Our Wedding: Registry Redux!
Written by Sara on April 13, 2010 – 9:00 am -
The day before Easter, J and I headed out in the wee morning hours (well, around 8:30 AM) to register for our wedding. We went first to Target on the east side of the city, which ended up being a wonderful choice, as we were there early enough to avoid the (seemingly inevitable) large crowds of people frequenting Target on a Saturday!
After entering our information into one of Target’s lovely consumer computer stations, we were handed a bag full of “gifts” (i.e. coupons) from Target and…the scanner gun. YES. Needless to say, I handled the operation of that bad boy. We then finished our (long and rather exhausting!) day at Macy’s.
J and I quickly learned that the most difficult part of the registering process comes down to actually making decisions about what you want for a given room WITHOUT YET OWNING A HOME. J and I are in a transitional period in our engagement (as most couples are), and we do not yet own (nor plan to purchase in the near future) a home.
So, here’s what we decided: yellow in the kitchen, with accents of black; chocolate brown and aqua in the bathroom (and the living room, too, sort of); and a soothing light blue color in the bedroom with accents of white and brown, probably.
A few of my favorite items that we registered for:
At Macy’s, our comforter set (by Martha, nonetheless) is a lovely damask pattern – and I really, really love the calming blue color:
At Target, a lovely yellow Kitchenaid mixer – I seriously would bake more if I owned this:
Also from Target, this lovely easel-style mirror – it would be PERFECT in our bedroom:
What are your must-register-for items?
[Top image from Weddingbee; middle image from Macy's; bottom images from Target]
Tags: Kitchenaid mixer, Macy's, Martha Stewart, Target, wedding registry
Posted in Our Wedding, Personal, Weddings | No Comments »
Our Wedding: Review – Revlon Photo Ready Make-Up
Written by Sara on March 2, 2010 – 9:00 am -
I’m always on the lookout for make-up that does its job: covers imperfections. So, when I read in Glamour Magazine about a new foundation hitting stores early in 2010, I was anxious to try it.
I was running errands at Target last week, and I decided to walk through the make-up aisles. In the name of consumer research for this blog, I purchased Revlon’s new Photo Ready line of foundation and translucent powder.
Sadly, I’m rather disappointed with these products, and here’s why:
Revlon Photo Ready Foundation
- The foundation lacks a moisturizing component, making for a cakey-looking application. Despite the fact that I apply Neutrogena’s SPF facial moisturizer every day before applying foundation, Revlon’s new line left my face feeling unfinished.
- Revlon’s Photo Ready foundation provides a lackluster amount of coverage. As compared to the Cover Girl foundation that I was using prior to this experiment, Revlon’s coverage doesn’t even come close to that of Cover Girl (and the Revlon foundation costs three times as much!). During the summer, I’ve also used Clinique’s tinted moisturizer foundation line, and even that line covers more than Revlon’s new foundation.
- Revlon’s Photo Ready foundation is difficult to apply using anything but your fingers. While Carmindy of “What Not to Wear” fame often says that our fingers are our best tools, the only way to cover my face adequately is to use a foam applicator, not my hands. The Cover Girl foundation that I was using before purchasing this Revlon foundation is easy to apply with a foam applicator, and provides a much more even application than Revlon.
Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Powder
- Compared to Revlon’s Photo Ready foundation, I was more satisfied with the Photo Ready Translucent Powder. However, I was still left with an unfinished-looking face, even after applying the Photo Ready Translucent Powder.
- The Photo Ready Translucent Powder only added to the cakey-looking appearance of my face after application. The lack of adequate coverage that I experienced after applying the Revlon Photo Ready foundation was amplified after I applied the powder, leaving my face looking completely unmoisturized and uneven.
- One positive attribute of the Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Powder was the sheen and reflective nature of the powder. Because of the powder’s use of subtle glitter/sparkle pellets embedded in the powder, my skin tended to look awake and full of light when encountering both lighter and darker shades of light. However, the cakey appearance of the foundation underneath the powder seriously inhibited the efforts of the translucent powder to make my face look “photo ready.”
Overall, I would give Revlon’s new make-up line a C+. While I feel that the Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Powder can be a valuable tool in making for an airbrushed look, the foundation is a joke of a base coat, therefore preventing the powder from being effective at all.
