Autumn Birthday Celebration

Grandma Nuccitelli turned 90 this November.  To celebrate, her kids threw a beautiful dinner party hosted at Mitchell's Fish Market.  The planning activities were split up, and my mom Natalie was in charge of decorations.  I helped put together the autumn inspired centerpieces and table arrangements.

Inspiration

For this party, we were inspired by many things.  First, my mom, sister, and I saved several candelabra centerpieces from my wedding, so we wanted to use these beauties again.  We also looked to nature because the tree-filled landscape in Michigan is so lovely at this time of year.

After I came across these darling name cards from Martha Stewart, our vision started coming together.

The Party

To make sure every detail was perfect, we started preparing a few days before the party.

We reused the silver crystal candelabra centerpieces from my wedding and filled the centers with bouquets of seasonal flowers.

I printed seating cards in a deep maroon script with an embossed pearl boarder.

Then my sister Brittany glued on jewel-toned rhinestones.

To add some personalization, my mom had maroon napkins imprinted with a gold script font.

Each table had an arrangement of flowers, the imprinted napkins, and seating cards.

The soft glow of the tea light candles was just breathtaking. 

Guests could choose their choice of entree.  There was even lobster.  I ordered salmon with goat cheese.

The gorgeous cake was ordered from Elite Sweets, the same place that baked my wedding cake. 

 

 A close up of the white chocolate topping.

 We served a chocolate chiffon cake with white chocolate moose and raspberry puree.  It was divine.

 Guests were given chocolate covered caramels with sea salt as a party favor.

These two beautiful ladies are Grandma and a special friend Linda.  Most of the photos you enjoyed were taken by Linda, who is quite talented and was thoughtful enough to document the party for us.  Thank you, Linda!

We had a wonderful time at this party. By hosting it at a restaurant in a private room, we were able to reduce some stress but keep it personalized.  Have you hosted an event at a restaurant? Were you happy with the results?  What do you think of our autumn inspired party?

Finding the Perfect Ring

Before Kevin proposed, we looked at wedding rings and settings in both Chicago and metro-Detroit.  I had seen many gorgeous rings on Pinterest that I kept in mind while trying them on.

Although I ultimately picked out the setting, Kevin had full discretion over the diamond and the proposal.  It was a big decision and we looked all over.

Inspiration

This wedding band is simply gorgeous.  I love the pave diamond setting and the round center stone.

Finding the Perfect Engagement Ring

1. Set your budget.  This helps you avoid any surprises and sleazy salespeople. 

2. Do your research.  Get an idea of what you like before you hit the stores.  Pinterest is a great source and so are fashion magazines.   

3.  Head to several high-end jewelers.  They will guide you into beautiful settings and educate you about diamond quality.  By going to multiple stores, you can get a feeling for a fair price.

4. Do not try on anything you can't afford.  This will prevent heart break.

5. Try on all shapes and styles of settings.  Every finger is different, and different bands look better on some than others.  Trying on all shapes will give you an opportunity to find a cut that will flatter you for years to come.

6. Let your future husband do the rest.  This is going to be a big investment for him, so let him do it properly without your watchful eye.  After you show your future husband the type of settings and stones you like, leave it up to him.  It is hard to let go of control, but it makes the rings so much more special when it comes from his heart.   

My Engagement Ring

I am so happy with the antique look of my ring.  I love everything: the round center stone, the diamond halo, and the pave diamond band.

It took me months after Kevin proposed to find the perfect wedding band.  I wanted something that coordinated with my engagement ring but did not match exactly.   I ended up selecting a band with larger diamonds like the halo rather than the setting.  

What do you think? Did you look at Pinterest before deciding on your engagement ring or wedding band?  What styles do you like now?

 

  

Handmade "Will you be my Bridesmaid?" Cards

Right after getting engaged, I got on the phone with my closest girlfriends to tell them the news.  After 8 years with my fiance, my friends were getting just as anxious as I was about when the proposal would actually happen.  I cannot imagine my wedding day without Chelsea, Amanda, Michelle H., Michelle S., Jessica, and of course my partner in crime on InspiredWives, Dana.  I wanted to make sure in addition to a small gift that I expressed how much each of my bridesmaids mean to me. 

Inspiration:

Doing some Etsy research, I found a ton of adorable cards to model my own design after.

I love how this dress comes to life by the ribbon coming off the dress.  The personalization for each bridesmaid is a nice added touch, so I added this to my most do list.

I really like how the skirt and the top part of this dress are different "fabrics."  The ribbon as a separator is a nice touch.

My Take:

I have not scrapbooked in years and was giddy the whole time making these cards.  I am the most in my element when I am crafting!

I purchased scrapbooking paper on sale at Target, glue sticks, and a calligraphy pen.  And gather scissors, pens, a hole puncher, and ribbon from around the house. 

I created dress stencils for my myself out of scrap paper, so that all of the cards were uniform.

The hardest part for me was picking out what paper to use for the dresses--I decided to go with something more bright and colorful.  With the dress stencil, I cut out the dress form and top.  I used extra ribbon from around the house to add a bow detail, making the cards more 3D.

Then, I cut out all of the pieces for the dress and the script--I decided to have "_____, Will you be my Bridesmaid?" and "Love, Kaylin" on the front of each card. 

Then, layout the card with all of the pieces and glue together.

I'm really excited about the way everything turned out! I kept running into the basement as I assembled each part to show Phil how cute they were going to be.  Good practice for wedding invitations--I've already started to collect some great inspiration!

How did you ask your bridesmaids?  Did this post inspire you to get in touch with your creative side and DIY?