Hurrah! I got my Real Simple Weddings 2010 issue in the mail last week and I’m so excited to share some of the fabulous tidbits that you can find in this issue (below the image of the cover featuring an *amazing* bouquet).
Of course, as with all Real Simple publications, you’ll find great advice on how to simplify your life (and in this case, wedding planning). Some great articles you’ll find in the 2010 issue – a timeline and year long planning calendar, great questions and answers on budgets, locations, guests, attire, flowers, vows, reportage, food, and the overall ambiance of your big day, choosing your cake and picking out wedding day decorations. You’ll even find a pullout guide of checklists and guides and a website index of all the websites listed in the magazine.
My favorite part, however, are the Real Weddings featured throughout the issue. With themes like “Married and Bright”, “East Meets South”, “Together by Design”, and “A Handmade Tale”, they simply must be great, right?! I wish I could feature one or two here, but the images belong to the brides and grooms (understandably). You’ll just have to pick up a copy for yourself to see them!
Other great features definitely worth checking out? The “Choose Your Color Palette” with three different palettes for each of the green, blue, purple, pink/red/ orange, and yellow base colors, and “Flowers at a Glance” that gives you a nice breakdown of popular flowers, their “in” seasons, colors you can find them in, and a few other good-to-know facts. And I can’t leave without mentioning the Silhouette Glossary – cute sketches and great descriptions handy for anyone shopping for a wedding dress!
Share This
One perk of writing a blog? Free stuff! I got to pick out a few cute little items from INKtastic and I just had to show them off!
As a newly engaged person myself, I said “why not” to one of those Future Mrs.s shirts. I think it came out quite well!
AND! Probably the more cute of the two little goodies I got to pick out (and this is for a family member, not us)…
Too cute, isn’t it? INKtastic has tons of cute customizable options – something for brides and grooms, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls and ring bearers, parents, whomever! Shirts, tanks, totes, even customizable unmentionables.
Everything was super easy to pick out and customize, and my order arrived in just a few days. The quality is great, too – something I always worry about when ordering online! The site is actually a family owned business and I love the words they sell by – “If we wouldn’t buy it, we won’t sell it.”
Share This
You know I’m a fan of SUGAR! I’m also a fan of entrepreneurs and startups. You’ll find the perfect combination of the two with Chocomize!
Nick from Chocomize contacted me a while ago and offered me some samples of the AMAZING chocolate bars they make. I had fun picking out the types of chocolate I wanted and all the good things to mix in. They carry selection of nuts and seeds, fruits, herbs and spices, candy, and other decorations. Check out a few below.
Here are a few pictures of the goodies I received! I picked out a white chocolate bar with oreo cookie bits mixed in. Brandon (the beau) opted for milk chocolate with peanut butter chips, chocolate and peanut butter candies, and gold flakes. Yes, gold flakes (how totally awesome is that?!).
The guys over at Chocomize are more than happy to work with brides and grooms to come up with something special for weddings! Couples can customize to their hearts’ content and even design the packaging to have pictures, messages, or, well, just about anything they want. Side note: orders of over 50 bars get a nice little discount.
If you’re interested in designing your own goodies, click over to Chocomize, or find them on Twitter and Facebook. Also check out their blog – tons of fun things like the History of Chocolate and the Story of Saint Valentine.
If you place an order, type ‘Valentine’ into the coupon section of the checkout to receive free shipping!
Share This
Hello all! This is our first ever “advertiser appreciation post”. As you can see to our right, we have some wonderful people to get some exposure to their own sites through ours. Today, we’re featuring the fabulous Shirley Tan. We’ll be honest – we think it’s pretty awesome that she advertises on our site. But, there is much more to this wedding gift guru!
This awesome woman is an entrepreneur, business owner, wife, mom to three, and wedding goody extraordinaire (and much more). One of her websites and online shops is all about wedding favors and gifts. She’s got them all – bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts, and even an array of personalized wedding favors.
Here is one of my favorite – a bridesmaid tote. I’m tote obsessed, so naturally I’d love this one! Love the monograms, too.
Some wedding websites seem a bit “sketch” and I’ll admit, I’d feel a bit uncomfortable ordering from them. But after having worked with Shirley for quite a while, I can say I’d totally trust her and her staff. Let’s hear it for Shirley and her American Bridal!
