Celebrating Life Events Through Paper
Purple and silver are oh so pretty!
You can choose to pair rich purple hues with silver and blue as in this color inspiration board. Purple can work for a summer wedding. You can go with light purple tones for summer (lilac, lavender, or orchid) or you can go with a deeper purple and lighten it up with lighter accent shades in white or silver.
You don’t marry someone you can live with – you marry the person who you cannot live without
~ Author Unknown ~
We’re back today with a continuation of our series on: Blunders to Steer Clear of After Getting Engaged.
Today we evaluate a mistake that is huge. Staying within your wedding budget is difficult enough. If a bridesmaid agrees to be in your bridal party make sure you don’t assume she understands what her responsibilities are.
This may be her first time participating in a wedding. She may accept your invitation if she is under the impression that you are covering her costs.
Don’t Go There
Don’t offer to pay for something you can’t afford. You may have the very best motives but you have your own budget to consider. Being asked to be a part of the wedding party is an honor. Be clear about your expectations and her level of commitment. Lay out what her responsibilities are as your bridesmaid.
Money talks are a somewhat complicated subject to address. Talk to her and be honest. Let her know she’s one of your top choices but you understand if she has other commitments that make it difficult for her to take part.
While you may not be obligated to pay, you should be considerate of how your decisions will affect your bridal party. At the very least, make their financial obligations clear as soon as possible and try to make choices that don’t place too much burden on them.
* Use them in outdoor dining areas for soft low lighting
* Set them on poles in the ground or on columns for ambience
MOST IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT I REMEMBER IS THESE LIGHTS WILL HIDE ALL YOUR WRINKLES.
You will look gorgeous in such low lighting, and all wrinkles will be out of sight.
My kind of decorating!!
SUPPLIES :
1. Grapevine Balls (one or two different sizes for visual effect)
2. Twinkle lights- You know the kind. The small lights with a GREEN wire will camouflage best. One box of 50 white mini lights is a good amount to use per ball. If you decide to spray paint your grapevine balls white then go ahead and use the white to help camouflage the cord. Either way..it’s your preference.
3. Extension cord
4. Chain to hang the grapevine lights. General utility use, not requiring high strength. Something equivalent to fixture and novelty suspension.
5. Electrical Tape
DIRECTIONS :
Wrap the mini lights around the balls. You can be quite random. There aren’t any twinkle lighting police, the last time I checked. No rules here.
Add a chain to hang your balls.
Attach electrical tape to secure the mini light plug to the extension cord. This would also help to keep it free of rain and creepy critters.
Options to consider –
~ Fill grapevine balls with moss to help disguise the cord (This would probably work best using the lights with a green cord.
~ If you don’t have chain then use twine or rope to hang them. Get creative.
Eventually, the rain and cool weather will fade and the sun will come out. Here in Bakersfield it will come out blazing!. When it does, we will make the best of it and shift cooking to the outdoor grill. Barbecue season is coming and it’s time to make plans with friends and get together. Some may shift their wine selections to whites when the heat comes to town. However, those of us that are red diehards will want something more substantial with our messy rack of ribs and grilled steaks. I present you with four excellent choices and a recipe to try. Any of these would make great but inexpensive hostess gifts for your next party. Enjoy!
1. Layer Cake Primitivo 06 (aka Zinfandel)
From Apulia region, Italy
Warm and rich in the mouth; the ripe fruit is well supported by the depth of the structure, great finish, and not overpowering.
Notes on the name from the maker;
“My grandfather made and enjoyed wine for 80 years,” said Jayson Woodbridge.
“He told me the soils in which the vines lived were a layer cake.
If properly made, the wine from these vines was like a delicious cake layered with fruit, mocha, chocolate and hints of spice – and rich, always rich.
‘Never pass up a good Layer Cake,’ he would say, I have always loved those words.
Now I get to apply this knowledge to my own experiences in these various lands.”
2. Earthquake Zinfandel Lodi 06
“It will Rock Your World !!”
What Makes You Quake?
Juicer plum, spicier clove and fuller in body than ever before!
Your taste buds will be in upheaval over the suede-like tannins churning together with vanilla and toasted raspberry cobbler. The loooong, smooth finish will leave you in a state of aftershock!
3. Christine Andrew Old Vine Zin 05
Lodi, California is otherwise known as Zin country.
Christine Andrew’s Old Vine” Zinfandel is made from fully mature grapes, from 70-year-old vines, It’s loaded with rich juicy berry flavors. The finish is smooth and elegant.
The Kautz Family are the owners and operators of Ironstone Vineyards. The wine is named after the great-grandchildren from the family’s fourth generation.
4. Marietta Old Vine Red
Marietta Cellars, Geyserville, CA
Predominantly Zinfandel, more than half of the blend.
From the owners:
“Rich, ripe, dense, lush, jammy, juicy, lots of blackberry fruit and hints of pepper and spice a balanced, approachable, lip-smacking red wine ready to drink full of fruit with just enough tannins to make things interesting”
Honey-Wine Smoked Ribs
Ingredients
SAUCE
RIBS
Directions
A continuation of our series: Blunders To Steer Clear Of After Getting Engaged
The days of solo wedding planning are behind us. Not only are mothers and daughters concerned with the wedding plans but so are many of modern-day grooms. Don’t assume he doesn’t want to help. Get him involved. Don’t leave him out. After all, it’s important for both of you to feel connected to this process.
If you’re one of the fortunate brides whose groom wants to be involved in every decision then consider yourself lucky. Give him his list and treat yourself to a day at the spa.
If you’d like more input then consider these tips.
Right at the very start of the planning stages, find out which parts of the planning he wants to be in charge of. This will allow him to choose what interests him (like finding the right DJ over selecting wedding favors).
