My new pride and joy!!

Yesterday, my grams, aunt, and cousin threw me a shower! It was soooooo much fun, with a lot of old friends I hadn't seen in a long time! All of the married ladies shared funny stories from their dating or marriage life and it had us rolling with laughter!! Much more fun than any shower games I've ever played!! :o)

This, though, was my absolute favorite gift that I received. It was one I didn't register for, because Grams told me not to! However, I'd completely forgotten she was getting it and didn't know what it was going to be when I was opening her gift!!

I've been dreaming of having one of these for years!! My mom never had one (she loves to cook, but isn't really a "baker"), but I've used one often - my aunt's and Chaundra's. I'm soooooooo excited and can't WAIT to use it!! If only I had the time! I might have to make some time to use this beautiful appliance!! And of course, it's blue!! Wouldn't have it any other color!!

Engagement pics are here!

Sorry I've been a bit MIA this week....had a lot of unexpected stuff going on, so I wasn't prepared with posts like when I was on vacation! I had two showers this week, been decorating our new place, family in town, and had to ship my fiance of to Mexico for his grandfather's funeral :o( That was a disaster trying for 2 days to actually get him on a plane!

It's getting down to the wire here and so while I will *try* to post as much as possible, not sure how much time I'll have to do it!!

But for tonight....here's some of our lovely engagement shots, done by our wonderful photographer, Shanell Bledsoe

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Chair covers for sale!!

My aunt's friend has agreed to let me use her chair covers for my wedding! On one condition- in order to get them here to Nashville (from SC), my aunt has to tote them here in her van and leave them here! Therefore she wants to sell them!

I don't have a picture, but they are typical white chair covers with white sashes. There are 144 for $15 a piece (chair cover w/ sash).

Please comment (leaving your email- which only I will see!) if you are interested! They will be here this weekend and you can have them right away, as long as I can have them for my July 26th wedding!

You will easily earn your money back from them after a few rentals!  Great opportunity for florists or event planners!

Pampered Shower!

I got back from the beach and mountains yesterday.....and I'm exhausted, but happy and had lots of fun!! And got lots of stuff done!! (More on that when I recover enough to write more!! :o) )

Here's some pics from my lovely shower last night!!

My lovely sis-in-law, Carla, who was responsible for it all!

The adorable cookie cake her mom made me!!

 

 So adorable!!!!!!

I made  a Mexican Pizza.....sooo yummy but I did have to chop up yucky tomatoes (my least fave food!)

 

I won this bridal shower at a bridal fair at Opry Mills- the consultant provided the food, a bridal board (behind us) with pictures of everything I registered for, so people could pull them off and buy them. And she did all the invites, etc. It was a lot of fun! All the time, she thought she knew me and while I thought she did look familiar, I couldn't place her! Until her daughter showed up at the shower and recognized me as her Spanish teacher 4 years ago! What a small world! ;o)

Chopping onions with their wonderful mandolin

Wonderful co-workers who came to join in the fun!

 

Can't wait to use all the fun stuff I got!!! And I'm sooooo thankful for wonderful friends and family supporting me again!!! :o)

The Pampered Chef!

I am super excited about my Pampered Chef shower coming up tomorrow!! My soon to be sis-in-law is hosting the shower for me, and I can't wait! I loooooove Pampered Chef, loooooove to cook, and have wanted a shower ever since one of my friends had one long ago when she got married (one of my MANY times of being a bridesmaid!)

I can't wait to get all the fun gadgets!

Here's some of what I've registered for!

 



Check out my rep's page and set up your own shower through her or one close to you!

Summer wedding trends from MSN and The Knot

8 Hot Summer Wedding Trends

Summer is a popular time for weddings, but that doesn't mean you have to stick with the summer wedding tradition standbys. Read on for eight new ideas for your summer celebration.

By Kate Wood                 (article found on msn.com)

Trend: Dynamic Colors
Bright hues are popular for summer weddings. But if you try to use too many colors in one space, you might wind up with a look that's more carnival than nuptial.
What's hot now: Think sophisticated brights. Sticking with just two hues (or two plus an accent color) will keep your space unified. Rather than splashing color all over your reception space, use one dynamic color for a strong statement -- think all-pink centerpieces or bold orange table linens. This holds especially true for your centerpieces: Instead of multicolored centerpieces, alternate single-color floral arrangements for a pulled-together look.

