"In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it..."

        Not-so-interesting fact about Olivia #1:  I am a huge classic movie fan! It didn't take long for my siblings and me to discover the OETA movie club on Friday and Saturday nights on PBS. We seriously looked forward to it every week!  (Sure, we were nerds) I remember, as a second grade school girl, falling in love with Gene Kelly in "Anchors Aweigh!"

        One of our family favorites is the 1948 MGM musical "Easter Parade" starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. (Judge me how you may, but I JUST LOVE JUDY!)

        In honor of this film, I made a declaration to have a newly furnished "Easter bonnet" for every forth-coming Easter Sunday.... I mean a celebration of our Lord's resurrection from the grave warrants the wearing of AT LEAST a remade thrift store bonnet, right?  I whole heartedly agree!

$2.99 plain straw thrift store hat + Pottery Barn gift wrap ribbon and flowers=

NEW EASTER BONNET!



The Armstrong's first Easter together!

4 year old Olivia Pearl Easter outfit

Sinclair Kids: Misty, Manoah, C.J and Olivia Easter 1992



       

My latest expressions of inspiration....

  This is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Living in the shadows of Mt. Tamalpias with redwood trees towering everywhere, and the cool breeze blowing in from the bay... it's just absolutely breathtaking. (and I hate to sound bragadocious, as if I had anything to do with this place being so stinking amazing!) It's difficult to feel like a "poor seminary wife" with so much of God's beautiful creation surrounding me constantly (and the most wonderful husband in the world). He is such an inspiring Creator! I've been able to get several pieces of jewelry made so far this spring and am so excited to share them! Many of them were overdue gifts made for friends and family, but a few of them will be on my Etsy.com site that will (hopefully) be up and running soon!

  Red and black rose necklace

Matching black and red earrings

                                       

Black with turquoise and coral

Matching earrings... I made these for my dearest friend but really wanted to keep them for myself :)

Purple necklace with Heart pendant for mom

Matching  purple earrings

Vintage inspired asymetrical pearl and gold necklace

Matching vintage earrings... simple and elegant!

Silver hand-made heart pendant. This is the frist heart pendant I've ever made and really love this on a long silver chain.

This Time Last Year...

This time last year I was running around like a headless chicken trying to get all the last minute details lined up for my June 2010 wedding. I was so blessed to have the most amazing Mother, bridesmaids and wedding planner to help me accomplish my vision for a "Vintage Country Garden" themed wedding. I didn't have an abundance of money, but what I lacked in funds I think we made up for in creativity. It was the wedding of my dreams, right down to the theme song from "Anne of Green Gables" playing as I walked down the isle holding tightly to my daddy's arm. Thanks to my awesome wedding photographer, Kreia Arie (http://www.artbykreia.com/) we have an amazing collection of photo's to remember that blessed day! Hope you enjoy....

The Brides Special Chair

My Aunt Cathy helped my mom and me make homemade jellies, and of course we had to come up corny but cute sayings to put on the labels. (Also thanks to Jacquie and Nicole for helping them look SO CUTE!)

The backdrop from the ceremony was more beautiful than I could have hoped for. I love the curly willow branches.

This old hutch was in my Grandpa's shed and my mom fixed it and cleaned it up to help us showcase the wedding pics of our relatives who couldn't be with us.

June in Oklahoma, the fan programs I ordered off of Etsy.com helped provide a light breeze.

I carried a hankie my Granny Joyce gave me as a keepsake several years ago

Daddy's cowboy hat

Spencer and Anna Beth. 

I made this pillow and bought a plain white Easter basket from Micheal's to create my own unique, matching  ring pillow and flower-girl basket. I used burlap and crocheted lace.

A view of a country wedding from the back

One of my favorite pictures

I was determined to have AMAZING shoes. I stand 5'9" tall, but my Groom was 6' 5", so I was able to wear these 4" heels that I purchased from www.zappos.com!  I ordered 4 different pairs of shoes and was able to return the other 3 free. Gotta love Zappos!

I found these little burlap handbags at Hobby Lobby and added my own little little flair to give the bridesmaids matching bags.

I made the jewelry for the bridesmaids and flower girls... I will say, it was really challenging. I'm the most picky costomer I've ever had! But I think it worked.

Anne (with and "e") and Gilbert

The whole theme was very much inspired by this movie series. I had wanted to be Anne of Green Gables  since the 2nd grade...

The Bridesmaids

The Groomsmen