Quick! Linda & Harriett is having a Spring Cleaning Sale until March 7th! Check out some of the great things you can get at fab prices below. Side note: the Zig Zag Notepads and Thank You notes are my favorite – I can proudly say I have (well, had) both. Love love love them!

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I love love LOVE Improv Everywhere so I was SUPER EXCITED to see their newest mission (via a fab KC photog, Patrick Binder, @pbinder): Surprise Wedding Reception!

As you can see on their site, “Improv Everywhere causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places. Created in August of 2001 by Charlie Todd, Improv Everywhere has executed over 100 missions involving tens of thousands of undercover agents. The group is based in New York City.”

If you’ve never seen an IE mission, I hope you’ll enjoy your very first! Check it out below:

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I’m so excited to share with you a new[er] blog stuffed full of ideas, inspiration, resources, and photos - Engaged & Inspired! The creator of Aspiring Couture, Allison, brings you fresh, modern, chic ideas from the wonderful world of weddings. Recently engaged herself, Allison started the blog to provide fellow brides with “a complete bridal resource offering top inspiration, gorgeous detail ideas, fabulous suggested vendors, and a wedding shop full of hand-picked original designs”.

My favorite part of Engaged & Inspired has to be all the great eye candy – tons of fabulous photo inspiration that I simply can’t get enough of. I forced myself to pick just one to share with you here…. don’t you just ADORE all these great tags!?

Providing all the pretty pictures ties in perfectly with the services Allison also offers via her blog – custom, made to order inspiration boards (with a bunch of extras). All you have to do is send her a few photos of things that represent your style, venue (if you’ve already tied it down), color choices, etc., and she’ll send you the following:

- A full cohesive plan with plenty of details, to pull your wedding style together.
- “How-to’s” and “Where-to’s” for purchasing and creating items from the idea board so you can execute wedding plans efficiently
- A suggested list of vendors to work with that fit your style and budget. (Researched by us in advance to ensure quality of service!)
- Suggested design plan for setting up the venue, or how to add in those details that you can’t live without.

Such a great idea, especially for the bride that needs a little help getting the creative juices flowing. So, go see all of this fabulousness for yourself, or email Allison directly – allison@engagedandinspired.com.

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What girly girl doesn’t?!

A few weeks ago I got to get a behind the scenes look at MyGlassSlipper.com. What can I say…I know people! Actually, a sorority sister of mine is the Senior Marketing and Operations Manager at their headquarters, not too far from where I live, and she gave me the grand tour (thanks, Megan!).

MyGlassSlipper (along with BridalShoes.com) carries tons of options for the shoe-loving bride. Designers include Paris Hilton, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitsman, Freya Rose, Badgley Mischka and more. Of course, you can also do the dyeable thing too (for you or your bridesmaids) – they offer lots of colors to pick from.

Megan emailed me today to tell me about these two new shoes they just got in from a small London based designer (Freya Rose). I had to share them – here they are (Avalanche and Della, respectively)!

I love just about all of the Badgely Mischka options, too. I’ll take one of each, thanks.

Have a fantastic week!

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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!

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The lovely people at WE tv are launching a new online TV show – Bridal Breakdown, which can be found at WE’s all-bridal website, WeddingCentral.com. Here’s a sneak peak. Can anyone relate?!

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Any crafty brides out there? I stumbled upon an absolutely fabulous blog (via Mrs. Diane – thanks!) that you simply MUST check out – Ruffles and Stuff!

Creator, Disney, posts some of the cutest projects that anyone can do. Here are a few of my favorites, that might also be a nice addition to your wedding day. Check them out!

“Grannie Chic” Slippers

White Paper Cards

Super Easy Petal Clutch

LOFT Inspired Ruffle Tank

“All the Trimmings” Scarf

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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.”

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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!

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You’ve found the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. Now let’s find those ‘maids!

Whether you have one or twenty, bridesmaids are your go-to gals for all things wedding – while your planning and on the big day. Once you’ve singled out the most important ladies in your life, you have to pop the question(s) yourself. But how shall you do it? We’ve come up with a few ideas that should fit many styles and budgets.

Have more fabulous ideas? Share them in the comments!

