Wedding Dress Wednesday

Another edition of Wedding Dress Wednesday is upon us! I am thankful for days on the blog that consist of wedding gown images, big bows and messy up-dos. See, doesn't the thought just make you smile?

Today's designer is Modern Trousseau. I am giddy over their flirty Spring 2012 collection. From the ruffled sweetheart necklines to the pockets on the gowns, I am in love! I hope you don't mind a bit of picture overload. I also included a few of their hair combs that I am dreaming about. I love the idea of throwing in a diamond accent for your hair. Australian-born designer, Callie Tein, describes her gown as classic couture with a mix of modern touches and sophistication. Sigh, what a great vision.

I hope that you all enjoy today's mix of gowns and accessories. Pay attention to the last gown. It is so different. It is a full skirt of fabric, includes pockets and is such a fun print. I love it. Love it. I also wanted to do one more thing today and that is give a large shout out to one of my biggest supporters and admirer of Wedding Dress Wednesday, Rachel Sisson. She sends a message, email or comment every week about today and the featured dresses. Thanks Rachel for your encouragement!

Photo Source: Modern Trousseau

Photo Source: Modern Trousseau Hair Combs

Happy Wednesday friends!

Reception: Josh and Hillary

This past weekend I laid down my video camera and opted to help with decorating. My brother and his sweet new wife (more on their wedding here) threw a fun reception. It was full of children, Cajun dishes, sweet desserts and lots of love. The budget was small so Hillary and I worked hard to come up with a simple yet cute theme.

First here is their invitation that I absolutely loved. Dixie Paperie and Gifts did such a good job!

Isn't it so cute? The invitation help set the theme as well. We knew we wanted to incorporate rustic charm like old bottles and burlap while mixing in fresh and bright colors. Weeks leading up to the reception we would take pictures, send emails and exchanged phone calls trying to get the details just right. Hillary is a no-fuss bride. She was easy to work with and the best part is she knew exactly what she wanted.

Now with all that being said I do want to point out that I am not a professional wedding planner or coordinator. Hillary just knew how much I wanted to help decorate and get my feet wet. That or I might have begged for her to let me be in charge of making her reception great! More the second option. I fully think that hiring a planner is the absolute best idea. Read more about why here. Also I would like to add that this party was for about 65 people. This is a huge group to me. Between my mom, sister, sister-in-law and niece, we rearranged tables, cleaned tables, cut burlap, made flower arrangements, lifted boxes, moved all the decor to various spots and had a blast! Well, at least I did.

Thank you to my family for letting me point, spout out orders and be bossy. It happens. We had a time crunch people. I worked my mom to the bone. She was such a great sport too! I also need to add that about 20 minutes before we started decorating my camera died. Totally my fault but that left my phone to do all the photo taking. I apologize if any photo looks fuzzy. That's life.

Now for some more details. This is the room in the before stages. The restaurant has a Cajun feel with a touch of Italian food thrown in. The Mardi Gras green walls were a nice touch.

Next we started working with all the tables cloths and burlap. Let me add that neither cost a thing! The burlap is from an old wedding shower I hosted here, here and here and the table cloths came from a friends recent wedding. We love free and inexpensive. Love it.

We started adding in rustic touches and pops of white and turquoise for centerpieces. Another bonus, we didn't buy anything new. We brought things from home and worked with what we had. Hillary did buy a bundle of babys breath for $15 which everyone knows is my favorite. I was so pleased with the end result! The best part was seeing how happy Hillary was with the finished product. It was a small(ish) room but we fit everyone and included a kids only table. The kids really liked that part! No adults at the table equaled perfection for 4, 5 and 6 year old sweet faces. More pictures await:

And just to throw in a few more pictures, check out my hot date:

Prom pose and go...

Rusty got a little tickled by this. I have one last picture. I love the women in our family. They are beautiful, talented, loving and sweet as pie!

What do you think of the decor? Did I mention Hillary only spent $15 on babys breath? Sigh, I love that number. I hope that you all are having a great Tuesday and I can't wait to see you back here tomorrow!

Love Song Friday, Volume 42

Thank you all for the outpouring of love and support with the new blog design! It made this lady very happy and grateful. I do believe that I have the best readers and that includes you. The emails, texts and comments were kind and generous! I love interacting with everyone so feel free to email anytime. I enjoy it!

