The Best Baby Registries & Freebies

Posted on by admin

One of the most fun but yet overwhelming parts of pregnancy has to be the baby registry. Any company that you register with will probably provide you with suggestions of all the things you “need,” things that you never even knew existed (looking at you, Nose Frieda). I tried out three registry services/companies when I was pregnant: Amazon, Babylist, and Target. Babies R Us was going out of business during my pregnancy, and the nearest Buy Buy Baby is two hours away, otherwise I probably would have tried those too. If you’re wondering where to register for baby, here’s a review of the three I tried, and my winner of the best baby registry! 

#bestbabyregistry, #bestregistrysite #freebabystuff

Babylist is pretty cool. You can add products from any store or website. To be honest, I only started a registry here because I wanted the free goodie box that they send. Since we used Amazon primarily, I didn’t want to confuse people with an additional online registry. The welcome box was cute! It came with a bunch of coupons (none that particularly stand out to me), a Cetaphil sample pack (useful), a Pampers sample set with a diaper holder, a breastmilk storage thing that I’m not sure exactly how you use, and a cute ABC wall print.  Considering it was free and didn’t require a whole lot of effort, I would do it again. They also send you a stack of cute cards with your registry link on it, which if I had used this primarily I would have found useful.

best baby registry, free Babylist box

I registered at Target for two reasons. One, some people really prefer being able to shop in a store. Unfortunately, most items that I was interested in either weren’t available in our local store or were sold out when I went to order them. But Target was my only local option, especially since Babies R Us was going out of business. The good news, and the second reason I registered at Target, is the Target registry bag they give is adorable and stuffed with great coupons! I pretty much immediately used the BOGO Starbucks coupon. The other stand out coupon was $25 off $50 of Honest products. I also appreciated that the coupons had like six months before they expired. There were some great samples in the bag too, like a Dr Brown’s bottle and Mam pacifiers (conveniently the only pacifier Lilly actually likes).

 

As I said previously, we registered primarily at Amazon. Amazon works well when you have family and friends all across the country. Plus, so many items are cheapest on Amazon. We hadn’t had Prime in a while, but I signed up for it a few months before my due date so that I could get their awesome registry Welcome Box as well as the 15% off completion discount. It was also really helpful to have Prime right after Lilly was born for some of the last minute essentials that we needed ASAP. If you’ve been living off the grid and haven’t tried Prime before, you can get a free 30 day here.

The Amazon Welcome Box was the best out of the three. Along with a wide variety of samples, it came with a large swaddle blankie, a Burt’s Bees organic onesie, a onesie with little elephants on it, Nuk pacifiers, a full pack of wipes, a thing of Lysol wipes, and a bottle.

Another reason why I love Amazon is their policies are awesome. I ordered a baby carrier that didn’t work out for me and not only did I have 90 days to return it, but all I had to do was schedule a pickup. The UPS guy even brought the label. 

Along with the free Welcome Box, I also got two more freebies before she was born: a Boppy teething scarf (not sure how useful this will be but hey it was free) and this maternity belt. By the time I got the belt I was like 110 months pregnant so it didn’t fit, but postpartum it has been really useful! It gives my back extra support and helps keep my stomach muscles tucked in. It’s nothing fancy, but I’m really happy with it.

All that to say, Amazon was the clear winner for me. It’s just so simple and easy. We also registered for our wedding on Amazon, and I’m a tiny bit sad that we’re now out of life events to register for! But now we’ll get to return the favor. I’m glad I have a little mom experience now and know that buying off the registry is a GREAT thing–I’ve given way too many cute-but-not-useful clothes as gifts in the past (face palm).

Where are you planning on registering and what are you most excited to register for?

6 Steps to the Best Thrift Store Finds

Posted on by admin

thrifting, thrift store finds

I’ve worked in a thrift store for the last two years. Two very different thrift stores, the first a small newly opened store in Los Angeles; and lately one major corporation in small town, North Carolina. Before I started working in the thrift business, I wasn’t the biggest fan of thrifting. I thought it was a cool concept but it never seemed to work as well for me as other people. Maybe you’ve thought the same, that you’d love to be a successful thrifter but it just doesn’t work for you. Well it can! If you’ve ever wondered how to find good stuff at thrift stores, this post is for you. 

In high school, my favorite blogger was The Stylish Wanderer. She posted all these amazing outfits that she found at vintage and thrift stores. I’d always feel so inspired when I saw her outfits. But my experience at thrift stores was typically browsing through a bunch of unappealing junk, finding a few books and maybe a sweater that I wouldn’t mind owning, and then going home and never wearing or using anything I had bought. But now, my experience has completely changed. I now do about 90% of my shopping at thrift stores.

I’ve loved to shop since I was 10. I started out at Limited Too, where I made many unfortunate purchases, such as a fuzzy purple newsboy hat that I wore relentlessly. Thankfully, I moved on from that and towards the end of high school I primarily shopped at Gap & Forever 21 in my attempt to have a “classic, Audrey Hepburn-esque” style. That didn’t really ever happen, but at least my end of high school clothes were a LOT less embarrassing than the beginning. Side note: I’m listening to Taylor Swift’s Fearless album while writing this which is really taking me back to the most humiliating years of my life. The point I’m trying to make with this ridiculous walk down memory lane is: over the last fifteen years I’ve tried to move away from fast fashion. It’s been more of a journey than a move, but hey, progress.

The only way I’ve been able to accomplish this is by thrifting. Maybe someday I’ll be able to source my entire wardrobe from wonderful small businesses, but until then my best option is buying second hand. Maybe that’s more realistic for you, too.

Admittedly, some of the best deals I’ve ever gotten were due to me being an employee. But you definitely don’t have to work at a thrift store for good finds. Every week I see customers find the most amazing deals. Just the other day a regular walked out with Chanel heels for $4, a brand new rose gold Nike sweatshirt for $3 (I’ll be bitter about that one for a while), and a Lululemon tank for $1.81. I’ve seen hundreds of these hauls over the last few years. So what’s the secret?

