Book Love

It’s pretty safe to say that I’m slightly obsessing over coffee table books at the moment. Only thing is that I don’t have a freaking coffee table yet. But when I do get one, you better believe there will be some nice looking books sitting on it! I’ve picked up a few recently that I know I will be so proud to display. I’ve purchased them all on sale, because well, coffee table books can be so darn expensive!

I picked this one up at Anthropologie for just $20. The girl at the register couldn’t believe it was on sale and she keep reminding me what a great book this was. Made me want it even more! Rebecca Moses, fashion designer, shares how to develop your own personal style with wit and humor. The register girl was right—it’s awesome!

I’ve been wanting this book since it first came out and the magazine was still in production. Unfortunately, the magazine folded, but I never forgot about this book. Although it’s already a couple years old, it’s still a very popular hot topic on all the home décor blogs and still sold all over the place at regular price! But I found this little treasure at Marshall’s for only $20...SCORE! It made my Thursday last week :) LOTS of inspiration and tips for the home designing addiction I now suffer from.

Don’t judge me—I still love Lauren. The girl’s got style and this book is sooo fun. She gives tons of advice from how to style your hair, to how to pack your luggage, and a zillion things in between. But the best part are the pretty pictures, of course. This one’s also from Marshall’s for just $13.

Another design goodie about Vera Neumann, design legend from the 60’s. This one was just $10 at West Elm!

I acknowledge the fact that this future coffee table will need some guy-ness incorporated into it since it will be OURS not MINE, so I gotta get the this one for the Hubbs. Jay-Z Decoded. He would LOVE it. :)

Wedding Reviews: MXI Studios, A

Kenny Austin is the man!

I'll be honest. Videography was not a top priority for us, considering the long list of expenses we had. But as I kept running into wedding blogs of beautiful movie-style videos, it slowly started to crawl up on the list. There are some really talented videographers in Miami that will squeeze a tear or 10 out of your eyes with each video they make. But unfortunately, we couldn't justify the prices. But then after a few google searches I found MXI Studios. Kenny was really prompt with returning e-mails and made it really convenient for us to meet with him. His packages were at a perfect price point for the quality you're gonna get. And he's up to date with the competition out there because he offers videos at HD quality and BluRays!

Kenny arrived at the hotel right on time and filmed us girls getting ready first. He then headed out to the church a little ahead of me, and shot the boys in the garden before my car arrived. He's really creative in his technique, and had some ideas for shooting us outside the reception which made for an amazing wedding trailer.

I'm SO glad I booked a videographer, and so relieved it was with MXI Studios. If you're on the fence about hiring a videographer, remember about how important it actually is. The photos and videos are the only real concrete memories you'll keep over the years.

This is a test.

Wedding Reviews: Dreams and Designs, B

When you visit the Miami Tower Sky Lobby on a regular day, you will realize it’s just that—a lobby. It’s not fancy; there are huge elevators, big couches, and a reeeally big green marble reception desk. You really have to make the effort to close your eyes and envision a wedding reception there because there is no other way you can see it. The only way to disguise this is to hire a company to put up drapery all around the lobby to cover all of it. I was informed that only one company is licensed to do this kind of work at the Miami Tower, and that is Dreams & Designs. I was so used to researching and bargaining for the best deal, and just had to bite my tongue with this one. I met with the owners, Ana and her husband, at the location and they explained how it all works. I chose the white color draping, and contracted them to hang it to cover the elevators, lobby desk, and a huge colorful painting by the DJ. You can drape more areas but it wasn’t necessary. The room looked fabulous, but I really wish this was included in the venue contract. I found it to be very expensive, but apparently other draping companies in Miami charge about the same. Thankfully, I booked at a good time because they did include 10 uplites with my contract. I also contracted them to do our personalized monogram lighting on the dance floor.

Dreams and Designs does all kinds of different event décor. They have some pretty amazing photos of their work on their website. Makes me want to have another party!

Wedding Reviews: Party Favors

Pantry Liquors, A

Here’s another idea I stole from Martha the Great! Mini wine bottles as favors! I went to a few liquor stores including the big name chains, but found the best price at Pantry Liquors. Pete, the owner was so accommodating and gave me a quote within just a day or two. I bought 4 cases of the Robert Mondavi Woodbridge mini wine bottles, and I still have about 20 bottles left over! Anyone care for some wine?

