Liza

Goin’ to the Chapel event – Week 1: Invitations, Announcements & More

 goin to the chapel event, photos, stationery, wedding, wedding planning  No Responses »
Jun 092011
 
After you’ve booked your photographer and know your dates one of the next things you’ll likely want to do is to select your stationery.  The number of design options available can be downright staggering, especially considering you may need or want each of the following:

  • Save the Date cards
  • Engagement party invitations
  • Bridal shower invitations
  • Bachelorette party invitations
  • Wedding invitations
  • Response cards
  • Reception cards
  • Thank you cards
  • Address labels
That list is probably more than comes to mind when you think of needing wedding stationery.  And not all of it may be applicable to you and your wedding plans.  Once you decide what you need, however, then you need to decide if you want different looks for different events or if you want everything to coordinate.  For example, I would probably want my wedding invitations and response and reception cards to all match and to also have matching address labels.  I would probably use my Save the Date cards to show off a little of our personality.  And for a bridal shower, maybe something a touch more girlie or feminine that’s different from all the other selections.

Pear Tree Greetings has a brand new wedding line for 2011 with a number of designs to match the look you’re trying to achieve no matter what your tastes.  Pear Tree Greetings, which designs produces and distributes special occasion stationery, was founded in 2005.  They focus on offering high quality, top trend products at an affordable price.
Pear Tree Greetings sent me a sampling of some of their new line.  First are some of their Save the Date cards.  They included the Simple Happiness, Classy Flourish and Lucky in Love styles.

Lucky in Love, Classy Flourish & Simple Happiness

They also included two Save the Date magnets (Simply Getting Married and Blocked Collage) which I think are a great idea.  Hard to forget about something stuck to the fridge!

Blocked Collage & Simply Getting Married

For the bridal shower, they have quite a few cute ideas.  They even have cards specifically for a couples shower; I like the BBQ one the best, I think.  I don’t think I’ve known anyone that’s every had a BBQ for their shower, but I say thumbs up to the idea.  And if you’re planning to include recipe cards for the bride-to-be you can order those, too, so they all match.
Collage of bridal shower invitations
 The bachelorette party invitations were really fun and some were even a little sassy, which I loved.  It’s a toss-up between the “Ooh LaLa” and “Last Fling” for my favorite.

Bachelorette party invitations
For the wedding invitations themselves they have a number of choices ranging from vintage to more timeless to very modern.  They invitations have coordinating reception information, sticker (to seal), RSVP card, etc.
Sweet Calligraphy Wedding Invitation set
Vibrant Pattern – Vintage Wedding Invitations
Modern Monogram Wedding Invitation
From the sample cards, notes, stickers and magnets that I received in the mail I can vouch for the fact that the quality of their products is high (they use heavy matte card stock).  Everything had a good weight to it and felt like it would stand up to being mailed without being damaged.  The printing was exceptionally clear and the colors really popped.  And for my Earth-friendly readers – many, if not all, of their products are 100% recycled.  If I were in the market for these products I can honestly say I would shop with them.
Pear Tree Greetings is sponsoring both a weekly theme prize which will be posted at the end of the week as well as an item for the grand prize pack so be sure to keep an eye open on Friday or Saturday to get entered to win!  And if you’re still deciding on your stationery needs, please take a moment to visit them; you’ll be inspired, I’m sure!

Don’t forget to leave your comments on the first two posts for the week to score some extra giveaway entries!

I received product samples for free to facilitate this review.  I received no compensation and all opinions are 100% mine.