Who is happy it is Friday? Me! Me! Pick me! We made the late night drive to Arkansas to celebrate my brother and his new wife, Hillary. They are having a reception this weekend and I get to help decorate. You can read more about their new nuptials here. I cannot wait to share all the pictures of their reception. We are having us a party y'all!

I am choosing not to do Friday's Q & A for a few reasons. These reasons include:

1. I am home with my family. I drove 8 hours over night, got in about 1 a.m. and I am looking forward to lots of family time. I haven't been home since Thanksgiving. To some that may not be a big deal but it is for me. I do love Texas but I also miss home at times. I think I will have my fill of family though by the end of this weekend. Love you family ;)

2. My mom's desktop is ancient. I am seriously watching every letter type out one by one and lag a bit. Love you Mom, I do. She did recently get a new keyboard though. Improvements.

3. My husband is taking me shopping! We have been pinching pennies lately but today I get to shop! Don't worry. I prepared with a hearty breakfast and coffee. I am in prime condition. Stretched and ready to go!

With all that being said this week was a lot of fun on LB Productions. We got a new, pretty design and read some fun posts.

Monday: Brunch Date with Cris - Thank you TWIPS!
Tuesday: {Feature} Soundtrack To I Do
Wednesday: Wedding Dress Wednesday
Thursday: New Wedding Shower Trends

Today's love song is an oldy but a goody. This CD was one of my first and my dog ate it. Weird memory. We all can remember a time when we sang I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis. For me it was jumping on the trampoline with my best friends and playing it so loud. My husband and I still sing this song a lot. I thought memory lane was a good place to go today! Enjoy this tune and your weekend. Happy Friday y'all!

New Wedding Shower Trends

Photo Source: Hostess with the Mostess

Notice anything different? Yeah, I got a new blog design and it is fabulous! I am so in love with it! I thought I would take a minute to show you a few new features of the blog. First the top menu has more selections but still very simple navigation. I will soon be bringing you an archive page (tips & advice) that will allow each reader to find the specific post they are looking for. In the next few months I hope to start advertising on the blog. Don't let that scare you off. I just want to have professionals that I know and trust with an ad on the site. This will help each bride find vendors, blogs and websites that will further help with wedding planning. Also make sure to become a follower here ---------->

I was going to wait until my blogiversary week to reveal the new look but now you understand why I couldn't. I cannot thank Poxxie Blog Design enough! She is truly talented y'all and a load of fun. I will be doing a feature post on her soon so you can get to know the fabulous Kendra. Now on to today's post...

If you have read this blog before you know how much I love to host a good party. From creating the invitation to arranging the dessert table, I love putting together details that make each party perfect. With the Spring wedding season quickly approaching and wedding showers around the corner, I started reading a few articles on wedding showers. The articles are showing new trends that I am loving.

1. New locations. A majority of the wedding showers I have attended or hosted have been at houses. I love the feel of a home shower. They are always cozy, relaxing and comfortable. I do have to say that I am glad showers are branching out of houses and traveling to new locations. Wedding showers are being hosted in restaurants, hotels, country clubs and poolside. Some showers are even becoming destination wedding showers. Imagine loading up the car with your best girlfriends and driving to your favorite city for a weekend getaway. My bachelorette party also served as my lingerie shower. I loved hanging out with my friends, sipping fruity cocktails and soaking up the sun in Nashville. More on my last single hoorah here.

2. Couple showers. I absolutely love this idea! I think getting your closest couple friends together to celebrate is always a guaranteed good time. If hosting the event you could have dinner at your home then venture out to listen to your favorite band. You could also try a good old fashioned hot dog and marshmallow roast to celebrate the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Get creative with your ideas and enjoy the laughter and love with your best friends.

3. Bringing in a professional. Ever thought about hosting a shower where everyone learns to cook? I know. I love the idea too! Hiring a professional allows for the guests to learn while having a lot of fun! If you have a shower coming up take the ladies to paint pottery and gift the finished items to the bride. A few other ideas could be trying a dance class, taking a painting course, belly dancing, horse back riding or a spa day at home. When picking a expert make sure you keep the brides interest in mind. I am already looking up cooking classes for friends to enjoy!

