tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53964942849166947492024-02-19T21:14:36.933-05:00The Bear NecessitiesA blog about weddings, marriage, home ownership, cooking, and navigating the world as newlyweds.Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-36158000000523480862013-10-28T11:42:00.000-04:002013-10-28T11:42:08.067-04:00Fall recipes, crafts and ideas coming soonComing soon, fall recipes, craft ideas (including wreaths), and additional ideas. The fall has been quite busy and I promise to get this blog updated soon!Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-66377537217555912122013-09-11T10:33:00.000-04:002013-09-11T10:53:10.088-04:00Wedding Wednesday: Booking your Honeymoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Hello
blogosphere!</span> I hope everyone had
an enjoyable end to their summer! I
apologize for the lack of posts in August.
Work and personal life and enjoying the last bits of my favorite season
got in the way of blogging. <span style="line-height: 115%;">:)</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting
back into the swing of things, I wanted to post a Wedding Wednesday that I
think many other bridal blogs don’t necessarily touch on: The Honeymoon!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes,
technically it is after you have already been married, but it can be a detail
that brides and grooms struggle with.
You only have ONE honeymoon, so there can be a lot of pressure to make
the right decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
recommend investigating and thinking about your honeymoon early in the
process. It will help you budget and
plan accordingly. You want to make sure
you will leave yourself with enough time to take the vacation, as well as
enough funds to afford to go on the vacation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr.
Bear and I started by making a list of the types of things we wanted to be able
to do on our honeymoon. We determined we
wanted to go to a beach, but we also wanted to be active and adventurous and
wanted to go for about 10 days.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After
making this list, we began investigating destinations that would fit our
requirements. I found one of the most
helpful places to be Community Wedding Message Boards (i.e. weddingwire, theknot,
weddingbee) in addition to my go-to of TripAdvisor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
then made a short list of countries we would want to visit that fit into those
requirements and began investigating hotels (TripAdvisor is my favorite for
this) and types of activities/excursions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After
finding a lot of hotels and activities that met our desires in Costa Rica, we
made the decision to focus our honeymoon hunting there. Taking into account our budget, I narrowed it
down to a few hotels/resorts. There were
two areas in Costa Rica we wanted to hit: Arenal (a volcano area in the
rainforest), and Guanacaste (the resort focused area near the beach). Costa Rica ended up being the perfect decision. We went ziplining, waterfall rappelling, swimming in hot springs and hiking to a volcano. In the second part of our trip we enjoyed a relaxing time at the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhah6cF8L3g4M1aPzC_2RlkFsvQsXHlSC_aef3AJqzDAWXN5vaO9kM2BmUAODrsTcc0Piw4FkYQZlbIfbof8ZeVq6n_wBlHixB61CwHNj4NPJqRYm-c5AaASt0Y56r17nkeKDtqVMc/s1600/555465_3661637466087_230138260_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhah6cF8L3g4M1aPzC_2RlkFsvQsXHlSC_aef3AJqzDAWXN5vaO9kM2BmUAODrsTcc0Piw4FkYQZlbIfbof8ZeVq6n_wBlHixB61CwHNj4NPJqRYm-c5AaASt0Y56r17nkeKDtqVMc/s320/555465_3661637466087_230138260_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHosGh4HANFcHcUZkpGlC8djaQo2hZpezRTBnRmDgYDA0JpPyBt67Kka2foHtmcem7aK3lHZC5pHi4LV-UsDovGkJb6K-OUp61QUWiDEKPOUoqS1Tj2YUfC3LFpOtVf0ZVnB_W7ZI/s1600/557147_3661609145379_759735369_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHosGh4HANFcHcUZkpGlC8djaQo2hZpezRTBnRmDgYDA0JpPyBt67Kka2foHtmcem7aK3lHZC5pHi4LV-UsDovGkJb6K-OUp61QUWiDEKPOUoqS1Tj2YUfC3LFpOtVf0ZVnB_W7ZI/s1600/557147_3661609145379_759735369_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHosGh4HANFcHcUZkpGlC8djaQo2hZpezRTBnRmDgYDA0JpPyBt67Kka2foHtmcem7aK3lHZC5pHi4LV-UsDovGkJb6K-OUp61QUWiDEKPOUoqS1Tj2YUfC3LFpOtVf0ZVnB_W7ZI/s320/557147_3661609145379_759735369_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7fASRjylb0sI-p1IfzJleNMESp1-Suk089jQy6FiS9JH1Dlhhz-r-TQbcx7YXsz7Lqf-XtgsDdOKH_Fs3pu5X1G97ER7_FiQ3bN92hyphenhyphen1JlurnbxHkeZK_mh7jEYf_cEZcu1aWJc/s1600/562774_3661673786995_1971104265_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
am always the one to book and plan all aspects of a trip, but it became relatively overwhelming trying to figure out flights, transportation,
hotel check-in, etc. This is where we
employed the help from some family friends who are travel agents. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7fASRjylb0sI-p1IfzJleNMESp1-Suk089jQy6FiS9JH1Dlhhz-r-TQbcx7YXsz7Lqf-XtgsDdOKH_Fs3pu5X1G97ER7_FiQ3bN92hyphenhyphen1JlurnbxHkeZK_mh7jEYf_cEZcu1aWJc/s1600/562774_3661673786995_1971104265_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7fASRjylb0sI-p1IfzJleNMESp1-Suk089jQy6FiS9JH1Dlhhz-r-TQbcx7YXsz7Lqf-XtgsDdOKH_Fs3pu5X1G97ER7_FiQ3bN92hyphenhyphen1JlurnbxHkeZK_mh7jEYf_cEZcu1aWJc/s320/562774_3661673786995_1971104265_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were very helpful in helping us book
flights (since we would be flying in and out of different airports), AND they
booked our transportation to and between the two hotels through a shuttle
company. It would have been much more
expensive and a larger headache had we booked the transportation ourselves. Additionally, since they made all of our
reservations through their systems, they were able to let all the companies
know we were on our honeymoon and we got many upgrades. Finally,
since we booked through them, we were able to pay for the trip in its entirety
before we went, only leaving incidentals and food, so we didn’t have to worry
about maxing out our credit card in a foreign country right after paying for
our wedding.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
you are doing a multi-destination honeymoon, or haven’t travelled out of the
country much, I highly recommend going through a travel agent. It will be one less thing you have to worry
about. Travel agents are very helpful in
recommending places that meet your desired experience if you don’t know where
to begin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obviously
every honeymoon doesn’t have to be an international or beachy affair! There are tons of great options in the States
and in locations that fit all types of vacationers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some
great options for those who want to get away but may not have a ton of time
they are able to take:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Rent
a nice cabin for a few nights in a romantic location. The Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee regions
have tons of options<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-On
the West Coast, do a few nights in Wine Country OR travel up to San Juan Island
in Washington<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-My
best friend and her new husband went to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-New
Englanders could also take advantage of the scenery in Maine<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-If
you are looking for a big city feel, there is always New York City.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Internationally,
think of places that might be outside the typical honeymooner’s thoughts. Friends of our went to Iceland for their
honeymoon! They have amazing pictures of
swimming in hot natural springs surrounded by snow!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There
really is a honeymoon for every budget and style. A little work in the beginning of your
engagement will lead to an excellent and exciting honeymoon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just
remember that flights fluctuate in cost.
Buying super early or relatively close to the date usually results in
the best prices, so why not book early and not have to worry about it later
when your wedding planning is in full swing!?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep in mind that you will want to have a concrete date for your wedding before making any travel
arrangements. Refunds or changing dates
can result in fees, etc. with the airline companies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One
last thing to think about; travel insurance. We didn’t purchase this, but I
highly recommend if you are planning to travel somewhere during the winter
months when snow or bad weather could impact your travel. Look into it and see what it covers. Ultimately it will be up to you whether it
seems like something that could be valuable to you and your soon-to-be spouse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Danielle<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-43144344494527468152013-08-20T11:53:00.002-04:002013-08-20T11:53:19.798-04:00Blog Update!I promise, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I have a few recipes and some Wedding Wednesday posts in my head, I just have to find the time to write them out. The end of summer has been super busy, and the new puppy is keeping Mr. Bear and I quite busy.<br />
<br />
I wanted to give a quick shout out and say THANK YOU to everyone who reads! I reached 3,000 page views last night! For a little blog that just started in April, I'd say that's pretty good! I hope you all find the posts helpful. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-6899436195632377832013-08-07T08:00:00.000-04:002013-08-07T08:00:04.518-04:00Wedding Wednesday: (Guest Post) Bridesmaid Asks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Wednesday! This week I was fortunate enough to have Steph, from <a href="http://willworkforshoesandvodka.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Will Work for Shoes and Vodka</a>, share an item from her current wedding planning; Bridesmaid Asks. These are a popular and cute way to ask your great friends to be in your wedding party!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope you enjoy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello Bear Necessities followers! I’m so excited Danielle asked me to be a part
of Wedding Wednesday this week! Danielle is a wonderful friend and I’m so
happy we can share our blogging hobby!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I’m going to show you some ideas for
asking your bridal party. First things
first, In order to ask them you have to pick them! Over the years I’ve seen and heard of all
kinds of compilations of bridal parties. Whether its one person or twenty
people, keep in mind it’s just as much an experience for them to be a part of
your special day as it is for you! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My fiancé, Chris, and I had some initial
struggles picking our party as we have siblings we wanted to be a part of it as
well as friends. We have such a close
group of college friends it was hard to pick and choose while keeping within
our initial vision of a small/medium sized group. We finally came up with the right combination
for us: our siblings (his younger brother and sister and my younger brother),
our best friends since forever (aka his best friend since birth, my two best
friends from high school), some of our college besties (one of his roommates
over the four years, one of his freshman dorm friends and one of my gal pals)
and one of our close friends from Columbus (she happens to be an identical
version of me, such fate!). In case you
lost track of numbers that adds up to five on each side, ten total. We felt this was a good variation of friends
and family that represented the different parts of our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once we had our group picked out we got to do
the fun part: asking! With the explosion
of Pinterest it seems the simple “Will you be in our wedding?” question isn’t
quite as simple anymore! Plus like I
said before, this is as much of an experience for them as it is for you so I
wanted our asks to be special. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my lifetime I've been asked to be in family
and friends’ weddings a number of different ways. The majority of them were in person. Funny anecdote: Danielle asked me and another
friend to be in her wedding one night when we were sharing cocktails and
discussing the wedding, then she said casually “Oh so speaking of the wedding,
wanna be my bridesmaids?” Such panache D,
such panache! I did have one invite
slide in via text but I chalked that up to an impatient/excited bride. Of course if your party is very
geographically spread out in person may not be feasible. Thankfully everyone we were asking lived
relatively close and those who didn't we had visits planned. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In typical guy fashion Chris didn't want much
fuss around it so there was no gift giving or special surprise it was just when
the time came, he asked. He tried for
moments when he was just one on one with the person to make it more
personal. I on the other hand wanted
something with a little more pizzazz and more suited to my personality. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I set out to find something not too over the
top (live butterflies and a music box? No thanks) as well as cost effective
(sorry no Tiff & Co. ladies!). I
also didn’t want to overshadow what I would eventually do for bridesmaid gifts
so I tried to keep it small. If you
couldn’t tell from my blog title I’m a big fan of cocktails so after some
researching I landed on champs (it actually ended up being prosecco but minor
detail) with personalized labels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uSwRmGKI7GXPFQvTmyIgNh_Z6UtuBD5GcyYIgCgzc-pp8QFZkhyXHLijie1wgA4hemfagMd1qKNWD6NlgO_sujOR4m2yQ-j5_2eIx3VrF1hgbBMQwNFld0QUsG4tSvTy7PftnLg/s1600/Pic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uSwRmGKI7GXPFQvTmyIgNh_Z6UtuBD5GcyYIgCgzc-pp8QFZkhyXHLijie1wgA4hemfagMd1qKNWD6NlgO_sujOR4m2yQ-j5_2eIx3VrF1hgbBMQwNFld0QUsG4tSvTy7PftnLg/s400/Pic1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had found this little poem on Pinterest so I
made print outs of that then set out to design the bottle label. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RKJe1Yop5s2FsI4WIe_HSuyublYJaKCjTf0hcNKSDtcLJ3VDyxD7qDmg79rpHqU2iwGEbH2XLI3nogCupW5yeIEu43OQamB38ZttahjaN6IhTnrSX5NlMWcPNual6Zej0a-hQAU/s1600/Pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RKJe1Yop5s2FsI4WIe_HSuyublYJaKCjTf0hcNKSDtcLJ3VDyxD7qDmg79rpHqU2iwGEbH2XLI3nogCupW5yeIEu43OQamB38ZttahjaN6IhTnrSX5NlMWcPNual6Zej0a-hQAU/s320/Pic2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I work in Marketing and have access to
Photoshop so I stayed late a few days at work to put the original design
together. I tried tying in our wedding
colors: black and white with red accents.
I’m a shutterbug/obsessed with Instagram and pictures so I wanted to
include a photo of each girl and myself.
