Christmas Recap: Gifts for My Mr.

Mr. SE and I love to cook together. We've done several classes at the Viking School, and we're doing another one this spring (more on that later). While registering at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, we paid special attention to the cookwear that we chose. The debate became heated. I was rooting for the non-stick team, and Mr. SE for stainless. We ended up registering for a little bit of both, but I could tell Mr. SE was feeling a little bit sad. So for Christmas, I decided to buy him the pan of his dreams. The 11" stainless pan from Viking. You should've seen his face light up when he opened it!

Also, it's no secret this man loves some blu-ray! He also loves Dexter, and is still quite upset about the season finale that aired earlier this month. I have a weak stomach, and I don't enjoy CSI-type shows, so he was really surprised when he opened Season 1 and 2 of Dexter.

Of course, I also threw in the obligatory boxers, along with two button down shirts from BR. I think Mr. SE was very pleased with his Christmas gifts this year!

Christmas Recap

I hope all of you enjoyed a healthy and happy Christmas holiday! It was a blast being back in DC, and I'm definitely thankful for the time I got to spend with my family. That being said, it was hard to be away from Mr. SE for Christmas itself. Hopefully next year both of our families can celebrate the holiday together!

Mr. SE and I exchanged gifts before we went our seperate ways, and he treated me to this. A fantastic Blackberry Tour! At first I was really confused and frustrated, but I'm already in love with it.

My second gift was disguised within a word jumble of lyrics. The lyrics? Black Eyed Peas. Mr. SE and I are going to see these guys on February 12th at the Sommet Center!

How was your Christmas? I'm enjoying catching up on everybody's holiday through their own Christmas recaps. Next time I'll post about what I gifted Mr. SE (clue: it gets really hot), and my family (lots of Etsy goodies!).

Sponsored Post: WhiteFlash Designs

I first heard about WhiteFlash designs while I was researching wedding bands/engagement rings for Mr. SE and myself. They offer everyday jewelry, along with wedding-specific designs. I was approached by WhiteFlash to write an article on my blog- how exciting! So here we are, with my first sponsored post!
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10 Diamond Cuts and Their Meanings. From classic round to cutting-edge cushion, rate your sparkler with our savvy diamond guide.

Heart

The look: This century-old shape, symbolizing love and devotion, should be well proportioned for optimum sparkle. Kid Rock proposed to Pamela Anderson with a yellow heart-shaped diamond.

This choice says you’re: sentimental and dreamy.

Pear

The look: Resembling a teardrop, a pear-shaped diamond has the fire and beauty of a round shape, but with a less conventional look. This shape can also make a wide finger look slimmer.

This choice says you’re: even-tempered and adaptable.

Oval

The look: If you love the gorgeous sparkle of a round, brilliant-cut diamond but still want something unique, consider an oval. A fresh take on a timeless style, this new shape came about in the early 1960s. Actor Jerry O’Connell recently gave his betrothed fashionista, Rebecca Romijn, an oval-shaped sparkler.

This choice says you’re: risk-taking and creative.

Asscher

The look: Square with angular corners, this shape dates back to the late 1800s. If you look closely, you’ll see that it’s step-cut, meaning the facets are rectangular and seem to descend into the stone.

This choice says you’re: feminine and meticulous.

Round

The look: Also known as brilliant-cut, this tried-and-true shape reflects more light than any other, and is the most popular. Avril Lavigne showed her traditional side by wearing a round diamond engagement ring.

This choice says you’re: trustworthy and easygoing.

Emerald

The look: Inspired by the Asscher, this glamorous choice is also a rectangular step-cut shape. It has fewer facets than some of the other shapes, so look for an emerald-cut that offers maximum brilliance.

This choice says you’re: efficient and straightforward.

Cushion

The look: Rectangular with curved sides, the cushion-cut first hit big in the 18th century. A recent resurgence in popularity has given it a modern-meets-vintage feel. Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Garner a cushion-cut rock.

This choice says you’re: organized and daring.

