Wedding & event inspiration, ideas and all things creative!
…What Are Your Thoughts?
I’ve always been a fan of creativity, and this palm tree centerpiece is definitely creative! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it…
See more work by Birch Design Studio in Chicago by clicking HERE.
Thank you, Jenn Sbranti & Chambord!
Last week I attended the “Hip Hostess/Chambord Event” at The Ivy Room in Chicago, hosted by our favorite hostess Jenn Sbranti, founder and editor-in-chief of Hostess With The Mostess!
While there, she shared with us creative and affordable ideas for stylish summer entertaining. For a tropical themed get-together, she taught us how to create a zen-like experience for a more contemporary feel.
Tips included using tropical items - such as palm leaves to line the inside of glass bowls, coconut cups, orchids, river rocks, zen gardens and paper lanterns.
Jenn also suggested using tiki torches and candlelight to set the mood, along with vibrant colors.
For those who don’t enjoy slaving in the kitchen on a hot summer day (the oven heats up the house too much, ya know?), she made us feel ok about keeping it simple and ordering in, having it catered, or picking up pre-made trays from your grocery store. Nobody will know it wasn’t you that cooked all that yummy food!
During the event, we were served amazing Chambord cocktails including the French Martini, Chambord Mojito, Chambord Patio, Rasberry Cheesecake Martini and Chambord Kir Royale.
We then were spoiled with the drink recipes, including a recipe for Chambord Berry Sorbet by the Chambord mixologist who showed off a bit of his talent in front of everyone. You should have heard the “oooohs and aaaaaaahs” from the crowd as he made each drink! It was hilarious, we all sounded like a big ol’ Chambord CHOIR!
After Jenn was done sharing her fabulous party tips and the Chambord mixologist stopped mixing, I was so happy to be able to meet and talk a little with Jenn! Everyone, she truly is as beautiful as her site is, and super sweet too! The poor girl had to catch an early flight out of Chicago the next day, so we let her finish up, but wow, what a great time we had!
So thank you, Jenn Sbranti! It was a pleasure to meet you, hope to see you in Chicago again soon! Next time, you’ll have to try Chicago pizza at The Oven Grinder. Then YOU will be the one “ooohing and aaaaahing”! For everyone else, check out the HWTM Blog and Hostess With The Mostess to see the rest of what Jenn shared with us, and happy planning! -Jaime 
By the way…If you love Jenn’s super cute dress, you’re in luck! She shared with us where she got it! Find it HERE!
P.S. We tried some super tasty hors devours while at the Hip Hostess/Chambord Event, so a quickie on my favorite:
Red Grapes rolled in honey-infused goat cheese and then rolled in crushed pistachios. The caterer called them “Red Grape Truffles”. They were catered in from Blue Plate. Try it! Serve with toothpicks and display on a pretty plate. They were serving them at the event and were soooo delicious!
UPDATE: Jenn mentioned she’d try to figure out the exact recipe with the quantities for us if they’ll inform her. She said she’d post it on the blog if she can get ahold of it, so keep checking the HWTM Blog!
…Get Ready For Battle Of The Sexes At Your Couples Shower!
Getting the groom to come to a shower isn’t always easy, but if he loves to show off in the kitchen, this idea will make him happy to attend!
Host a couples shower for the bride and groom, with an “Iron Chef” theme, such as the one that Chicago wedding planner Marina Birch helped create!
“The idea”, says Birch, according to Chicago Home & Garden Magazine, ”is to have a cooking competition that will build camaraderie among the guests while at the same time resulting in the preparation of some of the cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for the party itself.”
The fun begins when the guests are divided, about 12-into two teams, women vs. men, for an “Iron Chef meets Martha Stewart affair”! The best part? This competition forces guests to work together, which also helps them get to know eachother better. Result? New friends are made!
To see how it all goes down, click HERE. To contact the oh-so-creative Marina Birch for your event, click HERE.
A Big Chicago Welcome to Jenn Sbranti!
Jenn Sbranti, founder of Hostess With The Mostess, is coming to Chicago this Wednesday for the Hip Hostess/Chambord event at the The Ivy Room!
