hair today. gone tomorrow.

Ha! It's not often I come up with a cool title that actually works with my post, but I think that this works well.  So what do you do with your hair on your wedding day? Especially, a wedding day on the beach? My hair has to go up or back.  It's frizzy enough by itself.  Kind of like this:

 

True story: my freshman year of college, I was in a hair show.  And looked just like this.  This is how it all went down.  If you know me, than you know what a sucker I am.  Those kiosks in the mall? Can see me coming a mile away.  So, when the hair chick came and started complimenting my shoulder length chi-straightened hair, I fell hook, line and sinker.  Which explains how I spent the next weekend walking around the BJCC with half my hair a giant frizzball and the other half so smooth.  And also more than half of it cut off.  Yeah, not my best moment. 

So, this could totally happen if my naturally curly hair is let loose on the beach.  Only imagine all my hair like that.  This will not make for an attractive picture.  At all. 

My hair will have to be back.  The question is: how? I'm not exactly the traditional bun or fancy chignon / french twist. I think something slightly messy, to the side, and with braids. Can I pull it off?  I'm so over making decisions right now!  So, dear readers, I'm going to let you decide.  Pick option a, b, or c and let me know in the comments! BTW, no veil.  Am debating on flower or headband.

 A: slightly pouffy ponytail or maybe bun

 B: messy braids

 C. really messy braids

Ok.  Can't wait to hear what you think!

more need to know.

The invitations went out last week.  Chances are, you probably didn't get one.  But it's not because we don't love you.  We do. Lots.  But we're keeping this really small.  Like miniscule. Here's a sneak peek:

 

crappy iPhone photo, sorry! 

Here's some need to know information for those of you out of town.  

We realize that there's no address for the wedding--don't worry, more information to come!

If you're from out of town, we've blocked some rooms at the Residence Inn and the Hampton Inn (there are actually two in town: make sure to book a room at the Sadler Road location, that's where you'll get the good deal!)  Just ask for the Shelton-Fielder wedding.  And if you'd rather stay at a bed and breakfast, there are some super cute historic ones downtown.  Actually, pretty much everything about Fernandina is cute! We're so excited to get married there, and we're so excited you're coming. And if you're not--we're so excited you're in our lives!

snow day(s).

It snowed.  It stayed.  It's still snowing.  Tonight while driving home from the grocery, the snow sparkled in the lights, and as it busily whirled down, it felt like someone was shaking a snow globe.  And for just a second, it was romantic and beautiful and made me feel warm and fuzzy.  Until I walked up the stairs to find ice.  (And subsequently almost landed at the bottom.)   Alabama and my apartment are just not used to the fluffy white stuff.

 

i can't really explain how i took this picture, but it turned out kind of cool!

I know that you guys up north will laugh at our tiny 2 inches.  But we closed schools, stocked up on bread and milk, and waited with our fingers crossed and eyes shut to wake up to snow.  Except, we didn't wake up to it. But by noon on Friday, we were prepared to shut 'er down. 

 

the snow by noon on the plants at work

Guess folks made a lot of French toast this weekend because really, what can you do with all of the bread and milk?  At least this time, the meteorologists weren't laughed out of town. (I'm looking at you, James Span.)  It's even snowing right now (forecast: 1/2 inch or less).  Me? I locked the doors, cranked the heat, grabbed the blankets and only went out when absolutely necessary (i.e. Parker had to pee). 

 

please, mom, don't make me wear your scarf every time we go out!

now, this is when those cool dog boots would come in handy. 

We both think that snow looks a lot prettier when you don't get your footprints in it. And Sam holed up in bed.  Poor thing, he completely missed the snow and Valentine's Day because of a nasty cold. I don't think he got to enjoy any of it.  We're still busily planning, though, so don't worry.  The snow didn't really slow us down at all. 

cakes. and plates.

Why cupcakes?  I've heard this a lot. And gotten some really funny looks--even though Martha Stewart Weddings has been preaching the value of cupcakes since at least 2003.  And you know, whatever Martha Stewart says goes.  She's the be all end all of wedding planning, so I'm trusting her.  So why cupcakes?  Well, I don't know.  I like cake.  But I wanted lots of flavors and several options.  Plus I wanted something that our guest could just pick up and eat.  No plates.  No forks.  Anyways, I did consider a few alternatives.  Like pie.  Lots of flavors and could be really pretty. 

 marthastewartweddings.com

But then I remembered that I think pie looks a lot better than it tastes.  So I moved on to cotton candy!

