DIY Project: S'mores

There is just something about cold weather and a fireplace that scream S'mores!  This is the perfect DIY project for your fall or winter wedding to serve as gifts for your out-of-town guests or even favors for your wedding!  Besides, who doesn't love graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate?  


Simply use clear acetate boxes to wrap up all the necessities for homemade S'mores and finish it off with your favorite ribbon or wraffia for the perfect pulled together look.

Beautiful Calligraphy

For your wedding invitations you may wish to consider the timeless elegance and chic sophisticated look of handwritten invitations.  The word calligraphy literally means beautiful writing.  Who do you turn to in this region for beautiful, hand written invitations?  My suggestion is Deb Warnat.

SnappyMap

You have selected your invitations with care...the look, the feel, the message, the paper, the font.  Why send your guests a photocopied internet map?  You wouldn't dare wear tennis shoes with your wedding gown.  A custom drawn wedding map tells your guests you pay attention to every detail.

Whether you want fun, elegant, or contemporary, Shawn Ashbaugh and his team at Snappymap will design something to fit your style.  Though they are based in Austin, Texas, the ordering process couldn't be easier.

Simply go to the SnappyMap website, select a map style, complete an oline order form, and someone will then contact you for a one-on-one consultation.

I know you're thinking...what a wonderful idea, but how much does it cost?  Ordering 150 of the Standard Map + Printing, will only cost you $225. If you want to save a few dollars, order a small amount, as these maps would be perfect for your out-of-town gift baskets for guests staying at area hotels.

The White Room has a new home!

After spending almost 5 years in Helena, the White Room Bridal Salon has moved into their fabulous new location behind the Summit and next to Satterfield's Restaurant in Cahaba Heights.  Go see my dear friend, Carolyn Kelly, and her daughter Cathy today!

The White Room

3161 Cahaba Heights Road

Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35242

205.970.6767

Church Bells or a Blackberry?

Let's face it.  We are all addicted to our Blackberry or Iphone, and there is definitely no cure in sight.  Cell phones have become a necessary part of our lives.  These precious little devices, which we live and breathe by, can alert us to their presence at the wrong time.  Here are a few suggestions on how to avoid a cell phone mishap during your ceremony.


Print a matching reminder card and attach it to the outside of your ceremony program.


Post a pretty calligraphy sign on an easel at the church entrance reminding guests to turn off their phones.


Appoint on of your ushers to make an announcement to the waiting guests: "Guests of the bride and groom, the ceremony is about to begin.  We ask that you kindly turn off your cell phones at this time."


The biggest offenders may be your family and wedding party, who in the hustle and bustle of last minute hysteria will not be reading the sign or the ceremony easel.  Have them check their phones with the wedding planner to avoid a disastrous interruption as you are about to say "I do".

Sherry & Kyle Engagement

Sherry and Kyle are getting married May 22, 2010 at Lake Guntersville.  Jaclyn and Bill Robinson of Robinson Studio and Design captured these intimate pictures at Bridgestreet Town Center in Huntsville.  Check back with us soon for more pictures from this sweet couple!

Happy Thanksgiving!

MaryAnn and Hamilton Engagement

This sweet, sweet couple, MaryAnn and Hamilton, are getting married February 6, 2010 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church with their reception being held at Old Overton Club.  Check back with us soon for pictures from their fabulous wedding by photographer Philip Dupree.

Icing on the Cookie

I have a new obsession and you must go check them out!  Icing on the Cookie is a fabulous new bakery in Homewood, specializing in delicious customized cookies perfect for any occasion!  I recently ordered some of their cookies for a Baby Shower and they were a hit!  Katie Adams, and her husband Shelby, are true artists and have hundreds of designs to choose from.  

Brides, these cookies also make wonderful party favors for your guests.  Icing on the Cookie will individually wrap each cookie in a clear bag and tie with ribbon to match your colors.  Look at this beautiful cookie that Katie personally made me to show off to my brides!

Also, with the Iron Bowl coming up on Friday, keep them in mind for your tailgate and football parties!

Icing on the Cookie

2907 Central Avenue, Suite 101

Homewood, AL 35209

Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

205.871.9852

Entertaining vs. Hospitality

As you are preparing for your Thanksgiving celebration, whether you are Host or Guest, keep the stress at bay by remembering this:If the turkey isn’t done on time (or over-done!), if no one likes the cauliflower dish you slaved over, if you accidentally break a wine glass….it is OK.  When someone is offering hospitality to others, they are offering to serve them, to open their heart and home to them.  While the table setting, decorative elements and recipes ARE wonderful elements, they are not the sole focus of the gathering.  Entertaining others can often lend itself to focusing on how beautiful everything looks, how “impressive” everything is.  Entertaining can often feel….stressful.   Hospitality just feels good.


When we are gathering with friends and family in the name of hospitality, no one cares whether there’s dust on the baseboards or if the dishes all match.  No one notices the paper napkins instead of the pressed linen ones.  Everyone feels welcome and comfortable.  We tuck ourselves into bed with full tummies and warm hearts, thankful for the blessing of loved ones and happy memories.


This blog, like many others, spends a lot of time on creative details for parties and events.  We are always looking for fun ideas to spruce up a gathering and help with your entertaining needs.  Not everyone has the gift of entertaining.  That’s OK.  Don’t let that be the cause of undeserved worry or tension because we all have the capacity for hospitality.  Don’t spend Thanksgiving Day apologizing that the turkey isn’t moist enough, that some guests have to sit on folding chairs or that you didn’t make enough gravy.  No apologies for opening your home and pantry to others!  Just enjoy the day and the chance to be a blessing to others. 


Have a safe, happy and YUMMY Thanksgiving.  I am so thankful for YOU.