  1. Wisely pick your one thrift store. Go to all the shops in your area a few times. See what you find just on a casual walk through. Take a look at their pricing structure. Personally, I prefer thrift stores that have uniform pricing on clothes, i.e. all sweaters are $4, all jeans are $5. It makes it a lot easier to score a good deal. Also, look for a store that looks overstuffed and disorganized. Sure, it’s annoying, but you’re thrifting not browsing at Nordstroms. Lastly, pick one that’s convenient to you. You want to be able to have frequent convenient access. 
  2. Once you’ve identified one thrift store that seems to stick out to you above the rest, go frequently. Go as often as you can. Yes, this is time consuming. I recommend wearing headphones and listening to a podcast because the ambient noise of thrift stores is typically not what I’d call relaxing. Why go frequently? Because it’s totally possible that you’ll stumble into a random thrift store one day and score a pair of Christian Louboutins in your size for $10. But more likely you’ll walk in, do a loop, and not find anything. Frequency is key. I’ve known many customers that come through daily, or even multiple times a day.
  3. Know what you’re there for. Sure, if you have hours to kill than you can do a thorough investigation of the entire store. But chances are you have limited time on your hands and if that’s the case, you need to thoroughly examine the areas that are important to you. Personally, I’m always looking for dresses, shoes, and purses. Those are the items I need the most, and the items that resell best for me (you can read about my side reselling biz here).
  4. Get to know the employees. Be kind and pleasant, in a genuine manner of course.  Unfortunately customers that are nice and make an effort to be friendly are surprisingly rare. But that makes the one’s who are particularly memorable, and so I would get to know their tastes and keep an eye out for things they would like. At my first thrift store job there was a sweet older lady who hardly spoke English. She came faithfully every day, and she had a great sense of humor that crossed our language barrier. She loved Michael Kors so I would keep an eye out for her, and she definitely got some great picks because of that.
  5. Always check the dressing rooms! This sounds a little crazy, but most thrift stores don’t have a lot of staff–ie no dressing room attendants–and stuff tends to pile up in the dressing room. Sure, you can view that as an inconvenience, but really it’s a blessing. If it’s in the dressing room, it means someone probably wanted to buy it. I always take a look through what’s left behind and usually it’s pretty good stuff! I found one of my favorite maternity dresses this way. 

    maternity thrift store finds
    This is the dress I rescued from a dressing room floor
  6.  Don’t feel like you have to buy anything. This can be the hard part, because who likes to browse for what feels like forever and then walk out with nothing? Not I. A lot of times I’ve bought something just to feel like I hadn’t wasted a trip + my time. But in reality, that’s just piling more waste on existing waste. Discipline yourself to just walk away! Going back to point 3, keep your focus on what you came for.

 

Obviously, this process takes time and persistence to reap the benefits. But it’s worth it! I’ve found so many awesome items in thrift stores that I would’ve never dreamed of paying full price for. So many times I’m left baffled, asking “why would anyone EVER give this away?” It doesn’t matter how much it originally cost, inevitably someone will give it away. I’ve spent many days sorting through bags feeling like the Grinch at the top of dump it to Crumpet.  But people value their stuff differently, and their discards can be your new darling wardrobe.

What’s your favorite item you’ve ever thrifted? I’d love to hear about it. Presently mine is my most recent find: an Instax mini camera. Definitely something I would have NEVER bought new! I’m also thrilled with the variety of maternity clothes I’ve gotten from thrift stores. If you’re pregnant and looking for maternity clothes, definitely check your local thrift store! 

Cultivating What Matters: April Recap + May Goals

Posted on by admin

Yay, it’s May! Every month that is closer to Baby Goodwill’s birthday is cause to celebrate. While I don’t feel like I’ve had a super difficult pregnancy by any means, being pregnant still isn’t my idea of a good time. I’m so looking forward to her just being here and being her mom. Each month just moves us closer, and so I’m very excited about my May tending list. 

I find blogging about my goals really helpful in keeping me accountable. It helps me get into the why behind what I’m doing. And knowing that I have to publicly report on what I’ve done that month gives me extra motivation.

May Tending List

April Recap:

Monthly Goals: 

Study Philippians even more: Yes! I am really thrilled with the dilligence I’ve had in studying the Bible. This is definitely the Lord working in me, and not me.

15 complete posts on blog: Done! My next goal is to get to twenty-five.

Unveiled Wife devotional: I did this about half the month. The devotional had some good thoughts, but it wasn’t particularly profound. I’m undecided if I’ll finish it.

Create a newsletter opt-in: Done! If you’d like a rose gold wedding planner, you can get it (free!) here!

Get haircut/highlight hair at home: Complete! If only I could style it like the hairstylist does 🙁

Make dentist appt/go to dentist: Nope. This WILL happen in May.

Go on Babymoon: Yes!! You can read all about it here.

Plan babymoon: Yup!

Register for childbirth classes/infant cpr: Nope. This month for sure. Trying to avoid having to take the one that’s a week before her due date!

 

Weekly Goals:

RM Abide Study 2x: Most weeks I only did the sheets once. I’m aiming for 2x a week again in May.

Post on Instagram: Yes, ⅘ weeks. I’m trying to be both intentional but natural with this.

Write the Word: Psalms: Yes! I am still loving my Write the Word journal. It’s one of my favorite resources right now.

Face mask: I’m in the routine of doing this now, so I won’t be putting it on my powersheets but I’ll still be doing it.

Go to church: Needs work.

Workout video: So I crossed this off, then I readded it again. I’m a mess. This is now a daily goal of mine.

 

Daily Goals:

Root in the Word: Again, so grateful that this has been growing.

Blog stuff: Most days I managed to do something, though honestly some days it was just checking Google Analytics.

Skincare: Going well! Going to keep this as a daily goal for another month until it becomes second nature.

Wife devotional: I was very inconsistent with this.

 

May Goals

Monthly Goals:

Finish Studying Philippians: Philippians has been a wonderful study for me. I’m looking forward to finishing it this month.

Go to dentist: Moved to almost the top of the list 😉

Take hospital tour: There’s only one date we can do this so I’m hoping it works out with our work ! I’m eager to see where baby will be born.

Turn journal into a WTW journal: My friend Christie gave me the cutest pink & rose gold journal the other day. I have a list of verses I’d like to meditate on during the rest of my pregnancy, and so I’m going to write them & then follow the same Write the Word format.

Read two books

Go to beach: It’s 84 degrees. North Carolina has no chill.

Write 10,000 words: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the aspects of blogging. But ultimately it comes down to producing content that people want to read. I need to be writing, so I made a goal of 10,000 words this month.

Buy the Ultimate Blogging Toolkit: Speaking of being overwhelmed, the Ultimate Blogger’s Toolkit comes out for a limited release this month. I passed on the homemaking toolkit (even though it looked awesome AND included a Cultivate What Matters gift card) because I really want some new courses & ebooks. Also, my husband has been getting into blogging which is awesome because we can share anything that I buy 🙂

 

Weekly Goals:

Publish 2 blog posts

Meal Plan + Follow: NEED to get back on this.

