How adorable are these mittens-for-two! I discovered these a couple weeks ago and shared them with a few friends, but I never got around to posting about them here until this weekend’s historic snowstorm brought them back to mind.

My crazy fiance drove up here today, in the midst of this amazingly ridiculous weather, just to see me (or was it to see the snow?). What is normally a 3-hour drive took him 5.5 hours, but he arrived safe and sound and quite in awe of the nearly 3 feet of snow covering the area! God took good care of him on his way up here – there were snowplows in front of him while he was on the stretch of road that’s usually the roughest in bad weather. Now I suppose that since he was willing to drive up here to see me, I should be able to handle helping him build a snowman tomorrow. (This is also historic, though on a slightly smaller scale, as I’ve never built a snowman before!)

Obviously, we’ll want our own gloves for playing in the snow, but if we were to go on a walk, I think these Smittens would be fabulous! I love holding his hand.

This monochromatic palette is certainly not for the feint of heart, but I know there are a few brides out there who would adore an all-black wedding. A white wedding dress will keep it from having too much of a gothic look, but you can certainly dress your ‘maids in black. Pretty filigree and lots of light will also help soften the effect.

{hairpiece photo by Janae Shields Photography via The Knot; damask invitations from Etsy seller socialcircles; favor box image by Calli B Photography via Polkadot Bride; chandeliers image by Anna Kuperberg via The Knot; filigree cupcake wrapper from Paper Orchid; lanterns from BrideTshirtsonline; Rococo Noir serving pieces by Rosanna; bouquet image from The Bloomery via Photobucket; photo of bridesmaids from Weddingbee; black pearl necklace from Etsy seller toccata; candles photo by Calli B Photography via Polkadot Bride}

Well, as y’all have probably noticed, I am dreadfully behind on my black inspiration boards (was supposed to post one per day all of January). Sometimes “real life” is a bit more pressing than blogging and I just fell behind. Rather than trying to catch up, I’m going to say venture a guess that this is enough to get the creative juices flowing when it comes to using black as a wedding color. I’ll finish up tomorrow with one last board – all black – and then I’ll move on to other color schemes, more DIY ideas, Valentine’s gift inspiration, etc. Stay tuned!

Make a bold statement with black and purple by using these two colors as the base palette and mixing in some deep fuschia or bright pinks. For a softer touch add in a little bit of white.

{Hershey’s Kisses image from Indian Bridal Designs; shoes photo via My Modern Vintage Wedding; orchid bouquet by Real Oasis; black glitter butterfly from Italian Options; dress image via Kelly Oshiro Events; tablescape photo via D*LSH Design; clutch purses from Etsy seller whatthefunk; purple earrings by Etsy seller GlitzGlitter; bride and groom photo by Jessica Claire; wedding cake by Specialiced; purple and black table linens from Chair Creations}

This cheerful, crayon box combination is perfect for the fun-loving bride who still enjoys a good childhood activity every now and then. With so many colors, the possibilities for decor are endless.

{crayon photo from Submagination; shoes photo by Jules Bianchi Photography; earrings from Paw & Claw Designs; photo of bride and groom with balloons from Flickr; invitations via Love Invites; black fortune cookies available from Fancy Fortune Cookies; pinwheels image (and DIY download!) from Heather Bailey; umbrellas image by Paul Retherford; cupcake photo via Top Mom Blog; polka dot cake from Venus Cakes; photo of bride on bike by Travis Hoehne Photography}