Trend: Upscale Picnic Food
Summer is the season for barbecuing, so consider serving a grilled entree for instant seasonal style. Rather than going for heavier fare like steak or pulled pork, stick to the lighter side with chicken or fish. Bringing in fruity flavors will add even more seasonal flair -- think chili-lime rubbed chicken breasts or grilled tilapia topped with mango salsa.
What's hot now:Go for upscale picnic-style fare, which is both a low-maintenance and high-style way to go. One example menu we love: coconut-fried chicken served with dipping sauces, red bliss potato salad, and mandarin orange and mesclun salad with raspberry vinaigrette. The options are endless (and delicious!).

Trend: New Themes
Basic beach or garden themes are classic for the summer. Instead of a generic setting or theme, take the personal route.
What's hot now: Think of your favorite summer hangouts when planning your theme. Rather than just any beach, bring in elements specific to the beach you remember as a kid. If it was a cabin in the woods, go for a mountain theme. Another idea: Honor your honeymoon destination. If you're having a garden wedding but honeymooning in Hawaii, add orchids to your bouquets or fill the bottoms of your centerpiece vases with black lava rocks.

Trend: Unexpected Invitations
Letterpressed invites in ivory and black are still as popular and elegant as ever. But if you want to go for something a little more unexpected, ultra-creative wedding invitation designers definitely have color and printing options for you.
What's hot now: Use colors in a new and unexpected way on your invites by reversing the typical invitation color scheme. For example, rather than using fuchsia lettering on a cream-colored invite, opt for cream print on fuchsia paper. Or mix it up -- do the cream-colored invite with fuchsia writing, and then a bright pink reply card with a cream-colored font. Consider the material of your invite as well. One hot-off-the-press idea: Get fabric-printed invites, programs, and escort cards for a laid-back look perfect for summer.

Trend: Wine Smoothies
Your guests will definitely want something cold and frosty, but margaritas and daiquiris can be had at any summertime bar. Instead, go for a libation that's a little out of the ordinary.
What's hot now: Wine smoothies are cold, frosty, and pack less of an alcoholic punch than margaritas. Perfect for your cocktail hour and as a signature drink for the evening, ask your caterer about serving one of these concoctions. A wine smoothie consists of a fruity wine, like rose, blended with ice and fruits of your choice. Garnished with a couple of berries or fruit slices, it makes for a refreshing and unexpected signature sip.

Trend: Natural Centerpieces
Cut citrus fruit is a tried-and-true favorite for summertime centerpieces, but other options out there are more unexpected and just as visually appealing.
What's hot now: Love fruit but want something new? Have your florist use hollowed-out watermelons as a centerpiece container for a casual look that's fun and seasonal. Another option is to go natural and green with your containers. Incorporate wooden vases or pedestals with grass or moss to give centerpieces a textured, natural feel.

Trend: Beyond Wedding Cake
White wedding cakes are popular for every season, and of course, chocolate always reigns for groom's cakes. But with cake bakers nowadays offering so many delectable flavors and fillings, why not try a seasonal selection?
What's hot now:Get inspired by the summer flavors you loved as a child. Think fresh strawberries and whipped cream filling for a strawberry shortcake-style wedding cake, or a citrus-infused filling like Key lime, lemon, or orange vanilla buttercream that honors a summertime fruit. Beyond the cake, consider serving other desserts. A big-hit idea we love: Hire an ice cream truck to arrive at the end of the night offering summertime favorites -- the perfect nostalgic, late-night snack for your guests.

Trend: Eco-Friendly Favors
Classic summer favors like flip-flops and drink koozies will always satisfy, but why not give back to the planet while you give back to your guests?
What's hot now: Eco-friendly favors are bigger than ever, particularly if you're taking advantage of natural beauty and marrying outdoors. One idea: Give guests locally grown herbs planted in recyclable glass jars or tin cans. Dressed up with ribbon or paper in your wedding colors, they're gorgeous and good for the earth. Beyond plants, you might also consider donating to a local charity for a wedding favor idea that never goes out of season.

Special thanks to: Lori Stephenson, owner and senior event consultant, LOLA Event Productions, Chicago, IL; Miriam Phalen, owner and event planner, Sterling Events LLC, New York, NY

Photo: Joyelle West Photography

___________________________________________________

Daisy's notes- I saw this article on msn last week and the picture with the lobsters caught my eye as I'm thinking of favors!! Looks like a fantastic/cute idea! And of course, I couldn't resist reading about summer wedding trends!

