{Monday Eye Candy} A Pretty Holiday Table

For {Monday Eye Candy}, I came across this gorgeous holiday table I only WISH I had the time or talent to create, courtesy of Green Wedding Shoes. It blends traditional christmas with modern design. It is warm and clean, pure and grounded at the same time. Love the tartan tablecloth and all white flowers in combination with silver and gold balls and lots and lots of glass.  The DIY ornaments, as place settings, add a sweet, personal touch. Sigh...swoon...Happy Holidays.  Here is a taste; for more holiday eye candy, head over to Green Wedding Shoes. 

All photos courtesy of Green Wedding Shoes

Holiday Wedding Additions: Cheers, favors and traditions!

In general, I am slightly opposed to celebrating two major events during any season...like birthdays and proposals...separate, or Winter holidays and weddings, is Santa walking you down the aisle?  I just feel each event is important enough to have its own special day and fabulous celebration.

But I will say, holiday weddings have the best, most tasty treats, are the easiest to decorate and people generally approve of the two for one event. So with all being said, here are a few good ideas to bring some holiday cheer into your holiday wedding without overloading on red and green and ho ho ho.
* * * * * * *

{sourc: Frills and Thrills}

Holiday Cheer
Here is an oh so delicious Candy Cane Martini from Frills and Thrills Wedding and Event Planning that makes a great after dinner drink, perfect for toasting and warms against the winter chill!

Ingredients:

3/4oz. Vodka,
3/4oz. Peppermint Schnapps,
3/4oz. White Creme de Cacao,
1/4oz. grenadine,
half and half and soda water.

Directions: Pour Vodka, Peppermint Schnapps, White Creme de Cacao and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Pour into a cocktail glass rimmed with crushed peppermint candy. Fill with half and half and top off with a splash of soda water!

* * * * * * *
DIY Favors

Snowflakes, christmas colors, ornaments or something silver and shiny always come to mind when I think of holiday weddings favors....and for some reason scream "been there, done that!" When I think of the winter here in New England, I want something that warms my belly, melts in my mouth, tastes good on my tongue and is lovingly made

We {heart} this delish favor idea we found over at Delightfully Engaged: a sweet stack of gingerbread favors along with a favorite family recipe.

{source: delightfully engaged}

Here's what you will need: 

- Gingerbread cookies

- Fabric

- Greens

- Twine

- Scissors

- Cards+ Recipe

1. Stack the gingersnaps in piles of 4-5.
2. Cut a piece of fabric about 4 inches x 4 inches. When you cut the fabric, cut about an inch and then tear the rest; this gives the fabric a beautiful, raw and rustic edge.
3. Write out a family recipe for the cookies or another favorite and attach with twine or simply slide it underneath the entire packet.

{source: delightfully engaged}

* * * * * * *

Draw flavor inspiration from your heritage

Mexican Hot Chocolate, a flavor made with cayenne pepper, is growing in popularity. Winter celebration ideas? Have it as a drink to warm up guests at the end of the night or as your featured cake/dessert flavor on a wedding dessert bar.

Here is a delicious, not-too-sweet recipe for Mexican hot chocolate, a mouth watering and powerful combo of cocoa and spices including whole stick cinnamon and cayenne pepper (already in the chocolate). Cinnamon stirrers come in handy, as the old-fashioned chocolate mixture settles if not stirred before drinking. The blend of cinnamon and chocolate flavors is oh so delish!

{Source: Taste of Home}

Holiday Centerpieces - Cranberries and Crystal

Flowers are expensive this time of year and Holiday accessories are overdone!  Cranberries are a beautiful and inexpensive nod to the season, especially in a color scheme incorporating shades of red. 

{source: The Gardener's Eden}

For a simple and striking centerpiece, fill a vase partway with cranberries, then add water. A floating candle can be added to the top, but be sure not to fill the vase to the brim. Either identical or unique vases can be used for each table (look at thrift stores and garage sales to find a variety of vases), or an etched glass bowl can be used. Brides using a bowl for this centrepiece may want to use several floating candles. {source: Suite 101}

These are just a few of our favorites you can add to your wedding to bring on the holiday cheer without getting too carried away. 

Happy Wedding, Happy Holidays!

{Monday Eye Candy} Good Wedding Photography = 1,000 Words

As the holiday looms ever closer, it is sort of hard to blog about wedding fabulousness as usual. So I thought I would give you some fun eye candy to start off your week...happy, fun, enjoyable, gorgeous, outrageous images THANKS to and COURTESY of the fabulous folks over at Our Labor of Love and The Flashdance. I know, they make you want more, more and more.  So yummy you just can't get enough! I especially love their multicultural flair. Enjoy!

  I so {heart} this green truck!

