The Perfect Gift

Looking for the perfect gift for your maid of honor or bridesmaids? I think that I have found the answer. Keel's Simple Diary . The Simple Diary is a diary for those people that don't want just any diary. One with blank pages just won't do {mostly because our daily lives aren't that exciting to write home about}. The Keel's Simple Diary will ask you how your day went and give you only three options to choose from. Example: Your day was:
{ } irresistible { } reclusive { } listening Explain.
After that each page might feature a multiple choice question, a quote to ponder and a short question to answer either yes or no. Easy as that. Short and sweet, entertaining and just enough room to document the important or not-so-important events of the day.
I actually purchased the orange Simple Diary while on a recent {soul-searching} trip to New York City. Cross my heart, each night I look forward to recording my thoughts and answering the random questions in this diary. I recently gave a copy of this diary as a gift to my newly engaged MOH for her to use throughout her engagement period. What a neat keepsake to have {in my opinion}!

The Keel's Simple Diary is available on-line or at Anthropologie {$15} and can be purchased in a bevvy of colors!

p.s. just so you know, this post was in no way a sponsored post.

Pearls

Hi friends!
The fiance and I have decided to purchase the digital negatives from our wedding from Nicole and we should have them in our grubby little paws around Halloween. So don't you worry, the official recaps will be coming soon!
Several of you have commented about my lack of blogging over the recent weeks since we returned from our honeymoon. To be honest, I don't really have a reason for NOT blogging. Ever since the wedding I just haven't had the desire to blog, look at our wedding photos (maybe because there are SO many of them!) or look at my google reader. Sad, I know. It's just that knowing that the wedding is OVER and done and there is no more planning to do is just an eerie feeling that I just haven't yet gotten over.
But, I do have a lot of pictures saved in my "To Blog About" folder so I hope to be back to blogging on a regular basis now. So here we go!
I constantly drool over the images by megan w photography. Back when I was trying to decide what necklaces/jewelry my bridesmaids would wear, I saw this photo and immediately loved the pearls. Black dress+white pears+white & green simple (gorgeous) flowers = beautiful bridesmaids.



In the end, we went with no necklaces, and I was ok with that. But I loooove the classic elegance of pearls (especially if the bride wears them too!).
photos via: megan w photography the wedding of matt & katie on august 9, 2008.

Groomsmen's Gifts

The fiance has a dilemma. The groomsmen's gifts are proving to be more challenging that either of us bargained for. Our groomsmen have all been in their fair share of weddings and, therefore, we have ruled out the following gifts:

• the traditional engraved beer mug, money clip, pen, or flask
• cologne, watch, or cuff links
• a round of golf the day of the wedding there isn't enough time that morning since pictures will start around 11am.

(photo via: weddingbee)

Obviously he could give/gift his groomsmen the socks and tie we would like them to wear for the actual wedding. However, I think that he would like to give them something else....that they might actually use after the wedding.

My thoughts:

• a baseball cap from their favorite sporting team
• a cigar(s) and a bottle of their favorite liquor
• a travel shaving kit stocked full of manly toiletries

Ummm that's all I got. Help us. Please.

Chanel, Kate Spade, or Hermes?

I was checking out In Style Weddings and I caught myself laughing out loud when I saw In Style's recommendations for stylish BM gift ideas. Let's see what In Style came up with, shall we?

• Chanel Sunglasses $375: Nope. That's more than my rent payment.
• Perfume Flask $96: I can think of better uses for a flask.
• Hermes Cashmere Blanket $970: Do pass Go, do not collect $200, go directly to jail if you own a Hermes Cashmere Blanket. Although I wouldn't mind if one of my BM's got this for me.....
• Laminated Fabric Tray $70: Not unless I want my BMs to stare at me in horror.
• Leather Folder $490: For a folder? That's just funny.
• Orange Resin Pendant $49: Who thought that was a good idea?
• Damask-print Mela-mine Plates $40: Pretty sure all of my friends already have plates.
• Kate Spade Card Case $155: Ridiculous.



• Daisy Gold-plated Bracelet $78: Last time I wore/wanted to wear anything with a daisy on it was when I was 9.

Oh and these were just a few of their suggestions, others included: a compact with Swarovski crystals on black glass$95, Teapot $95, Ceramic Vases $44.

Sorry to my lovely BM's....you won't be getting any of the above gifts. Hope you understand.

Karma, Pearls, or a Horseshoe?

The search begins for gifts for my BM's. I would like to give them each a piece of jewelry to wear on the big day as well as something personal for each of them.
One of my daily reads (i have subscribed to waaay too many blogs in my Google reader) pointed me towards Dogeared. Check. it. out.

(the karma necklace, in hopes of surrounding us with good karma on our big day!)

And possibly my fave, just because of the wording on the card:
"pearls represent the best within us. let your necklace be a daily reminder of the beauty and simplicity of our friendship! enjoy and believe!"

(Pearls of Friendship)

Others I liked were the sister heart for my sorority sisters and the lucky horseshoe...because everyone can use a little luck on their big day! The simplicity of the design is what I loved the most. My BMs will not be decked out in chunky/prom-y jewelry while standing next to me!

Potential BM gifts

I thought that a nice change from the somewhat "standard" pearl necklace gift for the BM's would be this bracelet that I found on Tie It With a Bow . These bracelets can be engraved with the BM's names and I know that they will be able to wear them again....and want to wear them again!
And I liked these rings from Tie It With a Bow too:And going along with this post, I found another tote for my BM's where I could put all of their gifts and they could carry it around with them on the day of the wedding. And what makes it even better is that its from J. Crew!

Asking the BM's

Two of my bridesmaids live far far away (Minnesota and Texas) and I always thought it would be cute to ask them in some other way than the typical phone call.

So I found this adorable card!!

The writing says: "Will you be my bridesmaid? I promise not to make you wear an ugly dress."

LOVE IT.

Nautical Totes for the BM's

In thinking about gifts for my BM's I have a few objectives in mind:

• gifts correlate with the tying the knot theme / nautical vibe


• gifts can actually be used/appreciated and can serve more than one purpose

Let me preface the rest of this post with the statement that I am obsessed with totes. Show me a great tote and I will show you my money.
So you can imagine my delight when I found this tote: (from: Nautigear)

And then these totes: (http://www.vivaterra.com/)Love at first sight. All bags are made from actual sail cloth (ala my navy and green color scheme and nautical-ish theme)!! The bags would serve as a tote on the day of the wedding and would also serve as gift bags that hold lots of other goodies for my lovely BM's (such as the typical flip flops, necklace for the big day to coordinate with the dress, etc).

I'm so excited about them and they aren't even for me!!

For the Groomsmen

Now I know that it is normally the Groom that gets to pick out the gifts for his attendants...but I would like to have a say!

One of the things that I would like to see presented to the GM is:

(excuse the poor picture quality) I think that this tie would look great on the GM against their black suits/tuxedos. Annndddd it would coordinate with the BM's flowers:

Everything is coming together...even though there's no actual engagement yet!!