Make Mine Fun-Sized

Hair Pieces: So many choices

2009-06-20T12:26:00.005-04:00

I have so many projects to do today, including pick up our wedding rings, but I woke up early and started researching hair pieces. I've already researched this some when I was preparing for my hair practice appointment with Daphne, but it's crunch time and I need to pick something. I plan on wearing it half up, curled, and pulled to the side. Now I just need to find the right ornament. Thoughts? Our wedding is Mediterranean-Tropical themed, so I kinda like the orchids, but I originally love the look of the first picture.

Source: Etsy

I plan for my hair to look like the gal's above. And I also love the way her makeup looks, too. A little dramatic, but still elegant.

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Source: Etsy

Thoughts? Love or hate any of them?

Invitations - Lessons Learned

2009-06-09T21:12:00.005-04:00

Our invitations are here! It has been a stressful couple of weeks as we didn't know when our invitations would arrive. We decided to get them from Peculiar Pear Press and worked with Dandelion Patch in Vienna in picking them out and ordering. If possible, I definitely recommend going there on an "off" day, which I would consider only the week days. Stationery stores are super packed on the weekends. I checked out Paper Source in Georgeotown, Papyrus in Pentagon City, Rock Paper Scissors in Charlottesville, and The Paper Store in Clarendon, as well as Smashing Cards (we didn't really think any of their semi-custom made were "us"), and finally D*Lish Design based in California. The invitations we eventually picked out my mother and I had initially seen in Charlottesville at Rock Paper Scissors, but it was a little early in early March and I hadn't seen enough invites yet. We would have gone with them, but my fiance needed to see them and we certainly couldn't drive back to Charlottesville just to see the invitations. Luckily, I found them again at Dandelion Patch, which was my last hope (mainly because they're in Vienna and we're in Arlington, but I'd heard wonderful things about them). We were initially in love with invitations by D*Lish Design, but when we received the samples, we were a little underwhelmed. They looked great in the magazine and beautiful online, but they didn't really cut it in person. Lesson #1: see invitations first hand!

I did like working with Dandelion Patch, Wendy and Debbie there were wonderful. It was Peculiar Pear Press that was a little difficult - as far as I could tell, as they wouldn't return Dandelion Patch's phone calls as to what ink colors were available or when they expected to ship the invitations. This resulted in a much longer process than we had anticipated in the proofing process. Lesson #2: Research in advance what you want your wording to be. It was difficult for us to find wording we were happy with because it's a Catholic ceremony, requiring us to use the terms "holy sacrament" and because it's a sacrament that we administer to ourselves, we can't say "to" (as in at the "marriage of their daughter X to Y").

Then, once we saw it in print, it didn't look right the way the words were spaced out, so we had to enlarge our parents' names and separate them with an "and", etc., etc. Be sure to pay attention to ink colors AND have several people look at the proofs. My mother caught different ink colors being used when I didn't. Lesson #3: Allow for plenty of time for the proofing process. Ours took THREE WEEKS. Part of it was because I didn't know Dandelion Patch still needed information from us in the very beginning of the process (I had actually already discussed this when we were there in person, but they may have misplaced the notes from the meeting), resulting in a delay of a week and a half.

Finally, now that we have the invitations in hand, the ink is still a little different from the colors we saw in the proofs, but it's a digital proof, and you have to expect that. I thought ours were going to be a little more pinkish-berryish, but they turned out more purple/grape. In the end, I'm okay with it because they look less girly and I haven't emasculated my fiance with our invitations, but still not what I expected. Lesson #4: Digital proofs are not the same as printed proofs.

On the positive side, we sent our final approval to Dandelion Patch on May 14 (sooo late according to my timeline) and they shipped the invitations One-Day via UPS on June 8. So we basically received our order of 100 LETTERPRESS invitations in THREE WEEKS instead of the usual five to six weeks. Perhaps it was because there were fewer (they actually gave us 115 instead of 100), so that's awesome. So, even though the proofing process took a bit, their production time was awesome. Maybe because I was a pest. Who knows, but I'm super grateful. Lesson #5: Miracles can happen.

I'll share pictures of the invitations in the next week or so once we have them calligraphed, assembled, and stamped. PS - I looooove the new wedding stamps! Way better than the Celtic looking hearts. No offense, they just didn't do it for me.

I Never Was a Jimmy Girl . . .

2009-06-06T20:45:00.005-04:00

Easter weekend long, long ago my mother came in to town to visit and drop off my younger sister as she returned to London we did what we normally do when we're all together. We shopped. I had already been working weekends long before, but family were in and we had some catching up to do. I needed to buy shoes so that I could try them on for my dress fitting that is in just two weeks. I still won't reveal my dress until after the wedding, but I can definitely reveal my shoes.

Front

Back

Aren't they adorable? Meet Juliet by Jimmy Choo. She comes in soft suppler leather in gold or silver. My mother actually bought the same exact pair, but unfortnuately they are turning out to be a size too small. Size 6 anyone? The best part of all was that we got them on sale! You NEVER see Jimmy Choo's on sale. I have never been a Jimmy Choo girl (I kinda think his style is a little audacious for me), but these have made me a believer. The (second) best part of all is that they are super comfortable. But I should def start breaking them in. I just don't want to soil them. Oh what a sad day that will be (when I soil them), not when I wear them for the "first" time.

Photo Guest Book

2009-06-06T20:25:00.001-04:00

On my list (it has been forever) is our wedding guest book. For the longest time I wanted to do a photo book and I almost used Shutterfly's because they were having a sale. BUT I misunderstood the sale and it didn't matter. Now that I've had more time to research it, I've narrowed it down between MixBook and Picaboo. I really wanted to use a photobook for a guest book because I wanted to take advantage of the engagement photo shoot we had. We love our pictures but after the wedding, I'm afraid that everyone will be oohing and ahhing over the wedding photos and forget about our engagement pictures. Of course, the wedding is probably more important, but our engagement photos were shot where we first met almost 9 years ago and also where Mr. Keswick proposed, so they're very special to us. Plus, I feel like the guest book will be more interesting for the guests. They even made some of my friends and family cry, so I think that's a step up above the usual blank lines and spaces. (Mr. Keswick was opposed to our guests signing a matted photo that we would hang. Not sure why, but I was fine with it.)

Has anyone had any luck with these? I like how neither make you download special software. I don't want to spend more than $50 on a guestbook and these are great professional options.

What really matters

2009-06-04T21:52:00.003-04:00

First, I cannot apologize enough for my complete mia-ness. I know it's not new, but work somewhat exploded in March. It was 2 months before my work's annual event (I help plan a 3-day wine tasting & auction) for a national healthcare organization and we were down to the wire. Then, exactly one month before my event, our third colleague on the event left. My boss and I planned and executed 3 days of food, wine, and auctions. It was a successful event, but it of course had a price: my life for an entire month. Beginning in March, all wedding planning went on hold (except for our invitations because that was non-negotiable).

So, I write this "comeback" post with a heavy heart. No, my fiance did not leave me or cheat on me. My mother's family is rather large. She is one of 7 children. However, there has been some quarreling among them - a little bit expected when there are so many, perhaps. Then, my grandmother passed away in February and relations among the siblings have not improved. Now, my mother and her brother have only each other as their siblings refuse to talk to them or entertain their requests to make amends. My uncle and his wife still live in the Philippines. They are a wonderful and loving couple and my fiance and I were so excited to include them as our Primary Sponsors in the wedding. Well, my mother heard from my uncle last night who had been to the American embassy earlier that day to apply for their visas. They were denied. They weren't even asked any questions about why they were coming, or had a chance to show the invitation I sent them to include with their application, or the ability to prove that they wouldn't try to illegally stay in the states.

My mother is devastated and so am I. It kills me that now she will have no one in her family represented at our wedding. When I think of my wedding day, all I can think of is the joining of our families and what a wonderful celebration it is supposed to be. My father has siblings, too, 3 sisters. However, one cannot travel because my cousin is still in school and my two other aunts are coming, but neither of their husbands (my uncles) appear to be able to make it. When my mother told me about it a few weeks ago, I couldn't help but cry. Now when I think of my third uncle not being able to make it, my heart just aches. My fiance's family is huge and so many are *hopefully* coming to the wedding. But it saddens me that they won't be able to meet any of my family. Only when I find out that so few of my family will be there do I realize how important it is for me that they are with me on such an important day. I have always looked forward to this day because of what fun it will be and what it symbolizes for both our families. Now, more than ever, do I realize how much family means to me. It almost feels too late.

PS -- Happier posts to come. I promise, including wedding invitations, tastings, favors, shoes and dresses, and my first dress fitting! If you can, please say a prayer for my family and me.

Gorgeous Wedding Cakes

2009-03-03T23:09:00.006-05:00

And of course, I cannot write about cakes without showing you all the research I've done! Check out these beauties:

We love the illusion effect of this cake. It's so unique!

Photo Credit: Brides.com

Not sure why they chose pillows, but still very beautiful and different.

Photo Credit: WeddingChannel.com

And one of my all-time favorites. I love how beautiful that "lace" looks!

Photo Credit: Brides.com

Where oh where has our cakery gone?

