Moon Tea

Texas

*~The Pedernales River running through the ranch~*

We're back from the wedding in Dripping Springs, Texas.  I knew visiting Texas would be interesting but I didn't realize how much I would like it, especially this particular area.  Oh, and the little I saw of Austin was amazing, too.  On a crisp, October-y Fall day there, it was around 90 degrees.  The thought of the summers alone keeps me from considering moving to this area.  But that's about it, because it's beautiful.

 

*~Texas going by my window. Do you love the wood fences? I do. So...ranch-y~*

The few days before the wedding were spent in preparation, relaxation, and play. Perfect! My friend's new husband's family owns a ranch, which the groom's party and other guys used to camp on, bachelor party on, and generally have fun*.

* Fun = beer and shooting guns~*

The bride's maids (or matron, in my case) on the other hand, got to stay in this amazing bed and breakfast out in the country.  With a balcony, living room, nice hallway, bathroom, and huge bedroom...this is the place I would recommend to you if ever you want a taste of the Texas country.  The interior was paneled in wood, and the whole place had its warm smell.  A few well-placed antiques added whimsy. Our hallway had its own information table with brochures and classy things to do in Texas, we had a hot tub, and breakfast was served at 8:30 every morning.  Always with generous helpings of bacon (or sausage), hollandaise, or both.  Why yes, I *am* suffering from withdrawal right now, thank you. This next picture doesn't really capture it.

*~Where the ladies retire in comfort, away from the men-folk~*

And yes, for some reason we took to calling the guys the men-folk during our stay in Texas.  It seemed fitting in that environment!

*~I loved this mini antique air balloon hanging in the window~*

And look! My friend is a crafter, too! A self-taught, freestyle quilter.  She made her own bridal huppah - which is the covering that goes over the wood structure the couple gets married under.  I wish I had gotten a close-up.

*~So many leaves~*

Did you know there were Tarantulas in Texas?! I didn't. Click for big if you can't see him.

My best days in Texas were spent on the ranch by the river, along with many other wedding guests.  The groom's family had this neat structure by the river they called the gazeebo.  It was like a big freestanding screened-in porch. Neat!

Inside there were plenty of tubes stacked for all the guests...and a bin full of river shoes in case you forgot yours! Now that's hospitality.

At one point there must have been 20 people either in the river, on the river, or by the river. I snapped a few pics and then didn't take any at the actual wedding. I think you can imagine, however...it was beautiful.  Oh, and it was held on the banks of the river. Stunning.

And now my feet are back on the ground of my native California soil, and it's the same ol', same ol'.  Well, except for that little two week break I and my fellow teachers get from school! Nice! Props to the modified traditional schedule.  This gives me time to sit around work on things, like my Socktober socks.

These socks seem very Fall to me.  They're the colors of dying leaves, and that deep blue the sky gets in Fall.  Thank you Kaffe Fassett.

New yarn in the stash:

Welcome Hemp for Knitting Allhemp 102 in Sapphire.  Probably for the Basalt tank (thanks kelp!).

And welcome to more Regia Kaffe Fassett, in Landscape Fog.

Catching up

(I posted a few wedding and honeymoon pics in the photo album in my sidebar.  There's only a few wedding shots as our professional ones haven't come in, these were taken by guests.)    

     Phew! I'm back, and there is so much to do after being gone the 10 days of our honeymoon, as well as pretty much the week or two before the wedding.  Bills, getting back to work, house cleaning, catching up with family and friends, and of course blogging.

     Luckily there isnt too much to catch up in the knitting sector, seeing as how I knit not one stitch during the honeymoon.  So much for my prediction that I would get a lot of my Marina Piccola sock done. I did, however finish the last Harry Potter book, and finished Wicked by Gregory Maguire, as well as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which I had to read after finishing Wicked.  So that's what I did.  Read, relaxed, did a million morning crossword puzzles, slept, bicycled with Joe, ate (a lot actually), shopped, and just generally took all the new sights and sounds in.

     We didn't do too much touristy stuff in Seattle.  We stayed in a great guest house in the historic Central District, so we mostly wandered around that really great neighborhood and visited downtown of course. Where we mostly strolled (or tried to bike unsuccessfully in traffic), and looked and ate things.  We did go to Pike Place Market which I, personally, thought was over-rated. Quite good sangria at the big Mexican restaurant there, though.  We rode our bikes which turned out to be a hassle with all the hills, traffic, and limited area where you could load your bike on a bus.  But, we really love the pace, clime, and style of the Seattle area and there's a strong chance we may end up moving there.

