Wednesday, March 17, 2010

INVITATION INSPIRATION

Figuring out the wording for wedding invitations can be a bit of a task, primarily because there are so many options to choose from.  My parents are divorced and our wedding is a pretty casual affair so I didn’t want to confine myself to standard copy and style.  Once you embark on this step, you will be shocked to discover how many ways there are to invite people to your wedding.

I ended up goggling frequently used invitation copy, which led me to the website Offbeat Bride (a fantastic resource).  The blog headline was: “wedding invitation wording that won’t make you barf”.  Perfect!  One of my favorites:

We laugh, we dream, we love
And on this day, we marry
Together with our parents, we joyfully invite you to our wedding celebration

A few other copy contenders were:

Please join us
to share our joy and support our love
As we exchange vows and are united
in the commitment of marriage

Because your love and friendship
have guided and inspired us,
we invite you to join us as we exchange
our wedding vows

The rest is pretty much by-the-book:

Day, date, month
Year
Time (At 5 o’clock in the evening)

Location Name
Location Address
City & State

Dinner, cocktails and dancing to follow

Two friends are designing our invites (a husband and wife team), which will include an RSVP post card along with an Events card that outlines where to be throughout the weekend, including a map.  I actually just got the design and oh my goodness am I obsessed.  Amanda & Jack Schuler are uber talented and I really couldn’t be happier.

Our wedding is adults only and while it is clearly stated on our website, I wasn’t sure if I should reiterate that somewhere within the invitation.  After reading several etiquette posts that advised against it, I had to trust word of mouth, our website and how the invites would be addressed.  The envelope should clarify who is invited: Amy and Adam Smith vs. The Smith Family, however I’ve heard many horror stories when it comes to this portion of the process!   


Some of my favorite designers/designs from top: Mavora, A Day In May, Alee & Press, CECI New York, Amanda & Jack, BirdDog Press 

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

TRENDING: SASSY SHOES

If you know me, you know that on my free time I’m usually barefoot.  If I must wear heels to an event or for a night out, they typically come off within an hour and there is no telling where they end up.  I had no doubt that I wanted to wear flip-flops on my wedding day (for comfort and to avoid losing a $500 pair of shoes) and I figured my girls would enjoy that as well – not to mention, I didn’t want them towering over me in photos!  Brides can be very Carrie Bradshaw with a shoe choice; similar to the approach her man takes with his socks.  Go all out – it’s the best way to showcase your personal style and tie in color.  




Since yellow is so representative of spring and a key player in my color pallet, I’ve picked some favorites below.  Mostly heels because even though I have no business wearing them, it’s pure eye candy. 





Photo courtesy of Julie Harris; shoes from top: Valentino via perfect bound, Guess via The Knot - Agnes Lopez Photograhpy, Dollhouse via Jose Villa, Manolo Blahnik via Barneys 

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

DEDICATED: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

This post is dedicated to my mom and all things daffodil.   Today is her birthday and what an amazing gift she is to my life.  For as long as I can remember daffodils have been her favorite flower and I am forever trying to find gifts that are unique and thoughtful, signifying something she loves.   

Thankfully my mom and I both live in Denver so throughout my wedding planning, she has played an integral role.  Truthfully, there is absolutely NO way I could have done any of it without her.  To meet her is to love her and to know her is to be in awe.  Happy birthday, Momma.  I love you best of all.


Tuesday, March 2, 2010

TRENDING: MENS SOCKS


There are many photographer consistencies when it comes to weddings: the rings, the hair, the flowers, the shoes.  I love it when brides take a playful approach to accessories because there is really no reason to stick to any sort of norm.  I’ve noticed a lot of grooms adding some stylish funk into their outfits as well, more specifically, his socks.  



I’ve pulled some of my favorites below, a colorful way to spice things up.  And a girl always loves some spice.  







Photo courtesy of James Christianson Socks from top: Richard Chai Bar Striped Sock, Paul Smith, Comme des Garcons Homme Plus, Barneys New York

Monday, March 1, 2010

LOVELY LOVE

I saw the sweetest photo session on Jose Villa’s blog today and it made me so excited to get married and share the rest of my life with one special man.  I believe in the sanctity and beauty of marriage and while I am prepared for the tough, the scary and the not-so-fun parts, these two gorgeous people inspired me, warmed my heart and made me smile.  Love exists in such amazing forms and moments, very evident in this lovely couple.  Married 65 years.




