The Golf Themed Bachelorette

Last night, I had a reader request from Jennifer to help her with a bachelorette party she’s planning. The theme is GOLF (Girls Only Ladies Forbidden) a la the movie The Wedding Date. Which I love. And tell me, who’s gonna be watching The Starter Wife tonight? I digress …

Anywho, I put together this fun storyboard of ideas to help Jennifer throw a great party.


First off, I made sure that the theme was not too golfy. Because as much as I like golf, I am not all about golf paper products. So, I chose sage green and brown for my colors and polka dots for my theme and went with it.

Love this invite from wedding paper divas. As you can see, you need to make sure to clearly state on the invite that preppy golf attire is required.

I would start the night of at the host's home. I love these cute polka dot paper products and I would do heavy appetizers with coordinating cupcakes for dessert. Instead of playing lots of games, start the night by explaining that the whole night will be one big progressive round of golf.

Then distribute to each guest a homemade golf score card (you can do this in word) that clearly delineates the holes or bars you will be visiting that night. At each bar, guests are scored on how many drinks they consume. Whoever gets the highest score gets a special trophy that they get to carry around to the next bar.

I would also create some fun cards for each hole. Jot down a task for the bachelorette to complete and distribute to guests to give to the bride at each hole. And if you’re looking for ideas for tasks, visit this site.

Since you’re not buying expensive prizes for games, for favors get all the girls something that will make your group look more like a “team.” I like this headband from etsy, but I can also see argyle socks, hair bows or barrettes or even coordinating polos.

Some other things to remember …

• Get a play list together of your favorite dance songs for the limo ride (that’s right no driving on a night like this)
  


• The host has exclusive power to revoke score cards from any guest who is winning excessively (this is for those competitive girls who could kill themselves by drinking too many shots)
  
• Create a visor veil for the bride using a plain white visor and netting from a fabric store. This signals the bride-to-be without going too over the top.

• To save money on the party, only offer one signature drink at your home. And make sure to include it as the first hole!

New Shoes

My college reunion is this weekend and I am diggin these gold ballet flats for the trip. I think they say comfortable with a touch of I used to wear heels to bars every night five years ago. Remember those days... college girls now have it way better. Not only were heels in style circa. 2002, so were black going out pants. I think I had six pairs. GROSS.

Oh and these flats are a total J Crew knockoff. And I'm ok with that!

Excuses, Excuses

Sorry for the lack of posts everyone. Things are crazy at work this week, but I promise to give you more preppy wedding advice starting on Tuesday.

Hope everyone has a great long weekend and remember to e-mail me with any storyboard requests!

Wedding Paper Divas - Free Shipping

You all know my love for wedding paper divas. In fact, they are the first place I go for any stationary needs.

Currently, they are offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders. So if you have an upcoming shower, party, rehearsal dinner or wedding - happy shopping.

Preppy Silhouette

Just taking a break from wedding blogging, to bring you these super cute customized silhouette pillows. I think my house may need a LuLu pillow to grace the couch.

AND, Petite Prints, my favorite place for all things silhouette is now offering a T-shirt that you can customize with your whole family (and for me that means doggies).

Happy Shopping!

The Perfectly Pink and Preppy Wedding

A reader e-mailed to tell me the fabulous details about her 2008 May wedding. She is a HUGE fan of pink and actually got the ok from the hubby-to-be to run with that color palette. Her style is very simple and very preppy. She’s planning to do garden style reception at her parents home (on the rivah)!

So, let’s get to it.

1. First off, I chose a beautiful pink and brown invite from wedding paper divas. I love the pearl detailing and I think brown is a better choice than black for a compliment color for an outdoor wedding.

2. I chose these beautiful boxes from Namemaker becauseI wanted to emphasize that this is a family affair. Having a reception at your home is a great opportunity to make all your guests feel at home. I suggest that this preppy bride use some secret family recipes to create a variety of cookies that guests can sample from on their way out.

3. Oh the cake. I love this one for it’s detailing. It’s not too busy, just the perfect complement of pink and white.

4. These are from pottery barn. I think that decorating the tables with candles will add to the outdoor feel.

5. Love these Stephen Bonanno sandals with toile detailing. Great for bridesmaids gifts or the perfect bridal dancing shoes.

6. Don't these Jenny Yoo bridesmaids dresses conjure up thoughts of cotton candy? And the design is very flattering to all shapes (and a good step away from the typical strapless styles).

7. This dress is Romona Keveza. And it’s beautiful. Enough said.

8. I like the idea of doing a seated cocktail reception, it will allow people to feel more “at home” and with a smaller wedding, can make things more intimate. So, why not delineate seating arrangements with a single pink peony. Set a personal note for each guest under the flower to welcome them and again make the entire wedding seem more personal.

