You know what I heard the Internet loves? Telling strangers what to do.
August 5th, 2010 | by TJ |
Hello, Internet!
I have come back from Pennsylvania!
I do hope you’ll excuse me for neglecting you yesterday.
I was in Newark.
And I thought of something to add to that list up there:
Ways a 4 hour layover in Newark could suck more: sit on your butt for the entire four hour layover and then sit on your butt for another hour and a half on the tarmac and then sit on your butt for a five hour flight and then sit on your butt while they take the most scenic route possible to the gate and then sit on your butt while the world’s most inefficient packers wrestle their carry on bags to the ground because you’ve been sitting on your butt way in the back of the plane.
Basically, I still can’t feel my butt.
But now I’m home! And I’ve lured you in with copius use of the word “butt,” which, come on, is a funny word.
So now that I’ve got you, let’s get to work.
Do you see this crappy picture of a picture of a cake? That’s the cake I ordered. In real life, the picture of the cake does not look at all crappy. I mean, what the hell do you take me for, right? So that is what my cake will look like, except my mother requested a red ribbon, and also, it won’t have an “M” on it, because there are no Ms in our names anywhere at all.
So I ordered it from Minooka Pastry Shop, and I didn’t try it at the time, because I am one zillion percent confident in the quality of the cake. The bottom layer is chocolate with raspberry filling and the middle layer is white cake with vanilla mousse filling, and the top repeats the bottom.
At least, that’s how it was going to be. My mother ordered a cake from the same place for my bridal shower, so I did end up getting to try it the next day. She ordered half white, half chocolate, with all raspberry jelly-ish filling. The cake itself was fantastic. I am very happy with my choices of white and chocolate cakes. They were perfect. However, I didn’t care for the raspberry filling. It wasn’t bad at all. I just didn’t really like it.
No big deal, though, I will just call and change the order and it shouldn’t be an issue. But I’m not sure what to change it TO. That is the issue. I am thinking maybe chocolate cake with vanilla mousse and white cake with chocolate mousse, maybe? What do you guys think?
I’m sticking with the chocolate and white cakes, but fillings are up in the air. Here are the ones that sound good to me: chocolate mousse, vanilla mousse, strawberry, Bavarian cream, coconut, raspberry mousse (different from the jelly), peanut butter mousse and lemon.
So, how would you create a wedding cake? I’m thinking that the simple chocolate & vanilla mousse fillings would be generally liked, but there are so many other options to consider, including some I didn’t even list because I didn’t want you to consider them.
Anyway, talking about cake and doing some critical cake thinking probably got your decision engines all revved up, huh? Let’s not let all that energy go to waste!
These were my maternal grandmother’s earrings.
My cousin gave them to me, to use in the wedding or not use in the wedding, however I choose. Of course, it would be nice to include them somehow, but they won’t work as my own earrings because… well, we’re all looking at them, right? I was thinking about maybe shoe clips, but I’d be very afraid of losing them, and plus, they’re clip-ons with the clip coming in from the side instead of the bottom. I don’t think that would work. I also considered bouquet clips, but again, would I have to worry about losing them?
What would you do with some very old, very sentimental clip-on earrings, Internet? Maybe the best thing to do would be to not include them at all, but still, I would like to.
I need to take a break here for a second, because I just looked in the mirror, and I have to tell you something. I actually bought myself a present on this trip, something I never do, and I immediately felt guilty about it. No matter, because I kept it anyway.
So I bought myself this LORAC eye shadow palette at Sephora, even though I tend to stick to the drugstore brands of make up. Now, you have to understand that I spent all day yesterday traveling and a lot of time in Newark and ok, yes, I fell into bed last night without washing my face, but come ON, consider the CIRCUMSTANCES, but what I am getting to is that my eye make up is all still there. Right where I left it when I put it on my face yesterday morning in Pennsylvania. Now, here I am in Arizona, and my eyeshadow is still lovely.
That’s pretty much all I have to say about that. Even if you don’t buy this palette, I think you definitely want a little tube of that primer that comes with it. The brush is also pretty great. And I think the palette itself is kind of a perfect range of colors for day/night. And it’s purple crocodile. Yeah, you basically should buy it.
I don’t get any money or anything for telling you that. In fact, since I bought the palette myself, thus owned it before trying it and giving you my approval, I am actually negative money in this situation. That is how much I care about you and your ability to secure yourself superior eye shadow products, Internet.
Anyway, what were we talking about?
Oh, right! Earrings! Here’s a headband!
Isn’t it fantastic? I had tried it on with the dress when I was first looking at dresses, and my mom went back and bought it for me as a surprise. Since I have dark hair, it really stands out.