I know there are many of us Chicago wedding bloggers out there, so let’s welcome her! While visiting our fabulous city, she’s looking to also eat at some fabulous restaurants - so head on over to the Hostess Blog if you have any suggestions for her, let’s find her a great place to dine!
Here’s a toast to the hosts!
*Pictures from www.hostessblog.com
You’re Invited To Happy Hour!
Tara, from In This Instance and Tina from With This Ring, I Thee Obsess are planning a Chicago Wedding Bloggers Happy Hour! Thanks, girls - such a great idea!
If you are a wedding blogger in Chicago who is interested in going, please click HERE for more details. I look forward to hopefully meeting everyone! -Jaime
Tonight. EARTH HOUR. Join us by turning off your lights for one hour, starting at 8pm.
UPDATE: The official “Earth Hour” may be over until next year, but who says you only have to do it one day? Why not try turning your lights off more often. If they’re not in use, make it a habit to turn a light off when you leave the room. Can’t hurt you, the earth, or your electricity bill! :) Win-win. Now do it.
Join millions tonight in the effort to bring attention to and make a statement about climate change! Learn more about it at: www.earthhourus.org, and spread the word!
What will you do in the dark for one hour? While I’m still deciding on this one, here are a few ideas I’ve come up with:
1. Have dinner ready before hand, and eat dinner by candlelight.
2. Set up the candles and create a spa-like feel for a long, luxurious bath.
3. Light the candles and light the spark between you and your honey!
4. The obvious - take a nap!
5. Pray or meditate. Take time to think. Unwind & chill, get rid of that stress.
6. Have friends over for cocktails by candlelight, along with good conversation!
7. Get your tiki torches out and have a party outside!
8. Grab your cell & catch up over the phone with an old friend.
9. Play a board game by candlelight.
10. Live near a participating city? Get out, walk around, and take pictures of this awesome event of businesses & homes turning off their lights.
…Is Now Sweeter With The New ”Sweet Tooth Cupcakery”!
When did you fall in love with cupcakes? I’m sure we all enjoyed them when we were little, but when did you start paying more attention to them?
Was it when Martha Stewart featured her cupcakes on the cover of her wedding magazine, or are you like me who’s just always been a fan?
With the cupcake craze going on right now, I’ve noticed more and more places opening cupcake shops. Not all-around bakeries (which I love too), but actual cupcake shops.
I believe there are several in the “Windy City“, but now the western suburbs of Chicago will soon have one too, thanks to the ”Sweet Tooth Cupcakery“!
While the store itself has not opened yet, “Sweet Tooth Cupcakery” does currently offer delivery in the Chicagoland area.
Whether you need to order a dozen for yourself, the office, or need to order several for a special occasion, their cupcakes are the perfect solution to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth!
Hosting a bridal shower or planning a wedding? Why not order the “24 Carrot” cupcakes - their classic carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting…yum!
The cupcakes are baked fresh daily, available in 20 different flavors, and stylishly decorated! I look forward to trying their Chocolate Mousse, Peanut Butter Cup, Key Lime Pie and Banana Nutella flavors. Check out their list…it all sounds so delicious! Which ones will you choose?
To order or find out more, go to www.sweettoothcupcake.com!
Bridal Beauty…Meeeeow!
Recently visiting the new blog of Sonia Roselli, one of my favorite makeup artists in Chicago, I realized I had to share!
In her latest post, she gives us makeup tips and advice on how to get the new BCBG ad look. It’s very soft, vintage and oh so sexy…perfect for any brides’ wedding day makeup!
To learn how to get the look, check out her post HERE! Click on THIS link to read the rest of her exciting new blog! Interested in having Sonia Roselli do your wedding day makeup? Get more info at www.soniaroselli.com, and prepare to be pampered!
Planning a bachelorette party? Why not have a Makeup & Martini Party with Sonia Roselli! A unique and exciting party to have before you hit the night out on the town…learn more HERE. Now that’s awesome!
Charity Bridal Gown Sale!
