Brown Dog Boutique

I was surfing Etsy for about the millionth time last week and stumbled upon this amazing stationery shop! It's called Brown Dog Boutique and I love everything! Brown Dog Boutique specializes in stationery with whatever dog you like. Perfect for a dog lover like myself! I ordered address labels for our new address with my NEW LAST NAME and they are so adorable. I cannot wait to use them! Since Michael and I have a golden retriever, I had her use a golden's silhouette with a green font.

I really want to order note cards now. I just love it!

Best Pound Cake Recipe!

In honor of my grandma, Mimi, I made a pound cake with her famous recipe! She really has the best recipe I've ever had for pound cake, which is one of my FAVORITE cakes. It is so versatile. I thought I'd share it with you:

Mimi's Pound Cake

- 3 cups plain flour (sifted)
- 6 eggs (softened - room temperature)
- 2 sticks of butter (softened)
- 1/2 pint whipping cream
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter till white. Add sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Alternate flour and whipping cream. Add vanilla. Bake in cold oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 1o minutes without opening. May take as long as 1.5 hours.

This recipe is so simple! Mine turned out delicious, but not quite as good as Mimi's. Here are some tips to make sure that your cake turns out perfectly:

• Butter and sugar your cake pan rather than using Pam. I used Crisco shortening instead of butter.
• Always sift your flour.
• Take butter and eggs out of refrigerator about an hour before you prepare the batter.
• Do NOT pre-heat the oven.

Happy baking!

Prayers

My grandmother, Mimi, was admitted to the hospital tonight for pneumonia in both lungs. We thought it was just a case of bronchitis, but it has turned out to be more serious. Please send prayers her way for a speedy recovery! Here is a picture of us from last weekend:

Thoughts and prayers are much appreciated!

Greenville Recap!

My mom and I had a wonderful weekend in Greenville, South Carolina, as usual. We started the day with a Southern lunch at Smoke on the Water, one of our favorites restaurants. After some delicious BBQ, we did a little shopping (by a little shopping I mean I'm now on shopping probation).

One of my favorite boutiques, Monkee's, was having a Shoshanna trunk sale. There was a discount on all the Shoshanna pieces and they were AMAZING! I ended up with two Shoshanna dresses - one for my rehearsal dinner and one for a cocktail party in Michael's hometown. I also may have bought a pair of Kate Spade sandals to go with one of the dresses...don't judge. It was 25% off :) I also got an adorable pair of Eliza B. sandals at the Pink Bee! It was a very successful shopping trip.

Here are my new Kate Spade lovelies:


I can't find a picture of my Eliza B. sandals. Unfortunately, I want to keep my fun new dresses a surprise for my rehearsal dinner and the cocktail party (I have quite a bit of real-life friends that read my blog). Not to worry - I will share many pictures after the parties!

We had sushi for dinner last night before Legally Blonde - which was absolutely fabulous! Becky Gulsvig, who plays Elle, was amazing. I couldn't believe how much she looked like Reese Witherspoon. The musical was just so fun and upbeat! It definitely made me happy to be a blonde!

I'm so sad the weekend is almost over...but I do have my BACHELORETTE party to look forward to this coming weekend in Savannah! I cannot WAIT!

Weekend!

I'm so glad it's FRIDAY! This week has really been dragging. Michael is off on his bachelor party this weekend and my bachelorette party is next weekend. I wish they were the same weekend, but guys are so last minute - they decided to go this weekend like 1.5 weeks ago! The difference in males and females is so funny. The weekend and destination for my bachelorette party was decided about 6 months ago!

I do have some really fun plans this weekend though. I bought tickets last August for my Mom and I to go see Legally Blonde: The Musical!


I fell in love with the music on that MTV show last summer and I pretty much love ALL plays and musicals. Unfortunately, Legally Blonde wasn't coming to ATL at the time, so we bought tickets to see it in Greenville, SC! So, my Mom and I are off to Greenville tomorrow morning. We're staying at my favorite hotel downtown and will hopefully find some cute stuff shopping! I am in serious need of about 5 dresses for different occasions I have coming in the next few weeks. I'm really looking forward to some good food, good shopping, and spending time with my Mom. Have a great weekend!

Guest Room Bedding!

