Great Christmas Gift Idea!

I saw this on Brooklyn Bride; these wedding cake replica ornaments are made by Etsy seller gorgeousredhead.What a cute ornament for a newlywed couple to add to their Christmas tree!

Gifts For The Cure

As my grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, I've done all that I can to support breast cancer research and support and do at least one Race for the Cure each year (I once ran one on showshoes!). Naturally, when I saw this in the American Cancer Society's Hope Shop , I had to buy them for my bridesmaids.

I will use them as welcome bags (which will include each girl's favorite snack, a Nalgene waterbottle in her favorite color, a pair of flip flops from Old Navy in her favorite color and an enamel picture frame in the wedding colors.)

Portions of the proceeds from the sale of the bags benefit the American Cancer Society. To purchase, for $10 each visit www.cancer.org/hopeshop. Happy shopping!

Letter Your Legacy Lust

I would love to spell out our married name and hang one of these pieces from Letter Your Legacy in our master bedroom. In the meantime, I will settle for ordering them for others (my parents and grandparents) for Christmas.

What creative gifts or objects of lust have you found during your wedding browsing?

Products/photo credits http://www.letteryourlagacy.com/.

Things I Love...Registry Edition

I feel very blessed to say that I have just about everything a girl could want; I have a beautiful home of my own, great friends, a supportive family and a wonderful fiance. When it came time to register, Andrew and I tried to be spares because there was very little that we needed. However, seeing this today on Weddingbee reminded me that even the girl who has it all can still dream from time to time. How beautiful is this china? I din't even know I wanted china until I saw it. Anything on your registry that you are coveting?

Summer Sale!!

Expressionary.com is having a summer sale; 30% off with free shipping. I actually found a code HOME4 that works as 40% off and free shipping. Expressionary has adorable items from personalized note cards to embossed cards and address stamps. I would highly recommend this site! I got Christmas gifts (personalized note cards and matching address labels) for 6 people and 50 personalized thank you cards for shower/early wedding gifts for under $200. Not bad, I would have to say.

The Bucket List

Andrew and I saw "The Bucket List" as a part of our Valentine's festivities last year. Of course, the conversation naturally turned to the items on our own bucket lists (things we would like to do before we die). Two of his items were skydiving and heli-skiing (taking a helicopter to the top of a mountain and skiing down). For our anniversary this year I got him a gift certificate to go skydiving (Even though I had been, I was so nervous that something would happen to him! Guess that means I am growing up!). I plan to keep giving him experiences from his list as gifts, and am saving up to buy him a gift certificate to go heli-skiing as a wedding day gift. Hopefully I will be able to keep it a secret until then!!

Boudoir Photos

Tomorrow I am having a boudoir photos taken at the studio of Trystan Photography here in Denver: http://www.trystanphotography.com/. They have an excellent package, which includes a 2 hour session and a 5"x 5" custom hard cover album for $325! I am excited but nervous to see how it will go. To prepare, I spent Sunday at Revive Day Spa, getting a facial, mani, pedi and the requisite bikini wax. I had my nails painted the gorgeous red pictured above. Today I am getting my hair cut and colored, at Denver's recently named top salon, Luxe. Tomorrow, Mary from Luxe will do my hair and I am having my makeup done at Simply Moore in Cherry Creek. I will be sure to post before/after hair and make up pics as I am using them as my pre-wedding trials as well as boudoir photo prep. Don't worry, I'll be keeping the pictures themselves to myself!

For the photo shoot itself, I am packing the following "outfits":

• 1 set consisting of a pink and black swiss dot bra, panty and corset with matching black stockings and black stilettos


• 1 set consisting of a nude lace cami and boy shorts with chocolate brown ankle strap stilettos


• 1 pair of a navy print panties with a white bow and a dress shirt of Andrew's (I had to get creative when making up an excuse to take his shirt!)


• 1 pair of lace thong panties, my veil, tiara and silver kitten heel wedding shoes to be worn with a string of pearls

As I have never done this before, I can't help but wonder..am I missing anything?

Does It Get Any Better Than This?