When it comes to showers be creative. Play a new game, find a new location or gift a unique treasure. Keep the bride surprised and smiling! I just want to thank you guys for stopping by and for being a part of Lovebird Productions. I am so happy to have you!

Wedding Dress Wednesday

On most Wedding Dress Wednesdays I feature a fabulous designer. A designer who has made a name for themselves through their fabulous detailing, styling and eye for design.

But today is different. Today I am showing you my bridal picture. The dress isn't designer. The budget was small but the photo is amazing. Sometimes it doesn't matter who you are wearing but how good you feel wearing it. I seriously love my bridal picture. I woke up before the sunrise and waited out the rain as my photographer snapped this picture....

Photo Source: Steven Miles Photoworks

{Feature} Soundtrack To I Do

Today I am guest posting over on Soundtrack To I Do. Colleen is one of the sweet TWIPS that I have been able to build a friendship with. She is talented and so caring! I love her blog and her passion for finding the perfect song for each bride. Five minutes of reading Colleen's blog and you will be hooked! Check out my guest post today. Happy Tuesday y'all!

Brunch Date with Cris - Thank you TWIPS!

This past May I was able to join a bridal community for wedding bloggers, planners, photographers, videographers and other vendors. You can read all about that excitement here. Throughout my time in TWIPS, I have been blessed by women who are smart, strong, creative and business savvy. These women are such an encouragement and true mentors. My favorite part about this community is the relationships that I have built. Some of these women were strangers but now feel like friends.

Photo Source: Facebook

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting one of these lovely ladies. For a few weeks now, Cris Stone of Kiss My Tulle and I have been exchanging emails and finally got to meet for brunch yesterday. We explained to our husbands how we were meeting someone off the Internet and joked about their concern. Cris and I realized that we both live in the Texas Hill Country and our homes are about 10 minutes apart!

We ventured into New Braunfels for a yummy brunch at Red Rooster. It was delicious and the conversation was even better. I think I could have sat and talked all day with her! Here is what I love about Cris:

1. She is witty. She tells it how it is and keeps you laughing.

2. She is beyond talented. The thing about blogging is it takes a lot of guts. You put yourself out there. You get praise. You get criticized but the real test of character is to keep going. Cris can write like no one's business. Her personality is in every post and she is not only blog savvy but very techy. She can design, market and produce HTML with the best of them.

3. She has such a sweet heart. As soon as she pulled into the driveway we hugged. I knew right then that I was going to have a great brunch date. I like to hug. Weird, I know. Cris shared stories about her life and the recent passing of her father. She is so brave and inspiring!

4. She let me ask 750 questions about Alaska. This one is self-explanatory. Would you still be smiling after 750 questions about where you grew up?

I cannot thank Cris enough for getting together with me and gabbing about blogs, wedding details and life! Make sure you go and check out her awesome blog, Kiss My Tulle. I promise she will keep you laughing and her blog will become an every day occurrence.

Before I go I wanted to thank the TWIPS community for building friendships, connecting wedding pros and for encouraging women to be strong and passionate about what they do. Happy Monday friends!

Love Song Friday, Volume 41

I have been anxiously awaiting Love Song Friday because today's song is my favorite and most recent obsession. As in I play this song 75 times a day and am still not tired of it. Please listen to it, fall in love with it then tell everyone about it.

But before we serenade one another, let's take a look back at this week's post:

Monday: Hill Country Bridal Spectacular
Tuesday: DIY: Framed Chalkboard
Wednesday: Wedding Dress Wednesday
Thursday: Inspiration Board: Cobalt Blue
Friday: Q & A: Communication and Expectations

I love that all of you loved cobalt blue as much as I do. Now for the song that makes me oh so happy, Making the Movies Jealous. Kristen McNamara has true talent. I love the words to this song and am dying to do a highlight to it. Any couple willing?

Lovebirds I hope you have a sun-shining weekend and I will see you back on Monday. Take it away Kristen (Don't you like how it sounds like we are best friends? I can always pretend)...

Q & A: Communication and Expectations

Photo Source: Green Wedding Shoes via Brandon Kidd Photography

Friday friends! It is upon us. We are back to our usual routine for Friday and have a new reader Q & A session. Today's topic is more about relationship advice that wedding planning tips. Let us begin...