2009-03-03T22:59:00.003-05:00

Last night I was so excited about our upcoming weekend. I had appointments at 9:30 AM (tasting), a break for lunch, 1:00 PM (hair and makeup trial), 3:00 PM (wedding invitations), and 5:00 PM (the second tasting). I had emailed both the cakeries our ideas for flavors and designs for the cake and was all set. However, this morning, Teri of Cakes Unlimited LLC emailed to say that she was worried she was not the best fit for our wedding cake. This was a crushing blow as she seemed so sweet, nice, and over-the-top helpful. I had really high hopes. She suggested I contact Mahila Creations and The Small Cake Company as they might be a better match. In so many words, she said: Most of the time, I can re-create my bride's vision for their wedding cake. But, when I believe that I am not the right person to do that, I would rather share you with someone who can make your dream cake happen. Your wedding cake is too important to me for you to be unhappy or disappointed that your wedding cake was not something you really wanted.

Teri was definitely still willing to meet with us this weekend and offered to assist in my reaching out to them, but suggested I taste the other bakery's fondant first before I decide to forego fondant (my fiance and I are big buttercream fans).

So now the quest continues. *sigh* I've contacted both bakeries, but I fear the lack of advance notice for these bakers. Unfortunately, it looks like yet another trip to Charlottesville. I think it's worth it, it's just somewhat frustrating, you know? More updates soon *hopefully*.

A cakery with a sour taste

2009-03-03T22:39:00.005-05:00

About 2 weeks ago I started contacting Charlottesville cakeries with the hope of scheduling a tasting this coming weekend. My fiance starts his Spring Break this weekend, so the timing was right and I'll be completely absorbed by work next month as it's the month right before my work event (and May just seemed like it was getting much too close to the wedding...*stifling mild scream of anxiety*). I contacted Cakes Unlimited LLC, True Confections by Carlotta, and Albemarle Baking Co. as they were the vendors recommended by Keswick. The first two were wonderful in responding, being open, welcoming, and helpful. We are so excited to meet with them next week. However my experience with Albemarle Baking Co. was very disappointing. ABC said that they had an opening at 8AM or 8:30AM. I asked if they had an opening later in the day as we were driving from 2 hours away and my mother was driving from 3.5 hours away. (And a cake tasting at the crack of dawn just did not sound appetizing at all.) Her response:

Since we start early in the morning, 8:30AM is my last appointment. If you are serious about meeting that day, I can come back to the bakery later that day to meet you around 2PM. Will that work for you?

I was very surprised by her response but gave her the benefit of the doubt, maybe she was having a bad morning, even though it seemed very inappropriate to me. My response:
Good afternoon X,

I am definitely seriously considering Albemarle Baking Company for our wedding cake, that is, if you are not yet booked for August 2, 2009.

I have confirmed with my mother and fiance and you are still available, 2 pm would be a great time to meet. I'm afraid that 8:30 AM would be too early for us to taste the cake and I wouldn't want the early time to affect how we receive it. However, if you much prefer to meet with us on another day, I can let you know when we will be returning to Charlottesville. It will most likely not be until mid-May as I also work events and the last 3 weekends in April are booked for me. . .

I can send you an email later this week with more specifics as to what we are looking for in the cake. Right now, we prefer the square tiers over round and some exotic flavors, like mango, passion fruit, and coffee (but not in the same layer!). . .

ABC responded that they could meet at 2PM but there would be no cake to taste at the bakery. (What kind of bakery doesn't have cake on hand?) BUT, if I wanted to order a cake to sample, it would cost $20-$30. I understand that it's quite expensive to put together a tasting. However, the tone of her response and the overall manner in which she treated me left me with a very sour taste in my mouth. In the end, a hair and makeup artist I'd contacted said she was available to meet at 1:00PM, so we ended up taking her appointment. I let ABC know that our plans had changed, but if we were still looking for cake bakers in mid-May, perhaps I would contact her when our schedules better align.

Hopefully things will work out this weekend . . . but now I have minor cake another minor crisis to tend to. . .

Save the Dates!

2009-03-01T19:55:00.009-05:00

They've landed! I've been waiting to write this post so that no one would get a sneak peak at the Save the Dates until our future guests had received them. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to do something like a map or picture that was representative of us but make a picture of us be the focal point of the Save the Date. I'm totally fine if I receive something like that from someone else, but my fiance and I weren't keen on the idea of our faces looking out from a refrigerator at our future guests reminding them about our wedding - just not our style. Also, we wanted something simpler so we didn't have to worry about envelopes and licking and gluing and all that mess.

I, too, love Laura Hooper's work, but alas she was not in the budget. So, I turned to the best alternative, my wonderful sister and Maid of Honor. It was actually really fun to work on them with my sister and now we have a very special keepsake for our wedding with my sister's signature on it, literally. All the way across the ocean in London, she work on different sketches and the font and would send me pictures of what she'd dreamed up. It was always so exciting for me to receive her emails with pictures of her ideas.

Here she is making her drafts and practice sketches over the winter holidays.Also, I wanted them to be hand-addressed, so I undertook the task of addressing them myself. I totally loved it, too, but I love writing stuff out. So found a font that I liked and practiced it several times before trying it out on our postcards. It killed me to cut stuff out, but it was necessary (below is our Photographer's Save the Date).Below, our personalized stamps with a photo from our engagement session, courtesy of our awesome photographer, Robert Holley of Robert Holley Photography. This still keeps with our refusal to look out from the fridge at our future wedding guests, but still allowed us to use a picture because we love them so much.
The Save the Dates en masse:And the front of the Save the Dates:
Oh how I love paper.

Conference for the Engaged

2009-02-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

What a weekend! Yesterday from 8am-4pm Sig. Keswick and I were in Vienna for the Arlington Diocese's Conference for the Engaged. As part of our Pre-Cana preparation, we are supposed to attend a conference such as this or meet one-on-one with a married couple for several times in addition to meeting with our priest. We chose this option as it was easiest to schedule between my work and his school projects, etc. Honestly, it was a very positive experience! We were curious and a little anxious on the drive in the wee hours of the morning but we enjoyed it (or at least most of it). It helped us learn more and understand the Catholic church's perspective on the sanctity of marriage and really reminded me how spiritually significant and important of an undertaking we will be making in less than six months - and I liked that. Sometimes you get caught up having the perfect wedding (however you define it) and it was a nice reminder how the marriage will last long after the cake, the flowers, the favors, even the photographs and memories.

We also sat a table with 3 other couples and they were really great to get to know. One couple even goes to the same church as us AND the bride's Filipino, so I felt an automatic connection from her from the beginning - especially since I feel like I know nothing about Filipino weddings but am dying to learn more but don't know where to look. The other two couples were also really nice and all 3 brides and I exchanged contact info so we can hopefully get together to talk about our experiences, good and bad. Especially with all my far flung bridesmaids, I really hope it will help me stay motivated and excited to be able to share the excitement and frustrations with someone else that's going through the same thing and that can empathize. (Although one of my girlfriends from school just got engaged this weekend and I am more than elated for her and her fiance *eeek* so crazy to say that! And I can't wait to share all my knowledge with her so that she doesn't experience the same confusion or stress that I did, or at least help her avoid doing so.)

Even if you're not Catholic or religious, I strongly encourage everyone to undergo some kind of marital preparation. There are so many *important* things to know/learn/ remember after the honeymoon phase that will help a marriage last, like communication and sacrifice, that we often forget in this fast-paced life.

Bridesmaids Dresses: Part 5 of 5

2009-02-21T19:20:00.002-05:00

Yay!! After several months of searching, we have our bridesmaids dresses - and they're ordered and paid for. I went to the Amsale Bridesmaids Dress Buying Party at Hitched a week ago eeeearly (5 PM) - yes, I actually left work 30 minutes early just to make sure I got there on time. Kati and I went straight to the chiffon dresses (new for Spring 2009). We / she tried on all the beauties I first spied online and we fell in love with them all over again. They were so flattering, forgiving, and I loooooove the dresses in Cerise.

And now, for our lovelies:
Amsale 456c (shown in Cerise, crinkled chiffon)Amsale 454c
Amsale 455c

Amsale 450cAmsale 451c
I decided to pick out 5 dresses so the girls could choose the dress that's most flattering on their figure and they felt most comfortable getting and they will all be wearing the same color in Cerise, which is my favorite color of all time. Seriously.

It was kind of a tedious process to order them as I was seeing them for the first time during the trunk show and then had to decide that night if we were going to get them to take advantage of the 15% discount. So we tried on dresses, I looked for wifi at 2 different internet cafes to email the girls the pictures, couldn't find one, and just called all 7 of them. They were all on board if I thought they were a good choice, and Kati and I definitely loved them. Some were concerned if they would have to wear a strapless bra under all of them, I assured them that was not the case with Amsale 454 (the halter top with ruffles) - it's definitely thick enough at the top at the neck to wear with a converted strapless/halter bra. Some were a little concerned about the color, too, but Kati and I have very different coloring (she's more fair and porcelain colored and I'm more olive toned) and we both thought they still looked good on both of us. I didn't necessarily have to convince the girls, but I definitely wanted them to feel comfortable in trusting me. My sister, the Maid of Honor, will likely go with a longer, tea length option rather than the cocktail dress to look a little different from the rest.

I do hope they turn out well. I just love them so much and really have high hopes that the girls will like them too and that they'll look as stunning as I think they will.