Outdoor activity: The best part of our babymoon for me was getting out in nature. I want to spend a decent amount of time outside this month before it gets 10,000 degrees with 1,000 precent humidity.

Post on Insta

Worship + pray aloud: Trying to incorporate more/new spiritual disciplines.

RM study x2

 

Daily Goals:

Root in the Word

Breakfast & lunch from home

<150 net carbs

Workout

Skincare

 

Babymoon in Asheville

Our Asheville Babymoon

Posted on by admin

Last week we went on our babymoon in Asheville, North Carolina. It was such a fun time and so good to spend almost five whole days together!  Asheville is a beautiful mountain city that we had been wanting to check out ever since we moved to NC. While I’ve visited several mountain towns in California–Mammoth & Big Bear–this was the first time I’d ever been to a city in the mountains and it has a very different feel. Here’s a report of everything we did on our Asheville babymoon: 

Babymoon in Asheville

We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Hickory, NC which is about an hour from Asheville. Our wonderful friends had given us a hotel stay as a honeymoon gift, and we hadn’t gotten the chance to use it. Then we found out we were having a baby, and they graciously suggested we use it for a babymoon trip. I can’t stop thinking about the glorious bed in our hotel room. We have a queen at home, and this king bed with a billion pillows was GLORIOUS. I’m going to be dreaming of ordering a California King for weeks. 

Thursday

Our first morning Theo slept in and I was awake at like 6:30 am. Pregnancy problems. He had worked the day before and then hopped in the car and drove us five hours, plus we went to Wal Mart to stock up on water and snacks right after we checked in. It was a long day. So anyway, he slept in, I relaxed in the room, and then we got ready and left for Asheville mid morning.

First stop was Korean House for their lunch buffet. AYCE Korean BBQ was one of our favorite things in Los Angeles, and we were so excited to eat Korean food again. I had read about this particular spot online, and it did not disappoint. There was fried rice, bulgogi, a kimchi tofu dish, chicken karaage, and a full bar of cold dishes like jap chae and kimchi and a variety of salads. Everything was delicious. I told Theo that if I worked anywhere near here I would come once a week for lunch. Babymoon in Asheville North Carolina

 

After stuffing our faces, we went walking around Downtown Asheville. We wandered–or waddled in my case–until we found Malaprops bookstore. At that point it had started raining pretty heavily and we had not come prepared with umbrellas. On my bucket list was a lavender latte. I’ve been craving one for months and since we live in the middle of nowhere, there are no lavender lattes to be found. My quick google search for “lavender latte asheville” directed us to Double D’s coffee shop.

 

Double D’s is a double decker bus that has been converted into a coffee shop. You order downstairs and then seating is upstairs. The barista was super friendly and made me a delicious iced lavender honey latte. After she basically sold us on moving to Asheville (though not on running a coffee shop in a bus, apparently there’s a lot of restrictions) we went upstairs. The rain gave it an even more London-y feel. Theo caught up on his fantasy football leagues (yes, that’s plural) and I took a billion ridiculous looking selfies.

Babymoon in Asheville

Asheville Babymoon

The rain wasn’t letting up, so we made a beeline for our car and hit up the Goodwill Outlet. This was another dream of mine. Basically, it’s stuff from other Goodwills that is unsellable, sometimes because it’s damaged in some way. Frequently it’s perfectly good stuff that just didn’t sell. At the outlet, they sell by the pound for $1.25. It’s intense in there–some people stay all day and make a living reselling stuff. But people were friendly and organized. Every 10-15 minutes the employees would drag out a few new bins and everyone goes crazy digging. I only stayed for a little over an hour, but I ended up with two large bags. I found a cute trench coat, two pairs of shoes, a dress, a button down, a rose gold cup, a book, and a really nice men’s coat. My total ended up being $5! I’ll keep a few items, and the rest I’ll list on Poshmark. If I lived near an outlet I would go ALL the time.

 

After that we headed back to Hickory and ate dinner at Cici’s (one of Theo’s favorites). I was pretty exhausted after not sleeping well. Also, I just wasn’t really accustomed to adventuring while pregnant. My normal self could walk and browse for hours with boundless energy, no matter how much sleep I get. I got a little sad wondering if I would ever feel like my normal self again, or if I’m just going to feel tired for the rest of my life. Maybe it will be a few years, but I’m praying/hoping it’s not forever! 

Friday

Friday morning we had big plans: Avengers Infinity Wars! We went to a fantastic theater which had the lean back recliner seats. The best for watching movies all the time, but especially when you’re pregnant! Avengers was pretty cool.

 

After the movie, we went to the River Arts District. It was a beautiful drive over along the river. I wanted to check out the Foundation Walls, because they kept showing up on Pinterest. Honestly we weren’t super impressed, but we did have fun exploring the art studios and looking at a variety of art.

 

From there we went over to the Biltmore Village. We walked around the shops there, and then ended up just sitting on a bench in a little park under the trees. It was beautiful and peaceful. I knew that we needed a balance of sightseeing and fun, but with intermissions so we didn’t arrive home exhausted.

Babymoon in Asheville

 

For dinner, we went to Papas & Beer which is a regional chain. The entrees were HUGE. I got the shrimp, steak, and chicken fajitas and it was enough for two. They have a salsa bar with a variety of different salsas, and so we could try as many as we wanted and get refills. Theo got a fajita enchilada dish which was also really good.

babymoon in Asheville

Saturday

Saturday morning we were both pretty tired, but we headed out early because we wanted to try Biscuit Head. Obviously famous for their biscuits, this was another spot that had come up over and over. The line to get in was about 30 minutes but it was worth it. I had the Asheville Benedict which included poached eggs, hollandaise, greens, tomatoes, on top of two giant biscuits. Technically it’s one biscuit divided in half, but it’s humongous. We also got an order of the Bonuts–biscuits turned into donuts with a side of lemon curd. Those were amazing. On my wishlist is their cookbook! Babymoon in Asheville

Babymoon in Asheville

After Biscuit Head we walked around the Grove Arcade area. There were a few street performers out and it was bustling. We browsed through shops and dreamed about the furniture we’ll buy when we get rich. We browsed through the Battery Park Champagne Bookstore which was neat. From there we went to Trader Joe’s where I stocked up on all the neccesisties (our closest TJ’s is like 100 miles away).