WrapWithUs.com, A

Hanging from the wine bottles were these cute heart bottle stoppers I purchased here. Turns out these bottle stoppers are sold all over the internet, but I found that this website had good reviews. They arrived perfectly packaged, although I didn’t use their packaging. Check them out, they have tons of varieties to choose from depending on the theme you want.

Cheers!

Wedding Reviews: Paper and Printing

I tried to DIY as many things as possible. Having basic knowledge of some design programs, I thought I would take a stab out of designing some of the wedding collateral. I ended up creating the place cards, menu cards, wine bottle labels, monogram for dance floor, monogram for napkins, vodka luge sign, and some other miscellaneous items. After hitting the first designer’s block, I wanted to quit and run straight to my designer friend. But I stuck through it and I’m pretty happy with my pieces. They’re not the coolest, most awesome designs in the world but they were mine so I’m OK with them. :)

Paper and More, A

I purchased all the fancy metallic paper from Paper and More and I thought they were great! The quality is professional, the price is the best I found online, and it shipped right away.

AlphaGraphics, A

I was able to print some things at an undisclosed location, but other things needed a bit more of a nicer touch. Staples was going to charge me a fair price for printing, but apparently their printers could not support the extra thick paper I had. I remembered passing by AlphaGraphics once, and stopped in to check it out. They had just opened this location and their equipment is brand-spanking-new. The owner, Bharat, was really helpful and the price was great. They do everything from designing, to printing, mailing, direct marketing and so much more. My designs printed beautifully on the metallic paper. Check it out for yourselves.

Wedding Reviews: Ana Paz Cakes, A

Ha! This is a funny story. Back in 2007, I found my dream cake. {Yup, that long ago…when a wedding was no where near the topic of conversation} I’m nuts. I saw it on a ‘Today Throws a Martha Stewart Wedding’ segment and stalked the designer. It was a Gail Watson fondant cake with sugar ribbons sitting in different directions on four round layers. Perfection. I saved it on my computer for “a rainy day”.

I was able to get this cake of my dreams, thanks to Ana Paz Cakes! The cake was included in my venue package, however the options that were deemed as “free” were… let’s just say they were less than modern. So when I chose my own design, it did cost a little more. But with all the details and extras that I added to it, the price was not bad at all. Two of the four layers were dummy, one layer was chocolate, and the other layer was their famous vanilla. I don’t think the cake ended up tasting as great as the taste test we had in the beginning, but it looked really nice and just like the picture I brought her.

Ana was sooo sweet {pun intended} and she has great ideas. She knows everyone in the business because she’s been around for years and years. I heard from a bride-to-be friend of mine that my cake made it to her picture book of cakes! OMG IT’S FAMOUS!!

The only issue I had was that she was only available for appointments one day a week for just a couple of hours. But, once I was there, I never had to wait. FYI, she is now only based out of the Doral location.

Wedding Reviews: Flowers by Vivian Colls, A+

Ok, I know I keep saying this, but for realsies...Vivian, her team, and her flower arrangements were my FAVORITE part about our wedding. I met with 2 other florists but no one compared to Vivian. She was the only one who understood my vision and she definitely exceeded my expectations that night. She had no problem meeting with me a few times {ok ok, 6 times…} to get all the details down perfectly before I even signed a contract. The floral trial was the moment I knew I would LOVE my wedding. I couldn’t believe she was able to re-create something I only had in my mind. And, this woman went above and beyond her call of duty. I was stuck on having this specific flower for my bouquet and it was out of season. Vivian worked her magic and she surprised me with the best gift ever!

Vivian was not only our florist, she was our day-of coordinator too! I knew I could trust her to put all my hard work into place: napkins, place cards, ribbon ties, etc. She had an assistant who was also just as great and made us feel comfortable the whole night. I truly recommend Vivian Colls to everyone. My guests are still complimenting me on my flowers!

