Kreativ Blogger Award!

Well, what a nice start to my week to find out that my lovely friend (and fellow engaged gal) Kelly has presented me with a Kreativ Blogger Award! Check it out y'all! And, if you don't already follow her blog, do it now!

So, apparently I now must list 7 facts about myself, and then pass the award on two 7 other bloggers that I love! Ok...here goes!

1. I cannot STAND the sound of chewing. It absolutely drives me nuts. My family will vouch for the fact that the TV or radio MUST be playing during dinner time or else I freak out. I don't know what it is...but the sound gives me the heebie jeebies!

2. I'm kind of a squeamish hugger. Perhaps it is related to the fact that I am short, and when people hug me they kind of tend to breathe down my neck, but I get incredibly jumpy...even when I hug my mom! I'm so bizarre.

3. One reason why I won't eat certain foods is because of texture. The tiny seeds in strawberries, the mushy-ness of mushrooms (I mean, come on..."mush" is part of the word mushroom to begin with)...I could go on.

4. I have never been on a roller coaster. Well, if you count the kiddy roller coasters, then yes, I have...but I felt incredibly ill afterwards.

5. I am deathly afraid of flying/heights/etc. So much so that I have a prescription for strong doses of Xanax whenever the need to use air transport is necessary.

6. If I am eating candy that is of various colors (Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, etc), I always have the urge to arrange them in order of color. I eat all the extra ones first, and then eat one of each color, one at a time...usually starting with orange, then progressing to the lemon/lime flavors, and lastly any purple/red flavors (my favorites).

7. When I was a little girl, I would have to have my meals specifically laid out on my plate according to my rules; ketchup in one spot, meat in another, etc. I would get very upset if my mom put my ketchup in the wrong place. Sadly, I still do it to this day.

And...now I'll pass along the award to some fellow bloggers whose writing I enjoy following on a daily basis...go on...follow them to...you know you want to!

1. Lucky in Love

2. Chic Talk

3. A Bride...Again

4. A Future Mrs...Someday Hopefully Soon

5. All Because Two People Fell in Love

6. Bustables

7. Happily After All

Music Monday #2

Please click play and enjoy!

Today I decided to ponder a first dance song. Justin is not a fan of country music...so I am attempting to find a song that 1.) fits both of us, and 2.) doesn’t involve a country music artist. And, darn it…those country music singers write some very romantic songs! But, I like a challenge! I was sorting through my iTunes playlist when I stumbled upon the song "True Companion" by Marc Cohn. I was obsessed with it a few years back, and when my iTunes started playing it a little lightbulb popped up over my head. I thought it had potential for a first dance…what are your thoughts?

A Little “Something Something…”

I’ve been on an Etsy spree the past few days, searching for some homemade lovelies from the vendors.

One small detail about my wedding attire that I had forgotten about until now: garters! I’m going to take an eternity to select one of these lacy/feathery numbers to wear underneath my dress…

Meadowbelle Market

Garter Lady

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Mia VonMinks Garters

Which one would you choose?

Guaranteed to brighten your day

I realize that this post is completely un-related to my wedding, but I felt compelled to share this!

Ever have one of those days when you just feel gloomy...and then all of a sudden you see/hear something that instantly puts a smile on your face? Well, that was me today, and this is the video that did it! Seriously, my frown was instantly turned upside down after watching this...I dare you to view this clip and NOT smile!

Inspiration Board #1: Bridal Party Attire

***Disclaimer: This was my very first attempt at an inspiration board...so be kind!***

Last night, I got to thinking about our wedding on a large scale. From the beginning, I haven't had a theme, per se, but I believe that one has emerged through the choices I've made so far. Think "whimsical, modern, lighthearted, late spring/early summer, on the water...etc." Anyway, there are so many little details that I've been pondering with the planning process, but I have never actually thought about how they all coordinate with one another! So, in an attempt to make sure that I have cohesion for my event, I'm creating some inspiration boards!

This one in particular is my inspiration for myself and my bridal party (note: the dress pictured is NOT my wedding dress...still trying to keep that somewhat of a secret!).

Bridesmaid dress (JCrew), flower girl dress, hair flower, wedding dress, shoe (Nordstrom), necklace, garters, bouquet

So, what do you think of the inspiration? I'd love to hear your input!

A Dress for my Flower Girl

I’ve been scouring the Internet for an inspiring flower girl dress. There are so many cute ones out there…I don’t know how I’ll choose a style!

The bustle just kills me! How cute is that???

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I love how sweet this one is...almost like a little ballerina dress!