It is super flashy.
So we’ve been on a hunt to find earrings to match. Since the top of my dress has some pretty beading and I can’t stand to wear most bracelets, earrings will be my only jewelry other than this fancy head bit I’m going to have going on. We have found exactly ONE PAIR of earrings that are okay so far. Finding something to match exactly is pretty unlikely, but we can’t really even seem to find something we like. My lack of desire to spend one skrillion dollars on earrings hinders the search a bit, but who knew it would be so hard?
You know, since you’ve already got your minds engaged from the cake thing and the clip-on earrings thing, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind thinking about if you’ve ever seen any earrings or know of any places to look for earrings that might suit my needs, right? I mean, isn’t this what the Internet was made for? The eventually foisting-off of the planning of my wedding?
Internet, I was also going to ask you to help me look for shoes, but I really feel like you’ve done enough for today. Give yourselves a big pat on the back for a job (that I am assuming will be) well done. Your input is valuable and, as always, your contributions to this company are greatly appreciated.
PS – One last thing!
How adorable are these!
By M.Amanda on Aug 5, 2010
I was totally going to suggest finding a way to use the earrings in your hair since if I remember correctly, you’re growing it longer for the wedding. BUT. The headband is gorgeous. Use the earrings on the bouquet. With enough thread, they should be okay. Just take them off before you toss it to a bunch of your single female friends and relatives.
The cards look great.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
I think I’m having a separate toss bouquet (though I don’t think we’re doing a bouquet toss, but an anniversary dance instead), so putting them on the bouquet may end up being the perfect idea!
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By Rachael on Aug 5, 2010
your cake is awesome!
The earrings… you COULD put them in your bouquet, and use some twine/string/twist-ties/whatever + hot-glue to make sure they don’t take an unfortunate dive.
Cards – also awesome! :) (I have to point out, though,that the curly-queues at the top of the photo kinda look like boobs ‘cuz of how the photo cropped. :) now you can never un-see it! sorry!!)
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Luckily, they don’t look like boobs in person!
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By Adlib on Aug 5, 2010
Oh man, this is the fun stuff I absolutely loved when I planned my wedding. Love the tiara!! The cake looks awesome, and I would totally go with your chocolate/vanilla mousse idea. (My cake was less fancy, and chocolate & white cake is a good classic if you don’t feel like picking a filling.)
Those earrings are so pretty! M. Amanda had a great idea with wearing them in your hair somehow. If you haven’t had your practice run done yet, you could ask how your stylist would incorporate them into your hair. The bouquet idea is good too. Delegate the responsibility of remembering to take them out of there later to one of your bridesmaids (or your maid of honor).
See, your totally going to have a great wedding, I just know it! :)
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I think it’s so funny that you call this the “fun stuff.” This is the stuff I agonize over, and not in a fun way, until I am so sick of it that I just ask someone else to decide.
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By Becky on Aug 5, 2010
Invitation cards look AWESOME. I love the dance song request. I wish I was getting married again so I could steal that idea.
I agree with Amanda that if you use good quality thread (or maybe fishing line??) the earings will stay put on a boquet. I had our florist put a sentimental necklace in my bouquet, and that thing was a b*tch to get out; it wasn’t going anywhere! You could have them tied to the stems, or tied and set in the top somehow (that’s how mine was). Here’s a picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanandbecky08/2562783269/in/set-72157605619014555/
In regards to cake filling, I love bavarian cream, but I think the chocolate and vanilla mousse sounds delicious also. I’m not a big fan of fruit fillings, so those would be my top three choices.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
I am starting to lean towards Bavarian Cream pretty heavily, I admit, even though my mom turned it down initially. My cake!
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By Life of a Doctor's Wife on Aug 5, 2010
Yes yes – affix the earrings to your bouquet!
I vote for raspberry mousse for the cake – that or lemon. While I think the vanilla or chocolate would be lovely – and liked by pretty much everyone – there’s something nice about a little tang of fruit in a cake.
Love the headband. Love the invitations. And might I suggest these shoes – http://www.zappos.com/stuart-weitzman-bridal-gigi-white-satin – which I would love to have had for my wedding, except that peep toes do not work very well with December snow storms.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Oh man, I LOVE THOSE SHOES. They are a bit out of my allotted shoe budget, but now I’m pretty sure nothing else will do.
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By Bennet on Aug 5, 2010
Love the “I promise to dance if you play this song” on the invitations – that’s really clever.
Re: the cake, one thing to consider is whether you’re likely to have any guests who are allergic to chocolate? I know that was an issue for several people at my wedding (hard to imagine, isn’t it?), so we tried to have one chocolate-free layer.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I am reasonably certain we have no allergy issues at the wedding, though I suppose SOME totally strange people may prefer not to eat chocolate at all. I hope I am not inviting anyone so strange!