My beautiful bouquet

Bridesmaid Bouquets

Centerpieces {there were two different kinds}

Place Card table

Wedding Reviews: Miami Tower, A

I could not be happier with our reception venue choice. The Miami Tower Sky Lobby & Sky Terrace was in the running of my top 10 options before I even got a chance to visit it. I think I went to every venue in Miami to make sure I knew what I wanted. I was looking for something more modern than traditional, more open than enclosed, and more unique than popular. I didn’t have a very big guest list so a huge ballroom wasn’t necessary. This was the best choice, but when I first got the quote I had to scratch it off my list. I just could not afford it, so I kept visiting other venues and *almost* settled for something traditional, enclosed, and popular….until I received an updated quote {Summer month special} that fit the budget perfectly! THANKS AGAIN, WEDDING ANGELS FROM HEAVEN ABOVE! I jumped on it and made the appointment with Tresha, the wedding coordinator. Tresha was really sweet and helpful. She explained everything in detail and we signed on the dotted line.

On the night of the wedding, Tresha and her team were extremely accommodating and flexible. From the quality of the food, to the amount of things that were included in our package, I feel like we got the best value for the price. I loved that you can see the whole Miami skyline from the cocktail hour location. I hope our guests loved it too!

Wedding Reviews: All About You by D.C., C

Preface: I will write this review from my behalf only. I know that my bridesmaids have other opinions but I'll keep this review JUST about MY hair experience.

I must have called about 10 hair stylists for my wedding date. Either my date was reeeeally popular or I waited too long to book. One lady even laughed at me on the phone when I told her October 23! I called in early July. Deborah from All About You by D.C. was referred to me and she was available! I immediately booked a trial with her on a day that I had another wedding to attend. I brought a picture of a style I wanted and asked her to copy it as best she could. 2 hours later it wasn't done and I was running out the door {in the rain!}. The hair-do wasn't at all what I expected it to be. A couple of hours later it had fallen apart. After explaining my worries to her, she assured me that for the wedding she would use the right product and pins to make it look like the picture. I was hesitant but gave her the full deposit for myself and all the bridesmaids anyway.

Fast forward to October 23. It was hectic and we were running behind on schedule. But somehow by the miracle of holy wedding angels in heaven, my hair came out exactly as I wanted. Thank you wedding angels!!! And it actually kept up all night too! But all this uncertainty and drama was not something I would want for another bride-to-be. If the trial doesn't go as you expect, do whatever you need to do to remove all those unnecessary doubts from your mind.

Wedding Reviews: Meilan Limo, A

We booked our transportation with Meilan, mostly because I fell in love with the 1959 Platinum Rolls Royce Phantom. We were deciding between Padrino's and Meilan. The prices were pretty much the same, but Meilan's name is everywhere. We met with Gilbert and he gave us a tour of all the cars they have parked at their home office/garage/warehouse. He explained what the package included in detail. I just had one requirement--that the A/C would work. When my sister booked them for her wedding 6 years ago, the A/C wasn't working and the car reeked of gasoline. Gil assured us that it wouldn't happen again and we signed the dotted line.

The driver arrived at our hotel on time and he was really sweet. He helped me with my dress, served us our champagne, and told us some jokes. We were happy with our experience with Meilan.


P.S. This is my dad in the photo, not the limo driver :)

Wedding Reviews: Plymouth Congregational Church, A

I looked at a few churches for our ceremony, but made my decision pretty quickly with Plymouth Congregational Church. My sister and bro-in-law were married here in 2004 and I wanted to keep the tradition going. The pros outweighed the cons:

Pros

1. It's non-denominational. Both the hubby and I don't have our confirmations, and we're not very Catholic anymore
2. Affordable in comparison to other churches in the area
3. Small and intimate (something I wanted)
   
4. GORGEOUS and historic

Cons

1. The location wasn't really close to the reception location

Geri, the wedding coordinator, was easy to communicate with and she was very organized. We booked our date over a year in advance and she kept us updated with what was needed throughout the whole year. Susan, the day-of coordinator, was also very professional and helpful. I begged my photographer to take photos of us in front of the big black doors that I love so much. The ceremony was only about 20-30 minutes (although it felt like 12 years!). After the ceremony, we rang the church wedding bells. It was perfect.

Wedding Reviews: Tuxedos, B

I know nothing about boy clothes, so picking a tux was definitely not something I was excited about. My hubby knew of a few tux shops, but my dad insisted that he call his buddy who owns a bridal store. Yes, you heard me, a bridal store…that also happens to rent out tuxes. We arrived at the store and all you see is a loud abundance of colorful quinceañera dresses and wedding gowns. But hidden towards the back were the tuxes. There is not a huge variety and they definitely aren’t designer tuxes or suits but it turns out, this was the best bang for the buck. My dad’s buddy hooked up the groom crew with a really sweet deal. It included the shoes and all! I think the boys were pretty happy about the price.