9. I love this depression era pink glass. Scour ebay for different pieces and place one on each table filled to the brim with some cold lemonade!

I also think this pink toile linen would look beautiful as a topper to a stark white tablecloth.

Don’t you just want to be a guest at this preppy in pink celebration?

Preppy Wedding Album

As I anxiously await our digital negatives, I have been exploring options on what to do with our wedding pictures.

One great service I heard about is blurb.com. This site allows you to custom-make your own hardback books. Of course this got me brainstorming of other ways to use the service:

• Why not use pictures from each other’s childhood through courtship and tell the story of your modern day romance. Include plenty of white space and use the completed project as your guestbook.
• Make a fabulous shower gift by creating your own recipe book. Include your favorites with pictures! (Just make sure you include good recipes, not the Cooking Light baked potato soup fiasco of 2003)
• Create keepsake albums for your parents before the wedding. Include some dialogue about your favorite childhood memories and the book is sure to make your mom use her hankie.
• Make small brag books for all your attendants. They will appreciate the after-wedding thank you.
• Oh and Blurb.com also allows you to make a book of your blog. Hmmm. Not such a bad idea!

I’ll be sure to update everyone on how my blurb books turn out. Now if I can just figure out what pics I want to use!!

Preppy Centerpieces

Last week, I got an e-mail from a preppy reader who was looking for ideas for her cocktail reception. Specifically, she wanted some suggestions on table decoration. Because it is a cocktail reception, you want to make sure that the tables (which are not set up for dinner) don’t look empty.

I think the best way to save money and ensure a full looking table lies in duplication. I also love idea of somehow spinning a classic, traditional flower with a unique vase. So - here are a few of my favorite ideas ….

1. I love the idea of mixing these different green flowers and grouping them to create a full, beautiful table arrangement. You may not be able to see this from the picture, but each grouping of flowers is held in coordinating antique glassware (from brides.com).

2. Who doesn’t like presents. Instead of displaying your favors on a separate table, why not kill two birds with one stone and use them as your table display. You can present the favors on stacked cake plates, just make sure to create some signage for guests letting them know that these presents are for them! (from brides.com)

3. I love that this display of ranunuculus is very full and seems to echo the circular shape of the vase. It tricks the eye and makes the arrangement seem more full and rich (from brides.com).

4. OK, so you know I do love a good topiary. Why not use these from Ballard Designs to display. You could even tie some beautiful grossgrain ribbon around them for some preppy overkill! If these are too expensive, just ask your florist to help recreate! The best thing about using topiaries is the ability to then re-display in your new, married home.

5. A good friend used this concept at her wedding. Buy some small planters (Ikea has a great selection at great prices) and fill with small plants that coordinate with your color scheme. Tie a little bow and tag around the bottom of the planter that says something like, “Our love has bloomed this day - 6.8.07.” Then guests can leave with their own little significant favor that can continue to grow in their homes (from brides.com).

6. This design mimics what I chose for my wedding. My husband and I both love the look of antique mason jars and after one lucky yard sale, we had enough to use for vases at our wedding. I love the casual feel, but also the subtle way it conjures a southern feel (from brides.com).

7. Martha suggests using tea containers as a quirky way to incorporate color into your table arrangements. I think this looks especially nice with bright colors, don’t you?



I hope everyone is doing well this Tuesday. We had a great time in Columbia and the preppy lil sis is officially starting down the road to being a grownup.

We did have a little scare while we were gone. Dempsey dog had a seizure and after lots of tests, he seems to have developed pancreatitis. The lil guy is hanging in there, but he’s on some meds and it’s so hard to not know exactly what’s going on!

I’m also still working on a redesign of the site. Please let me know if you have suggestions for me, questions for me, or if there is something you don’t like about the new format!

Kimba’s Perfectly Preppy Wedding

As many of you know, one of our favorite bloggers, Miss All Things Kimba is getting married next summer in Cap Cod. Here to be exact.

She’s been posting lots of ideas on her site, so I put together a small storyboard of ideas for her perfectly preppy wedding.

Kimba is thinking navy with light blue as her accent. I went heavy on the navy and white, just because I love the contrast between those colors.

The invitation sets the tone for a circular themed, very clean concept. The invites are from wedding paper divas and the circular monogram can be re-created in the packaging of the favors, the wedding program, and even koozies for the after party (Kimba, I’m just ASSUMING there WILL be an afterparty).

The wedding dress is oh so beautiful Oscar de la Renta from brides.com. The bridesmaids dresses are from J Crew, the Lindsey style and are very flattering for all shapes.

