Wedding shopping at Oriental Trading

Oriental Trading is famous (at least to me) for chintzy birthday party decorations, cheap plastic toys, and a fun catalog full of all the stuff you wish you could have won for your skeeball tickets.

However, it turns out that Oriental Trading is also a pretty good place to get some of your smaller wedding items like rose petals, napkins, and party favors.
Plus, free shipping over $49 when you use code WCE1834 at checkout.

These are some budget-conscious items that would make you do a double-take if you saw them at a classy wedding then heard how much they cost:

$4 per dozen Black and white takeout boxes
These would be great for putting small favors or candy in.

$25 for 2 dozen Personalized wedding mint tins
A party favor that also doubles as a favor to your guests who want to make out after dinner.

$12 for a dozen Personalized votive holder
These would look cute at each table, and you could take them home and reuse them later.

$8 for 1000 petals Colored fabric rose petals
Imagine how pretty these would be scattered down the aisle or on the tables.



Since it is still a crazy catalog though, there are some hilarious things you should not buy in there too:

Don't these pillars remind you of the Stonehenge set in Spinal Tap?

Wedding print toilet paper for when you are so sick of planning the wedding you just want to wipe your ass with it.

Hello dear, I got you this bouquet of roses....don't they smell incredi---AAAHHH YOU'RE ON FIRE!!!

P.S. NO I am not getting married.

Etsy finds of the day: Vintage Dress edition

$42 Flower 1960s dress from CTM Mercantile
Would look cute with espadrilles and a wide brown leather belt.

$30 Jos A Banks silk dress from recyclehistory
Pretty color and shape. I'd probably have the sleeves taken up to make it a sleeveless sheath or a cap sleeve and then it would look more modern.

$32.99 Pineapple dress from heyviv
I love the print and the shape and the colors! I want this one.

$75 Vintage Dots dress from  missfarfalla
Very summery- good for a wedding shower or graduation event.

$65 Pink geometric dress from missingpieces
Cute belt in matching fabric. Looks lightweight for summer and a great breezy dress to wear with nude sandals and a tan bag.

$34 Blue cotton shirtdress from oldgoldvintage
This is a size Large which is rare- I feel like most vintage items are teeny especially in the waist. I like the pattern and collar on this one.

Bronzer to try

Well, it's still crappy and gray out even though it is almost Memorial Day and should be nice.
If you are wishing summer was really upon us already, like I am, you can at least start looking the part now.

$13.95 Physician's Formula Cashmere Bronzer
This bronzer has a few tones in it- peach, gold, and tan- so it should work with most complexions.
It is made with cashmere extract, and I have no idea what that is but it sounds so fancy and I want it on my face! The cashmere is supposed to make it go on smoother.
Now that I think about it, it's probably like lanolin but from soft little goats.
Anyway, how cute is the packaging? I love that the powder is pressed to look like a cable-knit sweater.
I don't have a bronzer anymore since my ancient but excellent Chanel one ran out, so I might be getting this.

Two light summer blouses

$21.99 Mossimo Shirred collar pebble tunic
This would look great with skinny jeans or walking shorts.
I like the neckline and think it is very flattering.

$29.99 Gap silky two pocket shirt
The color is called "verveine" which I read at first as "wolverine" which would make it that much cooler.
This would look good with high-waisted sailor shorts or a pencil skirt.

Etsy finds of the day: Wall art stickers edition

I purchased some beautiful (if I do say so myself) 8' dark gray birch trees and put them up on one of my walls and I love them.
You can see a bit of them in action here:

Now that I am leaving my apartment to my lovely sister, she has asked that they stay, which is fine by me because even though they claim to be reusable I have no idea how to get them down without ripping them and making a mess.

So I might be in the market for some new wall art.

Etsy has a ton of sellers and designs, so here are some of my favorites:

$98 Birdch tree wall decals from designeddesigner
Clean with a little pop of color. and iF you don't want the green birds, you don't have to put them up.