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This one is just spectacular...but don't look at the price tag like I did...it will depress you! Ah, how I wish that money was not a concern...

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I was so amazed at the array of flower girl dresses on the market, and how different they can all look! Who would have thought? But, which one is going to work for our day? I stumbled upon this beauty from 5eizen’s Etsy shop…and it feels like that question was instantly answered...

Be still…my heart…

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I am in love with the fact that the dress is silk chiffon, the same material that my bridesmaids’ dresses are made out of. I think that this style looks young and sweet, rather than trying to dress up my 3 year old flower girl in something that makes her look like an oversized doll!

The flower detail at the neckline is just precious…and the bubble hem? So sweet…

I am wondering if it would be possible to get it in a different color (blue to match my bridesmaids perhaps?)…

So, what do you think?

Music Monday #1

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I am hereby dubbing Mondays as “Music Monday.” Hopefully, this can be an opportunity for others to help me with song selection (Should I include it? Where should it be? Etc.), and perhaps for me to share some musical ideas with other brides out there!

For my first installment, please click “play” and enjoy while you read the rest of the post!

In regards to the musical selection for the wedding, I have been considering the option of non-traditional music for the ceremony. I wasn’t one of those little girls who always dreamed of hearing the popular melody of “here comes the bride” as I walked down the aisle. This isn’t to say that music isn’t a huge part of my life; I constantly have my radio, iPod, or Pandora playing while I go about my everyday activities. I sing along to songs in the car (who cares who sees you???), and I find myself humming in the shower in the morning.

I’m thinking that perhaps with music that is more modern, my guests may be able to connect more to the ceremony (or perhaps this is all in my imagination).

I’m in love with the instrumental version of The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony. I know that it is getting quite popular among brides…so what do you think? Does this tune have good potential for my processional? Chime in with your responses!

Copycat Conundrum

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Ok, am I the only one that feels this way? Do you ever look at other brides' inspiration or ideas and think, "holy crap! That is EXACTLY what I was going for!?!?"

I am currently having that sinking feeling in my stomach. I cringe because I don't want to be viewed as a copycat!!!!

Realistically, I know that the guests at my wedding will have absolutely no idea if my choices are very similar to that of someone they don't even know...but it just gets my goat at the moment! It makes no sense either...I don't even know this person! I am so irrational...but how is it that there is someone else out there that is picking the same music, the same ceremonies, the same guest book ideas, etc. etc. etc.! I have always been someone who has fresh perspectives on things...someone who has cute ideas and inspirations. Apparently, I have a twin out there. Frustration...galore!

Has anyone else out there experienced this feeling? What did you do?

Precious Pomanders

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I am so excited that we are able to have a flower girl and a ring bearer at our wedding! Our adorable flower girl and ring bearer are Justin’s niece and nephew. I couldn’t be more excited about planning their part in our day!

As in other aspects of my planning, I am opting for some more non-traditional aspects of the day…one in which involves our flower girl! Although I think it is very cute to have her walk down the aisle, scattering flower petals…it just isn’t me. Also, since she is on the young side, I figure it might be easier for her to simply hold something while she walks down the aisle, rather than holding a basket AND throwing petals.

Enter…the pomander!

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I think a pomander (or, as some call it, a “kissing ball”) will be the perfect accessory for our flower girl to make her trek down the aisle!

I love that it has a loop that she can either hold, or we can put around her wrist like a bracelet!

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Also, another plus is the DIY aspect! As a pomander made with fresh flowers will be 1 – pricy, and 2 – easily destructible, I am opting for making this one of my craft projects! I have seen numerous blog posts from other brides who created their own pomanders, and I am going to join the ranks!

What do you think about using a pomander for the flower girl, as opposed to a basket with petals?

How Do You Know?

This is just for fun, but I stumbled across the move “Enchanted,” and was inspired by one of my favorite moments. I love the scene where Giselle breaks into the song “That’s How You Know.” It never fails to make me smile. And today, I got to thinking of the multitude or reasons how I know he loves me…

He washes the dishes, pots, and pans after we eat dinner.

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He buys me ice cream (lots and lots of it).

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He is happy just sitting on the couch with me.

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He buys me flowers (sometimes “just because”).

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He wears outfits because I mentioned that I like how he looks in them.

He always tells me I look pretty before I leave the house in the morning.

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He lets me control the TV remote (I know…ridiculous, right?).

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He was willing to follow me to an entirely new state so that I could start graduate school.

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So…how do YOU know?