To keep with the circular, clean theme, the cake is very simple, except for the beautiful detailing that lends texture to the overall look (Cake via brides.com)

I chose stark white peonies for the flowers. I love the way they look in bunches and they would be lovely pared together in multiples (of smaller vases) for table arrangements. (Flowers via theknot.com)

Now, because this is a beach wedding, we must have some nautical themed elements. I am just not super crazy about shells, so I found these cool sea urchin votives (they come in large and small sizes). They would lend some beautiful candlelight to round tables covered in stark white linens. Also, to integrate a little cheekiness into the table settings, how about this beautiful crane's place card that reads "live & learn, laugh & play, sit & eat at table number one."

I also love the idea of using a vintage Cape Cod postcard (this one is from ebay) as your save the date. A printer could scan the design and create a save the date postcard that would be oh so preppy.

As guests enter your reception, why not greet them will champagne with chilled blueberries as a great blue accent. And as the leave for the night, send them off with a beautifully wrapped whale truffle - the perfectly preppy way to say goodnight!

The Preppy Traditional Shower

I got a request from a preppy reader to put together a shower theme for a friend who was very preppy traditional. She didn’t particularly like monograms (GASP, I know) and did not particularly have a favorite color (other than black & white).

Well in my shower planning experience, you give the bride what she wants so, I’ll try to do just that.

I started with the black and white notion and immediately thought of damask. Now, I love a good damask just about as much as I like a good toile, so here goes…



A lovely (and very traditional) Crane’s Invitation.

Some beautiful damask paper products from card isle.

This damask tape will look lovely around a small white favor box filled with a single chocolate truffle of the bride’s choosing.

I would use white ceramic vases like this bean vase, to hold lime green button mums. Then you can accent with lime green napkins and a midori champagne.

And how about this beautiful jewelry box for the bride-to-be.

I see no games, just girls, giggles, gossip and cocktails.

As y'all can see, I am going to try and do more storyboard like postings, I just think they allow you to see how all the ideas come together.

I'll be out of commission until next Monday, the preppy lil sis is graduating and will be a Gamecock no more!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Preppy Redesign

Hi all.

Bear with me this afternoon. In an attempt to freshen up the blog a bit, I am experimenting with some new design elements. I guess I am finally tired of the blue and brown.

I'm using Shabby Miss Jenn digital scrapbooking products to help me complete the task. I have been thinking about getting into the world of digital scrapbooking for a while and her stuff is really beautiful.

And now, I can do all sorts of fun things like this. Excited, aren't you?

Preppy Pup Wear

Quick post today, as I am trying to get my photography projects ready for class tonight!

This weekend, I went to a local art fair and had to show you the cute bandanas that I got for the pups. I certainly had a why didn’t I think of that moment when I saw how precious (and easy) these bandanas are. You see they just slip onto your dog's collar and can be easily washed or interchanged.

You can see how Dempsey and LuLu love their new looks.



Visit abcPetWear to see the entire collection.

Target Designs for Preppy Brides

I made the most incredible discovery this weekend. Target has made wedding planning so easy with their new bridal line designed exclusively by our favorite - Issac Mizrahi.

Now there are lots of fun things to see, so just take a look at my favorites:

For brides -

This one is my favorite. I can so see myself wearing this dress. How precious and totally preppy. All for $129.00.

I also love the sash and detailing on this one. What a cute way to incorporate pink into the mix. Take a look at the back for more on the amazing detailing. This one is only $89.99.

And this silhouette really is so flattering. I also think of this style as very romantic and southern. All for $159.99. And in case you're wondering all these styles come in white or ivory, I am just showing ivory because I am partial to it!

Now, Target did NOT dissapoint with the bridal accesories.

Take a look at this retro style headband. Seven Spot Sarah, this would look super cute with the J Crew Emma dress (which I think is your going away outfit).

And wait, there are also short and long veils available. Nothing spectacular, but I am also partial to a plain veil.

And you know Issac wouldn't let us down with his shoes.

And fret not, there are also some super cute bridesmaids dresses in lots of styles and coordinating colors. I am digging some pink and navy right now, so I chose those colors.

And I think I might need this one for an upcoming wedding. It comes in a few colors, I like the brown and pink.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I got a lot done, including re-organizing our office. I'll try to post some pics in the near future, the house is starting to look really cute!

Confessions of a Preppy Shopaholic

Well, no one told me part of being married meant I had to curb my spending habits in order to make the husband happy. I've even tried bargaining my time (e.g. the time it takes for me to write over 100 thank you notes without his help) into purchases at our local JCrew. In case you're wondering that equates to one 98.00 sweater (I know, somehow the husband's calculations are grossly one-sided).

