The Green Hanger

I just noticed today that one of the blogs I follow, The Green Hanger Shop, is offering a great give-a-way. Thought I would let every one know since it fits in with my new theme! A lucky winner will get...

 

This contests ends TOMORROW so get busy and enter to win here: A Great Green GiveAway

The Green Bride Guide

Kate L. Harrison, author of The Green Bride Guide has said, about her own wedding, " I think certain members of my family expected to show up and be forced to eat granola for three days and dance barefoot under the moon. While there was some granola, and lots of dancing, they were surprised and delighted to see that a green wedding can be (and often is) just like a traditional wedding in every way but one - it has less impact on the environment." 

I absolutely loved reading that because, I admit, I would kind of think the same way. I have never been to a Green Wedding, but I know plenty of people now - that if they were to get married again - would probably go this route. Eco-Friendly, Organic, whatever you want to call it the result is pretty much the same - you are making a difference!

If you are planning on having a totally Green wedding, or even just incorporating some Green ideas into your wedding, you are going to need to have a resource book. You will get this in The Green Bride Guide - and although you can buy this book from Amazon, if you purchase direct, Kate ships in a recycled paper mailer with vintage stamps! This book is a comprehensive, easy-to-access resource for anyone interested in planning a green wedding - the book is also just one resource because Kate also has a great website by the same name.

Chapters in the book include: Engagement, Location, The Eco-Chic Bride, Greening the Groom and Bridal Party, Green Save-the-Dates, Invitations & Wedding Websites, Sustainable Flowers, Transportation, etc. 

I found this site and decided to use it as my stepping stone for learning more about Green Weddings because Kate and her company really walk the walk! You start reading about her company and you find information like: this book was printed on FSC certified recycled paper which saved 142 trees! (It also save 99 million BTUs, 51,862 gallons of water, 12,495 lbs of greenhouse gases and 6,660 pounds of solid waste...but since I am still green at being green...I am not sure what all those numbers mean)!

March Madness

We are just 4 days away from starting a new month! Can you believe we are so close to being 3 months into the new year? Seriously, the old saying about time flying is so true! Sometimes, I do not know where the time goes! So, I have been already dreaming up fun things for the March give-a-way! Trying to stick with a theme...the most celebrated day in March is St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) and even if you are not Irish - you probably wear green just to be involved in the celebration! I didn't want to go "all out Irish" and give-a-way St. Patrick's Day items so I decided (appropriately I think) that for the March give-a-way we would go green - as in eco-friendly!

I will admit I am not the most green person...maybe lime or chartreuse...and you might be in the same boat as me: you are aware of eco-friendly weddings, you know the term "going green" but you are just not sure where or how to do it. Welcome to my club! What I have learned so far in my exploration is just taking one step in the right direction will and can make a difference! I read on a site that if every couple made just one green choice for their wedding that it would be 2.5 million green choices a year! That impressed me!

 Illustration by Astrid Mueller for the Green Ass Bride

So as I learn more about this process (and welcome to the journey if you are as new to this as me!) I am turning to you out there!  

Are you incorporating anything green into your wedding or having a total green wedding? Share some ideas with all of us and let's get this party started!

Party Time!

Wow....life has been super busy this past week and I have missed my blogging community! So much happens, within a short amount of time! We had a "Welcome Home Party" for my dad, who has been away, this past weekend! A small gathering, of 80 close family members...haha. It felt almost like a wedding reception! We had to rent all the goodies: table, chairs, linens...food and cake!! Oh the delicious cake. We actually had 5 cakes! Not only were we celebrating the homecoming but, we also had 3 birthdays (one turning 26, one turning 29...again and one turning 72!) and on top of that we were also celebrating an anniversary of 55 years! It was certainly a fun celebration. I ordered the cakes from a local bakery - and if anyone out there is in the So. Cal area doing cake shopping....I highly recommend Beverly's Best in Fullerton, CA! It was actually fun sitting in the bakery checking out all their mock wedding cakes! I had a little cake tasting envy when a bride and groom, sitting at the table next to me, were doing their tasting. Talk about huge samples! WOW. When I went to pick up the cakes, each time I walked out with one people were Ooh'ing and Aah'ing over them. If only those people got to taste them! haha! Delicious! I ordered each cake in a different flavor and a different filling - seriously...when are you lucky enough to have 5 CAKES at one place!?! The Red Velvet with White Chocolate Mousse and Fresh Strawberries seemed to impress everyone...including me! So, enough about cakes...that is where I have been the past week...but I am back now!