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By Alias Mother on Aug 5, 2010
Yes. Earrings on the bouquet. Lovely. Done.
I tend to be a minimalist on these sorts of things, so disregard if you are a maximalist, but do you even need earrings? If you’ve got beading and blingy hair, is that enough? If you feel you must have something, maybe just some sparkly studs? (Heh heh…sparkly studs.) Just offerign a thought here.
I can’t help you with the cake as I will happily eat any variety of cake that comes within 20 feet of me. And now I want cake. Really, really badly. Damn you.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I am NORMALLY a minimalist, which is exactly what makes me want to go kind of dangly and sparkly for my wedding. Because I really and truly won’t any other time. You know? If not now, when?
As for studs, my ear holes are UNEVEN. It’s not too noticeable with some earrings, but shiny studs seem to make it GLARING.
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By Fyurae on Aug 5, 2010
I was going to say use them as barrettes, but then you had to go and ruin it with a headband. I don’t know. I don’t care for gold myself, so I wouldn’t care for them either. Maybe clip them one above the other on a chain to make a pendant-style necklace. Cause you need more attention on your boobs.
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Fyurae Reply:
August 5th, 2010 at 11:19 am
And also, yes my uncle is allergic to chocolate as well. I would avoid peanut butter for the same reason. I think chocolate-chocolate and vanilla-vanilla are the best bets.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
I think they’re pretty pleasing in general, but a bit boring. I don’t have any allergy people on my guest list, though, so I think I can branch out a bit.
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By Carrie on Aug 5, 2010
I would put bavarian cream in the bottom chocolate layer, lemon or strawberry in the white layer, and chocolate mousse in the top chocolate layer for all the chocoholics (like me) :D
As for the earrings, perhaps you could work them into the cake topper somehow? That way you know they won’t get lost because every bride I’ve ever known has saved their cake topper.
Good luck!
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Becky Reply:
August 5th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
You don’t know me, but we didn’t save our cake topper (or the top layer of cake); it was fresh flowers, and the kids at the reception ate every last bite of the cake, which I was greatful for, since I didn’t like the idea of eating stale frozen & thawed cake a year later. I would be concerned about putting them on the cake that someone might move them (to be “helpful” of course) and they might get lost. If they are on your boquet you can keep track of them until they are removed and put in a designated location.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
I am so all about the Bavarian Cream, but my mom was against it for some reason.
Sometimes I need to remind myself that I am paying for the cake!
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By Chibi Jeebs on Aug 5, 2010
I was going to go with lemon filling for the vanilla cake and peanut butter for the chocolate, but I was thinking allergies, too…
As for Grandma’s earrings, if you’re not entirely sure of where/how to wear them and/or worry about losing them, what about attaching them under your dress? You’re still wearing them and the sentimentality is still there, but you stand less of a chance of losing them? (I love the fact that they could hit your something old, borrowed, AND blue.)
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
I am pretty familiar with everyone on my guest list, so I’m not too concerned about allergies.
Under the dress is a good idea, I never thought of that – they don’t need to be seen to be “there.”
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By Jessi on Aug 5, 2010
I would do white cake with lemon filling and chocolate cake with vanilla or peanut butter mouse. Because I think almost everyone would like one of those two and the few people who don’t are probably used to not eating cake.
Earrings – Do you have a bag? They would really be nice bling to add to a bag. If not, I’d put them on the bouquet. I wouldn’t clip them, though, I’d sew them. Usually those antique clip on earrings have backs with lots of opportunities to run thread through.
Earrings – I agree with studs. Just me.
Shoes – I cannot get enough of these: http://www.bridalshoes.com/white-wedding-shoes/colorful-creations/cc67330-2649 but I thought I would offer up these as well: http://www.bridalshoes.com/ivory-wedding-shoes/touch-ups/jemma-277-ivory-5922 because I think the shape of them reminds me of your dress.
Wow, I do love telling people what to do, don’t I?
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
A BAG? Oh man, I am so behind on wedding stuff. Can’t I just use Phil’s tux pockets? Arrgggh!
And I love love love those first shoes, though pointy just never seems to work out for me.
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By Natalie on Aug 5, 2010
I would agree on simple diamond studs for earrings (or fake diamond, whatever). That headband is so pretty and blingy on its own, you don’t need anything else. Besides, people come to see your face, not your earrings!!
I also think lemon is an awesome idea for the vanilla, and either chocolate or raspberry mousse. I kind of think that 3 different layers would be cool, but I can only imagine people saying, hey, you got chocolate-chocolate? I got chocolate-raspberry, why didn’t I get chocolate-chocolate? But maybe you won’t have any assholes at your wedding.
