by admin on April 1, 2010
Not exactly…LOL… but I just have to share this with you! I absolutely love this company – www.DrinkWrap.com. I’ve worked with them before to create promotional “energy drinks” wrapped with our logo, graphics, info at a show for my product, www.chicbuds.com. But after seeing the engagement photos, I thought…. wouldn’t it be fun to wrap fruit juice cans and waters with our photo and a catchy tagline … and serve them at the wedding? I highly recommend this company for events, weddings, promotional events, birthdays, etc. 
LOVE IT! info@drinkwrap.com
by admin on April 1, 2010
by admin on March 29, 2010
Better Bit of Butter
Yah, there’s nothing better. Nother better than a Better Bit of Butter. I recently discovered this amazing company — www.BetterBitOfButter.com. These are the yummiest-looking (and yummiest-tasting cookies) ever… not only for a wedding reception (hint hint) but for any occasion–holiday, birthday etc. I had the honor of testing out one of these cookies because we are interested in having these at our reception.
A cute package came in the mail with these coral and yellow flowers. They are so detailed, I almost didn’t want to eat them. Almost. Within minutes I changed my mind and ate
one up… yummy. We are looking to possibly customize these with our colors and “theme” design to have at a “sweets” table at our reception. I’ll let you know the outcome… but I’m so excited to have discovered this company.
Delish.
So… whatever the occasion, I definitely recommend Better Bit of Butter next time you’re searching for the perfect sweets!
by admin on March 23, 2010
“A picture speaks a thousand words.” I’ve heard that quote many times before but on Saturday it took on a whole new meaning. My fiance, Steve and I had our engagement photo session with a photographer that I scoped out online… Clayton Austin. Love. Stories.
We had no idea what to expect. Trying to pose as a “model” for a day can be a little nerve-wracking… LOL … are we smiling right? are we serious enough? are we wearing the right outfits? are we “smizing” like we’re supposed to… hahaha… Well, we’ll find out when the pictures are ready but regardless, Clayton made us feel extremely comfortable… he is very relaxed, has a fun sense of humor… and has a vision for what he’s trying to capture through his work. He knows exactly how to communicate it so we’re not at a loss for what to do. We had so much fun and can’t wait to see the pictures. YAY for Clayton Austin. Love. Stories!
The session was near the beach in Carlsbad, CA…. the theme was vintage surf since Steve is a surfer (see a glimpse of the session below).
Clayton Austin. Love. Stories ... at work
His goal is to capture a “story” … THE “love story” of the couple he photographs… you’ll see what I mean when you check out his blog… http://claytonaustinlovestories.com/blog/2010/03/christina-mitch-and-steve-mcqueen/. How cool is that?!
And what’s even more amazing? He’s only been doing this as a career for 14 months. He’s a NATURAL… he’s found his gifting; his passion is apparent through his work. He was a firefighter for nearly 10 years and for four of those years he diligently served our country as a combat medic for the 3rd Infantry Division, the most deployed unit in the entire armed forces. And now, he serves couples in LOVE to help capture their story. And he definitely did that for Steve and me.
Although Clayton’s photos “speak a thousand words “… they will also leave you speechless.
So ladies… if you’re looking for the perfect photographer to capture YOUR love story… contact Clayton Austin. clayton@claytonaustinlovestories.com
by admin on March 5, 2010
My friends at www.journalsunlimited.com sent me the PERFECT gift for my wedding! I love it.
Today I received the “Write It Down” Wedding Planner – My Wedding Journal. It came at the perfect time… my scratch papers are getting out of control… hehe. It’s very sturdy, CUTE and high quality.
It’s an all-inclusive journal to plan my special day! There is a wedding checklist in the front (wow, who knew there were so many things to do!! LOL). There is a spot for vendor contacts/numbers, etc. Then there is a page for each day that says…. “Date, Time”; “Plan for today (to do list)”; “Need to contact”; “Progress/Update”; “How I’m feeling (excited, nervous, etc)”; “Items of concern”; “Best part of today”; “Plan for tomorrow”; “Notes, plans, ideas”; and “Days to go.”