And the winner is....

Congrats to our Feb 1st Place Winner...Lauren #52

Lauren said...

follower! L O V E the monograms...I could do lots of DIY things for my Spring '11 wedding! Great blog

 

Our runner up winner was #24... Marci!

 

Marci said... 

I'm a follower. I love the giveaway prizes! Thank you for the chance.

Thank you to everyone who entered and please check back next month for our FAB give-a-way! :)

One More Day To Enter!

The day is ALMOST here! You have until February 20th, 2010 at 10 PM PST to enter the February give-a-way! I will be picking the winner(s) after that! I can not wait to see who wins and find out how they will use their goodies! :) Thank you to everyone who participated...especially Todd from LoveToCreateStamps - you made this give-a-way even better offering an additional stamp!!

Tea for Two...or Twenty!

A bridal tea is still a very popular way to celebrate your bridal shower! You can go to a tea room or easily create your own tea party at someone's house. A tea room will limit the time you have and the cost per person can easily run you the same as if someone hosts it in their home (where you have more time!). I have hosted a tea party...and it was a lot of fun! Here are some ideas for having a great tea party...If you are crafty and a DIY bride-to-be you are gonna have some fun ideas here for your mom and maids!!

I loved these invites:

 

This adorable teapot envelope is from Etsy seller Especially Invited. They are adorable and pricey at $50/10.

Vellum Overlay invites from Allison over at Etsy. These sell for $1.30 each. She also offers some really cute Thank You notes too! Check those out! Note: Envelopes are not included in the $1.30 price :(

 

  

Finally, these two ideas come from Vista Print they are priced at $7.99/10

Do you have a crafty friend (we all should have one! I do and I love her!). Well, if you or someone you know is pretty handy in the kitchen and crafty - how cute would this be to make for your table centerpiece?

 

You can find the recipe to this delightful Watermelon teapot here!

If your mom or grandmother does not have a tea set (I pretty much think they must!) to use you will need one for sure! I used a site called The Queens Treasures when I ordered mine. Their prices were excellent! They have ceramic tea pots for $9.99, matching creamer and sugar bowls for $4.99 set and 2-tier serving platters (which can be really expensive!) for $13.99 each! If you don't mind fake flowers I suggest checking out theirs - the prices are pretty good and the quality is excellent!

Here are the flowers I purchased from them with the Silver Ceramic Vase ($4.99)

For your tableware and decorations (and not just for a tea party - this site has everything!) I found a fabulous site with awesome prices on disposable items - such as a sugar bowl ($4.39), creamer ($2.99) and pretty serving platters. They say they are "disposable" but you can easily save these items for future use! Depending on the number of items you order from them, they also offer a discount on top of their already low prices! Check out Party At Lewis. I also thought that their prices on the Better Than Linen brand of tablecloths ($5.29 for 82" round) were great and with the added discount you are paying less than Ebay!

You can ask all the ladies to wear a funky hat to the party and you can provide other props such as Chandelle Boas (7 ft. $18 dz.), Bead Necklaces (only $2 per dozen) or some Jumbo Diamond Rings
($12 per 24 pc set)! They also have a super duper selection of faux flowers! Here is one of my top secret shops of all time! I love this site mainly because they have EXCELLENT prices! Most of their items are geared toward children (for sure check out their tutu's for flowergirls!) but you can find all the prop items I listed above at those fab prices! Check out Halo Heaven - you will not regret saving this site!



Finally, one of my most favorite decorations!! I ordered the Tussie Mussie Victorian Cones from Etsy. I used ornament holders to hang them from and then filled them with little goodies! I can not say enough about the crafter, Starry Deborah, who made them. When I got them they far exceeded my expectations! I was thrilled so if you are thinking of having Tussie Mussies check out her shop! I paid $3.50 each and they were adorable!

 

 

Give-a-way ends in just 5 days!

Well, the countdown has begun! We have only 5 days left until a winner is selected for the February give-a-way! I have loved all the positive feedback and have been reading all your messages! We have been really blessed with the response! If you haven't entered yet - go here to our give-a-way post and get that entry in!

Wow....Thanks!

Do you like my new spiffy new picture on the blog? Becky did that for me!!! Thank you Becky! That was so very nice! I have been thinking about upgrading some of the blog parts...you know: oil change, tune up! :) This helps...and I love that you just sent it over! So super sweet! Becky from www.agnesandco.com!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

"Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile."
--Elizabeth Browning
 

Orange You Glad You Stopped By?