Free Shutterfly Photobook

2009-02-19T21:19:00.001-05:00

Hi all. I've been trying to think of a good keepsake to take the place of the traditional guest book: Signed wedding barrel stave to use as a lazy susan, signed matted picture, and of course a photo book. Sig. Keswick isn't a big fan of the signed matted picture, so my choices were narrowed slightly last night. And then, this morning, lo and behold, in my Inbox was an email from Shutterfly: Free 8x8 Photobook until March 10! Just visit their website and get started :) I've already begun mine.

Photo: Courtesy of Shutterfly

Music Sheet Envelopes - loooove

2009-02-14T08:53:00.001-05:00

Browsing this morning and discovered the wonderful work of Tracy K, aka Adnagam on Etsy. According to her shop announcement, "I'm like the In-n-Out of paper. They only sell burgers and I only sell envelopes (and sometimes notecards.) I feel like the art of handwriting notes is escaping us, so send a friendly note and make someone's day! "

I saw these beautiful sheet music envelopes and had to share. They're so bright and fun yet simple and elegant. They'd be great if you're musicians or just love the look of something vintage. She's also on Twitter! Happy <3's Day!

Save the Date Handkerchiefs

2009-02-13T23:34:00.001-05:00

Mike and I are busy finishing our Save the Dates to mail out on Monday. But, since we're on the subject of Save the Dates, I thought I'd post a couple that I'm almost sad we didn't think of (almost because I still love mine and how well they tie in with our wedding).

These finds are thanks to Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence via Elizabeth Anne Designs and Victoria with Roses.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

James Beard Award Semi-Finalists!

2009-02-13T21:43:00.003-05:00

So excited to see the latest trim for this year's James Beard Award nominations! Grub Street has the list. There are some definite surprises - but in a good way. Congratulations to Heart's Delight chefs Gabrielle Hamilton, Bryan Voltaggio, Josiah Citrin, David Myers, Kendal Duque for their nominations and making this round of cuts!

Goin' to the Chapel . . .

2009-02-10T22:26:00.005-05:00

This weekend Mike took his LSAT (yaaay!!!) and then we drove down to Charlottesville to meet the priest of the church where we will be marrying (and see the church for the first time ever!!) and also meet with the florist (more on that in a coming post). The drive down was marvelous. It was warm and sunny and we were giddy from Mike's recent liberation. We (almost) got lost because of the GPS when we were almost to the church. Rural Virginia is no place for GPS, even if you're 20 miles from Charlottesville. However, we arrived with 7 minutes to spare before mass. I'd seen pictures of the inside from a former bride on The Knot but I was so excited to see it firsthand. I don't think I've ever been that excited while sitting in church. I was just taking everything in. Mike could attest. I was giddy. However, when I went up to communion, I had the hotel's phone number on my hand and was so embarrassed when I held my hand up to receive the host - from the priest!

Anyways, the church where our future wedding will be is so cute, even in the doldrums of February and the priest was very nice. I wanted to take more pictures, but Mike wouldn't let me. So I'll leave this with you. It's a bit more modern, and not what you would typicall think of as a "quaint wedding chapel" but it's lovely on the inside and actually feels like a holy place, which was important to me. I didn't want to get married in a place that I didn't feel "Catholic."

Bridesmaids Dresses: Part 4 of 5 (hopefully)

2009-02-10T22:14:00.003-05:00

As promised, here is the report from our visit to Hitched in Georgetown last week. (Don't forget about their Bridesmaids Dress Buying Party this Thursday!) Below are the stand-outs:
Callie by Thread: Elijah by Thread (not sure why it's a guy's name):

And Kiki by Thread. We also loved these dresses by Simple Silhouettes:

A-Line: def sans sash, but that's just me. I'm trying to go for the "not bridesmaid" look.

Empire: This was much cuter and very flattering on my friend.

There was also a strapped cocktail option that my friends both liked, but it's not online. These are more traditional and in the $250-$275 range.

Comparisons: Kat and Mallory* and loved the quality and feel of the Threads dresses, but they're significantly more expensive -$350 to $375. They also thought they were the most flattering, but they're not as fun and the colors are okay (bright-ish pink but with an orange "tinge" in the silk shantung) for what I'm looking for. Right now, I'm leaning towards the Melissa Sweets from my previous post, some Amsale dresses, and the Threads dresses, based on color, dress type, and price. The Threads dresses come in an awesome color they call "Popsickle." It's kinda bright, but lots of fun, however, not sure if all my girls will be 100% pleased about it, I'm guessing maybe 85%.

With so many choices, it's rather difficult to pick just a few! I had decided to give my girls options between at least 2 dresses, but it'll probably be around 3 as some have requested a dress that didn't require a strapless bra - oh for the "blessed" among us. *le sigh.*

Honeymoon Giveaway in Greece

2009-02-06T12:27:00.004-05:00

Attention all! J.Crew is giving away a free honeymoon in Greece on their website!

According to the website, it's a "trip for two to Santorini, Greece, 50night stay at the luxurious Tsitouras Collection Hotel and beach-ready J.Crew wardrobe for two*."

To enter, click here.

Bridesmaids Dresses: Part 3 (of 4 or 5)

2009-02-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

After my horrific experience at Jingles in Richmond, my friends and I visited Bella Rosa. It was WONDERFUL. They had so many dresses, the store was a great size, we didn't need an appointment but easily got a dressing room, and the sales associate was so attentive and professional - she even repeatedly apologized for not being able to be with us more because they were so busy - and they were busy! My friend Bekah tried on maybe 12 dresses while Brittany and I rated them. It was so different from our first experience - we were there for over an hour! Because this was our first serious research trip, we couldn't place an order, but she was happy to give us swatches of the top 6 dresses we liked. (More on that later.)

Late last week, two wonderful friends went with me to a third store to look at bridesmaids dresses. This was at Priscilla of Boston in Tyson's Corner (after stopping at Tiffany's next door). I had a few in mind from doing more research online with Bekah and from the dresses we liked at Bella Rosa. And now, for the dresses:

Vineyard Style 1414

Amsale Style G456C in Cranberry (in love with the color)

Melissa Sweet STYLE MS307

Melissa Sweet STYLE MS219

Melissa Sweet STYLE MS120

Some runners up, but unfortunately, they don't come in colors that would go with our wedding:

http://watters.com/product.php?coll=wtoo&showid=751
Waters, too STYLE 306

http://watters.com/product.php?style=4331
Waters & Waters STYLE 4331

http://watters.com/product.php?showid=973&coll=watters&style=4335
Waters & Waters STYLE 4335

**Photos are courtesy of Priscilla of Boston and Amsale.

All these dresses came in GREAT colors (Cranberry / Raspberry). However, they all seem a bit expensive (in the mid to high $200's). But they're quite cute. My girls loved the last 3 Melissa Sweets, and I do, too. However, my friends tonight said they felt like the Melissa Sweets weren't as good quality as the dresses we tried on tonite (Simple Silhouettes and Threads). However, Simple Silhouettes and Threads are up to $200 more!! * le sigh *

Soon, I'll post about my visit to Hitched in D.C.

Rebuffed: Bridesmaids Dresses Part 2

2009-02-03T21:33:00.002-05:00

Two weekends ago I visited Richmond to see some friends and go bridesmaids dress shopping. We visited 2 different stores and had 2 very different experiences. The first was Jingles. I had called them 3 days prior to our visit to see if we needed an appointment to look at dresses (they were fully booked for appointments because of a trunk show). My friend had tried to prepare us as she had researched them prior to our visit and reported that she'd read comments online that the shop can be a little snobby, even though they have some nice dresses.

The woman who answered told me no, only if I wanted my girls to be measured for their dresses. When we arrived, the first woman who greeted us asked if we had an appointment. I told them about my phone conversation. This first woman was very nice and even apologetic that their dressing rooms were all in use, but she may be able to squeeze us in after a group of girls was finished. I thanked her and we began our browsing. A second woman asked us if we had an appointment, ready to record my answer on her trusy clipboard. I told her the same and she was very rude and said, "Well, we you need an appointment. We're very busy today, with the trunk show and all." I told her we understood and we would be okay just browsing if if need be. A THIRD woman asked us the same question (mind you, the shop is very small and the section with the bridesmaids dresses is right in front of the front desk, so even if you wanted to have a quiet conversation with a potential client, you would still only be standing a maximum of 10 feet away from anyone else in the store! Well, the first one was able to get us into a dressing room 15 minutes before her 2:30 appointment. Between the 3 of us, we were able to try on 7 different dresses in less than 10 minutes. On our way out, we said thank you and let them know that the dressing room was available. We will not be returning.

Paying tribute

2009-02-03T21:23:00.002-05:00

Last fall I asked my maternal grandmother, my last living grandparent, to send me something that I could keep with me on my wedding day in case she wasn't able to travel from the Philippines. I wanted her to know that she was very special and her presence at my wedding was very important to me. Within a few weeks, I had received a card signed by her (although I could tell it was difficult for her to manage) and a few keepsakes of hers: 1) a rosary because Catholicism is very important to her, 2) a handerkerchief because she's always warm and 3) a fan because she has a strong Spanish heritage (and she's always warm). She always had either a fan or a handkerchief with her. I was very touched when she sent me all three, along with her card.