What seems to come from this no shopping ban is an overwhelming want to BUY stuff. You know, it’s like when you have a mosquito bite and you may have had it for days, but as soon as you notice it, you have this unending WANT to scratch it. Hmm, I may have lost you with that oh so visual analogy.

What I’m trying to say is - It’s Thursday, I’m bored at work and all I really want to do is slap down my credit card on just a few things …

Michael Kors 'Chestertown Patent Large' Satchel.

Now, I have never paid this much for a purse. But, I feel as if I am graduating from the land of Longchamp and into a world where a nice married lady needs a steady, reliable purse with a little spunk. Michael I think you have created me, in a purse. Well done.

CK Bradley Tulip Dress in Brown and Light Pink.

We already have four weddings this summer and I have my fifth year college reunion. I bought this dress in black and white polka dots last year and wore it to a total of 6 weddings/dress up events. I think this CK Bradley tulip dress has earned the right to become the signature dress of the summer of 2007 .

Monogrammed Party Tumblers. So when I get home from work and plop down with my diet coke and pirates booty, I can drink and admire my new monogram at the same time.






Preppy Potato Joanne Belt.

I have been meaning to get a Preppy Potato belt for the last few months. And this one is so wearable for me, the girl who can never have to much black , white or red. And again, I need to display my new initials on something, right?



Turq Kate Earrings in Black.

Absolutely beautiful. And they would go well with my new four hundred dollar Michael Kors bag. Yes, I am the kind of girl who equates buying a new purse with buying more products to then match her purse. Does that mean I have a problem?



I wonder how much all of this stuff will translate into based on the husband's calculations? I would probably need to reshingle the roof, tile the bathroom and re-asphalt the driveway for all this stuff?

Wine & Cheese Shower

The hubby and I are excited about throwing a small couples shower for some great Richmond friends in a month or so. Since the couple are huge wine lovers, we decided to shower them in style with a take on the whole stock the bar theme. I ordered the invitations last week from vistaprint.com and led off with "Let's Toast The Night Away."

Here are just a few things I am planning on doing to make this shower a success:

• The theme colors are going to be turquoise & brown. Imagine that. You know brown is the new black. We've ordered these fabulous napkins from ToBeeNamed. Jen, the owner is fabulous and all the napkins she offers are fully customizable. All her stuff is so amazingly preppy, I just can't wait to see these napkins in person!



• I'm also going to get these favor tags from etsy. We're going to tie these around mini bottles of wine for our guests.



• The paper plates are coming from ebay. Cheap and chic. You know I like that.



• We'll be serving a variety of wine, this sangria, lots of cheese (marked with these) and crackers and some substantial sandwiches and finger foods. We're going to do mini cheescakes for dessert to keep with the them (of course!!)



• There will be two games (arggh, I know people say they don't like games, but they tend to get people together). One will be a blind tasting to see how many people can guess the type of wine they are tasing. The second is a game that my sister-in-law had us to at our couples shower, it involves the bride and groom standing back to back with one shoe in their hand. The couple is asked questions like "Who made the first move" and "Who wears the pants" and they answer by holding up a shoe to represent either themselves or their partner (lots of fun - I promise).



• We're also going to do some kind of display of pictures of the couple down our staircase. I just use some twine and mini clothespins and it looks super cute.

What am I missing? Any suggestions from all you preppy readers out there?

Martha Stewart Crafts

Breaking news everyone. Enough to explain two posts in one day!

Martha Stewart Crafts is now open for business and there are some super wedding related products.

I am loving these eyelet cards for sweet handwritten shower invitations and the matching favor boxes filled with the brides favorite candy.

And this best wishes garland is fantastic for any shower.

How about these heirloom tags. Think of all the fun things you could do with them.

The options are endless. There are lots of ribbon, craft supplies, organizing tools. Oh I do love Martha!

Preppy Hobbies

Well you all know that I have been in "trying to find something to do after planning the perfectly preppy wedding mode" so I thought I would share with you some of the results of my new preppy hobby - photography.

I'm taking a class at the local visual arts center and our big assignment was to frame shots better, add texture to our photographs and to play with aperture (in a nut shell, making things look blurry in the background). Now, I am just beginning, but I thought I would share the results of some of my hard work.

(This is actually one of the original door handles at our house)

And what better than to combine hobbies. Take a look at all the gardening I have been doing.

And you know for portraits, I had to enlist the help of LuLu & Dempsey.

Oh and take a look at what I call, self portrait (well and it does include the preppy lil sis). Bangs. I have bangs. I looked fear in the face and said - Chop it off.

So the moral for all you brides to be out there - there is life after the wedding!