 

In the afternoon we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway. I think this might have been my favorite part of the trip. The mountains were beautiful! We hiked for several miles and saw rivers and waterfalls. It was so pretty, peaceful, and it felt so good to get out in nature.

Blue Ridge Parkway

For dinner we went out in Hickory to House of Nom Nom. It’s the first result on Yelp for Hickory restaurants, allegedly well known for their kimchi fries. I LOVE kimchi so I had to try these. We weren’t impressed with our burgers, but the kimchi fries were delicious. I also think this mango boba was the best I’ve ever had in my life and I’ve drank a lot of boba.

Nom Nom House, Hickory NC

Sunday

Sunday we slept in till 11 which was wonderful. We made no plans for Sunday, just a day to relax before heading home. Eventually we dragged ourselves out of the hotel and found Starbucks. Next to the Starbucks was a Goodwill. I didn’t feel like shopping, but Theo encouraged me to just do a run through. They ended up having a great infant section and I got five of the most adorable sundresses for our girl. Next we went to Donut Life where I got the last two donuts they had for the day. They make them fresh every morning and then you can choose which cream or jelly you want if you get a filled one! I was so happy.

 

We walked around Downtown Hickory for a bit and took some pictures. I recently ordered this tripod and it was fun to get pictures together without having to ask a stranger. We always feel so awkward and like we’re intruding, but at the same time we want pictures together that aren’t selfies!  The tripod is super lightweight and easy to carry around. Definitely recommend if you want more pictures and don’t have a consistent third wheel. 

Babymoon in Asheville

I’m so thankful that we got to take this trip. Spending time together and exploring somewhere new was just the best. We will definitely be going back to Asheville for more hiking & eating!

This post may contain affiliate links. You can view my very dull disclosure policy here! 

selling on Poshmark

Selling on Poshmark: My Favorite Side Hustle Ever

Posted on by admin

selling on Poshmark

For the past two years, I’ve been on a mission to find a good side hustle. Not trying to make thousands here, just sometimes you need a little extra cash. I’ve tried Ibotta, Ebates, selling books on Amazon, Swagbucks, and once even attempted to walk dogs on Wag. None of those have ever been particularly fruitful for me, except for selling on Poshmark.

I am a huge fan of Poshmark. My little side hustle on Poshmark actually funded all my start up costs for this blog. My earnings on there also paid for a few aspects of my wedding, and can also be blamed for getting me to Starbucks Gold status. Poshmark also helps me rotate my closet whenever I please! While selling on Poshmark isn’t for everyone, if you love to thrift or have a lot of extra clothes, it might be perfect for you.

I first learned about reselling from my mom. My mom is an amazing steward of finances and has been good at reselling for like ever. Before Amazon she would resell at consignment stores and book resale shops. And as soon as Amazon was a thing she became proficient at reselling books. Together, we’d often haul in bags of my clothes to Buffalo Exchange. If you’re not familiar, Buffalo Exchange is a resale store where you bring in bags of clothes and they pick like two items that they’ll pay you not a lot for because they still need to make a profit too.

Like I said, literally the WORST photos.

A little over a year ago, my BFF introduced me to Poshmark. I was tired of dragging stuff to Buffalo Exchange and getting very little for the few items they would take. With Poshmark, all I have to do is snap a few photos and write a short description. My pictures were HORRIBLE when I started. But my prices were super low because I was used to not getting a lot at resale stores, and I just wanted to make a little bit of extra money for coffee. I made my first sale within a week and I felt like Poshmark was the best thing ever. 

The catch with Poshmark is designer brands are the only ones that seem to do well. While some people do sell items from Forever 21 or JC Penney’s, it has never worked for me. I’ve successfully sold ONE non-name brand item in the last year. You’re also going to need to adjust your expectations about what the items you’re selling are worth. The thing about reselling clothes is that clothes do not hold value at all.  I always hear how cars depreciate in value the second you drive them off the lot. Similarly, clothes depreciate in value the second you take the tag off. 

As of now I’ve been thrifting about 85% of my clothes for the last three years. And when I thrift, I pretty much only look for name brands because I know that when I get tired of it I can probably sell it. Fair warning: thrifting ruins you for shopping.  It can also make you a little snobby. I don’t want to pay for Wal Mart clothes at Salvation Army when I can buy the same thing new for just a few dollars more. Conversely, if I can get a much better quality brand at a thrift store, I’m going to go with that option. 

selling on Poshmark
Clearly I’ve improved a little!

When I started out I primarily sold items from my closet that I was planning to donate anyway. This was particularly effective when I was getting ready to move across the US. After a while, I started thrifting, wearing things a few times, and then selling when I wanted the extra cash. This is a great way to carry a fancy purse for a few months!

Over the past year, I’ve resold items from Jessica Simpson, Under Armor, Lululemon, Victoria’s Secret (a lot of VS), Miss Me, Michael Kors, Dooney & Bourke, Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren, Sperry’s, CAbi, Nike, Lucky Brand, Fossil, Steve Madden, Coach, North Face, and Lily Pulitzer. Some of those have done much better for me than others, and it’s not always what you’d expect. 

Only recently have I started buying items that are not my size or personal style and attempting to flip them. It feels so risky because obviously they might not sell and I’m stuck with it! Because of this, I’m still pretty cautious. Recently I took a chance on some LuLaRoe–which is not my personal style at all. But, I follow some resellers that sell tons of LuLaRoe successfully. Two months later I’m still sitting on those pieces and may end up donating them. Reselling requires a lot of trial and error, but if you can find your niche it can be wildly profitable. 

Four Things that Have Helped Me Make More Money: 

  1. Take great photos with natural light. This is the most challenging part for me, but it’s the most important.
  2. Price reasonably and fair. When you search an item on Poshmark, if you slide the header all the way to the right you can change your search from “Available” to “Sold.” That gives you an idea of what other people have successfully sold.
  3. Share your items whenever you have time. I’m not religious about this, but I try to share my listings at least once a day. It only takes a few minutes and it moves your items to the top of the search results.
  4. Ship quickly when you sell. I print my labels at Staples and usually package in my car outside the post office. According to Poshmark you’re supposed to wrap and write a thank you note–I throw some cute tissue paper in when I have it. I used to write thank you notes, but I’ve given up on that, and no one’s ever complained.

A few women I follow on Instagram sell on Poshmark (& Ebay) for a living which I find super impressive. My favorites are @thedealqueen & @oscilatey. The Deal Queen recently started a blog and her first posts have great info on reselling if you want to learn more.

