Vote for my favorite Cupcake Maker!

 

Image from cakesbysharalunn.blogspot.com

Spice Cake with Dulce De Leche Filling
and Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cheese frosting

Even thougn I’m slacking on the wedding blog “writing” lately, I’m not slacking on the reading! Still keeping up with all my fave sites (which you can find over there on the right side of the page!) and checking out what my favorite wedding planners and vendors have going on!

Just came across a contest that Cakes by Shara has entered (if you been reading my blog for any length at all, no explanation needed! If you need to know how great she is, just check out my cupcake entries!) Better yet, if you’ve tried her yummy goodness, or just feeling being kind today- go VOTE for her in an “Iron Cupcake” contest! You can even get the recipe by visiting her blog! As I have been completely obsessed with everything “fall” flavored lately, these sound absolutely scrumptious! I’ve been making apple butter, apple crisp, caramel dip, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pancakes, and anything else I can get my hands on- enjoying this season of lots of yummy goodies! I even made my own apple cinnamom potporri! Maybe I should start blogging about that instead! Haha!

At any rate, check out her cupcakes and many other talents and click on the link in the cupcake post to vote for Shara!!

Junior Bridesmaids!!

Awhile ago, Chaundra, my good friend, seamstress, and mother of my fave kids in the world (other than my nieces/nephews!) helped me pick out material for the junior bridesmaids and flower girls. Two of her girls-Lauren and Olivia, and my niece Brittany are junior bridesmaids, and her youngest Gabriella and my niece Caylie and Ray’s niece Kaylee (yep, same name!) are flower girls. That’s a lot of kids to say in one sentence!! Yes, that means 3 jr. bridesmaids and 3 flower girls. It’s a lot, but there is no way I’d leave a single one of them out!!

On Sunday, two of my bridesmaids and I went over to Chaundra’s to get their dresses altered. Yes, not only is Chaundra making the 6 little girls dresses, she’s also altering 3 of my BM’s dresses and my dress- she is that fabulous!!  Obviously, because that morning she whipped up this dress for Olivia!

Doesn’t Olivia look like a little princess!! It will be a little shorter, so the girls can dance the night away without tripping all over themselves, and it will have a sash around it- a little thinner than this one that Chaundra just threw around Olivia to get the effect!

It will be exact opposite colors of the BM dresses!

The flower girls will have the same dresses in white with navy sashes!

I can’t wait to see all my beautiful ladies all dressed up!! ;o) 

Is it easy being green?

 

This past week, I read an article in The Tennessean about a local bride’s efforts to create a “green” wedding. It seems everywhere I turn these days I’m hearing about brides trying to be more eco-friendly in their planning process.

I think it’s a fantastic idea, but “The wedding will cost well above the average $25,000 that Nashville brides spend, in part, Suzanne [the bride's mother] said, because of their efforts to be socially responsible.”  So who knows what the actual cost is!! Mine is probably half of that! While I’d love to do some of the things this bride is doing, such as invitations made with soy ink on recycled fibers, using more organic ingredients in catering, etc. She’s got some great ideas!

But as of yet, these new ideas come with a HUGE price tag! In my thinking it should be cheaper to help the environment than to hurt it- to make people want to chose the helpful things. I guess it’s along the same lines as- we eat so much junk food because it’s so darn cheap!!

So in the spirit of things….here are a few things I’ve tried to start doing lately to “go green”- some wedding related, some not!

- changing all my light bulbs to those funny, but cool curly florescent bulbs (even found some    round vanity ones for my bathroom!

- recycling- I’ve started lots of piles to haul off everything from water bottles, coke cans, newspaper, cardboard, etc. (looking into a recycling pick up in our new place!)

- hopefully omitting outer envelopes for my invitations (I don’t see the point of them anyways!)

- either omitting wedding favors altogether, or using something that won’t get tossed out!

- conserve water by showering faster!

- finding new ways to get to work so I don’t waste so much gas stuck in traffic! (but let’s not start on the gas prices! ugh!!)

- This may be more about saving money but has to help the environment some– Ray and I both avoid turning on our heat/air conditioning as MUCH as possible- only if we’re freezing or burning up does it come on!! This (and hopefully with some help from the new lights) has significantly lowered our electric bills!!