I've been in love with this beautiful Pottery Barn bedding since I saw it in the catalog several months ago. I put it on my registry, but all the sudden it was "no longer available" last week. I was so sad! Over the weekend, I was looking at other bedding options to replace it and I happened to notice that the queen size was available again - 30% off! So of course, I snatched it before it went out of stock again. I absolutely LOVE it! It's a little too feminine for our master bedroom, but it will perfect for our guest bedroom.

What do you think?!

Beautiful Prints

While browsing Etsy today, I found the cutest shop. I am obsessed with the Etsy Seller, Annechovie. The shop features artwork by Anne Hartwell and all of the prints are absolutely beautiful! Here are my favorites:




I will definitely be ordering one of these prints for my house! I think it'd be so cute in our guest room. Now, I just have to pick my favorite!

Shower Recap!

I had the most wonderful shower this morning! My mom's friends threw me an amazing brunch shower - complete with lots of mimosas! They really went all out. The food was amazing, the flowers were beautiful, and they used all their crystal and silver to serve everything! It was so wonderful. I also got so many wonderful gifts - I feel so spoiled! Here are some pictures of the shower (warning: there are a lot...)

Mom and me before the shower:

Hostess Gifts:

All the delicious food:

Beautiful flowers (one of my Mom's friends MADE this arrangement):

Mimosas (essential):

My aunt, Dianne, and me

Opening gifts:

My grandmother, Mimi, and me:

My sister-in-law, Michelle, and me:

The shower was so perfect - thank you again to all the lovely ladies who went to all the effort for me. It was amazing!

New Spring Favorites

Spring is my absolute favorite season. I love the weather - it gets a little too hot here in the summer, but the Spring weather is fabulous. I can't wait to bust out my Spring clothes on Easter for the first time. I miss white, seersucker, and, of course, Lilly (yes, I am a firm believer in no white or seersucker from Labor Day till Easter). There are so many cute new items out for Spring! Here are a few of my favorites:

J. Crew Pique V-neck Ruffle Dress

Similar, but much cheaper! Old Navy Linen-Blend Ruffle Dress

Lilly Pulitzer Knock-Out Magazine Tote

J. Crew Deauville Patent Peep-Toe Flats

Lilly Pulitzer Vanessa Dress

Now I just need to find the money to buy all these beauties!

Long Weekend

I am excited on this Thursday evening - I have tomorrow off from work! I had some days leftover vacation days I needed to use, so I'm using tomorrow to take care of some wedding errands. Here are some of the items on my agenda for tomorrow:

• Early morning workout
• Looking at more wedding ring options (always a good time :)
• Catering tasting for lunch!
• Manicure/pedicure with my Mom
• Picking up a few gifts for people
  

Tonight! I'm going to a 5-course dinner with wine pairings tonight. I'm so excited; my parents and I do one of these wine dinners every few months and it is always so much fun. I love learning about wines and eating all the delicious food!

I have a wedding shower Saturday morning, thrown by my a few of my mother's fun friends. It should be a good time! Lots of mimosas and yummy food - and good company. Have a great Thursday night!

Blog award!

My lovely friend, Quite Contrary, awarded me the Kreativ Blogger award...thanks!! She is definitely one of my favorite blogs to read.


Here are the award rules: list 7 things you love, and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers you love! Be sure to tag them to let them know that they won. 7 things I love:

1. My fiance, Michael - can't WAIT to finally get married after 4.5 years of dating!
2. My family and friends. I am confident I have the world's best family - and friends!
3. Pedicures. They are my little luxury. I have to have one every other week during the spring and summer.
4. Mexican food! I LOVE cheese dip with jalapenos...there is nothing better!
5. Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers...the best dogs in the world. End of story.
6. Cleaning and organizing. Nothing drives me crazier than when things are out of place and dirty.
7. Reading. I love to read almost any genre and I have to read for at least 15 minutes before I go to sleep. It relaxes me!

I tag these fun bloggers:

Mrs. Southern Belle
Deal, Steals, and Heels
Life of a Savannah Bride
Kappa Prep
Sweet Melissa
Chanel Fashionista
Think Happy Thoughts

Wedding Invitation Update!

