FAQ: Shoes and Pens

The two questions that filter in through my e-mail inbox the most relate to the plum peep toe heels I wore on our wedding day and the pens our guests used to write in our blurb guest book. So let's just put the answers to both questions right here in this one little blog post, shall we?

I'm sure you've seen these floating around my blog {here and here}. These hot little numbers were from Bakers {see store locations here} but I cannot, for the life of me, remember the name of the style. For $40, they were a steal. The pain I felt by the time the dance floor opened {from the 4 inch heels} was worth it because of how good my feet looked during the day. If Bakers doesn't have what you are looking for, might I suggest going to stores like Nine West or Steve Madden for some fairly affordable and quite cute shoes. If all else fails, I am quite the fan of the Jessica Simpson shoes at Macy's.

The Blurb Guest Book {which will soon have a place on the coffee table in our new home!} is still talked about to this day between our guests. Undoubtedly, it was the best ~$20 we spent on any reception detail. When it came to deciding how our guests would sign the book, I turned to my first love, the Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Permanent Marker {in plum, naturally}. With this marker, the ink won't smear like you might experience with a gel pen and there won't be an indent on the page that a ball point pen might leave behind. And, don't worry, the ink from the sharpie permanent marker didn't bleed through the pages.

If you'd like to see another FAQ post, just leave a comment here {on this post} with your question!
pictures by: nicole green

Plaid Ties

Chris has an unhealthy obsession with ties. I think that, if he could, he would have one tie per every shirt he owns to ensure that each tie matches perfectly with each shirt. Seriously. Hence, I think that Chris would have appreciated it if I would have given him a little more leniency on the tie he wore on our wedding day {even though we were both quite happy with his attire on our big day}.I am fairly certain that he would have been a fan of these ties, I know I am.

I am a fan of letting your man wear {a} plaid {tie}. If it correlates with your color scheme, naturally. The above pictures prove enough evidence and reason as to why said ties are acceptable, don't you think?!

photos via the nichols blog and rae leytham

Until Monday

Hi friends! After being out of town for 10 straight days, I'm going to take a back seat to blogging until Monday. There is laundry that needs to be done while I'll be working from home {and may or may not be positioned outside near the pool} and I have two orders to address for penned & pretty that are calling my name.
So, I hope that you have a delightful and relaxing friday {and weekend!!!} and I'll see you back here on Monday!

image via the white box blog

Fall 2009 "In" Colors

I found this lovely little graphic over at SW Magazine a few days ago and just had to share! I am personally loving all of the colors represented {minus the violet} and cannot stop dreaming up color combos! However, I got to thinking, how influential are these up-and-coming color schemes on the decision that you make regarding the colors present on your wedding day? For me, it was all about colors that I loved, not necessarily what was "in" for that particular season. There's a little poll on the top right hand side of my little bloggity blog where you can share your thoughts in the form of a vote. Or, feel free to leave a comment! Do you consult the "in" colors for the season before picking out the color scheme for your wedding!? And, just for fun, a second poll for you to pick your favorite fall 2009 color!

p.s. my favorite color combo from the above scheme: Iron & Honey Yellow with a splash of warm olive {i personally feel as though this color combo would work for most seasons!}

• Iron: Color experts are calling Iron “the new black”. Neither gray nor brown, Iron is a grounding color that coordinates well with other Fall hues.
• Honey Yellow: More subdued than Spring’s vibrant Mimosa yellow, this shade carries yellow through to fall and winter with its golden tones.
• Warm Olive: An unexpected, “tangy”, rich yellow-green. When combined, this intriguing hue makes other Fall colors come alive.

lovely little illustration by Gia from betsy white via SW Magazine

Capturing the Bridal Glow

You know, call me crazy, but in the midst of planning our wedding I got a little caught up and lost with all the things on my to-do list. You know, finding the perfect plum shoes, agonizing over our invitations, choosing a color scheme and putting an unhealthy amount of time into all the little pesky details of our big day. What didn't I do? I didn't think about myself. And that's fine and all, since the wedding is about two people and not just one. But, after seeing bridal portraits like the ones below, I really wish that I would have thought to pry myself away from Chris' side for just a couple of minutes to allow Nicole to snap some pictures of just me and that "wedding glow" that we all hear about.
Seriously, just check out the bridal portraits below and tell me that you wouldn't want pictures of yourself that even slightly resemble these:

These shots are the most natural and beautiful bridal portraits I have ever ever seen. Period.
My absolute favorite {bridal portrait} of all time. Ever. Promise.