6/27/10 Mel & Julz! I had to sneak this one in.

Wedding in Morocco

Photos Courtesy of Our Labor of Love and The Fashdance

{Thrifty Thursday} Recycled Centerpieces and Decor...Got Trash or Treasure?

Today's Thrift - Recycled Jars for Centerpieces and Decor - is inspired for my own personal search to cheap, chic centerpiece and decor options that were also all about reusing and recycling.  And so began my hunt to find as many glass jars as possible, didn't matter the size, the shape, the height. I even went so far as to buy glass jarred items at the store, force my husband to be to eat them and then carefully wash and store my precious finds. I had my family, friends, co-workers scouring their fridges, recycling bins, the pantries for jars, jars, and more jars...pickle jars, peanut butter jars, those round, fat jam jars, Mason jars.  Fruit jars? We got 'em and Mr. deLovely will never eat fruit from a jar again.  Our house was over flowing with jars but the visual is so worth it!

All the de Lovely inspirations for Thrifty Thursday!

Veil Tales

I can spot a peanut butter jar a mile away.  This bride spent an entire year collecting one hundred jars!

Bravo Bride

Check out thrift stores and yard sales for old vases; they work just as well and can add a whole other layer of texture and dimension.

Elizabeth Ann Designs

I love LOVE this next picture with all the old medicine bottles and slightly colored glass....ok I admit is, I am a bottle-aholic and the only reason I wrote this post was to look at beautiful glass legally.

Hiking In Stilettos

Last one - Enjoy your search, nothing is out of bounds on this Thrifty Thursday, think beyond what you see and into what can be...wow just made that up....super cool!

The Knot

You may have to start your search early in order to gather enough...this is not a new concepts but done right, it never goes out of style.  Let the search begin!

{Giveaways} Xtra Xtra Milestones! Announce your biggest moments!

One of best things about getting engaged, marrids, celebrating an anniversary is sharing it with the rest of the world! You would shout it from the rooftop if you could. However, there is an easier way these day...Xtra Xtra and their Milestone announcements.  Xtra xtra is a website devoted to bringing you hometown news and events; share your milestones and stay connected with your community whether from childhood or the new place you call home. It is an easy, free way to announce your wedding, engagement, birth or reunion.

They are currently giving away two $300 gift cards to Jet Blue, we all need a little help traveling these days. It is super easy to enter; simply create a milestone like ours, and spread the word on Twitter and Facebook.

So I entered last week and funny enough, they liked our milestone so much they used it in a promotion on WedLoft! Isn't that exciting?  Thanks to the lovely ladies over at xtra xtra!

Honeysuckle Named Pantone's Color Of 2011

So it has been named, the Color of the Year, an honor indeed for the color Honeysuckle, "Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world." Honeysuckle might you think something a little more yellowish but this color actually takes after the Honeysuckle Rose.  The color was chosen by Pantone Color Institute, the research arm of Pantone Inc., the company that largely sets color standards for the fashion and home industries.  Honeysuckle is in good company with Turquoise, 2010's color of the year.

So while it may be cold and dreary as we move into winter, this bright reddish, pinkish, coralish color will be in high fashion come spring.  Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute says, "The color says we need to be hopeful and think of things that satisfy as many senses as we can." She goes on to mention, " For some, honeysuckle will evoke a sweet taste, a happy childhood memory or the sound of hummingbirds, offering a hint of nostalgia within the otherwise energetic color."

When I was a child, we had a honeysuckle bush in the back of our yard in Oklahoma City and even all these years later, I remember the smell, the taste of honeysuckle buds - you break off the flower and suck out the honey, the buzz of the bees. There is definitely something to nostalgia.

As designer James Mischka, half of the Badgley Mischka duo and originally in the "honeysuckle-is-yellow"camp says, "It's a positive, strong, affirmative color, and I think that's what hopefully everyone's attitude is going into next year."

With that said, here are a few images from the Badgley Mischka spring 2011 collection show.

Information and photos from article by SAMANTHA CRITCHELL, Associated Press, featured on Huffington Post

Honeymoon on the Cheap, Dominican Republic - Four days left!!

Now, I know honeymoons are supposed to be romantic, exotic and relaxing. In fact, most folks opt for a week of  beach time and fruity umbrella drinks...unfortunately most people can't afford a fancy resort experience after an expensive wedding. So when this came over the email transit today from Travelzoo, I thought I would pass it along. 


This is not an endorsement as I have never been to this Dominican Republic resort - I did however spend a gorgeous 5 days at a small Punta Cana resort a few years ago - BUT it could be worth checking out.  The DR is an excellent choice for a honeymoon because of its relative closeness to the US, the deals that are always available at resorts, and the people of the island who are welcoming and kind. 


