Sweet Home Owosso?

After our wedding in October Drew and I are planning to live in Owosso, MI, where I currently live/work. So until our job searches allow us to move somewhere a little more happening, it'll be small town digs for us.

Even though the humidity was at about 2000% last night, I had the urge to take pictures, so I went to two of the best photo-op spots in town: Woodard Station and Curwood Castle Park. Woodard Station is a former factory that has been re-outfitted into loft condos (mostly for Baker College students) and some commercial spaces (the salon where I get my hair cut is here, as is Owosso's fanciest restaurant, the Wrought Iron Grill).

Curwood Castle was the home of an author who lived in Owosso. Trust me, it sounds way cooler (and larger) than it actually looks. But there were loads of pretty flowers in the park at Curwood Castle, so I had plenty to look at and take pictures of. Regal it's not, but Curwood sure makes for some great photos.

As much as Drew and I would prefer to live somewhere a bit nicer (like Midland), we're okay with spending the beginning of our marriage in Owosso. While it is an incredibly small town, it's not without some charm, as evidenced by my pictures. Also we know we have to live where we can work versus choosing someplace with such luxuries as a mall or Starbucks.

So if you ever have the chance to visit us while we're living in Owosso, feel free to drop in and we'll grab a beer at the WIG (that's the Wrought Iron Grill, to those in the know) or window shop at Wal-Mart. If you're looking for anything more exciting... well, we'll let you know when we get to upgrade to a bigger town.

Feeling Ruffled

My Michigan wedding shower is quickly approaching, which means another occasion calling for a new dress. Earlier this summer I went shopping with Drew to find enough dresses to last me through all of the weddings (read my recaps here and here), showers, and rehearsals on the calendar for May through October.

Luckily I had a few dresses on hand already, but a few weeks ago I realized I needed one more dress to wear to my wedding shower (because heaven forbid I wear the same thing more than once!). I had a coupon for Old Navy, so I picked up a cute little yellow sundress that will be perfect for the August heat.

But I wanted to add a little something extra so my dress wasn't just ho-hum, and I've been feeling especially crafty lately, so I decided to make a ruffled belt using these instructions from Heart of Light (via 100 Layer Cake). Plus, I can't say no to the Pinterest Challenge!

On Monday I headed to Joann Fabrics after work to purchase the necessary supplies. I decided to go with darker fabrics to stand out against the yellow dress. I picked up two different shades of navy fabric, plus a gray tulle for extra texture and contrast. The use of University of Michigan colors was completely unintentional, by the way (go Illini!).

Making the belt was super simple, and the entire project took me about 1.5 episodes of "Friends" from start to finish. Then I tried on the belt with my dress to look at the end result.

And another look at the entire outfit (plus my unmade bed):

Super simple and super cute, right? And as excited as I am to wear my new handmade ruffled belt to my wedding shower, I'm even more excited to see everyone who's attending (especially everyone from out of state)! Plus, you know, presents and stuff.