Anyone creative will probably know exactly what I mean by creative overload which is what I'm having today. The annual company cookout for one of my dad's companies is in a couple weeks and while I've been playing with a few ideas here and there, today I have been online pricing out things and deciding where to buy stuff. I have had a creative brainstorm for the past 5 hours and now have it all plotted out. The wheels started turning in my head and they just kept on going. I'm so excited to do this but really need to get moving because I have a lot to do in the next couple weeks!
We're doing a patriotic theme this year which my mom loves, she's very into patriotic themes, it's even how she has her pool area decorated. Over the past few years I've been able to get her to branch out onto other themes and we had a lot of fun doing it. A couple years ago we did a luau and went all out with the tropical decor. Our employees even got into it with their attire, donning Hawaiian shirts, sandals and straw hats. Last year was the 40th anniversary of dad's other company and we used that as our theme, concentrating on the company colors and elements of the business. I had a lot of projects for it including a moss dump truck and a tractor and loader made out of flowers, among other things. If you're interested in seeing last years pictures, click here.
In addition to it being a patriotic theme we're also incorporating "support the troops" into it. I mentioned this to my mom and my specific reason behind it and she was all for it, which I knew she would be. One of our employees has been in North Carolina for training since May and will be deployed to Iraq in August. I give him and all of our other troops a lot of credit for doing what they do. They risk their lives every day for our country, that's both noble and brave. I wanted to honor him by doing this so in a way it will feel as if he's with us, I know we'll all be thinking of him. Hopefully his deployment will go by as quickly as possible and he'll be coming home to his family and friends. Until then, he'll be in our thoughts. God bless him and the rest of our troops.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Creative Overload
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Flashback to the 1940's
I came across this fantastic wedding on the Offbeat Bride Blog last night, it is truly amazing. Everything about this wedding was personalized, it was all about them, as it should be. The location was an art deco movie theater, totally cool! All of the bridesmaids were from different locations so to make it easier on the bride and them they were able to choose their own dresses with a couple stipulations, they had to be black and they had to be bought from one of two stores selected by the bride. You must click on the bridal party link within the post to see a picture of the bride and her girls, they look fabulous!
The bride and groom looked spectacular, I love the picture of them on the street, they just look so classy. My other favorite picture is definitely the flower girl and ring boy in their retro attire, it's just too cute for words! Andre & Chrissy, you did a marvelous job on your 1940s Art Deco Glamour Wedding! And Offbeat Bride, thank you for showcasing this absolutely awesome wedding, I probably wouldn't have seen it otherwise.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Dreary Day Pick Me Up
I hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July weekend! Mine was absolutely wonderful, the weather was great and we had parties and cookouts every day. It was so much fun to spend quality time with great friends and family.
Now today...well it's been a long one. The rain has returned and we've been having thunderstorms all day long. Needless to say having the boys stuck in the house (again) I didn't get much done today, and my very lengthy "to do" list didn't get much attention which means tomorrow will be a busy one. I needed a little bit of a pick me up to lift my spirits on this dreary day so I did some quote searching and found a few. I thought it'd be nice to share. They all touched me in a different way, perhaps they'll do the same for you.
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." ~ Lou Holtz
"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself." ~ Lucille Ball
And here is the last one:
Friday, July 3, 2009
Welcome Your Guests
Everyone invited to your wedding is special in each of your lives for one reason or another. When you add small touches to your day for the comfort of your guests it really makes them feel great. It shows them just how special they truly are to you. Kate Parker Weddings has some fantastically awesome products that will truly make your guests feel welcome.
For your Out of Town Guests, welcome them with a custom welcome basket designed by Kate Parker Weddings. 
Baskets are personalized based on your wedding location and are filled with water, snacks and information pertaining to your wedding. After a long day of traveling, your guests will surely be happy to discover this basket when they arrive. The basket pictured here is the Miami basket which I chose simply because it was bright and cheery and makes me think of sunshine which us New Englanders are deeply wishing for these days. Click here to go to the Welcome Baskets page. I also want to mention a recent post on the Kate Parker Weddings blog about assembling these baskets. It's great to see the work that goes into each basket. You can read the post here.