So, in the midst of all the details that you'll get lost in during your wedding planning, don't forget to schedule in some time with just you and your photographer. Make him or her steal you away from your future husband for a few moments to take just a few pictures of you in all of your glowing beauty on your wedding day. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.

p.s. you can see the rest of the pictures from this wedding here on the fabulous blog of Paul Johnson, a favorite photographer of mine.

Frontier? No Thanks

Last Monday I asked you to "hold that thought" and bear with me since the hotel in Omaha I am staying at is wi-fi free {seriously}. This Sunday evening, we have bigger issues.
On Friday the plans were to fly from Omaha to Denver to Phoenix to visit one of my bridesmaids for the weekend before flying back into Omaha for another week of work. I made it to Denver, but then things got interesting. There was a blizzard in the middle of April and the Denver airport was a mess. After an hour and a half delay we were able to board our flight to Phoenix. One hour later our plane taxied to the de-icing area. One hour later we were still sitting there, fully de-iced. And then we went back to our gate. And then our flight was cancelled. We un-boarded only to watch THE EXACT PLANE we had just un-boarded be turned over to a different, more priority flight which took off within 45 minutes. Let's just say that I will never fly on Frontier Airlines ever again. So, after spending a lovely night on the floor near gate A32, I finally made it to Phoenix and stayed there for all of 33 hours. Then it was back through Denver and into Omaha.
So, after my lovely travel-filled weekend {and being at the Denver airport Friday, Saturday AND Sunday}, I hope that you'll cut me some slack. I am quite jet-legged, red-eyed and tired but i hope to be back to regular posting by Tuesday.

I chose this picture to serve as the pretty picture for this post because I think that the bridesmaid to the right of the bride looks like me. She could be my twin....or at least my sister. If you know her, lets find out if she's in my family tree somewhere. k?

photo by stone blue productions via the brides cafe

Make It Yours

Just a little post to remind you that your engagement shoot should be a true reflection of the two of you. If you love the lake, like we do, then drag your photographer up there with you to snag some shots in a place that you love. If you met while attending the same college, then take a stroll back down memory lane. If your dogs mean the world to the two of you then bring them along for the shoot. Whatever you do, make it yours.I absolutely adore this casual and laid back feel of this photo. It just goes to show that you don't have to wear your little black dress to the shoot, especially if it isn't really "you." Let your engagement pictures reflect your true personalities and you'll be quite happy with the results.
photo by: jenna walker photography.com

Don't Judge

The pictures in this little post are to encourage you not to judge the locations that your photographer takes you for your engagement session. Just because they don't take you to the most beautiful mountain top or the most gorgeous lake, your pictures will still be beautiful {and unique}.
For example, when your photographer tells you to take a perch on the nearest newspaper stand or hang out in front of a blue graffitied wall...don't judge. The evidence of the fantastic-ness of such a setting is above and below.
A rusty fence with road signs, yes please! It end result will probably be one of your favorites.
And that old building, off an alley, with the paint chipping off of it....just do it. Hop into that doorway like you own it.

So, the take away from this post? Trust your photographer. Just go wherever they tell you to go. An old storefront, under a bridge, in a staircase...all are fair game and all result in beautiful pictures.

pictures via bobbi + mike except for the rusted fence picture which is by matthew morgan

Grassy

A sure fire way to make sure that you loooove at least one of your engagement pictures? Lay down together in the grass. Guaranteed framer.

The grassy shot can have so many different feels depending on the light in the photo, the expressions on the couple and the style of the photographer. For example, the picture above is bright, vibrant, and completely breathtaking, just like the photographer that took it.
The great thing about the grassy shot is that it looks good in color, black & white and with a vintage flair. Go ahead and try to tell me that if any one of these were your engagement picture that they wouldn't end up enlarged and in a frame. I don't believe you because they are just too good.