$35 Damask decals from DesignDivasGallery
You get 10 decals per pack- it's like having wallpaper without the permanence. I would like this in a bathroom or small office.

$35 Chandelier with birds from urbanwalls
I'd probably pass on the birds in this one. The problem on Etsy seems to be that like in Portlandia, everyone put a bird on everything.

$84 Tree stencils from walldecors
And if you were really cool, you'd let people color them in when they come over.
Also you wouldn't make your friends sit lined up in chairs. That is like the worse tv-watching, socializing layout I can think of.

$48 Giraffe growth chart from coolgraphics
If your friends are like mine, they are spawning rapidly and need a lot of presents. This is better than yet another onesie.

$48 Leaf print from urbanwalls
OMG you're soooooooooo modern and hip I can't even sit on your angular and uncomfortable couch.

$74 Modern music notes from iwalls
Do you know any school music teachers? No, you don't, because they are all 80+ and weird and don't go out. But, if you did, this would be a fun present for them and their classroom. Do they even get classrooms anymore? Probably not. The educational system is in the toilet, people.

$39.95 Dinosaur from stickerbrand
I think it would be awesome to secretly order this and then put it on the ceiling right over someone else's bed or maybe wrapping around the inside of their closet and then see how long it takes for them to notice/scream.


You can also get your name, a lame-ass quote about love or reading, and more birds than you can shake a silhouetted stick at. But you'll have to find those on your own.

Stealthy public drinking

$5 KCDC Can Cover
What an awesome idea!
This reusable vinyl can cover sticks on your beer (or wine cooler if you're classy like me) can and makes it look like Arizona iced tea or something like that. Something that is definitely NOT getting you buzzed in the park.

Brilliant!
This could be a real marketing opportunity for actual soda companies too, like pretend you are drinking Diet Coke but really there is coke in your can.

Sales to hit this weekend in NYC

Sigerson Morrison unauthorized blowout shoe sale at Steven Sclaroff at 44 White Street near Church in Tribeca

Dolce Vita shoes 156 Ludlow St between Stanton and Rivington Sts, fourth floor in LES
 
Steven Alan shoes and clothes 87 Franklin St between Broadway and Church Sts in Tribeca
OMG I went to this yesterday and it was SO great! I got a plaid bubble dress ($40), an M. Carter t shirt ($12)

and green Pare Gabia wedges for me ($45), and an olive green leather jacket ($75) and navy and tan Generic Surplus shoes for my bf  ($25).

Then I couldn't resist getting us both matching pairs of Generic Surplus gray mesh lace-ups ($25 each).

The point is that you should definitely go.

Faryl Robin shoes 200 Park Ave S at 17th St, suite 1610 in Flatiron

UPDATE! I hit this sale haaaaard. Check out all the shoes I got:

Faryl Robin samples are $50, all other samples are $25, stock shoes are $90, and there is a bargain bin of $10 finds.
My yellow ones and brown ankle boots were each $10 and the coral suede and dark brown OTK boots were each $35. SCORE. Hit it up, ladies. Shoes are separated by size so shopping is easy. I left behind a cute pair of gray and green wingtip oxfords because they seemed a little stiff.
I also got a secret pair for my sister but I'm not posting those because she is sneaky and will find them.

Nailpolish shopping spree

I went to Ricky's yesterday and had a little nailpolish spree.
I haven'tbeen able to find the right nude color yet, so I got this one to try it out:

$8 Essie Topless and Barefoot
I keep thinking it's called "Barefoot and Pregnant" though. I wonder if there are any nailpolishes called that.
I did a quick search and there are a lot of Barefoot ones but no pregnant. Too bad.

I have this on now and it is lighter and pinker than I wanted but looks pretty good. I think Essie Jazz was a little too tan for me and now I went a little too pale. Oh well.
Here it is on, before cleanup:

 The nude nailpolish quest continues.

I also got Stickey base coat which I'd tried at my friend Sheryl's and worked really well.