Share This
I love featuring artists!! I’m excited about this particular singer and songwriter because he happens to share a name with my grandfather (and just about a gazillion other people in the U.S. – go figure).
His name is David Olson. I love how this Twin Cities citizen feels about his music and connecting with people – “I want people to be inspired to love genuinely and live courageously when they listen to my music!” How fabulous is that?
I asked him about his music and if he had any pieces that are particularly wonderful for weddings. He mentioned three: I’m Forever Changed, Because, and You Made All the Difference. I vote for “Because” as my favorite. 
You can hear samples of his music on his website, or purchase it here.
Now, if you want him to play at your wedding, you’ll just have to contact him yourself. (He’s super nice, so have no worries!) Check out his blog and website for more information.
Thanks for letting us chat with you, David!
On a side note, David is also a Realtor in the MN area – so if you’re looking to buy somewhere around there, check him out.
Share This
When preparing for a wedding, brides tend to spend a lot of time beautifying themselves (months before they are to walk down the aisle – not just on the big day). I recently got to try out the Clarisonic PLUS Skin Care System with Spot Therapy, a fun skincare tool that helps clean and tighten skin on the face and other targeted areas. The hand held brush spins, and beeps when it’s time to move to a different spot on the face (which is helpful for not over-doing a certain spot).
After using the Clarisonic, I could definitely feel a difference in my skin. I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical, as I always am when it comes to skin care things. But, you know the light, really clean, cool feeling you get after giving your face a good ole’ scrub? THAT’s what it’s like.
This little kit would definitely make a fun addition to any beauty routine. But, I think it would also be a fun thing to gift to your ladies – you can even get them personalized with a name or phrase. How fabulous is that!? Check out the kit below.
Get more info on the Clarisonic here, or check out their Facebook fan page for updates and to check out what other customers think!
Be beautiful!
Share This
Hello lovelies! Today I wanted to fill you in on all the fab wedding stuff happening on WE TV. If you’re anything like me, you could spend an entire day (or two, or three…or more…) watching wedding stuff on the tube, and I must say, WE is definitely “well stocked” with great shows. Here is rundown of what you can see on WE!
Amazing Wedding Cakes (Sundays at 10p|9c)
This show is addicting! Some of the most amazing cakes are displayed on this show, along with all of the work that goes into making them.
Bridezillas (Sundays at 9p|8c)
This show makes me squirm! I honestly hope and pray that the ladies featured here are putting on an act for the cameras…. Either way, they make for some great entrainment. If nothing else, they are prime examples of exactly how NOT to be a bride.
Platinum Weddings (Sundays at 10p|9c)
Drool! These weddings are big (and that’s quite the understatement) and are a fabulous source of inspiration, whether or not your budget is anywhere NEAR that of the couples’ featured. If nothing else, just watch and dream!
My Fair Wedding(New season starting in September)
David is one of my more recent wedding loves! I recently purchased one of his birthday books, “
Big Birthdays“, and it is faaaabulous! He has so many words of wisdom and in his books and his shows, he’s always offering fresh, unique looks! We love you David!
Two other shows WE has
Rich Bride, Poor Bride and
Wedding Central seem informative, but I can’t quite speak for them (never seen them). But if they are anything else like WE’s other wedding shows, they are bound to be great!
Share This
Every Bride wants kissable lips on her wedding day, perhaps more so than any other day. So why not gloss those babies up! I got to test some of Sally Hansen’s new Diamond 12 Hour Lip Treatment and wanted to share my thoughts with you. The “Treatment” works to “replenish and hydrate lips while providing three exciting levels of coverage-diamonds, pearls and opals-to be worn alone or layered for unlimited effects”.
The formula for this sparkly gloss includes Retinol (for smoothing and antioxidant benefits) and a time-released Moisture Complex that supposed to help replenish lips for up to 12 hours. When applied, the treatment does glide on smoothly with a brush applicator, and doesn’t get all sticky and gross after a few minutes (alleluia!). In my experience, however, it didn’t last up to 12 hours. I didn’t try kissing lots of people, or one person a ton of times, but it did stay put for three to four hours, which I still think is great!