Goin’ to the Chapel event – Week 1: Choosing a photographer

 Giveaways, goin to the chapel event, photography, Reviews, wedding  1 Response »
Jun 072011
 


Pin It

Most folks who have planned a wedding will tell you that one of the most important aspects of planning their wedding was selecting their photographer.  Obviously you want someone who is going to capture all moments of your wedding and reception, both big and small.  Someone who has an eye for the little details, who will fade into the background and snap great pictures without you tripping over them, who can calmly guide your friends and family into posing without causing sighs or tears.
Engagement Photo by Damie Ann Photography
Here are some questions you’ll want to ask yourself when choosing the best photographer for you:
  1. What kind of photography do you prefer?  Whether you like the thought of mostly classic, posed shots or you prefer more candid photos, or even a combination of both, you want to know what you’re looking for so you can find someone that’s a good match.
  2. How long do you want them for?  You may just want them for the service and then a few pictures before or after of the bridal party.  You may want them for pre- and post-photos, and the ceremony plus the reception.  Or your may want someone that will capture all the moments from the first day forward and have them take your engagement photos, bridal shower, wedding, reception and everything in between.
  3. How many pictures do you want?  Some photographers may just try and capture the key moments or posed pictures, and others will basically hold the trigger down and take 1000s of shots.  Decide how many images you want to be able to pick from so you can articulate that with the photographer.
  4. Do you get along?  That may seem like a strange question, but you want to have a good rapport with them so that you feel comfortable asking for what you want.  They may be the professional, but this is your day!
  5. What is your comfort level with “the technical stuff”?  If you’re going to need someone to do more than hand the image disk over to you, consider that when you’re interviewing.  You may want someone who will also crop, color, do corrections, make prints, and create albums.
Engagement Photo by Damie Ann Photography
 After you’ve decided what you want, here are some tips for signing someone that fits the bill:
  1. Start early.  Many of the best photographers have booked their schedules years in advance, so once you know your date(s), you’ll want to get on their calendar.
  2. Ask for recommendations.  Check with family, friends, aquaintences, colleagues – anyone whose opinion you trust that’s recently used a professional.  Be sure to refer back to your list of questions, though, because being the top pick of someone else doesn’t automatically make them them right for you.  It’s a good place to start, though.
  3. Check their work.  Ask to see their portfolio, look at their website and ask for references.  When perusing the photos keep your own wedding in mind.  For example if you are having an outdoor wedding but their indoor pictures are stronger than their outdoor one, you might want to keep searching.
  4. Conduct interviews.  Hold a phone interview with your list of favorites to further narrow it down.  Use the list of the above questions and ask them of the photographer to see if you really do match up.  Some additional questions you may want to ask:
    • Do you have backup equipment, and is it the same quality?
    • When will my proofs be ready?
    • Do you mark your proofs?  If so, is there an extra charge to receive unmarked proofs?
    • Have you worked at my particular location before?
    • Do we get to keep our negatives?
  5. Meet them.  Once your list is narrowed down to the top two or three finalists go and meet them in person.  You’ll get a better feel for their personality, can check out their equipment and may see more recent examples of their work in their studio.  You’ll also get a sense of their professionalism; is their studio well-kept or are notes and appointments scattered around?  You want your photographer to be organized.
  6. Sign a contract.  Negotiate the price (everything is negotiable, no matter what the “list” price is), solidify the details, specify the photographer (this is important; some larger studios may just send whomever is available that day and not the person you’ve met and worked with), double-check the date, include the engagement, shower and any other parties if applicable and then get it all in writing.  This isn’t class pictures that can be redone fairly easily; this is your wedding, so it’s a one-shot deal.
There are so many things to consider!  Hopefully these questions and tips will help make it go a little more smoothly for you.

If you’re in the northern Maine area you may want to consider one of the Goin’ to the Chapel event sponsors, Damie Ann Photography, for any of your photography needs.  The engagement photos above are her work.  And if you’re not in the area but are looking for someone to do editing work on existing photos (black & white, coloring effects, corrections, adding text, etc.) she also offers that service.

Goin’ to the Chapel event – Week 1: Planning

 goin to the chapel event, wedding, wedding planning  No Responses »
Jun 052011
 
Welcome to the “Goin’ to the Chapel” event!

I’m excited to be talking about wedding-related topics this month.  It’s getting closer and closer to October when my brother will be marrying his fiance, and it’s been fun to watch them get ready for it.  It may be cliche to say, but young love is a great thing.