So obviously, I need help with some more ideas…..if you have any free or cheap ideas on how to help save the environment, wedding related or not! Please do share!

And check out The Tennessean article if you’ve got a big budget to make your wedding green!

Shoes, shoes, shoes!!

Myself and my girls have been searching for shoes to go with the bridesmaid dresses for awhile now! And it was my mom who came to the rescue!!

This isn’t the best pic, so get look at the ones below to get a better idea! They just about perfectly match the navy in the sashes the girls are wearing!

She found these shoes at Kohl’s- on sale for $19.99 – 50% off!! Plus for the last few days (and until Tues 5/20) if you use your credit card you get a scratch off card for a chance at another 15%, 20%, or 30% off!  (online they are only in gold and silver. In store, I didn’t even see gold and silver!!)

So during the yard sale, I tried them on, tested them out with the dress, and called/sent texts to all my girls to find out shoe sizes! Then my mom even called a couple different stores to check on who has what sizes!

Then after the yard sale, it was off to buy the shoes! Of course, in my crazy shopping past, I had a Kohl’s credit card! ) So once we got there, I reactivated it and used it to purchase the 3 more pairs we bought (my cuz is buying her own up in OH because her mom has a card!). So I don’t get myself in trouble again, we paid it off immediately with a check from my wedding account and I’ll need to destroy the new card as soon as it comes- for my own future sanity!

They also had these super cute styles, colors….

Love the red/white polka-dot ones!

Relish Party Recap!

Ok, so I’m not as fast as other ladies at posting my recap of the party…..but here goes!!

This past Sunday, I attended the launch party for the new, Nashville based, online and interactive invitation company- Relish! It was a blast! The girls of Relish- Stephanie and Rebecca- pictured above are just too cute! They gave out adorable goodie bags, which matched their cute aprons and adorable yellow wedge shoes!

 

The party was held at the Green Hills Hampton Inn in the Atrium. It was a great location at the top of the hotel overlooking Green Hills! It was attended by lots of wedding coordinators and others in the biz, but it was really nice to be able to be a bride attending something like this as well! It was much more informal than walking around booth to booth making forced small talk with lots of different people- not that those formats aren’t helpful too– this was just more fun!!

I was thrilled that Shara of Cakes by Shara was there sharing her yummy goodies!! My mom has been talking to her lately about these yummy cupcakes I’m getting for my reception! If you didn’t read my post about them before, Shara entered these in a Martha Stewart contest and won as one of the top 10 cupcakes!! Soooo cute!!

These were the adorable little ones she had at the Relish party!

I was super happy about her fondant actually being yummy!! And the icing too!! I’d tasted her stuff at a show before, but had so much cake that day that I couldn’t remember anything but the sugar high afterwards!! ) So I was quite pleased that the only one there was one I’ll be using!! It also gave us a great chance to discuss details in person!

I’m having my cake for my cake reception made by my close friend Jeniffer of Cake by Dake, but when I saw Shara’s cupcakes, had to have them too! They’ll be at my family/wedding party reception, and not everyone there will be at the cake reception so will still have a chance for yummy cake!

But back to the party……it was super fun to get to hang out with Ashley and talk about upcoming party plans!! And back to the point of the party…..the Relish girls are fantastic! So sweet, fun and innovative! They’ve come up with a great product! Their line of invitations is so cute and has so many possibilities! I’ve played around with their website some already, and it is SOOO easy to use! You pick out all the details online for your invitations and you can create all kinds of combinations, even adding punch-outs, ribbons, and rhinestones.

Their motto-”Enjoy the journey” really encompasses who they are! You can totally tell how much they love what they do and how they are helping brides to enjoy it as well! I couldn’t believe when Rebecca told me their turn-around is 7-10 business days after you turn in your order!! What?? Is there any other invitation company that does it that quickly??  And the prices aren’t bad at all either!

They gave away great prizes (which seemed to keep going to guys??!!), and it was fun even though I didn’t win a thing! I was just happy to be there!! Thanks, Relish gals for a fun time, and Ashley thanks for the invite and letting me “borrow” some of your pics!! And Kelley, thanks for letting me drag you to another wedding event!! Can’t wait for more fun times!! )

Feliz Cinco de mayo!!!