So, if you’re looking to dress up your lips, I’d definitely recommend this lip treatment. I think they’d also make a fun little gift to treat your bridesmaids to (hey, who doesn’t like getting all prettied up?). They come in a number of shades with fabulous names, which include Engaging, Princess, Gem, Marquise, Flawless, Solitaire, In Love, Tiara, Fancy, Eternity, Ascher and Bauguette.
Check out the fab shades here and a pic below.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Sally’s giving one fabulous reader quite a spread! All twelve shades of the Diamond collection! To enter, just leave a comment! A winner will be chosen at random next Wednesday, June 12th.
If you don’t win, you can still pick up your fave shade in just about any drug store across the nation. Check out Sally Hansen for store locations. Not a bad price, I dare say, at only $6.25!
Share This
I love lists. I often write them on the fly between tasks. Thus, I love notepads. So, I was THRILLED when I heard about Linda & Harriett’s new, fabulous notepads! I get little updates from Linda & Harriett all the time about their goodies, so it’s about time I share some of it with you!
The recently released notepads are absolutely fantastic. I got one of the Zig Zags, and it is ni-ce. It’s much bigger than I thought – perfect for lots of notes!
But, notepads aren’t Linda & Harriett’s only cup of tea! They have quite the collection note cards and flats, perfect for “thank yous” or “thinking of yous”, and a whole line of sweet greeting cards. They are all about custom work for invitations, stationary, and wedding paper ensembles, too. Check out some of the pieces you can find!
For more about Linda & Harriett, check out the website or click over to the about page to read about Liz, the brain and creativity behind L&H!
Share This
Hello all!! I got a copy of the always fabulous Real Simple Weddings 2009 a while back and wanted to share a bit about it with you. I’m a big fan of Real Simple as it is, so naturally, I adore anything “weddings” they produce. They stick to their simple way of doing things, which I find quite refreshing!
I let one of my newly engaged gal pals check it out. She loved it so I asked her to write a review. Check out what she said :
Hello! I’m Cassie, and I’m a newly engaged bride-to-be. I’ve only been engaged for a little over a month, but I’ve gotten quite a head start on planning. For one thing, my nightly reading material has become all wedding magazines, and it is nothing less than fabulous! I love it! From planning tips to entire lists, looking at big beautiful wedding gowns to flowers to wedding favors, browsing wedding material is quickly becoming a passion!
While enabling my wedding infatuation, Katie passed along to me the new copy of Real Simple Weddings 2009, and I absolutely love it! To put it straightforward, Real Simple Weddings is just that- real simple. It’s not cluttered with ads, as a matter of fact, the only ads are from Crate & Barrel. The layout of the entire magazine is what makes it so attractive to being with. It’s simple, yet classy. It’s organized very well into sections that begin with a short paragraph that coincides with a Crate & Barrel ad on the opposite page. It’s neat and sophisticated looking.
One of my very favorite things about the magazine is its sporadic little tips and pieces of advice scattered throughout in the margins of the pages. They’re short and to the point, and offer great information about saving money, saving stress, and saving time.
Being the clueless bride-to-be that I am, weddings are all new to me. That’s why I love the “10 common questions” sections in almost every chapter. It gives sort of a break down of popular FAQs that aren’t that easy to just ask, ranging from invitations to food and cake to proper ceremony procedures. It really seems uncomplicated when you see all these mind-boggling questions answered simply and effectively on two pages.
A flower guide spreads over two pages as well, outlining over 30 types of flowers. The table shows a small illustration of the flower, what seasons it is most available in, and a little note about a positive or negative aspect of each one! The guide will definitely help me to coordinate the flowers at my wedding with my wedding colors, as well as keep the florist charges relatively inexpensive!
The last thing I really enjoyed in the magazine was the 15-page timeline in the first chapter. It details a checklist starting at 16 months before the wedding all the way until the week of. It also provides a wedding registry checklist, to make sure you don’t leave anything off of your registry, something I know will come in handy for me, as I’m sure I’ll forget many things when preparing for a new home!
Overall, Real Simple Weddings 2009 is classy and stylish, and a very helpful tool in planning your big day!
Share This