Kissable Lips

Another one of my favorite things is Rose Bud Salve. This stuff really works. I had chapped lips one day and they were nice and soft the very next day! It is also great of your cuticles :)

A few thousand of my favorite things!

Christmas is here!!!! I love the holidays. I love gift giving! Yesterday one of my favorite Christmas songs came on the radio while at work. I of course explained it was one of my favorites, in which my co worker replied - "these are a few of my 10,000 favorite things". I guess I have a lot of favorite things- what is wrong with that? SO I decided to start to post some of my favorite things through the holidays. They might make great gifts for your wedding party... or something your groom can get for you!

Favorite things number one!!!!

Crabtree and Evelyn Gardner's Hand Therapy lotion.

I love this stuff!!! It feels so good when you put it on, and the smell is earthy and fresh. It would make a great stocking stuffer- or a gift to give your bridesmaids.

La Perla ~ SALE!

Get ready for the honeymoon! La Perla has a special sale! Use coupon code DC25 and get 25% off your order and free shipping!

Forget me Knot.

I love the idea of knots as sentiments. I have been eyeing a sterling silver knot ring, a remembrance of things I want to become and the people who love me for what I am. I love the Everlon Diamond Knot Collection. It is beautiful and has so much meaning behind it. It would be a great engagement ring, or a wedding day gift. It would even be a great anniversary gift. (Hint Hint Husband) I really love the bangle.

I adore photographery

I think one of the most stressful parts of my wedding planning experience was picking our photographer. I love pictures! It was hard to put a price on our pictures, something that will last forever. I was really happy with our photographer, but still check out photographers. I just love looking at peoples wedding and engagement pictures. I even have the itch to try to convince my husband to do a bridal portrait session as a one year anniversary gift, because I just can't get enough! Once like a Spark photography has adorable, fun, beautiful pictures. I have really enjoyed the last hour I have spent looking at their website. Check them out!

The first picture just says WE LOVE FALL!

Birch you never thought of these

I think Birch wood is beautiful and I love these flower girl baskets and vases. I almost want to buy some of these vases for my home and some fall arrangements I have floating in my head. Esty Seller NHWoodscreations has some great deals on her creations. I think I might pick up some of her potpourri too!

I'm also digging the wood vases with the Bride and Grooms intials in them. Such a cute idea.

Tag your the IT

These Alphabet Tags tags are super cute. I think they would be darling for seating cards or tags for your party favors! HECK you can even give them double duty as both. The Ormolu's store is fabulous. She has a love of paper just like me!

She can even custom make these tags for your wedding them. I love the organic look of them and plus I'm just in love with any kind of paper.

One Year Anniversary Paper Must Have!

Since the first anniversary is paper I know I will be having a sketch of my wedding dress created! Kristina Bailey does an amazing job! Check out her wedding dress sketches! I can't wait to have my beautiful dress created into a work of art, to hang in my bedroom! An 8x10 is only $140 which I think is a great price!

LOVE THIS~ Folk Art Fabulous-ness!

So I am a BIG fan of Etsy and probably go looking for random things about twenty times a day. Today I want to show case Middleburg Folk Art Studios

I love her whimsical and romantic cake toppers! HOW CUTE ARE THESE! Check out some of her other items. I may need to buy a few decorations for our home.

An air of mystery... well not really.

I love the look of a blusher veil. However veils in general just make everything seem softer and more romantic. Or even more dramatic!

LOVE THIS! ~ Wishing Wall

A lot of brides are finding new trendy alternatives to guest books. I love the idea of this Wishing Wall. Guest can write sweet wishes on the little notes and stick them in this fun "wall".. the wishing wall has 500 slots so there is plenty of space for a big wedding too. I think it would be cute to read a wish every day once you return from the honeymoon. Then once you have read them all turn your wishing wall into a gratitude wall. When your spouse (or if your starting a family) does something you're thankful for, or just want to let them know the small thing they did meant a lot. (like bringing you a pumpkin spice latte to work, since he knows you're having a bad day) You can write it on a little note and stick it in a space, then set aside quite time to read the notes to each other. YAY! So cute.

Available through uncommongoods.com. Which I love this site and their catalog its great for finding gifts for those that are hard to shop for :)

Ice Cream Dreams

Perfect Flavor Ice cream will create your very own ice cream creation. Yum Yum. How fun would it be to have an ice bar with your special wedding ice cream flavor served.. or a summer wedding to help guest cool off with mini ice cream cones filled with your sentimental flavor. It is pricey , and you will get 4 to 8 pints of your flavor.. so choose wisely. If you are doing the mini cones you will be able to stretch the pints to serve more guest.

Spruce Up your Wedding Reception

A popular trend for green weddings is giving guest a tree sapling to plant after the wedding. It is a lovely idea because of the meaning behind the growth and strength or trees. Here are few of my favorites packaged. I also love the idea of not just doing a pine or spruce.. but branching out (pun intend) into other varieties.

I love the use of more organic packaging like burlap and rough paper. Also if you have a lot of out of town guest you may want to do the tubes so the travel better.

You can get trees through the Arbor Day Foundation, or check with your local Arbor group or nurseries.

Also remember there are a lot of great quotes about trees to include on your tags ;)

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. ~Martin Luther

We can learn a lot from trees: they're always grounded but never stop reaching heavenward. ~Everett Mámor

This past weekend while helping a bride in Alaska we put together her Blue Spruce tree favors using simple tissue paper and ribbon. (we put a few small rocks in the bottom to help establish weight for a base). I loved what she wrote on her tags.

