WWW - on Thursday

{can't help but love these gorgeous vows prints. 

Maybe to put in a double frame with a wedding photo?}

Been a busy week here in wedding world! I neglected to post yesterday because I was supposed to go to the florist to finalize flower arrangements, but she ended up canceling and I never got around to the blog. Tomorrow makes 3 months to the wedding. What the heck?! Where did that time go?! I'd say these last 3 months will fly by!

I leave Wednesday for my bachelorette trip to Charleston. Thursday I pick up my wedding dress! I'm SO excited to see how it turned out. I've only seen the designer's sketch, so I'm praying it ended up coming together just perfectly! As for the groom, last week Ben I went to Midway to have him fitted for his tux. He decided to purchase one rather than rent.

Here is my updated to do list. I plan to order my veil, shoes and garter next week. I think that will complete my wedding day attire. Next week I also plan to get the invitations ordered and the transportation booked. I'll think we will be in good shape at that point! {NOTE: Yes, this list is overwhelming and a lot of it is not actually necessary. BUT, these are all the things I really want to get done for the wedding. Obviously, not everyone will feel that this list is applicable to their wedding.}

Overall:

1.     Set a date

2.     Book a venue

3.     Book photographer

4.     Engagement photos

5.     Book videographer

6.     Book band

7.     Ask bridal party to be in wedding

8.     Create wedding website

9.     Book florist

10. Buy wedding dress

11. Select bridesmaid dresses

12. Order groom’s Tux , shoes, accessories

13.  Groomsmen arrange for tuxes

14. Find veil

15. Order Veil

16. Bride’s shoes

17. Book cake baker

18. Buy cake knife and server

19. Order save the dates

20. Finalize guest list

21. Cake stand

22. Cake topper

23. Ring pillow

24. Order save the dates

25. Send save the dates

26. Order guest book

27. Register

28. Reserve hotel room blocks

29. Hire a calligrapher

30. MOB & MOH dress shopping

31. Find wedding shoes

32. Choose wedding jewelry

33. Purchase garter

34. Clutch for bride

35. Sash or belt for bride

36. Something old

37. Something new

38. Something borrowed

39. Something blue

40. 6 pence

41. Hire Day-Of Coordinator

42. Make day-of emergency kit (coordinator provides)

43. Going away outfit (I think I’ll stay in my dress as long as possible!)

44. Book makeup artist and hair stylist

45. Wedding favors…ehhhhh IDK what we will do

46. Getting ready outfit for bride and bridesmaids

47. Menu tasting

48. Cake tasting

49. Hair and makeup trial (April, need to schedule date)

50. Get measured for dress (Dec 2012)

51. Pick up dress in Charleston (going next week!!)

52. Order invitations

53. Get invitation envelopes to calligrapher (by mid March)

54. Mail invitations

55. Bridal party gifts

56. Family gifts

57. MOH gift

58. Wedding Map

59. Order Chinese Lanterns

60. Purchase wedding bands – bride & groom

61. Put together picture list for photographer

62. Get marriage license

63. Book transportation for wedding party

64. Welcome bags

65. Signature drink painting

66. Gift for Groom

67. Music selection for band

68. Playlists for cocktail hour

69. Book wedding night hotel room

70. Order thank you notes

71. Tips and thank you notes for vendors

72. Signs for bar, guest book, lanterns, bourbon

73. Distribute timeline/contacts to family/vendors/DOC

74. GET MARRIED!!

Ceremony:

1.     Book musician

2.     Book church

3.     Pre-marital counseling (w/ church)

4.     Wreaths (florist)

5.     Yard sign

6.     Programs

7.     Confetti

8.     Music selections

Reception:

1.     Book caterer

2.     Order rentals (meeting with them Friday)

3.     Decorations for bride and groom’s chairs

4.     Candles (votives, order lots of candles)

5.     Framed family wedding photos  (for guest book table)

6.     Cocktail music etc

7.     Monogram table runner for cake table

8.     Escort cards and table number signs

9.     Make table assignments and seating charts

10. Painting/wreath (or something) for the fireplace

11. W for over bar area

12. Monogram napkins (for bridal table or just bride & groom)

13. Personalized cocktail napkins & drink stirs

14. Flip flops

15. Accessories for the bourbon bar (cigars, matches etc)

16. Sparklers/lanterns

17. Bandaids, or anything for bathrooms at club

18. tray for cards on gift table

Rehearsal Dinner:

1.     Book venue

2.     Rehearsal dinner music

3.     Rehearsal dinner décor/flowers/cups

4.     Rehearsal dinner caterer

5.     Rehearsal dinner rentals

6.     Order invitations

7.     Send invitations

8.     Slideshow ???

9.     Signs for food, etc

10. Napkin and utensil packets

11. Order pies from Missy’s

12. Dessert plates etc

13. Any serving pieces we may need

Sunday Brunch:

1.     Choose a location (Invite close family & bridal party)

2.     Order Invitations

3.     Send invitations

Excetra:

1.     Bachelorette party (booked) (next week!!!!)

2.     Bachelor party

3.     Bridal showers (March 30^th, April 14^th, May 4^th)

4.     Book honeymoon

5.     Honeymoon shopping

6.     Bridesmaids Luncheon (May 31^st)

7.     Groomsmen Golf Game (May 31^st or DOW)

8.     Hostess gifts

Britt's Pink Gator Baby Shower

This past weekend we celebrated the upcoming arrival of little AnneDouglas with a baby shower for Brittany! The theme was pink gator, Britt and her husband were both FL Gators. Five of us hosted, and I think it turned out really well!

The glowing momma!

Large mnogram on front door!

Got this little gator stuffed animal on Etsy. I had several people ask where she was from, so here is the shop.

Favors - mini cookies. Each guest got a little A and a D. 

I made the little yarn poms and the pom pom garland. Super easy!

The mimosa bar was a hit! Baby showers without booze are lame!

Dessert table

Diaper cake - Joy did such a fab job! Even the ribbon was monogrammed! 

See my pom pom garland in the background?!

 

Wish tree that also served as a guest book. Guests wrote their wishes and advice for the new mom on the tags and hung them on the tree. Then we put the tags in the photo album (the pink gingham in the background). My Dad helped me cut some branches from his yard, then we just sprayed them white. Easy peasy.

The gift matched my blog so I had to get a pic :)

(how cute is the double first name monogram?! It's hard to see here, but the left side of the big D has an A over top of a D) Swaddle from The Beaufort Bonnet Company.

The parents-to-be! First timers here!

Britt and 4 of her hosts!

I can NOT wait for little AnneDouglas to arrive! She is due May 2nd, so not too much longer to wait! Britt is an amazing friend, and will be an event greater mom  :)

Friday Finds - Monogram Bedding

I got an email the other day from Butterscotch Blankees informing me that they now carry monogram bedding along with their knitted blankees and accessories.  Of course, being a lover of all things monogrammed, I had to check them out. They are so lovely! And if their blankees are any indication, I'm sure they are of the best quality. These would be a fabulous wedding gift, don't you think!?

I love all white beds, so I'd definitely go with this version:

And this certainly looks masculine enough for a boy's room:

Had to share, too pretty not to! Have a fabulous weekend, friends! 

WWW - Rehearsal dinner details

As you all know, we are having a laid back BBQ for our rehearsal dinner. For dessert, we are serving pies from the yummiest local pie shop, Missy's (Ben's fave!). Because it is a BBQ, I ordered these sweet little vintage bride and groom pig salt and pepper shakers to put on the pies as a "cake topper."

 To serve the pie and ice cream, I want to order these kraft food boats with  blue gingham basket liners. We decided to go with a blue theme rather than red. 

Going for something like this: 

I think it's the little details like this that really make a party unique and memorable!  

Lately

Well folks, I was a bad little blogger last week and took the whole week off. But I'm baaaaaaack. Where is that from? The Shining? Not too much new going on over here. BUT, Ben is home, finally!! WOO HOO! I'm a happy girl :) 

Got my February Birchbox this weekend. It was a bit delayed due to the snow storm up north last week. Got some goodies! This Vasanti face wash is awesome. It has a great amount of exfoliating stuff in there, not too harsh, just right. I've gotten the Color Club nail polish before, seems pretty run of the mill as far as quality goes. But the color is a pretty, bright red...nice for spring. I love the little Twistbands, but the big ones aren't as great. I'm waring this one now, but I don't think they have enough grip to really stay in place. Another perfume sample...blah blah blah. Oh and best part, a Ghirardelli chocolate square. Carmel, my fave! 