The take away from this post? The grassy shot always works. Try to prove me wrong.

b+w photo by bobbi + mike and vintage photo by oeil photography

Pseudo Forest

Spring is very much the time for engagement sessions and there have been some wonderful ones floating around the blogging world lately. I thought that I would devote {the rest of} this week on tying the knot to lovely little engagement sessions.

I can’t help but to start with this one, by Jennifer Skog. You all know how I feel about engagement and/or wedding pictures that take place in a field, right? Well this particular engagement shoot takes place in a field within a pseudo forest and it makes my heart pitter patter. Just have a looksie, you’ll see why.

Things I love about this engagement shoot: the lush green setting, the chic couple and the love that can be seen & felt through these pictures.

I am a firm believer in that the best photos are close ups. Exhibit A:
Please, friends, take note of the fact that the couple didn't get all "matchy-matchy" with their outfits. It's much more aesthetically pleasing if the outfits simply compliment one another and give off the same vibe {please don't wear your favorite little black dress and red heels while your fiance is sporting a ball cap, jeans with holes, flip flops and his favorite football jersey}.

Take away from this engagement photo session: don't be afraid to get close and snuggle. attempt to make your outfits coordinate and compliment. oh, and if you can find a lovely setting like this one to pose in, it will make your photos look 10 times "cooler", i promise.

Photos of this lovely engagement session can be found on the blog of Jennifer Skog.

Hold That Thought

I know I told you that I would be sharing some lovely engagement photos with you this week....but we'll have to hold that thought for a hot second. I'm out of town for two weeks in Omaha, Nebraska {any local readers out there?!} on work and the Marriott we're staying at offers NO internet. Nada. Seriously. Luckily for all of you {and for my own sanity}, there is a Paradise Bakery across the street with free wi-fi. Might as well make up a plaque with my name on it and stick it to the corner booth because I'll be shutting the place down every night.

So, my little bloggity blog friends, I will hopefully be back to regularly scheduled programming later tonight. I'll leave you with this bubblicious engagement photo.

via: simply bloom photography

Ladder

Next week I'll be sharing some of the prettiest little engagement photos {besides my own} that I've seen in a long time. Until then, here's a little something to hold you over.
I saw this picture not too long ago on the blog of boutwell studio. Not only are the rolling fields in the background beautiful, but I love the use of the ladder in the photo shoot!

Who would have thought that an item in one's garage could be the perfect prop for an engagement photo shoot?

photo by the lovely chenin boutwell

Poll: The Half Shot

You may have noticed, in perusing the archives of this little bloggity blog, that I am a lover of {what I call} "the half shot." Example:

image by joey seawell via style me pretty

Also, see example 2, example 3, example 4 for previous half shots posted on this blog that I very much adore. Even though there are no faces to be seen a half shot, i still think that a lovely message/feeling is conveyed.

What are your thoughts? Are you a fan of the half shots?! Would you like to see a couple half shots in your wedding photos? Loves it or leave it? Comment or vote in the poll on the right hand side of this blog.

For one last pretty picture for this post, here is a half shot from our wedding day that I haven't shared with you yet.

This picture was taken by Nicole as the toasts were being given at our wedding reception{note the pink champagne}. Chris couldn't have peeled me away from his side if he would have wanted to. I don't think that I could have gotten closer or had a tighter grip on that hand of his. Loves it.

Poll Winner: The Dip

The winner of this fun little poll was "the dip" picture with 43 of the 123 votes! "Down the Stairs" came in a close second and will absolutely have a special spot in our home as well. Thank you so much for your votes and I promise to post a picture of it above our mantle once we {finally} move into our new house!
I enhanced the winning picture {above} by using picnik. I converted the b&w picture to sepia and then added dramatic touch with a vignette around the edges. The picture will be framed in a brown frame and will compliment our chocolate brown furniture just perfectly.
original photo by: nicole green

Twist & Wrap

This, my friends, is the beauty of wearing a long veil on your wedding day...