If you have clothes you need to get rid of, I definitely recommend trying out selling on Poshmark!

Five on Friday

Posted on by admin

                                    This post may contain affiliate links, you can read my dull disclosure policy here! five on friday

  1. Rooted in: Many mornings I have my quiet time in our truck after I drop my husband off at work. It’s usually not very picturesque but on Monday the morning was just beautiful. I was using my Write the Word journal and the passage was Psalm 84–“Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in who’s heart are the highways to Zion. For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” I don’t normally Instagram my morning quiet time but it was so pretty that I wanted to share & remember forever here 🙂 
  2. We watched The Greatest Showman last night and I LOVED it! I was already in a pretty weepy mood (#pregnancyhormones) and I cried through basically the entire movie. Also, I can’t stop listening to the soundtrack and attempting to sing along while getting all the words mixed up.
  3. I can’t get enough of this super simple ground beef bowl recipe. We’ve eaten it weekly for the past three weeks and the leftovers get devoured quickly. It’s the easiest thing in the world to make, the ingredients are super cheap, and it’s delicious. Definitely a family favorite.
  4. We had a super simple Easter but it was really nice. We went to church and ate Cookout after. Definitely traditional. If you don’t know what Cookout is, it’s super good fast food. Kind of like if In n Out had a ton of options….at the same time In n Out is sacred ground and I don’t know that I’m qualified to make these comparisons. Anyway. I took advantage of the holiday as an opportunity to wear my super favorite dress right now:

    24 week bumpdate
                                                                In love with this Pink Blush Maternity dress
  5. Dreaming of: Our babymoon! I spend most of my days at work thinking of how wonderful it’s going to be to spend four whole days with my husband. In a new place! Also we realized it’s the first time we’ve taken paid vacation in our lives (#adults). I’m so excited to explore Asheville! If you have any recommendations, leave a comment and let me know 🙂

April Tending List + March Recap: Cultivating What Matters in 2018

Posted on by admin

tending list tuesday

This post contains affiliate links. You can read my dull disclosure policy here. 

April is here! And what better way to kick off a month than with a holiday on the first day. March was a really good month for me as far as getting things done. I had thought February went pretty well, but according to my tending list, March was much more about making things happen. Here’s a recap of how my March goals went, and what I’m cultivating in April: 

 

March Monthly Goal Review:

 

Study Philippians: So I’m not even through the first chapter as far as actual studying goes. But, I’m happy with that! I continued to use the Risen Motherhood Abide sheets. I also did all the Philippians verses in my Write the Word journal. Along with that, I read through the whole book at least weekly. This is the most important goal–to root myself in the Word of God–and I’m really thankful to be able to report progress this month.

Hang spice rack/calendar/redo kitchen: Completed 2 out of 3. These are household projects I’ve been planning on doing since New Years sooooo yeah. I’m celebrating progress here too!

Have family over for dinner/have friends over: We had my inlaws over for a yummy dinner of barbeque and brownies. Someday we’ll have friends over 🙂

Follow meal plan all month: So I never actually made a meal plan or did the grocery plan for it. But, we didn’t eat out nearly as much and I cooked fairly regularly. So I’m happy with the progress we made on this.

Get our taxes done/W2: I got everything together to get our taxes done. Still need to actually do them, but we’ll get there.

Make blog public: Done! I decided to launch “softly” by just telling some friends and posting it here and there. I’m trying to not be super perfectionistic but instead just put myself out here. I’m not a professional blogger and I don’t need to compare myself to people who have been doing this for years–but it’s hard not too. Still working on that!

Get setup with Amazon Affiliates: Signed up.

Read two books: I read Good News for Weary Women, which I blogged about here. I got a library card and read Expecting Better by Emily Oster. I also started Wait & See.

Weekly Goals:

Use my RM Sheets to Study Philippians: I aimed to do this twice per week and made my goal about half of the month. Going to do this again in April as well.

Write the Word Journal: Done! This is the most I’ve used this journal since my husband gave it to me two Christmases ago. I’m going to keep this up in April as well.

2 blog posts: I got about one done per week. While I could easily write two blog posts a week; designing graphics and images and formatting take me a lot longer. I did a lot of work with the theme this month too. So, I’m happy with the progress.

Go to church: I really don’t want to write this, but we didn’t go at all this month. We listened to the sermons, but our actual presence was nada. We’re going to prioritize this in April.

Face mask: I added this in mid-month when I splurged on some skincare products at TJ Maxx. I got a pack ofcharcoal face masks and discovered the joy of slapping one on and soaking in the bath. Ahhhhhh.

Daily Goals:

Get in the Word: Did better this month than any previous. I want to keep this momentum going into April. I saw a marked improvement in my attitude and patience throughout the day on the days where I spent time reading and praying.

Tidy for 10 in 2: I wasn’t super consistent with this, but I will say our house looked much better than previous months! We’re like the least tidy couple in America sooo any progress is good here.

Breakfast from home: Did a lot better on this too! I also ate a lot less fast food this month overall. My go to breakfast has been a big cup of greek yogurt, a half cup of oats, and two tablespoons of peanut butter stirred together. It’s not exciting, but it keeps me full for 3-4 hours. The peanut butter is the best part, of course.

 

Now onto April!

tending list tuesday

April Monthly Goals:

Study Philippians even more: Continuing from last month. I think I may set myself an incentive that if I finish the Abide sheets I’ve already printed, I can order a Give Me Jesus journal from Well Watered Women when they release the new ones. We’ll see.

15 complete posts on blog.

Unveiled Wife devotional: My friend Christie loaned me this devotional. I want to do better at praying for my husband and loving on him, so I’m going to give this 30 day devotional a try.

Create a newsletter opt-in: I have a few ideas but I’m not 100% sure yet. It seems like most bloggers offer printables of some sort, but honestly, I don’t own a printer. It feels weird to offer an incentive that wouldn’t incentivize me. Need to do some more brainstorming here. 

Get haircut/highlight hair at home: Haven’t had a haircut since October when I cut off like 12 inches. It’s time! Aaand I did a box dye on my hair last month. It wasn’t terrible but I’ve watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials on how to actually highlight, like with bleach and foils, and I think I can do it. So uh, wish me luck?

Make dentist appt/go to dentist: Exciting stuff here.

Go on Babymoon!: SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. My super amazing lifelong friend and her husband gave us a Marriott stay back when we got married. But we never were able to use it because right after we got married we moved and were just trying to get settled and survive. So now we’re going on a babymoon to Asheville, NC! I am counting down the days. 