This is such a smart way to track your wedding progress, keep your stress and emotions in check… and highlight the exciting journey. It’s so perfect!
Friends, check out the website — there is a journal for just about every situation and every type of person. It makes for a perfect gift for any occassion! www.journalsunlimited.com
by admin on March 5, 2010
Dana Point Park.... beautiful!
Well, I’m not sure yet… LOL. The last week has felt like a mad dash to the finish line–who can book the wedding spot first?? Have you seen “Bride Wars?” Yes, that has been my life… haha. I don’t know the other brides in 
the “competition”, ) but it amazes me how quickly a location books up. My fiance and I took a mini road trip to look at a few spots in Dana Point. It’s absolutely gorgeous there! We visited the state park which is beautiful… rolling green hills located on a cliff overlooking the ocean bay! It’s an excellent location for a ceremony, which is why the earliest date we could book is (yes, Sunday) September 12th. I was hoping for a “summer” wedding but officially, summer doesn’t end until September 22nd and it’s a beautiful time of year in Southern California! So… it’s doable (and the possibility makes me happy… I LOVE it)!
Private Estate
We visited a few spots for a reception. One is located in San Juan Capistrano…. an amazing private estate. I immediately fell in love with the location (it’s very unique… which is what I’m going for) and I could completely picture the reception there. I love the lights hanging over the pool (so romantic)… and the nearby 
lounge area with a fireplace (great atmosphere). There is a rose garden that fully blossoms in the summer with a fountain in the center (very peaceful and gorgeous). There are a few “cons” about the area but I’m waiting to see if it could be worked out. Since it’s in a neighborhood, I’m not sure what the parameters are for the music/DJ. Not that we’re party animals but I do love music, atmosphere… and dancing! My fiance and I are waiting to find out a bit more about the property before making a final decision. But my hopes are up because the property is sooo pretty.
In the meantime, we put a deposit on the park… only $75 (that was the “bride wars” destination ). That was a HUGE sigh of relief, even though we’re going to continue researching possibilities. We’re working with other wedding coordinators to confirm that this is the best location for our needs. I want to be triple sure since it’s a very special day that we’ll celebrate the rest of our lives! ***AND, one of my main goals is for the guests to enjoy themselves. I think many times people feel like a wedding is an “obligation” rather than an exciting event to look forward to. Hmmmmm, I got my work cut out for me! But I’m excited and I’m up for the challenge.
So to sum it all up…. I can now relax a little, knowing we have a semi-plan… while also allowing freedom for possibilities.
by admin on February 27, 2010
by admin on February 27, 2010
me and my fiance
I AM ENGAGED!!! The magical event happened on February 18, 2010. My (now) fiancé 
planned the most amazing day… it was like a fairy tale. Steve and I have been dating for about 3 years and I’m very excited to marry such a wonderful man.
First I’ll share how he proposed. To give some background info, a great friend shared a fun idea called ABC dating. You take turns planning a date where the activities start with that letter. A few weeks ago, I planned a date starting with the letter “A.” And now it was his turn for letter “B.” (To all the single ladies, my friend got engaged on letter “D” so this is a great game to play…hehe)!
Backyard BBQ
First he asked if I could get off work early (around noon) and come over to his house. O – and bring a dress for the evening, he said. When I arrived, he had a “B”ackyard “B”BQ prepared with roses on the table, steak skewers, asparagus and watermelon. Yummy and so pretty (and the weather was beautiful in sunny Cali).
Baskin Robbins...mmmmmm
Next, we went to one of my favorite places… “B”askin Robbins! He got my favorite childhood ice cream – Bubble Gum and I got my favorite Cappuccino Blast. Next we went to the “B”each where he surfs. It’s a beautiful beach with a staircase leading down to the water. We took lots of pictures, laughed and had a fun time. Next we headed down to Coronado “B”ay in San Diego… beautiful!
