Blue Suede Shoes

Ok, so maybe not suede, but hey, I'm flexible! I have recently decided that I would like to have blue shoes underneath my dress. Josh's favorite color is blue, and I would like to include little pops of blue in our wedding, though I am not sure where that will come in with all the yellow I am planning. Maybe some pops in my bouquet, but that's a separate post.

So I decided that I would look up some blue flats on Zappos and I found some that I like, but they are SUPER expensive! First of all, I don't buy shoes online.... ever. I have extremely sensitive feet and I need to try on shoes before I purchase them to make sure that I can walk in them, but I was just looking to see what was out there. This is what I found.

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So I like the look of these and it is definitely a prerequisite for the big flower/pompom to be on the end. I could do a shoe clip, but I am afraid that if I was to order it separately the colors wouldn't match. The ones on the left are more shoe like, which is good, but they still don't look that comfortable. The ones on the right are more slipper like, and I wouldn't be able to do that all day. No support. I definitely like the bright blue. No dark blue for me.

I also really like the flats. Josh is tall, but so am I. I would rather have him towering over me than the other way around. I do NOT want to be 6'3" on my wedding day. Also, the heels might sink into the ground seeing as it will be outside. Also, if I wear heels for eight hours, I might not be able to walk for a week. Like I said sensitive feet.

Anywho, does anyone know anywhere that I can find blue flats for less than $50 online? I don't care about designers AT ALL. I just need some ideas. What do you think of my blue flats? Thanks everyone!

Handmade Ribbon Wreaths

Hello all. Here is what I have to say today.

It's that time of year again! Celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even just the changing of the seasons with one of my beautiful handmade ribbon wreaths!

Each wreath is uniquely made up of hundreds of individual ribbons made of different material and color appropriate to the design. They are held together via pins and hot glue to make them sturdy, and they are perfect for indoor or outdoor decorations.

I can customize each one to make it fit whatever color or style you're going for, and I'd be happy to accommodate any special request that will make your wreath extra special! You are only held back by your imagination! If you know the general idea of what you want, but aren't sure how to make it extra special, I can offer a free email consultation.

Some customize-able options are your school or favorite team's colors, seasons, Christmas, Thanksgiving,  or you can add on embellishments (bells, ribbons, flowers, etc). The wreaths can hang inside your living room, outside your door, above a fireplace, or they can sit on your coffee or dinner table as a centerpiece. I can also make kissing balls or trees as well covered in simply ribbons or you can request anything flower-covered.

They make fantastic gifts as well (each member of my family received one last year and loved them!) for that special sports fan, craft lover, or your own home.

I offer affordable delivery, shipping, and gift wrapping options as well.

Please feel free to contact me for any info! I can provide quotes, answer questions, or email you pictures. :)

10" Christmas or Thanksgiving wreaths start at $30.00. But other sizes (smaller or larger), and embellishments are available. Paypal or cash are accepted.


You can tweet, email (ashley [dot] debisschop [at] gmail.com), message, or comment to get in touch with me if you are interested in gifting or purchasing one of my wreaths, kissing balls, or trees (or any shape that you can imagine). 


Also, please tell your friends and share! Thanks so much for all of your support and putting up with the slight interruption. We will now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Happy Holidays! 

Pretty Paper: Knot and Bow

I decided to do something new today. I think that I am going to launch a series called Pretty Paper. Every Monday, I will post something about paper, whether it is a store that I love, invitations, menus, paper that I love, etc. Either way, it will be something that I love.

Today I am featuring a store on Etsy called Knot and Bow. And let me tell you, I am in L-O-V-E. As I look through the store, I rack my brain as to why I would need something that is sold here. I. Must. Have. Something. Let me show you what I am talking about.

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This is kraft tissue paper. It's recycled and amazing.

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When I first saw these library cards my thought was "I can use these in my classroom!!" Too bad I don't have one. Aren't they spectacular?

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These could be perfect for anything! And in so many colors!

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This is ribbon! How creative is that? How do you even make that?

I am just so in awe and I love the things that are in this store. There are no words to describe how spectacular these things are. Check it out sometime!

Wedding Dress Woes: Part II

The last dress shop that we visited was a bridal shop called Pearls & Lace. We got the name from a waitress at a restaurant that we went to for lunch. It was a beautiful little place. I loved the feel and setting of it. They don't take appointments, so we went right when it opened and were there for two hours, with the shop to ourselves. It really made me feel like I would be getting married someday because my mom was there helping me into the dresses, rather than a consultant, just like it would be the day of. I liked that better, I think. But the store owner was very attentive and came over to lace up my dresses when I needed it and offer advice. Here are some pictures from that day.

At this point you are probably wondering why I named this post "wedding dress woes." 

As I was trying on dresses, I came across one that was GORGEOUS. It is not pictured here because it might be my dress. I can't give you any details about it because certain people read this blog. I didn't go shopping to find my dress really, just to find what looks good. This dress is something that I would never have picked for myself, but I tried it because we were just looking for the shape. 

Now you are probably thinking (assuming you know that I am poor), well, that's great! Just go back when you have saved up the money and purchase it. Congrats!

I would love to do that, and it would be the ideal situation, but this dress is discontinued. So the longer I wait the harder it will be to find. The dress has very unique aspects to it that I would probably not be able to find in another dress, so I couldn't really find one that was similar. So now I am left to think, is it really my dress? Is it possible to buy this dress this early and not be disappointed later on? Or will I realize that I only like it because it is something completely different from what my mind goes to when I think "wedding dress"? My wedding is so far away that it is quite possible that I could see another dress online or in a magazine and be convinced that I made the wrong choice. That would put us in a very difficult situation. I would be committing 100% to this dress, but am I really ready for that? 

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? I really need some help with this!

[all photos are personal, courtesy of my mom]

Wedding Dress Woes: Part I

While my mom was here last week, we went dress shopping. It was pretty exciting, but didn't start out that way. Our first stop was David's Bridal. They were nice, but I was not impressed with their dresses. The fabric was not good and the prices were very inflated. However they did have some pretty designs. Here are some of my favorites.

Please don't look at my face and weird expressions. These pictures are to showcase the dress, not my weird-ness.

That trip left me feeling really down. I thought that I would never be able to afford a dress. At those prices and quality, that would be true. Luckily, I realized on our next trip that the prices were way inflated for the quality of the dresses.

Later in the week we went to a place called Blue Sky Bridal, which is a consignment shop for wedding dresses here in Seattle. They had a lovely store and a wonderful employee that helped me. If you are in the area, I strongly suggest that you visit this shop. Here are some dresses from the shop. Please excuse my chopped off head, bra straps (I was not prepared), and gloves (these are not part of the ensemble, they want you to wear them while you handle the dresses).

Hope you like the pictures. We visited one other dress shop, but I will post that one tomorrow, so check back tomorrow! Happy hump day!

[all photos are personal, courtesy of my mom]