Look Who Nailed It: Pretty Please

Along with most of the ladies I know, my nails are an obsession. My once weekly manicure (don’t judge me) is what I consider an elective necessity. One of my dream jobs has always been to be a ‘Nail Polish Namer’ (come on, how awesome would that be?). Then I came across Pretty Please, a fabulous, NYC based company that allows you to creatively customize your own bottle of nail lacquer!

With 12 amazing hues to choose from, ranging from perfect pastels to bright berry tones, Pretty Please offers you the chance to pick your fave shade and aptly name it! The ideal favor for showers, bachelorettes and bridal party gifts, impress your besties by tailoring the moniker to the event.

What's in a name???

Follow Pretty Please on Facebook and Pinterest for the ultimate inspiration and trendsetting tips.

It’s time to get pretty personal.

Sincerely,

S

All You Need is LOVE

"Friends don't let friends drink wine alone." - Unknown

Last weekend I was happy to be a part of my friend Emily's bachelorette extravaganza. Her MOH, who brilliantly planned the entire weekend, asked me to help out with the paper goods for the festivities and naturally, I jumped on the chance to get crafty. The bride-to-be's future last name is Love (I know, right??), making for the perfect starting point for our theme. I decided to play on the 'I heart NY' logo but instead spell LOVE (see below).

With the 'LOVE' theme in mind, I created custom water bottles, stickers and signs to accessorize the brunch table and home.

The fun began at the maid of honor's home, where we feasted on a delicious breakfast, including a cereal bar, croissants, scones, muffins, fruit salad and more. Shortly after we were picked up by a bus and brought to Niagara-on-the-Lake for an afternoon of wine tasting. On board the bus, we were greeted with "Love" bags which had water bottles and snacks to keep everyone hydrated and full throughout the day. We visited 4 vineyards, had a delectable lunch and tried some fabulous wines and cheeses.

Upon our return to Toronto, we had dinner (and a little karaoke!) at Cadillac Lounge and continued on to Stones Place for an epic dance party.

After very little sleep and with great effort (for some of us), we gathered the next morning at Le Select for a lovely brunch. As a surprise, Emily's mom and family friends joined us, and we all enjoyed a beautifully scrumptious brunch and a toast to the bride-to-be. Along with the help of Em's bridesmaids, I prepared a crossword puzzle all about the bride and groom. The program I used was Armored Penguin and they turned out great. They were displayed at each place setting for guests when they arrived, and we all had a good laugh as we completed them!

It was a fabulous weekend and a wonderful way to get everyone excited for September 28th!
42 days and counting...it will be here before we know it!

Yours Truly,

A

Jayme's Last Call

"There are no good girls gone wrong - just bad girls found out." - Mae West

This past weekend I, along with a group of fantastic ladies, had the pleasure of planning our friend Jayme's bachelorette. Months ago we unanimously decided the theme for the event would be wine and cheese; the bride's favorite things (aside from her fiance and puppy, of course).

For the main event, we hosted a DIY wine tasting which included 7 different varietals of wine from different countries. Each girl was greeted with a wine glass dipped in Martha Stewart Crafts Chalkboard Acrylic Paint to write their name on and keep for the night. We had each wine labelled with its name, date and region as well as a food pairing. We selected nuts, fruits, meats and cheeses to pair with the wines. We also created rating sheets for guests to rate each wine.  It was fun to have everyone score the wines and discuss their personal tastes and preferences.

Throughout the wine tasting, we had a cleansing palate station with water and bread, a selection of cheeses and served hor d'oeuvres prepared by Chef Angie MacRae.

As one of the activities for the night, I prepared a Mad Lib for the bride-to-be to help her write her wedding vows. We later asked her to read them aloud and were entertained by the thoughtful and ridiculous answers.

The logo used on all of the paper goods was created from the Wedding Chicks Free Printables.  I often use them because they are creative and useful when you don't have a graphic designer handy and you're working on a budget. The logo was used on custom water bottles, labels for the favors, menus and much more. Check out their site for inspiration for your next event.

For favors, we used kraft paper take-out boxes from Michaels and chose 4 different ribbons and our logo to spruce them up.  Inside, guests were given Wine Erase wipes, which remove any red wine stains for your lips and teeth, a heart shaped wine stopper and gold Hershey's kisses - a good combination of practical and cute, and perfectly suited to the theme.

Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures from dinner but the meal that Chef Angie MacRae prepared was excellent and definitely worth mentioning.  On the menu was a Maple Pecan and Pear Salad with Parmesan and Arugula to start followed by the main entree of French Bistro Steak with Provencal Butter, Lemon French Beans and Sweet Potato Chipotle Gratin and was completed with a light and delicious dessert of Raspberry Sorbet with Vanilla Shortbread. Everything was beautifully prepared and enjoyed by all.  I have included a photo of the menu.

The rest of the night's festivities will stay between the bride-to-be and us ladies, but it was definitely a night to remember (hopefully) and a great tribute to Jayme before she ties the knot in 28 days!!

Jayme and her maids :)

All photos were taken by Janine Therese. 

Can't wait for the big day and for the celebrations to continue.

Yours Truly,

A

Mad (Lib) About You

"A wedding is a sacrament... a joyous celebration of love and commitment. In Utopia. In the real world... it's an excuse to drink excessively and say things you shouldn't say." - Nick Mercer (The Wedding Date)

Who didn't love Mad Libs as a kid (and maybe as an adult too)?  Mad Libs, or fill-in-the-blanks, are a great way to get people interacting, laughing and using their creative side at your wedding or any pre-wedding event.  These can be used for alternative guest books, shower games, reply cards and/or reception games. They will also be a great keepsake to have from all of your guests.  You could have themed Mad Libs like 'how the bride and groom met', 'advice for the newlyweds', 'their upcoming honeymoon adventure' and 'in 50 years from now...'.  Be creative and customize different fill-in-the-blanks for guests to complete all about the Mr. and Mrs. and you will surely enjoy reading the results.

Here are some fun examples found online (but these could easily be a fun DIY project):

Mad Libs found on Etsy

Mad Lib for a Bridal Shower found at Etsy

Photo taken from Pinterest

Photo taken from Pinterest

Photo taken from The Knot

Truly, MADLY, deeply.

A

Not Your A-typical Bachelorette

A bachelorette party, hen party or stagette as it's often referred to in other parts of the world, is actually a relatively new, cultural phenomenon. Apparently modeled after the ‘bachelor’s dinner’, which was a feast thrown in the groom’s honour shortly before the wedding, the modern day approach to celebrating the bride-to-be is said to have begun during the sexual revolution of the 1960’s as a symbolic significance of gender equality.

Traditionally, bachelorette extravaganzas are known to involve female-fused debauchery, which may or may not include drinking games and male strippers. A slightly more demure but similar soiree could include pole dancing lessons, club hopping or scavenger hunts filled with hilariously ridiculous man-missions.

The typical bachelorette amongst my close gal pals largely differs from what has been described above. This past summer, my besties threw a three day, cottage festivity to celebrate three brides-to-be (myself and two of my nearest and dearest friends). Each bride had a day of fun planned with her in mind, and it was a truly incredible and most memorable occasion for us all.

As coincidence (and pure awesomeness!) would have it, A became engaged just a few days before that epic weekend took place. It’s been clear from the start that A did not want a ‘get down and dirty Vegas-style fete’ thrown in honour of her upcoming nuptials. So, as an ode to our fave winter bride-to-be, we will be toasting to her this weekend at the oh-so-chic Le Nordik; the largest Scandinavian spa in North America. A’s wonderful sister (and dearly dedicated MOH!) has planned a fantastic evening in the lavishly cozy lodge (sorry, can’t share any other details at the moment) and relaxing day of spa treatments and heat therapy in the outdoor baths.  

Le Nordik

We’re all very excited for a wonderful night that’s sure to be full of reminiscing, rejoicing, and some much needed R&R.

Sincerely,

S

WTB Hearts: Wilma and Betty

Simply put, we love our wine. There's nothing like toasting to happy times with a flute of fizzy bubbly. We're big believers that wine is appropriate for all occasions, from bridesmaids breakfasts with mimosas on hand to champagne brunches with, duh, champagne of course! A nice glass of Pinot Grigio is always on our menu...after all, it's 4 o'clock somewhere ;).

Often times, when one places their glass of wine down on a table for only a moment, another person enters and does the same. This can be an issue if both the people are drinking the same wine, and if one of them is not wearing a bold shade of red, it's nearly impossible to identify which glass belongs to who! This is why we love drink charms.

The fabulous Etsy shop of Wilma and Betty has created these wonderfully bright, little charms so that guests can always differentiate their drink. These tiny trinkets make a great hostess gift, and are perfect for shower or bachelorette favours (plus they are very budget friendly...we'll drink to that!).

personalized monogram charms

custom wedding party charms

custom bridal shower wine charms (choose any colour!)

personalized black and white damask charms

diamond shape bachelorette charms

royal crown charms

Tiffany blue bridal shower charms

Charmed, we're sure.

Until next time,

A & S