I have been on the hunt for "the perfect fabric" for the baby room. Finding all the patterns and colors that work together is a often a very hard task! I am so blessed to have a mother in law who is a super talented sower and has offered to make all the baby bedding! So we spent the whole day together looking for the last fabric piece that would go with the look we had pulled together.We were getting nowhere and often found ourselves feeling a bit frustrated.
I wanted to stop by Ikea because they have great curtains that you can add piping too etc. Little did we know the LAST stop of the day and the least likely for any major scores turned out to be the winner. Ikea has a whole wall of fabric by the yard! I had no idea they carried anything like that. Not only did they have fabric, the prices are SO cheap and they had the exact color we were looking for.
Our long day of fabric shopping turned out to be a complete success, thanks to Ikea... and my mother in law (she was so patient with me :))
I know secretly we all want to do it but when it comes down to it most of us just don't elope. Well, Maelani and Sheamus proved to us all, that is is possible! They eloped to San Diego, which was not as fast and spontaneous as the Aussie local would have liked, as he had to endure the 25 hour flight.
A week prior, Meg her loving sister and talented graphic design artist and myself had been given the exciting news, which sparked the planning to begin! Together we helped bring them a really special night.
The small and intimate ceremony looked so special. There is something so amazing about having it be just about the two of you on the cliffs of La Jolla with the 8 most important people in your life.
Following the ceremony the group strolled up the hill to a ocean front villa that hosted the dinner portion of the night. The couple are both in the horse racing community so we found it appropriate to tie the napkins with a horse shoe and a small note written to each guest.
From what Maelani and Shaemus knew, the celebration was over after dinner. But we had more tricks up our sleeve. As they headed back to the rented villa at the Grand Del Mar they were surprised with a champagne toast with a dessert spread! Not to mention a few more special people in their lives were there for the toast and to close out a perfectly great day!
Thank you to the talented, Annette Gomez who created the florals.
Maelani and Sheamus's Wedding Reception is close to my heart. Maelani is a good friend as well as the sister of my dear friend Meg. We had to chance this past December, to travel Thailand in style with both Maelani, Shamus, Meg and Del. After the trip I feel in love with Shamus and the two of them together. They are the perfect match. This can probably explain why the two were determined to tie the knot and waste no time. They had a small and intimate "elope" style wedding ceremony and small dinner in San Diego back in November. I will be highlighting that day tomorrow in my blog post. More to come...
For the reception they decided to host the party in Maelani's home town of Honeoye Falls, NY. 48 guests from 6 states and 3 countries. Intimate, global and perfectly unique. In the months leading up to the day, I had to pleasure of helping Mae with some inspriation for the theme and just a general tightening up of the look and feel. It was a blast to work together, as I loved how she wanted to tie in so much of the two cultures. The Australian and Thai cultures were present in every detail of the day.
The table numbers were handmade by a close childhood girlfriend. Favors were votives were wrapped in thai silk that her mom brought from Bangkok. They used an old vintage suitcase for guests to submit farewell wishes on postcards, which was very fitting for the avid travelers. The very talented Meg from Worboys Design, designed the menu's, escort cards, signs and memory of's. The cocktail hour was kicked off with gorgeous passed hors d'ouevres and ended with a 3 course meal, finishing with Australian sticky date pudding. The women snuggled up in the silk Thai wraps as they sipped on the Australian wine. To top off the night they had a photobooth which definitely was a major highlight. Many of the International guests had never seen the concept so they embraced the idea and had a blast with it!
What a simply beautiful night. Cheers to Maelani and Shamus!
I am officially in love! I have recently found this Paso Robles Vineyard and just cannot stop starting at the pictures on the site. I have never said this about any other venue, but if I could re-plan my wedding I would have it here! I think everything about this venue is so romantic and stunningly beautiful. I love the old farmhouse with the giant porch and porch swings. It is straight out of the Notebook, which is a major favorite of mine. The rolling hills with the vineyards in the background and the giant trees that are dripping down with character and romance. Ahhhh simply amazing!
If you are looking for a destination wedding, this might be your winner. This can also be a vacation spot, making it the dream get-a-way. Maybe this can be our baby-moon? You all will need me to write a few reviews, right? I can't do that by simply looking at the site, I have to touch, taste and feel! You can see more pictures on the HammerSky site.
