On Offbeat Bride today

Mich & Dan's gothic Transformers and cupcakes wedding on Offbeat Bride.com

Click on the pic to read the full article & see all the pics :)

looks like it was an amazingly fun celebration....

Thanks so much to Mich for letting me know :)
Photos by Tiffany Arment

Amber



PhotoShoot Slide Show

Alternative Bridal Bouquets by Refinerii

Thanks again to EB of Two Bird Studio, Tiffani Tchida for the amazing hair & makeup & models Josh, Chanel, Annie, Max, & Kathleen.

This was so much fun to put together: everything from picking out the clothes/shoes to match the bouquets, finding the perfect place to shoot--the PowerHouse was amazing--& even the last minute scrambling to make matching jewelry :)

I'm already looking forward to the next one...

Amber

S'more Wedding Bouquet Photoshoot Previews

A few more preview pics from the photo-shoot we did back in January...

Here is the blog post from back then with more pics:

http://www.refinerii.com/2012/01/more-sneak-peekings-bouquet-photoshoot.html

All photos are by the fabulous EB of Two Bird Studio

Hair & Makeup by Tiffani Tchida & styling by yours truly :)

steampunk necklace & earrings....

copper wedding bouquet with purple & bronze accents (don't you love the feather eyelashes???)

One of my alternative wedding bouquets...

love this shot!

(those are my shoes, btw hehehe--both of them lol)

another fav...

soooo pretty...

love this one!

 

Alternative Boutonniere

 Aluminum & crystal bouquet

More to come....will be updating as I have them finished :)

Thanks again to everyone who helped with this!

Amber

Up in the Air...

Today; I was was 50' in the air--at the end of a crane boom, hard hat on, hair blowing in the wind,  swinging in a steel basket... We were out at Kleiner Park in Meridian doing some maintenance & I had to go up with Jeff to help.

It was a strange feeling to realize that I wasn't scared anymore...swinging in the wind, about to freeze to death; but not afraid.

I remember this summer: the first time I went up in the lift: I was terrified...shaking so bad I was dropping things & clinging to the side as if my life depended on it... I was better the next couple times; at least able to function, but still scared to death.

Not sure what was different today, but I wasn't nervous in the least...  Maybe part of it was the trust I have in the crew I was with: Waz is one of the best crane operators I've ever met & Jeff is afraid of nothing & capable of pretty much anything: with a smile & easy laugh...   Maybe it was because I had done it before...maybe it was because J was standing below smiling up at me...idk

It was an odd revelation; standing there in the wind, looking out over the construction site on Eagle & Fairview from above.   I felt different than I did this summer: so many things in my life have changed in the past year--huge, life altering, painful, scary changes...  But I made it through them & am stronger & better for the journey...I'm a different person than I was a year ago & I'm grateful.

I feel as though things are moving in a new direction these days & I'm excited about the possibilities: change is in the air again, & I know it's going to bring a lot of good things with it.

I'm not afraid anymore---to stand in the wind & face it: to feel the cold air blowing against me & know that I am strong enough to embrace that which gives my soul freedom, & let all the rest be carried away in the breeze...

Amber

btw: the pics are from this summer: didnt get any from today; it was stormy, cold & snowing by the time we left, lol :)



Carnevale 2011-2012

Last year in June, there was a magical event at the Botanical Gardens called Canevale...

nearly 600 peeps showed up to enjoy the music, dancers, fire, & fun...

 And guess what???  We are doing it again!!!  OMG: soooo excited!!!

 This year, Carnevale will be a Botanical Garden officialy sanctioned event...  

 It was such a hit last year, that the garden wants to make it an annual event: to celebrate music, the arts, & the gardens: I am so excited to be involved in such an amazing event & so grateful that my crazy ideas for the first one were well received :  )  BTW: the ladies in the above photo; are they not fabulous???!

 Soooo: mark your calendars: this year we are planning on September 17th; the same amazing line-up of performers & even more great food & fun!

 More local artists, more vendors, & more fun; planning on face-painting, fortune tellers, dancers, card readers, valet parking, games, & so much more!

 If you attended last year: I would love to hear your comments & suggestions....  We are hoping to make 2012 even bigger & better: so any feedback is most welcome!  Comment below, or feel free to email me directly :) I would love to hear from you :)

And even if you didn't make it last year, but have a suggestion for a fun party idea; please sent it my way: would love to hear it :)

More to come soon; we are having a super-secret-special meeting this week to discuss ideas; so any feedback asap is great---my email is refinerii@yahoo.com 

Any comments are welcome :)

More details to come.

thanks so much to Walt Lindgreen for the new pics!!!  Nice to see you today :)

If you are interested in becoming in involved as a vendor, foodie, performer, or artist:

please email me asap: plans are underway & space is limited :)

Can't wait!!

Amber

Personality Test: revelations........

Soooooo, today I took a personality test based on the Jung/Myers-Briggs Type Indicator....

The test (or versions of it) have been around since the 60s: lots of companies still use it today as part of the hiring process.  Anywho....I am taking an online biz course: all about finding your true passion & making the most of it--the test came up in some of the discussions, so I thought I'd give it a go...

for the Wikipedia explanation, click here

My results were, uh....., surprising--I took the test three times, just to be sure...

INTJ

Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging

According to the Keirsey Temperament, I am a Mastermind....

what???

I was so sure I would be in the Artisan catagory that the whole thing really threw me at first.  I took the test three times....yikes....

Masterminds are rare, comprising no more than one to two percent of the population, and they are rarely encountered outside their office, factory, school, or laboratory. Although they are highly capable leaders, Masterminds are not at all eager to take command, preferring to stay in the background until others demonstrate their inability to lead. Once they take charge, however, they are thoroughgoing pragmatists.

Really??????  OMG.   wtf?

 Problem-solving is highly stimulating to Masterminds, who love responding to tangled systems that require careful sorting out. Ordinarily, they verbalize the positive and avoid comments of a negative nature; they are more interested in moving an organization forward than dwelling on mistakes of the past.

Well, yeah, that's pretty true...(omg)

To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.

Uhhhh, OK....yes, can see that....

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest.

Had to ask J on this one....he agreed: I am a perfectionist when it comes to some things...yikes...

INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!"

yeah, OK....lol...

I just thought I was weird...

This whole thing has really got me thinking about why I do what I do & what I want to do in the future; the direction I am taking my biz.     I was thrown for a loop at first, but after a long, solitary walk & time to think: a lot of what was said in the test made sense.   And it makes perfect sense for this new direction I am taking with the biz....

More details to come...still thinking---omg, the test is right!

Take your own personality test at:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

Copper Bouquet featured on Bijou Bride Blog today

Etsy Finds: Alternative Bouquets

clockwise from top left: LoveLee Flowers, Sunny & Stumpy, Love Mimo, Refinerii, Ritzy Rose, Rustic Press, Cultivar, La Plume Ethéré

I love fresh flowers just as much as the next girl, but it can be really eye opening to discover the other options out there. The bouquets shown here are made from paper, fabric, dried flowers, feathers, copper and vintage brooches. Kind of amazing, right?

Would you consider an alternative to fresh flowers? Or are you all about the real thing?

New Sites

http://www.weddingwire.com/vendor/VendorViewStoreFront?mode=edit&tab=reviews

 I just opened up a new shop on the new site Storenvy.  Check it out here: 

http://refinerii.storenvy.com/

Also now on

Happy Shopping!

Amber

Doing taxes...Skwishy looks confused....I know the feeling....

Amber