My Best Friend's Wedding

This past weekend, one of my most long-time, closest friends got married. She and I were inseparable back in the day when we were still losing our baby teeth, wearing Umbro shorts and soccer shoes to school, and got upset when we had to wear our hair down for lice checks. We went to summer camp, wrote notes to each other with sad lyrics in them about the boys that didn't 'love' us, and saw every chick flick together the week that it came out. I visited her in college with our other good friend K at the University of Michigan, and we stayed in touch often while she attended law school in Iowa. We've seen the best and worst of each other over the years.

So, with all of this history behind us, I couldn't help but get a little tear in my eye, and pride deep down in my heart to see her looking so happy and beautiful on her wedding day. She and her now husband can boast an unbelievable love story which started with her courtship of him via mutual friends back in 10th grade. They attended a dance together, sparks flew, and before we all knew it they were off to college together- showing everyone that their relationship would withstand the test of time. They graduated within a year of each other at the top of the class in both undergrad and graduate school. Now, they both have great jobs lined up in Pittsburgh- and I couldn't be more ecstatic. It's nice to grab coffee with a friend that you haven't seen in a while and feel like you were never apart- but in this case, I'm really looking forward to getting to know one of my closest friends again- and see each other on a regular basis.

Their wedding was truly one of the most beautiful events I have ever attended- and so perfect for the two of them. The ceremony was heart-felt and personal. Myself and the other bridesmaids and groomsmen were given the honor of standing around the newlyweds on the altar as they said their vows. At the end of the ceremony, the priest gave them the bible from which he read from during the service as a keepsake. The reception followed within an hour at a gorgeous venue with tall ceilings, log walls, and a gorgeous wraparound porch. The bride and her mom cashed in on the earthy feel of the venue and decorated the tables with pine cones, birch bark vases for the centerpieces, and mini twig wreaths as napkin holders. The natural feel was perfectly accented by gorgeous lighting, lush groups of white hydrangeas, and cracked crystal chargers acting as the center of focus for the perfectly arranged place settings. The couple's sweetheart table was in the center of the dance floor, and above it hung a twig wreath taller than the first floor of our house with the letters "L" and "N" hanging from the center with gorgeous blue satin ribbon. A deserving central focus to the room to remind us all why we were there.

Here are a few snapshots from my buddy's big day (J is the best because he took over photographer duty before I had arrived with the rest of the bridal party):

gorgeous trumpet lace dress with satin bow

matron of honor attending to her duties

the bride and the other stars of the show

mother of the bride getting ready to carefully place the veil 

its all about the shoes.

patiently waiting to get married in the wings of the church 

personalized wreath

seating assignments and wildflower arrangement

L + N!  Love the rustic cake stands. 

Perfect space for such a low-maintenance down-to-earth  couple.

Lovely table setting with accents of steel blue and chocolate brown

guest book and gift area

'sweetheart' table and room focal point

I am so happy that one of my best buds got to truly have the day of her dreams.  I don't think that I will ever forget how gorgeous she looked, or the look on her husband-to-be's face when he saw her walking down the aisle. The day perfectly suited them and went off without a hitch. Congrats to the new bride and groom.

Have you attended a wedding recently that perfectly suited the couple being honored? What were some of the personal touches that made this day stand out to you. 

Fairytale weddings and friendship, 

Homemade Donuts

A few not-so-lazy Saturday mornings ago, I broke out yet another one of the many, many small appliances that we received as wedding gifts: Cuisinart's mini professional deep fryer. After reading the manual three times because frying oil scares the living daylights out of me (read: grease fire) I decided to venture into the world of home-made donuts. (Yes, I am aware that this is my second post about donuts. For the record, I am totally okay with that because they are delicious.  Everything in moderation, right?)  This was not a random pick out of my mini-fryer cookbook, however.  Making homemade donuts was quite a big deal for my family when I was growing up.  We would all go over to my grandpa's house and gather around in the kitchen while my mom or uncle stationed themselves at the fryer.  My job would always be to sugar the donuts after they were browned to perfection.  Everyone else's job was to eat them as fast as they possibly could.  Check and check.

Vacation Tease

My new in-laws left yesterday for a 4 day trip to Las Vegas. I may or may not have been stalking the weather there, and I may or may not know that its supposed to be 70 degrees and mostly sunny all week long.

And then there's Pittsburgh...Whomp, whomp, whomp.

19, still????????

So bear with me while I get a little nostalgic and relive last summer's trip to Las Vegas (our mini-moon, turned honeymoon) through photos:

We stayed at the beautiful Monte Carlo Resort and Casino which is right in the middle of the strip.  I would absolutely recommend staying here to anyone planning a vacation, because not only is it within a reasonable walking distance to the other hotels and attractions, it also has a Starbucks downstairs and caffeine is essential in order to make it through the day after a night out in Vegas.  We ended up booking the trip last-minute (a hurricane cancelled our other plans) so we got an amazing deal on a suite in the VIP section of the Monte Carlo- Hotel 32.  (Think: private elevator, free food, concierge, the works.)