My lovely friend, Mrs. Southern Belle, was nice enough to blur out my personal info on my invitations...here are some pictures!


They are definitely on the plain side, but I'm hoping they're on the classic/elegant side as well! I promise to post about something non-wedding related soon, but it's totally consumed my life now (less than 2 months)!

Invitations!

My wedding invitations finally went out today! We had a difficult time figuring out the exact postage and finding a place that would hand-cancel them, but we did. I'm really glad they are out - it makes it seem so much more real! We invited just over 200 guests - lots of stamps!

I really wanted to share all my photos of my invitations and the beautiful calligraphy, but my paranoia won out...I am not savvy enough to blur out my personal information and I definitely do not want it all over the internet! Here's a dorky picture of me after I finished stamping ALL the invitations.


Editor's Note: My wonderful friend Mrs. Southern Belle is blurring out my personal info so that I can share my actual invitations on here! I'll have them up tomorrow!

I cannot WAIT to start checking the mailbox in a few days for the first of our response cards!

Cute Dress Find!

I was perusing through Martha Stewart Living yesterday and I just happened to notice an ad for a dress that looks so similar to one of the new Lilly Pulitzer collection dresses. I may be completely out of it, but I'd never heard of the company before. It's called Chadwick's. It seems to be mostly basic, older-style, clothing (ie: most I would not wear), but this dress looked so cute! And at $49.99 with free shipping, I had to give it a try. Here it is:

I figured if the quality or cut isn't as good as I hope, I can always return it. It'll be so cute for all my wedding related events coming up! What do you think?

Editor's note: I do realize that this dress may be a tad similar to the Banana dress I bought a few weeks ago...but trust me, this one is different :) I love green!

Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

While I was visiting Mitchael's parents over the weekend, his mother showed me the rehearsal dinner invitations she just had printed! They won't be going out for a few more weeks, but I absolutely love them. They coordinate so well with everything for the wedding. I can't wait for the rehearsal dinner. His mother has been working so hard to make every little detail perfect. Of course, none of this info is ours, but it gives you an idea!

I've been busily working away this afternoon finishing up the invitation details, since they will be mailed tomorrow. Also, I've been working on our wedding programs, which has turned into a much larger project than I anticipated. I can't believe we're getting married two months from tomorrow!

Bridesmaid Shoes

I've been looking around for a while for some pretty gold sandals for my bridesmaids to wear for the wedding - I finally found some! They were so cheap too...$23 for each pair! I personally love the look of coordinating shoes, so I was glad I was able to find some that I could buy for my wonderful bridesmaids. They're Kenneth Cole Reaction. Here is a picture:

They all arrived last week and I love them in person! I just love the little bow on the front. They totally look like a Kate Spade style, I think. They should go really well with my bright pink bridesmaids dresses. Tell me what you think!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Save the Dates!

Since I'm sending out my actual wedding invitations on Monday, I thought I'd share my Save the Dates with you. I sent these out in late October, I think. I wanted something really fun - nothing too formal since my wedding is outside.

I had Nicole at Pink Design Events design them and I had them printed locally. She was wonderful to work with and she's done many more coordinating details for me, such as stickers, koozie designs, and now we're working on my programs! I absolutely love what she designed.

(Names have been changed to protect the innocent)

I'll share my wedding invitations with you next week!

Exciting News!

I have some really great news to share! I've been bursting at the seams to share the news with my friends for the past month and a half...

My Brother's Wife, Michelle, is PREGNANT!

YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!

(Chris and Michelle last summer)

I'm just so happy for them...although it will be interesting to see my brother as a father, to say the least, ha! Michelle is due in September, so she's about 12 weeks along right now. She's so tiny - you can't even see a bump yet! She's definitely going to be a wonderful mother. This will be my first time being an aunt! Anyways, congratulations to them again!

DIY Card Box

Here is one of my DIY projects I made for our wedding. It was super simple and I think it turned out pretty cute! I actually still need to cut a slit in the top of the box, but other than that, it's finished! I just found some cute scrapbook paper, grosgrain ribbon, and made the little sign, and that was about it. This card box cost about $4.00 total...pretty good, I think!

Sorry for the bad lighting, but you get the idea!

I got the idea from Preppy Bride - I love all her DIY wedding projects. What do you think?