Unfortunately, Lola Rose (Lola = "grandmother" in Tagalog) passed away early last Wednesday morning. My family, including my sister in London, flew to California to say our last goodbyes to her before they sent her to the Philippines. Her death was, and probably will be for some time, especially difficult for my mother, sister, and me because we were closest with her and we all looked up to her. She was the model wife and mother to us, ever loving, selfless, and kind. She was intelligent, witty, and funny and always knew the right thing to say when you came to her with your problems. Lola once told Ingrid when Ingrid said she looked lovely that day, "Dear, beauty is 99% youth."

Now I struggle with the best way to remember her at our wedding. I know she'll be with us in spirit, but I still want to recognize her . However, I don't want to seem inconsiderate or rude if I don't recognize my other 3 grandparents especially. I thought about having their wedding pictures displayed somewhere. I also thought about having a rose in the front row in memory of her, but will I need 6 roses (both pairs of my grandparents and one set of Signor Keswick's)? That may seem excessive and lose its meaning. I definitely think simpler is better, but finding something appropriate and fitting for such a great woman is a tall order.

Top Chef Re-caps

2009-01-21T20:54:00.004-05:00

In honor of the Restaurant Wars epi scheduled to air tonite, I thought I'd share a little Top Chef news:

First, there will be a Top Chef spinoff according to L.A. Eater, the same producers who brought you Top Chef will soon be serving "Top Chef: Masters," where the best of the best will be competing against each other for . . .even more money? gold? a lifetime supply of Calphalon appliances? I don't know. And who could be worthy of judging these Masters? Mmm.

Second (and this is a bit old), there will also be a Top Chef tourney for teens: "Top Chef Junior." According to Reuters, Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli will be opening a cooking school for teens in Los Angeles and the docu-series will be focusing mainly on the chef.

Last, but certainly not leasto, Top Chef Season 5 will be heading to the Big Easy for its season finale. It seems they had enough of the Big Apple and decided to kick it up a notch with Chef Emeril Lagasse as guest judge. According to Grub Street, "Season five will travel to New Orleans for the finale, where guest judge Emeril Lagasse will try to out-catchphrase Padma Lakshmi. Bravo’s PR machine tells us that there will be a “shocking twist” on part one of the finale on February 18, one that we hope will make the show interesting to watch again. Our unenthusiastic predictions:

Stefan is actually from Delaware
Everyone on Team Rainbow hated each other
Hosea knocks up Leah"

In addition to this last bit, we were in touch with a certain Season 5 contestant from San Francisco last week when we received her out of office: "Thanks for your email. I'll respond when I get back." Hmm. . . I wonder where she could have been. Coincidence that we learned today of the finale's location? Perhaps not? Bon appetit!

Engagement Party Madness: Secondo Parte

2009-01-19T12:31:00.008-05:00

As relaxed and intimate was my parents' engagement party, the engagement party my fiance's arents threw for us was out of this world. His parents covered all the bases and hit quite a few homeruns in the process. These are the wonderful details my future family thought of:

It was at their home in Rochester, so they bought a propane heater for the back deck to expand the gathering space (even though we TOTALLY lucked out with the unseasonal 50 degree weather). They hired a professional pianist, bar tender, and caterer that made delicious, delicious food.

They rented small bistro tables and had ADORABLE centerpieces (with little mini-engagement rings from Michael's).

My future mother-in-law made a small album of us to share with the guests. Chocolates AND m&ms with our names and the wedding date on them and a two-tiered cake perfect for a wedding. (Sorry I don't have a better one of the cake. ) Isn't the little present cute? The caterer was Grand Finales Catering in Rochester. The cake was a moist sour cream cake with caramel & hazelnut praline filling.

Wedding Tradition Tip: When cutting one's engagement party cake, the bride makes the first cut on one side and the groom makes the second cut to complete it, rather than the two holding the knife at the same time.

And then during the toast, my fiance's parents almost made me cry with their sweet sentiments. I would have cried if they hadn't presented us with our present, a watercolor of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the location where Mike proposed to me. His mother actually saw it at the art gallery the day after we became engaged, which was the same 8 years later that we first sat there with our when we met.

I felt so special during that evening and my family felt so welcomed and assured that their daughter was marrying into a wonderfully loving and caring family. I don't think I could name one favorite detail from the whole night, but if I had to, it would have to be the strong sense of family that permeated everywhere.

Engagement Party Madness: Primo Parte

2009-01-13T22:17:00.003-05:00

Over the holidays, my family and future family squeezed in their respective engagement parties because that was the only time both my sister (maid of honor)and father were going to be in the country until this summer (sister is dancing in London and father is at our ranch and farm in the Philippines). Needless to say, it was a bit hectic, but what are the holidays for?

My fiance, my sister and I arrived at 4 AM Sunday morning from DC after picking her up from Dulles and driving all the way to Southwest Va. Because we knew we couldn't have a traditional cocktail party, Mom and I got creative and had our friends over for a proper afternoon tea. My sister brought marmalade and proper tea (English breakfast, Mango, and Vanilla) from England and we hired a caterer for finger sandwiches, scones, dessert, etc.

At 2:15, I'm getting ready for the party and ask my mom what time the caterer is supposed to arrive. 2:00. She calls. At 2:20PM, he's still THIRTY minutes late! I almost had a meltdown (well, everyone else says I did. I don't think it was that bad, but to each their own). The caterer arrived 10 minutes after our contract's "event time" and he didn't even apologize! I was very disappointed with their professionalism (or lack thereof) and will not be using them again. Luckily, we were able to plate everything as the guests were arriving. As an events person, it was actually very difficult for me to stay out of the kitchen and greet and mingle with the guests when I knew there was a minor emergency happening "backstage."

It was a small gathering (30ish), but it was all the people I really wanted present to share this special time. My fiance put on the game for some of the husbands and I visited with the ladies. We tried to stay together during the party as the celebrants, but it was harder for him because he barely knew them and he was very new to this. I knew everyone, and I knew which guests would probably know fewer people, etc. All in all, it was a good dress rehearsal for my future mother-in-law's engagement party, which was going to have over twice as many guests. We had good practice juggling all the guests and we had really great quality time with all of them.
(I promise to upload some pictures when I get them from my sister. I was banned from photographing.)

Housing Crisis (not the economic kind)

2009-01-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

So, I'm starting to get a little anxious with our housing block. I contacted the Hilton Garden Inn in Charlottesville in November 11 regarding a housing block. I received a proposal and we liked it, so I went ahead and asked her to send me the housing contract. I never received anything, so I followed up again early December. I thought I'd give them sometime over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Director of Sales responded within an hour and said she'd "send" it that afternoon. Nothing arrived via email or post. I emailed this weekend and called today. Nothing. Does anyone have any advice or thoughts? I'm getting worried it's taking this long to get a contract, especially given the economic climate. We wanted to go with the Hilton Garden Inn because the hotel's super close to our reception venue. Thanks for any insight or advice!

J. Crew Bridesmaid Dress Debacle

2009-01-11T22:39:00.007-05:00

Some of you may remember my post a while back about my bridesmaids dresses. Well, as you might be able to tell from the title of this post, things didn't end so well even after my girls were able to deal with J. Crew's faulty website. My sister and I had a little runway show once we were both home to check out her dress options, when I realized the dresses were NOT the color they appeared online. Don't get me wrong, they are pretty dresses, but they were an orangey pink, and our wedding colors are wine, raspberry, and champagne. I agonized over it during the holidays, do I ask them to return? work around it? suck it up? But my sister (maid of honor) and 2 of my 3 secondary sponsors (kinda like bridesmaids but they take care of the cord, the candle, and the veil during the ceremony) were adamant that if they didn't fit with our vision, then they were happy to return them.

Below are the dresses:

J. Crew Silk Sophia Short

J. Crew Silk Chiffon Juliet

Actually, only the second dress came out orangey. None of the girls (at least that I know of) ordered the J. Crew Silk Sophia Short dress. Luckily, J. Crew has a very easy and friendly return policy, so we don't anticipate any problems returning the dresses. In addition, my wonderful bridesmaid Sarah was able to find an email address on the website to which you can write to request SWATCHES. Oh how I wish I'd known that was an option. But again, I think we were all swayed by the ridiculous Sales going on the website. Here's the email address: ashley@jcrew.com. Kinda random, huh?

Has anyone had any luck or experience with this?

How to NOT begin a bachelorette party

2009-01-09T16:17:00.001-05:00

Thanks to NY Magazine's Grub Street, I found this article on one girl's experience in throwing a bachelorette party pretty funny:

I organized a bachelorette party at the Clover Club a couple of weeks ago. The celebrant wanted no fanfare but I decided to bring a couple of accessories, to make the occasion feel slightly more special than a girls-night-out. I brought four white balloons, not shaped like penises, and a banana cream pie from a fancy bakery. I was wearing a pretty suit. When I met a group of 5 women there, we attempted to tape our white, non-sexual balloons up to mark our table for our arriving guests. When he noticed this, the host, a poor-man's Michael Stipe, descended on us and asked if we got clearance from the owner to modify our space. He explained that the owner had taken meticulous measures to design the bar just-so and that our four white balloons were interfering with her vision. He didn't make us remove the balloons, but he warned us that there might be retribution if the owner stopped by that night. We stared blankly at him for a moment, exchanged a few confused words among ourselves quietly, as a reality check, and proceeded to order stuff.

