You can fool the fans - but not the players.... John Cage

Junkees (in Reno) yields wedding accessories

No trip to Reno is complete without stopping by Junkees these days... because you never know what you might find and you'll be inspired by the possibilities (and the displays).

 

Anthropologie has nothing on Junkees when it comes to store displays. I don't know if it is one amazing person or if there is a team of designers but just about every nook and cranny has an assemblage made of found objects.

 

It is a riot of color, texture and clutter; a burner's paradise.

 

And a sense of humor around every corner.

The dressing rooms each have a theme and when not in use appear like stage sets waiting for you to arrive to play your part...

And there is such attention to detail.

 

The collections are amazing - where does all this come from?

 

There's a clothing and accessory area and through another door is an antique mall with little, crammed cubbies and reasonable prices.

 

That's where we found my snow queen wedding accessories. DD bought me this little fur muff (the red flower will be replaced) and I bought the Sno-Belle pill box hat:

 

In pristine condition and with the original packaging - which was worth the price alone.

 

Snow queen, indeed. This is going to be fun!

 

A sad goodbye to a beloved dog

Chance is gone from our lives - the victim of a senseless, reckless act and I will miss him.

Here's how I'll remember our sweet, gentle boy. Patient, stoic, cat-chasing (except for Mel and Pearl)....

 

Loved his raccoon toy and loved to eviserate stuffed animals....

 

 

Loved the snow....

 

 

Devoted to us, loved our winter walks and chasing rabbits...

Loved shredding the toys of other dogs...

Brought much happiness and laughter into our lives...

 

We miss you now and will miss you forever, little buddy.

Decisions: How to turn ideas into reality (wedding reality)

This post really does not want to be written today. I've started it twice and endured a Firefox crash and my laptop's sudden, random shut-down-to-black-without-warning-when-on-battery so far. Not a great start to the day.

So, quickly.

Wedding supplies. Looking meager. How on earth will this turn into a beautiful winter wedding?

Half a dozen French flower buckets....

 

An oversized grapevine wreath....

 

Half a dozen lengths of twiggy grapevine garland....

 

And just four (cause I wasn't sure how they'd work in - but can get more) mercury glass hanging candle lights?

 

These are starting to take shape...

 

But they aren't quite there yet.

And I am beginning to feel a tiny bit of panic.

I'd better get busy - I have a lot to do and not much time to do it in.

A visit to a floral warehouse.... wedding decor shopping.

We are pecking away at the wedding details but I'm starting to think that I could use another year. It sneaks up on one, and it gets expensive! And we are not going with fancy. Much of what I'd like to do is DIY but DIY takes time and materials and I only have so much of each right now. I am trying keep a list and stay on top of it, so last week while down south I dragged my mother to a floral supply warehouse in San Diego.

 

Simple, straightforward, pretty bustling with other women... I was pleased to find this place. I found it online when I was looking for french flower buckets and even more pleased to discover that it was in San Diego, open to the public, and not hard to find. Wholesale Flowers and Supplies. You can find it here.

 

Imagine a place that stacks wire eiffel towers - how can you go wrong? There are materials for all kinds of parties and decor here. It isn't huge, but it has a lot. Lighting, lots of floral and floral accessories, candles, random things. Reasonably priced, too.

 

Most of this, photographed, I did not purchase but wanted to remember in case it worked into the overall scheme of things. Today I'll take photos of what I did purchase and post them tomorrow.

 

There were all kinds of candles, including gray sparkly brocade that would look great in our wedding. Didn't buy 'em, though.... not yet. I pretty much stuck to the list.

 

I liked this although I'm not sure how to use it... it was a big spiral of grapevine that hung down like a tree. Didn't buy it although I was tempted.

 

I really liked these manzanitas that provided a structure for lights... this is something we could pull off.

 

Here's another variation on that...

 

I didn't buy this either although this is right up my alley and it was tempting...

I just don't want to throw a bunch of random elements into the wedding just because I like them. I'm really trying to show some restraint and plan it.

May I pat myself on the back yet?

Point is, there are these great places out there and for not a whole lot of money you can find just the type of thing you are looking for. For me it is an exercise in discipline (something I'm not the best at) and sticking to a vision.

Tomorrow.... what I did get.