As always, read ALL the recent reviews, do your research on the net at review sites, and use common sense.   

From the Travelzoo Newsdesk:

As a Travelzoo VIP, you are receiving this Newsflash email
before other subscribers.

NATIONWIDE--DECEMBER 6, 2010-- CheapCaribbean.com just
slashed prices at an all-inclusive Dominican Republic resort
to $20.10 per person, per night for stays Jan. 3 - Dec. 20,
2011. This five-day sale cuts 90% off the current market
rate and includes all meals, beverages and entertainment.

This deal is part of the company's end-of-2010 sale and is
valid at Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort & Spa for four- to
seven-night stays.

About the Resort: Located in Puerto Plata, the beachfront
resort offers access to nine bars and restaurants, free
scuba lessons and a spa. The deal also includes access to
the resort's VIP parties and beach.

To book this offer, click below. Use the "Hotel Only" tab.
There is a four-night minimum. For stays longer than seven
nights, additional nights can be added at a discounted rate.
Taxes are an additional $7.98 per person, per night. The
deal ends Dec. 10, but we expect it to sell out before then.
http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/69697445-934186/


Also here is what I found on Trip Advisor.

International Inspired Drinks - Bring Some Culture into Your Reception

Drinks are equally as important as the food offerings at a wedding reception and can often times help set the tone; think bottles of cold beer in a wash basin at casual backyard BBQs or expensive champagne at a formal black tie affair.  They can also help couples honor their heritages.  Offering cultural signature cocktails invites people to take part in customs of the bride and groom without being subjected to exotic or “it takes some getting used to” cuisine.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Here is a list of some popular international drinks as well as some long forgotten favorites that would be good additions to any wedding drink menu.

Caipirinha - Brazil

The caipirinha is a national cocktail of Brazil, and is enjoyed in restaurants, bars, and many households throughout the country. Once almost unknown outside Brazil, the drink has become more popular and more widely available in recent years, in large part due to the rising availability of first-rate brands of cachaça, Brazil’s national liquor similar to rum. A Caipirinha is fairly easy to make and only requires a few ingredients: limes, Cachaca or rum, superfine sugar and crushed ice.  Here is a great step by step recipe

Sangria - Spain, Latin America

Photo Credit: andreasrecipes.com

Sangría is the classic Spanish accompaniment to summertime meals and a an excellent choice for a hot summertime wedding. I actually had Sangria at my wedding made by my husband on our wedding day. It was rather warm and the sweet wine, fresh fruit and cold ice were a refreshing and delicious way to cool off.  Sangria is relatively easy to make, wine, fruit and a spritzer, although a bit time consuming. Sangria style is up to your taste, traditional with red wine or Sangria Blanco made with white wine. Any combination of fruit will work, peachs, pineapple, oranges, apples and even strawberries.  The great thing about Sangria is you sort of throw it all together, pour over ice and enjoy.  Here' s a recipe to get 
you started but creating your own recipe as you go along makes this your very own wedding drink.

Photo Credit: irishcoffeerecipe.com

Irish Coffee - Ireland
Originating in Ireland in the 1940’s, Irish coffee is a cocktail consisting of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, stirred, and topped with thick cream. The coffee is drunk through the cream. The original recipe explicitly uses cream that has not been whipped, although whipped cream is often used. Irish coffee may be considered a variation on the hot toddy.  The coffee cocktail is an excellent choice for evening receptions taking place in colder months.  Here are four recipes to try.

Photo Credit: About.com

Asian Inspired Red Lotus

In the Red Lotus cocktail the distinct flavor of lychee is accented with the lighter taste of cranberry. It's an interesting play of flavors that is both intensely sweet and delicately refreshing. The lychee is native to low elevations of the provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien in southern China and is the most renowned of a group of edible fruits of the soapberry family

Here is a quick easy recipe and info on Lycee.

Singapore Sling

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Developed in Singapore at Raffles' Long Bar in the early 1900's by barman Ngiam Tong Boon , the Singapore Sling is a smooth, slow, sweet cocktail.  The cocktail, whose original recipe has since been lost, was first slung either before 1910 or in 1915 (depending who you believe). It was likely called the Straits Sling at first, but by the 1930s, the name changed to one more befitting the drink’s origin. Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book lists a recipe under both monikers, with the Singapore Sling containing only gin, lemon juice, cherry brandy and soda water. The Straits version looks more like the Sling we know today.

It’s said that the cocktail was intended for women; hence the pinky color. However, Charles H. Baker Jr., upon his fourth round of the mix, noted in his Gentleman’s Companion, that the Singapore Sling was a “delicious, slow-acting, insidious thing,” so it can’t be only the fairer sex who partook. (Credit www.thatsthespirit.com)

Here is one Singapore Sling version. 

