My fabulous fashionista mama friend Tairalyn over at Little Miss Mama  always does a "5 Things I Love This Week" post, mostly fashion or gadget items, sometimes other things as well like bloggers she loves. So I thought I would join in and write one too. 

1. I was writing a post for AWS last night about how we can help the Philippines and another one about ways kids can appreciate the true meaning of the holiday season and it got me thinking! I would love to just donate this year to another family in need rather than exchanging gifts with my own family. There are so many out there who are less fortunate who don't get to pick out a Christmas tree or buy gifts for their children. I'm blessed to be apart of a local women's group who actually does just that; last year we adopted three local, needy families for Christmas and gave gifts to the kids and the single mothers who were raising them. So if you are fortunate enough this year, don't forget about the children and families who aren't. Also, please help support efforts to help the Philippines if you can. ( see previous post for info)

2. Speaking of Christmas, I'm guilty of already turning on the holiday music on my iTunes and Pandora! It really helps when writing posts about Christmas...so if you are putting together a post about holiday decor or the like, turn it on! 

3. I am not a fan of the stores who are opening on Thanksgiving, it's bad enough that people act so horribly the next day on Black Friday trying to get into the stores after eating together with their families and being thankful for what they have. Now, we are taking people away from celebrating with their loved ones so people can act this way on the holiday? SAY NO to SHOPPING on Thanksgiving! 

4. Wow, it has been 8 years since I met my husband...time flies when you're having fun! On the 23rd of this month we'll be celebrating our dating anniversary. It's been a crazy ride, but I wouldn't change one day. You are who you are because of the experiences you have lived through. I love this man and wouldn't be me without him by my side. Do you still celebrate your dating anniversary? 

5. If you haven't checked out East Coast Creative yet and their TV show Knock it Off, you're not going to want to miss tomorrow's new episode, which is already live on the LiveWell Network's website. It's a Christmas episode featuring a guest appearance by a sweet little guy at the end! 

So what are 5 things that are on your mind this week or 5 things you love this week? I realize these aren't necessarily 5 things I love...since I'm not loving the idea of shops being open on Thanksgiving, but these are 5 things that were on my mind...take it or leave it! ;) 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY AMERICA!!

We hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday!! Enjoy the bbqs, the fireworks, the beach, or whatever you may be doing!!

PS I just finished reading "Baby Proof" by Emily Giffin and now Im reading "Heart of the Matter" by Emily as well. I really loved "Baby Proof" and would love to talk to any who has read it. What are you reading this summer? Any good books on your list for me to read next?

These firework photos are from the block party we went to last weekend...

MY LOVE!!

Also we are having a giveaway on AllWomenStalk...stop on over! Also check out the inspiring story of Laura from Asters in August. She has a wonderful jewelry shop on Etsy and she is hosting the giveaway on our blog.

Royal Wedding....

At first I thought, sure I'll watch the wedding and post a few things about Kate Middleton and Prince William, but I don't really care about all those TV shows about them. However, now I've realized how historic the Royal Wedding really is! So many people remember the day Princess Diana walked down the aisle, but that was a different time when no one really liked her marrying into the Royal family and no one in America really cared yet about her. But we soon learned how wonderful, generous, sweet, and kind of a person Princess Diana truly was. Sadly, I also remember the day she passed away. I love how her legacy lives on and the way Prince William carries on her life and memory. I think Kate Middleton will live up to that and be a sweet and wonderful Princess as well.

Are you excited about the Royal Wedding?

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What do you think Kate's mother will wear to the Royal Wedding?

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Check out AllWomenStalk blog to see the dresses I picked for Carole Middleton!

In love with another wedding color!

When we were planning our Spring Wedding for 2010 I loved all things turquoise! Then I saw yellow calla lilies with turquoise bridesmaid dresses and I was in wedding planning heaven! So now that our wedding is coming upon it's first anniversary and I'm now a full time wedding blogger, do I still love our wedding colors? You bet...just look at how these two colors shine together!

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I will always love yellow and turquoise together! But recently I have fallen in love with another wedding color...shh!

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Purple is my new favorite wedding color!! I love this photo shoot from StyleMePretty! Orange and Purple are so gorgeous and brilliant together! Do you have a new favorite wedding color that changed from when you were wedding planning? Have you changed wedding colors several times during your planning? If Turquoise and Yellow were'nt our wedding colors it would have been Purple...mmm and Yellow? Or maybe Purple and Turquoise!

Check out the rest of my love for purple at Wedding.Allwomenstalk.com and find 4 Inspiring Ways to Plan your Purple Wedding!

2010....so hard to say goodbye!

Wow 2010 is over already? It's been a wonderful, crazy, loving, wild ride and I loved every moment! 2011 means so many things for us. This month my amazing stepdaughter turns 16, my best friend's husband finally comes home from Iraq, in Feb my beautiful flower girl turns 3, and don't forget Valentine's Day, in March I'll turn 28, and my sister will be 30....and in April we'll celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! So that's why 2010 is so hard to say goodbye to, it was our wedding year, it was OUR YEAR!! I also became a full time wedding blogger this year, moved, quit my job where I worked for 5 years, but best of all we made a family when we got married with my wonderful stepdaughters and stepson. My stepdaughters moved in with us and we became one big happy family!!