If you haven’t had the privilege of seeing Jose Villa’s work, do yourself a favor and check out his blog.  His photographs will make you want to jump through the computer screen and land smack in the middle of wherever he is.  Perfection. 

Jose Villa's blog can be found at: www.josevillablog.com 

Sunday, February 28, 2010

SUNDAY COOKING FOR WEEKDAY LUNCHES

I love to cook on Sundays.  I find that it's a great way to wind down from the weekend and also prepare for the week ahead.  I’ve gotten in the habit of bringing my lunch to work because if my food choice has already been made, I’m less likely to go out and eat something I shouldn’t, especially right now when I am really trying to watch everything I put in my mouth.

My mother is an eclectic chef and while she isn’t professionally trained, you would never know the difference.  Her food is amazing and will please any pallet: Southern, Spanish, Greek, etc.  My latest craving from her kitchen is a Tibeten soup packed with healthy ingredients.  It is filling, flavorful, low in fat and a perfect lunch in the middle of a freezing Colorado February.  It’s also incredibly easy to make.

She learned this recipe from a monk named Jamjung who was traveling through Oregon several years ago with about 15 other monks.  She hosted them at her home while they were touring the US and a fabulous friendship has since evolved.  She now knows a variety of Tibeten recipes and on occasion, does an incredible spread. 

Soup Ingredients:
½ - ¾ Lbs. Beef – preferably tri-tip
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 ½ tbs Fresh Ginger
1 Large Jalapeno
1 Large Tomato
1 Bunch of Spinach
¾ Lbs. Daikon Radish
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat ½ of the olive oil in a large stockpot.  Rough chop the onion, fine chop the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and put in the pot on a medium heat.  Sautee for about 10 minutes or until the onion turns clear.  Chop the tomato and beef into small cubes and add the tomato to the onion mix on the stove.    Let the vegetables cook together on medium heat for another 10 minutes.  Remove from pan.  In the empty pot add meat, generously salt and pepper and cook until browned.   Put the vegetables back in to the pot and stir in between 1-2 quarts of water.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Add salt to taste.


While this is cooking, peel and slice the dakion radish and set aside.   Rinse spinach, remove stems and rough chop.  



After one hour, add daikon radish and continue to simmer.  


After a ½ hour, turn off the heat, add spinach and cover. 


Sibeh Topping
1 Large Tomato
1 Large Jalapeno
1/8 Cup Red Pepper Flakes
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup water
1 Bunch Cilantro

Now for the best part.  Sibeh is a topping – similar to a dipping sauce.  Place chopped tomato, chopped jalapeno, red pepper flakes, garlic and water in a food processor.   


Top with cilantro (stems removed).  


Blend for about a minute or until smooth.


To serve, put soup into a bowl and top with Sibeh and a few sprigs of Cilantro.  The Sibeh is pretty spicy, so use in moderation.  My mother reminded me that the Tibetens would include fettuccine pasta but since I’m trying to avoid carbs, I leave this out J  


Enjoy!

Friday, February 26, 2010

DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS

Jimmy has an obsession with the University of Kentucky Wildcats.  He is one of those fans who paces, yells, pumps his fist multiple times in the air, reads recruitment blogs and watches games on a laptop mini screen when they aren’t televised in Colorado.  His heart pounds so fast, I’m sometimes worried it might stop completely.  Basketball is his thing and while it can get a bit excessive, I’m happy to step aside and watch him enjoy it.  When I found Garters by Kristi on Etsy, I not only found my garter, but also my something blue! 

Kristi makes sports themed garters for every team you could imagine.  The U of K version has a little gold basketball in the center and while a bit tacky and totally over the top, perfect for the die-hard in my life.  Kristi provides two, one for tossing and one to keep.  Though I’m not sure Jimmy will allow whoever the lucky guy is to catch it, keep it.  He’s devoted. 

I love personalizing the must-haves in our wedding.  Tradition is important to me and throwing in twists here and there to make it representative of us has allowed for many “A-Ha!” moments. 


Kristi's garters can be found at: www.gartersbykristi.com