Beach Inspiration boards!

I love looking at the wedding inspiration boards over at Snippet and Ink! Also the real weddings they showcase are spectacular!

A couple weeks ago, there was a series on beach weddings, and now is a great time to share them since I am at the beach! These are a few of my fave.....

 

 

 

Love the pic of the couple with the surf board!

Plus here's a few from their past archives......

 

New Dishes!

I've already started to get some of my china dishes, which I'm very excited about!

We're also really in need of some good everyday dishes! I sold all of mine at our recent yardsale, and Ray has some decent ones, but not enough!

I was thrilled when browsing through Dillard's last week to find an insane bargain on my everyday set of dishes!! I'm registered for them at Kohl's, but our local Dillard's is closing so just about everything is on clearance! So, I scooped up 3 sets of these Fiesta dishes for myself.....

They only had the 3 left, but I spent about $30 on ALL 3!! At Kohl's (and at Dillard's original price!) they are $24 for one set! Yipppeeee!

Since I got such a good deal (and only need one more!) I'll hopefully fill up my gift registry with other needed things!

Gotta love a great bargain! Wish I'd had time to go back and search for more deals, but they were closing! If you like these dishes, they have them in all different colors at all Dillard's, but espeically check them out if you live in Nashville and can get to Hickory Hollow (yes, I know- the very name Hickory Hollow is part of the reason it's shutting down, but how can you pass up that deal??!)

Get married on an island!

(Official Bald Head Island Photo)

Around this time last year, we were here planning for my BFF and current matron of honor's big day on Bald Head Island, NC! Now, we're back at the beach in NC planning mine! (even though mine will take place in Nashville!)

It was a magical day! Week actually! I thought that it would be a ridiculously expensive affair, but it was actually quite affordable, simple and elegant! Check out the local website for details if you are interested in a "destination" wedding that isn't too far from home, and won't break the bank of your guests willing to travel! We did, however, bring in everything for the wedding, instead of using the island vendors- which tended to be VERY expensive!

Here's a few highlights from her day.....

Take a ferry over to paradise island, where the pace is slower, with no cars! Only bikes and golf carts! (you just might get to ride the ferry with a star- like George Clooney!)

Cart your crutch hopping MoH and her man around in a golf cart....

Gorgeous wedding chapel

 

Pose pretty for pictures by the chapel with Old Baldy (the  lighthouse!)

Kiss the bride in front of a goreous chapel altar!

Take lots of great beach shots!

 

 

Beach Wedding Favors

While I'm searching high and low for some ideas around the local surf/beach shops and along the shore, take a look at this article from where I'm hoping to get some inspriation!

Beach Wedding Favors

Blending sand, sea and celebration, beach wedding favors are fun and functional.

 

What can be more romantic than saying "I do," as the sun sinks into the sea behind you? How about kissing barefoot in the sand afterwards? Whether you are going formal or keeping it simple, beach weddings are lots of fun. These celebrations provide many opportunities for your guests to enjoy beach wedding favors which incorporate nautical elements afforded by the sand and sea.

When planning a wedding, you may or may not want to go with a beach theme, but if you do, here are a few beach wedding party favor ideas to accent your theme and enhance the setting of your reception area.

Seashells are abundant at the beach and can be used in your reception decor. Glass decanters filled with sand and a variety of shells, lined up in the center of the reception tables are an elegant way to bring the beach inside. They can also be used to accent votive candleholders and floating candles. Seashells like clam and abalone make great place card holders when filled with smaller shells or sand (or both) to hold the name cards in place.

For beach wedding favors, treat your guests to a specialty bar of glycerin soap made with seashells. Place inside a clam or abalone shell as a soap dish. Wrap in cello or drawstring sin may bags.

Another beach wedding party favor and decorating idea is to make your own candles using shells like mussel, clam, oyster, and abalone. Most craft stores carry candle-making kits or you can buy the supplies separately from many wholesalers online.

Seashell candles work nicely in sets of three or four, each candle occupying a different shell. Place the candles in sand set inside a wide-rimmed vase or plate for a reception table centerpiece, or wrap them in a gift box glued with a variety of shells by using a glue gun. Seashell shaped items like soaps, chocolates, and pewter charms can be purchased in bulk, placed inside clam or abalone shells, and wrapped in drawstring gift bags for a simpler approach.