He turned us over to our waiter, who was very pleasant and seemed to turn a blind eye to the banana cream pie, which I would have been nervous about by that time had I not called ahead to get permission to bring it. Shortly thereafter, the owner showed and, as predicted, threw some Miranda Priestly shade our way. Our group was 10 by then. The waiter "noticed" the banana cream pie suddenly, became uptight and advised us that we should have called ahead to get their policies on such things. I told her that I had indeed done that but that I could not remember the name of the woman who had taken my call. Maybe I was supposed to complete an online application or something to bring a pie to this bar. The owner walked over and looked at the pie and me like I was Jed Clampett bringing a tin of vittles to dinner at the White House. She offered to "plate" our pie in the basement, and return it to us, waiving the $25 plating fee. We politely declined, on principle, and made a little mess. But not before the waiter confiscated our paper plates (white chinette) because the owner felt they were "trashy." She actually said "trashy" to my face. Oppressive. Power back to the people.

For the full Grub Street article: Clover Club Cracks Down on Balloon-Happy Bachelorettes. I'm not sure I can fairly comment as I have not been to Clover Club and don't know what kind of ambiance the place has. I may be okay with a simple balloon maybe for the celebrant, but many balloons and you get close to tacky. I might have also left the pie at home or waited to eat that in the limo later in the night.

I actually would much rather a relaxing day at the spa with massages and lunch with my girls, but I know not everyone shares my tastes. What do you have in mind for your bachelorette party? Any special requests?

Photo Credit Melissa Horn via NY Mag

Sample Sale at Hitched Tonite!

2009-01-08T15:41:00.001-05:00

For those of you who haven't read your Daily Candy yet for today (sometimes I get really behind), Hitched in Georgetown is having a Sample Sale tonight from 5-8PM. I've already called - no appointments are necessary, in fact, they won't be taken for between 5 and 8 PM. Good luck! I'm going to try to get there myself today to look for a veil :)

Single Man Learns Single Ladies Dance

2008-12-15T14:09:00.002-05:00

One of my bridesmaids and I watched this video last night while waiting for J. crew site to come back online and I could not stop laughing. First, I'm very intrigued by his ability to be so spot on with the timing and choreography. Second, I was mesmerized by how well he performed it. My fiance didn't appreciate it quite like I did, but he's not also a former dancer, but he was still impressed.

To view the video, click here.

Anyways, had to share. Happy Monday!

What to wear. . . for the Bridesmaids

2008-12-14T22:55:00.005-05:00

Early last week I made myself check out J.Crew because of the bombardment of coupons and sales they had been sending to my inbox. At most times of the year I try to resist the temptation, but it was the holidays and I had felt bad about neglecting my bridesmaids and their search for dresses. Lo and behold, the dresses I had loved early this fall were on sale AND they had a lot of sizes AND they were in the colors I wanted!

So I refined my list of prospects and sent them quickly to my girls for comment. They have been so sweet and willing to wear whatever I asked the, but I still wanted them to have a choice in their dress cut and color so that they would have something that brought out their best features.

One of them said to me tonight online (while we waited for J. Crew.com to come back online . . . and we're still waiting): p.s. thank you thank you thank you for not making us get a certain kind of shoes (like a specific pair)...i appreciate that SO much! i think it looks silly when it is all matchy matchy. i knew you wouldn't do that but still!

I'm not saying my way is the only way to do it, but I really wanted the girls to be able to choose a dress style and color (they're picking between 2 colors and 3 dresses) that also made them happy to wear. Another one told me tonight that this is the first dress that she has bought as a bridesmaid that she'll actually get to wear again. Both of these comments meant so much to because they were exactly the end result I wanted to achieve.

I would show you their choices, but because J. Crew.com is being crappy, I'll have to update you with them later. However, knowing that they're all ordering their dresses and who's going to wear what makes me SO EXCITED all over again! It's one thing to pick them out, but to know they've ordered them and who's wearing what at the wedding in 9 months, it's completely different. I can't wait to see them on some of the girls when I go home next week!

Zola Wine and Kitchen Opens

2008-12-14T22:49:00.001-05:00

Recently Star Restaurant Group, (one of D.C.'s leading restaurant development firms who also brought you Indigo Landing) Zola Wine and Kitchen. According to this Washington Business Journals article, it will be the site of a chef's test kitchen as well as a wine shop that will sell 6,000 wines. They will also be offering cooking classes during lunch!

I think this would be a really fun place to visit with out-of-town family or a fun activity for you and your bridal party. If you get to go, let me know how your visit went!

Bridal Shower on Top Chef tonite!

2008-12-10T21:35:00.001-05:00

All of my friends know that I'm a big fan of wine, food, cooking, anything epicurean. So I'm sharing this passion with all of you by encouraging you to watch tonight's epi of Top Chef. Why? Why, Miss Keswick, would we want to watch Top Chef? How could it be relevant to our wedding planning lives? Because tonite the chefs are catering Gail Simmons' bridal shower party. What a great way to get some ideas for your menu - and who doesn't love a drama in the kitchen (as long as it's not between you and your mother or you and your betrothed).

Top Chef airs tonite at 10 PM, encore at 11 PM, on Bravo.

Bon appetit!

10% off Phyto Deep Conditioning at One80 Salon

2008-12-10T21:12:00.002-05:00

This summer, I visited One80 Salon on K Street for a free Phyto Deep Conditioning Treatment. They were doing a special because they were recently featured in Allure and wanted to celebrate. I reasoned that maintaining good hair should start as soon as possible if I wanted to have long, healthy, happy hair for all the pictures we would be taking to celebrate our engagement, our engagement session, any possible engagement parties, and of course, the wedding.

My hair is kinda coarse, which lends itself to being dry. It's also very thick - like each strand individually is thicker than some types of dental floss (or almost). Thus, I've always maintained a very strict hair regimen, but I thought it was worth it to try something new. That's when I discovered the Phyto line. Basically, the premise of these products is that normal hair products "moisturize" your hair on the outside by leaving silicates so that it feels smoother, never really remedying the problem, kinda like what makeup does your face. Phyto (pronounced fee-toh), however, moisturizes your hair from the inside, actually helping each strand to become healthier.

The reason I share my hair history with you is One80 Salon is offering $10 off Phyto Deep Conditioning treatments through the end of December! Reasons why you should:

You've been meaning to try something different with your hair, but didn't know what.
It's never too late to take good care of your hair (oooh, you can almost feel them massaging your scalp, can't you?)
It's the holidays and you have a lot of holiday parties coming up and New Year's Even is just around the corner!

Enjoy!

AND 20% off at Macy's!!

2008-12-10T21:00:00.006-05:00

Sales abound! Thanks to our partnership with Macy's at work, we received a lovely Friends and Family discount at Macy's. And now I'm sharing it with you! Now through December 15, take an extra 20% off AND receive free shipping! I'm sorry to any potential wedding guests out there for not finishing our Macy's registry yet, but I promise there will be more chances and sales!

Unfortunately, blogger doesn't let me upload files, only JPEGs, so send me a comment with your email address if you want the coupon. Or, download the 20% off coupon here (sans free shipping).

25% off at Lord and Taylor

2008-12-10T20:56:00.005-05:00

Oh the economy. Oh the holidays. It seems like everyone's offering sales and specials to entice everyone to help out our limping economy. In addition to Macy's, Lord and Taylor is offering a 25% off Friends and Family Discount through Monday, December 15th. Not only can you get your holiday shopping done at reduced cost, you have another place to look for that holiday gift exchange party for which you've been avoiding buying a worthy present!

Download the 25% off coupon here

PS - Sorry I've been MIA! Work required some late nights, but I have plenty to post from all my time spent away from my laptop! At least you have a sale coupon now, right?

Inn at Little Washington: New Event Space

2008-11-23T23:08:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit

One day, I swear, I will dine at The Inn at Little Washington. Chef Patrick O'Connell has received some of the greatest accolades in the culinary industry and I would love to stay overnite and revel in Chef O'Connell's mastery.

But alas, I don't have an amazing anniversary to celebrate (yet!), but one day we will have saved up to celebrate a special occasion there (according to this Washington Biz Journal article, it landed on Forbes's list of most expensive restaurants - sorry I can't find Forbes's original list.)

Photo Credit

However, for those who are searching for the most romantic and delicious meal in our area, do consider The Inn at Little Washington. Or, better yet, reserve their new Ballroom for the "Meeting of the Families." After a special meal there, they'll be jumping at the next opportunity to hang out with their new kin. The new space can seat 36 for dinner or 30 for a boardroom meeting. (Thanks to BizBash Washington for the tip!)

Enjoy!

Sweet Tea Vodka

2008-11-23T22:59:00.002-05:00

Photo Credit

For my fiance's 26th birthday party, I thought it the perfect occasion to test out Firefly's new Sweet Tea vodka. Yes, Sweet. Tea. Vodka. My good friend, a North Carolina native, told me about it after hearing about it during a trip home. When we were buying the courvoissier for the baklava cheesecake, there it was right next to the cashier! It was fate.

Now, growing up, I didn't actually think I liked iced tea because I never had "real" iced tea until I had fresh iced tea at my friend's house in high school. I'm from a part of Virginia where, when you order "iced tea," they hear what the "Yankees" call "sweetened ice tea." You don't even have to specify "sweet iced tea" or "sweet tea." I'm probably not as much of a connoisseur as a gal whose mum made it fresh every day after school (oh the joys of being a first generation mix of the motherland and the new), but I know what good sweet tea should taste like.

