Vintage Keys

I've got a lot to catch up on but I just got inspired to share this with you for now... I've been seeing a lot of vintage keys in decor recently, both wedding and home. A recent wedding featured on Style Me Pretty (and one which I had to physically push my jaw shut with my hand I was gaping so) had vintage keys as both seating cards and as favors for the guests. And I just stumbled across this frontpage post on vintage keys by Inspired By This.

{39 East Photography}

{Brandon Kidd Photography}

I have what would to most of you seem like a massive collection of vintage keys that I acquired when my grandfather passed away. For a long time I thought that I might incorporate them into my wedding but as each year passes I find that their sentimental value to me is now worth much more than any aesthetic value. What is truly amazing about my grandfather's collection (of which I have about 1/3) is that each key tells a little bit of his history and had we spent time over the years looking at each and everyone carefully there might be a very detailed story for each. I have two favorite pieces; one is a working padlock with key and the other is a key that extends to about six inches and folds into itself. Very cool. I'm looking for a way to further incorporate them into my home decor (maybe I'll fold and hang a few as our Bride and Groom markers on our chairs) but other than that, I don't think I could bear to part with the memory of my grandpa. 

{if this is your image, I'm sorry... I can't remember where I found it...}

I also recently acquired an old typewriter that was my maternal grandmother's... It's nice to have pieces that while old and relatively meaningless in this digital world still can serve a function in this day and age.

And yes, I did hang one of my globe lights! I was so excited and I am still so in love with it. Although the entryway is not used as an entryway that "room" is currently my favorite because of the soft color. One thing is that we need to install a dimmer as a 60-watt bulb in the thing is like a spotlight!

Sailboat Ties

The wedding planning recently got a kick-start with the discovery of my love of monkey knots.

I know, I know... strange. What ended up happening was I started looking at how to make my own monkey-knot doorstop, stumbled across the previously mentioned "Know Your Knots" kit, realized that my venue was seaside, and the rest is history in the making. How do the Sailboat Ties come into question, you say?
Well, this weekend I was down in the little town where I spend most of my weekends of the summer and I happened to be taking a different route home from the usual one due to a real-live fire!

Let me interject by saying of course that fires are no good for a multitude of reasons but in the little seaside community where I spend my summertime (due to the complete and unencumbered generosity of my future-in-laws might I add) NOTHING ever happens! But of course, the overpaid and underworked policemen race around as though they are Chicken Little (or any other variety of dooms-dayers) putting their sirens on for almost anything and causing a stink about absolutely nothing. So this time when I heard sirens, I thought nothing of it until I saw the fire, and then believed that the cops, namely one chief, was finally utilizing the enormously large salaries they receive from this little enclave. Okay, okay, back to the tie.

It was fabulous. It was perhaps older, but still absolutely perfect. And unfortunately, I didn't have quite enough gumption to jump out of my car to ask this elderly gentleman if I could take a picture of his tie while he was strolling with his lovely wife on the way to a cocktail party. And for that, I could kick myself for I have not been able to find another one like it. The tie is only in my mind now (well also in that gentleman's closet) so I have to try replicate the image in before it gets all wishy-washy and I end up thinking it looks like this:

Which it does not. This is tacky. The tie I'm drooling over....it's so lovely. With big sails billowing in the wind, a blue ocean and the huge numbers 91 on the sails in red. It was of that which dreams have been made.

Although this tie would also be really cool with far fewer birds (3-5) silkscreened on it in a much different color.

I'm so sad, I'm not certain that I'm ever going to find the tie again! I'll have to keep on looking. And of course, start stalking the other area of town where I seldom drive to see if I see this gentleman wearing his necktie again.

Best Proposal Ever!

How unbelievably cute is this proposal?!

Beautiful DIY Wedding with Vintage Flair

I love love love this wedding... 

It has all the weddings of a modern wedding with vintage touches... And it has all the things that I love.


Ecru dresses with texture and individuality? Check!
Gray suits? Check!


Adorable flower girls in fluffy tutus? 
And peonies in her bouquet... 

all images via Style Me Pretty 

Veils

I love these non-traditional options for a veil. Unlike some, I have never really fantasized about having a wedding so this foray into wedding planning is all new territory for me!