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Thinking Back on 2011 | Top 10 Highlights
2012 is fast approaching! This year has been full of change, blessings and adventures. Here are my top ten highlights of 2011. Please feel free to share your special moments as well. Marrying my best friend. Our honeymoon to Antigua. Acceptance into my new family. A new sister, brother, mother, father and niece! Seeing the growth of m ...Dec 29 -
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French Vintage Inspired Wedding | DIY Place Cards {Bride Advice}
I was scouring the web this week looking for DIY ideas for place cards. There are so many out there that I thought I'd pick one theme for this blog: French vintage. French-Inspired If you aren't knowledgeable in Photoshop, there are great websites out there with FREE templates of table number cards, place cards and more! The Wedding Style ...Jan 18 -
First Weekend of 2012 | Home Decorating Updates
I'm sure the first weekend of the New Year was a busy one for all. With all those New Year's resolutions and goals needing to be met! My husband and I decided to make a few small home updates that had been on the "to do" list for much of 2011. One such update was our half bath. Our design style for the house is French Country. I searched h ...Jan 09 -
Choosing Your Wedding Cake Topper {Bride Advice}
There are so many detailed decisions to make when planning your wedding. While I didn't take part in the cake tasting, as I am gluten intolerant, my husband loved choosing the flavors for our wedding cake. Choosing the decorations and look of the cake were left up to me. I scoured the internet for hours looking for the perfect cake. I did find my c ...Dec 26 -
Advice from a DIY Bride: Planning a Wedding in 5 Months by Christina B.
My 5 months of wedding planning was amazing and it taught me so much about myself and was so fun! From my experience I would love to share what I learned those five months of engagement. *Personalize Your Wedding Make your own theme that fits you…I had a personalized, Midwestern, English Garden, Fall, and Thanksgiving themed weddi ...Dec 19 -
Gardenia Hair Pin Giveaway Winner
Thank you all who stopped by over the weekend to enter our contest sponsored by Zazzaretti Bridal. We had an awesome response and enjoyed reading your wonderful comments. The winner of this weekend's contest is: Katie Russell. If you did not win, don't dismay! Christina will be blogging with us through 2012 and she'll have many more giveaways ...Dec 13 -
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Shine On Blog Facelift
In order to make our blog easier to read, share, search and follow, we are giving it a complete facelift. I cannot wait to share it with you! We are hoping to have it live by the end of this week! Please be patient with me as I will be postponing my blog posts until next week. Until then, here is a sneak peek of our new look. ... ...Jan 23 -
The Fashionable Photographer | A "Must Have" Accessory
I am taking a quick break from all the wedding and bridal blogs to write about something near to my heart, photography and fashion. For all you lady photogs out there, what options do we have for carrying our gear around while still looking feminine and professional? Not only do we need to carry our camera lenses, but also the basic necessities lik ...Jan 16 -
Christmas Memories of 2011
It’s so hard to believe Christmas has come and gone. Why must it always go by so fast every year? For me, Christmas is the time I finally get to see my entire family get together in NH. I try to pack in as much social activities as I possibly can with friends and family while I am there. This year’s trip was extra special to me. The hubs and I ...Dec 27 -
6 Photography Tips for Christmas Morning
The sun isn’t even up yet and everyone is ready to rip open gifts. Before the stockings come down and wrapping paper begins to fly, have your camera ready and read through these tips on how to photograph your Christmas morning. Check your camera settings the day before. Specifically, white balance, shutter speed, aperture and I ...Dec 23 -
Hiring the Right Wedding Photographer: The Essential Interview Checklist
Hiring a wedding photographer is one of the more important decisions you will make when planning your wedding…and one of the priciest. Your photographer will be entrusted to fully document your special day and for years to come you will view their images. In this day and age, everyone has a digital camera or a photography business. How do you k ...Dec 21 -
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Gluten Free Friday | Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies
I recently met a new Twitter friend and she just happens to live near me! With over 175 million users on Twitter, I always get a bit giddy when I actually connect with someone who is local to me. @Alyce4Him has a blog called Pots on the Stove where she shares recipes and stories about her life. Her last blog post was for a gluten free recipe of Che ...Jan 14 -
Easy 3 Step Recipe: Cinnamon Sugared Pecans
Over the weekend, I got my bake on! Fudge, Rum Balls and one of my new favorites, Cinnamon Sugared Pecans. What an easy recipe and absolutely addictive sweet treat! Ingredients: 1 large egg white 3 cups pecan halves 1/3 cup cinnamon and sugar mix 1 TB cinnamon ...Dec 14 -
Gluten Free Delight: Christmas Cheesecake Recipe