Q. My significant other and I have recently talked about doing more things that interest me. I love doing things that he loves but sometimes I feel my interest aren't as important. We decided to go to a concert together plus a few friends. The band performing was one of my favorites! We started the concert and about half way through the boys went to get refills and went to the other tents that were at the event. Needless to say I finished the concert with a girlfriend sitting next to me. We had a great time but I wanted my other half to be there to enjoy the whole show. I became frustrated because we just had this talk about doing things that I like to do. Can you help me find the right balance?

A. First you should know, we have all been in your shoes. Sometimes as women I think we believe that we are the only ones dealing with a certain issue and are nuts for being frustrated. Every couple that I speak with I stress the importance of communication. Understand that a relationship, marriage or friendship cannot survive without it. Always be willing to be open and receptive to your partner and return show the same courtesy when they are open with you. It is good to communicate how you feel and areas you feel need improvement in your relationship. Always be kind!

Ladies we all want our men to read our minds and to always exceed our expectations. Since we live in reality, I do think it is important to let your partner know your expectations. For example, before going to the concert take a moment to let him know that you are excited to watch the concert together and that you are really looking forward to spending time with him. I have learned that if I have really high expectations for a date to let Rusty know. It helps him be more aware and gives him a bit of direction. We both feel satisfied. I don't think you should have to always let him know your expectations because a loving man will be pretty good at fulfilling those. But like I said, guys need a little help in the right direction sometimes.

Love Song Friday is right around the corner.

Inspiration Board: Cobalt Blue

Good morning lovebirds! Have any of you seen the Subaru dog commercials? They make me laugh every time. Since it is a bit of a happy for me I thought I should share it with you.

Hahaha! I seriously love these commercials. You can watch all of them on Youtube if you are interested.

Yesterday I watched the premiere of the Ring Leader with wedding planner Kristin Banta and let me say, she is fabulous! She planned a wedding that was full of cobalt blue cranes suspended from the ceiling and blue driftwood that lined the isle. I was totally smitten with the color and decided to make a fun inspiration board. I love how bold and fun the color is plus it is eye catching. Cobalt blue, I heart you.

Pitcher, Bride, Coral Glass Bowl, Save the Date, Ring, Groomsmen

Wedding Dress Wednesday

Can you believe that it is already Wednesday? It seems like this week is flying by. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day. We kept it pretty low key at our household. A nice candlelight dinner, a few mushy cards and then of course a game that made us laugh. I printed off a handful of questions to see exactly how well we know each other. We did really good and had a lot of fun too!

Here are a few questions that we answered:

1. When was the first time you cooked something for each other? We both answered with the same response. The first time we cooked for each other was after two weeks of dating. Rusty really cooked but I helped supervise while he made spaghetti and garlic bread. I remember that memory so well even my outfit. I remember Rusty rubbing my feet after dinner. It was the first time I thought that this isn't just an ordinary relationship.

2. When and to what song did you and your spouse first dance to? Rusty didn't know this one but I sure did. It was at one of my best friends wedding the first summer Rusty and I dated. We had just sent Summer and Chris off to their honeymoon week and I was a bit of a crying mess. We walked back into the reception venue and were the only ones who came back inside. It was Rusty and I plus my tears. He asked me to dance while Norah Jones Come Away With Me played. I still smile thinking about it.

And for a little bit of funnier questions:

3. Who takes longer to get dressed? Of course we both put me. Obviously.

4. Who holds the remote while watching TV? I put Rusty and he put me. We both got to state our case but the verdict is still undecided. During the week, yes, I do have shows but on the weekend Rusty is the boss.

It was so fun to answer these questions and reminisce over some of our favorite memories. We aren't big Valentines Day celebrators so we found the perfect balance of romance and laughter which is our style.

Yesterday I also had the afternoon off and ventured to our movie theater to watch The Vow. It was so good but hard to watch at times. I am not giving away any details, promise! What I did want to feature on this Wedding Dress Wednesday is Rachel McAdams wedding gown in the movie. I wish I could tell you just how awesome their ceremony is but I will save that surprise for when you see it. Email me then and we can gush about it! Let's take a look at her dress:

Photo Source: InStyle

It is a vintage veil and pink gown. What are your thoughts? I have to be honest. At first glance in the movie I was like Uhhhh? But then I started to notice just how happy she was to be getting married and it made the dress fit. It fit with the bride's personality and their quirky style. I have to say that sometimes the gown shape or length just doesn't matter but the smile of the brides face that makes all the difference. I love this gown and Rachel/Paige's style! It is fun, dainty and memorable.

