Liza

Jun 272011
 
Throughout the Goin’ to the Chapel series I’ve mentioned having a “Big Day Bag” a few different times in my posts.  But what exactly is a Big Day Bag?
A Big Day Bag is basically an emergency kit, also called a wedding day survival kit.  It’s full of things you might not think you’d need – and that you hopefully won’t need – but that you’ll want to have just in case.  Here are a list of items you might want to pack in one:
  • Band Aids
  • Safety Pins
  • Tissues
  • Floss (you would be amazed at the myriad of uses floss have. It’s like Duct Tape.)
  • A small sewing kit
  • Mints
  • Aspirin or other pain reliever
  • Baby Wipes
  • Snacks and cold bottles of water (for you and your bridal party)
  • Double-sided tape
  • Mini hairspray and mini brush
Of course you may want to include other things, as well.  If you’d like to save yourself having to think through what you need, there are some great wedding day survival kits that you can purchase.  The Knot has a Wedding Day Survival Kit that has some of the above items (and some additional ones).  Amazon also have one for the groom, the bridesmaids, and mother of the groom.

Having a kit – either purchased or homemade – will be well worth the time, effort and cost if it helps keep something random from ruining your big day!

Jun 272011
 

When it comes to the ceremony and reception everyone seems to look for those finishing touches that help either add something special or create memories, like the photo cufflinks I told you about earlier this week.  For my cousin’s wedding almost two years ago now she and her mother made homemade jam in a number of different flavors and provided them as favors at the reception.  Not only was it a nice homemade gift that reflected something she enjoyed, she also has the memory of cooking up all those batches with her mom.

Unique Wedding and Reception Ideas

Here are a few other suggestions for things to add or do during the ceremony that are a little unique:

  • Consider a photo guest book. Have one of your attendants take a Polaroid of each guest or group of guests (however they arrive) and then add the photo to the guestbook or scrapbook and have them sign below it.
  • Get married by candlelight for a romantic touch.
  • Have the officiant stand down on the floor while you stand on stairs or a platform so that your guests can see your faces and expressions instead of just the back of your heads.

And here are some unique thoughts for the reception:

  • When choosing food, go regional.  From New England?  Then you might want lobster bisque or clam chowder.  Does your town have it’s own brewery?  Try stocking your bar with it or have the local claim-to-fame cocktail be your signature drink.
  • Try a candy “bar” at your reception.  Gather old glass apothecary jars, colored vases, tea cups – whatever containers best fit your theme.  Then fill them with a collection of candies.  Rock candy on sticks, jelly beans, layers of colored M&Ms, swirled lollipops and other brightly colored candies really stand out.  The kids will love it (and so will the adults).  See some sample photos here at the Disney Food Blog (one of my faves!).
  • Do a dessert sampling table.  Offer a variety of small desserts like chocolate covered strawberries, brownies, bites of cheesecake dipped in chocolate, mini strawberry shortcakes, etc.  If a family member has a dessert they are “known” for (with my Gram it would be her famous peanut butter fudge and frosted chocolate brownies), consider asking them to share a couple of batches.  It gives your loved ones a way to contribute to the festivities and makes everything a little more personal.

What unique wedding and reception ideas do you have?

Jun 262011
 
So the big day is (hypothetically) here and there are a million last minute thoughts flying through your head.  You’re stressing out because the blemish on your chin (that no one else can see) looks as big as a house, the flower girl missed her nap and is in the middle of a melt-down, and the ring bearer has decided that neither McDonald’s nor a new truck is enough payment to keep his jacket on and walk down the aisle.

I can’t help much with two and three, but Milene from Mary Kay can help you with the first one.