So, how was it? The back instructs to mix 1 part water to 1 part vodka and a dash of fresh lemon. The verdict? Ridiculously delicious - dangerously so. It tasted JUST LIKE the real thing + an added bite from the alcohol. I don't recommend the 1:1 ratio for Sweet Tea vodka rookies. This is vodka, after all. And if you want this to be your one and only drink of the night, you'll want to cut it with some water - that's all you need.

Wouldn't this be something great to use for a personalized martini with a southern flair? Or you could serve it with some lemonade for at your bachelorette party! The possibilities are endless. I'm so excited to see what concoctions today's mixologists come up with this new development.

36 Hours in Charlottesvile, Va.

2008-11-21T18:54:00.002-05:00

This post is super way overdue, but I'm determined to clean out my inbox tonight and I've been meaning to post it for a while. A few weeks ago, the New York Times printed an article on Charlottesville: 36 Hours in Charlottesville, Va.

For anyone visiting the Charlottesville area, don't miss this article! The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection is right behind the Hilton Garden Inn, in case you're staying overnight!

Top Chef Premier at Good Stuff Eatery

2008-11-18T21:22:00.008-05:00

This post is long overdue, but as many of you know, I'm still trying to play catch-up on my posts. Now, if you haven't realized by now from all my posts on food, I'm a little infatuated with anything culinary and the epicurean lifestyle. (I'm only getting started on register for all the kitchen tools I will actually be using and have expressed a need for in the last 2 years.)

Naturally, I am a major fan of Bravo's Top Chef. You can imagine, therefore, my excitement when Chef Spike Mendohlson opened Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill this summer - so excited, that I went there twice after its opening week: First, my new co-workers drove me there all the way from Ballston to try out the place and check out the space. Second, I met my former co-workers there after a reception on the Hill. It was wonderful and I won't even tell you about how giddy I became when I spoke to Chef Spike as he expedited the orders while I waited in line. He's very charming. Let's leave it at that.

So, of course I watched the premier of Season 5 of Top Chef in style last Wednesday at Good Stuff Eatery! Spike invited me via email (and the rest of his restaurant's subscribers) as he was on Twitter for the show. Lauren and I arrived super early to fend off the non-existent lines (I mean, it was packed. I wouldn't recommend going ;). We sampled Ryan's Milky Way milkshake (divine). Then we shared the famed Toasted Marshmallow milkshake.

This little beauty was, seriously, a girl scout campfire in your mouth-minus the fire and the mosquitos. Somehow, you could taste the toasted outside of the marshmallow in the milky ice cream concoction - almost like you were slurping off the outside of the marshmallow and it turned liquid in your mouth. Heaven. Milky, marshallowy, heaven.

At 11 PM, Chef Spike offered beer on the house to all of us watching the show (they normally close at 11 M-F), but the premier went until 11:15 PM - super special. It was aroud this time that I summoned up the courage to ask him to sign my Top Chef cookbook that Lauren gave me for my birthday.

And, like the gracious host he is, he greeted all of his guests at the door. I will definitely be back for future showings - but I definitely recommend that you check out his place if you haven't. I'm not sure if the restaurant caters yet, but this would be a great little site to show your visiting friends and family that is unique to D.C.

Engagement Session Follow Up - Part Due

2008-11-17T22:06:00.009-05:00

Photo Credit

Here they are!! The photos you've all (or else I) have been waiting for!

First, the awesome slideshow Rob put together as a little teaser for us: http://www.robholley.net/data/slideshow/22/DesireeMike/index.html

The weather, as I said, was gorgeous and my fiance was a rockstar. We went with Robert Holley and he was absolutely fantastic. My fiance and I met with several photographers in the area and the decision to go with Rob was incredibly easy. He was one of the first photographers we met with, but I wanted to do our due diligence and we met with a couple more. He seemed to good to be true, but I'm so glad we chose him.

Because we booked him for our wedding, our engagement session was free - and we absolutely love the pictures he took! Unbeknownst to us, he made a short slideshow of his favorite pictures and sent it to us within days of the shoot. Both of our mothers AND our sisters cried! They watch it all the time and my fiance and I watch the slideshow just because it helps us relive (as cheesy as it sounds) how much we love each other.

Photo Credit

Rob focuses on capturing the emotion and feeling of the moment and he did such a wonderful job. (In the picture above, around the pillar on the right hand side were two little ladies and a little old man that would not stop taking pictures of us. I think they thought we were famous.)

In addition, I'm super excited at how much experience Rob has and his professionalism. My fiance's groomsmen are basically all his fraternity brothers and I'm not sure how many photographers would be able to tame a group as fratastic as theirs, but I have no doubt he will be successful and our pictures will be great.

Photo Credit

See the rest of our pictures here.

Ray's Hell Burgers

2008-11-16T11:12:00.004-05:00

Recently we dined at Ray's Hell Burgers (the youngest little brother of Michael Landrum's Ray's the Steaks, which is just a few doors down) in Rosslyn for a quick Thursday night date. It was delicious!! The space is small, the location non-descript (a storefront in a small shopping area between Rosslyn and Courthouse), the decor, well, they don't really need it I guess, but the burgers are larger than life!

The meat, set atop a yummy brioche bun, was cooked to perfection and they have several exotic combinations from which to choose (sauteed mushrooms or white truffle oil, anyone?). Check out how thick that Swiss Cheese is!
I looove mini-anything to be served at our wedding reception, especially later on in the evening after many of the guests have been dancing the night away. I'm not sure if we'll try to do something like sliders and grilled cheese or more breakfasty - like Early Risers (fried egg and ham or bacon on an English muffin or bagel) and mini French Toast.

I have a theory that sliders will be the cupcakes and mini-grilled cheese will be the new sliders; however, only time will tell. Until then, eat up!

Baklava Cheesecake Recipe

2008-11-15T22:18:00.007-05:00

Ingredients:

Crust

1 pound phyllo pastry sheets (I prefer the cheaper Wegmans brand because the sheets are bigger)

1/2 cup melted butter

Filling

32 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup Greek thyme honey

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 eggs (room temperature)

Topping1 ½ cup walnuts

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 (1 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon cognac or brandy

Directions:

Filling:

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl of mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in honey, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat in eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Set aside.Crust: Brush 10-inch springform with butter. Arrange 1 phyllo pastry sheet with long edge partially to edge of surface (cover remaining sheets with damp towel.) Brush left half of sheet with butter and fold right half over. Brush top with butter. Place in prepared pan, buttered side up, leaving 5 inches over-hanging at one end. Cover with another dampened towel. Butter and fold second phyllo sheet and arrange in pan, overlapping first sheet by 3 inches. Repeat with 4 more sheets, covering entire pan. Wrap remaining pastry airtight and refrigerate. Stir through filling and pour into crust. Cover filling with overhanging phyllo, squaring at edge of pan. Bake until pastry is light brown and cake is firm to touch, about 50 minutes.

Remove pan sides. Using a wooden pick, poke 12 holes in top of cake to allow steam to escape. Cool completely on rack. Refrigerate 2 days to mellow flavors, covering after first day.

Topping:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with 2 pieces of parchment. Coarse grind all nuts with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in processor. Stack 10 reserved pastry sheets on work surface. Set rim of springform atop pastry. Cut around inside of rim through entire stack using a sharp knife, making 10 rounds. Cover rounds with damp cloth. Set pan rim on prepared baking sheet. Brush parchment and inside of pan rim, with butter. Place 1 pastry round in pan rim brush with butter. Repeat with 4 more rounds. Spread nut mixture evenly over pastry. Top with remaining 5 pastry rounds, brushing each with butter. Using ruler as guide, cut pastry into 16 wedges with sharp knife. Sprinkle lightly with water. Bake until crisp and golden, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile heat 1/2 cup sugar, water and lemon juice in heavy small sauce pan over low heat, swirling pan occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add cinnamon stick, increase heat to medium and boil until syrupy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. When bubbles subside stir in Cognac. Flatten pastry atop cake. Remove pan rim from topping. Set topping on cake, using a large spatula. Re-cut wedges. Replace pan rim on assembled cake. Immediately pour on hot syrup. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate for 1 to 6 hours. Let cakes stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Makes 16 servings

This recipe was adopted from ThatsMyHome.

My notes:

I find it's better to stop mixing the cheesecake filling when incorporating the eggs - less air in the mixture the better. Also, feel free to add nuts to the phyllo dough crust (I do) or a dash of cardamom to give it a more exotic flavor.

Many Happy Returns!

2008-11-15T21:42:00.006-05:00

Last week we celebrated my fiance's 26th birthday. Of course, I made the delicious baklava cheesecake (recipe to follow) I only make twice a year (his birthday and July 4th). I went easy this year on the food since the guest list was smaller, but we still had blue cheese and garlic dip, prosciutto wrapped barbecue shrimp, and the normal stuff (chips and dip, etc.). BUT I was proud to say that this was the first year the cheesecake didn't crack on top!

Here she is fresh out of the oven:

Here she is finished with the baklava (and birthday candles) atop:
And us singing happy birthday! (We almost had an accident because the cake was on top of the springform pan which was atop the plate - buttered metal and ceramic are very slippery when together).