When: Friday, March 7th - 10am to 8pm & Saturday March 8th - 10am to 6pm
Where: Wyndham Chicago Hotel - 633 N. St. Clair, Chicago, IL. 60611
Register now to find the gown of your dreams at a great price! You’ll also be helping make wishes come true for those struggling with the fight against breast cancer. Have a dress you no longer need or are trying to get rid of? Stop on by and donate your dress for a good cause. If you’re not located in Chicago, it’s not a problem, click HERE to see other cities participating! Don’t have a dress, don’t need a dress? Why not volunteer to help out?
“100% of proceeds from this event enable the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation to grant dying wishes!” - Chicago Style Weddings
Why not do a good deed?
Now You’ve Got A New Store To Shop At For Your Wedding Night!
(And happily ever after that!)
Looks like maybe Victoria’s Secret isn’t ”too sexy” afterall…compared to the new Gilly Hicks Sydney store.
They just opened up a location near me, so I’m thrilled to go check out the line. Maybe I’ll go next week to try to sneak some pictures and post some favorite finds. Keep checking back! As for now, read the Gilly Hicks gossip HERE.
This week I noticed several blogs with great inspiration for letting nature help you mold your event. I’m not calling it green, instead I’m calling it what it is…beautiful, fresh and calming nature.
Like a kid imagining different shapes in the clouds, I stared at these pictures imagining the events that could be created around these images. Take a look!
2. Yum Sugar
4. BBJ Linen (The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago)
5. Jessamyn Harris Photography
Introducing Our New Guest Blogger & Letterpress Expert Denise at Bellis Studios!
I’m happy to welcome my favorite letterpress designer, Denise, owner and operator of Bellis Studios! With her amazing talent and incredible eye for design and color, she creates exquisitely unique letterpress stationery and invitations. Recently featured in the Spring 2008 issue of Bride & Bloom Magazine, along with other press, she’s on her way to letterpress stardom!
I am so excited to not only introduce Denise as a fabulous designer you should know, but also as our new guest blogger!
Denise will be stopping by to share with us her creations, inspirations, thoughts and ideas.
She’ll be giving us her expert advice and tips on letterpress, color, and design.
Getting married? If you have any questions about how to choose your wedding stationery, just contact us! We may just feature your question and the answer on this blog!
In love with letterpress? Let us know your thoughts and ideas, and we’ll be happy to share them!
Learn more about Denise and Bellis Studios HERE and at HERE! Want to read more about letterpress? See what Denise has to say about it HERE!
Don’t forget to check out her site, shop and her blog:
www.bellisstudios.com & www.bellisblog.com
Walk This Way!
The 4th Annual Hinsdale Wedding Walk Is Coming Soon…
Hey Chicago brides! It’s time to have some wedding fun! On March 2nd, the shops of Hinsdale are opening their doors for 3 hours of bridal bliss!
Invitation designers, florists, bakers, wedding planners, registry experts, beauty specialists, fashionista’s and more will share the latest wedding trends with you & friends. So grab a latte and walk along with other brides as your engagement is celebrated. Receive fabulous and creative inspirations for your perfect wedding!
Were you that girl from ”27 Dresses“? Why not create some extra space in your closet by doing a good deed?! Bring your bridesmaids dress (in good shape), donate it to Cinderella’s Closet, and be entered into a raffle for a Spa & Makeover valued at $430 courtesy of Zazú Salon & Day Spa.
Find out more at: Hinsdale Wedding Resource!
This past weekend I enjoyed a bridal show and tasting at The Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus (see previous post).
I was definitely my “cup of tea”, as I got to meet many new vendors, experience amazing food, enjoy delicious wedding cake and complimentary champagne. Did I mention the goody bag? I could get used to this!
Of course I took pictures to share with you, which I’ll include over several posts. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for the goody bag, Jane’s Blue Iris Ltd.!
“I’m lovin’ it!”
The other day I had the pleasure of going to a bridal show and tasting for a couple at the The Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus.
When the bride told me they were getting married at McDonald’s, I had no idea that it was actually a beautiful hotel!
I had images in my head of the couple giving Happy Meal Toys as favors for their guests! If you knew this bride, you’d know she’s a very classy lady, but is also adorably funny…so I wouldn’t put it past her.
