Long Overdue Update

I haven't had as much time to blog lately as I would like. Between moving, getting settled into our new place, visiting parents, and everything else, its just slipped through the cracks. So I figure its time for a much overdue update.

We are finally in the house and settled. I managed to get much of the decorating I wanted to do done, but there are still a few small project here and there to tackle. And then, of course, we still need to paint. So its coming along but is still a work in progress.

We had a great time when Sean's parents came to visit. Spent a lot of time driving around and showing them some new places in Oregon. Even had the chance to take my father in law down to Eugene and show him the UofO sports buildings. He's a big sports fan (and a HUGE UCLA fan) and is always interested in seeing that kinda stuff. He was very surprised to see Autzen was so far away from campus. I was also able to take them and show them the Alpha Chi house at UofO (both my inlaws were greek). It brought back some crazy memories of growing up down there and driving through that part of town. The Alpha Chi house was always my favorite one on the campus... I guess it was destiny. :)

Anyways, so it was a good visit. Then a few weeks ago I went down to Eugene for my birthday and spent the day with my mom. I managed to find a new bridesmaid dress at David's, as well as a dress for a wedding I'm going to in November. I'm really nervous about the dress, as it is JUST BARELY long enough. So if ANYTHING is off when it shows up then it will be too short. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Its not guaranteed to be in until October and then doesn't give me much time for plan B should it be too short. This is the new dress...

Sister Wedding Update Part 2

So after a few months of waiting, my dress finally came in.

I was so excited because I've never had a long dress (outside of my wedding dress), so being able to wear a formal dress that was long enough was very exciting for me.

I got to the store and went to try on the dress, only to find out that it was STILL to short. Even with extra length my ankles were still very visible.

So now I have to find another dress. On the up side, I'm the only bridesmaid, which means I can pick whatever dress I want from any dress designer I want. I've been looking around the web and have found a few dresses I like, including one I was looking at when she first got engaged.

I love this dress. I love everything about this dress. My only concern is that I can't usually do an A-line, so I'm going to start calling around to see if anyone has this dress in stock for me to try on.

I'm a big fan of the one shoulder dress. I do worry that this would make my head look smaller, but again I would have to try it on first.

This one is a lot like the dress I already purchased, so I feel pretty confident that worst case I could order it. The nice thing about this line is that the long dress is a little longer than the one I have, so the additional length should make it long enough.

I was really trying to stay away from a short dress because I would then need to purchase heals. However, this is a great option if I can't find a long dress I like because it's T-Length and I love the neckline. So it wouldn't be my first choice, but is definitely an option.

So that is where we stand right now. Once we get things finalized with the house purchase, I'm going to start making calls around to local shops and see if I can find anyone who has any of these in stock for me to try on. If not, I just go and start trying stuff on. Wish me luck! I'll post pictures once I settle on something.

Sister Wedding Update

So this weekend Sean and I are in Eugene visiting my family. My sister, mom, and I started working on the location. We are pretty sure we found the ceremony location.

We also went to David's Bridal to look at dresses, and my sister found her wedding dress. It's amazing. I also found my bridesmaid dress. David's actually does some of their long dresses with extra length, which would have been nice 3 years ago when I wasn't able to be in my friends wedding. The dress wasn't long enough and the bride didn't want to change it. Whatever... Anyways, so here it is....



That's the color and everything. Everyone else will be in blue, but I'm Matron of Honor, so I get silver. Kinda fun. :)

I also found a dress for our friends wedding in November. Going to wait a little longer to order it, but I'm super excited about it, as it is also long and also comes with extra length. This is that dress...



So all and all a successful weekend. I'm coming down next weekend and we are going to start working on reception venue. I'm also going to work on some other stuff this week since I don't really have any Alpha Chi stuff to do.

Oscar Fashion Recap

I love Fashion and often wish I was a size 2 so I could pull of some of the cute stuff that I'd love to wear. But I'm not, so I do the best I can with what I have.

Anyways, so during awards season I kind of go crazy. I watch all of these shows just to see what the women will be wearing. Since the Oscars were last night, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite (and least favorite) dresses from the evening.

First, my Top 5 Least Favorite Dresses from the Oscar's:

5. Nicole Kidman in Christian Dior



Nicole Kidman use to be one of my favorite and I looked forward to seeing what she was wearing. This award season has been midocre at best, and this dress was no exception. I thought it made her hips look huge and I wasn't digging the shoes with it.

4. Reese Witherspoon in Giorgio Armani



Again, I LOVE Reese and her style, but this was just SO boring. For being Armani, it sure looked an awful lot like a bridesmaid dress.

3. Michelle Williams in Chanel



I just felt like this was just the wrong color for her. The silhouette is nice, but it reminded me of Britney Spears in the Toxic video. She could have easily been naked underneath.

2. Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Couture



This was just awful. The top makes her look so boxy (like she is literally wearing a box with a dress over it) and the pattern on the front just makes her look like she has no figure. Not a nice dress at all.

1. Melissa Leo in Marc Bouwer



When she got up to make her acceptance speech, all I could think is "Wow, that's just awful." It looks like a wedding dress that someone in the 50+ age group would wear. I just expect a lot more from an Oscar Nominee (and from Marc Bouwer to be honest).

Note: Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, and Melissa Leo were all also on the Fashion Police (one of my favorite shows) worst dressed list. :-)

And now my Top 5 Favorite Dresses:

5. Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang



I love Sandra Bullock in red and, of all the red dresses last night, I think she wore it best. Anne Hathaway's Red Carpet dress was a close second for me, but this dress was just SO flattering on her and I think she accessorized it the right way.

4. Halle Berry in Marchesa



Marchesa is hands down one of my favorite red carpet designers. He always has the most beautiful dresses and I loved everything about this dress. In contrast to Michelle Williams, Halle Berry can pull off something that pale. Plus, she is just gorgeous, and has my all time favorite Oscar gown (her Elie Saab dress from 2002 - AMAZING!).

3. Amy Adams in L'Wren Scott



I absolutely adore this dress and this was probably the dress of the night that most made me wish I was a size 2 (and famous). This dress stood out for so many reasons, but I love the color and I'm always a fan of a little sparkle. And it just popped against her bright red hair. She just looked perfect.

2. Jennifer Hudson in Versace



This dress was just a "WOW." Jennifer Hudson has lost SO much weight and is flaunting it. Not too many other women could pull of this color but this was a great choice for her.

1. Mila Kunis in Elie Saab




I know a lot of the "experts" disagree with me, but I thought this dress was astonishing. Elie Saab is a close second for my favorite designer (see Halle Berry post), and this dress is part of the reason why. He does the "show a little skin in a classy way" thing so well. The color is gorgeous on her, the skirt flow is perfect red carpet, and Mila just looks fantastic in it.

So there you have it. My best and worst of the night.

Who were you favorite (and least favorites) of last nights Oscars?