Miss Blushing, meet the road block. Road block, meet Miss Blushing.

Remember all that talk about "dream dress"? Remember when all was right with the world of bridal gowns, and I didn't need to look any further to find exactly what I was looking for?

Boy, did I get ahead of myself!

Last weekend Mr. Blushing and I went to visit his parents, about a 2 hour drive from where we live. By early Saturday afteroon, Mr. Blushing started to feel under the weather and proceeded to take a nap, and since his naps tend to last for many hours, I knew I was on my own. Being kind of bored and knowing that FMIL (whose only child is Mr. Blushing, and who also has 6 nephews and one lone niece) was chomping at the bit to go dress shopping with me, I proposed that we go check out a local shop I had found online called Taylored for You Bridal Boutique. (That's not a typo -- the owner's name is Taylor, which is why it is spelled the way it is!) I called the shop and Taylor herself said I didn't need an appointment and they would have some time to show me some dresses, so we got right in the car and ventured over there.

I really wasn't expecting to have as much fun as I did! Taylored for You is a cute little house-turned-shop that has a pink dress-shaped sign out front. Inside, the shop was tiny but clean, and overall it was a wonderfully friendly and professional environment. At first, I only found 3 dresses on the racks that I wanted to try on, but Taylor's employee, Leigh, kept pulling things out that she thought I would like. She ended up having a real knack for picking things that were flattering to my shape, and, even better, most of the samples fit me like a glove (albeit a slightly tight glove) so I could really envision what it would look like without clips all over it.

Now I know I went through this whole thing about not wanting a strapless dress, and not really liking satin..... but then, I laid my eyes on Lea Ann Belter's Olivia dress. It was one of the three that I had originally taken off the rack to try on, and when I put it on -- I don't know, something happened!


Something about the subtle heart-shaped neckline was really flattering to my not-quite-petite bust, and just look at the waist it gives me! Believe me, that is not my waist, it is a complete illusion. The satin was the softest, most beautiful satin I have ever felt, and the lack of too much "poof" really suited my 5' 3.75" frame (yes, that 3/4" matters!). Granted, I am standing on a stool, but I just felt very tall and slender and.... bridal.

Did I mention that Mr. Blushing's mom cried when I put this on? Granted, it was the first dress of the lot that I tried on, and the first time she had ever really seen me in a bridal gown, but at least she didn't think it looked bad on me. Definitely, definitely did not think it looked bad on me.

I also really liked this dress below, although it still doesn't have enough going on up top for me to love it as much as the Olivia. I actually don't know the name of this dress, but it is also a Lea Ann Belter. One thing I do love about it is the slimmer fit below the waist -- apparently that is flattering to my figure. Who knew?


**Please disregard back-fat bulge.... tight glove, remember?

I also tried on this dress with a little lace bolero jacket from another dress (but never snapped a photo), and I really liked that, but we all decided I probably wouldn't end up wearing it. I just think it's amusing that this dress is strapless, satin, AND has a sash and I still managed to like it.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, both of these dresses are pretty much completely out of my budget, so I really can't consider them as real contenders. But now that I have tried on such beautiful creations, I am not as set on my original Jasmine choice as I was before. Maybe I really don't know exactly what I'm looking for, and maybe I need to look further, not just for a dress that I love but a dress that looks good on me. I am going to do a bit more exploring with my mom this weekend, and I also have to keep in mind that I have just over a year until my wedding so I don't NEED to order my dress for a few more months. But still, I get the feeling it is going to end up being a much more difficult decision than I anticipated a few weeks ago.

Just for fun, here are a few more photos from our dress shopping extravaganza at Taylored for You -- Leigh had me in all sorts of get-ups! These aren't "me" enough, but they were really stunning dresses. It made for a really fun, unexpected afternoon! Taylor and Leigh were the best bridal boutique salespeople I have met so far.... friendly, not pushy, they allowed photos, and they really, thoroughly love what they do.

I tucked in the capped sleeves, as they were a bit too wide for my liking.... we all thought they would look better smaller, but don't mind how puffy they are appearing here!

Check out that train!

This is not my taste at all, and the neckline is not one bit flattering on me.... but the beading on this dress was incredible. Taylor and Leigh have their own nicknames for all the dresses, and they called this one the "Hollywood" dress!

This was way too poofy for me, and something about the straight neckline and sash/bow made me feel too young, but the fabric was really lightweight. Would be great for a hot summer day!

Question for readers: did anyone really get that "this is the dress" feeling the first time they tried on a dress? How did you know? Does this really exist or is it an urban wedding myth??