Plus I obviously had to ask the big question! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcSAYO8wDcHE56KA0A7293lMLuLzzVbSR-YdM7BuAQTcjn-fdj6a8PJQlgwypnAY0ZhXb22fUMqE5ABtsH8jhB9chKhLYBFebRCjaE-vpnp3ZsM587y0MITN8Bn0Qfz2RxLkhfd0/s1600/Pic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcSAYO8wDcHE56KA0A7293lMLuLzzVbSR-YdM7BuAQTcjn-fdj6a8PJQlgwypnAY0ZhXb22fUMqE5ABtsH8jhB9chKhLYBFebRCjaE-vpnp3ZsM587y0MITN8Bn0Qfz2RxLkhfd0/s320/Pic3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1032" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Macintosh HD:Users:comm2:Documents:Personal:Wedding:champs label holly.jpg"
style='width:270pt;height:198pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DANIEL~1.EAR\AppData\Local\Temp\1\OICE_B628580B-A813-4BAC-A72A-92F777EF850C.0\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image005.jpg"
o:title="champs label holly"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I printed these on full sheet label paper, cut
them and stuck them to the bottles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_i1031" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Macintosh HD:Users:comm2:Documents:Personal:Blog:IMG_0896.JPG"
style='width:306pt;height:229.5pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DANIEL~1.EAR\AppData\Local\Temp\1\OICE_B628580B-A813-4BAC-A72A-92F777EF850C.0\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image007.jpg"
o:title="IMG_0896"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJkwfwzQo3aWNKhXltzYlfp67p3Wp8XMfPVRLTxhhf8Gman4oBGkk9C2ZgJrgU2feMhm0LhuAJP7GvlTTAViW5PzK17kjemZ87pnNw_zfiDTP7CvBFW6GP8UMLzQo_iKHvaJ2ml0/s1600/Pic4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJkwfwzQo3aWNKhXltzYlfp67p3Wp8XMfPVRLTxhhf8Gman4oBGkk9C2ZgJrgU2feMhm0LhuAJP7GvlTTAViW5PzK17kjemZ87pnNw_zfiDTP7CvBFW6GP8UMLzQo_iKHvaJ2ml0/s320/Pic4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think the trickiest part was finding suitable
pictures for each. For example, a lot of
my pictures with just Chris’ sister and I were kind of old since we typically
take pictures with the whole family. For
my maids of honor it was hard to find pictures that all three of us weren’t in
or that it didn’t look obvious that I’d cut the third out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made a tag with the poem to
place around the top of the bottle. I
used ribbon to loop around the top then glued the tag to it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0b4I2Q6qHDpf5aNsa4WPHVUuMplzXXIJ57aUWmG-M7aIhaG32eqvQJf1LOzhRxB68OBKTY7I4oiZ6n-4gPF1cXoCDxHk_agJC6dGOWqYhwbNlK3iJcOHDcGQzuT_iAIFceObcDs/s1600/Pic5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0b4I2Q6qHDpf5aNsa4WPHVUuMplzXXIJ57aUWmG-M7aIhaG32eqvQJf1LOzhRxB68OBKTY7I4oiZ6n-4gPF1cXoCDxHk_agJC6dGOWqYhwbNlK3iJcOHDcGQzuT_iAIFceObcDs/s320/Pic5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_5" o:spid="_x0000_i1030" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Macintosh HD:Users:comm2:Documents:Personal:Blog:IMG_0891.JPG"
style='width:312pt;height:234pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DANIEL~1.EAR\AppData\Local\Temp\1\OICE_B628580B-A813-4BAC-A72A-92F777EF850C.0\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image009.jpg"
o:title="IMG_0891"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wrapped it in a fun bottle
bag with polka dotted tissue paper in our colors. I got the prosecco at Kroger, the label paper
from Office Max, the bottle bags from World Market and the tissue from Hobby
Lobby. For the tags attached with ribbon
I had scrapbook paper for matting already on hand as well as the red ribbon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_7" o:spid="_x0000_i1029" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Macintosh HD:Users:comm2:Documents:Personal:Blog:IMG_0901.JPG"
style='width:166.5pt;height:285pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DANIEL~1.EAR\AppData\Local\Temp\1\OICE_B628580B-A813-4BAC-A72A-92F777EF850C.0\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image011.jpg"
o:title="IMG_0901"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuqoCdzPKK8KtaGPI_hr0a0UsXn2P5hbleVfW28DNRdnPUb1SgHcinE1G_CxQ3NErvO9IvjSYloKsRdFAwU0j2l7mnN4adntkBRPOvr03Ai9_fmnAIzOTy-3xHJUTXPyxwLJD1aQ/s1600/Pic6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuqoCdzPKK8KtaGPI_hr0a0UsXn2P5hbleVfW28DNRdnPUb1SgHcinE1G_CxQ3NErvO9IvjSYloKsRdFAwU0j2l7mnN4adntkBRPOvr03Ai9_fmnAIzOTy-3xHJUTXPyxwLJD1aQ/s320/Pic6.jpg" width="186" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then it was off to ask each
girl! This was the really fun part, they
were all a little confused as to why I was randomly giving them a gift then
they read the poem and their reactions were priceless! Chris’ sister told me “Nope, sorry I’m busy
that day” (kidding of course), some cried, some laughed but overall it was a
happy “yes” answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iZY7N9OuOGBXyDZtYi2FDdrdDd2kv5mIFC6YdBiI5UIJln47aERSchfeuM5pk2iV1cfvn96mpAdW1jujHz4Eozw9Se7UT7ZiI91Wt2WBreIgumPMdApLLb5XghW7haSLg03cxWQ/s1600/Pic7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iZY7N9OuOGBXyDZtYi2FDdrdDd2kv5mIFC6YdBiI5UIJln47aERSchfeuM5pk2iV1cfvn96mpAdW1jujHz4Eozw9Se7UT7ZiI91Wt2WBreIgumPMdApLLb5XghW7haSLg03cxWQ/s640/Pic7.jpg" width="576" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Macintosh HD:Users:comm2:Documents:Personal:Blog:bridesmaid asks.jpg"
style='width:279pt;height:309.75pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DANIEL~1.EAR\AppData\Local\Temp\1\OICE_B628580B-A813-4BAC-A72A-92F777EF850C.0\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image013.jpg"
o:title="bridesmaid asks"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are all kinds of ideas out there, some include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-
<!--[endif]-->treat them to lunch, drinks
or dinner<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-
<!--[endif]-->mail them a special package
with photos of you over the years, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_11" o:spid="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Macintosh HD:Users:comm2:Documents:Personal:Blog:bridesmaid ask package.jpg"
style='width:162pt;height:209.25pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DANIEL~1.EAR\AppData\Local\Temp\1\OICE_B628580B-A813-4BAC-A72A-92F777EF850C.0\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image015.jpg"
o:title="bridesmaid ask package"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulUV6EXEwsHCnVAy5ZA7ogVZCdGBtudmbMPmVtHHQWIl_MhoDuZiKCd4xgPSHnhb3XgjUqw7cNk2p8Rvr7_M8UGEXkQQhI0y-BEUIheohB8MC9uUdKY58lNt-hxoJ-WobYc07hXc/s1600/Pic8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulUV6EXEwsHCnVAy5ZA7ogVZCdGBtudmbMPmVtHHQWIl_MhoDuZiKCd4xgPSHnhb3XgjUqw7cNk2p8Rvr7_M8UGEXkQQhI0y-BEUIheohB8MC9uUdKY58lNt-hxoJ-WobYc07hXc/s1600/Pic8.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-
<!--[endif]-->send them a cute note <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_10" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Macintosh HD:Users:comm2:Documents:Personal:Blog:bridesmaid ask note.jpg"
style='width:171pt;height:114pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DANIEL~1.EAR\AppData\Local\Temp\1\OICE_B628580B-A813-4BAC-A72A-92F777EF850C.0\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image017.jpg"
o:title="bridesmaid ask note"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7mRcLL4D2utmbS02RCKninm3AGgYNIY_eY5osqaiSBUodJOMyMGLZppZ6sjgcXe_9T-IBZbDDOhRJvQjWNxAvxJ5x06scyXeoQ7POcX9xEkTLZ1gVuaLqZ-LqpKGgawt9MksWhw/s1600/Pic9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7mRcLL4D2utmbS02RCKninm3AGgYNIY_eY5osqaiSBUodJOMyMGLZppZ6sjgcXe_9T-IBZbDDOhRJvQjWNxAvxJ5x06scyXeoQ7POcX9xEkTLZ1gVuaLqZ-LqpKGgawt9MksWhw/s320/Pic9.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-
<!--[endif]-->a piece of jewelry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_9" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Macintosh HD:Users:comm2:Documents:Personal:Blog:bridesmaid ask necklace.jpg"
style='width:153pt;height:135.75pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DANIEL~1.EAR\AppData\Local\Temp\1\OICE_B628580B-A813-4BAC-A72A-92F777EF850C.0\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image019.jpg"
o:title="bridesmaid ask necklace"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTBo51RnEkG9Pg8FGp2tiyyci28UIAvfsk6xZFL6GA0c3K0C1R2KfrF4pXKZScfZsJ4pjKgx41qEQ4idd56YT4D0aFtwi1Oq5PWtyxaUsr1p32FZJ6MuKXXBQh06aOT8GR0QWDx4/s1600/Pic10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTBo51RnEkG9Pg8FGp2tiyyci28UIAvfsk6xZFL6GA0c3K0C1R2KfrF4pXKZScfZsJ4pjKgx41qEQ4idd56YT4D0aFtwi1Oq5PWtyxaUsr1p32FZJ6MuKXXBQh06aOT8GR0QWDx4/s320/Pic10.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For guys you can do booze, beer or cigars with
a nice note or poem attached. That is of
course if you can get your groom to agree to it. Chris was not into the ideas I showed him,
especially the notes and poems! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes
to bridal party ask ideas. Just choose
something that fits your personality and your budget and you’ll be all set!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks again for clicking in to Wedding
Wednesday, it was such a pleasure sharing this fun wedding related post!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steph</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks again to Steph for sharing! I look forward to collaborating with her on future guest posts!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Danielle</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-92052339101440806152013-07-26T08:58:00.000-04:002013-07-26T08:58:15.816-04:00Wedding Friday: Preserving the top of your cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm a few days late on this post, so today we have "Wedding Friday". "Wedding Wednesday" has a much better ring to it, but just go with it for this week. :)<br />
<br />
As I mentioned a few posts ago, Mr. Bear and I recently celebrated our 1st anniversary as husband and wife! In keeping with tradition, we saved the top tier of our wedding cake to eat on our anniversary.<br />
<br />
After defrosting, it actually still tasted pretty good! I had been nervous because most other married couples said theirs tasted horrible. I wanted to share how our cake was preserved in the hopes that others may have a similar experience (good cake).<br />
<br />
First and foremost, you have to start with a delicious cake. Ours was super moist at our wedding, and it had about 1/2" of buttercream frosting on the outside that locked in the flavor.<br />
<br />
Second, make sure whoever is baking the cake knows you want to keep the top tier of the cake. Our bakery left the caterer a small box for the top tier. This made it easier to take home. You will also want to make sure that your venue/caterer/whoever is cutting up the cake to serve knows that you want to keep the top tier of the cake so they don't cut it up and serve it. Additionally if you are saving the cake and it has a filling that needs to be refrigerated, make sure to tell your venue/caterer so they can keep it in the fridge for you until the end of the night (or the following day if you are collecting all of your items in the morning).<br />
<br />
After you take your cake top, you will want to take the box and put the entire box into a plastic bag. We used tall kitchen trash bags for this and tied them off in the middle of the bag to create a tighter seal. <br />
<br />
We then wrapped the cake in one more kitchen bag before placing in my parents' ice chest. We let the cake freeze, untouched for several weeks until we came home from our honeymoon and were able to pick it up.<br />
<br />
The cake then was transferred into our freezer and remained there until our first anniversary.<br />
<br />
A few days before our anniversary, I took the cake out of the freezer(still in the plastic) and placed in the fridge to defrost. After 2 days, we then cut into and ate the cake. It wasn't as moist as the original servings, but it was still pretty tasty!<br />
<br />
Here is a look at our cake after we cut into it:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgAdvZHDVpePzZds8wu075g3K5xPv6QBj6af5elP3Gykz2XTSsxj9hLliE-LXqHEyuu07s84Y-X03WPKkQLJNGvj1lTWVufBj4F9vf5uHR4dZL70IiL2VA8bVMgL1N6SjfXUPZI8/s1600/20130707_141255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgAdvZHDVpePzZds8wu075g3K5xPv6QBj6af5elP3Gykz2XTSsxj9hLliE-LXqHEyuu07s84Y-X03WPKkQLJNGvj1lTWVufBj4F9vf5uHR4dZL70IiL2VA8bVMgL1N6SjfXUPZI8/s640/20130707_141255.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-20113717701160178812013-07-23T08:49:00.003-04:002013-07-23T09:21:54.396-04:00Easy and Tangy Mac & Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s1600/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s320/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
After a short hiatus, I'm back! July has been quite eventful. Since I last posted, we've celebrated our Independence Day, we've gone to a wedding, Mr. Bear and I celebrated our 1st anniversary, a new addition has been added to the family (in the form of a cute little maltese puppy named Genie), we hosted 20 people at my parents' lake house, AND I'm another year older. Whew! I'm exhausted!<br />
<br />
While I'm getting caught up on everything, I wanted to share one of the many recipes I made for the large group at the lake. When hosting that many people, I usually look for recipes I can prep ahead of time, that are easy to make, can feed a lot, and taste yummy. For lunch, I made a super easy and tangy Mac & Cheese.<br />
<br />
Mr. Bear and I love homemade mac & cheese. I've made it several ways, my favorite being a Vermont white cheddar version with pumpernickel croutons on top, however, that version takes FOREVER to make. You have to grate a block of cheese without nicking your fingers, you have to make a roux and then a bechamel sauce, you have to cut up nice pumpernickel and create garlic croutons. It is a process and is reserved for fewer than 4 people. I'll post that one this winter.<br />
<br />
A big pan of mac and cheese really does go a long way though so I've been making the recipe below for years when we want a quick mac and cheese fix. It is a conglomeration of a recipe found <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chucks-Favorite-Mac-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=chuck%27s%20mac%20and%20cheese&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page" target="_blank">here</a>, one from Heinen's grocery stores, and my own tweaks. I love this recipe because I can prep the ingredients, stick them in a freezer bag and when I'm ready to serve just bake the mac in a 13x9 pan.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<u>Easy and Tangy Mac & Cheese</u></h4>
<h4>
Ingredients:</h4>
<div>
1 lb (16 oz) elbow macaroni, cooked as directed and drained</div>
<div>
2 cups (16 oz) grated SHARP cheddar cheese + additional for topping (optional)</div>
<div>
1 package (24 oz) of fat free small curd cottage cheese</div>
<div>
1 package (16 oz) light or fat free sour cream (I like Daisy Brand)</div>
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (can be grated or shredded)<br />
Seasoned Salt<br />
Garlic powder<br />
Onion powder<br />
Cracked black pepper<br />
<br />
<h4>
Directions:</h4>
<div>
1. Preheat oven to 350 F</div>
<div>
2. Take cooked pasta and set aside to cool</div>
<div>
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cheddar, cottage cheese, sour cream and parmesan cheese. Mix well</div>
<div>
4. Add pasta into mix and thoroughly combine, ensuring all pieces of pasta are coated</div>
<div>
5. Sprinkle a light layer of seasoned salt, a layer of garlic powder, a layer of onion powder, and about 4-5 cranks of the pepper mill onto the cheese and pasta mix. Mix well and taste a small portion.</div>
<div>
6. Repeat step 5 until you can distinctly taste the seasoning without over salting. This varies each time I make it, depending on the cheese brands used. Just be sure to take a small taste of the pasta mixture before adding additional seasonings. I'm heavy handed on the garlic, onion and pepper. I try to only use as much seasoned salt as necessary to slightly taste it. Salt can always be added by each person after the fact.</div>
<div>
7. Pour pasta mixture into a greased 13x 9 pan, distributing evenly</div>
<div>
8. (Optional) if desired, sprinkle some additional cheddar on top of the dish. This will create a nice bubbly crust.</div>
<div>
9. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the topping is bubbly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Tips:</h4>
<div>
1. Make sure to use sharp cheddar. Cheddar cheese mellows out as you cook it. You will lose the flavor if you use mild cheddar in this recipe.</div>
<div>
2. Although I try to use light or fat free ingredients in this recipe to cut down calories, don't try to make this with the fat free cheddar. It will not melt and you will be stuck with something not delicious.</div>
<div>
3. If you are feeling adventurous, add a few splashes of hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot) to your pasta mixture. Cheddar cheese and hot sauce go really nicely together.</div>
<div>
4. Instead of topping with cheddar, you could also replace with a Cheeze-It crumb topping (mix melted butter and Cheeze-It crumbs). Not low cal, but really delicious.</div>
<div>
5. Tweak the recipe as necessary for your taste. This is a great starting recipe, but you can do so much to it. Broccoli would be delicious in the dish, or change up your seasonings. If you don't have enough cheddar, mix in other cheeses. Mozzarella makes the cheese really melty. This recipe is really flexible.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-Danielle</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-73980699585137073812013-07-01T08:00:00.000-04:002013-07-01T08:00:04.193-04:00Recipe: Easy Baked Empanadas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s416/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s320/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
As promised, here is an easy recipe for baked empanadas!<br />
<br />
What is an empanada you ask? Per Merriam-Webster, an empanada is a turnover with a sweet or savory filling. It is typically fried, but I prefer to bake mine.<br />
<br />
These empanadas are a great way to use leftover taco meat. Since there are only two of us, if I make a full pound of taco meat, we typically have a decent amount leftover. This is a great way to use up that meat without having tacos, again.<br />
<br />
Fair warning, these are not the healthiest things in the world, even though they are baked. I use pie crust to create the turnover, so I wouldn't recommend having this in your weekly repertoire, but it is a good treat every once in a while.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Easy Baked Empanadas</h4>
<h4>
Ingredients:</h4>
<h3>
approx 1/2 lb seasoned taco meat, chilled </h3>
I use 94% lean ground turkey and taco seasoning for mine. Once the seasoning is on the turkey, it tastes exactly like beef, but with less fat an cholesterol. It is important to have the meat chilled in the fridge and not right out of a hot pan. You will destroy your pie crust if you put a hot filling in it and then try to fold it over. I recommend mixing veggies and beans into your meat for added flavor, however it is completely optional. Corn and black beans are great!<br />
<br />
<h3>
1/4 cup shredded cheese</h3>
I usually use a low fat mexican cheese blend, or if I'm shredding the cheese myself I'll use a sharp cheddar<br />
<br />
<h3>
2 9in. pie crusts</h3>
I typically use a premade pie crust (found in the freezer section of the store), but if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll make a pie crust from scratch. If you are going to make a pie crust from scratch, make a few and freeze the leftovers. This will allow you to have easy access to a much better crust. In a pinch, the freezer crust works well.<br />
<br />
<h3>
1/4 cup egg substitute, or 1 egg</h3>
