Pin Of The Week: Mother-in-Law Necklace

I'm generally one for practicality. I'm never one for frivolous things and I always want to re-purpose and re-use things.

The fact that we have used toilet paper rolls cut up in a dish is not because we don't have a garbage. It's for our yet to be created wall hanging (You could save yours and actually turn them into toilet paper roll wedding favors.)

But sometimes, gifts are about the thought and not at all about the practicality. And with that, this week's pin of the week.

Pin of the week

How adorable is that mother-in-law necklace? I absolutely love love love this for the bride to give the groom's mother. What a beautiful charm and such a sweet sentiment behind it. Like I said in the pin, even if you have a monster-in-law, this is adorable. I mean, sure, maybe she is nuts but her son is an amazing man (or you wouldn't be marrying him) so she did a good job there.

Now, how often is your mother-in-law going to be wearing this necklace? Perhaps never. But maybe she will wear it on your wedding day. And on that first Thanksgiving you host in order to show you that she does appreciate it. And maybe, just maybe, she will love it as much as I do and she'll wear it all the time.

If you love this mother-in-law necklace, you can buy a similar one on Amazon here.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What did you give your mother-in-law as a gift on your wedding?

Engagement Party Aftermath

Even though my mom is clearly not looking at my camera, this is one of my favorite photos from our engagement party. Which, I guess it a funny thing to say since Pete is nowhere to be found ...

The party was perfect, absolutely perfect. I am definitely posting a picture heavy post all about it soon but since some of you have been asking, I just wanted to let you know, it was perfect.

It was worth every single moment of stress, headache, and late night staring at the ceiling worried about centerpieces. It was everything I had hoped it would be.

I'm not planning the wedding until after we mail out thank you cards, but I'm ready.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Were you there? What did you think?

Splitting Holidays

I remember one year, either the first or second that Pete and I were together, and the holiday was so crazy. We spent so much time apart, so much time rushing from one family to another and then back, we didn't enjoy it. We spent more time in the car than at the dinner table.

I remember saying, "Next year, we are a package deal. We go somewhere, stay, go to the next family, stay, the end."

This year, we are traveling North together in the same car, so we really will be a package deal. We can't both go our separate ways because we'll only have one vehicle. But I'm still unsure of how we will split our time. We don't even have a rough plan.

Traditionally, my family eats early and is done with turkey by 2pm. Then, we either host dessert or go to my aunt's for dessert. Pete's family, as far as I understand, has dinner all day long, starting at 2pm and ending when everyone gets tired.


I vaguely recall missing both turkeys last year, which is not what I want to happen.

It's harder this year because we are living ten hours away from our families, so we both want to see our families equally and spend as much time with them as possible. But, at the same time, there has to be some sort of balance.

Top it all off, I love Black Friday shopping, so I would love to go to bed early so I can wake up early. And then, that night is our engagement party so we need to not run ourselves ragged so we can host that.

It's quite a lot to pack in. So, how do you do it?

BRIDAL BABBLE: How do you split holidays with your significant other?

My Engagement Party Favors: Part 2 (Personalized Peppermint Patties)

A Bride on a Budget was provided with these mints for this review.

I love words. I always have. There are just certain words that I love the sound of, like onomatopoeia and nonchalant. They're just fun to say.

Funny aside: When I was in eleventh grade, we read The Scarlet Letter. My teacher asked how we thought one of the characters was acting. I raised my hand so I could answer: Very nonchalant. My teacher said: Actually, it's quite the opposite. My friend turned to me: You just wanted to say that word, didn't you? Yes, yes I did.

I just like words, I like talking, I like puns, I like plays on words. That's gotta be why I was an English major. And that's definitely why I picked personalized peppermint patties for our favors.

Give me a minute. This makes sense.

