Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Wedding Tip of the Week: Custom Drinks-- Drink of the Week



Gooble-Tini





INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 ounces Smirnoff Cranberry Vodka
1/4 ounce raspberry liqueur
1/2 ounce cranberry juice




DIRECTIONS
Fill shaker with ice.
Add Smirnoff Cranberry Vodka, raspberry liqueur, and cranberry juice.
Shake.
Strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with 3 cranberries

Information found here

Monday, December 29, 2008

Bride: Help Wanted


To all of my fellow bloggers,


One of our fellow bloggers, Jessica, at the Budget Savvy Bride, like many other Americans was let go from her job. She is a graphic designer located outside of Nashville. Check out her blog to see some of her work. She is totally open to freelance work. If you have any job information for her contact her here. Thanks!!!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Jumping Timeline

Well, it has been hard to believe that it I have been engaged for a year. We got engaged last December 26. We have had quite a journey.

April 1997-- We started dating.

December 26, 2007-- We made it official. We got engaged.

December 26, 2008--We are less than 4 months away from our wedding.

April 11, 2009-- We become husband and wife.

It looks like we are about to come full circle. April and December seem to be our months. I can not wait to see what is in store for the future.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Wedding Tip of the Week: Custom Drinks-- Drink of the Week


The Golden Snowball

Ingredients:

1-1/2 oz. Absolut Vanilla Vodka

1/2 oz. Cointreau

1/2 oz Marie Brizard White Crème de Cocoa

3/4 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream Easy Leaf Products’ Oro Fino Gold Petals Method


Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish: 23 Kt Gold Petals and shaved white chocolate.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

They Are Gone

I have mailed out my save the dates. Standing in line at the U.S. Post Office on a Saturday afternoon to get postcard stamps since they were not in the automated machine system, not once but twice during the holiday season was not fun. Part of that was me not making sure how many address labels that I printed off before hand. I had guessed one number, but really had another. I must of really wanted to hang out at the post office. I have gotten a few calls from people who have received them stating how much that really liked them. I am glad that they liked them, because the picture that I used was one of my favorites. Check...one more thing completed.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

200th Post!!

200th post!!It seems just like yesterday that I started my little blog to keep a detailed record of my wedding. Now I am up to my 200th post. That is amazing. Even though that I have reached 200, there is still so much more wedding stuff to talk about and share. Thank you to all of my followers!!! I will keep on blogging to the next 200 and I hope that you keep on reading.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Wedding Tip of the Week: Custom Drinks--Drink of the Week V


Chocolate Raspberry Martini


1.5 oz Raspberry Vodka

1.5 oz Stirrings Chocolate Martini


Stirrings Chocolate Martini Rimmer®Fresh Raspberry Shake vodka and mixer over ice. Strain and serve straight in a chilled martini glass dipped into chocolate Rimmer®. Garnish with fresh raspberry.


Information found here

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Winner is......

Well ladies you did not make it easy on the garter contest. There were lots of creative ideas, two really stood out. Kellie B. and Brittney really had me thinking things out. The winner is....... Brittney
Congratulations!!!! For all of you that entered the contest, Julianne has a great offer for you. You will receive 50% off of your garter when purchasing one from her. Congratulations to you all and thanks for entering.
To see more of Julianne Smith designs, please click here.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Aisle Decorations

When thinking about aisle decor for your wedding, consider some of these.














Information found here.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Escort Cards

I am not sure if I will be using escort cards or not for my wedding, but here are some cool ideas for them. Are you using escort cards? How are you using them?


















Information found here







Friday, December 12, 2008

Wedding Tip of the Week: Custom Drinks--Drink of the Week IV


Candy Cane Martini


½ oz. Vodka

½ oz. Absolut Peppar

1 oz. Sambuca

1 oz. White creme de menthe

1 oz. White creme de cacao

or


3/4 oz Peppermint Schnapps
3/4 oz Creme de Cacao
1/4 oz Grenadine
1/4 oz Half & Half
a splash of 7-Up



In both recipes, shake the ingredients together, garnish with a candy cane and enjoy!!


Information found here and here.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

4 Months To Go!!!

Wow, in looking at the wedding ticker on the side of my blog..I realized there was a big 4. There are 4 months until my wedding. 122 days to be exact. On December 26 of this year will be year to the day that we got engaged. It seems so long ago and even then thinking of getting married April 11, 2009 seemed so far away. Well, far away is really close now. I just need to get my butt in gear and get all of things that I need to get done so that I can enjoy and have fun the last few months of the wedding planning process. Happy 4 months and counting!!!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Happy B-Day Broomjumping Groom!!!


Well, he is not in denial anymore, he is officially 35 today. So what does he decide to do on his birthday...go to work. I actually do not get to spend his birthday with him since he works second shift. I would try to stay and wait up for him, but I know how I am and I would not be much company. Sometimes I think that people who have a birthday in December get a little less of a celebration because of all of the holidays. Oh, well. I will just leave his favorite cheesecake in the frig and his gift on the dining room table. Happy Birthday!!!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

1 More Day

December 10th is the last day to enter my garter giveaway. Click here for details. To see what the garters look like, check out Julianne Smith's website.