It was my goal to see as many of the hotels as possible, and I think that we did a pretty good job:

Paris: I had my first meal in Vegas at Mon Ami Gabi.  This picture was taken from my seat- yes, I wanted to sit outside.  Not really aware of just how hot that your first time in 106 degree desert heat feels when you are sitting in the sun, exhausted, jet-lagged and trying to eat.

Bellagio: Botanical gardens, check. Perusing high-end retailers. Check, drool... left empty-handed.  Well, not completely empty-handed... I did buy ice cream from Jean-Philippe Chocolates. Double drool. Do not miss this place when you are in Vegas!!!  Even if you do not like chocolate, the fountains and beautiful gourmet cakes are worth the trip.  It is a small store, but a visual spectacle none-the-less.

Caesars:  Did Caesar really live here?  Do you know if this hotel is pager-friendly? Buncha payphones?  Business. The list goes on... I pretty much just went there because I was not thinking when I packed, and only brought 3+ inch heels to walk around in. Thus, I found myself in the shoppes at Caesar's, spending way too much money on the most comfortable and stylish sandals that I could find.  Word to the wise, pack cute, casual and versatile shoes for the daytime. Do nooooooot think for a second that you can walk around in heels.  Las Vegas is a lot bigger than it looks like in the movies.

Venetian:  Nothing more to say than: 'I WILL ride one of those darn gondolas someday!'


Planet Hollywood:  The only place we gambled.  I was bummed because I spent $3 on blackjack and lost two.  Needless to say, I did not go to Vegas to lose significant amounts of money.  Spend? Obviously.  Lose? No way.  We also saw Holly Madison's Peepshow that night.  For the record: it is not at all what you are thinking.  Planet Hollywood is definitely tailored towards the hip, younger crowd- and that is exactly what her show appeals to.  It was a fun experience, and I really had a great time exploring one of the newer resort/casinos.  I expected PH to be super cheesy, but it was not at all.

In a word, going to Las Vegas after one of the most hectic periods (read: wedding) of my life was amazing. On the second day, we rented a cabana and spent the entire day lounging by the pool in the Nevada summer sun.  Although we could have easily been sight seeing and doing a ton of other vacation-related things, that 'day off' is what I will remember most about our trip.  Relaxing with my new husband.  Enjoying a kind of heat that I had never felt before.  Seeing a palm tree in person for only the 4th time in my 25 years.  In a way, I became thankful that the other vacation we had planned didn't work out the way we had expected. I think that J and I both found that Las Vegas is a place that we'd love to visit again.

view of the Monte Carlo's pool from our private cabana for the day

Have you ever gone on a trip that was more interesting and exciting than you expected?  Have you been to Las Vegas?  What was your experience like?


Hotels and hot temperatures,

Friday Finds

the view of the slopes from one of the second floor bedrooms

This week was spent recovering from the awesome ski trip that I went on last weekend with 10 of my close friends. Having the opportunity to get away for the weekend was so refreshing.  As it turned out, it also was not anything that I had expected! The eleven of us rented a 'cabin' at a small-ish ski resort, Peek'n Peak, in western New York state.  Imagine my surprise when we got there to find it fully decked out with 5 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 fireplaces and a beautiful finished basement. I felt a little silly when I arrived considering that I had advised the group to pack their own toilet paper.  We definitely were not 'roughing it' by any means like I had anticipated.  Some members of our group even spent the day Saturday at the resort spa getting massages and lounging in the indoor/outdoor hot tub.  Not bad!

I, however, spent 6 hours of my Saturday with skis attached to my feet, sliding around the mountain like it was my first day with new legs. Needless to say, on my first break from skiing, I was more than jealous of my friends that were safely stationed at the bottom of the mountain lounging in that hot tub.  It was only my second time skiing, and I felt rather foolish the whole day because the majority of my friends were not beginner-level skiers like I was.  Memories of being stuck in the 'guppy' group during swim lessons at camp when I was young immediately flooded back into my head. Luckily, with more practice, I began to feel more comfortable with the unfamiliar motions, and I was (slowly) able to move around a little better. At the end of the day, it felt good that I at least attempted an activity that I only had done once before. For me, overcoming the fear of not being good at something in front of a group of friends is an accomplishment in itself.  Have you learned how to do something new this winter?  How did it go?