Plan our trip: I’m the planner in our family, so I’ll make a rough schedule for the week. I’d love suggestions!

Register for childbirth class & infant CPR: Need to get these done before July ideally 😉

Attempt to restore camera

 

Weekly Goals:

RM Abide study: Aiming for 2x a week.

Post on Instagram

Write the Word–Psalms: Going to focus on Psalms this month since I used up all of Philippians.

Face mask

Go to church

Workout video: Also aiming for 2x a week. I did this one the other day and thought I was going to die.

 

Daily Goals:

Root in the Word

Blog stuff: I want to just do something related to this blog every day.

Lunch from home: Now that I’ve pretty much got breakfast down, time to stop spending money on lunch.

Skincare: Trying to develop this as as consistent habit. I literally just started washing my face this month (so embarrassing) so clearly there’s some progress to be made here. 

Wife devotional: Made a daily goal to keep me accountable on my monthly goal.

I’m so excited for April! Going on a vacation at the end of the month is just the best motivation. As the third trimester gets closer (4 weeks away), I’m feeling really motivated to get things done before I have a little buddy to “help” me get things done. Because that’s how babies work, right? I’d love to hear about what you’re cultivating in April!

What a Wedding With A Budget Under $3,000 Looks Like

Posted on by admin

This post contains affiliate links. You can view my very dull disclosure policy here! 

weddings under $3,000

When I first started wedding planning, I loved reading wedding recaps. It was so interesting to me to see people’s budgets and what their weddings looked like within that budget. Inevitably, most of these weddings were between 3-10 times over my budget–which was around $3,000. I knew that once I got married, I wanted to share the experience with others who were also trying to plan a wedding on a small budget.

As you’ve probably heard, the average American wedding costs $30,000. If you have $30,000, it sure makes for a glorious wedding! But if you don’t, you can still have a beautiful wedding that you’ll remember fondly forever.

Our wedding wasn’t perfect or flawless, and it wasn’t the best day of my life. It was one of favorite days, and the start of a really beautiful life together that’s had and will continue to have many best days. No matter how big or small your wedding budget is, laying aside the expectation that “this is the most important day ever that has to be absolutely perfect in every way” will really help you to be happy and satisfied with the wedding you end up having. No matter what you do, your wedding won’t be perfect. And even if you don’t remember a single flaw, you’ll see a photo months later of something hanging the wrong way or your lipstick worn off.

I wanted to share a summary and budget breakdown of our wedding to encourage those of you brides who are wedding planning on a small budget. Now, we were extremely blessed to be able to access a lot of things that are normally costly for free. I realize that is certainly not doable for most people. But, you have your own circumstances and set of connections. Utilize them!

When I look back on our wedding, my fondest memories aren’t the donuts or the bouquets. My fondest memories are the people who love us who helped us pull this day off. If you keep your focus on the person you’re marrying and the people who are celebrating with you, you won’t be disappointed when things go askew.

So with that said, here is our wedding breakdown!

Invitations/Engagement Photos: Somehow I don’t have a single photo of our invites, nor do I have any email trail of where I ordered them from. I think we used Shutterfly. My Matron of Honor took our engagement photos and I used those to personalize our invitations. Instead of adding on RSVP and registry cards, I created a simple wedding website through The Knot and had all that info on there. ($45)

Engagement photo taken by my dear friend Bethany

Venue: Long story short, we were blessed to be able to use a chapel and reception area for free through our church. We took our photos in Echo Park, which was where we were the first time Theo told me he liked me, as well as where we had spent many future dates. We had our first look in not the most photogenic spot–a busy intersection in front of the church–but it was the first place we spoke after spending three and a half months apart. (Free) 

Photography: Photography was of number one importance to me. While the actual wedding would only last a few hours, I knew we would be looking at these photographs for the rest of our lives. Good photography is expensive–especially in the Los Angeles area. I was so thankful to find Anna Clark Photo. Not only did she work with my tiny budget, she was fun to work with and really took the time to understand what I wanted. She also responds super promptly which I found to be rare with a number of photographers I contacted. We were so happy with our photos and will treasure them forever. ($1,300)

Officiant: My dad is an ordained minister and so he married us. We had another friend do the opening prayers until my dad walked me down the aisle, and then they switched out and dad performed the rest of the ceremony. It was very special and I’m so thankful he was able to do that. (Free)

Music: This is something I should have done differently. We did a Spotify playlist for the reception, which worked just fine. For the ceremony, I tried to do the same but had yet another dear friend in charge of the playlist. I asked him the day before and he was like “Uh you want me to do the music for the biggest day of your life TOMORROW” yup, yes please. It worked out fine, but I wish I had found a better edit of the song I walked down the aisle to (“Beautiful Things” by Gungor) because we walked down at the beginning depressing part of the song which was not exactly the vision I had in mind. Oh well! (Free)

Flowers: I did the flowers and boutonnieres myself. I had kind of made bouquets once before, when I was a Maid of Honor in my BFF’s wedding. I had never made a boutonniere. The day before our wedding, I got up at the crack of dawn and ventured to the LA Flower Market with a dear friend. We got roses, lilies, and baby’s breath–oh, and donuts–and then I made the bouquets, boutonnieres, and some of the centerpieces (my mama made the rest) with some help from any friends I could round up. All things considered, they turned out good! Along with the flowers, I purchased burlap, lace, and flower wire/tape. ($75)

Somehow this turned into…

Food: We had a taco bar from My Taco Man. His rates were easily the most economical in Los Angeles and it was delicious. They delivered everything we needed. Neither Theo or I like cake, but I love donuts, so we had a donut bar. At the very last minute I decided we should have a root beer float bar because Theo loves root beer, so we had that too. We also had water, and sparkling cider for the toasts. ($500)

You can find a similar banner here

doughnut bar

root beer float and donut bar

Decor: I didn’t decorate the chapel at all. For the reception, my mom had a friend who let us borrow tablecloths, mason jars, and all kinds of cute little things that worked really good with our theme. Again, that was a huge blessing and helped keep our costs low. I added in some prints I had purchased a long time ago from the Cultivate What Matters shop. (Essentially free).  

Pardon the lighting, the banner definitely says “Mr & MRS!”
Instead of a guest book, we had our guests underline their favorite verse and write a note next to it. Now we have a keepsake family Bible!

