My Favorite Wedding Sources

We’re officially less than three months from the big day! Still no word on anything from the prior blog post, but no news is good news right? Supposedly (I use that term loosely), we’re supposed to hear back either way by the end of this week…

In order to avoid thinking/stressing about all of that, I thought it would be useful to put together a list of all my favorite wedding sources.

1-2-3 Print.com 

We used them for our save the dates and were very pleased with the results. This site is MUCH cheaper than Wedding Paper Divas and I thought the quality was similar. We spent about $30 for 50 save the dates!

Paper Source 

This website sells every type of paper and stationary you could ever need. I ordered inner and outer envelopes, envelope liners, and mats for our invitations. The quality of the paper is fantastic and they had the exact sizes and colors I needed. And I loved that the invoice they put in the package was signed by the person who put it together. They had great customer service (plus they have a category just for chevron)!

Etsy 

This site can be hit or miss as you don’t actually order from the site-you order from individual vendors who hand-make what they sell. I’ve gotten some great personalized gifts and handmade wedding décor I wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere. The one drawback is that it can often take several weeks for you to get your order as most vendors do not make the products beforehand.

Pinterest 

This one probably seems obvious, but how the heck did people plan weddings before pinterest?! I love that I can post all my ideas on here and they have even created “secret” boards so people can’t take your ideas! Our wedding planners are also on pinterest, so they can see everything I post so they know exactly what I like.

The Copy Shop

We had our wedding invitations (designed by my AWESOME friend, Rachael) printed here as well as table numbers and some other stationary for our reception. They have both printing and design services. They were FABULOUS at making sure they knew exactly what I wanted. They are based in Illinois but were really great at corresponding via email/phone with me in Florida. And the total price tag was better than I expected!

The Knot

They have all sorts of of tips on wedding planning and etiquette as well as a wedding shop but the feature I like the most is their website tool in which you can create and customize your own wedding website. The tool is easy to use and our website looks great!

What are YOUR favorite wedding planning tools?

Book Review: Calling Me Home

Now that I have a full-time, grown up job and am planning a wedding in my off time, I really haven't had too much time to read. Since I was a kid, I've always been a complete bookworm. It's a way to escape and a way to travel to a different place and a different time.

I've been updating my Goodreads account with some summer reading and just crossed the first one off my list. I came across this title from Jen Lancaster's annual summer reading list. Jen always has the best recommendations. I bought this book on my Kindle with the intention of holding off reading it until my flight home in a few days. Yeah...that didn't happen. It took me less than 24 hours to finish this, reading it at the gym and in the car (don't worry, I wasn't driving.)

Calling Me Home is the story of Isabelle, a young white girl growing up in a sundown town in 1939. She's the white daughter of the town's doctor who falls in love with her black maid's son, Robert. The book goes back and forth between current day and the past, giving you a little bit of the past and relating it back to current day.

I don't say this lightly (my mom's an English teacher, I used to work in a library and hope to again) but this is one of the BEST books I have ever read. I was slightly torn on whether or not to read this as I cannot stand stories that do not have happy endings and I knew there was no way this story could end happily. But I was so glad I read this. This was one of the most haunting books I have ever read. It is written in a way that makes you feel as if you were Isabelle and know the risks involved with falling in love with this man. 

I was actually very happy with how the book ended. I think the author, Julie Kibler, gave it the happiest ending that was possible without making it seem far-fetched. I couldn't believe this was her debut novel, it was written so well.

This book evoked very powerful emotions, forcing me to think about my own parents' marriage. My white mom married my Mexican dad at a time where it wasn't illegal, but it was still very, very rare. Even then there were risks involved. When my dad was a child, he had to sit in a separate area of the movie theatre. While life was much better for minorities at that time, it still wasn't perfect. It was better for me growing up, but it still wasn't perfect. 

This book made me proud of being mixed...something I've struggled with. Thank you to Julie Kibler for writing this.