Partial to Pintuck

So, our venue includes white, floor length table linens. At first, I thought that these were sufficient as a part of our wedding day décor. But then, I found pintuck…and it has gone all downhill from that point.

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I love that the pintuck linens are textured, yet still solid. The satin sheen gives the tablecloths such a rich and elegant look, without being too busy. Since our colors are ocean blue and leafy green, I am partial to implementing green pintuck tablecloths. I personally love the celery color (the first picture below). Even though it is a bit lighter than the leafy green in our scheme, I think it will blend in very well, and will possibly be less distracting than a lime green hue (the second picture), which might be overpowering.

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What I am cringing over? The price. These lovelies ring in at over $30 a tablecloth. So, I ask…is it worth the splurge? I’m weighing some of the pro’s and con’s. If I am going to splurge on a décor item, I want to make sure that it provides maximum impact. In this case, I think it might be a worthy item to splurge on, since the tables will be one of the main focal points of the reception! I am going to keep the florals to a minimum on the tables, so having linens that make a statement will be a tremendous help in the overall effect at the event.

So…what do you think? Is it worth the splurge???

Adventures in our new hometown!

Upon our arrival in Virginia, Justin and I have been on the hunt for some fun and unique things to do in the area. There are so many scenic trails to go hiking on (we still have that on our to-do list…) and other beautiful areas to see. Although the beach is delightful, you really never get to see hills, or how gorgeous trees are when they change color in the fall.

Justin knows how much I love wine, and immediately started a search for wineries near to our new home. Thanks to his trusty new GPS, he located quite a few, and looked up their websites to see when we could take a trip to one!

He came upon Amrhein Wine Cellars. During the late summer, they host Friday night dinners under the stars. This sounded like fun! Justin promptly booked us two tickets to attend.

I was so excited for our romantic dinner under the stars! Our tickets told us that you could arrive starting at 5pm. We planned on leaving our apartment at 4:45 (our GPS told us it was only 16 miles away). Justin got on Mapquest a few minutes before we left, and much to our dismay, we discovered that it was about 40 minutes away, not 15! Oops…thankfully we were already ready to go, and we ended up arriving around 5:30…not too shabby!

My first thought upon driving up to the winery was how darn cute it was! They had tables set up outside, and a live band was already playing as we walked up to the building. You are able to book the winery for small weddings…I was instantly jealous of how scenic it could be (but it definitely could not hold the amount of guests we have!). When we walked in, the owners instructed us that we were able to select a table to sit at for dinner, and we were welcome to partake in a wine tasting. Of course we obliged! They let us sample 8 different wines…and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the majority of them! After the tasting, we were allowed to select from either a white or a red wine, and we were given a bottle to take to our table for dinner!

A beautiful night for some wine with my man! :)

The dinner was a set menu that consisted of an appetizer, main course, and dessert! We were treated to some freshly made roasted red pepper hummus with pita crackers as an appetizer.

We each got a plate of this...I think it could have been my entire dinner...mmmmm

Next, dinner was eggplant parmesan with roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, and garlic bread. Yum yum yum!

Dessert was fresh baked peach cobbler. I forgot to take a picture of it…by the time dessert was served it was dark outside! Justin was extremely excited about this; he loves peaches. I’ll even admit, although I’m not a fan of peaches, I did enjoy this dessert!

Another group of diners was nice enough to take a picture of us!

Overall, it was a fabulous evening. I always enjoy the opportunity for my man and I to have a romantic and fun night out!

Have you had any fun date nights at unique locations? Do you have any fun traditions that you take part in?

Manzanita Madness

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My current obsession? Manzanita branches. I am contemplating options for centerpieces or other décor that won’t involve flowers (I’m trying to keep the florals to a minimum). Also, I like that I could possibly incorporate some of the leftover Manzanita branches into some home décor for our living room or dining room!

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The tea light lanterns hanging from the branches make such a beautiful statement!

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I am most strongly considering implementing the branches as a guest book option where wedding attendees can leave us wishes and advice for wedded bliss. I think it would be a gorgeous display to see at the reception.

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But lets see here, how much do these stinkers cost?

My search has led me to Nettleton Hollow, which is replete with branches, foliage, and other fun inspiration! Depending on the quantity and the size of the branches you want, the prices seem reasonable…but I’m going to have to do some more sleuthing before making a final decision! And how do you decide the size of branches you need? I must investigate.

I have to admit, there are some other types of branches with some potential too!

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The white sparkle birch branches definitely look like they belong at a winter wedding (oops, not my season…I digress…)

What do you think of implementing branches into your décor? Are you considering it/have you done it?