What do you think about her style? Do you like the dress and veil? Let me know your thoughts!

DIY: Framed Chalkboard

Photo Source: Green Wedding Shoes via Jody Miller Photography

Happy Valentines Day sweet friends! I hope that you all have special plans with your loved one today. I have a few tricks up my sleeve for Rusty when he gets home from work! One of my favorite things to do is cook his favorite dish. It is just a simple way to let someone know you care. We aren't really that big into Valentines Day but I do love the idea of a holiday that celebrates love.

Yesterday I showed you my booth at the Hill Country Bridal Spectacular here. I also promised a fun DIY to share today! Ready? Let's go...

Almost two years ago Rusty's mom asked me if I wanted a mirror that she had that was just sitting in her garage. I saw the mirror and thought I could definitely use that. Sadly, the mirror has sat in my garage since then. It did make it in the move to Texas but the poor thing has just been collecting dust. With the bridal fair approaching I thought instead of using the burlap banner that I used in the previous bridal fair (read more on that here) that I would make a chalkboard sign to use. I also have a few events coming up that I am helping decorate with and thought the brides could also use it.

Here is what I started with:

Don't you just love awkward photos of me? Yeah, I do too. I included one more for you as well.

Just lovely.

Here is what you need:

Frame
Chalkboard Paper (I bought mine on Amazon for $6)
Primer (I used Valspar for both the primer and spray paint.)
White Spray Paint
Wash Cloth
Chalk

Here is what I did:

1. First I laid the cardboard box down in the grass. Hey, I didn't want to spray paint my grass. It has happened.

2. I removed the back and took the mirror out. I did save it just in case I use it to another project later.

3. Before priming anything make sure that you give it a good wipe down. I took a wet rag and cleaned off all the dirt and dust.

4. Next I took my primer and applied one coat, let it dry completely and then applied a second coat.

5. After the primer was dry, I applied two coats of spray paint. I have to say I was amazed at how quick spray paint dried.

6. The last step was measuring the chalkboard paper. Once I had the perfect size piece, I placed it in the frame. Viola!

It was such a cute and cheap addition to my booth. I loved getting to try out writing different sayings on the chalkboard. Whether it is displaying the menu at a party or celebrating a happy moment, this DIY is perfect for any occasion. Wishing you love and happiness today!

Hill Country Bridal Spectacular

Happy Monday friends! I am writing this post feeling so refreshed. Last night I got 12 hours of sleep. 12 hours. Yes, I was so tired but now I feel like a million dollars. Now if only I had a million dollars. ha!

This weekend has been so exciting! We ventured to our first concert and rodeo in San Antonio. It was so much fun and my cowgirl boots fit right in. Sunday I participated in the Hill Country Bridal Spectacular. I met wonderful brides but the vendors were what blew my socks off! I may be a bit partial but the row of vendors where my booth was located had a blast! We were on the far side of the convention center and brides took a bit to get over to our side. The Courtyard by Marriott New Braunfels River Village had mimosas and chocolate covered strawberries that they kindly shared with our tables. I also had the privilege of getting to know the sweet ladies of the McKenna Events Center. They also won best booth! Some of the proceeds of the Bridal Spectacular went to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation which I was excited about. I love the idea of giving back!

The brides were so sweet and fun! I am still amazed at how many people are not familiar with wedding videography. Not as in people who haven't thought about it but people who honestly don't know what it is. I like being able to tell my story of why I started this venture and the fun I am having along the way! I changed up my booth a bit this time. One new item was the white framed chalkboard in the middle. That DIY is coming up this week on the blog! I also used my new silver dessert stand to hold my business cards. After my first bridal fair I learned to downsize my buckets of decor and focus more on showcasing my portfolio, not my attempt to be crafty.

Yesterday was full of new faces, hard work, fun and a night of rest. See you guys tomorrow!