Princess

The look: This relatively new square shape, with a modern, understated feel, combines a sparkly, brilliant effect with a geometric step-cut. You can attribute its spectacular glitter to extra faceting around the rim.

This choice says you’re: decisive and fun-loving.

Radiant

The look: The diamond’s shape has the outer lines and cut corners of the emerald’s crown while enjoying triangular faceting like the round on the pavilion. It was designed to have the best qualities of both round brilliant and emerald cut diamonds.

This choice says you’re: trend settings and fashionable.

Marquise

The look: The marquis shape is an oval with tips. It not only helps to make the hand appear longer and slimmer, but it also makes the diamond appear larger than it actually is.

The choice says you’re: unique and adventurous

I love learning the different meanings behind diamond shapes, and seeing whether the "predictions" are true. Do you think your personality fits with your shape?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, readers! I'm spending Christmas up here in DC at my parents' house. We've enjoyed lots of good food, and many laughs so far. Last night we had my mom's famous shrimp scampi and attended the 9pm service with my dad's side of the family. This morning we opened gifts as a family, with my aunt that traveled down from New Jersey. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about the snow storm that slammed the DC area. Here's what I'm looking at out our back window.

{beautiful}

Mr. SE and I received rights to our online gallery earlier this week, and I can't wait to share the photos with you soon! Yay, JCP!

Save That Date!

As most of our guests have received their save the dates, I'll go ahead and reveal them to you all now. We decided to go with a Nashville theme, so clearly a take off of Hatch Show Print was necessary. Luckily we were able to find a great Etsy seller, Amanda from Customized Stationary, to create our vision. You might recognize Amanda's shop, since she also designed Little Miss Southern's STD's as well.

So here's the finished product. Mr. SE and I couldn't be happier- and our guests have been raving! I definitely recommend Amanda if you're looking to do custom stationery for your wedding (or any other event).

*ps: Clearly this photo is not Mr. SE and myself, and some information has been changed.

Did you try and take a fun spin on your save the dates? What do you think about our first little "welcome to Nashville"?

Hermitage Hotel

We had a jam-packed weekend last week. On Friday, we had Mr. SE's company party at the Hermitage Hotel. There were several hundred employees and we had private use of the lobby and ballroom. What a grand hotel! I'd never been inside before, but I was glad to get a sneak peak. Why, you ask? Because we booked our wedding night there. Yes, sight unseen. Mr. SE and I aren't very fancy pantsy people, so we didn't need a grand suite or anything extravagant. We booked a normal room and got a great rate from Hotels.com. {world-famous bathroom}

The biggest pro of staying at this particular hotel is that it's less than a block from our reception cite. So once again we'll have GREAT photography opportunities. One time I saw the most precious pictures of a groom and his new bride walking to their hotel after the reception. I loved it so much, and knew that I wanted to do the same thing for our wedding. Another plus? We don't need to use any form of transportation- so it's cheap!
*At this point in time I've been on hold with Airtrain for 41minutes. How can I change/cancel my flight (for a fee, obviously) if I'm on hold until we take off?!?

Vendor Spotlight: Niles Limo

There's likely to be a lot of "Vendor Spotlights" coming down the pipeline. I've been booking vendors left and right these last couple weeks. My girlfriend Tami, Little Miss Southern, has been a great wedding planning accountability partner. We're always going back and forth on gchat (not during work hours, of course) with all of our wedding planning craziness! The two of us have made all sorts of strides in the planning process.

One of the other vendors I've recently booked is Niles Limo. Just like my comments about rental companies and photographers, I did my research. I looked at Silver Oak, Matchless, and Celebrity. Can I be honest? It's a combination of price and service. Niles Limo knocked these other companies out of the park. Seriously. Michael Niles has been my correspondence through the whole booking process and he responds to emails with lightening speed. You know that really makes me happy. Things I love about this company: A) It's family owned B) HUGE attention to detail and C) CUSTOMER SERVICE. Heard of it? I've recently noticed that it's few and far between. If you can't take the time to spell my name right (it's Sarah, not Sara), I'm not going to hire you for the biggest day of my life. Absolutely not. Mr. Niles has treated me like a celebrity and as though I'm their most important client.