Just because I have to eat gluten free does not mean I have to give up on sweets! One of my favorite desserts to make for any occasion is a Cheesecake. This recipe is great because you can make two medium sized cakes and decorate them to your choosing. Gluten Free Cheesecake with Nut Crust Gl ...Nov 30 -
Getting A Start On the Holiday Baking: Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
With October over, I felt I wanted to start enjoying the upcoming holidays. My favorite part of the holidays is baking and making gifts. The holidays last year weren't quite the same as all my favorite recipes were not gluten free and I didn't have alternatives. This year I am starting early and testing out recipes before Christmas. &nbs ...Nov 02 -
Gluten Free Honey Chicken Kabobs
With the summer coming to a close, we are trying to grill out as often as we can. We even ran out of gas this week! It never seems to happen at a good time, but for once, we ran out just as our bison meat was finishing. I found a recipe at the beginning of the summer on The Baking Beauties blog for Honey Chicken Kabobs that I have been dieing ...Aug 23 -
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Grand Illumination | Colonial Williamsburg 2011
This past weekend we visited Colonial Williamsburg for its Grand Illumination. For more than 70 years Williamsburg has held holiday celebrations full of fireworks, music and fun. The town is decked out with wreaths, candles and Christmas trees just like they would have looked all those many years ago. The festivities began at 10:30am and ended at 1 ...Dec 05 -
Some Things Never Get Old: Picking Out Our Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin
It’s crazy how even as an adult I still enjoy and seek out the small, childhood pastimes. Growing up, my family took advantage of the seasons in New England. We visited the orchard to pick apples and ride the hayride, the pumpkin patch for jack-o-lantern pumpkins, the tree farm for Christmas trees and hot cocoa and the local berry patch to pick str ...Oct 13 -
2011 North American Sandsculpting Championship
Virginia Beach just wrapped up the 2011 North American Sandsculpting Championship. It’s been the signature event of the Neptune Festival. The Championship was extended ten extra days this year. 10 countries were represented in this year’s competition and the theme was Neptune’s Kingdom: The Land of Sand. The 22 sculptures were housed under ...Oct 12 -
Washington, DC Daycation
For months, my husband and I have been talking about visiting D.C. Finally, a business trip brought us close to the city and gave us an excuse to spend two nights there. Where we stayed: The George Washington University Inn A small inn located in the prestigious residential neighborhood of historic Foggy Bott ...Oct 11 -
Baltimore, Maryland - Candy, Sharks and Mexican Food
This month has been full of road trips! Last week, since my husband had IT work in Baltimore, he decided to take me along! Where We Stayed: Courtyard Fort Meade at National Business Park This hotel was perfect for the traveling business man or woman. The room was open and well lit. It included complimentary Wi-Fi and a bathroom larger tha ...Oct 03 -
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How to Talk Dollars and Designs to Your Handmade Vendor | Part Two {Bride Advice}
I hope you all enjoyed Christina Zazzaretti's blog post on Wednesday and are looking forward to reading her follow up post on discussing budgets with your handmade wedding vendors. After discussing the details of the design for your handmade wedding item, review the estimated total for your project. Does it fit within your budget? If so, ...Jan 13 -
How to Talk Dollars and Designs to Your Handmade Vendor | Part One {Bride Advice}
Zazzaretti Bridal is back again for her monthly DIY wedding inspiration and advice. This month her blog post will be in two parts. She will be discussing the importance of clearly articulating the design aspects of your bouquet, hair piece, reception decorations, etc. with your handmade wedding vendors on Etsy. Part two will discuss your budget and ...Jan 09 -
Spring & Summer Wedding Colors for 2012 | Pantone’s Color Palette {Bride Advice}
During Fashion Week in New York this past September, Pantone revealed the color palette for Spring 2012 as well as the color of the year. The inspiration behind the color choices was the energy, optimism and promise that spring brings with it every year. Who in the world is Pantone and why should we care what they have to say? Pantone, Inc. is ...Jan 05 -
Brides, How To Look Your Best In Front of the Camera | {Bride Advice}
As the bride, you have budgeted countless dollars for your wedding dress, mani and pedi’s, makeup and hair. You want to look your very best on the most important day of your life. This is a day you will want to remember. Hiring a qualified, professional photographer will guarantee you great photos of the day. However, it's not just the photographer ...Jan 04 -
Top Wedding Trends for 2012 {Bride Advice}
Happy New Year! This time of year may be quiet for weddings, but with all the engagements over Christmas and New Years Eve, there is much planning being done by new “brides to be”! Here’s a few of the latest wedding trends for 2012 to help all you brides get a head start on your wedding plans. Color Schemes: This year’s hottest color to choo ...Dec 31 -
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