Margherita Pizza

With the wedding now five months away, the time to diet has descended upon me. During the week, it’s soup for lunch and baked chicken, quinoa, and veggies for dinner. That being said, I still let myself splurge a little on the weekends.

I’ve been looking for a good pizza crust recipe for a while and haven’t come across anything in which the taste was worth the effort.  Then I came across this one on Pinterest for garlic pizza crust...Anything with garlic has to be good, right?

Well it was. This recipe is definitely a keeper and it’s really not all that labor-intensive.

After the crust was prepared, I topped it with mozzarella, Italian, and Parmesan cheeses and some sliced tomatoes.

Stick it in 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Serve with a salad if you're feeling guilty.

Tagalong Cookie Bars

For the last couple of weeks, the hubs has been studying hard for his CPCU designation…meaning I have to find ways to entertain myself since he has been shut away in the office.

Luckily enough, it’s also that time of the year…you know, when Girl Scout Cookies are being delivered.  I made these Thin Mint Gooey Cake bars last week. Now it’s time to conquer my second favorite Girl Scout cookie…tagalongs!

I’m using this recipe from Jasey’s Crazy Day. The one complaint I have about this recipe is how many steps there are...but that is also why I chose this recipe-it kept me entertained all night!

Here’s what you need:

Shortbread Layer

1-½ cups flour

½ cup powdered sugar

2 sticks butter

Brownie Layer

1 box brownie mix + ingredients indicated on box

¼ cup hot fudge topping (the brownie mix I used had hot fudge included so I skipped this step)

Peanut butter Layer

2 sticks butter, softened

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1-¾ cups powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Gaze

2 cups chocolate chips

1 stick butter

Note this recipe calls for a LOT of butter…so if you have, you know, a wedding coming up…take this into work like I am!

Mix up the shortbread layer first and bake at 350 in a 9x13 pan until golden.

Pour brownie mix over shortbread layer and bake until done. Stick pan in the freezer while you mix the peanut butter layer.

Once brownies are completely cooled, top with peanut butter layer. Again, stick the pan in the freezer while melting the chocolate glaze. It is important to do this otherwise the layers will melt together!

Pour chocolate glaze over peanut butter layer and stick in the fridge for a few minutes so the chocolate solidifies.

Then EAT!!

Common Sense

Cookies & Cream Angel Food Cake

Ok this is seriously one of the quickest and easiest desserts to make. I especially prefer to make this in the summer/spring because it’s so light.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 store-bought angel food cake
• Crushed Oreos (I only used a few)
• 1 package cookies & cream pudding
• Cool Whip

Note: I usually use low-fat Cool Whip…but I sent Jason to the store and this is what he got. Hey, at least this time he remembered to look at the other side of the grocery list.

The first step is to rip the angel food cake into pieces. Seriously, just tear it up into pieces.

Then add about one and a half tubs of Cool Whip (or two-thirds of the big tub) and the pudding mix and mix until completely blended.

Then add in some crushed oreos (between cake tearing and cookie crushing, this dessert is great at releasing stress!)

I like to let the dessert chill for a couple of hours in the fridge to thicken up a bit but it’s just as tasty to eat right away.

This dessert is also very versatile-this is an adaptation of my mom’s recipe-she uses strawberry jello mix and strawberries in place of the cookies & cream pudding and Oreos. I think next time we’re going to try cheesecake-flavored pudding and fruit.

Baby Bucket List

I was talking with one of my coworkers the other day who as a daughter about my age who has been married for a couple of years. She mentioned her daughter and son-in-law have put together a "Baby Bucket List" of items they want to do before they have a baby. That got me thinking-what would be on our baby bucket list?

-Visit Hawaii (hopefully for our honeymoon)

-Visit DC. Jason has never been and we both want to visit the USMC museum

-Go to a Bruno Mars/Lady Gaga/Katy Perry concert (guess whose idea this one was...)

-Get a dog! It's taking all my self control to put off getting one until after the wedding

-Get my Masters 

Any other ideas?? What would YOU put on your baby bucket list?