Monday, December 8, 2008

A $6,000 Wedding


I read the magazine Essence and occasionally read the website. I found this article about Tavon Ferguson who spent $6,000, for her whole wedding. I thought I would share this information with others.

ESSENCE.COM: Congratulations, newlywed! So, were you one of those little girls who started planning her wedding at 12?
TAVON FERGUSON: I really didn't even think I was going to get married until I met my husband. It wasn't until we started dating that those dreams actually came about. I had ideas of things I wanted to do, but I hadn't been to a lot of weddings so I was very open to the things that I wanted to have for my own.

ESSENCE.COM: So spill the beans, because sisters want to know-how did you pull this off?
FERGUSON: (Laughs.) I live every part of my life with the motto: I'd rather have more for less. So, whether it's shopping for clothes or the house or even tuition for school, I follow this and the wedding just became an extension of that motto. I was able to get my photographer and deejay for free. I found the photographer, another graduate student, on Craigslist.com. He was trying to get his name out as a wedding photographer. Our engagement and wedding pictures were free. The deejay was the boyfriend of a friend and he was also trying to get into weddings. A lot of people don't realize that most vendors will work for free when they're just starting out as long as they're able to reference you. A friend of mine is a makeup artist and she did my makeup for free that day as my wedding present. One of my husband's friends is a caterer and he hosted our rehearsal dinner for free as well.

ESSENCE.COM: Amazing! What other ways did you save money to jump the broom?
FERGUSON: I purchased my wedding gown from Craigslist.com. I got a $650 David's Bridal dress for $200 with the tags still attached! I was able to purchase 100 invitations from Party City for $30. I hosted a party with dinner and drinks one night and had my bridal party help me assemble them. I got my flowers from Costco and rented a cake for my pictures but served sheet cake to my guests at the reception. We held the ceremony and the reception in the same place and everything: the food, linen, drinks, chair covers, the cake-cutting fee, wait staff was all $5,500. Everything else was only $500. And I even saved on our honeymoon. It was $1500 for the entire trip; eight days and seven nights at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. Our airfare was included. [Editor's note: The honeymoon costs are not included in the $6,000.]

ESSENCE.COM: Very impressive, but it seems like it was a lot of work. How did you avoid becoming a bridezilla to your friends and family?
FERGUSON: It is a blessing for people to agree to be in your wedding. I didn't think that it was a privilege for my friends to participate. I didn't want my bridesmaids to spend $200 on a dress that they would never wear again. Knowing that people may not have a lot of money, I went out of my way to find a dress they would all like. I knew I had succeeded when one of my bridesmaids asked if she could wear her dress before the actual ceremony. They were from Delias.com on sale and I got free shipping. I also purchased their bridemaid's gifts, sterling silver engraved bracelets, for $8 from Weddingchannelstore.com.

ESSENCE.COM: What do you have to say to brides who still think they need a year's salary to plan their own dream wedding?
FERGUSON: I think the biggest thing is that your wedding should be more about you and your husband and not about the price tag of the things you think you have to have. If you focus more on it being the perfect day for you and your husband, you will have a lot less stress. You won't compare yourself to your friend that just got married or Star Jones or some other celebrity. That way you're able to add and subtract and create a wedding that is really your own. The type of wedding where people leave and say, "Wow, those two really love each other." Concentrate on making it about you and your husband.



Information found here

Saturday, December 6, 2008

" It is a Nice Day for a White Wedding"

Billy Idol had it right, a white wedding can be magical especially around the holidays. Here are some winter wedding ideas if you are using white as the main color. I really like how all the white items in the pictures below really seem to shimmer and shine. This element really makes a fabulous statement.






















Pictures found here

Friday, December 5, 2008

I Got Stuff To Do

As time is beginning to wind down towards the big day, my list of craft projects is starting to mount up. With all the stuff I want to do for the holidays, I am sure some of my craft projects will be last minute. I am going to try to get some of them done soon. Here are some of the things that I need to so:
  • Paint monogram on to aisle runner.
  • Decorate flower girl basket.
  • Make cake topper.
  • Make bridesmaids gifts.
  • Create the wedding program.
  • Make veil.
  • Make initial door decorations for the ceremony.
  • Make unity candle.

With all of these projects..I am going to give Martha Stewart a run for her money. What projects are you doing for your wedding?

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Wedding Tip of the Week: Custom Drinks--Drink of the Week III


Rum and Pomegranate Izze

This island breeze of a cocktail in stunning scarlet gets its tang from pomegranates.
- 1½ oz. Bacardi White Rum

- ¼ oz. Cointreau (orange liqueur)

- Splash of lime juice

- 2½ oz. Izze sparkling pomegranate juice

- Colored sugar (for rim)

Dip rim of glass in water, then in colored sugar. Combine rum, liqueur and juices with ice in the glass, and stir.


Cocktail created by the W Bar, W Hotel, Seattle.


Recipe found here

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Computer Sickness

I am having a some computer issues at home. YAH!!! I will be trying to post from work. Hopefully they will be worked out soon.