I use egg beaters or egg whites. This will only be used as an egg wash on the empanadas to give them a shiny and flaky outside. It will also be used to help bind the two sides of the empanada together before you crimp. The egg beaters and egg whites cuts down the calories a little bit more.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Directions:</h4>
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Lightly spray the foil with oil (if you have something like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Gourmet-Sprayer-Brushed-Aluminum/dp/B00004SPZV" target="_blank">Misto</a>) or nonstick cooking spray.<br />
<br />
2. Roll out your pie crusts to 1/8". Using a 3"-4" round cookie cutter, cut your dough into as many circles as possible. Remove the scrap pieces of crust and re-roll the scraps to cut additional circles (depending on the size of your cutter, I usually end up with 6-10 empanadas). <br />
<br />
3. In your first circle, place a small pinch of shredded cheese into the middle of the circle. On top of the cheese, place about 1 tbsp of taco filling. Be sure to leave about 1/2" all around the circle clear of any filling. Repeat steps for the remaining circles. Take your egg wash and brush around the perimeter of all of your circles. Fold one side of your circle over to the other to create a half moon shape. <br />
<br />
4. Using a fork, crimp the outside edge of the empanada to seal, carefully avoiding punctures to the filled portion of the pastry. Repeat steps for remaining circles. Place empanadas on cookie sheets. <br />
<br />
5. Take the remaining egg wash and lightly brush onto the outsides of your empanada. <br />
<br />
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVmeyMEQcVoT_3WHhS3ZEMrYFU6YVXyZdXvjUq8aInnCW9JBJQeWsYzvkeJl9xVKDBnZWjkHxlm_hUpDCLUspFe-zysRSMEKkyqvQQyNcJJ7zOpo9DZ7C-6X-qeCFFR39ErEmUuY/s1600/20130626_184505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVmeyMEQcVoT_3WHhS3ZEMrYFU6YVXyZdXvjUq8aInnCW9JBJQeWsYzvkeJl9xVKDBnZWjkHxlm_hUpDCLUspFe-zysRSMEKkyqvQQyNcJJ7zOpo9DZ7C-6X-qeCFFR39ErEmUuY/s400/20130626_184505.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Tips:</h4>
1. Don't forget to lightly flour the surface you are rolling your pie crust onto. Additionally you will need to lightly flour your cookie cutter<br />
<br />
2. If you don't have a larger side round cookie cutter, never fear! There are tons of great alternatives in your kitchen! I typically use the lid to the oatmeal tub or a tupperware lid. Get creative!<br />
<br />
3. If you don't have a pastry brush for the egg wash, use your fingers to brush on the egg wash.<br />
<br />
4. Make sure there are no tears in your empanadas. They will ooze once you start baking.<br />
<br />
5. If you don't have enough taco filling left to fill all of the circles, feel free to try dessert fillings!<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s390/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-69521165281954511832013-06-26T07:59:00.000-04:002013-06-26T08:00:46.850-04:00Wedding Wednesday: What the heck is a "King's Table"?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
Happy Wednesday everybody! I promise I will get some recipes and home improvement posts up here soon, the summer has just been very busy. In the meantime, I will continue to regale you with tales <strike>from the crypt </strike> of marriage ;).<br />
<br />
First and foremost, I want to give an early "Happy 1st Anniversary" shout out to my wonderful husband, whom I love very much! I don't know that I will have a Wednesday post next week due to the holiday, and I can't believe it has been almost a year since our wedding!<br />
<br />
So where was I? Oh yes, what the heck is a "King's Table"?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/z/M/F/m/8/i/crown-md.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Crown Clip Art" border="0" height="124" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/z/M/F/m/8/i/crown-md.png" width="200" /></a>When it comes to your wedding, you will have many table arrangement options, particularly for the wedding party. Today we will be discussing the pros and cons of each (for wedding party and guests). This is not an exclusive list, I'm sure there are other options, these are just the most common I've seen. Advanced warning that I am quite biased as to which is the best, we decided to go with the King's Table.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Wedding Party Seating Options:</h4>
<b>Option #1</b>: <u>Standard head table seating</u><br />
<br />
<b><u>Description:</u></b> Typically a banquet style table or 2 with bride, groom and wedding party sitting on one side, facing out into the room, sometimes placed on risers to make the party stand out even more or to provide a tiered effect if 2 tables are used.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhwxnieLTyxm5Gr91ycrgYBO9_yjNDsSf8Jt2BB6mPWKxm9U19q53eXM5COYMyQaDmcvE4VwygxF5Y3yu5gKjU3YvE-TloZKiWvHoYs5ycBHAtaLbTYN8QzpObQQX9_2cHnMoOjc/s1600/6-26-2013+7-45-11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhwxnieLTyxm5Gr91ycrgYBO9_yjNDsSf8Jt2BB6mPWKxm9U19q53eXM5COYMyQaDmcvE4VwygxF5Y3yu5gKjU3YvE-TloZKiWvHoYs5ycBHAtaLbTYN8QzpObQQX9_2cHnMoOjc/s640/6-26-2013+7-45-11+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 1</i>: You and your wedding party will be on display for everyone to watch.<br />
<i>Con 1</i>: You and your wedding party will be on display for everyone to watch.<br />
<br />
This one can be a pro or con, depending on how much you like to be in the spotlight.<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 2</i>: All of your wedding party can fit at a single table or at maximum 2 tables. You will be surrounded by all of the people in your party.<br />
<i>Con 2</i>: There often isn't room for the wedding party's dates. The dates are frequently seated at a nearby table. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but someone's date likely doesn't know anyone else and is quite uncomfortable without their other half. If you do choose to go with this option, try to leave room for your party's dates.<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 3</i>: By having so many people around you, you will limit the number of people that come up to you to talk during dinner. You will, hopefully, have a chance to eat some dinner.<br />
<i>Con 3</i>: If you want people to visit your table, it may be intimidating to guests to approach.<br />
<br />
Again, this can go either way depending on how you want dinner to run.<br />
<br />
<b>Option#2</b> <u>Sweetheart Table</u><br />
<br />
<b><u>Description:</u></b> A table for 2, just you and your sweetheart, usually flanked by round tables for people in the wedding party and their dates.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Ndq3fMvNB8zQinAeWWnbXQfk5Nhu_FpjdQGywV_XlAy0uaN9u_QjQ07_86mK3SD81VsdcIFOFaaxbVJYJIPYEW87FImASt5QDmXYw1cirNeMNhmRiAkZWFifQ5S1TedbqklJ6iU/s1600/6-26-2013+7-46-17+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Ndq3fMvNB8zQinAeWWnbXQfk5Nhu_FpjdQGywV_XlAy0uaN9u_QjQ07_86mK3SD81VsdcIFOFaaxbVJYJIPYEW87FImASt5QDmXYw1cirNeMNhmRiAkZWFifQ5S1TedbqklJ6iU/s640/6-26-2013+7-46-17+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Pro 1</i>: You will get to spend some much needed time taking in your reception with your new spouse. The wedding and reception can go by quickly. This provides you a way to get a few minutes alone to talk about how cool it is that everyone you love is in one room.<br />
<i>Con 1</i>: Because you are alone, people can feel disconnected to you.<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 2</i>: You will be able to set up the table anywhere in the room. It is much easier to place a table of two somewhere in the room than a large banquet table. This can allow more unique room configurations<br />
<i>Con 2</i>: If you place the sweetheart table too far from guests, you could feel disconnected from your guests.<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 3</i>: You will be served first and you can make requests that food be left on your table instead of cleared like everyone else's place settings.<br />
<i>Con 3</i>: You won't have your bridal party there to help you out. My MOH helped me get in and out of my chair with my dress while my husband pulled out the chair, as well as helped me change my shoes under the table.<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 4</i>: Because it is just the two of you at your table, people will want to come up and talk to you.<br />
<i>Con 4</i>: Because it is just the two of you at your table, people will want to come up and talk to you.<br />
<br />
Again, depends on your perspective on this one.<br />
<br />
<b>Option #3</b> <u>King's Table</u><br />
<b><u>Description:</u></b> Rectangular table with wedding party (and dates) OR bride and groom's family sitting all around the table. We chose this option and to allow for easier toasting, we didn't place anyone opposite us on the table.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdqICN_bLlvnxUIecxFf2PqAClsME8RN9N86tLeFMMlnv8KsLdWobZ7tHyjtXS48OvvxZPIr8zLUbzERNIE7qiHuq7rKMq_dQDqiPzOm7_fTxt5wa-2Al8mv2NBkBB9FU4bmXqB8/s1600/6-26-2013+7-45-29+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdqICN_bLlvnxUIecxFf2PqAClsME8RN9N86tLeFMMlnv8KsLdWobZ7tHyjtXS48OvvxZPIr8zLUbzERNIE7qiHuq7rKMq_dQDqiPzOm7_fTxt5wa-2Al8mv2NBkBB9FU4bmXqB8/s640/6-26-2013+7-45-29+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 1</i>: It is kind of a combination of a standard head table and a sweetheart table in that you can be surrounded by your wedding party but it provides seating for all the wedding party's dates without having to have a gigantic head table.<br />
<i>Con 1</i>: It doesn't provide the intimate feel that a sweetheart table does. You can obviously talk to your new spouse, but the table is most conducive to many conversations, and you may want to get involved in the conversations others are having.<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 2</i>: If you don't like the limelight, having people on both sides of the table provides a bit more of a shield from everyone staring at you while you eat.<br />
<i>Con 2</i>: If you like the limelight, you may not be as much on display as a standard head table, and you likely will not be able to use risers.<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 3</i>: When you and your new spouse get up to "work the room" and greet your guests, everyone else at the table can still have normal conversations since people are sitting on both sides of the table. <br />
<i>Con 3</i>: If you want people to visit your table, it may be intimidating to guests to approach.<br />
<br />
<i>Pro 4</i>: Since it is just a longer rectangular table, it can still be placed in several locations in the room (usually). It typically is not nearly as long as a standard head table because you can wrap and have people sitting on all sides of the table.<br />
<i>Con 4</i>: I'm out of cons :)<br />
<br />
I liked the King's table because it felt much more intimate than a standard head table, but it also provided a more connected experience than a sweetheart table. Mr. Bear and I are close friends with all of our wedding party's dates so it was also nice to get to sit with them and catch up after the ceremony (many came in from out of town and we don't get to see them often).<br />
<br />
<h4>
Guest Seating:</h4>
There are two main types of tables that I've seen used during weddings. The most common is the round table, usually consisting of 8-12 people per round (depending on the size).<br />
<br />
At more recent weddings, I've also seen long rectangular tables, banquet-style, or a combination of round and rectangular.<br />
<br />
<b>Round Tables:</b><br />
<i>Pros: </i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>More conducive to conversations among guests. Guests are not just limited to talking to people directly on either side of them.</li>
<li>Only one centerpiece needed for each table</li>
<li>The center of the table is out of the way of anyone's reach. (They will not even be able to reach across to pass the salt and pepper, so there is no way they are going to accidentally ruin your centerpiece by passing things during dinner)</li>
</ul>
<i>Cons:</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>If in a smaller space, you will be limited to the number of people you can seat in the room.</li>
<li>Not as trendy. Banquet tables are very trendy right now.</li>
<li>If the round is too large, it can be hard to have a conversation with the people directly across the table from your guests.</li>
</ul>
<b>Rectangular Tables:</b><br />
<i>Pros:</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Many more guests can fit at each table and in smaller spaces</li>
<li>Guests will be closer to the people directly across from them, providing easier conversation with those guests</li>
</ul>
<i>Cons:</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Less ability for guests to talk to people not in their direct vicinity</li>
<li>Multiple centerpieces will be needed for each table</li>
<li>Rectangular tables are usually narrower than rounds. It is very possible that the centerpiece could get knocked over when someone is passing the salt to the person across from them</li>
<li>Less elbow room. Rounds inherently provide more arm room for guests because they essentially have a pie-shaped slice of the space around the table (wider on the outside and narrower as you go in). When you sit directly around a table, you have to make sure to leave enough arm room for each guest.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Whatever arrangement you end up providing, please just keep your guests' comfort and your wedding party's (and their dates') comfort in mind. Weddings are a social event, people want to be able to talk and catch up with friends and family they don't see very often. Make sure that whatever you end up doing it is what works for you as a couple but also allows your guests to enjoy themselves.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-Danielle</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-58885635560665748722013-06-19T13:06:00.000-04:002013-06-19T13:06:27.144-04:00Wedding Wednesday: Let them eat cake!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
Yummy, yummy, yummy! Who wants cake!?!<br />
<br />
Today's Wedding Wednesday post is about the ever important star of the dessert world...wedding cake!<br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">Truth be told, I'm not a HUGE fan of cake, however, I love red velvet with cream cheese frosting! Because of this, I couldn't justify the huge amount of money it would have cost to have a tiered cake large enough to feed all of our guests.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-PwT3iSo7ezidnKYpIXc90AlulTaX-VOWEkpv5KC_7ujyqevPdP1gAz2mPnJIl3Hh3USbdkBvQnIzSlYF8QA7_IVwxah-3pZB_BoRAotfWeqqQa4sd7WHf1izrqEAli6a5A1Rh4/s1600/5-22-2013+9-03-17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-PwT3iSo7ezidnKYpIXc90AlulTaX-VOWEkpv5KC_7ujyqevPdP1gAz2mPnJIl3Hh3USbdkBvQnIzSlYF8QA7_IVwxah-3pZB_BoRAotfWeqqQa4sd7WHf1izrqEAli6a5A1Rh4/s400/5-22-2013+9-03-17+PM.png" width="266" /></a>Let me introduce you to this wonderful thing called the sheet cake!<br />
<br />
Almost all of the bakeries I looked at for our wedding made sheet cakes at a fraction of the cost of a tiered cake. We ended up with a three tier cake plus two sheet cakes (one in red velvet and one in black forest chocolate) I had budgeted $700 for our cake. The tiered cake came out to about $300 (way below budget) with the two 1/2 sheet cakes totaling around $100. Since we had a couple hundred dollars to spare, we ended up purchasing a few more desserts for guests like me, who don't love cake. In total, we got a three tier cake, two sheet cakes, 4 cheesecakes, a cannoli tray, chocolate covered strawberries, and a cookie tray for well below my budgeted cost.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
Things to note if you are going for a sheet cake:</h4>
1. My bakery offered single or double sheet cakes. We went with the double sheet cake that has a filling so that guests wouldn't feel like they were getting slighted if they got a piece cut from the sheet cake. Make sure you ask your baker about this option if it is important to you<br />
<br />
2. Many bakeries do full or half sheets. Note that if you are doing sheet cakes, you can only have one flavor of cake with filling and frosting per pan. We did one 1/2 sheet cake as chocolate and one as red velvet.<br />
<br />
Of course if you really dislike cake, there are tons of other options: Cookies, pies, brownies, doughnuts, cream puffs, etc.<br />
<br />
The nice thing about the wedding cake is that you can really customize it any way you like!<br />
<br />
<h4>
Other tips for finding your cake:</h4>
1. Make sure you have a tasting. Many of the bakeries around here have begun charging for tastings, however, the fee is waived if you purchase a cake from them.<br />
<br />
We only did a tasting at one bakery and decided it was too delicious and cost effective not to go with them.<br />
Make sure you find out if the tasting has a fee. I will give a shameless plug for the amazing cakes they do at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CsGlzu2NzX0" target="_blank">Michael Angelo's Bakery</a>!<br />
<br />
2. Go in with an idea of how you want it decorated, but don't be afraid to tweak after talking to the bakery.<br />
I had a general idea of what we wanted for the cake decoration, but the bakery had a ton of photos of cakes past that I ended up borrowing from to create ours. The nicest part was they the bakery could reference those cakes and they were able to point us to designs that were similar but more cost effective.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVvnZTWWhSVufbcIeDWT9_aRoE_JDq0NoNyFI2Iw2_ZPl76iJFWB3BEUpWIctpDAWhMq0xVKRnDYJkCiH6b7rIG_ZRsBIEMVl7x6S9zjG0z9MPCqhAw8_YtZLXczqpIOzpiCfe9w/s1600/6-19-2013+1-00-43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVvnZTWWhSVufbcIeDWT9_aRoE_JDq0NoNyFI2Iw2_ZPl76iJFWB3BEUpWIctpDAWhMq0xVKRnDYJkCiH6b7rIG_ZRsBIEMVl7x6S9zjG0z9MPCqhAw8_YtZLXczqpIOzpiCfe9w/s320/6-19-2013+1-00-43+PM.png" width="216" /></a></div>
<br />
3. Know where you will have the cake on display at your venue, it may impact your decision on frosting vs. fondant.<br />
<br />
I don't like the taste of fondant, however, it usually holds up better in the heat. I knew we were getting married in July and it would likely be hot in any of the outdoors spaces. I did, however, know that where the cake was going to be was air conditioned so I felt comfortable purchasing buttercream.<br />
<br />
We still had a little sliding by the time we got to the cake, but it would have completely melted if it was outdoors.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TW_4ef0H0RrHOIEQvcgewk6Nr239LKLlCEoOVqBWzwMhqP_gjBSa_q4ekNRv-0ZWOtzz_FCV80yQoM4jP8qI8w47h1JjJ70VJnIezLEzxykGT9YfmghNSdmkwULnY2L7gpyaebM/s1600/5-22-2013+9-01-54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TW_4ef0H0RrHOIEQvcgewk6Nr239LKLlCEoOVqBWzwMhqP_gjBSa_q4ekNRv-0ZWOtzz_FCV80yQoM4jP8qI8w47h1JjJ70VJnIezLEzxykGT9YfmghNSdmkwULnY2L7gpyaebM/s320/5-22-2013+9-01-54+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
(notice how the top tier is not level...we had a bit of a melting situation on our hands)<br />
<br />
4. Figure out if you want to keep the top tier of your cake for your anniversary. This will alter the amount of cake you will need to order.<br />
<br />
5. Make sure you get a piece of cake (besides just the small piece you cut during the cake cutting). We didn't have that much foresight into the fact that we likely wouldn't get a piece. Fortunately our coordinaters set aside a piece of each for us for after the wedding.<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-68697426880173389072013-06-12T15:12:00.001-04:002013-06-12T15:19:14.305-04:00Wedding Wednesday: "Every Girl Crazy 'bout a Sharp Dressed Man"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ZZ Top was right, “Every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man”. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You want your groom and
groomsmen to look like sharp dudes!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few weeks ago, I wrote about finding your wedding dress,
but we don’t want to leave the fellas out!