This week I’ll be focusing on one of the most time-consuming – and most fun – parts of the wedding, and that’s planning!  Most women have at least some idea of what they want for a wedding before they’re even asked; many have been dreaming and planning since they were little girls.  So once the proposal is made, it doesn’t take any time at all before you see them surrounded by bridal magazines, vendor catalogs, hairstyle guides and honeymoon brochures.  While it’s definitely fun it can also be a little overwhelming, especially if you aren’t having a very long engagement.

One great resource for wedding planning that may help you keep it organized is TheKnot.com.  The Knot is what I would consider to be the most comprehensive wedding planning site there is.  You’ll find something for every aspect of your planning:
They also have some really great tools to use on their site, my favorite being the wedding checklist.  You will not overlook anything if you use this checklist.  The checklist counts down how many to-dos you have, how many you’ve completed, and how many reminders you have.  Then it breaks it all down all your tasks by how far in advance you should be completing them.
TheKnot.com Wedding Checklist & Planner
Many are standard suggestions; you can delete the ones that don’t apply to you as well as create your own custom ones.  The details on the task list are quite awesome, actually, down to “pick up your wedding rings and check the inscription before leaving the store” and “work on a ‘must play’ list (and also include a ‘do-not-play’ list) for the DJ or band”.  Print a copy of this thing off at the start of each week, tuck it in your purse, and you’ll be able to enjoy the planning phase with as little stress as possible.

When you mention “stress” and “weddings” naturally one cause of that stress is how to pay for it.  Whether it’s a fairytale wedding complete with white doves and a carriage ride or a more modest ceremony and reception down to an intimate family-only bare-foot-on-the-beach exchange of vows, what things cost can set a lot of people on edge.  Questions like  can quickly turn fun into a fight.

The Knot’s wedding budget tool can help you set a budget and play around with different options to help you determine if having an 8-tier cake and a chocolate fountain and a candy table for the kids is really as important as you initially thought or if springing for more flowers is more important to you.  There’s also a section for budget weddings that may help you as well.

One last section that you might find both useful and fun is the wedding website tool that helps you make a custom wedding website where you can tell the story of you and your fiance, share photos, share your registries and much more.  These are especially nice if you have family spread out across the country or if family members and friends on both sides have not really had a chance to spend much time together.  You can also create a personalized “wedding ticker” to add to your Facebook page, blog or email signature to let people know how close it is!  You choose from a number of different backgrounds, ending images, add your wedding date and then can even add optional custom text at the top.

Wedding Countdown Ticker

Check back the rest of the week as we go more in depth for some of the planning stages, including selecting a photographer and florist, getting in wedding shape with a skin care and health regimen, selecting invitations and more.

Don’t forget – at the end of each week until July 2nd there will be a list of giveaways that match the week’s theme.  Visit the sponsors throughout the week and get a head-start on your entries!  See below for an extra entry opportunity, too.  And if you’d like to sign up for the giveaway blog-hop the last weekend of the month, get the details here.

For an extra entry into all of the giveaways that will be held this month – including the grand prize package – please share your best wedding planning tip in the comments section.  Or if you’d rather, you can ask a planning-related question and see what advice you might get!

AnnieWear – Review & Discount

 baby, kids, pets, promo code, Reviews, shopping  1 Response »
Jun 032011
 
One of the things that I dislike about living where we are right now is that there isn’t enough space to have a dog.  I love dogs.  I literally grew up with a dog; my parents picked up their puppy just a few weeks before I came home, and we were pretty much inseparable.  Even though I’m told that I did confuse the poor thing when I first learned to talk, because my Mom would always tell the dog to “get away” and I thought his name was “Get”.  So I’d chase him around trying to hug him all while telling him to get away from me.

I’m very much looking forward to us finally finding a new place (yes, we’re still looking) where we have a yard big enough for a pup.  I really want Baby C to have a furry friend to grow up with.  Not only for the play and unconditional love experience, but I also think it teaches responsibility.

AnnieWear

If you’re like me and you’re a dog (or cat!) lover, then you are going to love the line of animal-themed baby and kids clothes and gifts at AnnieWear.  Not only are their designs adorable but a portion of all the sales are donated to animal rescue programs around the country.  The company is actually named after the founder’s own rescued dog, Annie, who came from the Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue.