To start with, the morning of your wedding isn’t really the first day that you want to start experimenting with a new look.  By the time the big day arrives you want to have already decided on your colors, style, application process, etc.  But before you get to the big day, definitely play around!  It’s a one-day event and so you may want to shake things up a little bit with a special look.  As with anything, I’m big on “try before you buy” when feasible.  The Virtual Makeover on Milene’s Mary Kay site is a great way to do just that.  You can choose to use one of the site models or for a more authentic display upload your own photo.  From there you get to play with everything from lipstick, liner and gloss to eye color and cheek color.  You can even choose accessories – including bridal veils! – to see how it’s all going to pull together.
Mary Kay Bridal Makeover in “Natural”
Maybe you’re a gun-shy when it comes to choosing cosmetics or colors.  Not only can you get recommended looks by skin tone and “look” (natural, dramatic, and classic) and makeup artist looks by trend, you can get makeup artist bridal look recommendations.  Seriously perfect, right?  There are seven recommended bridal looks, including classic, glamorous and evening.  When you choose each look a virtual Mary Kay compact filled with all the matching products shows up on the right so that you know what to select and a “buy this look” button makes it easy to snag them all at once.
Mary Kay Bridal “Emergency Kit”
You can also check out the “Vow Factor” section that shows all the bridal kits.   My favorite is the Emergency Kit that comes with Soothing Eye Gel, Oil-Free Makeup Remover, Brow Gel and Oil-Absorbing Blotting Papers.  The products look compact and easy to toss into your Big Day bag and with the tears you’re likely to shed during or after the ceremony it could be a lifesaver.  Swipe off the old makeup, touch-up with some new.  Give your eyes a little break with the eye gel on the limo ride to the reception.  Keep your brow, nose and chin shine-free for the hundreds of pictures that are sure to be snapped that day.  Really seems like a great kit and something that might be a nice gift for the bride.

No matter what you choose to create your look for your ceremony – or if you decide to hire someone to do it for you – you’ll want to have made decisions and had a couple of dry runs ahead of time.  It will save you a few extra moments of stress the morning of, and with the flower girl in tears and the ring bearer having run off, you’ll want every stress-free moment you can get!

Thanks to Milene, Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant, for sharing the information on how Mary Kay can help you with your wedding day look, and for providing a great prize for the Week 3 giveaways!

Jun 232011
 
Disney*Pixar’s Cars 2
It’s an exciting summer for a Disney fan like me.  First the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  Now Disney*Pixar’s Cars 2 which revs into theaters in Disney 3D tomorrow, June 24th!  And right around the corner are a number of other Disney films that I’ll be sharing with you as we get closer to the release dates.
Disney*Pixar’s Cars 2
Cars 2 has star racecar Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and tow truck Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) taking their friendship to exciting new places.  They head overseas together to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car.  The road to the championship is filled with potholes, detours and surprises when Mater gets caught up in international espionage!  Mater has to decide between helping Lightning McQueen or helping with the top-secret mission led by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voiced by Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voiced by Emily Mortimer).  The journey leads Mater on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe being watched by the whole world.


The folks at Disney have put together a huge collection of great free activities for Cars 2 fans, as well.  There are crafts, recipes and activity sheets.  Check out the samples below and then download the entire collection here.
Tow Mater Cookies
Lightning McQueen Air Freshener
Tire Track T-Shirts
For more fun Disney*Pixar’s Cars 2 information, text CARS to DISNEY (347639), check out their website, “like” them on Facebook and follow their updates on Twitter!

Now for the giveaway!  Win a Cars 2 prize pack including a t-shirt, puzzle and 2 sheets of temporary tattoos.

Disney*Pixar’s Cars 2 Prize Pack
Please fill out the form below and tell me what size youth t-shirt you’d like (sponsor will try their best on sizes).  You can do as many or as few of the other optional entries as you would like.
Quick links to:
“Like” Shopping for Savings on Facebook
Follow @LMC502 on Twitter

Giveaway open to those residents of the US ages 18 and older.  The giveaway will end at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, July 3rd.  I will select a winner with Random.org and the winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be selected.

The prize pack is being provided by the sponsor; I received no compensation.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.  © 2011 Disney/Pixar

Disney*Pixars Cars 2 © 2011 Disney/Pixar
Jun 232011
 
Rue La La, one of the boutique daily deal sites, is having a “Style. I Do!” sale (curated by The Knot which I posted about during Week 1) that will be running for the next 36 hours.  They have wedding dresses, tuxes, veils, bridal accessories, shoes and more!  Prices are low – nearly $2000 wedding dresses selling for less than $400, and some wedding gowns for less than $100 – and inventory is going fast.  Pop over there now to grab some goodies at a steep discount before they’re gone.

Here are some examples of sale items:
Private Collection Pleated Bodice Wedding Gown
DaVinci Beaded  Satin Wedding Gown

Majorica Silver & Pearl Necklace
Kenneth Cole 2-Button Tuxedo
Elie Tahari Black Stripe Silk Tie