What they wear on your wedding day is a big decision as well! Since I knew NOTHING about men’s formal wear,
I figured there are probably other readers just as lost as I was.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To start, figure out the formality of your wedding. Is it a casual, laid back vibe on a beach, a
black-tie affair, or somewhere in between?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
Things to note when determining formality:</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->You will want to make the formality match the
location of your wedding. If you are
getting married in the sand on the beach, you probably don’t want to have your
groom and groomsmen in a top hat and tails<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->If you decide to go toward black-tie or
white-tie, please note that there are a few things etiquette-wise that you must
adhere to in order for it to be classified as black-tie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->It must be an evening affair<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->b.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Open bar with top shelf liquor, a band, and
plated meal with passed hors d’ouevres are desired.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Essentially, it should be a top-of-of-the-line event if you
are going to make your guests rent tuxedos and wear formal gowns.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The largest number of weddings I have been to
have been semi-formal or cocktail attire, but the invitation style should
indicate the formality here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->This usually means nice suits or tuxedos for the
men, cocktail dresses and/or longer for the bridesmaids. Most guests typically wear a nice suit and/or
cocktail dress<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
We’re about to pick out the groom’s attire. What are all these styles?</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b>Jackets<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
You will make the largest decisions
surrounding the jacket (and in turn the matching pants) for your groom’s
attire. Here is a list of the types of
jackets, descriptions, and suggestions as to when to wear each.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Suit<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">For casual elegance, the suit is your best bet. These are often used to make the event
semi-formal. These are also great for
the summer and/or during the day when a tuxedo likely wouldn’t fit the style of
the wedding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">You will need to have the men buy the suit, or find
a tuxedo rental location that ALSO rents suits if you are looking to go this
route. (See Tuxedo for lapels and
breast)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Tuxedo</span></b> <br />
This jacket is very common among weddings and can go from semi-formal to formal. You will have to make a number of choices once
you have settled on the Tuxedo (See Lapels). Tuxedos, like most suits have various options
when it comes to how it is “breasted” (aka how many and the configuration of
buttons on the jacket. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
Options
include: Single-breasted (with a one- to four-button front) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
Double-breasted
(with a two- to six-button front).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
You
will also likely need to determine the venting on the jacket. The vents are the slits in the back of the
jacket that allow for additional air flow under the hot wool. Vents usually come in the following
configurations: no vents, single vent, double vent. Ask to see all types at the shop. You will likely want to see all types on your
groom as the vents do impact how the jacket fits<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
Tuxedos
are good for evening weddings.
Technically you are supposed to wear a morning coat if you are doing a
more formal daytime wedding, however, many modern weddings also have tuxedos at
semi-formal-formal daytime weddings too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Tailcoat</span></b><br />
Think “penguin”. The tailcoat is cropped
in front, with two tails in the back and a two- to six-button front. These are
generally worn at VERY formal evening weddings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Mandarin,
a.k.a. Nehru jacket, Mao jacket</span></b><br />
This jacket features a vertical collar with no lapel (Think The Beatles in Sgt
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) The
collared shirt that is worn with this jacket often comes to a closure with a
button.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
Again,
this can be worn in place of a suit or tuxedo, I have never actually seen this worn
at a wedding.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Morning
coat</span></b><br />
For formal daytime weddings, the groom wears the cutaway coat -- short in the
front, long in the back, and tapering from the front waist button to a wide
back tail. Cutaway jackets are either black or gray and are worn with matching
striped trousers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">(Think formal English day wedding)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b>Lapels<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Notched
lapel</span></b><br />
Notched lapels have a triangular indention where the lapel joins the collar.
This is considered the least formal lapel style.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Shawl
collar</span></b><br />
A shawl collar provides a smooth lapel, without notches. (See Hugh Hefner’s smoking jacket). These can often be in a different fabric than
the jacket (i.e. satin). This can be
formal, but is less popular.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Peaked
lapel</span></b><br />
Peaked lapels are named such for the V-shape the lapel makes as it points up
and out below the collar line. This is
very common for tuxedos, tailcoats and morning coats. This broad, V-shaped
lapel points up and out just below the collar line.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b>Shirt Collars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Wing
collar</span></b><br />
Wing collar shirts are very formal. They
are mostly reserved for those opting for bow ties and have a collar that stands
vertical except at the points. The
collar points are folded slightly downward.
Standard ties don’t look great with this type of collar because the
collar does not fold down around the rest of the tie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Mandarin
collar, a.k.a. band collar</span></b><br />
This collar stands vertical around the neck and is frequently worn with a
Mandarin Jacket. It is the most
contemporary-style shirt..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Spread
collar</span></b><br />
Spread collars are very common. This
type of shirt resembles a standard button-front shirt but features a wide
division between points in front. The wider collar looks great with a Euro tie
or a standard necktie tied in a Windsor knot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<b>Neckwear<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
There
are many types of neckwear, but I’m only going to cover the two main ties.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Bow
tie</span></b><br />
Bow ties scream “Classic Tuxedo”. You
can get bow ties in many colors besides basic black, however white is only reserved
for super-formal events. Colored bow
ties can be worn at any occasion<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Necktie</span></b><br />
For a more casual, but still elegant,
look at a standard necktie. I’ve seen these at many weddings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
Mr.
Bear, groomsmen and the fathers wore these at our wedding. Mr. Bear had ivory tie, the groomsmen had
plum and the fathers had black. It was a
nice way to provide distinction between each, while still creating a cohesive
look.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSEq1AMxyZbhF2HprhXgtQkU0GinUJVrwOuN0jcespwVwUF29ewlxmg5ldQ_63v0ZTe9htNUHdb48e5O44qdjaU8NruxJoZ26QPTVUC9AmtLqwGrB9A8W6zXhi40LBY41GqXlUbw/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSEq1AMxyZbhF2HprhXgtQkU0GinUJVrwOuN0jcespwVwUF29ewlxmg5ldQ_63v0ZTe9htNUHdb48e5O44qdjaU8NruxJoZ26QPTVUC9AmtLqwGrB9A8W6zXhi40LBY41GqXlUbw/s640/photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (notched tuxedo with vest and necktie)</span><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; mso-outline-level: 3; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b>Accessories<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Vests,
a.k.a. waistcoats<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Vests can go from ultra-formal to semi-formal. Pair it with a Tailcoat for a very formal
look. You can also pair with a standard
tuxedo in various colors to match the tie.
This is a very common look.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">We went with the necktie and vest for our wedding.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Cummerbunds</span></b><br />
Cummerbunds are worn around the waist in
lieu of a vest. They are usually basic black and paired with a bow tie,
however, you can choose a colored
cummerbund to match the bridesmaid dresses or the wedding colors. These were very popular in the 80’s and 90’s. I haven’t really seen them lately<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Whew! And you
thought wedding dresses had a lot of options!
Above all, make sure your groom wears what he is comfortable
wearing. He should have a large amount
of input since it is what he will be wearing for the day of your wedding. We decided that Mr. Bear would select the
actual tuxedo style for the wedding and I would help with colors for the
vests/neckties. It worked out well. He got to try on a lot of different styles
before making a decision, determining which style fit his body-type.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">-Danielle</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-55883877432029866032013-06-10T12:47:00.001-04:002013-06-10T12:50:57.463-04:00Green Monster Smoothies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s1600/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s320/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Mr. Bear and I have been trying to lose some weight. After analyzing what we were eating, I realized I hadn't really been reaching my veggie and fruit goals. Additionally, I realized that I was eating lunch at about 11am because I was STARVING. This led me to eat large lunches and then snack later in the afternoon.<br />
<br />
To help with this, I have been reading about Green Monster Smoothies for a while now and decided it would be good to try. I've been making smoothies for breakfast for about two weeks now, and I can say that it really does help curb my hunger. It takes about an hour for me to finish, keeping my hunger levels in check for a while. Hopefully curbed hunger = weight loss down the road. For now, I can say that it at least is helping me achieve my goal of more fruit/veggie consumption.<br />
<br />
I've included directions for my favorite fruit combination below. I really like the combination because it masks the spinach flavor. Since it has cherries, it turns a reddish brown (not so appetizing), instead of green. I put it in a stainless steel travel mug so I can't see the color. :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
1. Add 1-2 cups of spinach to your blender with 1/2 cup of water and puree. </h4>
I have a KitchenAid blender that has a puree setting. If your blender doesn't have a puree setting, set to blend until it almost looks like spinach juice with small flecks of spinach leaves. <br />
<br />
The more spinach you add, the more you can taste. If this is your first time doing green smoothies, I suggest erring on the side of caution with the spinach, increasing the amount after you have gotten used to the taste.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk50WhXJ9Sb1rLWKqXBAXkNgStenq_6PMtd8v4TTCWBw2khfGPTpdLujRhOaKoOh0j5oxynA0sMaXjR5F3fexPdCU0T6Zt0_juwc5IeyYy5lGuHvE6Mn_zrWD_cC6WdWqdYMNf9Ik/s640/blogger-image--1062125412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk50WhXJ9Sb1rLWKqXBAXkNgStenq_6PMtd8v4TTCWBw2khfGPTpdLujRhOaKoOh0j5oxynA0sMaXjR5F3fexPdCU0T6Zt0_juwc5IeyYy5lGuHvE6Mn_zrWD_cC6WdWqdYMNf9Ik/s400/blogger-image--1062125412.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiil0_andQ9PgrVvthA3aPM14EnoTQMr3BDqqpaPkIxfGeMvgPF_NSxG83zMY2WCZ7mCzal7YyxbKiM5zl30wonvMytKtbkhiJFbYHVO3tE04cH78_qJzX_h0a-Tx8GqO6TecIWMW0/s640/blogger-image-921920950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiil0_andQ9PgrVvthA3aPM14EnoTQMr3BDqqpaPkIxfGeMvgPF_NSxG83zMY2WCZ7mCzal7YyxbKiM5zl30wonvMytKtbkhiJFbYHVO3tE04cH78_qJzX_h0a-Tx8GqO6TecIWMW0/s400/blogger-image-921920950.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
2. Add 1/2-1 banana and puree. </h4>
<br />
The banana is key. It masks the flavor of the spinach and provides a creaminess to the smoothie. I've seen other blogs indicating that you can substitute avocado for banana if you don't like bananas. The banana sounded more appetizing. I usually use 1/2 a banana, unless my bananas are getting too ripe and I need to eat them quickly. If I buy a large bundle of bananas at the store, I'll split the bundle in half, leave 1/2 out on the counter to eat and use while freezing the second half. The frozen banana is just as good in the smoothie, and then it doesn't go bad before you can use it!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJU6_rVH4TSBxDHCQLuAm1CPf01xYS7fB05yMVfASpNd9X6I_s-XdQWYItcr9x1oaxkX7Oe7qJ9iO-UB_w6Rz_gtYrRI69ipJP88NunhPNcMU0F4D7DpQqOspHVh6CFKJMdUMgi0/s640/blogger-image--2009153017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJU6_rVH4TSBxDHCQLuAm1CPf01xYS7fB05yMVfASpNd9X6I_s-XdQWYItcr9x1oaxkX7Oe7qJ9iO-UB_w6Rz_gtYrRI69ipJP88NunhPNcMU0F4D7DpQqOspHVh6CFKJMdUMgi0/s400/blogger-image--2009153017.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
3. Add 1 cup FROZEN peaches and 1/2-3/4 cup FROZEN dark cherries, puree.</h4>
I like frozen fruit so that I don't have to add ice to my smoothie. It prevents it from becoming watered down and keeps ice chunks from scratching up your throat.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OF_veMeHD4Ds70iPfgTQb3V9Y0Ig-VtQCyoVzdBzjzG7VWC_Y1OvECU59DGKX1uqwtjYhYAp7hAMy5JH4_9D__EpQvnc4JbHh81z3ybkVHQIxOcZPl1lfZBaIzWhup38GMufTWg/s640/blogger-image-18523503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OF_veMeHD4Ds70iPfgTQb3V9Y0Ig-VtQCyoVzdBzjzG7VWC_Y1OvECU59DGKX1uqwtjYhYAp7hAMy5JH4_9D__EpQvnc4JbHh81z3ybkVHQIxOcZPl1lfZBaIzWhup38GMufTWg/s400/blogger-image-18523503.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYM85c1MSItVVmmLNaZZDXW8HcctcqjPdz1FiXKaEeNXioOkq_mnhKFTn4URv-NTkjlBQ8ubk2CqAP6_iZ5Ue5iTRu63DBnId5hUUOw4bZX6JRPeAWLGqQEbmLNaqjlTHIEkxL0NE/s640/blogger-image-61066959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYM85c1MSItVVmmLNaZZDXW8HcctcqjPdz1FiXKaEeNXioOkq_mnhKFTn4URv-NTkjlBQ8ubk2CqAP6_iZ5Ue5iTRu63DBnId5hUUOw4bZX6JRPeAWLGqQEbmLNaqjlTHIEkxL0NE/s400/blogger-image-61066959.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
4. Slowly pour smoothie into container of choice, and Enjoy! </h4>
<br />
Again, I like to put it into a travel mug with a straw. This makes about 1.5 smoothies. I pour the smoothie into the travel mug and then pour the remaining into a glass that I can seal with a lid. The extra smoothie becomes a starter for my next smoothie.<br />
<br />
Your smoothie will keep for up to 24 hours in the fridge. The fruit will defrost and the smoothie will become more "juice-like" the next day, but like I said, it provides a great smoothie starter.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DckZS7vkYwAJkteYXDP-JiuRm53Cmu16O6xq8rHe2nPXtIu-LSy7Ika4QNc5ftIu8caEokWpjJlZK7C6nfPbzTO4ouH4K9ptHLfKOyvKvoMy3KN9InLCC4f7dhtM5a9NIVoWDn8/s640/blogger-image-1298099799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DckZS7vkYwAJkteYXDP-JiuRm53Cmu16O6xq8rHe2nPXtIu-LSy7Ika4QNc5ftIu8caEokWpjJlZK7C6nfPbzTO4ouH4K9ptHLfKOyvKvoMy3KN9InLCC4f7dhtM5a9NIVoWDn8/s320/blogger-image-1298099799.jpg" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzM1BSwijVXPMzz1f4djZyiKPzTkevIvCZBbLymcBj1wG8NpSgef22yo_PYy4CmUVBPUCaHKVT3aOYd23Y8IFc4ZQQugGY2aR7n1PcffbuLWJdbTftvbjc7MmUW6FHUUkbqY8-BU/s640/blogger-image--141839650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzM1BSwijVXPMzz1f4djZyiKPzTkevIvCZBbLymcBj1wG8NpSgef22yo_PYy4CmUVBPUCaHKVT3aOYd23Y8IFc4ZQQugGY2aR7n1PcffbuLWJdbTftvbjc7MmUW6FHUUkbqY8-BU/s320/blogger-image--141839650.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
I was apprehensive of the taste on my first try. Mr. Bear didn't seem too enthused about the first two I made. I think I have it down to a science now, and it takes about as much time to make as any other quick breakfast. <br />
<br />
Feel free to substitute spinach for any other green, leafy veggie!<br />
<br />
<h4>
Other fruits I've tried that weren't as successful:</h4>
1. Mango--The frozen mango wasn't as sweet as fresh which resulted in a bit of a tart smoothie. It didn't hide the spinach well.<br />
2. Strawberry-- The strawberry seeds made it hard to drink.<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-44221424538763067742013-06-05T16:19:00.001-04:002013-06-05T16:20:31.385-04:00Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Itinerary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Can
you believe that it is once again Wednesday!?! This week has been flying
by.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;">As
you are well aware, Wednesdays equal tidbits of wedding knowledge. Today I’ll be discussing a very important
part of the days leading up to your wedding, an itinerary.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Mr.