The Wedding Party: 

Bridal Gown: Ordered from China via Amazon. You can read all about it here! ($105)

bride & groom budget wedding

Veil & Jewelry: Homemade by my mother. She miraculously found the fabric and put together exactly what I wanted. One of my most treasured items that I will save forever. For jewelry, I wore rose gold earrings that Theo had given me for Valentine’s Day and a rose gold necklace that was a Christmas gift from years ago. ($40)

wedding dress from China

Shoes: These were one of my major splurges for the wedding. As soon as I saw that the kate spade glitter Keds came in rose gold, I had to have them. In fact when I sent the link to Theo, he replied saying they were a need (which is exactly when I knew we should spend the rest of our lives together). I bought them during a 25% off sale with free shipping, so they were $65. They were so comfortable and I just love them. I still wear them on any special occasion that I can find. I also really like these. ($65)

rose gold kate spade keds

Hair & Makeup: One of my bridesmaids did my hair, and I did my makeup myself. Minimal makeup worked out very well because it was a HOT day. Since I can’t paint my nails to save my life, I got a Groupon for a gel pedicure and manicure. ($60, including makeup I wore for the next few months).

DIY budget wedding makeup

Bridesmaids: If I wasn’t spending a fortune on a wedding dress, I couldn’t justify making them buy an expensive dress. Especially since we all know that we don’t wear them again! Personally, I don’t really care for the look of matching dresses so that made it easy. So I gave them a general color (blush) and asked for floor length. They ordered online from various places and one even got hers at Ross for like $12. 

I didn’t do any of the cute bridesmaid asking boxes or cups or robes or personalized bangles. While I love all those things, they get costly really quick. Also, while I knew my friends would find those things adorable, we all live in small spaces–and honestly how long is a “Bride Squad” mug going to be loved? In my initial engagement excitement I did order some over-priced rose gold cards and wrote them each a note. I also got two of them and myself “Bride Tribe” and “Bride” shirts that we wore for a bachelorette beach day (I did get these secondhand). These were fun things and we took a few cute pictures, but they were really an unnecessary expense. ($50)

My mom provided a nice little brunch for us the morning of the wedding. We had bagels, lox, fruit, and some other assorted munchies. Oh, and coffee! This was great to have as we got ready. ($40)

budget bridesmaid dresses
Aren’t they the prettiest?!

Groom and Groomsmen: I was basically completely hands off with them. At one point I considered having them not match one another, but someone wisely talked me out of that. My two requests were charcoal-ish grey and suspenders. Three days before the wedding (the 4th of July no less), they went to Men’s Wearhouse after a morning of golf and picked out their outfits. They really pulled it together! (Groom, $100)

wedding party under $3,000

Accommodations & Transportation

Air B&B: Booking an Air B&B for to stay at the night before the wedding was a total lifesaver. I debated on not staying the night before to save money, but I am so glad I was able to splurge on this. The guest house was serene and peaceful, and far enough away from my room which at that point was a collection of boxes and suitcases. It was so nice to be able to relax after the rehearsal dinner and wake up in the morning to have a peaceful quiet time. The bride squad came over a little later to do hair, makeup, and brunch. It was so worth it. ($350, we stayed for a total of four nights including our mini-moon). 

budget wedding air B&B
I envisioned hanging out in this sweet backyard space, but the temperature was about 100 degrees that day so that didn’t happen.

Transportation: Very informal. We didn’t do a big send off, and we ended up staying longer then many of our guests which was a little awkward. We were going to schedule an Uber but we ended up having a friend drive us away.

Wedding Coordinator: Just kidding. But if I had to do it over, I would recruit (and pay) someone to coordinate the wedding. Yet another wonderful friend helped out with coordinating the ceremony. Again so thankful for her because by the time of the rehearsal my brain was at full capacity.  But it would have eased the stress on me, my maid of honor, my mom, and my other bridesmaids who all did a LOT of work.

While I had tons of help executing, as the bride the majority of the planning and coordinating was on me. Combined with trying to pack my entire life to move across the US, it was an extremely stressful week. It would have been worth it to have one person who knew exactly what I wanted and what was going on. Keep in mind if you’re going to DIY the whole process!

While our wedding was certainly not extravagant, I didn’t feel like we were lacking in anything. I totally understand why people spend tens of thousands of dollars and several years wedding planning, but even if those had been options they wouldn’t be what I truly wanted. And that’s really not even what getting married is about. If you’re just starting wedding planning, I really encourage you to spend some time in prayer finding the purpose behind your wedding. 

You always hear “this is YOUR day” but I felt very strongly that my wedding day was not my day. It wasn’t about me. Our wedding day was the Lord’s gift to us, just like every other day He has given. He graciously gave Theo and I each other, and orchestrated our lives so that we would meet and fall in love. And at the end of the MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF ALL TIME ™ what I wanted our guests to leave knowing, and what I wanted to remember, was the goodness of God to give us this beautiful gift. 

In summary, our expenses came out to $2,690. I’m so thankful for the people that helped our wedding come together. If you’re planning a small-budget wedding, I’d love to hear from you!

A guide to the first seven steps I took when planning our wedding is available here! 

Planning a Wedding for Under $3,000

All of the photographs in this post–except for the few that were obviously taken on a phone or say otherwise–were shot by the wonderful Anna Clark.

March Tending List: Cultivating What Matters in 2018

Posted on by admin

February flewwww by! Theo’s birthday was the day after Superbowl Sunday, then we had Valentine’s Day (he planned the cutest surprise, all the heart eyes), we found out Baby is A GIRL, and then it was time to make my March tending list! February was a delightful month full of joy, but if I just looked at my tending list for the month it looks like the month was a complete loss. I ate a ton of fast food, wasn’t faithful in studying the Bible, didn’t launch my blog, and never followed a meal plan. But it’s okay! March is a new month to get back on my goals, and I can leave February thinking of all the fun celebrating we did instead of lamenting the tasks that didn’t get done.

 

I found my encouraging words for March this morning during my Bible reading–“Return to your rest my soul, for the Lord has been good to you” Psalm 116:7. Going back to my word for the year, I find my roots in the Word of God, and rest pours out of that. Real soulful rest does not come from Netflix, scrolling through Insta, or eating half a bag of Starburst jelly beans while watching Netflix and catching up on Instagram….not that I have done that recently!

Monthly Goals:

Study Philippians: March is going to find me studying Philippians by using the Risen Motherhood study sheets as well as my Write the Word journal. This is essential to making progress in my #1 goal of becoming a woman who is rooted in the Word of God.