{oh yeah, that's our ride}

We've decided to go with 2 limos. Here's the game plan: 8 person limo for Mr. SE and I, and 14 person Navigator for the bridal party. Mr. SE and I can enjoy a romantic ride as newlyweds, while the rest of our bridal party hangs like rock stars. As you know, we purposely scheduled a 2 hour gap between ceremony and reception so we could get some AMAZING pictures. Whad up, JCP?!? Mr. Niles has already told me there will be wedding decorations (hooray!), and bottled ice water for us in the limo. We're getting married in August- it's likely to feel like 100 degrees. Ice water in the limo is the best news I've heard yet!

Vendor Spotlight: Liberty Party Rentals

As of last week, we'll officially be sitting in 150 of these....
We're using Liberty Party Rentals. I highly recommend their company, and make sure you ask for Mitch. You'll notice that I "highly recommend" all of my vendors. That's because I'd never use a vendor that I wouldn't recommend to a friend. This is a service related industry, and as brides it's important to not get pushed around or taken advantage of ($).

I'm not saying you need to be a bridezilla, but I am telling you to shop around and be assertive. Those of you who are friends with me in real life know that I have some super aggressive spreadsheets for wedding planning. I researched the crap out of vendors. Confession? My photographer spreadsheet had over 50 companies. FIFTY! There were lots of columns relating to packages, pricing, and a personal rating. It's important to find the perfect marriage of your budget and personal preferences. If you find someone that you love, but they're way out of your budget, you're going to end up sad that you spent all that money. Just my two cents.

Get Tacky With It

Oh yeah, we got tacky. The SE's had quite a night on Saturday! Great fun with even greater (word?) new friends. If you're friends with me on Facebook, the remaining evidence is posted on there.

And in other news: I GOT THE JOB!!!!

Rehearsal Dinner: Booked

Yes, the wedding day itself is very important. But I feel like people often overlook the rehearsal dinner. Mr. SE and I both have lots of family coming from out of town, and we'd like to spend as much time as we can with them. We put a lot of thought into our rehearsal night, and the feeling that we wanted to evoke.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that our rehearsal dinner has been an ongoing battle. We had certain criteria, and finding a place in Nashville wasn't easy. Well guess what? Maggiano's fit the bill and we couldn't be more excited! Let me backtrack a little bit. Here's what we wanted: close to downtown (convenient for our OOT guests), moderately priced, private room for our 50-60 guests, good food (obviously). Oh Maggiano's, how I love you!

I remember fabulous family-style dinners for high school homecoming, along with family New Year's celebrations, and birthdays. This restaurant holds many special memories for me, including FSIL/FBIL's rehearsal dinner in 2007. While these events were all at Maggiano's restaurants, our rehearsal dinner will be at a location that we haven't used before. Their Nashville restaurant! It sits up on a hill by itself, and I just love how it looks all lit up.

Here's a screen shot of the menu that we get to choose from. To say there's lots of choices is definitely an understatement. We're really looking forward to our tasting!

It's Time to Get Tacky

Aww, yeah. Last night we had Mr. SE's office party at The Hermitage Hotel. The hotel was super nice, I'm sure glad I just booked our wedding night there. Tonight we have our Christmas party with my friends. Get ready to get tacky....*Don't judge if you see us wearing something eerily similar. This was 2006 so it's not like a back-to-back repeat. And I might add some new accessories....

Peacock Love: Wordless Post

Via Style Me Pretty

Vendor Spotlight: Brocade Designs

Sorry I had to divert to shoes for a little while. Now I'll go back to talking about my lovely bridesmaids. You know what they're wearing, and you also know they're sporting gold heels (of their choosing). So I know what you're wondering. What are they carrying? Today's your lucky day- cause I've decided to feature my florist slash event designer slash therapist extraordinaire.