Simply ask them in person. Whether it’s as a group or individually, you don’t need to do anything over the top! Just ask! Take them out to dinner or invite them over for a girl’s night in, and pop the question whenever the moment it right. One word of advice – ask your Maid of Honor(s) in advance and separately. She is the “honored” one and this will make it a bit more special.

Send them on a scavenger hunt. If you want to go all out or have a lot of time on your hands, send them (together or separate) on a scavenger hunt. If you’re going to create a custom hunt for each girl, start by sending each to a special place where you share some funny memories or good times. Repeat this idea for the next location or start dropping some hints by sending them to a bridal gown shop or florist, or have them stop by a cake shop or even the place you plan to tie the knot. Wherever the final destination, be ready to greet each one at the end of the hunt with the big question!

We realize you might not live in the same town or city as your future bridesmaids, so read on for some ideas that lend themselves to OOT BMs, too!

Use humor. You get to experience both the good and the bad when it comes to being a bridesmaid – we’ve all heard the stories. Ugly dresses, nail polish color restrictions, uncomfortable shoes and having to deal with Bridezilla (well, it’s a possibility at least). And while many bridesmaids have come to the end of a wedding day swearing to never be a bridesmaid again, others have looked back and just laughed…and created things like UglyDress.com. If you and your girls like a good laugh, try taking a humorous approach to popping the question. Here are two ideas we like that embrace the uglies –

DIY cards that ask “Will you be my bridesmaid?” on the front and feature hideous dresses on the inside along with the saying “I promise. I’ll never make you wear an ugly dress.”

If you’ve got the budget (or a great stock of old prom dresses), pack up some of the most hideous dresses you can get your hands on, mail them to your maids, along with notes that read “If you’ll be my bridesmaid, I’ll never make you wear a dress like this!”

A less frightening but still humorous approach? List all the reasons your maids shouldn’t fear accepting the challenge of being one of your bridesmaids. Or, offer up all the things you’ll vow to do (or not do) as a bride. Some examples –

If you’ll be my bridesmaid, I promise to…
…never make you wear taffeta and tulle… AND lace on the same dress.
…not care if you change your hair color right before my wedding (unless, maybe, you go with a bright blue or purple…)
…not ask you to loose 10 pounds before you walk down the aisle in front of me.
…not ask you to gain 10 pounds before you walk down the aisle in front of me.
…be understanding of the fact that puce green, though it may match my tablescape perfectly, doesn’t necessarily coordinate with your skin tone.

Be sentimental. Do you guys watch sappy movies together and cry your eyeballs out? Or maybe you’re just a sentimental bunch. Put together a small scrapbook of some of the good times you’ve shared as friends and on the last page, include a short note about what her friendship means to you along with the question of the hour – Will you be my bridesmaid?

Indulge the sweet tooth. If you stop by WeddingFanatic often, you know I love anything with a nice dusting of sugar and sweetness. If you have any bridesmaids like me, ask them very sweetly – with candies, cakes, or cookies! There are a lot of good options out there, check out a few of my favorites – cookies from the too-cute Flour Pot Cookies and cakes from the always fabulous Pink Cake Box.

Spoil them. Who doesn’t like to be spoiled!? Being pampered isn’t bad either. Why not do both by gifting your gals with a monogrammed tote full of spa goodies and wedding day essentials – a robe, comfy slippers, a few candles, delicious smelling lotions, and a small zippered bag with things like stain removing pens, safety pins, mints, mini sewing kits, and whatever else you think your girls will need on W-Day!

Give them some tips. Think your ladies will be clueless about their responsibilities? Or maybe they just happen to be bookworms? How about a nice How-To guide book just for bridesmaids! There are tons of options, check out a couple below.

Razzle Dazzle ‘em. If your ladies are drawn to sparkly things, consider presenting a piece of jewelry along with your question. It could be a piece that you’d like for them to wear down the aisle on your big day. Just beware – if for whatever reason one of your girls turns you down, you’re stuck with giving her the item anyway or awkwardly taking it back.

Get personal. You don’t have to do the same thing for each girl. Try picking out a little something that you know each will like and present the gifts to your ladies before, during, or after you pop the question!

What did you do (or do you plan to do) when asking your girls to be Bridesmaids? We want to hear your fabulous ideas!

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