I was looking at Little Things Favors' website, browsing the favors. If you haven't checked the site out yet, you need to. There are hundreds of favors on the site and they will definitely fit any budget. If you're on a budget, as most of us are, you can browse the Wedding Favors under $1 section. There are coasters, candles, keychains, and soap favors, all under $1 a piece.

There are favors, like a diamond ring keychain, specifically for an engagement party and there are a ton of favors with two hearts that can fit any wedding-related get together (unrelated, but there are holiday items too, like Christmas chapsticks that you can personalize).

But the site is more than just favors. You can purchase cake toppers, table number holders, gifts for the flower girl, personalized pillow cases for the bride and groom (which I love, by the way), wedding decorations and more. If you can think of it, chances are you can buy it there.

Which is exactly what happened to me.

I was on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and I saw a mint tin with a picture of a bride and groom on it that said "Mint to be." The wordsmith in me absolutely loved it ... but they didn't make sense for my engagement party. Sure, we're getting married, but not yet. It seemed untimely, and a little less personal than I wanted. But, if you know the story of me and Pete, you will agree we were mint ... uh, meant ... to be. So the text was perfect, just not the vehicle.

I was looking through Little Things Favors and I saw personalized peppermint patties. Bingo.

There were a ton of designs to choose from, but I went with the word love in red, to match the red-foil covered chocolate hearts (from the Favors: Part I post). I created the sticker for the personalized peppermint patties to say: Lisa & Pete, mint to be.

Love them.

They arrived so quickly ... which was very impressive because the store is located in Sayerville, New Jersey, which was hit by Hurricane Sandy. I finalized my order at the time the superstorm was hitting the tri-state area, but Little Things Favors processed my order and got it shipped to me without a hiccup. It was amazing.

And so were the mints.

And the customer service! Little Things Favors is not a major global chain. It's a local shop, one run by someone you could know (and someone you feel like you know after just a few emails). They're the "small guy," if you will, but can pull off fantastic things that even the big guy can't handle.

Anything you need, there's a good chance you can find it on the site. The only thing missing was my backup favor idea: wedding microwave popcorn with the saying, "He popped the question."

Oh, favors can be so punny.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you think about our personalized peppermint patties?

Centerpiece Dilemma

I was wide awake at 4:30am on Sunday.

I'd say I was staring at the ceiling, but that's not true. It was dark in the bedroom and I was staring into darkness.

My heart was racing, and my mind was in panic mode.

I can't figure out centerpieces. I tried to make something I saw on Pinterest, but in my own way, and it looks like this:


Right now, our engagement party is ten days away and the best idea we came up with was my mom's suggestion of heart helium balloons. I was so anti-balloons because they seemed so birthday party-ish.

Until I found out there was a helium shortage. And then balloons sounded like the best idea ever.

To say I'm picky is an understatement. Our color is red and we don't have a theme (which is probably a big mistake). Realistically, I can just buy a dozen roses, put them on tables, and call it a day. But no, not me. I don't want glass anything with flowers because I don't want to spend the money on something like that or run the risk of having to take 11 matching glass vases from New York (where the party is) back home to North Carolina, then figuring out what to do with them here. I would prefer something disposable in some sort.

I want something tall, something eye catching, but something thin enough to not block everyone's view.

I want something I can make, but I don't want it overly complicated or very time consuming. We will need eleven of these after all.

So, right now, I have naked tables.

And I'm freaking out.

And I have nine days to solve this.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Help? Ideas? Oxygen mask? I'm taking any of those.

Code Red

My friend showed me a picture of her son, who at almost four went from looking like a baby to actually looking like a person. Which I told her. In about as nice of a way as I just did in that sentence.

And then the following IM conversation ensued (well, sorta; I edited out some of the boring "hahaha" parts because they just didn't translate over very well and the conversation was pretty long).

Her: So is he my date to your engagement party? I mean he didn't put a ring on it but we are life partners ... (clearly someone has been following my no ring, no bring thoughts)

Her: (and before you bridezilla my ass for that one, I'm just kidding)

Me: I did not bridezilla you. I'm not THAT crazy ... yet.