*~Seattle~*

     The best part of the trip: taking the ferry and camping on Lopez island.  The camp was nice. It had a communal shelter with picnic benches and fireplace, and electricity and hot showers in the bathroom.  Sigh.  How I miss Lopez.  I felt right at home there with the beautiful pastoral vistas and the ocean, sometimes, as a backdrop.  There were beautiful parks, lovely farms and gardens, really excellent food that was almost all locally grown, interesting people, and the air smelt good all the time. You could head out on your bike (or in a car) in any direction and have a great time with nice scenery.  Just pick a road.  Oh, and I ate lots and lots of fresh picked blackberries which grew everywhere.  And one last thing: Best. bakery. ever.  Hie ye hence if you're ever near the Washington coast, the San Juans are worth it.  But most people already know this...we just discovered them!

*~Field by our camp~*

*~Where the sheep next to our camp lived~*

*~The ferry~*

Gone Seattle-in'

Well, what can I say...our wedding day was a whirlwind day of friends and family we rarely see, good food, too much champagne, dancing, photos, flowers, snafus, busyness, late appointments, missing people, nerves, funny toasts, sad toasts, sweet toasts, kisses, hugs, rings, and messes to clean.  You know, the usual for weddings.

It's true what everyone says, about your wedding day being one of the most memorable in your life.  I thought I could get through it unscathed and feel completely myself, completely normal all the way through.  Wrong! I was a shaking ball of nerves walking down that aisle, and it was just craziness to see 90+ people you've known throughout all the stages of your life stand up from their seats and turn in your direction when you come in.  Phew! We're married, it feels good, we can relax, and we're goin' to Seattle!  My honeymoon knitting? The Marina Piccola sock.  I bet I get quite a bit done seeing as how we have the longest train ride ever up from Sacramento to Seattle.  I also bet I finish that last Harry Potter book on the train too!  Which will be good since I plan on stocking up on some reading material at the plentiful bookstores in Seattle.

The pictures on this blog will improve once I come back, we used some of our wedding money to purchase a new Nikon D40! I succumbed to the siren call of the upper-entry-level digital camera. We got a bit nicer lens as well, so I can't wait to get snappin'.

I'll post some other wedding pics but for now here's proof we did it:

*~As freshly married as it gets~*

Wedding bells..er..bag.

     What do you get when you combine an invitation to Ravelry with ongoing wedding preparations?  Not much time for anything else! I won an invite to Ravelry from I May Be Knitting a Ranch House, and I've been busy uploading and organizing pictures of my finished projects and my stash.  I love that when you add a project to your page, you can immediately see who else has knit it or is currently working on it. Very, very awesome! If you haven't checked out Ravelry yet (and if you're a knitter you probably have) head over there.    Meanwhile, wedding-related stuff inches along.  Bleh. Can I just elope now and have it over with and enjoy my new husband in peace? I kid, I kid...it will be nice to have a lovely, offical celebration.  But how about someone else just put it all together for me and I'll show up and look pretty, okay? *Sigh*

     Anyway, I have gotten some knitting done:

~Things just look better when they're lying in greenery~

     This is the Generations Purse (pattern free from Knit Picks's site), knit in Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk.  I plan on using it as my special bag on my wedding day.  I'll probably string some crystal beads along the drawstring ribbon handles...or maybe add tassles to the ends...or perhaps a beaded fringe at the bottom of the bag.

~Hm...this lace needs to be blocked~

     Eventually it will look like this:

     I like how  the lace pattern looks like moths, or butterflies.  I think it's appropriate for the transformation a marriage brings...