Bear is a groomsman in a friend’s wedding in July. We just received his itinerary. I put together a similar one for our
wedding. It included all the vendors, bridal
party, and key family members’ names and phone numbers. I also included a breakdown of the schedule
for the day of the rehearsal and the day of the wedding.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I
gave everyone in the party, my wedding coordinator, my photographer, and our
families a copy so they knew where to be, and when. It was also helpful so that everyone had all
the other important contacts’ phone numbers. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;">As
I type this out, it sounds like I was micromanaging things. I promise, you will not turn into a
bridezilla by putting together a detailed schedule. In fact, it can help you relieve stress about
the days before. We tried to stay close
to schedule, but the schedule was more to act as a guideline for the maximum
amount of time that could be spent on each thing.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;">If
you aren’t exactly on schedule, it isn’t the end of the world! We took a bit longer getting ready than
anticipated, so our photographer started with the guys’ photos. Additionally, one of the band members showed
up a bit late due to traffic, so we switched around the timing of the speeches
and the father/daughter and mother/son dances.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Because
my coordinator and photographer had a copy of the schedule, they worked
together to rework when those would be so the right photos could be taken.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I’ve
included a sample of the schedule I had put together. Feel free to download and use for your own
wedding! It is also helpful if you are
throwing any large event!</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhWXOJl-zPWJP_JhdAqqUBQIKMaT75JOzimQ48MjjRZZTi1jmgFB1HsXBOvaJPjU99YIvTrK3DMaaDhM2zwBFNJRVYUIMUdOOsKxqCUNZ7ccbMIoOj6wulkmAAGlpEUUvy6ZehLo/s1600/6-5-2013+4-13-45+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhWXOJl-zPWJP_JhdAqqUBQIKMaT75JOzimQ48MjjRZZTi1jmgFB1HsXBOvaJPjU99YIvTrK3DMaaDhM2zwBFNJRVYUIMUdOOsKxqCUNZ7ccbMIoOj6wulkmAAGlpEUUvy6ZehLo/s640/6-5-2013+4-13-45+PM.png" width="627" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLEO6x2eHP_cOVvfWnp4-ivR_Xf7vd0-nSa_Ffmuj1BH8L4iv5yN7IMR9oUFC4c-6zRWKgW0eAsecGTAqSCHYoAdqKlFc_dH8E0A24S4B3gBSTSB2KYv6WLVCQ-lfEziouMWC83s/s1600/6-5-2013+4-14-11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLEO6x2eHP_cOVvfWnp4-ivR_Xf7vd0-nSa_Ffmuj1BH8L4iv5yN7IMR9oUFC4c-6zRWKgW0eAsecGTAqSCHYoAdqKlFc_dH8E0A24S4B3gBSTSB2KYv6WLVCQ-lfEziouMWC83s/s640/6-5-2013+4-14-11+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDK3T3X0VailGNxv_VhuqxgRDoXeGi8Z4_d_bYbzRmMPfIngBTr4y0u4Mn6iKISrQGCp3SbBR8uioCeienkk0u6QwzVRoKRGBVqEVErQzC-T9NJcrE_FOuQZ1A5wpRIwF9KlQD1M/s1600/6-5-2013+4-14-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDK3T3X0VailGNxv_VhuqxgRDoXeGi8Z4_d_bYbzRmMPfIngBTr4y0u4Mn6iKISrQGCp3SbBR8uioCeienkk0u6QwzVRoKRGBVqEVErQzC-T9NJcrE_FOuQZ1A5wpRIwF9KlQD1M/s640/6-5-2013+4-14-22+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6epztXZXREvc3FoN215RFpnWkE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Click here to Download Wedding Itinerary</span></a></div>
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-51517580900892212402013-06-03T12:34:00.001-04:002013-06-03T12:34:42.973-04:00Recipe: Pretzel Encrusted Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s1600/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s320/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
A few weeks ago, I bought a large amount of chicken breasts on sale. I cut each in half and froze them in sets of 2. Since then, I've been trying to find different recipes so that Mr. Bear doesn't have to eat the same thing three times a week.<br />
<br />
Months ago, I found a recipe on Pinterest for pretzel encrusted chicken. It required honey mustard dressing to dredge the chicken in before coating in the pretzel mix. I love honey mustard, so I thought this would be the perfect recipe to try. Mr. Bear, on the other hand is not a huge fan of honey mustard, so I ended up making the chicken two ways, one dredged in honey mustard, the other in an egg mix. The chicken turned out well on both fronts, so I'll provide you with a recipe for both!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSXibHLqsJ6wg84fL6w-vE1Qczm9I34RhwTkEUuGxkxv4E4Nfqq8zcGqzbLOfPSoIdmHvvG8urSgtrVmJFk01DO2e46k_zrvcKmlz-GjnEcQckZ4m48oINOupbKf89hkKTJ0ZPVA/s640/blogger-image--1990899258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSXibHLqsJ6wg84fL6w-vE1Qczm9I34RhwTkEUuGxkxv4E4Nfqq8zcGqzbLOfPSoIdmHvvG8urSgtrVmJFk01DO2e46k_zrvcKmlz-GjnEcQckZ4m48oINOupbKf89hkKTJ0ZPVA/s640/blogger-image--1990899258.jpg" /></a><br />
<h4>
Pretzel Encrusted Chicken </h4>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Ingredients:</h4>
2 boneless chicken breasts<br />
2 cups panko bread crumbs<br />
2 cups crushed pretzels<br />
1 cup Ken's Steakhouse Light Honey Mustard dressing <u>OR</u> 2 large eggs scrambled with garlic powder, onion powder salt and pepper to your liking.<br />
1/2 cup flour<br />
<br />
<h4>
Directions:</h4>
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.<br />
<br />
2. In a skillet, toast panko bread crumbs over medium heat until toasted to a golden brown. Be sure to stir panko constantly or it may burn.<br />
<br />
3. Crush pretzels until 2 cups of crumbs are created (make sure your crumbs are small enough to stick to the chicken.). add to a shallow dish (like a pie plate) and mix with panko.<br />
<br />
4. Put flour into a second. shallow dish, then in a 3rd shallow dish, put your honey mustard or egg mixture.<br />
<br />
5. Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness using a mallet, then season with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
6. Dredge chicken in flour first, then egg/honey mustard, and finally into your pretzel mix. Be sure to coat all sides evenly during each step.<br />
<br />
7. Place onto greased baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Tips:</h4>
1. You can crush pretzels in a food processor by pulsing until they are small enough. I didn't want to dirty the food processor, so I put pretzels into a freezer bag and crushed with a rolling pin until I got the size I was looking for.<br />
2. If making with honey mustard, be sure to reserve enough honey mustard to provide as a dipping sauce.<br />
3. I served with broccoli, but most veggies would work.<br />
4. The recipe provided is pretty plain. If making again, I'd up the amount of seasonings used as it turned out a bit bland. It is a great starting point to adjust for your own taste.<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-14480212425131335772013-05-29T08:11:00.000-04:002013-05-29T08:11:25.397-04:00Wedding Wednesday: Fun Traditions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
Good Morning and Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone had an excellent Memorial Day weekend. <br />
<br />
Before I go into our Wedding Wednesday topic, I want to send a shout out to my dearest friend, and my maid of honor! Her wedding is on Friday, and I can't wait to celebrate with her! <br />
<br />
Her wedding brings me to the core of this post, FUN wedding traditions.<br />
<br />
One of the most common traditions dates back to at least the Victorian era; "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Silver Sixpence in your Shoe". Many brides still try to carry on this tradition today. <br />
<br />
The something old signifies the bond with the past; something new is a bright look into the future; something borrowed is supposed to come from a happily married woman to impart her marriage happiness onto the bride; something blue is for purity, love and fidelity; A sixpence in your shoe is to symbolize fortune and prosperity.<br />
<br />
Another great way to bring some tradition into your wedding day, is to start a NEW tradition. Many families have a specific piece of jewelry every bride has incorporated into their outfit. If you are the first in your family to get married in a while and you want to incorporate tradition, see if there is anything you can incorporate that will link you to "weddings-past" in your family. You can also start a new tradition with your friends!<br />
<br />
During my wedding, my awesome friends from college started a tradition that we will continue this weekend at my MOH's wedding; Pinning. Before the ceremony, my friends pinned a pin from our university on the underside of my dress, gave me their blessings and we snapped a few photos. Fast forward a year, and we are now coming up on my friend's wedding. We plan to do the same. I'll be passing the pin on to my friend. As it so happens, it can act as the bride's "something borrowed" since the previous bride is to pin it onto the new bride.<br />
<br />
I thought this was a really cool way to keep a reminder of all the amazing people we met during our college years on me as I walked down the aisle. We weren't in a sorority, but you could definitely do something similar with sorority sisters.<br />
<br />
Here is one of the photos the photographer took:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLCuOl1alqh_SyUH7_TNJeBFSuOzzwoAk34V_4B-wgOUEHGcetQwnqExccE2t2FZJZdBhrgsbEgRKfaNNhQq0axq250JHBgK2JO9-VQdJhi4zsqGUqc3DAFgC0na3ZQ7GIqqjW5g/s1600/0063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLCuOl1alqh_SyUH7_TNJeBFSuOzzwoAk34V_4B-wgOUEHGcetQwnqExccE2t2FZJZdBhrgsbEgRKfaNNhQq0axq250JHBgK2JO9-VQdJhi4zsqGUqc3DAFgC0na3ZQ7GIqqjW5g/s400/0063.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Regardless of what you decide to do, know that traditions are a fun way to do something personal that you, as the bride or groom, only know about. Besides my friends from college, no one else knew that I had the pin on the underside of my dress. It created a really special moment when I got to see some of my best girlfriends right before the ceremony. They helped to calm my nerves, and gave me their best wishes.<br />
<br />
Above all, have fun with it!<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s1600/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1k-HyHdDW-u-rxGFgP3nHM_AWWJpiKMt1VdJuJMh0a6vmkson3SJopoJgPUu5a1D-jRjN3XNBEQNsSK8WAgtVP3w2lsJnduqxv4FyW9oAvlqCKN-zTrIKOBGQnT-Z2j_J9BIqhA/s200/5-20-2013+1-00-22+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-74107835449312026512013-05-22T21:56:00.000-04:002013-05-23T11:52:36.355-04:00Wedding Wednesday: Everything's Coming Up Roses...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In an attempt to get back on schedule, today is again
Wedding Wednesday! Flowers are in bloom
here at the Bear Necessities!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Mr. Bear and I got married, we knew we wanted to get
married at the same location as our reception.
The caveat was that we wanted the ceremony space to be outdoors and
beautiful. We ended up getting married
on the grounds of an old Tudor mansion turned B&B/social club. We spent more than I had originally budgeted
for the total venue cost, but I quickly realized that I could easily cut my
floral budget. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since we were getting married in a garden space on the
grounds, it drastically cut the amount of flowers needed to make the space
beautiful. For the ceremony, we ended up
with 3 potted flowering plants and some rose petals down the aisle.
The ceremony flowers were pretty easy to pull together. We found 2 white bougainvillea plants at our
local grocery store as part of a hanging basket set. The potted plant at the altar was a white
flowering plant my mom already had in her house.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other flower arrangements we decided to DIY since we
could cut costs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
**WARNING** If you decide to arrange your own flowers, make
sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Do research, make up some samples a few
months before ordering your flowers, get the right supplies, and make sure you
leave yourself enough time. <o:p></o:p></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
Arrangements my mom and I put together:<o:p></o:p></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Bride’s bouquet<o:p></o:p></h3>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOp4tm33-eYu5IAOZBw-PHJZknvISI4zgQNN_R5in9pIrOL3-rnlrREOvtwMzs1-OVfn7339FZIzhtzj_Qp4sTMm5WHIPN9CveIV0B0e9g5EB0bsNBRF2WGfyvzDvdhrf5bZSCPE/s1600/5-22-2013+9-09-14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOp4tm33-eYu5IAOZBw-PHJZknvISI4zgQNN_R5in9pIrOL3-rnlrREOvtwMzs1-OVfn7339FZIzhtzj_Qp4sTMm5WHIPN9CveIV0B0e9g5EB0bsNBRF2WGfyvzDvdhrf5bZSCPE/s320/5-22-2013+9-09-14+PM.png" width="289" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlWUvgqZwcdKzLtC4GCDXMfohxfNlhkKEbLVzr8gCAu8Jx5xZH0utiYgsToN3zz_J9UFg9piX2YN8l4lNMdKJjJ9_G-VmS9VotgBSRG5jNowkg9PLb6otkYxGussEMpg6JNhQhGU/s1600/0144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlWUvgqZwcdKzLtC4GCDXMfohxfNlhkKEbLVzr8gCAu8Jx5xZH0utiYgsToN3zz_J9UFg9piX2YN8l4lNMdKJjJ9_G-VmS9VotgBSRG5jNowkg9PLb6otkYxGussEMpg6JNhQhGU/s320/0144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Bridesmaids’ bouquets<o:p></o:p></h3>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_UXPv379xhRpcn4jHFRNhtzg-gT2-gsfanBCFr4FIVK7dyWvifMqk4VYtAlwNb-14iIMV6IEmKGf9p0euVGEMxK_aUtgFOmugIxbCrGjzv-eBojiLdYU-V73zDzQ3CzoKKzAkls/s1600/5-22-2013+8-58-51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_UXPv379xhRpcn4jHFRNhtzg-gT2-gsfanBCFr4FIVK7dyWvifMqk4VYtAlwNb-14iIMV6IEmKGf9p0euVGEMxK_aUtgFOmugIxbCrGjzv-eBojiLdYU-V73zDzQ3CzoKKzAkls/s400/5-22-2013+8-58-51+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQS1Tkotqa_3i0Db7HT8FMzDnYULdVcOFF-7bCkWxoZKD86ql0NFgYXpogBx6_ZkSmr1beS8A9ctZBqM8aMKoy_tdMUSMKa6mXzNEeesiF5KJwh03YwqDK3pV_ImmamiRNNDEgWg/s1600/5-22-2013+9-08-01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQS1Tkotqa_3i0Db7HT8FMzDnYULdVcOFF-7bCkWxoZKD86ql0NFgYXpogBx6_ZkSmr1beS8A9ctZBqM8aMKoy_tdMUSMKa6mXzNEeesiF5KJwh03YwqDK3pV_ImmamiRNNDEgWg/s640/5-22-2013+9-08-01+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Groom’s boutonniere</h3>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0DlKKppllQTmMCCgX_B6hVCr8g-RwREgophKlpmYnRmYTFyZgccpq6wNL9l2BS3bSVQUd15hkOWRiNI54Lycen_DLhQnFq84ctOupmO3-3AgF7SIIGh61Xxrefd-gLw4YAsbVvc/s1600/Groom+flowers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0DlKKppllQTmMCCgX_B6hVCr8g-RwREgophKlpmYnRmYTFyZgccpq6wNL9l2BS3bSVQUd15hkOWRiNI54Lycen_DLhQnFq84ctOupmO3-3AgF7SIIGh61Xxrefd-gLw4YAsbVvc/s320/Groom+flowers.png" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Groomsmen boutonnieres<o:p></o:p></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5fKI-gj8_Qmo1gPdA7ORJI8_ZIApkJKp_7uQgGYjYWeRz710AbxoqBuw623HCHaEz2uslIPb1thMNLnu8OIw-CZnl4hrgEW9AenUVpYnraBvI64U0VCSV6rH9lQ5cDUJ3u5mgao/s1600/Groomsmen+flowers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5fKI-gj8_Qmo1gPdA7ORJI8_ZIApkJKp_7uQgGYjYWeRz710AbxoqBuw623HCHaEz2uslIPb1thMNLnu8OIw-CZnl4hrgEW9AenUVpYnraBvI64U0VCSV6rH9lQ5cDUJ3u5mgao/s320/Groomsmen+flowers.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Moms' Corsages</h3>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNumsGbu7C8oU9DgDxGO2Jx5Eyz-BmAU2-8ZsxxVGD9J7ULfypzQcvxH5u4_tJCQxUkcdm_lHWnG36uBhsXZUACL2KXNiYTi-UU-O1QjOfO1fFzTt1TiDHOv1JxjNzpW-IyjdBEk/s1600/Corsage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNumsGbu7C8oU9DgDxGO2Jx5Eyz-BmAU2-8ZsxxVGD9J7ULfypzQcvxH5u4_tJCQxUkcdm_lHWnG36uBhsXZUACL2KXNiYTi-UU-O1QjOfO1fFzTt1TiDHOv1JxjNzpW-IyjdBEk/s1600/Corsage.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Dads' boutonnieres</h3>
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtCxNTF3alLW899dRQVgrxvQ40gG6bDhSa4KumlxtkavNRuYkXdJgGJ75u_mVD6gfNsY5qW1mnkEUv9SUda-uvnsJJTpdfFLuEUDmPBPeyZ5phRqzehkL-YAQmBWKa5Rq_9N9WKE/s1600/Dads+flowers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtCxNTF3alLW899dRQVgrxvQ40gG6bDhSa4KumlxtkavNRuYkXdJgGJ75u_mVD6gfNsY5qW1mnkEUv9SUda-uvnsJJTpdfFLuEUDmPBPeyZ5phRqzehkL-YAQmBWKa5Rq_9N9WKE/s320/Dads+flowers.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Cocktail hour table arrangements<o:p></o:p></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(unfortunately no one captured any pictures of these)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
</h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Reception table arrangements<o:p></o:p></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GZscQXCHgghkG2zCU_ddEYvrD3rmjPYtfepU82_LPk5BCvZURNmpPk9QrgKPHY84I2ETNNPa7Ln15-kDdt0TqKTqMPO0_81twc1W0lnTnxMe-iU7hHaBSuMvm1Z8fxIx2X_taJc/s1600/0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GZscQXCHgghkG2zCU_ddEYvrD3rmjPYtfepU82_LPk5BCvZURNmpPk9QrgKPHY84I2ETNNPa7Ln15-kDdt0TqKTqMPO0_81twc1W0lnTnxMe-iU7hHaBSuMvm1Z8fxIx2X_taJc/s400/0008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
Cake topper floral arrangement (you'll notice the cake was leaning...the heat made it begin to melt)<o:p></o:p></h3>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TW_4ef0H0RrHOIEQvcgewk6Nr239LKLlCEoOVqBWzwMhqP_gjBSa_q4ekNRv-0ZWOtzz_FCV80yQoM4jP8qI8w47h1JjJ70VJnIezLEzxykGT9YfmghNSdmkwULnY2L7gpyaebM/s1600/5-22-2013+9-01-54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TW_4ef0H0RrHOIEQvcgewk6Nr239LKLlCEoOVqBWzwMhqP_gjBSa_q4ekNRv-0ZWOtzz_FCV80yQoM4jP8qI8w47h1JjJ70VJnIezLEzxykGT9YfmghNSdmkwULnY2L7gpyaebM/s400/5-22-2013+9-01-54+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2YiXRimf_aZwQ7yXFRbh2YnScysmmQMy59VuPk2Rj0cLpaFrI087-ZYnMedL2_7VHHWgb5yvtMgEuwByKgE_KCLtsupGblBfSCQ4GJgn-vlsLB5G8v_4XRlAqKrNog5bPM0iQts/s1600/5-22-2013+9-03-17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2YiXRimf_aZwQ7yXFRbh2YnScysmmQMy59VuPk2Rj0cLpaFrI087-ZYnMedL2_7VHHWgb5yvtMgEuwByKgE_KCLtsupGblBfSCQ4GJgn-vlsLB5G8v_4XRlAqKrNog5bPM0iQts/s400/5-22-2013+9-03-17+PM.png" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We ordered nearly all of our flowers from a wonderful
wholesaler in Maryland called <a href="http://www.flowerwholesale.com/" target="_blank">Potomac Floral Wholesaler</a>. They have samples of flowers that are
available online, but we actually called them directly and spoke to one of their sales
associates. We told him what we were
looking for (types of flowers, colors and sizes) and he helped us figure out
how man, which flowers, and what greenery to order.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
</h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