In honor of today, I thought I’d share some lovely Mexican inspired wedding ideas! If I didn’t already have my theme planned, I might go with some of this stuff!!

And just for a little history lesson (I have to teach my students this every year!!), Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico’s Independence Day (contrary to what many gringos believe!). It’s simply a celebration of the victory at the Battle of Pueblo. Somehow, it gets more attention in the US and is often celebrated by us crazy gringos here more than in Mexico! However, it is celebrated there too in great style! Trust me, I know!! I unknowingly stepped into the middle of a Cinco de Mayo parade once in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico- a border town near El Paso, TX.  Becky and I had wondered why they market was so quiet that day! Hehe! Also Ray heard lots of fireworks the other day while talking to his mom and dad on the phone- who are in San Julian, Mexico!

So here’s some fun inspiration, for weddings or for Cinco de Mayo inspired parties!! )

(pic from favorideas.com)

Mmmmmm, mojitos! I love the contrasting splash of color with the pink placemat!

(pic from favorideas.com)

You can’t really claim to be Mexican or like Mexican food if you don’t love Hot Sauce (Ahhhem! Ray??) How cute is this personalized hot sauce for favors?

This board is from wedding planner Linnyette Richardson, often featured on the Style Networks, whose wedding is it anyway. I LOVE these champagne flutes with salsa!!

(another from favorideas.com)

Fiesta Lanterns from Oriental Trading Company

Fiesta Drink/Toothpick Parasols also from OTC

Separate reception areas ala Rosepepper’sfun/crazy beads! (see below for more Rosepepper info!)

A Mexican/Cinco de Mayo theme can also be great for a rehearsal dinner or shower! We might do our rehearsal dinner Mexican style. However, I’m slightly afraid to offend my new “Mexican” family, since an American’s idea of Mexican food, is NOT what is really eaten in Mexico!

If you’re in Nashville, be sure to hit up a great Mexican restaurant today or sometime soon! My absolute fave is Rosepepper Cantina. It’s a great little place hidden away in East Nashville. If I wasn’t on a diet, that’s where you’d find me today! Let’s hope I don’t cave in and head there anyways…..although just thinking about it my mouth is watering for their super delicious cheese dip, chimichangas, quesadillas, and drinks!! Yuuuuummmmm! If you don’t feel that adventurous, head to Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant (just google or citysearch it, they’re all over the place!)

I’ll be thinking about Mexico all month long with my student’s current Marketplace project! We’re recreating all kinds of handicrafts and practicing how to buy/sell them to each other!! Soon we’ll have a fun day filled with Mexican food and the kids all dressed up to show off the Mexican spirit! And then….school will be over!!! ) YAY SUMMER!! I’ll drink a margarita to that!! )

Fun Bride/Bridesmaid Gear!

 Team Bride

I’ve written before about how much I adore all of the cute tanks, tees, and bags out there for bridesmaids and brides! I’m excited to have come across some new stuff and even created some of my own!!

My cousin and bridesmaid Ashley directed me to this great site to design shirts, etc,  and they have some really cute ideas!

Customized Girl

Almost anything you could think of to put on a tank or t-shirt, someone has already done it! If you search for Bride or Bridesmaid, there are some great ideas, or you can create your own! I’d show ya if I could but they’re all in flash for editing purposes, so go look at these!!

You can add your own graphics or ones provided, change fonts, sizes, etc. I played around with it for awhile, and it’s a lot of fun! It’s not too expensive if you design something from the Sale section! (*note*- it’s $10 more to design the back of the shirt too!)

I’ve also been working on making my own stuff!! I went to Walmart and found these iron-ons.

The Future Mrs. one is actually a pale pink- hard to tell in the picture!

I also got some plain tanks – gray for Future Mrs. to have one that was a little more subtle! – Navy for Bride to Be!