Me: I know I am gonna be bridezilla though. I can feel it already.

Her: I can't wait.

Me: The other night, I was like, "Pete, if I turn into bridezilla, you can't change your mind. You still have to marry me."

Her: Can we come up with a code system just to put me on alert? Like when you're really nuts just write "code red."


Me: Just assume it is "code red" from now until the wedding.

BRIDAL BABBLE: We've been engaged under two months and all we've done is plan the engagement party, which is happening in two weeks. We haven't looked at reception halls, we haven't picked a bridal party, we have done nothing but create a tentative month and year.

Is it too early to be on Code Red alert?

Come On Baby, Light My Fire

I came back from a trip to New York at the beginning of October and our lighter was missing. I use it to light candles daily and, without a lighter, all we had was one book of matches from a bar we went to once upon a time.

We're down to the last few, so the other day I said to Pete: Next time we're at a bar, let's try and grab a book of matches.

Simple, right?

On Sunday, Pete went to watch football with the boys. He got home and said: Oh, I got this for you. And handed me a lighter.

Oh, but not just any lighter.

This lighter:

There was a phone number and web address, but I blurred it. I guess if you really care, you could google it.

Me: You're serious?

Pete: Yeah, someone left it on the bar so I grabbed it.

Me: Did you even look at it?

Pete: No, you just said you needed a lighter so I got you a lighter.

And this is the point where I handed it to him.

Me: And ... ?

Pete: What? It's a lighter. You needed one right?

Me: Yeah, but did you read it?

Pete: Cape Fear Escorts.

Shaking my head.

Me: That's why someone left it.

But really, he paid no mind to the fact that the only reason it was left was so someone would pick it up and use it in their, um, time of need, not so I could light my candles at home. But Pete saw it, remembered we needed it, and paid no mind to what it said on the front.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Is this married life? Do I have a lifetime of innocent x-rated lighters to look forward to for the rest of my life?

Hello My Name Is Bridezilla: Dress Edition

I understand now how women become Bridezilla. Part of it is because they're crazy, part of it is because planning a wedding it an insane process, and part of it is because people allow it.

Am I becoming bridezilla? Yes. But don't blame me. Blame Pete who says he understands, and blame my cousin Lisa, who tried on dresses for me.

I want a red dress with black sides for my engagement party, and my dress shopping was a huge fail. So my cousin went to the mall on her sister's birthday and spent her time dress shopping.

For me.

She found a ton of red and black dresses, just like I was looking for.

That first one was almost exactly what I wanted.

And then I told her I was looking at a dress on Express' website because there are no Express stores here. So she went there to take a photo.

It's the one on the right, by the way.

Do you want me to try the first one and the Express one on so you can see what they look like? she texted.

OMG, yes, but holy crap. I feel like bridezilla, I said.

No! Don't feel bad. Really, I'm here for whatever you want.

So I told her what to try on, and she said:

Please please please never feel bad to ask. I want to help as much as I can.

And, feeling like Bridezilla, I said: If you say it's okay, then I believe you, but it makes me feel like Bridezilla, like, "Go try on a dress."

So she said: You only get to have one wedding, so I want you to have everything you want, even if that means me going to get it. I want everything perfect for you.

And then she tried on dresses, although noted that she doesn't know how to pose or what kind of faces to make.

She also didn't know her unmatching socks were going to be forever on the internet.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Have you ever tried on a dress for someone?

Pin Of The Week: Confetti

Pinterest is like a bad ex-boyfriend. You keep telling yourself to stop going back for more ... and yet, you can't stop.

That's me. I started a Pinterest account less than a month ago and I have 126 pins (which is a number that reminds me of an ex-boyfriend; lovely). I have 239 followers so as long as I always have more followers than pins, I think I'm in good shape.