This place was definitely not a fast-food joint, but a rather lovely joint! The food at the tasting was SO very yummy. Everything was delicious and the service was outstanding.
So if you’re planning a wedding near Chicago and still need to find a wedding location, check out The Hyatt Lodge website, or stop by for a visit. You’ll absolutely love it, and so will your guests!
You’ve got to check out the lovely letterpress tags inside the latest Spring 2008 issue of “Bride & Bloom” magazine!
Tag #1 shown (pg.19) was created by my favorite letterpress designer from Bellis Studios.
I simply adore her work. These tags would add the perfect little touch of sunshine to any gift bag!
Getting married? Why not use these pretty little tags to add to your bridal party gifts? Bellis has also created cards and coasters that coordinate with these tags, which would be a nice little way to thank them for standing up.
“Trying to come up with an interesting way to package your wedding favors? How about thinking outside the box (pun intended). Get creative with unique gift tags! Gigantic in size, unexpected in texture, or just plain pretty - any way you go, your guests will love stylishly fun tags.”
- Bride & Bloom Magazine
Bellis Studios also creates other beautiful stationery designs, check out her new shop to see! Want to learn more about Bellis Studios and even get a discount to her shop? Read her blog HERE, and don’t forget to have a sunshiney day!
It’s winter. If you’re from Chicago, like me, you’re probably getting to enjoy the lovely white (almost 2 feet of) snow we’ve gotten in the past week! And if you’re like me, you’re hopefully trying to see the beauty of this snow, instead of getting upset over how much money you’ve spent on salt already!
The houses are covered with what looks like fondant icing on a cake, while the evergreen trees look almost mystical as they carry the weight from the crystaling snow. It truly is a breathtaking site to see!
However, if you’re like me, you’re probably wishing the smell of Spring would be hear sooner. While we’ve got a few more months left to go before that happens, there’s still hope!
While shopping at Carson’s the other day, this wonderful aroma took over as I rode down the escalator. It smelled like Spring! I couldn’t pin-point where it was coming from, as the perfume department was right below me.
It wasn’t a perfume. And it surely wasn’t the weather! No, it wasn’t Superman either. I had finally found it, a beautiful stand with an array of candles and potpourri. Aaaaahhhh….Heavenly!
Let me introduce you to my new favorite scented candle. The “Smell Of Spring” candle by Aromatique!
This scent-sational collection offers several different sized jar candles and potpourri to bring home and relax those winter blues. The votive jar candles I bought smell of spring flowers and hyacinth…and they burn for up to 18 hours!
Go now. Smell. Buy. And enjoy the “Smell Of Spring”!
Not only is this collection perfect for Valentine’s Day, it would also make the perfect bridesmaid gift!
Guess who’s coming to Chicago, and several other cities?
Schecky’s Girls Night Out!
Has life been stressful for you too? You’re probably in need for a fun, girly shopping day. Well, you’re in luck! Enjoy shopping over 50 great brands, fashion, beauty, and giveaways while sipping yummy cocktails at the 5-hour complimentary bar! Now THAT is fabulous!!!
So when is it? Schecky’s is coming to Chicago March 12th - 13th. It’s being held at The Great Hall at Chicago’s Union Station - 210 S. Canal St. General Admission is $10.00. The Deluxe Goodie Bag Tickets are $30.00 (which includes the Schecky’s famous overstuffed goodie bag!) Go with a group of girlfriends and save up to 20%!
Find out more information at: Schecky’s Girls Night Out!
Oh, to get married in Chicago…there are so many fabulous places in the city! Even in the suburbs of Chicago. Chicago just rocks.
There are several amazing photo opportunities that the city has to offer. And of course you’ve got all the beautiful architecture, old Churches, and top-of-the-notch hotels, parks, gardens, beaches and other venues. Such beautiful places to marry at, dripping with history, fun and intrigue. I’m in love.
To read more about weddings in Chicago, check out two of my new favorite Chicago wedding bloggers:
Chi Town Bride and A Windy City Wedding!
Happy planning!