$8.50 CND Stickey base coat, cheaper online

I wanted to get Seche Vite, but they were all out. Then the woman told me that OPI's top coat is better anyway, but then they were out of that too.

So I got the top coat that matches the base coat I bought and I like it so far, it is very glassy and went on a little thinner than my Sally Hansen Megashine.

$8.50 CND Super Shiny Top Coat, cheaper online

We will see how long it lasts.

Then there were some sale polishes that I couldn't pass up because I am an addict and always need more polish:

$3.99 on sale Essie Bone Chilling
Apparently this was originally part of some set and now they are selling it separately to get rid of it, and that is why I can't find it online anywhere. It's a shiny cream white, no pearl or sparkle. I think it will be a good undercoat for metallics or the crackle polishes.

$.99 Mattese Elite Hair Today Gone Tomorrow
This is a dark green, almost black color, darker and more hunter-toned than the pic above.
It was also on sale and must be a strange one because I can't find it anywhere online either.
I've never tried the ME polishes and will let you know how it goes. This one reminds me of the OPI Here Today Aragon Tomorrow color and I am sure the name of it was meant to be a knockoff.


The last thing I bought was nail polish thinner.
You can imagine that with all my polishes, sometimes they get a little goopy before I have the chance to finish them. I usually thin them out with remover, but then I heard that was a horrible low-class thing to do.
I don't really know what is different between thinner and remover, but maybe the mineral oil?
We'll see how it goes.

$4 SuperNail Polish Thinner (cheaper online)

What to buy from the Kate Spade Online Sample Sale

Kate Spade is having an online sample sale with items up to 75% off.
You have to add your email address to their mailing list to shop, but I looked for you so you can see if it is worth it.

Here's what I'd get:

$189 Devote Augustine (originally $425)
Neutral color, patent so it won't get scuffed easily.

$219 Wellesley Maeda ($495)
Great Spring work bag.

$55 Nylon Sam ($195)

Nicer alternative to your plastic lunch bag or target tote.

$79 Nautical Sweater ($195)Flattering boatneck that isn't too wide and won't show your bra straps.

Great online store: Areaware.com

Areaware has some neat designer-y pieces that would be conversation starters in any home. They are not terribly expensive for what they are, either.

$36 Bow bin
There is a variety of styles of these bins, made from hand-woven reeds and reclaimed plastic tubs. I like the high-low, natural-industrial look of them.

$160 Icosa light
This pendant lamp is made from felt and formed into a Fuller-esque geometric shape. Much classier than the paper lanterns that are everywhere.

$24 Two beeswax lightbulb candles
Get it? Because candles are the original lightbulbs?
Beeswax smells great and the removable stands can be used for other taper candles after the light bulbs burn out, so to speak.

$110 Brush vase
This chrome vase comes with a glass insert so the water doesn't leak out. I think it would be pretty with different height flowers peeking through the holes between brushes.

$140 Half mirror
One of those double-take items that looks totally normal at first and then you realize half of it is missing. The description on the site says it is to show the cut glass and profile of the frame edge, but I think it is more of a meditation on reflections and self-identity.

Etsy finds of the day

$40 Accordion sewing box from mrsrekameplp
My grandmother had one of these that she kept her buttons in and I loved opening it and playing with and sorting all the buttons.
If I got this one, it would be my new jewelry box since right now I have a million separate boxes that fall off my dresser all the time.

$50 Natural wood stool from carlavalverde
These are cool because they have no nails, joins or anything. It's just a hunk of tree. If you got a couple of them, you could stack them to make a nice sculpture.

$10 Typewriter key thumbtacks from repurposedantiques
Another way to make the office nicer.

$40 Egg box from Wiltsiebridgecs
Great for a country home or for storing little doodads.

$496 Eye chart room divider from MacheleI hate room dividers in general, but I especially hate how they are either faux-Asian or brocade annoying. This one is at least modern and interesting. Still a room divider though.