I have been coveting a "cruiser"-style bicycle for at leat two years. Guess what was waiting for me when I returned from Maine? I'm starting to think that I should go away on vacation more often!! Even better, mine has streamers and a bell too! It was 2am when I found it, so I had to wait until the next morning to ring the bell. It was worth the wait! Just another reason why I just can't wait to marry Andrew. He is always so thoughtful!

$20 for Pashmina

You heard me right. I got one for myself and one for my sis (MOH). With a price that low, I couldn't resist! www.bbcrafts.com

Another Great Gift for the Groom

I am working on filling this out to give to Andrew on our wedding day. I have been having so much fun, and love the constant reminder of the many reasons I love him. I hope he will too!

On A Gift Buying Binge

I picked two of these up last week, one for a friend who will be reading in my wedding and another who will be my guestbook attendant. I wanted to get them a little something for being a part of my big day. Luckily, Victoria's Secret was having an amazing fragrance sale (7 for $35 with an 8th free), so I was able to score a lotion, shower gel and body spray for these gals, and one to add to the tote I got from my sister, also from www.preppymonogrammedgifts.com. Love them! Of course I had to pick up a few things for myself while I was there!!

Gifts For My Gals

Since many of my best gals have never been BMs, I wanted to make their first experience a positive one. Translation-they are going to be very spoiled!!

When they arrive, the BMs, GMs and their dates will be picked up at the airport in the 3 cargo vans (15 passenger) we have rented and will be whisked away to beautiful Estes Park and the cabins we have reserved for them there.

The lovely ladies will each receive one of these reusable grocery bags, which I found at Target. Since we are having a Colorado wedding, and Andrew and I are certified "greenies", I thought this gift would be great from our hearts to theirs...



Now for the inside of the bag....

And on a green note, but a practical one, as Colorado is VERY dry and you must drink A TON of water when you are here, each BM will receive a Nalgene bottle (very Colorado and also very environmental) in their favorite color, like so....

Additionally, in their favorite color will be a pair of the ever affordable, ever useful, Old Navy flip flops (purchased and image from www.oldnavy.com). I am proud of myself because I got them on sale!

Because I found them on sale at Target, and because I am a sucker for a good theme, I got the girls brown enamel frames with pink/green polka dots to add to their bags. This is not the exact frame, but is also adorable. It can be found at http://www.lapetiteplayhouse.com/.

I thought the bags were a fun, on vacation, summer-campish gift, which will be appropriate because we are staying at a summer camp!! The bags will also include each BMs favorite treat.

On a more formal note, the girls will each be receiving one of these to wear on the wedding day. I bought them at http://www.shaneco.com/. which is where this image is from. Thank you economic stimulus! I almost had enough to cover all 7!

And, the fun does not stop there. On the night of the rehearsal dinner, along with their pearls, the girls will all receive a letter than says a day of pampering has been planned in their honor. They will be treated to a brunch at the Dunshabe Teahouse, a mani/pedi at ten20 and will receive a $50 gift certificate toward getting their hair done. It will be an entire afternoon of pampering before our 7:00p.m. ceremony.

What do you think? How did I do?

Gifts for the Parents

Another item in under budget! I found a digital picture frame on sale with a rebate at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Score! I thought it would be a more "modern" alternative for our parents than a wedding album; as a bonus, we will receive all of our pictures digitally, so they will not have to choose favorites! I also thought that this was an especially cool gift, because we will be able to update them as significant events pass; since Andrew's parents live in MN, my parents live in IL and we live in CO, this will be a wonderful way for all of us to feel more connected across the miles.

Asking the Bridesmaids

I wanted to do something original to ask my best gals to be my bridesmaids. I also thought that the asking would be a fun way to reveal my engagement (which was hard for me, because anyone who knows me knows that I have a terrible time keeping good news secret). I turned to http://www.classybride.com/. I had seen the idea in a bridal mag (hard to say which one because I subscribe to so many); I sent jeweled tanks to all of my gals with their title (BM, MOH) on them that came in an adorable box that said....Will you be my? The girls love them (My 17 year old sister is already wearing her MOH tank!) and I think that they will be fun for the bachelorette festivities. Of course I also ordered one for me that is white and says bride in script :)