Hang spice rack, calendar, redo kitchen: Very straightforward. A few tasks that would really help with the organization of our home but that keep not getting done.

Have family over for dinner/have friends over: Another item to help with my goal of maintaining a lifegiving home. Being hospitable is an easy way to grow our relationships, and has the bonus of forcing er..inspiring us to get the house nice and shiny for company

Follow meal plan all month: I’m going to do a monthly meal plan again this month. It was so effective in January at helping us eat at home and reduce costs/waste. This month I want to incorporate more healthful meals, specifically some healthy rice bowls.

Get our taxes done: I still need to track down one W2 from last year, and then we need to file as a married couple for the first time! Yay!

Make blog public: Not sure how I’m going to do this exactly yet but it’s almost ready! Sub goal is to get set up with Amazon Affiliates.

Read two books: In January I did really well at reading one book a week, but I don’t think that’s sustainable for me. So I’ll aim for two this month 🙂

 

Weekly Goals:

Use my RM sheets to study Philippians: I’m aiming to do this twice a week. Ideally I would do this daily, but I need to start with small manageable goals and work my way up.

Write the Word journal: I actually chose Philippians to study this month because of how many passages there are in my Write the Word journal. I got this journal two Christmases ago and while I do like it, I have never been consistent in using it. I think this will be a good supplement to my study sheets.

Two blog posts: I’d like to write and post two complete blog posts a week. I know I can definitely write two, but compiling good photos and doing a final edit are things I tend to procrastinate on.

Go to church: Consistently attending a church has been a struggle. There’s a lot of excuses as to why we haven’t been consistent, which mostly center on pregnancy exhaustion and conflicting work schedules. But we love our church and want to get rooted in the community, and to do that we kinda need to be there.

 

Daily Goals:

Get in the Word: again, my most important goal. Even if I’m not studying or writing I still want to be reading daily.

Tidy for 10 in 2: This is something I used to do last year. Basically I set a timer for ten minutes and tidy one room for just ten minutes. Sometimes I’ll feel more motivated and keep going, but even if I don’t ten minutes is enough to at least get clothes put away, a few dishes loaded, counters wiped, etc. I STRUGGLE with keeping a clean house and it can get really discouraging so I’m just trying to improve every month (and am totally open and would LOVE suggestions).

Breakfast from home: ie not breakfast from Chick fil A, McDonalds, or Bojangles. Obviously fast food is a big weakness of mine and all those breakfasts and lunches add up. I’m going to make  frozen breakfast burritos again as well as give overnight oats a chance.

So that’s it for March!

Should You Order a Wedding Dress from China?

Posted on by admin

Ordering a Wedding Dress from China--Is it a Risk You Should Take?

This post contains affiliate links. You can view my very dull disclosure policy here!

One of the most cost effective strategies I used when getting married was to order my wedding dress directly from China, through Amazon. It saved me hundreds of dollars and was the only way I was able to afford the style of dress I wanted. Honestly I had no idea that Amazon even sold wedding dresses until a friend sent me a Buzzfeed article a few weeks before I got engaged. I was fascinated by these dresses that were selling for as low as $30! I decided to give it a try, and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a beautiful budget dress. 

If you’re going this route, you should be aware of a few things. Firstly, I would be really cautious with what website you order from. I can only personally recommend Amazon. I have read stories of shops mysteriously closing and people never receiving their orders. With Amazon I could be confident that I didn’t have to worry about that. Secondly, the best dresses I have seen from China are on the simple side. Not a ton of beading, flowers, layers, types of fabric/lace, etc. Thirdly, these dresses are technically knockoffs of designer dresses. Any photos you see on the listing that look like they are from BRIDE or Vogue Bridal are not going to be what your dress looks like. For mine, there were several reviewers who had posted their dress and the photos from their weddings so I was able to see what the real-life dress looked like. If you are aware of these things and have appropriate expectations your chances of being satisfied with your dress are a lot higher!

This is the dress I ordered. I was highly satisfied with my dress! Maybe I’m in severe denial and it looks like an $100 dress, but I am still ridiculously happy with it so don’t burst my bubble 🙂 I personally wanted a non-strapless, off white or champagne color, slight train, with lots of lace and was fortunate to find exactly what I wanted.

 

Below is a pic of the dress when I first pulled it out of the package. It came in a slightly nicer version of a manila envelope. They fold it up and cram it in, so I expected it to look accordingly. That being considered, it was in good condition. It needed to be steamed but amazingly there weren’t any severe wrinkles. 

For the record, I had zero intention of this photo being public

I had read some reviews that suggested ordering a length longer because they have a tendency to come short. Because I am a tall and large person, I ordered the entire dress a size and length bigger than the guide recommended. My reasoning was that it is a whole lot easier to alter a dress smaller than it is to make it bigger. If you are a normal to average-sized human this is probably not necessary, but if you’re at all concerned, go bigger!

Unlike when you buy a dress in person, these dresses do not come with any sort of cute carrier. I would strongly recommend ordering a garment bag at the same time that you order your dress. I waited, and I had no way to safely store my dress or bring it to fittings until my bag arrived. 

 

There is a high probability that you will need alterations, even if you send perfect measurements with your order. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t gotten alterations done on their wedding dress, whether they got it from a designer shop, David’s Bridal, or online. Thankfully, I had a wonderful friend who was formerly a professional seamstress. She kindly did the few alterations I needed. However, I stupidly wore a different bra to the fittings then I was planning to wear on my wedding day. When I tried my dress on the night before the wedding, I started freaking out. It ended up working out just fine, but make sure you wear the same undergarments that you’re planning on wearing!! I had definitely read that sentiment but completely forgot. Oh, and obviously, wear the heel height that you’re intending to wear on your wedding day. I wore flats so it didn’t matter but if you’re not wearing flats prepare accordingly.

One issue I did run into was finding a veil that matched properly. I went back and forth on whether I actually wanted a veil, but as the day drew closer I decided it would complete the look. Within my budget and time frame there were zero options for a coordinating champagne veil. Literally two weeks before the wedding my mom volunteered to make me a veil. But then we had to find fabric! We went to the garment district in LA and numerous fabric stores before we were able to find the right fabric at the right price. She sewed it in just a few days, and it was perfect. I don’t plan to keep my dress forever, but I will definitely be keeping the veil. It’s an heirloom to me.

 

I’d love to hear about your experience finding your dress!

Professional photos courtesy of Anna Clark. She is based in the Southern/Central California area and is delightful to work with!