Things we needed in addition to the flowers/greenery:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Flower shears</li>
<li>Green floral tape</li>
<li>Floral wire</li>
<li>Ribbons for covering the bouquet base</li>
<li>MANY buckets for revitalizing the flowers once they arrive from the floral wholesaler</li>
<li>A LOT of refrigerator space (We bought 3 wine fridges to store the flowers in all forms) also coolers to transport the flowers</li>
<li>Thorn Stripper if you are using roses</li>
<li>Corsage bracelets</li>
<li>Cake topper floral form </li>
<li>Tons of vases</li>
<li>Boutonniere pins </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Tips: </h4>
1. Be sure to have your flowers arrive several days in advance. You have to revitalize them when they arrive, particularly roses. Roses will come in tight buds. If you are looking for a fuller look, you need to give them time to open. Additionally, you want to give yourself a few days in the event some of the flowers come damaged. <br />
<br />
2. Leave yourself plenty of time to arrange and rearrange. We started the day before the wedding. If you have hearty flowers, start earlier. We were rushing to finish the reception and cocktail decor at the venue the morning of the wedding.<br />
<br />
3. If you have white or ivory roses, water on the petals will turn them brown, as will frost so don't overcrowd your refrigerators.<br />
<br />
4. Above all, make sure you do a few test runs on bouquets, boutonnieres, and tablescapes before ordering your flowers. This will give you time to find a professional if you don't think you will be able to actually get the look you want.<br />
<br />
It was a lot of hard work, but they ended up looking wonderful and we saved more than 50% on our flowers. I don't recommend this if you have very complex arrangements in mind, however, if you are going simple, this is a great way to save money. Another option is to have the bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres done by a professional while doing the rest of the flowers yourself.<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-62118026741211383372013-05-20T12:45:00.003-04:002013-05-20T12:47:09.157-04:00Recipe: Super Easy Ranch Pork Chops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s1600/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s320/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Once again, I apologize for the delayed posts. Last week was another travel week for work, and I was so tired I didn't have a chance to post anything.<br />
<br />
Continuing on with the excuses, Mr. Bear and I didn't get much done this weekend that was blog-worthy, so I will start you off with a recipe I really love because it is so easy.<br />
<br />
Before I give you the details of this recipe, please know that I used to HATE pork. Every time I had had pork, it was dry and in desperate need of gallons of sauce to make it palatable. This recipe changed my mind. After making this pork, I realized I had only really had pork loin. Pork chops with the bone in have so much more flavor and are much juicier.<br />
<br />
Also note that the first time I made these, I thought the idea of a ranch seasoning packet on meat was strange, but I promise, it makes the dish.<br />
<br />
This recipe is adapted from the original <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/ranch-pork-chops-77836?scaleto=4&mode=null&st=true" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Ingredients:</h4>
<br />
1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning/Dressing mix<br />
1/4 teaspoon black pepper<br />
2-3 pork chops (bone-in) 1/2"-3/4" thick<br />
Dash of paprika<br />
<br />
<h4>
Directions:</h4>
<br />
Line a cookie sheet with foil. Place a broiler pan over top of the cookie sheet. (I don't have a broiler pan, so I use an all metal cooling rack. I have one similar to <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=40346687" target="_blank">this model</a> from BB&B). Spray broiler pan with non-stick spray that can withstand high heat (like Pam for grilling).<br />
<br />
In a small bowl, mix your Ranch seasoning, and black pepper. Sprinkle the mix liberally over both sides and rub into the pork chops. <br />
<br />
Place pork chops in a single layer on top of your broiler rack. Sprinkle each with a little bit of paprika (amount is up to you).<br />
<br />
Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.<br />
<br />
Baking time provided is for 3/4" chops, reduce cook time if you went with 1/2" chop.<br />
Pork should be cooked until internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Tips:</h4>
1. I like to serve with a vegetable, salad and potato (mashed are my favorite with this dish).<br />
2. Your pork chops will likely have a strip of fat along the outside (opposite of the bone, see photo below). Leave this on during cooking to trap in moisture, but feel free to cut off before serving.<br />
<img src="http://www.greensburymarket.com/product/document_image/14/bone-in-pork-chop.gif?1226074556" /><br />
3. If you want, you can cut the chop off the bone before serving too. <br />
<br />
Here is what it looks like if you do decide to de-bone. I again will stress that you should use the bone-in chop, even if you plan to de-bone. It provides so much more flavor and holds in the moisture. These get dry if you use the boneless chops.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://food.sndimg.com/img/recipes/77/83/6/large/picrs7KEJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ranch Pork Chops. Photo by Boomette" border="0" height="238" src="http://food.sndimg.com/img/recipes/77/83/6/large/picrs7KEJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(image courtesy of food.com)</span></div>
<br />
<br />
4. Adjust the amount of Hidden Valley to your taste. I only like a mild ranch flavor so I tend to go light on the ranch seasoning. Feel free to adjust to your taste.<br />
<br />
5. If you don't know what a broiler pan is, read <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4712065_use-broiler-pan.html" target="_blank">this</a> eHow article. It is very helpful. :)<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-75249912466326229892013-05-13T09:13:00.001-04:002013-05-13T09:14:03.725-04:00Recipe: Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s1600/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s320/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Hello blogosphere! My apologies for being MIA for a week. I was out of the country on business, then recovering from some severe jet lag/stomach flu issues in our household.<br />
<br />
I hope all the moms out there had an amazing Mother's Day! It was great to spend some time with and see my mom yesterday.<br />
<br />
Since I've been out of the country for a week, I didn't really have any new recipes that I have tried. I figured I would share with you a recipe I've made a few times that we really love! I plan to make this dish as a side tonight to go with some chicken as long as Mr. Bear has recovered from the flu.<br />
<br />
This is called Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta. I use it as a replacement for Fettuccine Alfredo. You can make it lighter, and it is similar in taste to Pasta-Roni's Garlic Parmesan pasta. I originally got the recipe from a blog called "The Cheese Pusher". Original recipe <a href="http://thecheesepusher.tumblr.com/post/2719857351/creamy-garlic-pasta" target="_blank">here</a>. My version cuts calories by using a light butter and a fat free half and half.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta </h4>
<div>
2 tsp olive oil (I use extra virgin)</div>
<div>
4 cloves garlic, minced</div>
<div>
2 tbsp butter (I use Land o' Lakes light butter with canola oil. It is lower in calories)</div>
<div>
1/4 tsp salt</div>
<div>
1/2 tsp pepper</div>
<div>
3 cups chicken stock</div>
<div>
1/2 lb angel hair pasta (you can use spaghetti, but I prefer the thin noodles)</div>
<div>
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (you can use reduced fat if you prefer, but I usually just use the full fat parm)</div>
<div>
3/4 cup fat free half and half (original recipe called for heavy cream, but I like to lighten it up and it tastes the same)</div>
<div>
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn! Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let the mixture come to a rolling boil.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once you see your mixture come to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box's directions indicate. After reaching the pasta's cook time, reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until it is completely melted. Then, turn off the heat and stir in the half and half and parsley. Serve immediately.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Tips</h4>
<div>
1. I prefer to make this in a non-stainless steel pot. I use Anolon Advanced cookware so that the cheese isn't too difficult to clean out of the pot.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. My favorite brand of fat free half and half is Land o' Lakes, but I find that if you can find a generic store brand it is frequently comparable.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. This recipe usually makes 3 or so side servings in our household. Adjust as necessary.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. If you don't have fresh parsley, half the amount and use dried.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-Danielle</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-5910640074773009782013-05-02T19:47:00.001-04:002013-05-02T19:48:16.822-04:00Bonus Post: Liebster Awards<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaWIyGOa64Beuuex7LEP0npaCtuKUKFb5zJYK7ATtHkKAC_UWTFDQBlQWfB1CMWskAAlEZ09Mwx7tUDn9EclJ4hv0iM1Lq2EREnzGYYHpDbccb-J9jIyRkYdLxAL010Soiozb8F17EQY/s1600/liebster2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaWIyGOa64Beuuex7LEP0npaCtuKUKFb5zJYK7ATtHkKAC_UWTFDQBlQWfB1CMWskAAlEZ09Mwx7tUDn9EclJ4hv0iM1Lq2EREnzGYYHpDbccb-J9jIyRkYdLxAL010Soiozb8F17EQY/s1600/liebster2.png" /></a>I was just nominated by Alyssa from <a href="http://createimagineanddream.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Create Imagine Dream</a>. I'm sending a huge thanks her way!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Liebster Award is given to new bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As part of the receiving the Liebster Award, there are a few rules:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1. Say "thanks!" to the Liebster Award nominator on your blog and give them a gracious link back</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2. Answer 11 questions from the nominator</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. List 11 random facts about yourself </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 other bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers, or who you think deserve to be noticed. Don't forget to leave a comment on their blog so they know about it!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5. Copy and paste the blog award onto your blog, show off that bling!</div>
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Questions for me:</h4>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">Why did you start blogging?</span> I read blogs all the time. It started when I began wedding planning and I continue to use them as a great source for home improvement projects and recipes. I wanted to get some of my knowledge into the ether. Also, my husband is a sports fanatic. This provides a nice distraction when all our local teams are losing. :)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">What is your favorite thing to blog about?</span> I love blogging about weddings, mostly because I have already been through it. Recipes and home improvement are newer to me, but I really enjoy those too. Non-answer, I know.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">What is your favorite color to wear?</span> Purples. Most purple colors look good on me in the summer and winter. There aren't too many colors that I can wear all year.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">What is your favorite food (and if there is a blog post, what is the link)?</span> Breakfast food! I made <a href="http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/03/01/cinnamon-roll-pancakes/" target="_blank">these</a> for Mr. Bear a few weeks ago and they were phenomenal! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">What is your goal for your blog?</span> I'd love to get a steady stream of followers who really enjoy and share my information. I'd love to know I'm a helpful blogger!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">Who is your blogger crush (you know the one that you constantly check because you want to be just like them)?</span> Honestly, my friend Steph at <a href="http://willworkforshoesandvodka.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Will Work for Shoes and Vodka</a>. She is a personal friend, so I might be biased, but she has an awesome voice for blogging and I always love her crafts and recipes. I don't know how she finds enough time in the day to do it all1</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday afternoon?</span> Doing new or interesting things in the city we live in. I also do really enjoy watching movies and napping :)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">Heels or Flats? </span>Depends. My office is really casual, so I usually wear flats. I love wearing a great pair of heels and getting dressed up though!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">What is your ideal vacation?</span> Mr. Bear and I really want to make our next really big vacation a tour of Europe, but I love just laying on the beach.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">What is your favorite movie?</span> Cold Mountain and Atonement (I swear I'm not depressing in real life :) )</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">What advice do you have for a new blogger?</span> Build up your content by posting regularly, when I know what days you post, I will check in regularly!</span></li>
</ol>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> 11 Facts about Me:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. I graduated college a semester early</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. I have a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration, Finance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. I work for a department of my company that builds eCommerce websites</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. My dream is to make it onto Jeopardy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Throughout high school I taught people of all ages how to play tennis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. I've sprained my ankle at least 4 times. The very first time I sprained my ankle, I was standing still and shifted my weight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. I've never sprained my ankle doing anything athletic </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8. I have never had a Twinkie. When Hostess announced it was going out of business, Mr. Bear and I spent about 3 hours with some friends trying to track one down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Growing up, I lived in 3 different houses in the same town.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10. My friends hate playing board games with me. They are convinced I cheat or read all the cards ahead of time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">11. I met my husband in the 1st grade :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Questions for my nominees:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. What inspired you to start blogging?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. What is the worst thing you have attempted to make for a blog post (craft, recipe, etc.)?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. If you could go anywhere in the world, money is not an object, where would you go?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. What is the stupidest thing you have ever done/said?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. What is your dream job?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. How do you decide what you will blog about?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. What is your goal for your blog?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8. What is your current profession?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9. What advice would you give to new/er bloggers?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10. What are your favorite blogs to follow?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">11. What is your favorite pair of shoes? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I only have one nominee so far:</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Steph @ </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://willworkforshoesandvodka.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Will Work for Shoes and Vodka</a></span></span>Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-30871149711993445242013-05-02T11:45:00.002-04:002013-05-02T18:23:18.614-04:00Wedding Wednesday: Finding THE Dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
For some reason this post didn't post as scheduled. Just pretend it is Wednesday!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone knows that a HUGE portion of your wedding is the
bride’s choice of attire. It sets the
mood/vibe for the event. Finding the
right dress can be easy as pie or like pulling teeth, depending on various
factors. Regardless, it is usually one
of the first moments the bride-to-be really feels like everything is real. Some get emotional, others just have fun, and
if you are me, your mom cried at nearly every dress you try on (if you decide
to have your mom with you at all).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In today’s Wedding Wednesday, I’m going to cover my
experience finding a dress and share some tips I learned during the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For many women, their wedding dress is something that they
have dreamt about for as long as they can remember. I too had thought about my wedding dress when
I was in grade school, ages 6-8 to be exact.