If you're having a beach or backyard wedding, consider having a variety of flip flops (in your color scheme of course) to offer your guests. Often dress shoes end up killing your feet within a couple hours so these would be a wonderful treat. Not to mention you save yourself and the heels of your shoes from sinking in the sand on the beach or grass in the backyard. To view the Flip Flop Valets, click here.
Lastly, children at weddings can often get rather bored, unless they love to dance and are showing up all the guests with their best dance moves. A great way to entertain the littlest guests is with the selection of Kids Tables offered at Kate Parker Weddings. You have a choice of Beach, Craft, Circus or Candy themes, all of which I'm sure would be a hit with kids and parents alike. After all, the busier the children are, the more apt their parents are to relax and have fun. Pictured here is a view of the Candy table, check out the other kids tables by clicking here.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!
A focal point at your wedding reception is your wedding cake, but for anyone that is already married or couple's that have done their research, they know they can also come with a hefty price tag based on the amount of flavors, layers and intricate details. For example, my cake was almost $1,000. It was huge, 5 layers, 2 flavors, lots of scrollwork and strategically placed leaves. Now had I known then what I know now as a planner, I would've done things a bit differently. Don't get me wrong, I loved my cake, but like I said, it was huge! There are options to have your beautiful cake and also not break the bank, which is what this post is about. The first is have a smaller version of your dream cake and sheet cakes made by the same baker in the kitchen. If you don't want to go that route, then how about option two, keep reading for details!
I have recently discovered Fun Cakes Rental, which allows you to have your gorgeous cake but also save some money. The concept is simple; these cakes are actually made of foam and covered with fondant with the look and feel of a real cake. There is also a compartment to place a small portion of edible cake for the cake cutting ritual. Very clever right? This means none of your guests will know that it's not real unless you tell them of course. Once the cake cutting ceremony is over, the display cake is taken into the kitchen and the guests are served regular sheet cakes from the baker of their choice. It's really a win win situation. You get a gorgeous cake to display and the cake of your choice of flavor, filling and icing to serve your guests. Wow them with sight and taste; it's truly the best of both worlds.
Fun Cakes Rental offers many pre-designed cakes to choose from but if you don't see one you love you also have the option to design your own. Here are just a couple of the cakes they have in their gallery. Aren't they fabulous?!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Easy Recipes for the Holiday Weekend!
Since the upcoming weekend is 4th of July weekend I thought it would be nice to share some great recipes! The first one I posted last year but it's so good and always gets great reviews so I thought I'd share it again. It's simple, it's light, it's fabulous. I also posted a couple quick & easy appetizer recipes last year, to see that post click here. If you're looking for more dessert ideas that are also patriotic check out this post from the Hostess with the Mostess blog. They not only look delicious but also very pretty!
Fruit Trifle
1 Angel Food Cake (pre-made from the store works great)
2 (small) boxes instant Vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups Skim Milk
1 large container Cool Whip Free
Fresh Fruit (I use strawberries (1 - 2 pkgs), blueberries (1 pkg) & bananas (2) but you can use whatever you wish!)
Mix milk & pudding and set aside. In a trifle bowl layer cake, pudding, fruit & cool whip. Repeat until gone.
When I do this I usually do individual layers for each fruit but if you wanted to mix them together first and have 3 layers of mixed fruit that works too! As far as the milk, I know some people hate skim milk, and I don't blame them, I'm not a fan either! If you're in New England and you haven't tried either Garelick Farms Over the Moon Fat Free Milk or Hood Simply Smart Fat Free Milk then I say give it a shot. Both taste great and do not taste like skim to me at all (and to several others that have tried it).
Trust me when I say that no one will know that this is a low-fat dessert. My father who always knows when something is substituted can't tell and he really likes this! Fooling him is never easy!
Enjoy!
Have a Safe & Happy 4th!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
An Inviting Love Story
I love when couples really break away from the norm and do something completely different than everyone else. When I came across this totally fun and unique invitation on the Love, Unique blog I just had to share it, it was too cool not to. I've actually seen it on a couple blogs but there's was the first that I saw it. What a great way to share your story with your guests. So I'll ask the same thing that Love, Unique did...would you consider using something this unique?
Be sure to also check out their website, their work is absolutely stunning!