They turned out pretty good, and the instructions on the iron-ons were very simple to follow! The only problem I had was with one little stone on the Future Mrs.  not sticking- I think it had already lost its stick before I put it on because no matter how much I tried to put it back on, it wouldn’t stay!! Now, I’m going to look for an “H” to put “Future Mrs. H” We’ll see if I find one! I’ll still be happy if I don’t!

There are lots more great ideas out there for DIYing your own gear, or for buying some custom made! Happy Shopping! )

Fun shops for gifts, invitations, and more!

 

I looooove to shop! I don’t know many girl’s who don’t!! There are a few shops in Nashville that I love, but I am starting to discover more throughout my wedding planning! I’m also a sucker for little beach or gift shops in and around Wilmington, NC (one of my fave places in the world!)

The other day my mom had me check out the Puffy Muffin  on Franklin Road in Brentwood, TN for our bridal luncheon. It’s cute, but I think their room is too small for us! Anyways, next door is an ADORABLE store- Hot Pink. I’d seen it before, and always wanted to stop in, but I hadn’t  yet! Kerri was with me, and well…I didn’t have to twist her arm to go into a cute store and do some shopping!! We really just browsed because we’d already both spent too much money at the mall, but I did see some beautiful stuff!! I’ve heard that the sales people aren’t that friendly, and they didn’t really talk to us, but I was too interested in browsing around to really notice!

I especially liked the new collection from Mindy Weiss- an elite wedding planner! Lots of her stuff is in shades of blue and is totally adorable! Slippers that say “I do,” wedding organizers, and lots more! Her stuff should be available soon online in her shop!

Here’s a small pic of her wedding organizer…

Her stuff isn’t cheap, but isn’t too overly priced either!

Here are some of my other favorite stores, or stores on my research list that carry either gift items, stationary supplies, or both!!

Hot Pink
231 Franklin Rd
Brentwood, TN
(615) 376-5552

Papyrus
The Mall at Green Hills
2126 Abbott Martin Road, Space 244 
Nashville, TN

 **Some of their stuff is also at Target and Swoozie’s (see below!), but I looooove looking around at all the stationary, cards, etc. there!!

I can already tell…this is one of those places that although I really want to go….maybe I shouldn’t!! I will want to buy it all!! ) Also in Green Hills! Check out the post and wonderful pictures from a guest blogger on Ashley’s Bride Guide

Swoozies
4015 Hillsboro Pike, Suite105
Nashville, Tennessee 37215

Bella Carte
212 White Bridge Road
Nashville, TN

There are also several stores at The Factory at Franklin that I love…..I can’t tell you the names though because I don’t think I’ve ever really paid attention!! Guess that means I have to go back. There is one in particular that sells everything from gifts, to clothing, to jewelry, to bags, that I’ve found some adorable stuff at!

That about rounds out my list for now, as my brain is telling me to stop writing and listen to my hungry stomach and feed it dinner!! Let me know some of your favorite stores like these that I can add to my “to explore” list! )

More blue details!

Oh, I am going to have so much fun over Spring Break looking at all the blue details from the Blue Bio!! )

Love this!!!

And this is some of what I’m actually doing already!!

Cheap Decorations and DIY ideas

Ok, so I said I was quitting looking at Weddingbee, but yeah right! I kept on….I’ve found these great ideas of things to do with votive candles- could be used as centerpieces or as favors!

When I saw this blog entitled “I like cheap stuff”, of course, I couldn’t resist! As I myself….LOVE cheap stuff! ) Now, I’m not a fan of the wedding cameras (see my idea to replace that in the previous post), but I AM a huge fan of the site linked to on this blog- Cudge! They have great deals on votive holders- WITH candles included! 72 for $36.77! Wow!! (They also sell the rose petals in this pic!)

This could work great with this idea from Miss Cherry Blossom to etch a design or pattern into the votives (check out her great step-by-step instructions and pics!)

And this super cute idea from Mrs. Emerald who stamped vellum paper, then wrapped it around the votives….she also has great step-by-step instructions!

I love both ideas….thinking the etching could be easier if I got the hang of how to do it?? Not sure if I want to tackle something that big for favors though! I do think it’s a great idea to etch our monogram or maybe just an “H” on champagne flutes!!!

Something like this……
But I wouldn’t do it that fancy for DIY!