If you had asked me then, it would have been a big poofy Cinderella style
gown with poofy sleeves. I would have
accompanied with clear plastic heels to look like glass slippers, elbow-length
gloves, and a tiara. It was the early 90’s,
we were still recovering from 80’s fashion…don’t blame me :). By the age of 9 though, I really lost
interest in dreaming about my wedding dress and didn't really think about it
again until I got engaged. Going into
dress shopping, I was starting from scratch.
To top it all off, my mom and I decided to go shopping on a whim
President’s Day 2011 (2 months from my engagement and about a year and a half
away from my actual wedding). I had the
day off from work and we figured since it was a Monday that the shop wouldn't be busy. I called the day of to make
sure we could make an appointment and they luckily had a spot open.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
Tip #1: Make an appointment, even if you are going to a
national chain like David’s Bridal. This
will save you a ton of time once you actually get to the shop.</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since we had gone on a whim, I hadn't really looked at any
bridal magazines for ideas, but had seen one Sottero & Midgley dress that I
loved in an ad (Adorae was the style name).
I had also intended to only browse, not purchase, since I literally had
no idea what would look good on my body.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
Tip #2 Some will tell you that you should look at bridal
magazines and narrow down styles and dresses you want to try on before going to
the shop. I would recommend the exact
opposite, don’t lock yourself into one style (it may not fit your body), and go
in with an open mind.</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember how I said I loved that Sottero & Midgely
gown? Well, I told my bridal consultant
and she pulled at least 3 dresses that were similar. They looked HORRENDOUS on me! To make matters worse, I’m 5’ 4”, and the
dresses were made for someone MUCH taller than I. In talking to the consultant she said it
would have been very difficult to alter the dress to my height since the dress
was more mermaid shaped and was almost a straight satin (no seams) down to the
bottom where it flared out. There wasn't a good place on the dress to take up the height without losing the trumpeted
bottom. Even in 4” heels, I still wouldn't have been able to fit into the dress properly.
If I had been set on that style of dress, I would have been heartbroken,
but I went in with an open mind and told the consultant that our wedding was
going to be outdoors in July in a garden and asked her to pick some selections
she thought would fit the theme and my body type. I ended up buying a beaded lace gown that I
would have never picked off the rack. It
was beautiful! I actually liked it the
first time I tried it on but came back to it later in the appointment and
decided it looked the nicest on me and that it was the dress.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
Tip #3 Take or wear shoes that are the approximate height
you think you will wear for your wedding</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As previously stated, I’m 5’4”, I can walk in heels but
since we were getting married in a garden, I didn’t want to have to wear heels
higher than 3.5”. I brought some shoes
with me to the appointment that were about that height. It really helped visualize how the dress would
actually fit, and it helped the consultant rule out dresses (like Adorae) that couldn't be properly altered even with the 3.5” heels.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
Tip #4 Take a strapless bra, or find out if the salon
provides long-line bras for trying on dresses. Oh, and wear full coverage
underpants :)</h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t usually make it a habit to fully undress in front of
strangers, some may say I’m not comfortable enough with my body, but whatever, I’m
just not comfortable with it. If you are
like me, wear/take a strapless bra to your appointment. You will be getting in and out of dresses a
lot, this will allow for prevention of awkward situations. Additionally, if you plan to wear a bra the
day of, it will give you a better understanding of how the dress will fit. My salon provided a long-line bra for the day
so that it had a lower back if you happened to try on dresses with equally low
backs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Full coverage underpants.
#1 your consultant will appreciate that they don’t have to look at your
butt all the time. #2, some salons have
changing areas instead of individual rooms.
You could be in a room with several other brides who would also
appreciate not having to look at your butt all the time. #3, you are getting in and out of expensive
gowns, that are hot (lots of extra fabric), when people get hot they sweat,
having full coverage on your bottom will allow you to slide in and out of the
dresses. I tried on 32 dresses during my
appointment and was sweating by the time we were done. My mom had to fan me off. My salon provided a slip to help address #3 (that
is another option if you don’t like/own full coverage undergarments).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
Tip #5 Don’t get frustrated </h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is easy to get frustrated if you aren't finding the
perfect dress. Like I said, I tried on
32 in one appointment. Don’t get
frustrated. Some people find the dress
after trying on 2, others find it after trying on 50 or more. You will find something that fits your style,
I promise. But, that leads me into my
next tip…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
Tip #6 Don’t try on too many dresses</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This seems to contradict my previous tip, but I assure you
it does not. 50-75 dresses is a lot,
once you have tried on that many, they may all begin to run together, you will
forget , you will nitpick, and you will become very critical of the dresses you
are trying on. Once you find a dress you
like, that looks good on you, that fits your budget and your theme, commit to
the dress. It is ok to try on 2-5 more
dresses to make sure it is the one, but more than that is crazy. It is also ok to not be overwhelmed by
emotion when you choose a dress. I
certainly was not. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I told you previously that my mom cried for at least the
first 5 dresses I tried on. I, on the
other hand, did not shed a tear or become overwhelmed with emotion. I’m pretty analytic and pragmatic about my
decisions, and this was no different. I
really liked my dress and was excited to have selected a dress, but it was not
a life-changing experience for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<img height="400" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/315413_3700482437187_1970075291_n.jpg" width="305" /><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/487252_3700468596841_2042792159_n.jpg" width="253" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photos courtesy of one of my lovely bridesmaids)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hopefully you will end up loving your dress-searching
experience. I will leave you with some
final tips to help you through the process.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
Final Tips</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Try to go during a trunk show at your local
salon. I happened to go on the last day
of a trunk show at my salon and I bought my dress from the trunk show. During the trunk show they bring in gowns that
they normally would not carry, you might get lucky and find something you love!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Go in with a budget in mind for your dress,
veil, shoes, jewelry, and accessories (can be a total cost estimate of
all). Be sure to stick within that
budget for your dress. The salon will
likely try to sell you a veil, jewelry and accessories too. If you buy them from the salon, make sure the
total cost of all items fits into your budget.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Remember you will need alterations. Most brides do not fit a standard bridal size
perfectly. You will need
alterations. These can get pricey
depending on fabric type, dress construction, if it needs bustling, and how
much needs to be done to the dress. In
my area, alterations are often $300-400.
I ended up purchasing a dress that was $300 over my initial budget, but
because I hit a certain price mark with the purchase, the salon did the
alterations for free. Essentially it was
a wash for me to purchase the less expensive dress vs. the more expensive dress
once you added in alterations.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don’t bring a ton of people with you to your
appointment. You will never make
everyone happy, and you are the one who has to love it. I brought my mom because it was a special
moment we could share, but also because I deeply trust her opinion on clothes
that look good on me. I know she will
tell me when something doesn't fit right, but I also know she will tell me when
something looks amazing.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Try shopping online for shoes, veil, jewelry and
accessories. I found a $200 veil in the
salon that I loved and went perfectly with the dress, but couldn't convince
myself to spend that much since I had gone slightly over my initial budget for
the dress. The easiest place to cut
extra costs was with these items. I
found a nearly identical veil online at Etsy.com for far cheaper. </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you do fall in love with accessories at the
salon, find out if they offer a discount since you purchased your dress with
them. My salon offered 15% off on veils
and jewelry as well as another 30% off bridesmaids dresses if you purchased
through them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Once you find your dress and complete your
fittings, be sure to bring someone who will be available to help you the day of
your wedding to your final fitting. I
brought one of my bridesmaids and my mom.
The seamstress showed them how to fasten me into the gown AND how to do
the bustles (She ended up doing 3 bustles on my dress because I had so many
layers). This was VERY helpful the day
of the wedding and they were able to get the bustles figured out in no time!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Have fun!
You will hopefully only get to do this once in your life!</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
-Danielle<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-4154990326078267682013-04-29T08:24:00.002-04:002013-04-29T09:24:22.366-04:00Weekend DIY: The Results are in...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM94_Nc_enkSDjRz8eXim7UU2SXgT-ZS6vcez9x5XjJOPNKc4FF8DimydRLBcRsL0e2dBtGYK4WlNgyHV_1BhowlpI3cuvCVfeZpojPNxpEaoOxj0VTNnEy1C5Ws1C8Tze30C59So/s1600/house.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM94_Nc_enkSDjRz8eXim7UU2SXgT-ZS6vcez9x5XjJOPNKc4FF8DimydRLBcRsL0e2dBtGYK4WlNgyHV_1BhowlpI3cuvCVfeZpojPNxpEaoOxj0VTNnEy1C5Ws1C8Tze30C59So/s200/house.png" width="200" /></a></div>
The results are in, we repainted the kitchen and dining room this weekend! The guest room will have to wait for another day, our feet were too tired to even keep us standing long enough to tape off the guest room.<br />
<br />
Take a look at our pictures below! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Dining Room</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjull-1JM9TjlNGQERDV_EYCTxpCTM4mXYPKccaTYDzXwI7Qf8ri_jZkXZkgi6wrjTu-1bagVeoetbMWGqo6hcrv8U7Q0wfumAOmWyJW1rKCITdL4cOM6tMUWJew0xAY-HevExlP7A/s640/blogger-image--1530037685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjull-1JM9TjlNGQERDV_EYCTxpCTM4mXYPKccaTYDzXwI7Qf8ri_jZkXZkgi6wrjTu-1bagVeoetbMWGqo6hcrv8U7Q0wfumAOmWyJW1rKCITdL4cOM6tMUWJew0xAY-HevExlP7A/s400/blogger-image--1530037685.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">As you can see, the dining room was a mustard gold color. Here is a photo of Mr. bear in the process of painting the first coat. Boy were we glad do see that gold go!</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXC7oYygETvzf8M_16C1Zbdkx0ANIs0tC8KyCpTSvxVYsOdBBWqXx_tnAUpNmbC5lvc-_HVh7tKcPo34exVcwdXFnIm_NpDz3eOHtlhX5oaAF3QqfdwGNHer3EHcC5LzzU1gES5U/s640/blogger-image--1182170080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXC7oYygETvzf8M_16C1Zbdkx0ANIs0tC8KyCpTSvxVYsOdBBWqXx_tnAUpNmbC5lvc-_HVh7tKcPo34exVcwdXFnIm_NpDz3eOHtlhX5oaAF3QqfdwGNHer3EHcC5LzzU1gES5U/s400/blogger-image--1182170080.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We need to get some decor on the walls, but this was the best photo I had that showed the true color of the dining room. We did the dining room in a flat paint finish.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Kitchen</h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsXC3MMULIezg9MEQxL5M0kmoH7YHPzOzpBa-hU_HC4_OGrD6Vhi5w3rwzg67oilh2cpxA8pDs7_TWfxylBalrCgbibnSWe_mz0h67RKDB5ck85KOnm7_ysSsWI_WYudTp5Vs0nc/s640/blogger-image-1632716837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsXC3MMULIezg9MEQxL5M0kmoH7YHPzOzpBa-hU_HC4_OGrD6Vhi5w3rwzg67oilh2cpxA8pDs7_TWfxylBalrCgbibnSWe_mz0h67RKDB5ck85KOnm7_ysSsWI_WYudTp5Vs0nc/s400/blogger-image-1632716837.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here's a photo of the kitchen with the Garden Spot green. Ironically Valspar paint has a similar color called Dill Pickle. Mr. Bear HATES pickles, so we will continue to refer to this as "Garden Spot" green. We did the kitchen in a semi-gloss finish since we don't have a full back splash, it makes for much easier cleanup.<br />
<br />
Last night we bought some puck lights to go under the cabinets to light up the space around the stove a bit more. We are still working on their installation, but I think they will look really nice.<br />
<br />
<br />
So what do you think?<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-30653264277954093482013-04-26T08:29:00.003-04:002013-04-26T16:43:20.612-04:00Weekend DIY: Let's Paint the Town...Gray?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM94_Nc_enkSDjRz8eXim7UU2SXgT-ZS6vcez9x5XjJOPNKc4FF8DimydRLBcRsL0e2dBtGYK4WlNgyHV_1BhowlpI3cuvCVfeZpojPNxpEaoOxj0VTNnEy1C5Ws1C8Tze30C59So/s1600/house.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM94_Nc_enkSDjRz8eXim7UU2SXgT-ZS6vcez9x5XjJOPNKc4FF8DimydRLBcRsL0e2dBtGYK4WlNgyHV_1BhowlpI3cuvCVfeZpojPNxpEaoOxj0VTNnEy1C5Ws1C8Tze30C59So/s200/house.png" width="200" /></a>I can't believe it is once again Friday! This week zipped by and we're already on the brink of the weekend!<br />
<br />
Mr. Bear and I bought our house in September 2012 (we put in an offer the week we came home from our honeymoon!). We've been in it for almost 8 months and still have not painted a single room. <br />
<br />
The main problem had been agreeing on a color. I like colors with warmer undertones while Mr. Bear prefers cooler colors. Our childhoods have greatly influenced us. My parents ALWAYS had warm colors (reds, golds, browns, warm greens, warm beiges) while his parents' house is varying shades of blues and bluish greens.<br />
<br />
This week we finally agreed on colors for our kitchen, dining room and guest room.<br />
<br />
We are planning to begin painting tomorrow, but boy am I not looking forward to the prep work. <br />
<br />
Several years ago, my parents bought a new house. This was the last time I've painted so much as a speck of anything. What I do remember, however, is how much I hated taping and tarping everything in the room. Anyway, we are planning to go buy the paint tonight. These are all Sherwin Williams colors.<br />
<h2>
<br />Kitchen</h2>
Our kitchen has beige granite, and floors, white cabinets with nickel pulls and we have stainless steel appliances. Here's a photo from the previous owner's MLS listing:<br />
<img alt="8535 Shorthorn Dr, Northfield, OH 44067" src="http://photos3.zillow.com/p_d/IS-1mtcq0318ctp9.jpg" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5396494284916694749" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
For now, we've settled on Garden Spot for the kitchen<img height="400" src="http://images.myperfectcolor.com/repositories/images/colors/MPC00027181-2.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<h2>
Dining Room</h2>
<div>
We recently purchased a dining room set, Ashley Furniture's Hayley table, chairs and buffet. I plan to get some funky accent chairs for the head and foot of the table. I really want a gray room in our house, and thought the dark wood in the table would look great with the gray. I may re-upholster the chairs with a different fabric, but they are pretty neutral right now.</div>
<div>
<img src="http://www.ashleyfurniture.com/Graphics/Web/Large/D480-35_KO.gif" /></div>
<div>
Essential Gray for the dining room:</div>
<div>
<img height="400" src="http://images.myperfectcolor.com/repositories/images/colors/MPC00026979-2.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
Guest Room</h2>
<div>
<img alt="8535 Shorthorn Dr, Northfield, OH 44067" src="http://photos3.zillow.com/p_d/IS-b9caia7o7fbx.jpg" /></div>
<div>
As you can see from the MLS photo, our guest room is a lovely shade of pinkish lavender. Not seen in the photo, there was even a shrine to Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez! While it was lovely for the little girl who lived there, we are looking for a more updated and modern look. We've decided on a light/medium beige large stripe for the guest bedroom (something like this from Pinterest).</div>
<div>
<img alt="What a pretty look for a half bath!" height="400" src="http://media-cache-ec3.pinimg.com/550x/f9/1d/54/f91d544a1acd9011d96ef5d78488bae9.jpg" width="266" /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'll post later next week with a final update on the paint. I'm excited to finally start making our house our own!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What do you think of our picks?<br />
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-30843513367206504972013-04-24T16:35:00.001-04:002013-04-25T12:51:31.089-04:00Bonus Recipe: Crunchy Peanut Thai Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s1600/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s320/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Since I was so busy earlier this week and didn't get a chance to post on Monday, you guys get a special bonus post today!<br />
<br />
A few months ago, my mom made this chicken while we were over for family dinner. It was interesting, delicious, and quick to prepare. Always looking for recipes I can make in under a half an hour, I had her pass along the recipe.<br />
<br />
Bear with me during the ingredients because you may stop and ask what the heck mayo is doing in this recipe, but I assure you it is necessary. This recipe is adopted from a <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/20-minute-thai-peanut-chicken/8b265af7-f749-4b31-b996-6ac5736715c9" target="_blank">Betty Crocker</a> recipe my mom had received from her friend. This version serves 2. Prep is about 10 minutes and it cooks in about 20.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u>Crunchy Peanut Thai Chicken</u></h3>
