get a good sense for how those colors will look on me.  Now, the question is - bold or nude lip?  I'll have to play with both options when I have my trial with Christy in September - but I'll be sure to report back!

Did anyone model their makeup style after a specific celebrity's?
 
Hey there, hive!  Guess what showed up at my desk today????
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Could it be...my wedding shoes?! / Personal photo
In case you missed the last installment of the shoe saga and want to read about it, catch up here!  Long story short, I narrowed my shoe search down to 9 sexy finalists from The Dessy Group
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The contenders!
Thanks to the hive and my b'maids - I made a final decision and could NOT be happier with my choice!  Since I'm a total tease about my gown, I'll throw you guys a bone...presenting my wedding shoes!!
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NUMBER FOUR!!! (Please disregard the Irish sunburn...) / Personal photo
Thanks to everyone for their awesome input, #4 was secretly my #1 all along and I'm glad most agreed!  So there you have it, my "Something Blue"!  I'll update on the Old, New and Borrowed soon....
 
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Bespectacled Miss Jet v. Empty-Faced Miss Jet / Personal photo
Okay hive, I wear glasses on the reg.  I've been rockin' 'em since 7th grade - holler at those wire framed nightmares!  Right now I wear brown tortoise Ray Bans and they've been an every day staple on my face for a few years now.  

For my wedding day, I want to look like the best version of myself.  Not to say that the glasses version of myself is any more or less "me", but if I have an option to not wear them it's a decision I'll have to make.  I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing my contacts the day of my wedding, not only to show off my whole face (the Ray Bans sort of take on a life of their own!), but to reduce photo glare!  It'll also just look "nice" to have a clean look what with the veil, jewelry, hair, etc.  We'll see how tired my eyes in my contacts get by 9 pm, but I'm all for a costume change into my trusty Ray Bans should the situation arise!  By then, everyone will be on the dance floor and all of the pertinent photos will have been taken.  My best friend, MOH K did the same thing and has no regrets about changing into her glasses part way through her reception.  

Another argument for a glasses-free look - while I'm used to bespectacled life now, it may not always be so.  What if I get Lasik or hit my head and end up back at 20/20 vision?  What if in ten years Ray Bans are hideously unpopular and I look totally dated in my wedding photos?  Call me vain or an over-thinker (both of those things are probably true), but a specs-free face it shall be!

::near-sighted vent session over!!::

 
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My squishy little love bug!! / Personal photo
Almost 5 years ago, Mr. Jet and I decided we wanted to adopt a dog together.  We had both owned dogs growing up and it had been years since either of us had one.  We thought it'd be a great way to make a commitment to each other that didn't involve rings or a baby carriage just yet!  We started looking at local shelters searching for the perfect pup to add to our new "family".  A few weeks into our search, we visited a local humane society and as we walked down the cage-lined hallway, we stopped dead in our tracks when we saw a little tan chihuahua-mix just staring back at us.  

Bruce had been abandoned by his previous owners and found in the woods, nearly 5 full pounds underweight.  He melted our hearts immediately and showed cautious affection when we played with him in the pen.  We put an application in for him that day and anxiously awaited the call that we had gotten him!  Bruce became a part of our family on August 17, 2008.  We celebrate him every year with an extra belly rub and his favorite treats.

To say that Bruce is anything less than family at this point, would be completely untrue.  He has become Mr. Jet and my BABY - we love him an incredible amount and can't imagine having our wedding ceremony without him there!  We made sure our site would let us have him during the ceremony and I started thinking about sprucing up his look for the big day.  Why shouldn't he get dressed up too?!

I found so many cute options (and dogs!) on Etsy:
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I want to cuddle that dog so hard!! The outfit is a little too formal for us though! / Image via Etsy Seller Keli Fastner
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Very fitting with our theme, almost made the cut! / Image via Etsy Seller All Lavender And Love
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Those eyes! This tie was really cute as well, but couldn't find a good color match. / Image via Etsy Seller Gypsy Tailor
And now, for the winning look!!
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Hehe...he looks like a little old man! This was the eventual winner, Bruce will match his dad's suit and he looks dashing in grey! / Image via Etsy Seller Charlie Be Good
I put my awesome paint skills to work and did a little mock-up of the jaunty little tie on my furry friend.  Check him out!  Anyone else dressing up their pet for the big day?
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Handsome devil! / Personal photo
 
When MOH J and I were little kids, our maternal grandmother used to show us her wedding photos from time to time and talk about the gorgeous silk and lace gown she wore the day she married our grandfather.  That dress was wrapped up in her closet, with a promise to my sister that she could wear it on her wedding day (seeing as though she was the oldest of my female cousins).  She always boasted that she felt like a movie star on her wedding day, with her handmade lace and nearly 10-foot train.  

"I was 90 pounds when I got married, then SIX kids later, good Lord!"  

When my grandmother passed away 6 years ago, I fetched the dress from her closet and sent it to MOH J in Seattle, honoring Grandma's wishes.  The dress as-is, was a little worse for wear and her 90 pound frame?  Yeah, good luck zipping that shit up said almost everyone ever!
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The dress that started my family, untouched for years! / Personal Photo
While my sister loved the dress for it's very traditional style, she wanted to call upon her artistic, visionary side to create an entirely new piece suited to her personality.  Not to mention she got married on Oahu - hello?!  30 pound long-sleeved silk gown on a tropical island?!

MOH J consulted with Amanda, founder and designer for Twice Blushed - a "reconstructed bridal gown" boutique which specializes in bringing old gowns back to life with a modern, personal twist.  Amanda also believes in the green concept - as wedding dresses are made up of dozens of types of reusable materials that can be transformed into any bride's dream gown!

My sis worked with Amanda for months on a concept and re-design of our grandmother's dress, to maintain the integrity and beauty of the silk and lace while creating something so very "her" for her wedding day.  The final result was beyond breathtaking, check it out!
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The silk looked brand new and all of the chiffon ribbons at the bottom were added for depth and flair! / Photography by Julia Sieber
Hard to believe those yards and yards of silk became this dress, eh?  MOH J and I both agreed that our sassy grandmother would more than approve of this - a nod to her generation with an expression of individuality.

After the dress was finished, MOH J had collected the leftover silk and lace from Amanda's shop and asked how I felt about having something made from grandma's dress as well.  Having purchased my dress complete with its own sash and really not liking the design of it, I asked if we could have Amanda make a sash from some of the materials left so that I could carry a piece of grandma with me on my wedding day as well.

A few phone calls and emails later, the plan was in place!  You'll all have to wait to see the finished result (I haven't even seen it yet, in case it makes you feel better!) - can't wait to share this project with you guys!