...letting it twist and wrap around you before draping it over your arm. Perfection in my book.

image via mimmo & naz as seen here on style me pretty

Birthday Boy

Today is my husband's 28th birthday. He celebrated by going fishing and I celebrated by going shopping {i managed to get him a few things and rewarded myself in the process, naturally}. His brother presented him with his birthday cake...a bottle of Miller Light with two lit candles taped to the neck of the bottle. We serenaded him. He loved it.
For those of you planning a wedding, perhaps this is a more suitable cake...
image: found on the blog of southern weddings

Feeding the Blogging Addiction

Dear Bloggity Blog Friends,
I am searching for new blogs to read. Lots of them. You see, I love the challenge my Google Reader presents to me everyday. Every morning I wake up to find about 60 new blog posts to read. Throughout the day that number grows and grows up to about 100 while I try to knock off a handful every couple of hours. So, its like a race. I try to keep my head above water and my Google Reader tries to stress me out by feeding me as many blog updates in one day as it possibly can. We have a love hate relationship.

Like I said before, I am searching for new blogs to read so that I can continue this fun little game that I play with my Google Reader everyday. So, send me your blog, the blog your bff from 7th grade writes, your dog's blog....whatever. Special requests are as follows: fabulous wedding blogs by brides-to-be, nesting blogs {severely in need of tips and tricks for decorating our new home} and blogs that make me giggle by posting about the randomness that is life. Allow me to give you references for said special requests:
<> Fabulous wedding blog by a bride-to-be: the artsy bride, grey likes weddings & veiled vows
<> Nesting/home decor blog: decor8, coco kelley & this young house
<> A blog that makes me giggle: just shoe me, daily pep talk from a best friend & blogging barbie

My Google Reader and I thank you for your assistance in feeding our addiction to the reading of lovely blogs. Send them our way!
The pretty picture {above} to accompany this post was found on the delightful blog of Southern Weddings.

PSA: Google Reader for Newbies

Hi friends,
If you're a veteran blogger and blog reader then I'm sure that you know all about Google Reader {how can you not?}. However, for those newbies out there that haven't heard about Google Reader, listen up.

Back in the day, I mentioned {here} that Google Reader was the best thing ever. It still is. Google Reader constantly checks your favorite blogs for new content and shows you the updates of each of the sites you subscribe to on one easy to read and condensed window. So, no longer will you find yourself going to your favorite blogs only to see that they haven't yet been updated! Instead, by going to Google Reader, you'll only see the blogs once a new post is up! So go to Google Reader and start "subscribing" to your favorite blogs today!

(hint: searching for "jessicalynn402" and "pennedandpretty" should pull up my blogs & allow you to subscribe!)

And, since every post should have a pretty picture:

sweet bouquet photo by Divine Light found via Lucky Me

A Gray Suit

I love this wedding. Mostly due to the gray suit donned by the Groom. Maybe it's because my Daddy wore a gray suit on his wedding day. Or, perhaps it's because wearing a gray suit on your wedding day is something a little different and unique. Either way, I just love the look of a man in a sharp gray suit. The pictures from this wedding will help to explain why:
The suit, the patterned and textured tie and the to die for boutonniere make this little groom a sight for sore eyes. I'll attempt to stop drooling over his lovely suit for the rest of this post, I promise. There are other things to drool over.
I just love the shot below. I love everything about it.
Now this, my friends, is how a newly wed couple should make an entrance into their reception. How breathtaking to be in such a gorgeous setting surrounded by those that love you. And could we please take a moment to notice the killer back of the brides dress!? Oh my!

I just had to sneak in one little detail shot from this wedding. Coasters served as pretty little escort cards that are just too cute.

Pictures via: evoke photography. See the rest of the wedding here. Be sure to check out the cake and the non-matchy-matchy bridal party!

Flowing Goodness

I just had to share a dress {besides my own} that I am quite fond of:Ruffles at the top and texture along with flowing goodness at the bottom. Me likey.

The pictures above were from the couples wedding, but I was desperate to see more pictures of that lovely dress. Imagine, to my delight, when I came across their "just because session" {here}. So, I think that it's safe to say that I have found a dress for our vow renewal...
pictures by chenin boutwell ... a highly recommended addition to your google reader.