Stash flash

Thanks for voting everyone! Wow, what a help.  Now, I know an Italian reader said the cylinder vases filled with petals and a floating candle reminded her of something you'd find decorating a bathroom in Italy, but I think I'm still going to go with that idea! Heehee. I'm thinking of using that centerpiece at some tables, and at other tables a small floral arrangement with citrus involved.  Then again, I may line our small outdoor aisle with potted mums and use those as centerpieces at the reception. Then guests could take home a nice potted plant with them at the end of the night.  I'll say it again: this wedding planning and decorating stuff is a great outlet for your creativity.  My crafting is acutely affected by this, and so to keep the craft ball rolling I'm just going post a little inspiration.  And anyway, fabric stash flashing seems to be in the air in blogland.  =)

This stack of purple and greens is destined (I think) to be cut into strips, sewn together, and then cut into strippy circles for the Big Dot pillow from Amy Butler's In Stitches.  You can see the Big Dot Pillow on the cover of her book here:

And these black and white prints were purchased to make wristlets for my bridesmaids to use on the big day.  We're using black, white, and yellow accents as our wedding colors.  I love the way any graphic design looks in black and white.  In fact, Joe is planning on getting a different pair of black and white designed Vans for each of his groomsmen!  I'll probably get an Etsy crafter to make the wristlets for me; there's too much other wedding stuff to take care of! 

And I got these prints to make some fun, kitschy napkins for summer:

Mmmm...fabric.  =)   

I need your help! Vote...

Hi guys!  Alright, so we're 1.) on a budget with this whole wedding thing, and 2.) the florist we want to use kinda told me my budget is on the small side (nice), and 3.) I don't want to ask the opinions of people who might go on and on (mother, future mother in law, etc.) so...it's up to you to tell me what you think of these low-cost options!  I've been doing a lot of research into fun, creative, and pretty ideas for centerpieces for the tables at our reception.  Big vases full of flowers tend to cost a pretty penny, so I've found some neat alternatives.  If you like more than one option, or all the options equally, that's fine.  We're going to go with different centerpieces at different tables, so we might use more than one of these ideas.  Also, if you have any suggestions or links, please feel free to leave them!!

So, most of these incorporate candles because the reception will be in the evening, and candles are inexpensive and also lovely.

Option 1: Pillar candle with flower/greenery wreath

Kinda hard to see here, but it's a pillar candle (or we could use a candle under a hurricane glass) surrounded by a small wreath of flowers.  There's also small votives scattered on the table.

Here's another pic of this same idea:

 

Option 2: Cylinder vases filled with water and petals, floating candle on top.

 

Like they did in these pictures, we would scatter petals and smaller votives on the tables around the floating candles.

Option 3:  Floating candles and petals/flowers in bowls (as opposed to the vases).

We would have petals and votives strewn about the table in this option as well.

Option 4: Bowl with floating candles and lemon slices (rather than flowers).

Option 5: Unusual centerpieces incorporating fruit (and a few flowers).

We would use lemons instead of apples and a less ornate, simpler glass bowl stand.  It would be set on a reflective surface (mirror) and surrounded by votives.

We'd use lemons instead in this one too (and maybe a coupla' limes).

Option 6: Simple (less expensive) flower arrangements with citrus (lemons) sliced or whole in the vases, or in the arrangements themselves.

This last picture has the sliced citrus actually in the bouquet.

So....whaddaya think? Vote for your fave options! 'Cause I can't think about it anymore.  =)

More Etsy swag

(Yes, I changed my blog theme.  And yes, I went for the cheap, mass produced, pre-fabricated Typepad option.  I only wish I had the expertise or the money to pay someone for a custom design! I needed a change from the 'ol pale blue and yellow color blocks though...)

How do I love Etsy and the independent crafters it supports? Let me count the ways...

1.  I get to work with an artist/screenprinter to custom design my wedding invitations. I *heart* that.

2.  I found the perfect, inexpensive (cheaper than Hallmark), handmade bridesmaid invitation cards and postcards, all cut out of different papers at Amandolin's Etsy shop.  She also has other neat cards made from cut papers.

And she made a special card with our wedding colors:

I'm also thinking of ordering Thank you notes for the wedding gifts from her.

Thanks Amandolin!

3. Etsy feeds my pincushion collection...

(Pincushion made from a recycled sweater from Giant Dwarf.)

(Mini fabric owls from Finest Imaginary.)

4. And it feeds my magnet collection too!

(Part of a set of 20 glass magnets from Three Green Apples.)

I also got my much-used and almost-falling-apart pink wallet from Three Green Apples:

5. Etsy enhances and beautifies my jewelry collection.

(Silver ring cast from a sage leaf, and earrings cast from a vintage button from Honeybee.)