My bachelorette trip to Charleston is just 15 days away! A long weekend with 13 of my favorite ladies! I'm SO excited for this trip. It will kick off the wedding festivities and I can't wait to get things underway. How adorable are the invitations for the lingerie shower the girls are throwing for me?! I love them! I've been working on the bachelorette survival kits that I'm brining for all the ladies in attendance.

 And finally, I shared this on Instagram, but here is a sneak peek of our amazing wedding map that CaligrafiaBella made for us. It truly is lovely! I can't wait to use it for wedding things...not sure where yet. I'm thinking some post cards for the out of town bags. I need to use them somewhere else too, too pretty not to!...any suggestions?

Oh and let's chat about Downton...WTF?! Its all gloom and doom across the pond! I mean seriously. Shit it depressing! Okay. That is all.

What I've Been Reading

With Ben being out of town since October, I've have plenty of time to do lots of reading.  I just finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  SO good ya'll, so good! Unpredictable and makes you want to keep on reading. A rather quick read because you won't want to put this one down.

"Marriage can be a real killer. 
   One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn. 
   On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 
   As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
   With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around."

WWW - Bourbon Bar Roundup

My groom loves his bourbon, so we are having a bourbon bar at the wedding reception. We aren't having a full open bar to go along with it, just beer, wine, champagne, and his signature dink - an old fashioned. Lots of bourbon! My signature drink is champagne. Nuff' said.

My plan is to set up a guy's area over off the bar somewhere. I want to get two bourbon barrels and either just use their tops for display or get round glass table tops for them. One for the bourbon and one for cigars and the accessories (napkins, bourbon balls, ice, matches, drink stirs).  Oh, and I think I'm going to get a custom watercolor done with all the bourbon choices....not sure yet.

{click to zoom}

Needlepoint Belt

I had a few requests to do a blog post on the needlepoint belt I just finished for Ben. I've made 3 other belts in the past, and I always start out all jazzed about it then burn out and put it aside for a long time. I've been working on this one off and on since like September. For those of you who have not done needlepoint before, it is super easy, just time consuming. About a million little diagonal stitches. In and out, in and out....gets old. 

For newbies, I would suggest you find a needlepoint shop near you and go in to chat and get a quick lesson. The hardest part of the belt making in the binding stitch (the part that folds the extra canvas over to the back and adds the finished edge). I hadn't done a belt in like 3 years, so I had to call over to M's Canvas House here in Lex and ask them how to start that stitch again. They also have youtube tutorials that were super helpful.

{Woobie modeling his first needlepoint belt circa 2006! Isn't he the cutest?! Just a baby here, 24!}

{This was his triathlon belt}

Basically, once you finish the actual needlepoint, you take that into the store and they add the leather and buckle to it. The total cost of a belt is about $150. It also depends on if you want a custom painted canvas or you purchase a pre-made one. I have done 3 custom and one pre-made. They can also add a monogram/initials to a pre-made canvas.

If you don't have a local place, you can order the canvas and thread online (I'm not sure where you would get it leathered though!) The first belt I did for Ben, I had M's paint and it took like 6 weeks to get the canvas made and was pretty pricey. This time I ordered from Needle Paint online. The price was better, but not the quality. It did only take about a week to get in, so that was nice. They don't paint the canvases by hand, so you don't get the precision you get if you take the other route. I would suggest you shell out a bit more and have your canvas hand painted if you want custom.

{This one was his favorite "Lexington" things....or really just some of his fave things...hunting, running, golf, bourbon, UK. My manly man ;) }

{what the backside looks like after the needlepoint is finished}

{the canvas folded over from the binding stitch}

And here is a belt that I started for myself in, ohhh I think... 2007, that has sat unfinished for a good 5 years. Too bad KJT won't be my initials much longer!

Below you can see what the unfinished canvas (without the thread) looks like as opposed to after it has been finished. 

So, hope this help! If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me an email!

Friday Finds

Love this eyelet coverup, paired with this fab Ella Moss bikini! 

Dreaming of warmer, sunnier days! 

I think I need both for the honeymoon. Yes. And don't forget your SPF!