I also love Chibi’s idea of sewing the earrings under your dress… I would be terrified of losing them if they got at all out of my immediate control.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
We’re actually going to have 4 layers of cake – the three layer wedding cake serves 88, and just to be safe, we’re having another small, round cake made (same cake, same icing, etc) and cut in the back, just in CASE there is not enough. POSSIBILITIES!
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By Kelly on Aug 5, 2010
Mmmmm, cake. I’d go for the lemon filling with the vanilla cake (I could eat a whole cake with this combinations, which would be oh so bad) and the raspberry mousse filling with the chocolate cake.
The earrings… they’re very lovely. Yes, yes… sew them to the bouquet. Some sturdy thread will hold them on safely for the day, and a little snip-snip and they’re back in your jewelry box (or wherever you keep them).
Diamond studs. Absolutely.
And I LOVE the invitations. :-)
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I am intrigued by the lemon. I think it would go quite well in the white cake as well.
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By Bellwether on Aug 5, 2010
I adore the “I promise to dance if you play this song” portion of the invitations.
Though I hope you’re screening them and you will make people jump up and dance to whatever silly song they pick.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
I might be making a spreadsheet… “EXCUSE ME. I have here IN WRITING that you promised to dance to BYE BYE BYE.”
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By Jesse on Aug 5, 2010
For the cake, I think chocolate cake/vanilla mousse, and vanilla cake with chocolate mouse would be great.
For the earrings, you should check out deviantart.com. It’s mostly used for it’s paints/drawings part, but there is a whole section for crafts, jewellery being a part of it. There are a LOT of people there who make jewellery and sell it. I’m sure you could find someone who might be able to make a custom set of earrings to match the tiara/headband for a reasonable price. You could be sure to get exactly what you want that way.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
I never thought to look at deviant art! That’s a great idea, thanks!
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By BKC on Aug 5, 2010
Okay, I fixated on your earrings and you’re right, it’s hard to find something. I guess I agree with the suggestion of pretty studs, but I also found these that are pretty: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=463236&CategoryID=50695.
Your invitations are the bomb.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Oh man, I LOVE the earrings you linked!
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By Swistle on Aug 6, 2010
Dude, you have to break these UP a little. I am going to sprain my bossy boots.
1. The headband is death-inducing gorgeousness. I would pair it with diamond drop earrings—like, one to three single diamonds.
2. I love the invitations, especially the part about the song.
3. I love the idea of using the grandma earrings as shoe clips if that works out, but if it doesn’t, I’ve heard of people having florists work stuff into the bouquet. I also love the part about how we’re all looking at them, right?
4. I like the cross-mousse idea you have. I also like the idea of vanilla with strawberry and chocolate with bavarian.
5. The eye shadow reminds me suddenly of the free lip palette thing we ordered back near Christmas. Did yours ever come? Mine never did. I got an order confirmation, but no palette and no “sorry we ran out.”
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Natalie Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 8:42 am
Swistle, you made me snort a little at “sprain my bossy boots”.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Swistle is just about always good for a snort or two.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
NO! I never DID get my lip gloss palette. And, well, you know, it took 2 minutes of effort and nothing more but STILL, a little email to say it was never coming would have been nice!
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Swistle Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
And also, I feel just a little bit like “Were we TRICKED??” Not that anything has happened from giving out my address—-SO FAR. *suspicious shifting eyes*
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By Swistle on Aug 6, 2010
Earrings like these or these or these or these or these. IGNORE PRICES. I was only looking for the LOOK.
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
I am picking up what you are putting down there, in terms of the LOOK. I think you have definitely given me a direction in which to go, and also, you are way better at earring hunting than I am.
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By Swistle on Aug 6, 2010
Ooo, or these. I’d be looking for something I could wear to other people’s weddings and on my own anniversaries, so I’d avoid anything I’d feel silly wearing WITHOUT a tiara.
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By Lindsay on Aug 6, 2010
I promise to dance if you play “Stroke” by Billy Squier…. ROFL that is the BEST thing I have ever seen on a wedding invite!!! :o)
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TJ Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
I think it’s a cute little touch – the designer was amazing.
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By Emily on Aug 7, 2010
Late to the party here, but we had vanilla cake with lemon curd and chocolate cake with raspberry mousse (plus a wee princess cake for cutting) at our wedding and they were both amazingly good.
I’d definitly go with at least one of the white cake layers with a non-chocolate filling, in case you have people who don’t like chocolate. Bavarian cream in the chocolate layer sounds amazing, too.
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