A Love Story

I have a very special corner at The Green Hanger Shop where I get to be creative and design something I think is a fun part of the wedding tradition.  The Garter!  I love to play with the different colors and and ribbons and see how it turns out.  So much so that by the time I am done, the garter has to have a name! 

For example,  meet

The Mrs.

She's just a sweet, classy kind of garter with white satin ribbon, blush grosgrain and pewter satin accents.  She is one of my most viewed, so I think she will soon find her bride!

Another popular garter is

I Do

She is perfect for spring or summer weddings.  I wonder sometimes if I should have named her Daisy!

But my favorite of all on a very personal level is

Love Story

She was made for one of my favorite bride bloggers, Ms. Library, whose blog about her wedding plans I stalk follow on a regular basis.  She is a phenominal blog writer.  I love her wedding colors: cobalt blue, cornflower blue, light blue, and fuchsia!  She entered an earlier giveaway I hosted for a free garter, and unfortunately didn't win.  But she enlisted me anyway to design her garter and I felt a strong personal connection to the importance of designing something that would become a keepsake and part of this most important event.  I considered it as no small task.  It was a BIG DEAL!  Having read her blog posts, I can assure you that Love Story is the perfect name.  Enjoy, Ms. Library!

Love Story

Color me ______

What is more fun than choosing your wedding colors?  I just love seeing what brides choose!  Some brides know immediately what colors they want to use.  They have been picturing the wedding since they were little girls.  Others are just beginning to explore the possibilities.  Factors, such as the season, formality, and venue will need to be considered.  For example, our church has deep red carpeting and dark red cushioned seating.  My oldest daughter chose celadon green and white as her main colors, and the bridesmaids wore black dresses.  (A very popular color for maids now.)   The youngest daughter had planned on marrying in the fall and wanted orange and gold, with just a touch of black.  Even though she changed her date to May, those colors stuck and were beautiful against the stained glass windows of the church where she was married.  Personally, I picked a purple dress for that wedding using one of the colors that stood out to me in the stained glass.  There are lots of free and easy ways to choose colors, so let this be a fun part of the planning process. You might want to make an inspiration board.  You can make one in just a manner of minutes using a site like mosaic maker.  There are also several bloggers who create awesome boards for you.  I love The Perfect Palette. I had some ribbon sashes I wanted to reuse, so I decided to create wedding garters.  Using The Perfect Palette and thinking about spring and summer, I came up with some pretty sweet models that I put in a mosaic for you. They make me smile.  I hope they will do the same for a bride. Now I am trying to give them all proper names, you know, like "Blue Skies", "I Do", "Sweetheart", you get the idea.  But I really hope my creative readers will throw some suggestions my way!

I will be putting these in The Green Hanger Shop very soon, but first a giveaway. 
If you would like to own one of the garters for yourself or your friend, tell me so in your comment.
You don't have to choose which one you want just yet.  I will pick someone (with random.org) on January 31, 2010 (8:00 p.m. EST)

Indoor Window Shopping!

Finished your Christmas shopping yet? My shopping has gone very smoothly so far. Maybe it's because I am no longer Mrs. Claus. (Aw, that's kinda sad...) I did lots of shopping online and no, I won't say what I bought because I have some snoopy 'chillen' reading my blog, but I WILL say that my husband got into the spirit of things, and my sons-in-law are getting some VERY interesting presents that he picked out for them!

Now I don't know about you, but I HAVE to get out into the stores at some point for it to feel real to me, so the hubby and I visited some great shops in the West End section of Greenville, SC. These smaller stores were bustling with shoppers, and there was a happy holiday feeling in each store. Shoppers were warmly greeted, packages were placed in unique and festive wrappings, and it was fun to see new wares and try to match them to someone on my list.

I hope you have had some great shopping experiences. Please share your favorite place to shop with us here in the comments.

Now, here are some emporium like items from The Green Hanger Shop I hope you will enjoy. I handpicked them just for you!

The first are these purses, brought straight from Vietnam by my friend, Tracy. (I have written about her in a previous blog.) I saw some very similar to these when I was shopping, but they cost twice as much! How fun would these be at a holiday party?

Next are these dresses JUST IN this past week at The Green Hanger Shop. I think both are stunning and extra affordable.

Last is this wedding garter. Do you have an engaged friend? This is a unique gift idea and one of those details in wedding planning that is overlooked until the last minute sometimes.

There's lots more to see at The Green Hanger Shop, so come on by and visit us!

Happy Holidays!

OH! is for October! (and my first blog giveaway)

OH! I LOVE OCTOBER! It has always been a special month for me. There is so much to celebrate beginning on the first of October with my youngest daughter's birthday. (She was due in September, but she knew better and waited a few days!) My own birthday follows on the ninth, but that is only a small part of why I love this month. October brings welcome relief to relentless humid days here in the South with its crisp, cool, and dry air. The Earth puts on a fashion show with coordinated perfection as the trees show their true colors. Football teams and their bands play in weather the way it was intended and fans can enjoy being outdoors at their tailgating events. And, of course, it all ends with a bang on Halloween. Houses are decked out in spooky splendor and children parade in gleeful glamour while candy makers burst into smiles to see the sweet wares they prepared in the off months fly off the store shelves from now until Easter. To celebrate a special birthday this year, I am offering my first blog giveaway. It is a wedding garter I crafted just for fun. Since Halloween is on a Saturday, I thought there might be some brides who would enjoy having a whimsical garter for their wedding day. Perhaps you just think it would be fun to wear with a costume. Just comment here and tell me why you are entering. Tweet it and I'll enter you for a second chance. (Be sure to give me a link to your tweet.) Add a link to my blog from your blog for even another chance. Winner will be chosen on my birthday and the announcement will come the following week so I can get this shipped in time for Halloween! Happy October, Everyone!

Something Old is New Again!

As a child, I would tag along with Mom as she 'antiqued' the dealers on the South Carolina-Georgia state line. She had her favorite spots, of course, and so did I. I loved the one with the tire swing hanging from a big oak outside. I have yet to find a better piece of shade on earth! While I admit to being less than patient as I waited for her to strike a deal, I now appreciate what she taught me about the value of what was left behind by past generations.

Now I am using that experience to help brides with that age old tradition of 'something old' that was begun to bridge past with future. Just like Mom, I travel the back roads of South Carolina stopping at the antique shops and handpicking the vintage pins that inspire me. When choosing a Something Old garter, just remember what Mom would say, "You can't find this anywhere anymore!" These are truly one of a kind.

Garter Toss

If you have wondered about that garter tossing tradition, you will be happy to know that as wild as it may look today, it is mild in comparison to what it once was. Seems that wedding guests used to consider it good luck to possess a part of the bride's gown, so they would tear at it. Imagine the chaos that would ensue! To protect the poor bride, the tradition of a garter toss was begun and the groomsman who catches it is said to be the next one to marry.
The Green Hanger Shop is happy to introduce a new line of garters for the bride who is looking for something personal. These garters are custom made and contain an antique item, such as a pin or button, bridging something old to the future. The first of our garters, for example, features a mother of pearl baby christening pin that can used with the newlywed's firstborn christening gown, or simply worn on a sweater or tie. Each new garter will be unique and one of a kind and we are excited to make new discoveries as we develop new designs. A "tossing garter" is included for the reception. Custom orders are available as well if brides want to specify their color preferences.
Have fun with this wedding tradition and enjoy a keepsake for your happily ever after days!