The Perfect Tailgate Dress • UK •

Sunday starts the football season here in the Bluegrass!

Here is the perfect blue & white shift for tailgating! 

Plus, it's 30% off right now (use code FALLCALLS)!!! 

WWW - Honeymoon edition

Yea, I'm a day late on this one...my bad. Let's talk honeymoons. At this point we have no idea where we will be going, if it will be right after the wedding or what. We are paying for a good part of the wedding ourselves, and will be paying for the honeymoon ourselves too. Obviously we want to go somewhere nice, but I'm not sure what kind of budget we are working with at this point. I'd love to go to Napa (or wherever in wine country!). I've also considered one of those all-inclusive resorts. Thing is, I'm not real big on the beach. I prefer to swim in a pool and enjoy dinner by the ocean! I also like the idea of going to New England, I've always wanted to go...but maybe that is better left for a trip taken in the fall rather than in June?

If I weren't such a control freak I'd just pass this one off to Ben and allow him to surprise me...alas, that would drive me crazy and I just can't do it!!

How far in advance do I need to book & plan this thing?!

Where did you all go on your honeymoon? Anything different from the pre-packaged beach vacay? And if you did do the all-inclusive beach thing, did you like it? Will I be so exhausted from the wedding weekend that sight-seeing and touristy options will be miserable?

Do you have suggestions, warnings or whatever?

Birthday Weekend

It has been a crazy 10 days! I totaled my car Saturday before last, so I have been bumming rides and car searching. Ben and I finally found me a car yesterday. It's good to have wheels again! This past weekend was my birthday. Lots of good friends, presents, junk food and fun! 

Dinner at Atomic Friday night. 

Chevy Chase Street Fair Saturday night. 

Sunday was my actual birthday. We celebrated with the fam!

 One of my presents from Ben! I love it! I'm a lucky girl - got all kinds of great gift from my family and friends!!

Oh and look what was waiting on me when I got to work today! Our Wedding Journal from Graphic Image. It's very nice in person, heavy and thick pages. Can't wait to put it to use! 

Perfect Baby Shower Gift!

My friend, Joy, is having her first baby in Oct. She loves all things monogrammed so I knew a Butterscotch Blankee would be a perfect gift for baby Owen. I love these blankets because rather than being sewn on, or printed on, the monogram and designs are actually woven into the blanket. There are so many options to choose from. This is the stroller blanket, made smaller as it is meant to fit over the baby tucked into a stroller (hence the name). Cute, huh?!

The cute mommy-to-be opening gifts are her shower!

WWW - Something old, new, borrowed & blue

I was interested to see where the tradition of a bride carrying something old, new, borrowed, blue and a sixpence in her shoe originated. According to Wikipedia, each of these items represents a good-luck token for the bride. Something old symbolizes continuity with the brides's family and the past. Something new means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. Something borrowed is typically and item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. 

Blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true."

And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security. A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and worth six pennies. So this wedding tradition is probably English, and many sources say that it began in the Victorian era. It may also date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. 

(Nanny & Pa's wedding photo from 1954)

So what am I using for my 4 "somethings"? Well, a lot of my items could take care of more than one category, and I'll have lots of each! I'll be wearing my grandmother's (mom's mom) sapphire and diamond ring. This is obviously both old and blue. For something new, I'll have the dress, shoes and all that jazz. I need something borrowed. Although, technically the sapphire ring will be borrowed from my mom....but since apparently you are supposed to borrow something from someone happily married, that won't work! Ha! My custom Modern Trousseau dress will come with an embroidered monogram and name of the dress in it. (I named it "Ruth Marie" after my Nanny who passed away this past spring). I'll be carrying her mom's (my great grandmother) handkerchief as well. 

(That's my Nanny. Wasn't she pretty?!)

Looks like I need to borrow something, and I'll need to acquire a sixpence, don't have any of those lying around!

What did you all carry/wear for your 4 "somethings"?