BEACH
We arrived at Loews in Coronado on the bay and he had me change into my dress (not knowing what was next). He had reserved a gondola ride (so romantic!!). He brought some fun treats for the ride and starting pulling out gifts… so sweet and thoughtful. The first was a “B”lanket to keep us warm with “Steve + Nikki” engraved in a heart (like when two young loves carve it into a tree ). It was perfect for the chill in the air… so cozy.
Next he pulled out another gift… toasting flutes (from Swarovski – go chicBuds… haha) engraved with our names and the date – February 18, 2010 – the significant date! They were in a beautiful felt box. So we toasted with our chocolate covered strawberries while the sun was setting. Ahhhh, I’m such a romantic at heart!
Engraved Blanket
The ride was so pretty and went so fast and before I knew it, we were headed to the next destination. Hotel Del Coronado. So historic and beautiful! We had reservations at 1500 Ocean Restaurant which is recognized
toasting flutes for the "bubbly"
among the premier coastal restaurants in the world. Steve arranged our own private cabana with closing curtains. (Oh – and when we arrived he had another gift bag at his side… ooooooo).
Of course the suspense was too great so the present unwrapping began (of course we had our favorite FLIP mino video camera) to capture the moment. I opened the gift and it was a teddy bear holding a heart that said 
“Will You Marry Me?” Then Steve pulled out a ring and asked the question. Of course, I said “YES”! with tears in my eyes.
:)) happy!
I quickly called my family and shared the news and found out that Steve secretly asked for my hand in marriage the day before and my parents were touched and he said such wonderful things. That really made me cry…LOL! (Btw – a word of advice, don’t drop your phone in the toilet a couple days before getting engaged… UGH). I couldn’t tell ANYONE… thank goodness for social media. )
Anyway, the day was beautiful and now the planning begins. My goal is to make it as stress-FREE as possible (although I’m not sure that’s possible). I will admit, the “eloping” conversation did come up…. haha… it is tempting but I’m confident that we would want a special day to look back on and share with our friends and family.
I will be sharing the journey with you… and sharing the AMAZING vendors that I pick for the wedding. Since I have been in about 10 weddings and attended probably 3 times that amount, my ultimate goal is to make the event enjoyable for guests… something SUPER fun, unique and out of the box.
So… if anyone has ideas for a location, please share. I have realized that must be one of the biggest challenges of a wedding. Or maybe just for me because I don’t want to go with the typical event (and would rather not spend a fortune). Eeeeeeeks!
bubbly
sunset... luv SoCal!
- sooo pretty!
by admin on March 15, 2008
We are using fortune cookies for our wedding favors. We founf them on the chicblvd website! They sent us some samples and we love them. Not only are they pretty but they taste yummy too! We had the choice of a generic quote to be put in the fortune cookies or write our own thing. We chose to do our own. What a fun, unique idea! They have huge, jumbo ones too!!!
www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com
So…. immediately I began searching for my favorite vendors and products. And while I’ve been exposed to SO MANY through my business, 
Clayton Austin is a vintage inspired portrait and wedding photographer located in Austin, TX (BUT DON’T LET THAT FOOL YOU – he can fly out to meet you wherever you live 
on
many reputable wedding blogs including the wildly popular Green Wedding Shoes, Rock N’ Roll Bride, Style Me Pretty, Weddings Unveiled and Glamour Magazine. Clayton believes that he best suited for couples who are equally dedicated to producing unbelievable images through the creative processes so that many years from now your images will still take their breath away. Though his work is truly unique, his mission is to remain affordable to the type of clients that he thrives on. Down to earth and madly in love. Wedding commissions start at just $2200. For more info please feel free to visit Clayton’s portfolio at 