I couldn't help but be a little cheesy with the title. Sorry. Not really. I have been talking to myself all day about "Orange"...I adore the color. I think that people toss the idea of using orange thinking it's only for Fall weddings, but I respectfully disagree! I think, if you are one of the people who think that, you might change your mind after you read this post! Yes, orange is a perfect fall color - it pairs beautifully with brown and yellow. I found these beautiful fabric flowers from Etsy seller Milkpod Studios. The colors did remind me of Fall...

But, have you thought about Orange and Aqua Blue? No? Why not? It's a very pretty combo! For summer I also love the Orange and Hot Pink combo - but it doesn't end there! I have seen beautiful settings with Orange and Yellow and Orange and Lime Green - or a combination of any of these would be so pretty for a summer/spring wedding. These votive holders I found from Etsy seller Gamiworks, are called Tangerine Dream Japanese Chiyogami Votive Candles and I think I will be dreaming of them! At only $15.00 for a set of 3 I think it's a pretty good bargain too!

I have seen quite a few invitations with Orange while researching things I wanted to share in this post, but this invitation totally caught my eye...

I wanted to stick with focusing on Orange for Spring/Summer and partly because I loved the embellishment (and did you notice the raw edge of the paper). This invite comes from MyPersonalArtist.com. 

Time for a little pom-pom fun! These hanging from some clear fishing line could be a lot of fun! We had a little gazebo that had our cake in it and we decorated each of the openings with pomanders made from real flowers, but I would totally think of using something like this if I was to do it again (don't worry, I'm not!). I loved the mix of colors - the light orange, burnt orange and ivory are stunning together. It was easy for me to vision an entire wedding with these colors! These Poms (set of 3/$15) are from Party Poms, another Etsy seller! Their store is totally worth checking out because they also sell matching napkin holders (60/$120) and garlands with mini poms (9 ft./$40).

I have saved the best for last (again!). I think I better stop doing this because you guys might get smart and just start reading from the end of the posts! Here is a true confession: I love men's ties! Not just any ordinary plain tie...but a tie that makes you stop and look. I notice these things. Strange? Perhaps. I found this AMAZING seller on...you guessed it...Etsy by the name of Me and Matilda. The shop description says:

Custom Neckties, Bow Ties, Wedding and Bridal Accessories, Children's, Men's and Women's clothing. Outfit your ringbearer, groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids and flower girls. Simple and Modern ring pillows and baskets, unique sashes and belts, hair flowers and headbands. We offer a wide range of damask, polkadots, stripes, solids and more. Classic style with a modern twist so everyone can journey in style."

Currently, the shop has 15 pages of items for sale and I can go ahead and confess now that I went through every single page. Remember I asked you if you could envision orange and aqua blue? Well, here you go...

(click on image for larger view!)

I chose my favorites from the standard ties but...they also do bow ties (cute!). These could double as the groomsmen's gifts (the value of a good tie is priceless in my opinion!) and you could coordinate with matching pillows and baskets? Nice. Love it. 

Trash the dress....Really?

I have to admit, when I first heard of this my first thought was "Really?"! Then I looked into it a bit more and I thought "Wow...that is pretty cool!" It was hard to get past the concept of actually trashing a dress though! I then started seeing people refer to this as "Cherish The Dress", "Romance The Dress" or "Encore Photography" and each of these terms made it seem a little bit more classy...more artistic. I think when you come up with a new concept, you really need to choose your words carefully! I don't see these photographic opportunities as destroying a dress (although wait till you see some photos!). My view on it is...this is a great way to get some amazing photographs - photos you would not necessarily get on your wedding day...photos you really will cherish and love. You have spent at least 10% of your wedding budget on your dress (maybe more) so you should get as much use out of this dress as possible! I have seen some crazy images and I have seen some truly beautiful photos. Doing this type of session can be anything you want...the beach, the mountains, the snow, a field of wild flowers...the possibilities are endless!

So, let's start with the "OMG! IS THAT REAL?" photo. This is pretty wild, to say the least. I think it's safe to assume that your dress will most likely never be the same again after doing something like this! ***And I better insert this warning, just to be on the safe side*** Please do not attempt to do this!

So. Ouch. This photo is very eye catching. To some, it might embody what trashing a dress means. It was taken by a photographer who is very well known for his "Trash the Dress" photo shoots. He is a pretty amazing photographer - so very creative! You should check out his work here: John Michael Cooper/ altf.com. He is based in Las Vegas, NV. Here is a link to his blog as well!