Yes, I’ll say it. Men have short attention spans. Once you’ve narrowed it down give him a short list of options for each stage of the planning process. Get his opinion from these lists. Keep your wedding planning conversations with him brief. An hour of debating lavender and gray or hot pink and teal will have his eyes glazing over.
You wanted him involved, so be prepared when he gives you an honest opinion. Let him know his suggestions matter and are important to you. Marriage requires compromise. Be willing to listen and don’t reject his opinions.
Let him take on some of the vendors. Let him choose the ones that appeal to him. He may be interested in finding the right DJ, even setting up wedding day transportation. Ask him to work out the prices with vendors, and see what kinds of “extras” he can manage to get included in your packages.
Your guy probably already has a plan for your honeymoon. Almost all grooms are eager to have a direct say in this part of the wedding planning. So, make a few suggestions but let him come up with options for that too.
Make it easy for him to participate. In wedding planning, no task is unimportant. Keep things organized in a way both of you can easily make decisions.
You never know, maybe he’ll even blow your socks off by throwing you a few wedding planning tips.
I can’t believe month of March is behind us and we are now in April . Easter is coming right up and spring is here! Springtime…..the freshness, the passing of dreary winter to bright, fresh spring. There are very few times during the year that I enjoy being outside and Springtime is definitely one of those times that I can say I don’t mind being outdoors. It just doesn’t seem to last long enough and because this is Bakersfield our weather seems to go from cool to scorching hot in no time at all!
Speaking of spring, this outdoor spring colored tablescape is right on trend for your Easter brunch.
I love this beautiful table setting. The original article can be found here. These nests are filled with large peonies instead of eggs!
So simple to add any colored flower inside the nests to match your theme colors. Makes a pretty table setting for Easter, Mother’s Day, weddings or “Nesting” baby showers. These peonies are sitting in a shallow plastic bowl of water then placed into nests of twisted fern vines. Finish off the theme with miniature nest place card holders. These smaller stems would be placed into a floral water tube and then placed into the smaller nest. The large round wine glasses kind of mimic the roundness of the nests .
Of course you can use any flower you prefer and hopefully one you have in your own backyard!
I love the muted coral, pinks and whites of this traditional looking table setting, the banded vintage jar adds to the overall look, as do the handwritten food labels. The original story can be found here SMP
This spring green invitation features intricate butterflies and colored stars throughout the card. Add your personalized text to complete the look. It would also work for a spring themed shower as well. Give us a call to discuss ways to make it unique for your celebration.
And now for the fun part…..the kids have their candy and so the adults need something too.
Try serving this lightly sweet, fruity white-wine sangria over plenty of ice cubes. Using Viognier gives it the right balance of fruity sweetness. Yummy!
Recipe: Mango-Peach Sangria
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup Grand Marnier
1 bottle Viognier
1 mango, chopped
2 peaches, cut into thin wedges
1/4 cup mint
MAKE-AHEAD
In a saucepan, cook the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves; transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until cold.
Stir in the Grand Marnier, Viognier, mango, peaches and mint and serve over ice.
I am so ready to try this out today…….Let me know how it turns out for you if you happen to try this recipe.
Wine has long been offered at wedding receptions ever since the start of time. Nonetheless, sampling as well as picking out your wine for your own personal wedding and reception is surely a significant as well as tricky task. While organizing a wedding and reception or just about any important significant celebration, paying attention to the particulars tends to make the main difference in just how unforgettable your “special ” moment will be to you as well as your family and friends.
Deciding on your wine is without a doubt an essential element-a detail that shouldn’t be neglected. Tastings with caterers as well bakers for your wedding cake are all done well in advance to select what will be served, why then would you not pair the wines ahead of time, as well? Don’t risk it, decide early on. There are also many other things to consider when buying and selecting the wine to serve at your wedding reception.
Exactly what wines do you really enjoy? Think about your family and friends? Do they like red, white, sparkling, or a dessert wine? Will the attendees like 1 or 2 truly impressive glasses of wine to drink while they mingle. Or perhaps, it might be wines are not really important to any of your guests?
Will you be having an evening or an afternoon ceremony? Many people may possibly consume a little bit less during a daytime wedding compared to an evening ceremony. (drink more than a glass of wine in the afternoon, and you may be ready to go to bed even though the party is not nearly over)
Think about the food you are serving. Are you trying to pair the wine with the food? A beef entrée will probably be best paired with a red. A chicken or pasta entrée will probably be best paired with a white.
Is the wedding reception planned for the middle of the summer months or the winter season? That could very well matter to just what you select and offer your guests-are you trying to warm them up or cool them off?
Given that a lot of people don’t expect to have a limitless budget allowed to shell out on vino, you’ll definitely want to think about the price tag. There could possibly be room to make a deal on the wine purchase up-front in a package deal. As you are planning to shell out hard-earned cash on a wedding, you might possibly make a deal on your purchase when you’re planning to bring in a particular wine. It’s worth a try!
Amazingly, pouring wines into a wine glass designed for that specific wine type can certainly make a difference in the taste as well. Quite a few wedding reception venues might not have varied wine glasses intended for different kinds of wines, however it’s well worth inquiring. If not, that will definitely be an expense to consider as well.
Probably one of the most unforgettable memories from a wedding reception is definitely the toast. The most expensive bubbly is Champagne, but that does not necessarily mean it is the best. You don’t have to serve Champagne for the toast. 
What about it’s cheaper or just as cheery cousins, sparkling wines. They offer a serious bang for the buck and it’s every bit as festive as Champagne and hey, if you’re worried your guests will feel slighted, pour it in another room and come out bearing a festive tray of pre-filled glasses. Chances are they’ll never know the difference and if they do judge you – well, that’s just bad manners on their part.