" We would like to thank you for helping to make this day a special and memorable one for both of us. Please accept this tree as our gift to you. As you watch it grow, we hope that it will remind you of the love you have seen rooted here today. Trees, like love, need to be nurtured in order to grow. It is our wish that with contant attention and nurturing, our love (like your tree) will continue to grown and blossom in our new life together"

Best Foot Foward

I love the initials on the bottom of the Bride's shoes. They photograph so cute! You could glue rhinestones on your own... however I just stumbled on these peel and stick letters. They are only $3, which is well worth not having another project on your list :)

They also have pearl and rhinestone peel and stick letters at your local craft store (I do love my Michael's!)

Just Adorable

I saw this save the date through Design Sponge and think it is just adorable. Enjoy!

Save the Date_9/26/09 from Jason Harmon on Vimeo.

Wedding Dress

I love Matt Nathanson. He is fabulous and I just found this song, which is cute and would be a great dance song (I could see it has a good daddy daughter song, or used for video montage)

Daily Candy

I have been a Daily Candy reader since the very beginning and It was happy to see they launched ... http://www.dailycandy.com/weddings/ Check it out for trendy and chic ideas for your wedding :)

The Get Away!

The car has been booked! Scott and I will be leaving our reception in a 1930's Buick 90's series. She is beautiful! I can't wait to take a ride in the car. Its really spacious inside, which is great for Scott and I (since we are tall) and my dress is pretty big!

Flowers, Veils and Feeling Pretty!

I'm on the hunt for a pretty clutch, and I stumbled across Angeew on Etsy her things are so fun and pretty and I wish I had reasons to wear some of these pretty hair pieces!

Get it on Video!

I lot of people have told me how important it is to capture the day on video. It helps to link photos together and bring your day to life. What a task it is to find a good one! I looked at over a dozen videographers. I decided to give Pretty Girl Productions my business. He was a half to a quarter of the price of those that where competing with him quality wise. I loved his personality and the amount of personal touches he allows clients. Also something that I think is very important is his professional lighting, and sound quality.

On the Road to the Big day

You can find people with Big Souls. I am always interested into tuning in to the people I meet. Our organist for the wedding is one of those people. He touched my mom and my hearts and is just someone you know is special. I can't wait to be in the cathedral on the day of our wedding and hear his beautiful music. I know I will be swept away with emotion.

It's all in a Name...

Well today I started to play with our monogram! I'm excited to figure out what elements of the wedding will get to be branded by the monogram... this is just the beginning so don't be surprised if it changes between now and the wedding day!

I love Candy!

As a little girl, given money to spend at the candy store was always SUPER exciting. To carry the excitement and fun of candy to our wedding. I'm having a Candy Bar... these are pretty popular now and I'm so excited to be jumping onto this trend. Our candy bar will feature candy and snacks of white/cream and gold!

I have already purchased all my containers, the only thing left are the bags for our guest to fill with their goodies and some scoops!

Lulu Splendor is Splendid!

I have been on the hunt for the perfect hair "accessory". I knew I didn't want a tiara, though I'm a princess at heart. I opted instead for a brooch or hair clip since I plan on wearing my hair only half up. I started my search in bridal shops here in the city and just looking at random brooches at any store that sold them and found my options limited and not what I had in mind. I then turned my attentions to ETSY. Which has long been an addiction to mine. I started scrolling through pages and pages of hair clips and combs and then I saw it! The perfect hair clip, and though I'm usually a hands on kinda a gal, that needs to see and touch before I buy. The price was right and the store was called LuluSplendor! Lulu is my dog's name so I took it as a sign. I'm so happy I did. My hair brooch arrived today all the way from Australia! It's perfect too! YAY!

Sentimental Fool!

I'm a huge sentimental person. Most generations now do not even consider wearing their mothers wedding dress. Most are too dated and out of fashion to really be worn again.

My mother was married by the Justice of the Peace. She wore a simple Jackie O' looking suite that was cream brocade with pearl and rhinestone buttons. It has a pencil skirt and three quarter sleeve jacket.

I'm getting married in a beautiful Cathedral and I don't think it would really go with the look of the wedding... but luckily for me, it still looks very stylish and FITS, and I plan on wearing it to our wedding rehearsal. I good luck charm of a stronger and lasting marriage. Yes, my parents are still married and going on 43 years this year.

I'm so excited to be wearing her dress, a piece of history, a piece of our family!

I do have to loose just a little bit of weight! My mother had a 21 inch waste back then... so I need to slim down just a slight bit!

I'm sorry the picture is so dim, it's 43 years old! I will post a picture of me in the dress after the wedding!

All the Singles Laides...Put Your Hands Up!

While driving home after a fabulous dinner with my "Super Bridesmaid" the New Beyonce song "Single Ladies" came on and I think this is a fabulous song for the bouquet toss! Come on Single Ladies put your hands up!!! Though we aren't doing this at our reception I hope some singles ladies in some weddings real soon have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g

Fit to be Groomed...

We picked out the Tuxes this weekend! WOO HOO...another thing off the list. The Groom, Best Men, Dads, Ushers and Ring Bearer will all be wearing the same tux. The groom will be wearing a champagne colored vest and tie, while the groomsmen will be in a "latte" color vest and tie. The dads and ushers will be sticking to traditional black. I think the colors of the groom and best men will really compliment myself (the bride) and the bridesmaids. Unfortunately, I really can't find a picture of what our tuxes will look like.

Holy Cow!!!

December flew by!! I mean really, I have no idea what happen to time since... well about October! I hope to be blogging more in the new year, for as you can see I have started the wedding countdown. Talk about making me anxious! 2009 arrived with a lot of anxiety for me... mostly because, well I had a lot left still to do in 2008. Hopefully I will get all got up and catch you up on everything that is going on.