This photo was taken in...where else? Hawaii. Beautiful. If you are having a get-a-way wedding and heading out to Hawaii - imagine doing an Encore photoshoot before your honeymoon ends? Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places to take pictures so you have so many options. On Maui there is a stunning Lavender farm, also you can find a beautiful winery on Maui...you have plenty of choices - not just the beach but heck they also have the most amazing beaches! To see more work from Choco Studio go here!

Speaking of beaches - right? WOW. This picture was just amazing! The ocean, the dress...the sky. All of it was stunning to me! This photo was shot at Majestic Colonial Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I need to vacation there after seeing this! There were more amazing pics from this photo shoot. Check them out here!

 

  

I saved my favorites for last. I LOVE THESE PICTURES! They were taken in the New Forest - which is located in England (sniff sniff...so far away!). Everything about this photo shoot I loved. In fact, I am a total fan of the photographer: Murakami. I have looked at several bridal parties they have photographed - and seriously I am having major envy issue! The photo opportunities in England are just all stunning and beautiful. I would - in a heartbeat - schedule a photo shoot in the New Forest if I could. It also doesn't hurt that I am in love with this dress. I wanted to include it in my Think Pink blog post - but it was over my price criteria. It is the Victoriana by Maggie Sottero. Just a stunning gown. She would be mine if I was getting married today! But, back to the photography! Check out Murakami - if even just for some ideas!

Think Pink!

It's another dark, cloudy rainy Southern California day....not that our weather compares anything to "snowmageddon" but still I needed something to perk up my day. I started my search for Pink Wedding Dresses. Pink is a perky, pick-me-up kinda color right? I didn't have much luck. Don't get me wrong I found LOT'S of pink wedding dresses but I narrow down my search criteria when posting things on my blog. For one, posting a $20,000 wedding dress is ridiculous. I mean, seriously...who would pay that much for a dress? Obviously, someone or Oscar wouldn't still be in business. My search criteria is usually under $1000 dollars. Here are my finds:

This dress is from the modest collection called Bliss. It is made by Bonny. This dress has the BEST price of all. Retail price of $578. The style number is 2803

This was my #1 pick for a couple of reasons - a.) I think it would look great on different body shapes b.) it is a beautiful pink color and c.) price price price! With a retail price of $598 this was one of the most affordable, pink dresses I found.  It's from Bonny and the style number is 749.

 

 

This dress is from Impression. The style number is 2975. The pink color looks more mauve to me but I loved the embellishments and the bodice. I found it priced at $675 on House Of Brides, which is why I included it here. The MSRP on House of Brides claims this dress is $1125...can't verify that but because of their price it's worth checking into!

 

I found one more dress from Bonny that fit my criteria. The dress is style 912 and it was priced at $778. Not bad for the dress - I am not a big fan of dropped waists - I don't think they look great on too many shapes - especially not one like mine! haha. But, the beadwork on the top of this dress is gorgeous!

My final pink dress is another I found on House of Brides. This gown barely made it into my price criteria at $1073 on House of Brides. They claim the MSRP is $1500. I liked this one a lot. The lace was very romantic. It's from Mon Cheri and the style number is 110233

WOW! Thanks Everyone!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I really appreciate all your kind comments and messages about my blog and contest. I have been reading all the messages and they have been making me smile...so THANKS!

Great News! Thanks Todd!

I contacted Etsy seller Todd over at Love To Create Stamps to let him know that I adore his stamps...and to let him know that I had included one of his stamps in my February give-a-way. He was so gracious and generous! He offered to GIVE a stamp away to a lucky winner! So, my lovely blog readers...the great news is we will have a second winner in the February give-a-way! One lucky winner will receive the prize package of all my goodies and a 2nd place winner will receive a stamp from Todd. I absolutely love when people pay it forward! Thank you Todd...for creating awesome stamps and for being so kind! Please check out his Etsy shop! He has some amazing stamps! Also, if you like self inking stamps he offers these on his website: http://www.lovetocreatestamps.com

Here are some of my favorites...which one do you love???

 

 

Monogram Me - February Give-A-Way!

I am SUPER excited about this month's give-a-way for a couple of reasons! One...In my blog post called Sweet Tooth I mentioned the Message-in-a-Cookie Cutters from Williams-Sonoma. I was on the fence about blogging about them because their website said the item was not available. Well, today after heading down to my local store, I found out they were actually SOLD OUT! My local store was so awesome and called around the other shops in my area and actually found a store that had not one, but TWO! So, I bought both (one for me and one for some lucky blog reader)! I was originally going to do a Valentine give-a-way for February but these Cookie Cutters should not be held back!