Apple Picking Follow-Up

2008-11-01T21:29:00.004-04:00

I made apple crisp (3x) since my fiance loves it and it was a good way to use up the apples. The recipeI used is from Epicurious.com.

Cinnamon Apple Crisp

(Bon Appetit, March 1993)

Ingredients:

1 c. firmly packed golden brown sugar

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

3.5 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced (into 1/4 in. slices to make them crunchier)

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1 c. (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Add apples and toss to coat. Transfer apple mixture to prepared dish.

Combine four, 1 c. sugar, and butter in medium bowl. Using pastry blender or fingertips, blend ingredients until coarse meal forms. Spread flour mixture evenly over apples.

Bake crisp 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake crisp until apples are tender and topping is golden brown, about 30 min. Let stand 15 min. before serving.

Serves 10.

My notes / revisions:

Served warm with vanilla ice cream! (Cool whip also works, but it has a different consistency.)
I didn't butter the baking dish - this wasn't necessary.
I also combined all the ingredients in a bowl without the apples. I spread the apples in the dish and spread the topping mixture on top. This concentrated the flavors in the crisp and allowed the apples to complement the topping, preventing the apples themselves from getting too sweet.
I used 1 - 1.5 c. of brown sugar, sprinkling it on top to add to the caramelization.
I also roughly chopped 3/4 c. of walnuts and spread them on top of the crisp mixture rather than mixing it into the crisp. This allowed the nuts to actually toast in the oven. No one likes soggy nuts.

A close-up of the crisp:

Halloween Decorating Contest

2008-10-31T21:56:00.001-04:00

Our office had a Halloween decorating contest, splitting the office into "neighborhoods." The winning neighborhood was the "Parking Lot" (aka the group of cubicles in which sits yours truly). We put this together in about 2 days. My coworker and I even came in early Friday morning to ensure our success (after carving pumpkins with another one of our group during our lunch break on the balcony outside the office. This balcony is also right outside our main conference room. We were so glad the Executive Vice President of association was inside the conference room for a meeting with the other VP's to witness us carve the pumpkins (note the sarcasm). We were on our lunch break!

Our handiwork:

The artists:

Happy Halloween!

(I stayed in because I had to work at 6AM at the National Mall, so I read Twilight.)

PS - I borrowed the "tree" idea from Ingrid's Halloween Flat party in London last year. Mine was made of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's paper bags.

Engagement Photo Follow-up

2008-10-26T22:34:00.008-04:00

Photo Credit

It was awesome. After much deliberation on the outfits (I went through 3 different tops, 3 different pairs of jeans, 2 different skirts, one dress, one dress, and a partridge and a pear tree). Think of all the permutations of outfits that produced. Thank you to all my friends for their advice and insight - and thank you to Gridlet - my beloved maid of honor - for her constant attention, support, and patience. . . all the way from London.

The weather: gorgeous. Fiance: A.MA.ZING. Seriously. He was so patient and such a good sport about everything. Rob told him to look at him, he looked and smiled. Rob told him to stand over there, he trotted and waited. Rob told him to pick me up, he heaved. Of course, I think he hid behind me during many of the pictures, using his affection for me as a convenient excuse to press his head against my ear, but I didn't mind.

Tips and takeaways for couples about to take their engagement pictures:

Do have an idea of what kind of mood and shots you want to take - close up, far away, walking away, silhouettes, portrait facing the camera vs. artsy.

Do dress up a little - it just makes it special. Rob told us "Dress like you're going on a second date with each other."

Do wear something that complements your skin tones and eyes. I was very hesitant to wear black because I'd been told that black doesn't always photograph well, but Rob said that because it was a great contrast to Mr. Sweetpea's white button-up shirt. Both of our hair is also very dark brown / black and, as Rob said, he was "able to get the light to shine through" and highlight our hair and frame us in an awesome way.

Do talk to each other while the photographer is shooting. We were able to ignore everyone and just be ourselves in our own little world. It was really neat, actually, because all these tourists were mingling and strolling around, and we were just us. In fact, Rob told us that during one of our sessions, this little old man could not stop taking pictures of us because he thought we were famous!

Do research your venue! We were stopped by the little ranger at least 2 times to make sure we were in the allowed areas and that we had our park permit. Seriously, it was annoying because we were just like everyone else with their cameras -- only we had a flash diffuser (whatever that silver disc was), a mini-ladder, and 2 bags of camera equipment.

Don't be inflexible. It got a little cold in the last hour, so I just threw on my jacket, ran around in between shots, and forgot about the rest. Just go with it.

Don't be late. We ran in to a bit of traffic on the way to the Memorial - typical DC. But we were ahead of schedule a little bit, so that still gave us plenty of sun light.

Don't ignore your photographer. Get to know him/her (especially if they're doing your wedding). This is a practice session, so find out who they are and develop your relationship with them. We found out Rob went to school in Ithaca - oh so close to Colgate!

Venue Report: Newseum

2008-10-26T21:59:00.010-04:00

I was lucky enough to attend not 1 but 2 receptions at the Newseum last week with my wonderful friend and former boss. The food, catered by Wolfgang Puck's The Source was delicious - despite it being "catered" but of course! It's Wolfgang Puck! In addition to the wonderful tastes we sampled, we were privy to the spectacular view from a balcony reception room.

The {breathtaking} capitol building at night:
The balcony - imagine how pretty she'd clean up with some flowers, candles, and linens:
The adorably delicious dessert lollipops (stuck in sugar, not sand):

I'm not the first (and I'm sure I won't be the last) person to blog about the Newseum as a possible reception space, but that view is definitely hard to beat! Reporters, journalists, newshounds, take note! Good food and good views.

Engagement Photo Panic

2008-10-23T11:32:00.000-04:00

For the past two weeks I've been somewhat anxious about our engagement photo session becaus, naturally, I think I haven't a thing to wear. Not that I don't like any of my clothes our outfits. That's far from the case. I love them. They just don't photograph well. The cute pants don't go with the top, it's not formal enough, etc. etc.

Then, our photographer emailed me this morning saying it's supposed to rain on Sunday and asked if I wanted to reschedule. I started to think about it further, and I realized the Marine Corps Marathon is also on Sunday. . . and the memorial is smack dab in the middle of the course. According to godc.com, the road closures will end around 12:30 for the area around the Memorial, but now I'm worried about all the signage and rubbish left over from the run. But we also already paid for the park permit and the location fee ($100 total) so I'm not sure if we have the luxury of rescheduling.

And I thought an outfit was my biggest concern. Before, it seemed harder to find than a wedding dress!!

Our beloved Keswick

2008-10-21T22:03:00.005-04:00

I think I love our venue *almost* as much as I love my dress which is *almost* as much as I love Sig. Keswick (just kidding!). This weekend, I was excited to read the Washingtonian include it in a recent article of theirs: Grape Adventures: The Best Vineyards in Virginia and Maryland.

Why do I love Keswick so much? It's gorgeous without being over the top. As my mother said it, "It's stately." But one of the most important things about it: It doesn't require we have a tent if we have more than 100 guests. It has a wonderful patio outside its ballrooms (accessed through several french doors) that overlooks their award winning golf course BUT in the instance of inclement weather, the doors can be closed and you won't even know that it's raining cats and dogs. It was really important for us to have the ability to welcome the out of doors - fresh air - natural scenery - into our wedding reception WITHOUT having to pay $4000 for a tent (money that could be well-spent on reception food). Plus, I didn't want to have it in a hotel (as I used to spend lengthy spans of time inside a hotel without any fresh air for days at a time in my old job) with padded walls and someone's bar mitvah next door next to and someone else's family reunion. Not that I have anything against people who have their weddings in hotels, I just wanted something more natural feeling for our wedding. And luckily, we were able to keep the guest list down (we hope) so that Keswick can fit all our guests.

The view from the veranda: The view when you arrive:

I can't wait for everyone to see it and for our lovely picture taking sessions there. :) And I love that we were able to get it after falling in love with it so long ago...in March.

Virginia Apple Picking & Wine Tasting

2008-10-19T23:15:00.004-04:00

This weekend Mr. Sweet Pea and I ventured to Markham, Virginia (after battling an hour of traffic) and an additional hour of normal driving to visit Stribling Orchard and Philip Carter Winery (formerly known as Stillhouse Vineyards).

Unfortunately, by the time (in the season) we arrived, most of the good apples had already been picked, leaving behind the less desirable, brown-spotted, not-delicious apples on the trees. There were plenty of people picking apples, but what they were picking, we know not. We couldn't find ANY! But we had time for a photo-op. (I'm actualy sitting on a branch in the tree and the camera was positioned on the stump of a branch of the same tree. It was the perfect little tripod, I tell you. Thank you self-timers.)

Mr. Sweet Pea was also able to take a couple landscape shots, too. Fall in Virginia is beautiful -- I love this state!

Afterward we ventured to Philip Carter Winery for a short tasting as they were celebrating their 2008 harvest with pony and carriage rides and live music on their patio.

Take a look at those grapes. Aren't those delicious? Don't they look divine? (Get it? Ha ha, just kidding.)