HAPPY 2011 Everyone!!

Thank you for being wonderful friends, giving advice, sharing your personal life, following mine, and being a great support!!

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Cozy Winter Weddings...

I love cozy winter weddings, brides in the snow, snowflake cookies, hot coco favors, and bridesmaids in cute boots and shawls! These are a few of my favorite things! There are so many wedding blogs with wonder winter inspiration like Jacin over @ SheSaidYes who had a post the other day with beautiful cozy winter lighting ideas , she actually has a whole series on winter wedding inspiration, winter brides head on over!

The Favour Shoppe also has a few ideas for winter wedding inspiration, I love this board she created...love the couple kissing in the snow!  There is just something so magical about this season!

@ AllWomenStalk Wedding we have 5 Cozy Real Winter Weddings that will heat up your fire and get you inspired! I love couples who plan winter weddings around their winter hobbies, check out the last couple in the AllWomenStalk post posing on skis!


Love this winter bride and her bridesmaids...how beautiful are their fur shawls...

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Pinecones are always seen around the fall and winter so what better accent to bring into your winter wedding decor...

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Love the branches in the centerpiece and the brown and aqua colors, very beautiful and woodsy winter wedding feel...

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Are you or did you plan a winter wedding, what inspired you?

MMM...Wedding Cake too Pretty to Eat!

We're you afraid to cut into your wedding cake because it was too pretty to eat?! I loved our sea shell themed cake, it was everything we wanted for our wedding cake. Some cakes are so amazing they look like works of art. The technique is brilliant in details like sugar flowers, lace like icing, and hand-painted flowers or animals. There is so much more than buttercream and fondant for wedding cakes.

Check out these 6 Amazing Wedding Cakes that are Just Too Pretty to Eat! and share your wedding cake details with us!

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I love the combination of cake and cupcakes in this lovely beach theme cake from Carolina Cake Confections...it reminds me of our wedding cake! <3

Plan your Wedding with your iPhone!

Everyone loves those iPhone wedding photos where the couple is kissing on the iPhone and in the background...but did you know that you can now plan your wedding on your iPhone? You can find the perfect dress, search for your honeymoon destination, narrow down your choices of vendors, and even register gifts!

Continue reading @ AllWomenStalk.com for 8 Cool Wedding Apps for the Bride's iPhone to find the one that is right for your planning process.

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Brides and Grooms are so busy planning that some of them don't have time to sit at the computer and look for inspiration. Could you imagine if they had these apps when you were planning your wedding? You would never need to sit at your desk again...that is if you have an iPhone! What app will be your favorite?

Reasons to LOVE being a Tattooed Bride...

So many brides are worried about what their tattoos will look like on their big day, and I was one of those brides. I worried how my dress might look with the tattoos and even what some guests would think about me having tattoos. But when I saw how beautiful I looked in my dress I wanted to embrace who I was and show off my creative side as well as my beauty! I hope other tattooed brides will do the same and flaunt who you really are and don't hide anything on one of the most important days...be true to you inside and out.

Continue reading @ AllWomenStalk for 7 other reasons to Love Being a Tattooed Bride!

One of my favorite and first tattooed brides I've seen....how hot is this photo!

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Tattooed Brides...where my girls at?!

I'm thinking of doing a post on tattooed brides on AllWomenStalk and would love it if real brides would share with me their wedding stories and their stories behind their tattoos. I've seen many beautiful tattooed brides on GreenWeddingShoes and StyleMePretty and I've always wanted to feature them on my bridal blog @ AllWomenStalk, esp because I'm a tattooed bride!! The two tattoos you can see in this photo are my two favorite...though I only have three...so far! The lastest one is a horseshoe and feather tattoo my husband and I got together right before our wedding because they symbolize our last names together as one! The other tattoo is a beautiful butterfly with a heart center, I've always loved butterflies and loved how unique this one was with the heart body. Where are all my tattooed brides, would you like to be featured on my blog in your wedding dress?

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First Daughter Weddings...

I'm so glad I did this post on First Daughter Weddings, it's so interesting to find out that many of them had at home receptions while others got married in the White House. Did you know that Amy Carter made her own wedding cake and that she kept her last name! I loved Chelsea Clinton's Vera Wang gown, she looked so happy! Read more @ AllWomenStalk about the 8 beautiful First Daughter Weddings including all the details you were wondering about Chelsea's!

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What will your groom rock down the aisle?

Just as we have so many choices in gowns, now our grooms have so many styles in suits and tuxedos. Did you know that Kleinfield has a men's department? But what if your guy doesn't want to be just another groom in a traditional tux? No worries, your groom can go funky with converse sneakers or keep it simple in a grey vest from J.Crew. If you aren't sure where to start keep reading at AllWomenStalk.com for 7 Hot Groom Styles he will be sure to look good in!