Instead of setting up a generic tea and coffee station in the corner of your reception, take some time and think about how you want to give it some personality! You can alter the look and theme to your reception style. It is in the simple things that can make the set up, just so sweet.
Look to borrow pieces from your mom's collection, hit up thrift stores, or even think about buying a tea or coffee set for your new home and using it at the reception.
I have been fairly private with the news of our first pregnancy... But we have past the scary point and now can share the wonderful news with all of you! Jay and I had talked about whether we wanted to find out the sex or not and if so, how we wanted to find out the special news. The conversation lasted for well... a minute before we both said 100% we are finding out. We both could not wait another 5 months to know what this little baby was. Plus how I am supposed to design the baby room :)
I have to give all the credit to my very creative husband because this was all his idea. So, my birthday is May 3rd and every year we throw a Bday/Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. It has been a tradition for the last 6 years. The timing worked out just perfect, as we were due for the sex reveal ultrasound on April 29th. So we went to the ultra sound with my father and mother (who had never been to one with any of the 3 kids they had) and got to see and say hello to our newest member. The tech was so great at not revealing the sex or even having a close call. We walked out of the appointment with a sealed envelope, which inside carried the big news and a whole lot of anticipation.
We immediately went to Party City (we did not trust ourselves) and picked out a pinata and 2 bunches on candy. One bunch all blue and other all pink. We then asked her to go to the back and fill up the pinata with the color candy that matched the sex written inside the envelope. I think we helped make the Party City employee's typically normal day a bit more interesting.
So then the party planning began... We had our closest friends and family come over for a very celebratory fiesta! We had everyone make their guesses: Clip on earrings were worn if they thought baby Woodcock was a Senorita and mustaches if a Senor.
There was was Birthday Cake, Margaritas and a Baby Sex Reveal to come... Before we knew it the time was here. My nephews and niece all took swings at the pinata with little Autumn being the one to bring in the good news! All of a sudden PINK candy came pouring out! We are having a girl! Jay was on "team mustache" and I was on "team clip on's", so I guess you can say mother knows best. Even though my gut was telling me this was a little girl, I still cant describe the shock and amazing joy that came upon me. Second to my wedding day, it was one of the biggest highlights in my life so far. It just felt so real to know what this little baby was inside me.
We are both are so thrilled with the news and feel so blessed to have the chance to be parents for the first time. Thank you to all our friends and family who helped make the day that much more special for us!
Here is the video. I need to learn to edit :) That is my next project.
I remember when I was getting married that a clutch was one of the last things I bought or even thought of. I was so focused on my dress, shoes, earrings and tan :) that I had completely forgotten about the need of a clutch. You will want to carry around lipstick and touch up makeup on the day of. It will be one of the only nights you will be okay leaving behind your cell phone, but you will definitely want your gloss!!
Check out Etsy for a great collection of clutches! They are unique and often one of a kind.
Cady Briar has a great line of clutches and accessories on Etsy:
You know how looking at one blog can then lead you to a million? And before you know it you have been sucked in for hours and your eyes are starting to burn? Well, that is how I stumbled upon this great site. I am loving all the different categories that Layla Grayce carries. Not to mention their items are quality pieces and carry such a distinguished style.
I was very close to making a few impulsive purchases. Brides and Mothers to be, you can set up a gift registry on here as well. I love finding new and unique places to register.
I was lucky to have the chance to be interviewed by NBC's San Diego blog: The Feast. May is their wedding month and they will be interviewing different vendors in the industry. Make sure to keep the site on your radar as there will be great tips along the way.
I almost did not share this with you, as I hate watching myself on video but I decided to put the vanity away and share the interview!
Thank you to, "The Feast" for leading us to the best places to eat, shop and play in our gorgeous city!
As we have seen again so beautifully done during the Royal Wedding, hats are back! It was so much fun to look at all the creative pieces that the people of England were accessorizing with. I love the tradition and hope it never dies. I am seeing more and more brides accessorize themselves with the most unique pieces. Lo Boheme has such a great selection of modern and vintage accessories.