Oh, candle lovers! Oh, PARTYLITE lovers! Have you SEEN the “Ruby Red” line at Partylite? In their Fall/Holiday catalog they now offer this fabulous eye candy. Whoa. And you can get it for FREE just for hosting a party in your own home!
I love Partylite, their candles last forever, smell amazing and their hurricanes and other candle accessories just rock. I used to have Partylite parties all the time…and based on the sales from my show, I’d get a free shopping spree just for me!
Since I haven’t hosted a Partylite party all year, I need to get back. I’m dry out of candles and this Ruby Red set would look awesome not only for the holidays, but for year round! Had to share…it’s way too cool not to.
If you’re interested in having a Partylite party and getting free candles, just go to www.partylite.com to find a Partylite consultant near you! Or, if you live in the Chicagoland area, contact Janet! She’s my favorite Partylite lady…always makes the shows so much fun! Want to see what she offers? Check out her website and contact her HERE!
If you’re a professional procrastinator like I sometimes am when it comes to writing Christmas cards, you’ve gotta check out this great deal!
From now until Christmas Bellis Studios is offering FREE USPS Priority Mail upgrade on all purchases! That means you’ll get your package in 2 to 3 days, instead of the post office’s normal 7-10 days!! (This offer is only valid on items being mailed within the United States.)
So get shopping! www.bellisstudios.etsy.com
To learn more about the art of letterpress, go to www.bellisstudios.com, or check out her blog at www.bellisblog.com!
Browsing blogs is truly a joy for me, especially when they have to do with weddings! When I stumbled upon this photograph through a blog, I realized the “wow” factor it had. It is truly such a classic, timeless photo.
I remember when we were planning our wedding, we gave our photographer a “must take” photo list, pictures and shots we really wanted captured from our special day.
I knew our photographer was an expert, but there were still a few we’d ask her to make sure to get, and she did. We were so pleased!
So if you’re planning a wedding and happen to find photos you love, don’t be afraid to ask your photographer to take them! Not only will you end up with an array of amazing photos from their point of view, but you’ll have been able to add your own special ideas too. Happy planning!
To read the story about how this photo happened, and to see more great photography, check out this awesome blog, www.photographs.wordpress.com!
It’s truly one of the coolest blogs I’ve seen!
Flower Ideas For Leeanne and Mike!
Leeanne informed me that she’d like to use pinks, whites, deep purples, and green in her flowers, to accent against the dresses which are in the color celedon.
The bridesmaids in this photo each carried a colorful bouquet of pink peonies, calla lilies, and roses accented with green hypericum berries.
I think these are beautiful, and since callas and roses could come in purple, she might be able to switch up the colors a little bit to make them her own! Adding some green orchids into the mix might seal the deal too!
With flowers, the bride could either do the same as the bridesmaids, or keep the mix of colors with the girls, and have her own bouquet all one color, such as all green orchids.
Or maybe she could mix the green orchids with some white tulips or roses which she said she liked also.
This bouquet carries roses, green berries, green cymbidium orchids, ranunculus, and hanging amaranthus.
One bridal shop we went to when Leeanne was looking for dresses helped her with ideas for the groomsmen too!
She mentioned them wearing a chocolate brown tux with maybe a cream or white shirt, to play off of the light green celedon color in the dresses.
If they choose to go with chocolate brown, a bouquet similar to this (roses, berries, and sunflowers) might work well to accent off of that! Maybe the roses could be more pink instead of coral, or white for the bride!
Ooooh…very pretty. These girls carried white hydrangeas with green roses and a variety of pink accent flowers.
I’m loving this pink & green theme, though I’m on the search for more purple to add since she also wants to incorporate that into the mix as well!
Sing with me now, “I just can’t get enough…I just can’t get enough…” lol See, there are just too many. Ok, I’m done.
Keep checking back for more flower ideas to come! All pictures in this post thanks to: www.theknot.com!
Here’s a picture of the bridesmaid dress the girls are wearing, it’s very pretty! From David’s Bridal, in the color celedon. She’s thinking of going with deep purple/green/pink and white as colors for her flowers/scheme, so I’ll be posting some ideas up for her every now and then, to help her plan.