But I can't not pin, especially when there are thing like this week's Pin of the week.

Pin of the week

That's a wedding program with confetti attached to it. It's perfect. You can't throw rice anymore because the birds will eat it and die. You can throw rose petals, but those are so expensive. People resort to wedding bubbles, but I don't want to be sticky.

Confetti is completely the way to go. And since the wind will do the clean up, I think it's fantastic.

Make enough programs for your guests, have them follow along during the ceremony, and then they can open and toss the confetti when you make your grand exit from the church.

You can even make personalized confetti, to have a way to use your engagement photos.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you want your guests to throw at your wedding?

Williams Sonoma's Registry Rewards

Last week or so ago, I asked if it was tacky to put a Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon in my shower invitations. The responses were mixed.

The best response, though, was from Brennan who said that some stores will actually give you free gifts for just registering for certain products and if your guests purchase certain thresholds.

I had to look into that.

I went to the registry portion of Williams-Sonoma's website. Right on the home page, it says the Top 10 benefits of registering there. The benefits are things like 10% off the items to complete your registry and $10 off a cooking class within six months of your event, although, if they were asking me, I'd say the benefits are things like, "You'll get awesome gifts because you have friends who can afford to shop here."

Benefit number two is Special Vendors Offers. This is what I was looking for. I'm gonna guess that this rotates, but I'm not sure. The special offers right now are:

All-Clad
When your guests have purchased $1,500 of qualifying All-Clad products from your registry, you'll receive an All-Clad Stainless Steel 9" French Skillet monogrammed with you and your spouse's initials and your wedding date.

Wüsthof
Register for $200 of qualifying Wüsthof products and you'll receive a Wüsthof Gourmet 3 piece Bridal Set, including 4 ½" Utility Knife, 3" Spear Point Paring Knife, and a Bar Board.

When your guests have purchased $450 of qualifying Wüsthof products from your registry, you'll receive a Wüsthof Classic 3" Serrated Paring Knife.

Le Creuset
When your guests have purchased $500 of qualifying Le Creuset products from your registry, you'll receive a Le Creuset Limited Edition Set of 2 Stoneware Mini Cocottes in Pearl Essence.

Shun
Register for $450 of qualifying Shun products and you'll receive a Shun Herb Shear.

When your guests have purchased $450 of qualifying Shun products from your registry, you'll receive a Shun Vegetable Knife.

Global
When your guests have purchased $450 of qualifying Global products from your registry, you'll receive a Global 3" Paring Knife.

Calphalon
Register for $500 of qualifying Calphalon products and you'll receive a Calphalon Unison 8" Fry Pan.

When your guests have purchased $500 of qualifying Calphalon products from your registry, you'll receive a Calphalon Unison 2.5-qt. Shallow Saucepan.

Cuisinart
Register for $150 of qualifying Cuisinart products and you'll receive a CD & Recipe Set For Newlyweds.

When your guests have purchased $500 of qualifying Cuisinart products from your registry, you'll receive a cookbook by Cuisinart's Executive Chef Fabrizio Bottero, "Simple & Enticing Recipes."

Nespresso
When your guests have purchased $229 of qualifying Nespresso products from your gift registry, you are eligible to receive a complimentary Tasting Box from the Nespresso Club.

That's awesome.

Now, let this be said: I'm not telling you go in there just to register and get a free gift. However, if you are planning on registering, keep Williams-Sonoma in mind for this reason.

Pete is the one who cooks here, and so, every Christmas, my goal is to get him one Calphalon piece. He really loves how they cool. So, of course, we are planning on registering for Calphalon cooking pieces. We might as well register for them at Williams-Sonoma so we get the free fry pan, plus we can encourage our guests to buy us Calphalon pieces from there so maybe we'll get lucky and get the saucepan.

This is definitely the type of stuff I'm going to keep in mind when we do register.

BRIDAL BABBLE:  Do you know of any other stores that offer "registry rewards"?