The other reason I am so excited about this give-a-way is because...well... it's pretty AWESOME! Here goes my lucky blog readers...this is what one lucky winner will receive:

• Message in a Cookie Cutter from Williams-Sonoma
• 5 - Pre-Ready Monograms from IDo Originals
• Initially Yours Mug from Rosanna Inc
• Monogramed Rubber Stamp from Etsy seller LoveToCreateStamps

VERY IMPORTANT: THE NOT SO FINE PRINT

Please read this because I don't want to disqualify anyone! Comments will close on February 20th, 2010 at 10 PM PST. Due to some shipping restrictions of the sellers contest is limited to US residents only (sorry!).

I will personally mail the winner the Message in a Cookie Cutter set. The Monograms will be chosen by the winner (you may choose 5 of any of the Pre-Ready Monograms). The Initially Yours mug will be shipped direct to the winner and a $25 gift certificate will be sent electronically from LoveToCreateStamps!

VALUE OF CONTEST: $80.00

TWO WAYS TO ENTER:

• You must choose to follow my little blog and leave a comment to be considered for the give-a-way. If you are new here - there is a link in the upper left corner that says "FOLLOW" please click on that, then leave a comment telling me you are a follower. This will allow you ONE entry!
• For a SECOND entry, blog or twitter about this contest and leave an ADDITIONAL comment to let me know you did that!

Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Brides and non-brides may enter. Please leave your email address in your post! If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back on February 21, 2010 for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn. Winner will be selected using Random.org

If you have any questions please email me at tndrhart2@aol.com

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Good luck!!!

Miss Pug's Pawfect Wedding Is Hosting a Give-A-Way!

A new blog I am following has hit a milestone - over 100 followers!! Congrats to you Miss Pug! She is celebrating by offering a Name Change Express give-a-way! Since I have yet to change my name (oops! I am bad) I would hope none of my readers would follow my footsteps...well at least on this ONE thing! So, head on over to Miss Pug's Pawfect Wedding blog and check out her nifty wedding planning journey and don't forget to enter her give-a-way! She will be taking entries until the end of the day Wednesday, February 10th (midnight eastern time) and will announce the winner at some point on Thursday.

Sweet Tooth

Lately, I have been craving all kinds of sweet treats! I have been on this Wedding Planning kick lately with the blog and my mind hasn't really been thinking about anything else - except for tonight! I couldn't get all these sweet treats out of my head so I thought...let's put the two together! These sweet treats can be used in wedding planning - engagement parties, bridal showers and even as wedding favors! I love wedding favors that are personal, not generic! I added a new button to Sites I Love tonight! I found it while trolling for yummies. It's a beautiful blog called Bake At 350. What amazing creations Bridget comes up with! Her post from January 28 caught my attention because lately I have been on this Scrabble kick too! Check out these amazing cookies she did for her cousin's engagement:

 

Amazing...right? Well, if you are a creative baker, you have to spend some time at Bridget's blog! She gives the recipe and directions on how to make these super cute cookies here!

The next thing I wanted to share is - gasp! - no longer available online, as of this typing. I am hoping it was just such a popular item that Williams-Sonoma sold out. It's the Message-in-a-Cookie Cutters. They must bring these back because I have to buy a set! I love that you can make a personal statement with them! I was on the fence about sharing them now because they aren't available on their website, but I am pretty sure they will restock them!! Also, check your local stores (I think I am heading to mine tomorrow!). This little kit is...$19.95! OMG...so worth a trip to the mall with a 3 year old!

The next thing I have had on my hard drive for awhile now. I didn't know I would be using it for this blog - but it fits right in with this topic! If you are thinking of using cookies as a wedding favor this is an adorable (and creative) way to package them! It is from the goddess of weddings, Martha Stewart!

 

I would have never been creative enough to think about wrapping a cookie in an individual envelope - but thankfully we have Martha (and her team) to come up with these things for us! You can even find instructions how to make these here...and a video to watch as well. A little word of caution though - before you go wrapping up your yummy cookies you might want to find something for the cookies to sit on so the oil will not leak through your beautiful paper! I found some Mini Cardboard Cake Rounds that would probably work perfect and they come in a package of 25 for $4.99.

So, there you go! Happy baking...happy eating! :)