Happy Tuesday!
[Photo: Courtesy of Ulta.com]
Tags: Clinique, Cover Girl, Glamour Magazine, Revlon Photo Ready, Target, What Not to Wear
Posted in Beauty & Polish, Fashion | No Comments »
Showcase Wednesday: Target Finds!
Written by Sara on February 17, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Happy Wednesday, readers! Today I wanted to take a break from DIY goodness to share with you a few recent vintage-inspired finds, available to you at one of my favorite stores, Target. You can also order these items online at www.target.com.
First up – women’s clothing! I’ve been oogling at these little black dresses – wouldn’t these little numbers be perfect for a formal rehearsal dinner, or even for a bridesmaid dress?
Or, if you’re looking for a fun, colorful dress to don at your bridal shower (or for your engagement shoot!), take a look at these fab frocks:
I am seriously coveting that yellow burst of sunshine in the middle; how perfect would that be for a wedding shower!
The best part about Target is that it’s a one-stop shop for EVERYTHING; click here to peruse what Target has to offer for clutches, killer shoes and jewelry.
As an added bonus, if you’re blessed to have a small frame, check out these vintage-inspired dresses that just hit the juniors section at Target:
Thanks for taking a quick little shopping trip with me – click here to access Target’s online marketplace.
[All photos from Target.com]
Tags: engagement session dress, rehearsal dinner dress, Target, Target bridesmaid dress
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Fashion, Inspiration & Insight | 1 Comment »
Showcase Wednesday: Our Love Shoot, Part I!
Written by Sara on January 6, 2010 – 9:00 am -Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Today is a big day for Eco-Vintage Weddings, and for J and I – we’re finally ready to reveal our engagement pictures to you all, courtesy of Creative Kindling!
Jordan and I had a wonderful time at our engagement shoot, despite the absolutely freezing weather! Kara and Aaron, who own Creative Kindling, have been an absolute joy to work with – we feel so fortunate that they understand our vision for our wedding! I went to high school with both Kara and Aaron, and I can say that these two have always been geniunely thoughtful people. I can’t recommend them higher!
For our engagement shoot, I made an inspiration board to give our photographers an idea of what we were looking for. We couldn’t be more pleased with how the photos turned out! All photos appearing in this post were taken by Creative Kindling; please do not use these photos without express written consent.
Our fashion: I wore a pink dress that I purchased last summer from ModCloth, a pink headband from Claire’s Jewelry, black tights from Target and black pumps with a rounded toe from Shoe Carnival. I purchased my blue coat from Target a few seasons ago, and the scarf and gloves are from New York & Company. Jordan wore a wool grey Kangol hat, a white dress shirt from Express, a pink striped tie and navy suspenders from JcPenney (the tie was on clearance for $4.99!), navy flat front Dockers from Younkers, and a pair of brown shoes from his closet. He’s had his dark wool coat forever…I couldn’t tell you where he got it.
Our photo shoot began at the Phillips Avenue Diner in downtown Sioux Falls, where we shared a milkshake (and giggles!):
Our photographers then lead us to a building further down Phillips Avenue; by far, these are my favorite pictures of the day:
We also had some fun with a chalkboard:
One thing that I knew that I wanted to do at our engagement shoot was for our photographers to shoot us walking around the downtown Sioux Falls area. I am SO excited with how these photos turned out; how neat would these photos look showcased in frames as a series!
Part II of our engagement session will be featured next Wednesday, but to finish up today’s post, here’s a couple photos of Jordan and I in front of a really cool green door. These pictures are all about the love!
Look for photos next week of Jordan and I at a historic museum downtown, in a old-time diner booth, dancing cheek to cheek and having fun on bridges, railroad tracks and swings!
[All photos taken by Creative Kindling; please do not use these photos without express written consent.]
Tags: Claire's Jewelry, Creative Kindling, Eco-Vintage Weddings, Express, JcPenney, Kangol, ModCloth, New York & Company, Phillips Avenue Diner, photos with chalkboard, Shoe Carnival, Sioux Falls, Target, vintage engagement session, Younkers
Posted in Fashion, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Photography | 2 Comments »