Please meet Hillary Robson of Brocade Designs. Yeah, she's the shiz. Not only is she a fantastic florist, but she's killer at understanding design concepts and helping your "bridal vision" come to life. I sent Hillary several pictures and she came back with an 8 page, super detailed proposal. Eight pages- of my wedding- are you serious?!? Does anything make a bride happier? I read her description of our day over and over. What some deets? The beginning started like this "classy. timeless. beautiful". And I died.

Okay, I'm back to life. Here's a description of what my bridesmaids will be carrying in our ceremony: "ivory hydrangea, ivory garden roses, ivory lisianthus, ivory freesia, dendrobium orchids, and ivory ranunculus. Loose, but not cascading. Hand tied with gold ribbon". Are you still reading? Or did you pass out? Because the girls are all choosing their own dresses, I wanted to give my maid and matron of honor a look of distinction. Their bouquets will be tied with both gold and blue ribbon. I die.

Here's some of the inspiration pictures we pulled together.

Cake: Or Not

I'd like to interrupt this incredibly exciting, post-filled day to show you a little something I came across while surfing the net. Yeah, I said it. That way.



You know I love a bargain. Like, I LOVE a bargain. There's nothing that makes me happier than knowing a got an absolutly fantastic deal on things- especially wedding related things. I mean, really. I'm still talking about my wedding dress that I got for three times under my budget.



Another lady that loves a bargain is The Broke-Ass Bride. You might know her from another alias, Mrs. Meatball on Weddingbee. This girl is hilarious! And not only is she funny, but she's smart. Anywho- I could sing her praises all day. While catching up on old posts I came across this fantastic idea for a bargain wedding cake. Yeah, that is a Rice Krispy cake. Awesome!

Would you ever think of doing something like this for your wedding? What's the biggest kick you've gotten out of a wedding bargain? I'd love to hear your stories!

New Shoes for Moi!

My round-toe black pumps, not to be confused with my normal black pumps, and I have reached the end of our relationship. It's been a long haul. We've traveled up and down the east coast together, including a memorable trip to Paris. But alas, it's time to make room for a new pair of platform, almond-toe babies in my closet! As you know, I'm obsessed with Zappos. No, they don't give me money to endorse them. But wouldn't that be awesome? I'm not exaggerating when I say that at least 15 boxes of shoes have come in and out of our apartment this past month. It's hard when you know exactly what you want! Thankfully their free shipping both ways really meets my needs and I'm able to return the shoes if they don't work.

Criteria:

A. Black leather

B. Round/almond toe

C. Small platform

D. Comfy/padded

E. Not over 4"

F. Not over $100

These lovelies fit the bill! I'm wearing them today and my feet feel fasntastic. I'm hoping they'll give me the extra boost I need to ace this second interview!

Giveaway from Mrs. Smith

Mrs. Smith is hosting her first ever giveaway! How exciting! Head over to her blog stat, cause today's the last day to enter. The prize is an ornament from Mrs. Smith's favorite charity, Camp Charley. Perfect for your recently decorated tree!

Bridesmaid Dresses

I've spent time telling you a little bit about my bridesmaids, and now I'll showcase what they're going to wear! All of my girls are different, both physically and mentally. They have different styles and tastes, and they're all beautiful in my opinion. To showcase their personalities and individual beauty, I've decided to let each girl choose their own style. That's not to say I didn't have any bridal control over the situation: I chose the designer, length, and color. But other than that, the girls are on their own!

The designer is B2 by Jasmine Bridals, the color is cobalt, and the length is cocktail. Here's some of the styles they'll be wearing...What's your take on bridesmaids wearing different dresses? Are you a fan or do you think it's too trendy?

Next post I'll share the rest of their ensemble, including what's on their feet and what they're carrying!

Banana: The Love Affair Continues

Just when I think they've designed all the best clothes possible- they come out with this stunner. Tried it on, it's amazing. I love how they styled it with patterned tights here. The patterned tights trend is great, but I'm not sure how to incorporate it into my wardrobe. What are your thoughts on patterned tights? If you rock them, tell me how you work it into your day-to-day clothes.