If shells are not necessarily your thing, throw down some beach balls, Adirondack chairs, flip flops and beach towels. For indoor receptions, carefully pour sand on the center of the tables and randomly add small handfuls of shells. Place mini Adirondack chair photo frames in the sand where your guests will be sitting. Slide the name card behind the glass. Alternate the Adirondack photo frames with beach towel frames, flip-flop frames, and beach ball frames.

For outdoor receptions, consider placing beach towels over the backs of your guests' chairs either to mark their place at the table or to compliment the photo frames adds a fun yet inexpensive touch and is functional for those who want to roll up their pant legs and splash in the surf.

Finally, get the conversations sailing with messages in a bottle. These can be purchased at many party stores or you can make your own using mini bottles from the craft store. Do not buy bottles with a small neck or it will be difficult to get the messages into and out of the bottles. Fill the bottles with special messages unique to each quest or use random passages from songs or poems. Your guests can take turns reading their messages aloud and break the ice while waiting for their drinks.

Written by: Laura BlackFeather

Centenial Park!

Apparently, we picked a very popular spot! While we were out taking engagement photos, we saw another couple and a bride also getting portraits done! :o) Plus, hundreds of other people out and about (It was Movies in the Park night!!) many of them taking pictures themselves!

It's a beautiful place with the stately Parthenon replica and beautiful grounds, little lake, lots of flowers and old trees to photograph by! (Although we did see a dead turtle and dead fish floating in the water! The columns around the Parthenon itself are wonderful for snapping shots- especially cool lighting/shaow shots!

Our photog- Shanell Bledsoe, is amazing! Ray was not exactly happy about having this done- espeically on a hot June day!- and she made him feel more relaxed and comfortable. We both ended up having fun, even though we both got pretty sweaty! It was a great chance for us to be able to sit in intimate spots around the park, and show some major PDA! :o) Tehe!

Can't wait to share some of the pics! But I can already tell you that I highly recommend Shanell!

Happy Father's Day!

(Opryland's The Grinch- in Ice!)

My dad is the coolest dad around (tehe!)! I am so looking forward to (and trying to hold back the tears when thinking about) those special moments that a Father/Daughter share on a girl's wedding day. Like walking me down the aisle and our father/daughter dance (which has ALREADY caused us both to shed a few tears!)

He's been the biggest male influence in my life thus far, and he's been such a wonderful example!

(Christmas in Florida-Jensen Beach)

He's also a pretty hot dad! :o) Love you, pops!

A week of beach and mountain fun!

I am officially OFF on vacation- sort of! I'll still be working some, doing some wedding shopping, bridal portraits, making bouquets and favors, BUT I'll be doing it while staying at a house on the beach (Topsail, NC near Wilmington!) and a cabin in the mountains! My BFF and matron of honor and I are camping out for a week at her husband's family's house on the beach, then we're topping it off with a weekend in Gatlinburg with a bunch of girlfriends/bridesmaids! Soooo excited!

I've prepared some posts to show up throughout the week so you don't miss me! :o) But I don't know how likely it is I'll actually be online much while I'm gone! Last year, internet service at the beach was spotty and never lasted for long!

So...I'm off for a week of this.........

Laying on the beach

 

Climbing lifeguard towers

Stalking celebrities we now wish we'd smacked! (Dan from One Tree Hill- lost my pic!)

and

Stalking celebrities we'd like to make out with!

 

Eating at our fave restaurants

Taking the mandatory photos beneath the Dawson's Creek pier

And praying this doesn't happen again

Then we'll head to our fave mountains, for shopping, visiting wineries and hanging out with the girls!

The dress day!

Ohhhhhh, I wish I could share pics of how beeeeaaaauuuuuttttiiiiifuuuuul my dress has turned out! However, there's always the chance that the fiance with take a peek at it, so no taking chances here! :o) He usually doesn't read my blog, but he has on occasion!

I purchased my dress from a consignment store, which I promise I will share about at a later date! It was super cheap, and a beautiful dress, but to me, it was just a little ho-hum! I've ALWAYS wanted a dress with a little color- even before that became popular recently!! Of course, the color of choice has always been blue!

Yesterday, I took the dress out to the Lasaters, and had Chaundra Lasater help me re-do it! She is amazing! If you haven't heard me rave about her yet- you will now! :o) She's altering 3 BM dresses and making 3 flower girl dresses and 3 junior bridesmaid dresses.

