DIY
Thrifty Thursday
Last Thursday, I went on a thrifting adventure with two of my friends. I love this kind of shopping – no purpose or plan, just wandering from one second hand store to the next. I wanted to share a few of my favorite finds with you, for my first installment of Thrifty Thursday!
Also, I’d like to say that I love how thrifting/junking/garage-saleing has gained popularity recently. Blame it on the economy, blame it on the desire to be unique/original – whatever the case, I’m just happy that the younger crowd is rediscovering the value in repourposing. It’s also a cheap outlet for the eternal shopaholic (raises hand).
Wooden cubby shelf, $3.99 at Salvation Army. I can’t decide if I want to spray paint this, or leave it stained. Pretty sure it’s going up in our dining area.
Funky glass bottles, 2/$2.99, Salvation Army. I think I’m going to turn these into candle holders, because one topper is already missing it’s cork. Thought about painting the insides too!
Blue polyester pleated skirt, $4.99, SA. PERFECT for NYC. I think I’m going to pair this with a t-shirt and wedges for a day of shopping.
Scarves: mustard/navy/coral + black and white, $5 for the pair. One for summer, one for winter!
Blue-toned mini mason jar salt and pepper shakers, $0.99 for the pair. Maybe my favorite find of the day! I’ve researched similar sets that sell for $15+
Black (genuine) leather crossbody messenger bag, $9, Thrift Town. I originally picked this up thinking it might be Coach, because it looks very similar to the Classic Collection. It’s not name-brand, but it is *great* quality. Definitely great for travel!
Milk glass items, $1 – $2 each. I always buy this stuff when I find it! (Do you know how to tell if it’s real? Hold it up to the light – you should see a faint iridescent shimmer at the edges)
Mexican fiesta plate with pre-drilled display hook, $3.99, Salvation Army. There’s a lot of texture in this plate, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the color. I’m trying to work this piece into the gallery wall I’m planning.
Mona Lisa mini-print, $2, and hand-crocheted red doily, $0.75, Thrift Town. Funky and whimsical. Definitely going on the gallery wall!
WHEW! That’s it for today! I hope this will encourage some of you to have an adventure of your own – you never know what’s out there, just waiting to be found 
She’s Your Lobster: Bride&Groom Session
I’m just going to go ahead and say it: I ADORE this session. Love it. Love everything about it. Kayla contacted me back in December about having me help make her Bride & Groom session with McGowan Images extra special. She wanted a few styled touched, accessories for her gown, help picking out an outfit for Kyle, and a bouquet of flowers. Kayla didn’tsomuch get her dream wedding portraits – I think she told me that there are about 5 pictures of her and Kyle alone from their wedding day. Bride and Groom sessions are a great way to make up for lost time/pictures after the wedding – hey, it’s a busy day!
Kayla and Kyle have this really cute inside joke – they refer to one another as their “lobster.” Like the episode of Friends, where Phoebe tells Ross that he and Rachel are destined to be together, because she’s his lobster. I mean, duh, right? You can see that video here. We used this notion to create a color palette, and a mini-theme for their mid-April session. We found a lobster tie for Kyle on this website, which pretty much nailed down the seafoam green color I’d had in mind. From there, we added a beautiful turquoise necklace that belonged to Kayla’s grandmother, a stuuuuunning pair of coral, chiffon-petaled heels, and navy knit shrug. I’ll stop yapping, and get to the pictures!
One of the first pictures of the day, at the beautiful Chandor Gardens in Weatherford. I still can’t get over how pretty that place is… beauty in every nook and cranny.
Check out those killllller shoes. Killer, right?!
Someone mentioned to me that the red “pointy things” in the bouquet looked a little like lobster claws. Cheeky, huh? They’re called Kangaroo Paws, and I knew the minute I saw them that they belonged in Kayla’s bouquet (Thanks Central Market!).
Banner! I made that! I promised Kayla a few “surprise” touches for shoot, and this was one of them.
Bouquet close up! Thanks Mack!
We did a bit of a casual look for the last part of the shoot. I think it’s nice to have pictures of yourself in your wedding dress that aren’t so typical. I like that these are a little non-traditional. Both the sweater and belt are from NY&Co.
I made Kayla’s hair piece using a sandal from Anthropology for inspiration. We finished it with a brooch of her grandmothers.
The Lobster signs – maybe my favorite craft of all time. I wanted to make something for the shoot that Kayla and Kyle could take home with them, something that they might keep and display in their house. I agonized for hours over making something that would be relevant to our “Lobster” theme, without being too kitschy or overdone.
(and yes… I had to hand-stitch the letters. No tracing on that kind of fabric!)
And there’s that tie. Swoon. Don’t you just love a man in a nice tie?
Sometimes, if you want a shot like this, you’ve got to… make it happen, lol.
Pinning Kayla’s gown to get a better look at those SHOES (and my apologies. I know you really wanted to see my butt).
I think it was totally worth it. TOTALLY.
One more. You don’t mind, do you?! (You can see the full session, with a ton more portraits here, on the McG blog)
Kayla and Kyle – thank y’all, from the bottom of my heart. I so dearly appreciate the free-reign you gave me with this shoot, and I hope it makes up, just a little bit, for your lack of wedding-day portraits. See you soon… for a different type of session?!
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