Mojito - Cuba

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Cuba is the birthplace of the Mojito, although the exact origin of this classic cocktail is the subject of debate.  Cuba's answer to the mint julep, this drink is perfect for a hot summertime wedding. Mojitos have been around since at least the mid-1800s.  Traditionally made of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, sparkling water and mint. Its combination of sweetness, refreshing citrus and mint flavors are intended to complement the potent kick of the rum. Try this mojito recipe.

Some historians contend that African slaves who worked in the Cuban sugar cane fields during the 19th century were instrumental in the cocktail's origin. Guarapo, the sugar cane juice often used in Mojitos,  was a popular drink amongst the slaves who helped coin the name of the sweet nectar. There are several theories behind the origin of the name Mojito; one such theory holds that name relates to mojo, a Cuban seasoning made from lime and used to flavour dishes.  Another theory is that the name Mojito is simply a derivative of mojadito, Spanish for "a little wet", or simply the diminutive of "mojado" 

(Credit: Wikipedia)

Photo Credit: food.com

Pineapple Spice Drink - Ghana

Pineapple Spice Drink is a traditional Ghanaian recipe for a classic drink of pineapple, cloves and ginger infused in boiling water before being strained and chilled.  This is a nice non-alcoholic fruity drink with a slight clover kick.  Add rum to spice it up. Try this recipe and let me know. 

Rum Punch - Caribbean

Photo Credit: whats4eats.com

Depending on whom you believe, planter's punch was either created by the wife of a Jamaican plantation owner, or at the Planter Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Regardless, this fruity punch has become a popular beverage to serve to guests throughout the Caribbean. Recipes vary widely, but they all contain rum, lime juice and a sweetener or other fruit juices.

Now found on most major Caribbean islands, this punch is refreshing and fruity without being too heavy on the alcohol.

Easy to follow punch recipe.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Mimosa - Paris or England?

An oldie but goodie, this is a cocktail-like drink composed of equal parts champagne (or other sparkling wine) and thoroughly chilled orange juice. It is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute with a morning brunch, or to guests at late morning weddings.

The origins of the mimosa are somewhat murky. Allegedly, the drink was invented at the Paris Ritz in 1925, although it bears a striking similarity to another cocktail, the Buck's Fizz, which was introduced in England in 1921, and named after the club in which is was first served. The Buck's Fizz is also traditionally made with champagne and orange juice, although grenadine is sometimes added as well. The name introduced in 1925 comes from the flowers of the mimosa plant, which are yellow and appear slightly frothy from a distance. In Britain, the mixture of orange juice and champagne is still referred to as a Buck's Fizz, while the term mimosa is used in the United States and in most of Europe. (Credit: Wisegeek.com)

Photo Credit: Craftstew.com

Limoncello - Italy

Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy.  True Limoncello is made in Sorrento, from lemons whose trees overlook the Mediterranean.  It is traditionally served chilled as an after dinner palette cleanser. Along the Amalfi Coast, it is usually served in small ceramic glasses themselves often chilled, the Amalfi coast being a center of both ceramic and limoncello production. This tradition has been carried into other parts of Italy.

One of my girlfriend used Limoncello instead of champagne for their wedding toast as a way to pay homage to her new husband's heritage. It was good...too good. 

Interesting article and recipe.




Enjoy!

I had a lot of help putting this together, various internet sources including Wikipedia, About.com and Ask.com.

Planning a Destination Wedding? Perfect Location, Best Time of Year

Mother Nature is always full of surprises, but there are some general guidelines about the best times of year to plan your destination wedding. Whether you hope to hit the slopes or soak up some rays on the beach, we've got an entire year's worth of fabulous wedding weather.  I'm getting married in Brazil in January, right about the time the temps are coldest here at home! A win-win for me, I hope you find yours!

January and February

Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bali, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central and South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Florida Keys, U.S. (ski destinations)

March

Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central and South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, the Florida Keys, U.S. (ski destinations, Southeast, Southwest)

April

Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Central and South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Italy, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, the Florida Keys, U.S.

May

Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Caribbean, Central and South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, the Florida Keys, U.S.

June

Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central and South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, U.S. (Alaska, Northeast)

July and August

Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central and South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Ireland, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Seychelles, Thailand, U.S. (Alaska, Northeast)

September

Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central and South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, U.S.

October

Australia, Bali, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Central and South Africa, Egypt, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Seychelles, Spain, U.S.

November

Australia, Bahamas, Bali, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Central and South Africa, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Seychelles, Spain, U.S.(ski destinations, Southeast, Southwest)

December

Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bali, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central and South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Florida Keys, U.S. (ski destinations)

Credit: The Knot