Oh by the way.....here is my beautiful model Olivia again- showing off her now finished junior bridesmaid dress!

and the back...

 

Back to my dress....I can't even tell you how many times I put it on and took it off yesterday! But it was worth the finished product! She took the hem way up, then used some of that material to make straps for the dress (it looked fine without, but I feel less naked!!) And we added a fun blue element, which I will also keep a surprise!!

It was a lot of fun! Well for me at least! Probably not for Chaundra! In between trying the dress on and checking to make sure I liked all she was doing, I got to help bake a cake for the birthday girl/flower girl Gabby, and got to play and color a lot with all 3 of her girls (2 of my jr. BMs and 1 flower girl!) I also had to pretend that I was Paula Abdul quite a few times, and the girls were my kids or servants (when did Paula have kids! haha!)

Birthday girl....

We also took lots of silly pics and made "gymnastic" videos which were really cute and funny! You can see them on my myspace soon! :o)

Olivia can do more than model! She's a pretty good gymnast too! Look closely and you'll see Gabs in the mirror doing her own headstand! (and my arm!!)

Plus, along with all the fun, practically the whole family joined in on helping with my dress. The girls fetched pins, scissors, etc for their mom, and Aaron even ripped apart the hem of the dress after Chaundra chopped it off, so she could reuse the stuff at the bottom that helps hold the hem down! What a great fam!

Internet!

Sorry for no post today!! My internet was up this morning and as I was writing it went down! I'm at the fiance's checking email now! If it gets back up at my place I'll have today's post for tomorrow, then I do have a few ready for when I leave for the beach/mountains!! :o)

It's been a busy day- working on school work, invitation list, and now at 8:00 at night I've got to run BACK to the Lasater's to pick up a forgotten bridesmaid dress! Yipes!

Have a Fabuless day (or evening!)! Here's hoping the internet comes back soon! (Can I please go for awhile without computer problems??!!)

Engagement Picture time!!

Even though the fiance isn't too happy about it...it's picture time!!!

Today are our engagement photos! And we still haven't decided what to wear!!

Our photographer, Shanell Bledsoe has so far been great to work with and I can't wait to see the ideas that she comes up with! She's super cute, and has been lots of fun to just sit and have coffee with while discussing ideas! I've loved her work that I've seen (check out her website!) 

 

I'm super excited to see what kind of shots we get at Centennial and downtown Nashville tonight!! And Ray WILL smile, whether he likes it or not!! :o)

I should have pics to share sometime after I return from the beach, but definitely will be reporting on how things go today!!

Designs in Paper!

Donette and Steve of Designs in Paper are currently my fave people! :o)

I'd met them before at a bridal show, and again last weekend at the party. I'd talked to them about doing my wedding programs since I thought I had invitations covered, but then when that didn't work out- I needed them for that too! They are AMAZING!!

One of my very first posts was on their confetti....if you read the post...well, you can tell I was a recently engaged, barely started the planning process bride! Oh my lofty expectations of creating my invites myself!! HA!!!! Now I know there are brides that do it, but I have way more important things to do with my time than cut, fold, print, design, etc. If it was all I had to do- no prob! But not when there are a million other details I barely have time for!!

And to think, I thought I couldn't afford their invites! I can't afford NOT to use their invites! :o) They do so much of the work and do it WELL! :o)

Everything is custom made, so there is no cookie cutter form or design that you have to stick with!

Since no one really read my blog way back when (hehe!), I'm going to do another post on their confetti, then one on the invites!

Almost anything you can think of they can make it.....except for donkeys! Yes, someone asked them to make donkeys! Haha! But almost anything else! I'm thinking of our names (to keep a theme on our invites and programs). and palm trees or shells (to match the decor!)

Their confetti is only $12.50 per bag of 100 pieces!! Also, it's free with invitations!! They were even going to throw some in with my programs when I was just thinking about getting those from them!

Here's some fun examples of their confetti!

These martini glasses are from the SATC party! They were also in green and too cute!!!

And these are some examples of the cute way they make monogram/name confetti!

 

And the super fun stuff they made for Ashley...

 

 

Totally worth looking into, right?? I probably would've had them make me confetti, even if I ordered nothing else from them! Now, I'm so glad they're doing it all!! More to come!