Now, for your entertainment, a collection of my favorite things found on the web this week:

1.  I absolutely love the idea of these "Wedding by the Numbers" wedding invitations from the Minted website. I wish that I would have thought of a way to incorporate that into our wedding!  Minted is my favorite site for invitations, personal stationery and thank you cards.  If you aren't familiar, definitely check it out!
2. I'm sure many of you know about The Pioneer Woman by now, but I just love visiting her site because it makes me feel like I can cook anything!  I found these Pineapple Chicken Quesadillas to be especially appealing.
3. These cropped jeans from The Limited make me so excited for peeptoes and springtime!  On a related note, these peeptoes from JS by Jessica Simpson make me excited for those cropped jeans.  Weird how that works?
4. Love this pink Kate Spade window display, it makes me sooo (x10) excited to travel to NYC this summer. {via}
5. The whimsy of this new font from Fenotype: Pepita Script really appeals to me. I hope to be able to use it on a project in the future. For me, its a little too informal for a wedding invite, but would work great on a bridal/baby shower or party invitation.  Oh, the possibilities!
6. Urban Scartlet's shop makes me want to craft all.day.long.
7. These tiny initial necklaces on ETSY would be a great personalized birthday gift for anyone. Perfectly understated and so stylish.
8. This amazing find for only $50.00 from Ikea is soon going to become my craft table!

NY Wedding Invitations

Last night I began working on a custom-designed wedding invitation suite for my long time friend Kaira of Kair-ied Away.  She and her fiancée have an amazing sense of style, and they are doing so many unique things with their wedding (that is just a few short months away in Brooklyn, NY- yay!).  From a design perspective, I am really excited to have this opportunity to work with them, because the concept is so different from any wedding invitation that I have done before.  I am so proud of Kaira for taking chances, and making sure that the wedding reflects their personalities.  I won't share a single detail about her amazing idea until I get to show her the finished product, so in the meantime, take a sneak peek at the fun color palette that I'm using, and then head over to her blog to see some other reflections of Kaira's fabulous personal style!

Take me away.

from the plane on the way to Vegas- September 2010

Lately I've been having vacation dreams.  Lots of them.  These are not your typical, run-of-the mill, 'just driving a few hours to visit family' vacation dreams. (Frankly, that's not a vacation any which way you look at it.)  These are serious vacation dreams.  Over the weekend, I was standing on an isolated beach in the Caribbean with perfect white sands and my toes just reaching the warm, sapphire water.   There was not a single person around for miles and miles. A bunch of silly non-realistic things happened in the dream right after that- it was a dream after all- however, I woke up feeling like I had literally just been to the Caribbean.  That is one place that I have never been, so this dream in particular really stood out for me.

I told J about it that morning and how I got woken up by the salt truck driving on our street (reality, bummer), but tried to hurry up and fall back asleep because that was just before I found out what our hotel room looked like in the dream.  Seeing how hotel rooms are decorated in new locations is often just as exciting for me as the location itself.  Note:  "Our hotel room" yes, my dreams would not let me go on a beach vacation alone, because that- my friends, would be a nightmare in my book.  WAY too much silence and alone time for my liking.  Anyone else with me on that?

2010 Pictured: April to June

4.10-6.10... proudly celebrated sister's achievement : spent valuable time in shadyside : tried on 'the' dress for the first time : ventured to cleveland for J's best friend's wedding : watched my sister graduate from my alma mater : fireworks with my family at a local park : made a sign that should have been for a birthday : went on a hunt for the perfect shoes : found my favorite place at a landmark that I had never been to, but is so close to home : spent a difficult morning in one of my favorite places in town : celebrated the 25th anniversary of my parents, with my whole family, a surprise : went to a wedding surrounded by birds : learned to really enjoy a glass of wine : celebrated a warm spring day with friends downtown : planted my very first flower garden : took sister out for a night on the town : lost someone that I will never stop missing. 

One of the Best Gifts... Ever.

We were gifted this gem from J's best friend and his wife for our wedding.  We eyed it up for years in numerous restaurants and BB&B-type stores (this one is def. from the 'Beyond' section).  Needless to say, I was SUPER excited when I unwrapped the box, and we even had our first margarita night the following day.  Obviously, with something this sweet, one does not waste any time. Although it may seem like an unnecessary appliance, it has really turned into a conversation piece at our parties and we are even thinking of bringing it on our ski trip next month (more on that later).

Last night, we spiced up a regular Tuesday by having homemade margaritas with Baja-citrus chicken, Mexican rice, and not-so-Mexican broccoli.  Ole!

2010 Pictured: January to March

1.10-3.10... rang in the new year with new friends : looked for "the" dress : attended an event at the wyep studios : partied with friends and homemade card boxes for valentines day : took photos downtown for the big day : celebrated february birthdays for the last time with the strongest man i will ever know : had fun with some wise wizards : saw ben folds at heinz hall : visited rolands more than once : saw more snow in one day than i have in my entire life : disco birthday-partied : toured our beautiful city in a limousine.

Pink-Soled Heels

I LOVE pink.  When J and I got married, my shoes had pink bottoms(!).  I designed them myself, and they were, in fact, one of my favorite parts of the entire day.  Our photog forgot to take a picture of our rings that day, so this is a little number that I put together to make up for that fact. The next time I have white roses, I'll take another "should have been taken" ring picture. Thank you Nina and Diamond Design Jewelers for giving us the freedom to create and choose such beautiful things. This picture means a lot to me because- in a very personal way- it embodies many of the challenges we met while planning our big day. Sigh.  More on that another time perhaps?

p.s. 4.25 inch heel for NINE HOURS straight!