 

 marthastewartweddings.com

I love cotton candy.  Love it.  (what's better than spun sugar?)  And how cute would that be on a table?  Single servings with rock candy sticks...all pink and yellow and fluffy.  Except, this is not a baby shower.  And I'm going with green.  Nobody likes the green cotton candy.  So, then I thought about doughnuts

marthastewartweddings.com

What's not to like? Simply bread and sugar...my staples! I love the way they're stacked, and the simple white cake plate.  But my brother in law had doughnuts as his groom's cake.  And besides, if there's an occasion to serve cake, why not serve cupcakes? So I started looking around...

    

marthastewartweddings.com, sprinkles.com

Martha Stewart had these beauties.  And of course, there's my original Sprinkles image.  I'm keeping the monotone icing, but switching up the towers and tiers.  Of course, this negates chocolate icing.  But that's okay.  Sivada's Cupcakery makes fabulous icing no matter what flavor!  So I looked back to Martha, and she didn't fail.  Here's kind of what I'm thinking.

marthastewartweddings.com

Jackpot!  Varying heights and cute arrangements.  I think I'll go a little less uniform and the cake plates will all be different, but overall, I think you get the point.  So this is why cupcakes.  More fun, more flavor, and extremely me. 

Speaking of me...I think I hit the jackpot! 

*photo by mom

 

Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? And they're all mine!  I've been looking for jadeite cake plates (and really, any jadeite pieces) for the past 6 months.  Even though I've found a few here or there, they've been too expensive or not in good enough shape.  But these? These are gorgeous and affordable.  Well, affordable to me because my dad got them for me. We found them at a beautiful cake place in Jacksonville, but they weren't for sale.  However, the owner kindly gave us the source.  And voila!  I can't wait to use them at the wedding.  And for ever after.

So that's why cupcakes.  Here are the flavors I've come up with so far: wedding cake (of course!), red velvet, chocolate, coconut, key lime, boston creme, and creme brulee.  Am I missing anything? What flavor is your favorite?  (If it gets enough votes, maybe we'll add it in!) 

 

i carry your heart with me.

I think, sometimes, I forget that this great party--it's to celebrate a marriage.  I am trying hard to focus on the reason for the party and the celebration, but sometimes all of the flowers, and hair, and invitations, and oh, the cupcakes just overwhelm the whole marriage aspect.  Shocking, I know.

 love. love. love these tiny ring bowls from palomas nest! check them out. 

So, this is for Sam.  And for our marriage.  Not the party that it is taking up all of my time, as fun as it is to plan.  Not the fact that Valentine's Day is a few days away.  But for our actual 2 become 1 marriage. {sidenote: I think I've always loved it because e.e cummings used lowercase and parantheses like crazy.}

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want 

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows 

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hid)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

-e.e. cummings

So for once, don't try to figure out what the words mean (I'm talking to me here) and just listen to the beauty.  i carry your heart with me.  Coming soon to a wedding, i mean, marriage near you. 

setting the table.

Although we don't really have anything to go on the tables (yet. i'm working on the caterer, people. calm down.), I have been working on the table decorations.  I'm looking for the green ball mason jars; we've come across a few aqua (ranging between $8-12 a jar) and tons of clear.  I hadn't committed to any yet because I've been holding out for cheaper jars--story of my life.  However, Kelly and my mom took a trip to my papa's antique store (a.k.a his house) and found these fabulous bottles and jars:

check out the cute gators in the background: die hard fans, these two.  

 

I think I might have squealed with excitement!  Coupled with some that I already have, we are set!  These will looks so cute in small arrangements with just a few flowers in each one.  I have a feeling I'm going to be very busy the morning of the wedding.  Stay tuned--more posts on the cupcakes + I need some opinions about hair!

save the date.

I went to the beach for a quick planning trip this weekend.  Mom and I went to check out the house Sam's parents are renting (so cute!) and the length of the beach.  Not that we are having a ton of people, but I wanted to make sure that we can stand not too close to the water.  (We're totally fine, btw).  See?

 

I made the sticks stand in for me and Sam.  It was so great to be able to stick my toes in the water--even if they were numb and tingly for the next half hour.  While we were plotting out imaginary chairs, we even had a surprise dolphin spotting.  I've convinced myself that if the dolphins show up for the wedding, it will be a sort of "blessing of the fleet" moment. Call me a mystic, but I really want those dolphins to show up.  And then we found some driftwood.  So I shot my ring! 

That was all on Friday. Of course, the rest of the weekend was spent doing real wedding stuff  like cupcake testing!  You will be happy to know that after much research (9 cupcakes, 3 places), I've officially found the greatest cupcakes ever.  They even rival Sprinkles--which says a lot.  And now, may I present the gold medal winners: 

top to bottom (l-r): double chocolate, red velvet, and wedding cake

Take my word for it: best. cupcakes. ever.  Or come to the wedding and find out yourself.  I'll even take flavor requests!