If you come across anything, let me know! I’d love to feature it and show her whatever I can! Congratulations, Leeanne and Mike!
So many of my good friends are getting engaged, and I’m so excited!!! Few are still a secret so I can’t name them yet, but others are already looking at dresses and venues!
Here’s my list…and a very happy congrats to all of you!!! May you all be blessed with long, happy, healthy lives with your soon-to-be husbands! The holiday season has also turned into what seems like engagment season, so exciting!
Leeanne & Mike
Emily & Mike
Jackie & Ben
Stay tuned for other’s exciting news soon! (he he he, my lips are sealed!)
Winter Storm Warning!
Update: Funny, I just realized this picture updates itself according to the weather! Great!
If you know me well, you know that I’m also obsessed with The Weather Channel! Well it’s time to check out www.weather.com, because we’ve got a winter storm nearing, and it’s not going to be the pretty fluffy white snow as much as it’s going to be ICE.
So if you’re in for the storm, stay in if you can, not worth driving on roads of ice, it’s too dangerous!
Planning a wedding? Congratulations! While planning can be fun, sometimes finding that perfect dress isn’t so easy. If you’ve been everywhere and are tired of all the same hectic and crazy salons, why not try Edyta Milan? Check out www.embridal.com, and see the difference!
Specializing in unique styles and class, with special attention to the bride, Edyta Milan is like a breath of fresh air compared to the many bridal salons out there! The difference is noticed the minute you walk into the store. The shop is beautifully designed, elegant, and not overwhelming…you can actually walk in there without tripping over racks and other brides. It’s well organized and very well presented.
Offering not only amazing bridal gowns, Edyta Milan also offers a large selection of bridesmaid dresses and other stylish evening wear! They offer advice, help for not just the bride, but the groom too, with a great selection of different tuxes and suits. They will help you pick out the perfect colors to compliment your dress and flowers, so that your wedding party is fabulously stylish and unique!
With WONDERFUL customer service, you can’t compare. Edyta Milan has you covered. I won’t spoil the other surprises, you’ll just have to pop in there yourself one day! Don’t forget to try and make an appointment though, so you can get the full experience. Enjoy, good luck dress finding, and happy planning!!!
Edyta Milan - www.embridal.com, 708-352-1995
Kramford Video- 630-231-8459
Wedding and special event videography, Creative, affordable, unobtrusive videography!
You know you’ve got a good vendor when you hear about them through word of mouth from several friends, and of course, several great posts on all those wedding boards! Advertisement through rave reviews, the best kind. Make your customer happy, and your customer tells everyone how wonderful you were, and then they tell their friends, and the chain forms. That’s how we found Patrick.
If you haven’t gotten the pleasure of working with Patrick Kramford Videography (www.kramford.com), I’m excited to tell you about him! After interviewing several videographers when planning our wedding, we fell in love with Patrick’s work, professionalism, kindness, and beautiful talent. But it gets better than that…he’s also a lot more affordable than your average big name videographer!
You can tell when someone really takes pride in and cares about their work. This is his passion, and it shows. Everyone was so happy with our wedding video and montage, that since then several of my friends and family members have used his services for their wedding and events!
He has a way of editing and creating videos to make them seem almost movie-like. He captures the emotion. The feelings. The happiness. And the great thing is that when he films events, he doesn’t use that annoying light that makes your guests feel like a deer in headlights…so what you get is your beautiful day, just the way it was. And quite the amazing memory to live over and over again.
So if you’re looking to capture your day on video, or to create a photo montage, contact Patrick Kramford! Check out his website, www.kramford.com, you can even request a sample video to see how amazing his work really is! Happy planning!
In the Chicagoland area? Check out the Chicago Antique Market this month!
MARKET ADDRESS – 1350 Block of West Randolph and inside the historic Plumbers Hall
Collectors, dealers, retail buyers, designers, domestic and international visitors, families and friends come together to celebrate, preserve, swap and shop treasures from the past. Fun and fabulous food and drink specialties abound! Come and dine al fresco against the backdrop of the beautiful Chicago skyline. DON’T DRIVE — THEY’LL PICK YOU UP AND DROP YOU OFF! Free Trolley Pickups on the hour from Water Tower Place, with return shuttles back to Michigan Avenue every half hour!