<h4>
Ingredients:</h4>
<div>
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRfP46n7OKaLhEGCYc8g07UnNXzia-zBJjWzEqVQFbAAu_nhA7AsByoD-s" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRfP46n7OKaLhEGCYc8g07UnNXzia-zBJjWzEqVQFbAAu_nhA7AsByoD-s" width="91" /></a>2 boneless skinless chicken breasts</div>
<div>
1/2 c. plain panko bread crumbs (I found these in the international food section of my grocery store)</div>
<div>
1/4 c. finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts (use a <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=40534923" target="_blank">nut chopper</a> for the easiest method for a fine chop)</div>
<div>
1/4 c. purchased peanut sauce (I used Dynasty Thai Peanut Satay Sauce, also found in the international foods section of my grocery store)</div>
<div>
2 tbsp. mayonnaise (I used Hellman's low fat to make it a little lighter in calories</div>
<div>
Additional purchased peanut sauce, if desired</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Directions:</h4>
<div>
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap, waxed paper, or an open large ziploc bag, place each chicken breast smooth side down. Gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2" all over thickness.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. In shallow dish, mix together peanut sauce and mayo. In another shallow dish (I used pie dishes), mix together panko and peanuts. Dip chicken in peanut sauce mixture, then dip in panko mixture. Place on baking sheet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. Bake 15-20 minutes, turining once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut or at 165 degrees and coating is golden brown. Serve with additional peanut sauce.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I served with rice and vegetables, but a coconut noodle would also be good! It was gobbled up and I didn't get a chance to grab a pic before running out the door, but here is the image provided by Betty Crocker. The texture is crunchy but the warm peanuts also become smooth to the bite. With the peanut sauce coating, it keeps the chicken very moist!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<img alt="20-Minute Thai Peanut Chicken " height="239" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/gmi-digital-library/612348a2-8f54-4c31-8d9b-d590f25ecfa9.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-Danielle</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-18913655835237320252013-04-24T16:10:00.000-04:002013-04-26T09:54:30.566-04:00Wedding Wednesday: DIY Invitations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
It's once again Wedding Wednesday! Today I will be walking you through how I DIY-ed our invitations.<br />
<br />
When I started looking at invitations for our wedding, I began by looking online for inspiration. I kept coming across invitations that looked like little folders. I thought they were a great way to keep all the information organized for guests. After doing some research, I found that they were called pocketfolds and came in various colors, shapes, sizes and formats.<br />
After pricing out what I wanted with a few vendors, it was looking to cost about $5.50 per invitation (That was going to be around $500 just in invitations, not including any postage...yikes!)<br />
<br />
I decided to go in search for a cheaper option that would have the same look. On a recommendation from a few people on my regional theknot.com board, I went to a paper wholesale place in the area that many people go to for stationary, invitations and scrap booking supplies, <a href="http://hollospapercraft.net/" target="_blank">Hollo's Papercraft </a>.<br />
<br />
While there, I found these awesome pocketfolds in a sparkly plum color. I also fell in love with several beautiful papers. I bought enough paper supplies to create one test invitation.<br />
1 ivory scrolling patterned cardstock (8.5x11)<br />
1 moss green solid cardstock (12 x 12)<br />
3 linen lined cardstock (8.5 x 11)<br />
1 RSVP card sized envelope<br />
1 sparkling plum pocketfold<br />
1 sparkling plum inner envelope<br />
<br />
I then made my way over to my local <a href="http://www.hobbylobby.com/" target="_blank">Hobby Lobby</a> and purchased the following additional supplies:<br />
1 sliding paper cutter with a perforation and regular blade replacement<br />
1 silicone cutting mat<br />
1 xacto knife<br />
1 bottle ZipDry glue<br />
<br />
After carefully measuring the pocketfold, I began cutting the papers. I knew I was going to have up to 5 inserts in the pocket with information, so I cut those first since they were going to be varying heights, but the same width. They were made out of the ivory linen cardstock and I made each insert 1/2" smaller in height than the last. This created a tiered look. Inserts that were not being distributed to everyone were the shortest so I could easily not include while still keeping the clean layered look.<br />
<br />
I then started with the ivory scroll cardstock as my background paper and cut it to size that was 1/8" smaller on all sides than the middle of the pocketfold. I used the sliding paper cutter to do this.<br />
<br />
I then cut the moss green cardstock 1/4" smaller on all sides than the ivory scroll. Finally, I cut the ivory linen cardstock down 1/4" smaller than the green cardstock. In the images I've attached you'll see my measurements on my sample were a little off :)<br />
<br />
Using the ZipDry, I pasted the ivory scroll to the pocketfold, visually centering the paper before the glue dried. I then did the same for the green and ivory linen papers.<br />
<br />
The photo below was an actual invitation, but it gives you an idea as to what it looked like.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBL6Wh0QHnxi-RSZE9JX38-xc5RGq7zAwXAbpkKFhi4gs86Yudc6gODXdYTLjbO_w-eiPsuWRUn9KvSjizJUOAGBeFTeh3a-gwY2Dp5AW9x_X_s_KHaT_0A-oh67plvHcab5FA9I/s1600/4-17-2012+3-08-18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBL6Wh0QHnxi-RSZE9JX38-xc5RGq7zAwXAbpkKFhi4gs86Yudc6gODXdYTLjbO_w-eiPsuWRUn9KvSjizJUOAGBeFTeh3a-gwY2Dp5AW9x_X_s_KHaT_0A-oh67plvHcab5FA9I/s640/4-17-2012+3-08-18+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
After finishing my test, I realized that the ivory scroll paper, while beautiful, was far too expensive to use a full piece of paper as my base background. I decided to instead do a picture frame approach. I cut the ivory scroll into strips of paper 1/2" wide, mitered the corners with my Xacto knife at a 45 degree angle, and then glued the strips onto the pocketfold so it created what looked like a picture frame of the ivory scroll. I then pasted the rest of the cardstock on top as usual.<br />
<br />
The process was painstaking, but by cutting down how much of that paper I was going to use, my per invite cost went from $2.35 to $1.35.<br />
<br />
Additionally, instead of purchasing my pocketfolds from the paper wholesaler, I found the matching pocketfolds and envelopes for cheaper at <a href="http://www.cardsandpockets.com/" target="_blank">Cards and Pockets</a>. Mine were the Signature pocketfold in Sparkling Merlot. They arrived quickly and in excellent boxes that kept all of the invitations organized.<br />
<br />
Here is another photo of the finished product. I added a "B" printed on cardstock and mounted on plum paper to the opening corner of the pocketfold (if you had the pocketfold closed, it looked like a sticker holding the pocketfold closed)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlamtGp07XgdmaPY_LlFsTaRpkY9HKTssXcyM9OcxX6BlI-QDMbOg5nEhblWY2zTMJyUDn_Jv6zJC0vhHkrtfv1sSZsPlus5CGRfmbJ09nG3ILUfTq9u2U15raH4ZdxKBkPW4P0M/s1600/4-24-2013+3-39-02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlamtGp07XgdmaPY_LlFsTaRpkY9HKTssXcyM9OcxX6BlI-QDMbOg5nEhblWY2zTMJyUDn_Jv6zJC0vhHkrtfv1sSZsPlus5CGRfmbJ09nG3ILUfTq9u2U15raH4ZdxKBkPW4P0M/s640/4-24-2013+3-39-02+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I printed all my paper at Kinko's. Since it was all black and white, I paid $0.10 per page. I was able to fit 3 invitations on a single sheet and all 5 inserts on one sheet. Each invitation used 1 and 1/3 pages of printed paper.</div>
<h2>
Tips:</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1. If you are going to DIY your invitations, start early. I started assembling these in November 2011 for mailing in April 2012.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2. Make sure to shop around for your products. I found the pocketfolds online for much cheaper</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
3. Buy enough extra supplies so that you can make several mistakes. At the end of the day, I had 10 extra pocketfolds, but at least I had room for mistakes.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
4. Make a mockup and keep it near you during assembly. It helps to prevent mistakes if you can visually see what you are attempting to make.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
5. Keep in mind that your postage is going to be based on weight, so if you have inserts like I did that not everyone needed (i.e. Rehearsal and Picnic), be sure to have an envelope that includes all inserts weighed for your final postage</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
6. Don't forget to provide return postage for your RSVP!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-53146779137273298632013-04-19T08:00:00.000-04:002013-04-19T08:16:40.268-04:00Weekend Recipe: Creole Lime Shrimp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s1600/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTuyWmi5cYaTnmZdS4Mm3pMA0yndOM2XmDc_26CnHjeRVp4pCmyAk94tfoFAWAzj9KwXG3UBGsqNPdYDQhjOG6_GnzsRhj_JtzdYDwOinE1qwg8si0MVkzXl6LkKUpNRHWtqQCYc/s320/4-10-2013+4-19-20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Earlier this week, Mr. Bear was out for the evening with his brother. Mr. Bear is a bit pickier than I am when it comes to food, so I decided to test out a new recipe while he was out.<br />
<br />
Now that the weather is getting warmer, I'm looking forward to grilled dishes. Shrimp just screams warm weather to me, so I decided to go in search of a delicious recipe.<br />
<br />
After perusing several of my typical recipe sites, I noticed that the most common recipes included lime and/or cajun seasoning. I didn't have any cajun seasoning on hand and didn't really feel like making my own, but I had some Zatarain's Creole seasoning that I felt would be a good substitute. I took an amalgamation of a bunch of other recipes to come up with this marinade.<br />
<br />
<br />
I loved this dish because it was only 4 ingredients!<br />
<br />
<h2>
Ingredients:</h2>
<img height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kasTO5fC3Dg/UW190B5fyAI/AAAAAAAAACo/1WASBJO2e_4/s400/13+-+1" width="400" /><br />
<br />
2 heaping tsp. Zatarain's Creole Seasoning<br />
1 tbsp. vegetable oil<br />
1 lime, juiced<br />
1lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 21/25 shrimp which means there are 21 to 25 shrimp per pound aka "Jumbo" shrimp. I also prefer it with the tail off, but it is up to you)<br />
<br />
The Zatarain's seasoning is pretty salty, so I only used 2 tsp. and it gave it a really good flavor. If you are using a cajun or creole seasoning that is less salty, I would recommend upping your seasoning, with a maximum of 3 tbsp.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Directions:</h2>
<div>
1. Mix together the seasoning, lime juice and vegetable oil in a resealable plastic bag, or bowl with a lid. Add the shrimp, coat with the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for up to 20 mins. (I was in a hurry this past time so only marinated for about 10 and the flavor was still good)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate (I used PAM for grilling on my indoor grill). Remove the shrimp from marinade and shake off excess. Discard remaining marinade.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<img height="190" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z76ZrTSPPh4/UW19dsWZ8kI/AAAAAAAAAB4/EUUwuSfPYK4/s320/Blog+photos+-+2" width="320" /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. Cook shrimp on the grill until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center. This was about 2 minutes per side for me, but I went a little longer because I like to get a nice brown, crunchy outside.</div>
<img height="373" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ioEDbTEyU_0/UW19dj5WtxI/AAAAAAAAACQ/abel59nka1E/s400/Blog+photos+-+1" width="400" /><br />
<br />
I served with broccoli and a side of rice. It was delicious!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Tips:</h3>
<div>
1. I cooked on an indoor grill because I was just cooking for myself. If you are cooking on an outdoor charcoal or gas grill, I would highly recommend rubbing the grates with oil instead of using PAM.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. Also, if cooking on outdoor grill, I would recommend using skewers on the shrimp to make sure they don't drop between the grates. I recommend metal skewers, but if you are using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak in water before use so they don't burn on the grill.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. For a bit of a margarita flavor, you could add tequila to the marinade!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. Be sure to start with defrosted shrimp. I forgot to pull some out the night before, so I did the quick defrost method of putting the shrimp in a colander and letting COLD water run over them for about 15 mins. NEVER use hot water, you could introduce bacteria.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, It is a great summer dish, and the shrimp would also be excellent on a southwest style salad!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-Danielle</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396494284916694749.post-69007152741032985862013-04-17T08:00:00.000-04:002013-04-18T13:16:28.213-04:00Wedding Wednesday: Tackling the Guest list<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s1600/wedding_041.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnAB4L2jEbMq4KFw-ktvh9QBY0ZglIFrJl8Nh3-t6otC1rEH56Du7qOgxHHBBry3mmOv7ffxyshsHq6xuwsnpXun0mShdrQeCBGX64w9JrBhKu-_hGzpHlgESt5hUMkPH72EWnd4/s200/wedding_041.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
In last Wednesday's post, we discussed t<a href="http://thebearneccesities.blogspot.com/2013/04/wedding-wednesday-budgeting-for-your.html" target="_blank">ackling the budget</a> for your wedding. I also made reference to your guest list so I wanted to write a follow up post.<br />
<br />
Besides the budget, your guest list is one of the most important parts of your wedding. It will determine everything from the feel of the wedding down to the type of wedding you can afford. I recommend putting together your guest list in tandem with your budget.<br />
<br />
To put together our guest list, Mr. Bear and I first put together a list of ANYONE we could think of that we might want to invite to the wedding. In our estimates, we gave any singles a "plus one" as well. Proper etiquette dictates that anyone in a relationship must be invited with their significant other so we allocated spaces on our initial guest list in the event that someone might become "taken" in the year and a half that we were to be engaged.<br />
<br />
Our initial list was right around 300 people. This included family, friends, work friends, family friends and guests of our parents (that we thought they might want to invite).<br />
<br />
Our next step was to determine what size wedding we could actually afford. For us, food, alcohol and a band were the most important parts of the wedding and we wanted to be able to afford good food, an open bar and a band. Two of those three things are dependent upon your guest list, so we determined we wanted to be at a maximum of 180 invited guests.<br />
<br />
Cutting people can become difficult, especially if you are in the beginning stages of planning and you intend to have a longer engagement. Just remember that this version of the guest list is there to serve as a guide for your purchases and likely will not be the finalized list. To make cutting potential guests from our guest list a bit easier, our total budget was split almost exactly in thirds between us, my parents and Mr. Bear's parents. We figured since everyone was paying the same amount we would divide allowed guests evenly among all parties. For us, this meant that each party was allowed to invite 60 people of their choosing. This could be family, friends, or the bum they met on the street, but each was only allowed 60. It was very difficult to stay within the 60 person limit, but that was what we could afford and it was the size of wedding we wanted, no larger. Additionally, our venue could only comfortably seat about 190 in the configuration we wanted.<br />
<br />
After all sides turned in their lists, we had our nearly completed guest list long before any additional decision was made. There were a few swaps on both sides of the family, but for the most part, this was the finalized list. It made it very easy to prevent etiquette boo-boo's once we had our list.<br />
<br />
Knowing who was invited and who wasn't prevented all parties from talking about the wedding in front of those who were not invited, preventing feelings of being snubbed.<br />
<br />
Our guest list assisted in everything from chargers and tablecloths to wedding cake and how much paper needed to be ordered for save the dates, menus, programs, and invitations.<br />
<br />
While the guest list was the hardest part of our wedding planning process, it was also vital because at the end of the day, we were surrounded by people we loved dearly on the day of our wedding!<br />
<br />
<h2>
Tips:</h2>
<div>
1. I highly recommend keeping your guest list in a spreadsheet. After we had our guest list spreadsheet, we were able to enter in the addresses, keep track of any gifts received, and track RSVPs. I used a format similar to this one that I found on Google:</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<img height="492" src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/12907119.png" width="640" /></div>
<div>
2. Create a rough draft or at the very least have your maximum number defined BEFORE going any further in the planning. Your guest count is going to determine venues that will fit in your budget, as well as whether or not a venue will be able to properly accommodate the number of guests you plan to invite.</div>
<br />
-Danielle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s1600/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmZQjS3Lnjcl3hCtnVard22cPeM8jzs2wL6v1hyphenhyphenoPjwl1dYOYSyZ6Buw-FpBpaaEqGbLZQrfJiA4mwkU5774eyt3BSf9yeqIxDTawSRu9XRbvrWRPUEmYE54sVSBWiIuqDkEdJrI/s200/sleeping_brown_bear_05_212.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13175040701016120421noreply@blogger.com0