I loved that my husband wore a tiffany blue tie to match his guys but rocked the ivory vest to match his bride (ME!). We first looked at the ivory tie and ivory vest together as a set like many guys wear, but when we took a photo at the tuxedo fitting it just seemed to blend too much and wash out the lines. The tiffany blue tie stood out as well as the ivory vest, the contrast was very handsome. I have to say we were a little more traditional in the tux style...but still very cool!

Will your groom rock converse like these guys?

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Or rock the traditional style like my husband?

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Celebrity Weddings...

I love seeing celebrity weddings and all the details; my favorite detail is always the bride's dress and trying to find out who designed it! I hate hearing about celebrity scandals, breakups, and divorces when weddings are so beautiful and marriages and vows should be honored. Did you see how beautiful Crown Princess Victoria looked on her wedding day?

Read More @ AllWomenStalk...

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Those kids are so adorable! I love that all the girls are wearing white and the little boys look so cute in their sailor outfits! Can you believe that Princess Victoria's train was 16.5 feet long! What celebrity wedding is your favorite?

Ways to save on Letterpress Invitations...

I had the pleasure of working with Trish from Ajalon Printing and Design when she did a guest post for my other blog @ AllWomenStalk. Ajalon prints beautiful Letterpress invitations and has great sales on many designs. Trish understands that many brides love the unique work of Letterpress but may be on a budget that may over look these remarkable invitations.

Check out her guest post to find out 7 ways to save on LetterPress Printing. 

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I love the two toned look of these beautiful flowers and writing. The RSVP postcard saves you money on postage and an extra envelope. Are you using Letterpress invitations, what do they look like?

Woo doesn't love an Owl Themed Wedding?!

I have discovered a new obsession with Owls lately and now I love all things that include them in weddings from the cake right down to cute owl luggage tags! It seems to be a big trend that began a few years ago and doesn't look like it's slowing down or going away...and I don't want it to! Just look at this adorable wedding from 2009, bride Julie and groom Todd love the outdoors and wanted a wedding where they could share that love with their guests. What other ways can you include Owls in your wedding?

Continue reading @ AllWomenStalk... to find out about having a real owl at your wedding!

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How amazing is Todd's owl groom's cake!

Are you having a themed wedding? There are so many different themes to choose from or even combine to make your own theme. We really love the ocean and wanted that reflected at our wedding. But I love butterflies as well and wasn't sure how to put both of those details together. I searched online for many ideas and when I saw a beautiful seashell wedding cake I knew that our wedding cake would include a beach theme. As for the butterflies, it was another idea found online when I saw centerpieces with branches that had clipped on fabric butterflies. Everything came together nicely and looked very classy. Stay tuned for more info and pictures from our own wedding! ♥

Ways to have a Fun Wedding...

Let's face it weddings can be stressful. Yes, they are full of love, happy memories, flowers, and dresses, but you also worry about everything! What are some fun ways to get rid of that stress, what are some ways you relaxed and had fun at your wedding or plan to have? I love this photo of the bride and groomsmen on the slide at the playground. Fun photos are a great way to relax and forget about all the stressful things like remembering your vows, tripping down the aisle, and dancing that first dance. Please check out my post @ AllWomenStalk for more creative ways to have fun on your wedding day!

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Cultural Traditions

What are some cultural traditions that you're doing for your big day? I've seen many different ones on wedding blogs and many opinions about who would have them in their wedding and who wouldn't. Some, like the money dance, are out of the question for some brides. Although our wedding is already over, I think a money dance would have be fun and most of our guests would have loved it! What do you think? Check out my post on AllWomenStalk for more ideas on cultural traditions.

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First Dance...

What's your first dance song? Is it slow and romantic or is it fast and fun? We're thinking of taking a few dance lessons just to look a little polished on the dance floor! Maybe we will surprise the guests with a little quick step! Check out these fun videos that surprise the guests during the first dance AllWomenStalk.com

Here is our first dance song: "Ever the Same" by Rob Thomas...

Winter Weddings...

Snow falling in the background, twinkling lights decorating the halls, warm apple cider, beautiful blooms and bridesmaids dresses shining bright against the snow, and you in a chic coat that matches your gown. It may be cold outside but your new husband is sure to keep you warm and cozy on a wonderful winter's night celebrating your love. These photos show how beautiful a winter wedding or a Christmas theme wedding can be. You can use the decorations of the season to have a simple plan for your centerpieces, table numbers, flowers, and more. See my posts at AllWomenStalk for even more ideas for winter weddings and some tasty treats as well!









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Trash the Dress

Would or will you be Trashing your dress? I love the amazing pictures that I have found online of unique ways to Trash the dress. I have seen carnival rides, paint, beach and water pictures, snow, hot cars and junk yard cars and so much more. There are so many ways and so many styles. You can be romantic, silly, "trashy", bold, etc. What way will you or would you trash your dress? My fiance and I love the beach and as you know he proposed to me on the beach...a trash the dress photo shoot at the same location would be romantic, but I think I would have to buy a 2nd hand store dress or one from ebay. I def want to try and resell my gown after the wedding!



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If you want to hear more about trashing the dress check out my post at AllWomenStalk.com. I love the paint photo and the beach photo in the post. How sexy!