It's Official ;)

There are big moments in life were you find yourself constantly pinching yourself, asking "Is this really real?". Whether it be landing your dream job, finding your penguin, or finally getting to check off an item off of your bucket list; it's such an awesome feeling to finally be able to say, "I'm here". 

I've been pretty quiet lately. Not too many posts throughout the social media universe; absolutely no blog posts. It wasn't for a lack of business or news; there was just something bigger going on. :)

As you are reading this blog, I would like to formally announce on behalf of both Gus and I that it's official. ;)

Photo taken by the fabulous Kristy & Vic Photography

That's right! Gus and I have purchased our first home. :D

We've already received many "Congratulations!" and "Welcome to the Mortgage Club" from loved ones and close friends. We've even been jokingly (maybe not jokingly) told that the bank owns us now. But honestly we couldn't be happier!! We've been taking time to get the house ready before our big move. Applying fresh coats of paint, getting rid of the rug (YAY TO LESS ALLERGIES), and taking the time to add our own little touches to the place we are so excited to call "HOME". 

As you read this, we will be moving and saying goodbye to the small apartment that we moved into five years ago at the beginning of our marriage. Those walls could tell so many happy, sad, and all around wonderful stories. I think I speak for both Gus and I when I say that we are excited to close this (apartment living) chapter and begin a new one here in our house (still feels weird saying it...remember the pinching yourself thing I mentioned earlier...kinda doing that right now). 

Thanks for keeping tapped in with us and I can't wait to share all the goodies and photos I've been piling up in the mean time.

Uphill Battles - Pinterest

From ceremony florals to goodnight send offs, Pinterest has become one of the number one resources for brides to imagine their big day. One thing I am always impressed by are the visions that brides put together to inspire their wedding day. One thing I'm always, in turn, saddened by is the disillusion it creates for most brides. Don't close the page just yet...I am going somewhere with this. 

To me, its like inviting someone to shop at an insanely expensive department store like Harrods. Letting them fill up a cart with designer shoes, luxury purses, clothes, etc. Once they are content with how wonderfully the diamond necklace matches their stunning red, bottom Louis Vuittons, it hits them. The dreaded cashier lane. With a Old Navy type budget, how are they supposed to afford all the nice things they've gathered?

Here are some options:

Put it on the credit card. We'll pay it off. People, I still know friends who are paying off their wedding from 4 years ago because of this mentality. Don't do it.

Take out a loan. We'll pay it back once we get our gifts from the wedding. The money guests are giving you are to help you on this brand new journey you are embarking on with your spouse. I am the first one to admit to the many ups and downs that come to being married. Let alone un-foreseen financial stresses that can tear a couple completely apart. This money can help you go on your honeymoon, begin saving for a place of your own...the list goes on.

WE'RE ELOPING!! THIS IS ALL TOO MUCH STRESS!! (Not touching this one lol...although you will find yourself stating this at some point of your planning process...multiple times)

Do you mind if I step in and give some lovingly free advice? Sit down with your fiancé a few days, maybe even weeks after you've become engaged (Enjoy this moment. Its a really special time.) and discuss how you want to celebrate this once in a life time moment together. Once you even have a basic vision, start setting up a budget. Setup your top 4 dream details and see how the others fall. I will not be blind to know that stationery is not in that top 4 category, but its something that you can work with. 

I am more than happy to sit with a couple and toss around some great ideas for stationery, but do you want to know what the most rewarding thing I do is? I can take a small glimmer of an unattainable design for most and make them into an attainable reality. Warning: I'm not a Miracle Worker, Magic Genie, or a Mary Poppins that can pull so much great stuff out of that handy bag of endlessness she has and make unimaginable things happens. (Although, I have always wanted to jump into a chalk painting and ride off into the country side on a carousel horse.)

I will be talking about ways more about this as it details to stationery with you, but that will be a topic for another blog post. For now, I want to leave you with this: 

The one thing I would want most of all for any engaged couple is that they truly are happy with all the choices they made for the wedding and are in no way financially hurting afterwards. This would mean that you found the right vendor that made each detail worth while within your budget, not someone else's.  

Hargrave Ever After

We first met Brittany and Glenn at the first bridal show we had ever participated in. :) We clicked immediately. Similar to our story, Brittany was having a tough time finding nautical themed invitations that had a little bit of Disney magic to them (without cuing in our favorite mermaid or missing clown fish). ;) 

Incorporating the colors mint, navy blue, gold and a little inspiration from the Disney Cruise line, we came up with a design that was perfect for this November Bride. We even added a little bit of Star Wars inspiration upon Glenn's request. ;) 

If you carefully notice, a little bit of pixie dust adorned each table number. :D

And I would be remiss not to include at least one photo of the lovely couple. ;) 

Venue - Lighthouse Point Yacht Club

Stationery - Only One Mark, Inc.

Photographer - Amber Sycz Photography

Bridal Gown - David's Bridal

Hair - Hair I Am, Again By Rori

Makeup -  Melanie Jane

Our Magical Evening on Broadway

We recently took an amazing last minute trip to New York City for Valentine's Day Weekend. Besides the fact that we almost froze (more about that here), one of the biggest highlights of our trip was a major check off my bucket list. We got to go see Aladdin the Musical on Broadway.

For any of you that might not know, I am a huge Disney Fan. Aladdin is my absolute favorite movie. So much so, it was our wedding theme. ;)

New Amsterdam Theater

Photo Credit: Disney Insider

Photo Credit: http://newyorktheater.me/

Photo Credit: http://newyorktheater.me/

To quote one of the lyrics from the show, "It's the plot that you knew, with a small twist of two, but the changes we made were slight". In this stage version of the 1993 film, our favorite characters have been given a lot more depth. Aladdin recently lost his mother (insert song Proud of Your Boy by the late Howard Ashman) and is trying to become the great man she always dreamed he'd be. Jasmine has a lot more spunk and is a woman who knows her worth. Genie is just WOW, Jafar is as sinister as ever, and, in place of Abu, we get the funny and witty bunch of Babkak, Omar, and Kassim. To put it plainly, it is a show that can't be missed. ;)

I literally sat in awe as the story unfolded and the familiar sounds of Arabian Nights were sung. Each scene so well thought out. ;) Every detail polished to perfection. It was like Agrabah was real. Best Part: The reimagined A Whole New World scene. It was everything I could have ever dreamed (naturally wiping tears of joy while mouthing each syllable to the familiar melody). And of course, we went to the backstage door to nab some photos and autographs from the actors who have literally been with the show since its beginning in Seattle. Although we missed Jonathan Freeman (the one and only Jafar), everyone was there. :)

It was truly a magical night and was a Valentines Day I will never forget. I leave you with some photos from that night. 

We were so excited to be sitting so close to the stage in a pretty much packed house. ;) 

Needless to say, I think both Gus and I couldn't believe how close we were sitting. ;)

The details of the theater was amazing. You could just feel the history from the entry way to the very seats we were sitting in.

Curtain Call

Courtney Reed (Jasmine)

Adam Jacobs (Aladdin)

James Monroe Inglehart (Genie)

Until Next Time!