The Preen

First things first: After 2 exhausting years of interning for this Web log (re: pitching ideas and making Troy write them, eating at restaurants and asking Troy to take pictures of the food, finding cool things at stores and saying aloud, "Wouldn't it be cool to feature this on the blog?" and then assuming Troy will take care of it) I have finally earned my keep and have been granted my own column, entitled The Preen. Featuring everything from local jewelry designers to fabulous cruelty-free cosmetics, The Preen will take you on a wild reading adventure. Trust me, you're going to love it. And you'll be even prettier because of it. I mean, let's face it, beauty is like the most important thing ever. We've all watched enough nerdy girl makeover movies to know that's true.

Alright, so let's get this show on the road.

My first feature for The Preen involves a little back story. It's a beautiful tale of friendship, a request for seafoam green bridesmaid dresses, ever-lasting love, and, most importantly, a lost social security card. Actually, I'm realizing now that the story is too long for one blog post, so I will skip ahead to the ending: They tied the knot on a beautiful, yet chilly, day in October with all their friends and family in attendance. Not one bridesmaid could find a seafoam green dress. The end.

Now let's get to the good stuff.

As part of a dear friend's bridal party, I was recently given the task of finding a gift for the beautiful bride-to-be. I gave it several months of thought and came up with a long list of things I did and did not want. I wanted the gift to be wearable. I wanted it to be a keepsake. I wanted it to commemorate the wedding day. I didn't want it to be prissy. I wanted to support a local designer. I wanted all the bridesmaids to feel like they were part of the gift. I didn't want the bride to feel pressured to wear it on the wedding day. To be honest, I was completely overwhelmed by my list.

After visiting In God We Trust's  Bedford Avenue store, I knew I found my answer. A beautifully hammered, solid brass bracelet, The Boyfriend Cuff can be hand-stamped with up to 8 letters/numbers. With the support of my fellow bridesmaids, I purchased 3 bracelets and asked IGWT to hand-stamp the inside of the cuffs with the wedding date, the bride and groom's first initials and the first initials of the 6 bridesmaids. The hand-stamping is, well, done by hand, so the letters don't align perfectly, thus giving it a bit of edginess – a perfect fit for our bride's style. They can be worn stacked on one wrist or worn one at a time and the result is effortlessly stylish with a hint of nostalgia. And the bride loved them.

Mission accomplished. 

PS: It turns out that seafoam green is THE color for Spring 2012. The bride was so ahead of the trend!