The shirt I received came packaged very securely and wrapped in pretty hunter green tissue paper.  As I opened it, you couldn’t help but say “awww” when you saw the design on the shirt.

Opening my AnnieWear pacakge
And of course, once we put it on Baby C, I had to say “awww” again!
Baby C in her “good girl!” onesie
The AnnieWear signature “Good Girl!” onesie is a size 3-6 months, and as you can see, it’s just a smidgen big on Baby C who is 14 weeks, but that’s normal of most clothes for her right now.  It comes in black, white, lime, lavender and turquoise and goes up to size 12-18 months.  You can get it in both long and short sleeve versions.  The quality is also very nice; the shirt is 100% ringspun combed cotton and the design is silk screened with non-toxic durable ink.

We really like the shirt; it feels so soft and Baby C looked mighty comfortable in it.  And at $22.50 it makes a reasonably priced gift for any pet lover and their child.  I have a friend that is recently pregnant.  She is a big dog-lover and I can definitely see getting her an AnnieWear item as a gift once she knows and shares the gender.


Even though the prices are reasonable, it’s always better when you can get something on sale!  So AnnieWear has generously provided a 15% discount for all of you!  Just use promo code BLOG2011 at the checkout.

Please share below if you find something you love!

The Fine Art of Insincerity – Book Review

 books, Reviews  No Responses »
Jun 012011
 
I have loved reading for as long as I can remember.  I can remember when I was very little my parents reading to me; the memories are so firmly etched in my brain that I can vividly recall not only the stories and words themselves but also the pictures on the pages.  Fast forward a few years and I can’t count the nights during elementary school that I’d park myself under the covers with a flashlight and read past my bedtime.  I’m lucky that my parents were happy to feed my “addiction” and took me to family night at the public library, let me order from every Scholastic form that came across my desk and bought me the entire series of the Babysitters Club books (and that’s a lot of books).

I still love to read, I just have much less time to do it.  The invention of the e-readers has definitely made it easier, at least for me.  Now I can just load up my Nook color with all the books that I am interested in, and when I catch a spare minute while waiting in the doctor’s office or to pick A2 up from football practice or on the couch after Baby C has fallen asleep on my lap, I can flip through a few pages of one of them.

Recently I had the opportunity to read a new book called The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt.  Ms. Hunt is the author of more than 100 books, including the New York Times Bestselling novel The Note which was filmed as the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movie for 2007 (it was the highest rated television movie in the channel’s history).
The Fine Art of Insincerity
This book centers around three sisters – Ginger, Pennyroyal and Rosemary – who return to empty their late grandmother’s cottage where, after losing their mother at a very young age their father would send them to spend every summer.  Between them they had nine marriages, causing them to wonder if they had inherited “the Grandma Gene” as their Gran had herself been married seven times.  They each also had a number of secrets that they were keeping from their spouses, each other and, in some cases, themselves.

I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy the book after reading the first sentence of Chapter 1 that reads “Even without a calendar, I can feel MondayIt’s these secrets and the relationships between the sisters that really draw you into the book. settling into my bones.”  I mean, who hasn’t woken up and had the same feeling at one point or another in their lives?  While that was Ginger’s chapter (each chapter is written as coming from a different sister and bounces back and forth among them), as you get to know all the sisters you feel that it was a sentiment that could easily have come from any of them.  One sister is about to find out that her husband is unfaithful, another is bored with hers and is tempting herself with thoughts of another, and the last is plotting the end of her own life in search for freedom. 

The book is a fairly quick read.  It’s the kind of novel that you’d want to take out onto the hammock or to the beach and finish it off in a day or two.  There are a lot of interesting webs both holding the family together and keeping them apart at the same time, and these webs keep the pace moving right along.  The overall themes may seem a little less than light, but the lessons learned and conclusion make any “sniffly” parts worth it.


I received a free copy of this book to facilitate my review but no other compensation.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

 Older Entries  Newer Entries