Mrs. Cowboy Boot, Signing Off

Well, hive, I think I've finally written my final posts on Weddingbee. My recaps are finished and I think you can officially call me "an old bee," with respect to those who have blogged before me.

But, I'd never sign off without keeping my word. And my word is that I promised you the portrait that Mr. CB was painting of me in my wedding dress. Note: It's a wee bit sexy, kind of like our version of a boudoir shoot.

To give you a sense of how large this painting is, here's a shot of Mr. CB's studio (see that tiny bottle of soda on that miniature-looking table?):

Weddingbee has actually been more influential in my life than you'd think. I was so inspired by all of the entrepreneurial women around these parts (like Mrs. Bee, for the most obvious example) that I decided to up and start my own business. All of your feedback and support during the planning process gave me the confidence I needed to push myself to do this. Because without you, I would never have considered that I could plan weddings. Had I not found Weddingbee? I'm not sure I'd be as inspired as I am today.

You see, when I planned my wedding, I planned it for me. It was just a lucky side effect that other people thought it had some style or whimsy or whatever you want to call it.

And now, I've launched this in Santa Fe, New Mexico: Barnwood & Birch.

So while you won't find me around Weddingbee all that much (although I do plan to read the blog and the boards and comment and, well, pretty much still loiter), you can find me on my new wedding inspiration blog.

With that, I thought I'd leave you with my absolute favorite picture from our wedding. It totally captures my level of bliss that day (and makes my dress look like it has pockets!).

Don't be a stranger.

With love,

Mrs. Cowboy Boot

New Zealand Honeymoon: Part III

This is the final installment in my three-part, New Zealand honeymoon posts. So far, we'd been to Christchurch, Kaikoura, Marlborough, Marahau, Nelson, and had started our drive down the west coast to the high-mountain town of Franz Josef.

Once in Franz Josef, we checked into our hotel, Te Waonui. Our room had a wall-size window that looked into a full-on rainforest. It was gorgeous. Moss, intermingling tree branches, ferns, and dampness were framed by this window. I could've sat there and stared at it all day. But instead, we woke up the next morning to hike the Franz Josef glacier.

That's the glacier behind us. From where we're standing in this picture, it was about a 40-minute walk to get to the base of the glacier. And it was raining, no less.

Here's a shot of the glacier once we arrived at the base:

Here I am hiking up the glacier. We had to wear those silly fanny packs to carry our crampons during the hike across the valley. It was incredible to experience this because all of the glaciers are receding rapidly. Plus, there so so may cool ice formations and endless holes to stare into.

After the glacier, we continued our drive south towards Queenstown. There were so many places to pull over that were so scenic. Here's one of the random beaches we stopped at. It had an awesome lookout tower.

We then drove through Mount Aspiring National Park where there was a new waterfall every five feet. The tops of the mountains were misty and it was just gorgeous.

As we came into Queenstown, everything got so pastoral, mountainous, and stunning.

After a rainy day in Queenstown (with plans of rafting lingering in our future), the sun came out. And what did we decide to do? This:

The one place we were told not to miss was Milford Sound. But, the long, long drive was doing a good job of staving off our decision to get in the car again. So, instead, we booked a scenic flight so instead of an 8-hour drive in one day, we took an hour flight there and back.

Mr. CB sat up front while sat diagonally behind him.

And here's what we saw out the window:

And here's where we landed:

We hopped on a boat to cruise around the Sound.

Some little penguins came out to greet our boat. And tons and tons of waterfalls of course.

As the cruise came to an end, the rain enveloped the Sound and we had to fly out very quickly (or suffer a 4-hour bus ride back to Queenstown). We were able to get out though which afforded us pictures like this:

I don't have any pictures from us rafting except for hard copies. So, that's it, my friends. The end of our New Zealand honeymoon.

While we traveled far too much (hours and hours every day in the car), it was amazing to see so much of another country. And, a place that we could see ourselves moving one day. But for now, we'll stay here in Santa Fe, from where I'll continue to blog here on Weddingbee. At least for a few more posts.

Where are you headed on your honeymoon? Anyone up for an adventure?

Designing the Invites (Part IV)

As I mentioned before, the Cowboy Boot invitations will have five parts: the invitation card, the RSVP card and envelope, a map, a rehearsal dinner invitation (in some of them), and a hang tag to tie the whole thing together. We plan on using one of the various illustrations you've seen on each piece.

Next up, the hang tags--you know, the little tag that the raffia is tied through to bring it all together. Since we're using the birds on the invitation and the barn on the RSVP, the hang tag seems like the perfect place to feature Mr. CB's horse sketch (the one that adorned our save-the-dates). Give me your vote:

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5 (This is a circle, by the way)

Vote below!

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5

Or, tell me which shape you like best? And which design is your favorite? Or how you would do it differently?

Homegrown Wedding Part II

Today is the first time I've been back to my parents' house in Los Angeles since I seriously started planning the decor. Eight months ago (the last time I was home), we had just booked our venue and I was on the search for The Dress so things are feeling more nailed down this time. It's funny how, when you're on the search for something, everything you've been looking at for the past 20 years all of a sudden appeals to you more. This time around, it's decor items. 

As I got settled in, I started to notice little antiques around the house that would look adorable adorning our escort tables or dessert tables. I was already in love with weddings in which the guests bring simple personal touches to contribute to the decor, so bringing stuff from my childhood home seems natural. My mom mentioned she'd be happy to bring some things along (via plane) to our wedding in Colorado if I just made her a list. Here are a few of the items I've come across:

More Cow Bell Please.

Horse Decor.

A Spur from Custer's Last Stand in the 19th Century

A Cute Teapot

An Adorable Rooster for our Buffet Table

A Cute Pitcher With Fake Flowers

A Shabby Chic Lantern

A Mason Jar I Bought in Sausalito, California

A Frame with My Parents' Wedding Portraits

An Antique Clock (if only it worked)

While searching around the house, I came across two pictures that are pure evidence that I was meant to be Ms. Cowboy Boot and have a horse-themed wedding:

What do you plan to incorporate into your wedding that you already own? Or what are you borrowing from friends or family?