The wine we tasted was actually pretty good. You can tell it's younger, but not bad for Virginia. Their 2007 Chardonnay was a little sweet but still dry - a hint of apple, too, which was nice. They also had pretty good dessert wines. The 2006 Late Harvest was a great not-over-the-top dessert wine. I thought of it as a good compromise for my mother and me as she prefers sweeter dessert wines and I like something a little more subtle. Their Sweet Danielle was also a good dessert wine - red - so less sweet than the Late Harvest, but fruity and sweet just the same.

They also just added a patio and another tasting room (upstairs they were sampling mulled wine and Sangria). So this would be a great venue for a smaller, casual, rehearsal dinner or even wedding photos if they'll let you. The views from the vineyard are gorgeous.

Baked & Wired Report

2008-10-19T22:44:00.010-04:00

At my job, we always conduct research on food we want to include at our event. As many of you in the DC Metro area may have noticed, we have had a rash of cupcakeries pop up. My first report will be on Baked & Wired, a great that started out focused on coffee and baked goods, but has really expanded its cake line. My wonderful boss was in Georgetown on Friday and surprised me with the latest issue of Town and Country Weddings and this adorable box:Inside were these little beauties: Red Velvet and Strawberry from Baked & Wired in Georgetown.

Note the adorable pearl of sugar on the red velvet. Aren't they so sweet? I love the little paper "wings."

So, how did they taste? Delicious. The cakes were denser than some cakes I've had. The frosting -- not too rich.

Red Velvet's cream cheese frosting wasn't too cream cheese nor too sweet. His cake wasn't too sweet and rich like you'd be afraid some red velvets would be.

Strawberry was very succesful as a Strawberry. Bits of strawberry inside her cake gave her an authentic fruit taste wihout being too fruity. She also was reminiscent of the red berries in Capn' Crunch Cereal - but in a god way.

All in all, very well done. I also love the presentation of the cakes. They'e not overly made up so that you'd question whether the goods were as good as their looks and the paper wrapper makes them easier to eat.

20% off Sale at iomoi

2008-10-18T00:12:00.006-04:00

Have you been to iomoi's website? I lurve all their adorable personalized products - preppy to punk, they have it all! I bought my boss a coaster last year for her birthday because she drinks a lot of Diet Dr. Pepper and coffee at the office and she needed something as stylish as her upon which to rest her drink.

And, now through Sunday, you can shop at 20% off! Just use coupon code "Take20" when checking out :)

These coasters would make adorable personalized favors for bridesmaids.
Their trays are also fun additions to your living room. It might be a little late for Boss's Day this year, but the holidays are coming up!

All photos courtesy of iomoi.

Old-Fashioned Photo Fun

2008-10-15T23:29:00.008-04:00

Just discovered this awesome Japanese website Three Potato Four blogged about. You can take your regular photos and the website will convert them so they look "100 to 150 years old." It's already late, but I couldn't help but post!

This is a fun "action" shot we took in London this summer outside Buckingham. If they only knew what their peasants were up to.

And now, a more "serious" one: Mom and me in the spacious London taxi.

And of course, one with the fiance! This was taken 102 years ago at the Holston Dam.

Here's the website. Just remember to choose the English option in the upper right. Enjoy!

Flower Meeting with Beehive Events

2008-10-15T22:35:00.005-04:00

I just had my first meeting with a florist and it was fabulous. I met with Shawn and David Cossette of Beehive Events from outside Charlottesville. Luckily, they were in town for another meeting and were able to meet with me at Barnes & Noble in Georgetown. They were a very lovely couple (originally from San Fran) and I really enjoyed meeting with them and brainstorming about possible flower (and non-flower combinations). I LOVE that they're thinking less traditional - we like flowers, but we also discussed mangoes and papayas (very Filipino), figs and grape leaves and rosemary (very Mediterranean). We discussed China berries, Dahlias, and lots of other fun elements.

I was so nervous before the meeting just because I knew I had a lot of ideas bouncing around in my head and definitely needed to be reigned in. Plus I wanted her to like me! Signor Keswick asked, "Why are you so flustered?" I wasn't flustered! I was just excited and wanted to make a good impression.

Here are some of the beauties we discussed:

Bursa Black Fig

Photo Credit

China Berries

Photo Credit

Fuschia Dahlias

Photo Credit

Here's a great website I found when searching for flower images: Lani Elizabeth Fine Design in Flowers and Events. Note the gorgeous Mokara, Cymbidium, ad Dendrobium orchids and the burgundy Calla Lilly (we won't be using them as Calla Lillies mean "death" but they're still a great color!

Fall Mountain Wedding

2008-10-14T23:11:00.008-04:00

Congratulations to Alyson and Chris!! This weekend we were at the Greenbriar in White Sulphur Springs, WV. The weather was gorgeous, the company was warm, and the wedding was just lovely.

Very thoughtful idea: The bride’s friends handed out fresh lavender (which matched their sage green and purple color scheme) for the guests to throw at the newlyweds as they exited the church.

Very handy: A shuttle transported wedding guests staying at the hotel on regular loops to and from the church and wedding up to 10 minutes prior (awesome for those arriving 30 min. beforehand, *cough* us *cough*.

Very pretty: submerged tulips at the base of the centerpieces. I’ve seen calla lilies, orchids, and even fish in water, but not tulips.

And now the close-up:

Mother and my fiance discussing something very interesting or humours. I love that she loves him. The proud mother of the groom and my (basically) little brother (aka. brother of the groom). Her dress was so pretty! I told my mom she should look into her designer.

Hotties! And she even called me the "bride-to-be" in her facebook. Crazy that the term can define me now.

Long-time neighbors and now adults. *sniff*

The bar was open, the dance floor was full, and everyone had a wonderful time. Below are my “minute-by-minute” notes at the reception:

Happy Birthday, Paddington Bear!

2008-10-13T23:22:00.004-04:00

Thank you to my darling sister for pointing out Google's genius, yet again. For those of you who don't know me, Google is one of my favorite websites. Today, they had the most adorable way to celebrate Paddington Bear's 50th Birthay. I looove it and it totally makes me even more nostalgic and want a way to incorporate something from my childhood in the wedding. Of course, this is a little hard when you're trying to plan a sophisticated soiree for (mostly) adults, but I swear I will be able to find balance.

Updates soon from the wedding we went to this weekend at the lovely Greenbriar Resort in White Sulphur Springs, VA.

Wedding Themes

2008-10-10T22:35:00.009-04:00

So, it's really getting to be too late to not have a wedding theme. But if you know me at all, you know I'm not the most decisive when it comes to certain things because I just want to do so much! So, we're having the reception at Keswick Hall at Monticello:

photo cred

Isn't she beautiful?? It was modeled after an Italian Villa because the couple that built it in the late 19th century went to Italy on their honeymoon (back when people had money...not to diss today's economy). My fiance loved it just as much when I showed him the Washington Post travel article on it. So, the venue is totally romantic and everything we wanted.

But (you knew that was coming), even though my style is very romantic, I can't help but want a little whimsy in the wedding. Keswick has a professional croquet lawn. AND Lewis Carroll published Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on the same date as our wedding!!

photo cred

So, what do I do? If we went with romantic Mediterranean, we could go with an inspiration board like this: photo cred

My fiance and I love wine and all things having to do with it. I love fuschia and burgundy and all things cork. However, the couture maps from my previous post and the croquet lawn and the idea of topiaries (!!) makes me so excited! Check out this inspiration board!
and this!
So many choices. I really don't know. Does it help that the wedding is going to be late summer?

My love affair. . . with couture maps

2008-10-10T21:13:00.009-04:00

As my nearest and dearest know, I looove paper. I love writing, and I love paper WITH writing! Enter couture maps. There are so many places to get them. My inspiration came from Couture Maps.Aren't they darling? I love the bits of color - and it's available in letterpress!!! Then we also have Laura Hooper's calligraphy and maps:

photo cred

My darling sister, also my Maid of Honor, has agreed to make something like them especially for me. Isn't she an angel? I'm so excited to see them!

Chocolate looooove

2008-10-10T21:11:00.004-04:00

I'm no where near deciding what we want for our reception food, but I've always loved the idea of a creative dessert bar - more interactive than say cute hurricanes filled with jelly beans and chocolates. Yes, I know. Martha does wonderful settings of them, but I feel like the guests will appreciate something more interactive - and the tastier the better! Behold, Exhibit A:

Photo Cred

Vosges Haut-Chocolat has added a special events division. How fun are these adorable shooters and truffles? I lurve anything mini or in shooters. Tres chic! They also make chocolates in exotic flavors, like chili peppers and spices! And they can do tastings and pairings. Mmmm.

PS - I also wrote this for DCNearlyweds.com

Hello!

2008-10-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

It would be dishonest for me to say that this is my first blog post. Nay. I had one in college, but then Google found it and returned it when I "Googled" myself. Unfortunately, it highlighted a post about a certain boy someone, which I thought inappropriate if a prospective employer found it, so I had to copy/paste everything in my entire blog of 2 years and stow it in a Word Document.

However, I cannot stay away. I love to write. I love to take pictures and post. I love to email newspaper articles and share all the treasures I've found in the real world and in real life. Thus, I have returned! I will be blogging about my upcoming nuptials (upcoming = 9+ months), adorable ideas I've found, and, of course, all the culinary adventures I stumble upon along the way (be it in the kitchen, on the street, or in a restaurant.)

Therefore . . . to the blogs!