5. And Etsy enhances my walls, too!

(Hand block-printed note cards used as wall art from my fellow Moontea-er.)

Also from Moontea, my Christmas cards:

Long live Etsy!

Takin' care of (wedding) business

      I have been so lucky in the wedding sphere of life lately! Things have been falling into place rather nicely! *Knock on wood*  Because of said sphere taking over, not much knitting content has been produced lately; and I know y'all are tired of seeing Lizard Ridge square after Lizard Ridge square...so I won't post the four or five that I completed! (Nor will I submit the boring cuff of the one We Call Them pirates mitten I've started.)  Yes, zany rainbow waves are exciting and pretty, but you can only look at so many, right? 

Yay! :

 

The Japanese tea garden at Micke's Grove outside of Stockton, CA!  This, my friends, is where Joe and I decided to have our wedding ceremony.  It is so. nice. to have the location of the wedding squared away; and it required a lot less exploring and decision making than I thought.  We basically drove to the park, strolled around, loved it, and picked a date to reserve! That beautiful, auspicious, bright red bridge...can you say big time wedding party photo op?  Big plus: Stockton gets *hot* in the summer, and the gardens are extremely shady.  I think it's also nice that people will be able to kind of stroll around, relax, and look at lovely fountains and greenery before and after the ceremony.  It will also be a very calming environment for a nervous, scared-of-being-in-fornt-of-large-crowds bride.  The reception will be at an outdoor restaurant by the water that serves really tasty Caribbean food...mmmm.

Okay, please don't look at this picture too hard.  Aaaah!! I look like an extra in Gone With the Wind!

Run.  Run fast and far from this nightmare of a wedding dress that is so not me.  This, obviously, was *not* the right dress, and the people at the bridal gown shop in Sacramento were so very rude to me and my friend once they found out my budget was on the small side.

We tried another bridal shop and this man (in the background) was very nice.  And the dress is perfect!

 

     Yes, it looks a bit girly but the nice man who creates wedding dresses from scratch is going to sew mine without the organdy rosettes at the bust, waist, or on the skirt (the organdy sash will remain).  This man was a true craftsman, and I'm pleased I can support him.  After chatting us up about the benefits of running for exercise (he's an ex-marathoner), we settled on this dress in a nice, natural, cool for summer, silk-linen blend off-white fabric.  Yummy! He insisted on my having a rather long train, which I didn't really want, but he gave me such a good deal on the dress I figured I'd better let him have his vision. And, he's throwing the shoes in for free with the veil! I feel lucky. 

     A dress made from scratch is a bit of a splurge, but I plan on saving in other areas.  I'd rather pay more to have a dress that actually fits me and that I feel confident in.  Result: I feel more like myself on my wedding day.  If you or a friend are in the Sacramento area, and happen to be looking for a wedding or bridesmaid dress, I'd recommend this kind man at Seema Bridal Couture.

I'm also excited about:

Our save the date cards! And I'm so pleased to be supporting a lovely and very talented Etsy crafter! Our reception is going to have a bit of a lemon theme: yellow colors, lemon candy, lemon cake, lemons in the flower arrangements, etc. so Heather custom designed and hand screenprinted these with a big lemon slice for us; and we will also be working with her on the formal invitations.  Head over to her shop (Heatherjeany) and check out her beautiful stationary and examples of her other custom invites.

So, ceremony site: check.  Reception site: check.  Dress, veil, shoes: check.  Invitations and save the date postcards: check.  Guest list: check.  Officiant: check.  (Joe's rabbi and a woman from his synagogue will be conducting the ceremony).  Music: check.  (Joe's neighbor is in a string quartet, and one of Joe's good friends is in a great jazz band. Score!)  Photography:  check.  (Joe's friend from childhood has been a professional photog. since highschool and will work at our wedding for free!)  Cake: Nope, but I'm not worried about it too much.  Favors: ditto.  Flowers: check. Met with the florist, loved her ideas for a variety of cream and off white, almost yellow, flowers.  Anything else? Whatever, I have plenty of time!

All in all, things have been easy to pin down (due to people who are friendly, creative, and easy to work with). I'm happy to be using my wedding budget to pay talented people for their time and skills, and who make our special day beautiful and memorable as a result!