$8 both days 9am-5pm, children under 12 free.
Early outdoor shopping on Saturday only at 7:30am for $20.
October 27-October 28
Indoor air-conditioned and outdoor market featuring 150 quality antique dealers of furnishings, housewares, artifacts, vintage clothing, jewelry, sterling, porcelein, lighting, toys and collectibles galore.
NEW! Send a simple message this holiday season… joy.
Guess who has a new holiday card out? My favorite letterpress designer, Bellis Studios! Read her blog at: www.bellisblog.com to find how she created this new beautiful & fresh design, or purchase your set at www.bellisstudios.com!
Set of six letterpress Christmas cards, 5.75″ x 4.375″ (A2) with matching envelopes features her own Christmas tree illustration. Colors are pale citrus green and cranberry red. Printed on white (crane’s beautiful 100% cotton ‘Lettra’ paper). Blank inside. Go to www.bellisstudios.com and get yours now!
You don’t want to be like me and still have cards waiting to go out from 3 years ago yet do you?! lol So get shopping!
A Must See & Do: The Ritz Carlton Chicago Anniversary Suite!
If you ever get the chance, even if it’s just for one night, save up and experience the Anniversary Suite inside the Ritz Carlton of Chicago. My husband and I stayed here on our wedding weekend, for 4 nights (thank you Mom!!!), instead of going away on a honeymoon. But fear not, we were treated probably better than any other honeymoon we might have taken had my husband had a less demanding job at the time!
The minute we walked into the Ritz Carlton, they knew our names, and continued to greet us as “Mr. And Mrs….”the entire time. We have no idea how everyone knew who we were. We’re just normal people, but were treated like royalty! Every person in that hotel, from the concierge to the elevator guy, knew our names…and greeted us by name as we would walk through. They were helpful in hand-picking romantic tables at restaurants for us, helping us with whatever it was we needed, ensuring we had an enjoyable stay.
Not only was the service amazing, but so was the hotel itself, of course! We had the pleasure of staying in the 860 sqft.” Anniversary Suite”, which is a suite, mind you, with an actual DOORBELL because it’s so large! The “Anniversary Suites” are on the corners of the building, between the 24th and 27th floors. How cool.
You walk into your suite to the foyer where there is a beautiful bar, then through an arched doorway is a huge living room area with beautiful furniture and decor. As you walk through the living room, you open the French doors to your bedroom, which in itself is amazing, with the most comfortable king bed in the world, and amazing panoramic views of the city!
Next to the bedroom is 2 marble bathrooms, (one is shown above) which features an oversized deep soaking tub for two, and of course, another amazing view of the city and Navy Pier. The glass-enclosed shower is beautiful…you sing in it and it sounds as if you’re in an opera house!
The entire suite was just the most amazing suite I’ve ever been inside of. Beautiful decor, furniture, amazing floor-to-ceiling windows with awesome views of the city, comfortable seating and bedding, and luxuries beyond belief. Truly the most romantic place on Earth! So you must, if not today, or tomorrow, then as soon as you can, experience the Ritz Carlton Chicago Anniversary Suite. It’s heaven, in the city!
If you’re interested, check out this link for more info: http://www.fourseasons.com/chicagorc/guest_rooms_and_suites/anniversary_suite.html.
Happy honeymooning, anniversarying, or just plain experiencing!
Oh, the things you can do!
Over at http://chicago.apartmenttherapy.com/, check out some of the entries for the Fall Colors Contest Roundup! I’m loving this one…though it’s not listing who sent the entry in, what a creative idea!!!
It’s always fun to add your own little unique touches to your home, and this person decided to do it by adding a little art to their stairs! Often we forget that space, and worry too much about the top of the stairs, when all along, the part we really look at, should be just as pretty too! So get the paint out, or throw up some cool wallpaper onto those stair panels. Get creative! Use your stairway canvas to add new color and art into your life.
