J'Adore Crate & Barrel

I have always loved shopping, so it should be no surprise that I've always dreamed of winning a fully-paid shopping spree at one of my favorite stores. Well, today, that dream came true! My fiance and I went registering at our first store - Crate & Barrel.

After perusing their website a few weeks ago, I wasn't sure if registering there would be such a good idea. Many of the items were rather expensive, and I was worried that our guests would opt for the more convenient Target, the other store at which we're registering. However, with the fabulous finds we've unearthed at Crate & Barrel, I'm hoping many of our guests will stop there!

Here are a few of my favorite goodies on our list...

Staxx II Dinnerware
Are these not the most fabulous plates and bowls ever? The plates have a ridge around them (kind of like a cake pan) that is so freaking unique! I've never seen anything like it! The set is stackable, which will help save space in our cabinets for all of the other goodies we loved at Crate & Barrel!



Ollie Wine Glasses
We've registered for the 20 oz glasses (the big round one on the right!). So dramatic, and I adore them!



Wok Set
I'm so excited about this one! Mmm...I can just imagine the Asian delicacies we can make with this set!



Footed Soup Bowl
Ooh, this one is right on the top of my list as well! Who'd have thought soup bowls could be so chic?!?



Rub Away Bar
Boy, I could've used one of these this weekend when I was cooking with garlic and onions! You just wash your hands like it's a bar of soap, and those lingering garlic and onion smells just vanish!



Bexley Throw
Don't worry - we didn't just get stuff for the kitchen. We also registered for this throw blanket which will be perfect for the couch. It even inspired our color palette of teal, chartreuse, black, and cream.



Carmen Chartreuse Pillow
Won't this pillow look fabulous with the teal throw? I love the texture, and it just looks so darn comfy!

Ciao,

Dinner Time!

I think we've finally settled on our dinner menu for the reception! After such a fantastic food tasting, the decision was not easy! So many questions remained...

Two courses or three? Soup or salad? One entree choice or two?

Well, after much deliberation, here is our final decision...

First Course

Can't go wrong with the ever classic Caesar Salad.

Main Entrees
Chicken Strasbourg - think chicken stuffed with mushrooms and garlic bread, then served over potato puree (fancy for "mashed potatoes") and seasonal veggies.

Grilled Pork Chop and Truffle Mushroom Ragu - perfectly seared pork chop served with pan-roasted mushrooms, chives, veal glace, and truffle oil. Mmm...and don't forget the garlic-parmigiana polenta cake!

Grilled Portabella and Roasted Pepper - a divine vegetarian option with portabella mushroom and pepper served on julienne spinach, goat cheese, tomatoes, crispy leeks, and balsamic glaze. Even for a vegetarian option, this sounds hearty and delicious!

Ciao,

No Barefoot Bridesmaids Here

The bridesmaids officially have shoes! Well, at least they will, once they order them. But, at least a decision has been made!

Mootsies Tootsies Parable Peeptoe Pumps

At only $39.95, they are relatively affordable and they meet all of my style requirements! Peeptoe, lower heel, and satin material. Oh, and of course, they're black! :)

Ciao,

Another One Bites the Dust

Off my checklist, that is! We have officially booked our flight to Jamaica for the honeymoon!

I was a little apprehensive about booking the flight earlier this year, hoping that perhaps prices would lower. Silly me! I mean, I know prices generally get much higher the longer you wait, but I assumed they wouldn't really start increasing until a month or two out.

Well, when I checked yesterday, the price of our desired flight went up $20 since I last checked! I know, not horrible, but that certainly meant prices were on the rise! And I didn't want our desired flight to sell out! It was one of the few with decent departure/arrival times and short layovers (you know, under 16 hours...). So,the price increase, along with the gentle reminder on the knot's checklist encouraging me to book our flight, was all I the encouragement I needed!

Now, our next step is getting our passport applications in! We have the photos taken and the forms filled out - now we just have to gather our birth certificates and make photocopies of our driver's licenses. And we have to remember to bring our driver's licenses with us to the post office. And a credit card to process the $100 fee for each of us. I hope I'm not forgetting anything...

Ciao,

The Joys of Shoe Shopping

Who would have thought finding the perfect black bridesmaid shoe would be so hard?

Too edgy...

Too beachy...

Too fierce...

Though my MOH encountered quite a few duds yesterday, we're trying again on Friday! At least this time we'll have a better idea of what we're looking for!

-Peeptoe
-Satin material
-Lower heel height (you know, maybe something under 4")
-Reasonable price (under $40 would be fab!)

Here are a few options that might meet these requirements...

(don't worry - they come in black!)

(Ok, not satin, but they still look pretty dressy)

(again, they do come in black!)

(Guess what...they come in black too! :) )

So, I guess we have quite a few options that more or less meet our requirements. Now let's just cross our fingers that we can find the winning pair in all three sizes!

Ciao,

80's Chic Rehearsal Dinner

Anyone who knows me knows that I love clothes! Ooh, and don't even get me started on shoes! So, is it any wonder that the theme for our rehearsal dinner was inspired by a dress?

This dress was completely love at first sight! And at only $29.99, it's a total steal! Gotta love Target!

I'll admit, it looks a little wonky on the model, especially with those tragic shoes, but it looks crazy cute with my pink pumps, patent leather black belt, and layers of pearls!

I'm hoping our guests will get into the theme as well. At the very least, our wedding party will be rockin' some leggings, aviators, moto jackets, or neon colors!

Ciao,

Fun with Monograms

Well, I finally bought into the monogram trend! I initially thought it was kind of silly since I didn't think I'd have to many places to put one. Well, that was before I figured out I'd need something to connect the ends of our invitation belly bands! So, it was "hello, monogram!"

I was pretty dead set on incorporating our damask theme into the monogram design. So, here are my various iterations of the damask monogram...

The first monogram I came up with mimicked our invitation and save the date design. I like it, but I thought it might be overkill! :) So, then I started playing around with just a single damask image...

Cute, but unfortunately, it's a little too hard to read. :( So, I tired to make the K a little darker...

Uh oh! Still can't read our names so well! And at its final size of 1.5" by 1.5", the text would be positively illegible.

Well, that's better! By flipping the color of the text, the monogram instantly became much more legible! Plus, I like that the pink and orange are both in the background. I can't really explain why, but it seems much more cohesive! :)

Once I figured out how to use Photoshop, it was relatively easy to create these monograms!

Ciao,