Productive Sunday

I've had a great Sunday! Although I do hate losing an hour in the day, I love how it gets dark so much later. It makes it feel like Spring already, especially with the 75 degree and sunny weather we've had all weekend!

I spent all day with Michael yesterday. Nothing too exciting - we did go out to a celebratory dinner last night for his new job and our new house! It was a wonderful, relaxing Saturday.

Today, I've been on a productive kick! I worked out early, then my Mom and I went to Michael's to look for some craft supplies for wedding projects. I'll share them once they're finished. Another HUGE check off my to-do list was stuffing all of our wedding invitations! That may not sound like a lot, but when you have about 6 pieces that go into each invitation, it's quite an accomplishment! Also, my sister-in-law's mother, Sue, did all our calligraphy for our invitations. She is so talented; they look absolutely beautiful! I can't wait to send them out and start mailbox stalking :)

I've spent the rest of the afternoon watching Anne of Green Gables, with my Mom, and working on our wedding book (basically a scrapbook/journal of our whole wedding journey). Does anyone else LOVE Anne of Green Gables? I've loved it since I was a little girl, but I finally got the DVD box set (all 3 movies) for Christmas this year. It's a wonderful gift! I love the books and the movies...they're such classics!

Have a great week!

Cake Tasting

Tuesday, I had my wedding cake consultation. It was so fun designing our wedding cake and Michael's groom's cake! There were so many cakes flavors/fillings to choose from, I had to narrow it down Tuesday and my mom picked up my sample cakes yesterday. Last night we had a little cake tasting party! There was so much cake - a few friends came over and we barely made a dent in them. I had no idea we'd get so much to sample! Here are a few pictures:

I had 4 cakes to try. From left to right, pound cake with cream cheese frosting; double chocolate fudge; vanilla cake with butter cream frosting; and strawberry cake.

One more of them all lined up. It was basically 4 entire cakes!

We had some champagne to go with our cake :)
Max was trying to get in on the action, of course!
I'm definitely going with the pound cake/cream cheese frosting combination for my cake! It was AMAZING. I've always been a plain cake girl. In fact, the cake lady had to convince me to try the strawberry cake (even though I knew I'd get something plain)! Michael's cake will be the double chocolate fudge. I will be having leftovers all weekend!

Cute invitations!

I've had so many adorable invitations lately, I just wanted to share some of them with you. I absolutely adore stationery, especially invitations. In fact, I sort of consider myself an invitation snob :)

How cute is this one? It's for the Bridal Brunch Shower my Mom's friends are hosting for me in a few weeks.


Here is my Bachelorette Weekend invitation! I can't wait - it's only four weeks away. Alyssa did an awesome job picking out an adorable invitation for the occasion!

My wedding invitations are finished being addressed. I'm planning on sending them out in 2 weeks. They are very traditional, but very beautiful. I'll share a picture of them when we send them out!

We have a house!!

Michael and I officially found our first house today!! We are just renting it, but it's still so exciting. We've never lived together either, so this will be our first place together. Michael will move in the second week of April; I will move in immediately after we get back from our honeymoon. It's a small, 2 bedroom bungalow in the area we wanted. It's exactly what we were looking for. I can't wait!

Here are a few pictures as it is now...obviously, this is not our furniture or decor:

I can't wait to get started decorating and making it our own. What do you think?!

Day off tomorrow!

I have the day off from work tomorrow, so that I can get some wedding related stuff done. I'm so excited...nothing is better than a random day off work! :) Here is what's on the schedule:

• Sleep in (one of my favorite past-times)
  
• Work out
  
• Take my car to get washed (it's been MONTHS, people!)
  
• Go out to lunch with my Mom at my favorite restaurant, Le Cafe Crepe
• Wedding cake tasting/consultation!!
• Look at possible program design options for the wedding ceremony
• Stop by Michael's (the store, not my fiance) to pick up some crafting supplies

I'm so excited to have a day to get some things accomplished! Have I mentioned I love lists?

P.S.: I completely cleaned out the rest of my room (including closet) yesterday. I'm talking cleaned and completely organized my closet, desk, bedside table, and dressers. It feels so good to have everything all organized when I open my closet!