Lesson learned: Don’t judge a tux shop by its dresses :)

Wedding Reviews: Crafty Eddy, A

I wanted something unique for table numbers. I had seen something that sparked my interest on my idol’s website once and I tried to figure out how I can copy it for my wedding. It involved woodwork and spray paint, but I never took Shop in high school so I was doomed. After searching online, I found Crafty Eddy. Google him and you’ll find tons of positive reviews on his work. I sent him an e-mail asking if what I wanted could be done, and he responded back within seconds—and each time after that too! He definitely must have his smart-phone on him at all times! He created the table numbers out of wood at such an affordable price. Although I have no idea what wooden numbers really even cost, at $2 it was a bargain for me. Then I went a little wood-crazy and I decided to order the monogram cake topper and “Mr. & Mrs.” display as well! I chose the fonts, the size and the thickness that I wanted. Ed shipped my items the very next day! However, be very careful handling the package—A couple of numbers arrived broken. I informed Ed, and he immediately shipped another package free of charge. His customer service was fabulous and my wooden pieces came out great!

Here’s how my hubby created the DIY table numbers and “Mr. & Mrs.” display:

1. We requested from Ed to make the numbers flat on the bottom so that they can stand up on their own. This still didn’t make me feel comfortable enough that the numbers would stay up during the festivities, so we glued thin, round wooden bases to the bottoms. We found the bases at Michael’s, and it was imperative that we use Liquid Nails glue.
   


2. Spray paint the numbers. They will need 2+ coats of paint.



3. Let dry and handle with care.
   

DIY steps for the cake topper:

1. Spray paint the monogram. It will need 2+ coats of paint.



2. Let dry completely for a day or more.



3. Use rhinestones with adhesive backs to adhere to the monogram (also purchased at Michael’s). Use different sizes of rhinestones to fill in all gaps.
   


4. Let sit and handle with care.

Wedding Reviews: Flower Girl Dress, ?

After finding my favorite bridesmaid dress, I thought it would be easy to find something similar for my Flower Girl. Well, it ain’t that easy. Did you know that FG dresses are sometimes $100+? She’s two—she doesn’t need a prom dress! Just something small, adorable and cute just like her! Thank goodness for her mom who is Mrs. Helpful! She searched online and found the most perfect dress for less than $50!




This dress is from a FG-only website and they have tons of varieties at really affordable prices. It had a plum flower sash that kinda went with my little flower theme I had going on. The order was placed, but unfortunately there were some delay issues. Ms. Helpful tried her best to not involve me in the issues (which I am thankful for!), so I’m not really sure what to rate them. All I know is that the dress arrived about a week and a half before the wedding and it looked great—Although I think the model should take all the credit! Mrs. Helpful made the super-cute flower headband and picked out her adorable shoes.

Maybe Mrs. Helpful should rate this website instead…sorry!

Resolutionized

Who am I kidding? I need resolutions. I’m a planner by nature. I get a weird thrill when I write things down, and scratch them out when it’s completed.
So here are my new year’s resolutions for 2011 and I will get to all of them dammit!

1. Read a book: The last book I read was Eclipse and I miss it. I heard about Buyology on the Today Show last year and it intrigued me. My favorite class in college was Consumer Behavior and this book seems so up my alley. I’ll let you know when I get there.
2. Take care of my skin: I have an old grand-aunt who has the skin of a baby’s butt. I’m jealous. And when I woke up to an eye wrinkle the other morning, I freaked. This weekend I stocked up on Oil of Olay products because that’s what she told me she wore on a daily basis since the age of 25!
3. Complete all post-wedding tasks: I finally completed all the thank you notes last night and they’re in the mail today! I still need to finish my Honeymoon photobook and video, the professional wedding album, and get prints made. Ughhh never-ending!
4. Live in a real home: Don’t ask.
5. Lose 12 lbs.: Ok, this one might be split up into 4 years :)
   

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011!

"May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions."
~Joey Adams

Hope this new year will be just as great as 2010 was to us!

xoxo

{Photography by Nelson305}