Hey Mama!

In honor of Mother's Day yesterday, I wanted to do something fun and special for my mom. My husband and I decided to throw a brunch! I made my favorite French toast recipe (cinnamon French vanilla) with scrambled eggs, fruit salad, and... donut holes! But, we didn't stop there.

We wanted it to be as beautiful as it was yummy so I decided to have some fun with the decor. I found this great template for placemats from The Alison Show and had the design printed as small posters. I also made a trip to one of my guilty pleasure stores, Paper Source. There I found these pretty pink and orange floral toothpicks, a festive banner and metallic silver straws. We also bought some fresh tulips in various shades of pink and a few pink and silver balloons to really make the decor pop! We used the toothpicks to take our donut holes up a notch and used the straws in glasses of mimosas with topped with frozen raspberries. 

Not only was my mom thrilled with the meal, but she was so appreciative of the love we put into the decor. You don't always have to go out to a fancy restaurant to make people feel special. It's the amount of effort you put into holidays that really make them memorable. 

Check out a few more of the photos below and share how you celebrated with us on Twitter or Instagram @TheStylishOne_. We love you, Mom!

Glass Glitter Wine Cork Place Card Holders

I was originally inspired by gold sparkling place card holders made by Kara Lamerato of Kara's Vineyard Wedding when I was looking for decor for my rehearsal dinner. We were having the dinner at an Italian restaurant in Boston and I thought something like the cork holders I saw would be perfect. I loved the concept, but was running short on time and really wanted to make something myself. So, I decided to DIY!

My amazing calligrapher Kate Yenrick had already created these beautiful place cards for me. All I needed was the holders. I didn't have enough time (or enough corks) to chisel out the wine cork myself. So, I took to Etsy to get the base. 

Then, I purchased some fabulous glass glitter from Michael's. I chose to go with a more champagne tone rather than a yellow gold. This made the glitter look like shattered glass and gave it a really modern effect. Here are the steps I followed:

1. Line your area with paper or cardboard. You want to be able to drip glue and spill glitter without worrying. 

2. While avoiding the slit of the cork, paint a thin layer in decoupage glue (I used Martha Stewart's Crafts Decoupage) onto the cork.

3. Dip your cork in a plate full of the glass glitter. Then, gently tap the bottom of the cork to remove any extra glitter.

4. Let the corks dry until the glitter is somewhat stiff. Then, add a second thin layer of decoupage glue to seal the glitter and you're done!

Creating something special for our rehearsal dinner was so fulfilling. Our wedding party loved them and it really added a personal touch to the night before our Big Day. Cin Cin!

Bach Party Weekend

My beautiful sash from my MOH made by Hop Studio on Etsy!

This weekend, my fiancé and I celebrated our bachelor/bachelorette party with members of our wedding party. It was the most memorable weekend ever! Sure, some may disagree, but for us, experiencing the weekend together was super special! Here are my top 3 reasons why you should consider a "bach" party with the bride and groom-to-be!

My Maid of Honor setup her room to be "Bach Party Headquarters" and it was so fun!

1. The more the merrier
It was so fun getting the chance to spend the entire weekend with our wedding party in Maine this past weekend! We had some amazing meals, enjoyed time at the beach, and went out dancing. On Saturday, the guys went go karting and out for a few beers, while the girls did some shopping and relaxed on the beach.  We then piled in a large taxi and headed to Portsmouth for an incredible dinner and a night of dancing! There was so much laughter and we loved celebrating with everyone together. 

We had so much fun celebrating with both the guys and girls!

2. Best of both worlds
My fiancé and I really wanted to spend time with both sides of the party, so this was a perfect solution. This was the first time we were all able to go away as a group, which was really cool. Our wedding party was able to bond and we had the opportunity to spend time with each person. Our Best Man lives out of state and is in the military, so unfortunately, he wasn't able to make it, but our Maid of Honor, our bridesmaid, and both of our groomsmen were there for the festivities and it was a blast!

3. Better together
When my fiancé and I talked about what we wanted to do for our bachelor and bachelorette parties, we realized that many of the activities were the same. Plus, we've been together for so many years that we really prefer to experience things together. We wanted to go to the beach, indulge in great food, and spend time with the people we love... so that's exactly what we did. Now, we'll have these memories for years to come!

The bachelorette and her bachelor ready for a night out on the town.

Thanks to our incredible Maid of Honor (who organized the entire weekend) and amazing wedding party, we had the best weekend of our lives. At the end of the day, you have to remember, do you. Don't give in to pressure to stick to the conventional. Throughout this process, we've been doing what feels right for us, and it's been an unforgettable journey. 

Here are some more fun pics from our Bach Party Weekend:

Super cute bridal party shirts that our MOH had made for the girls!

Had to take a selfie with my beautiful bridesmaid.

My MOH knows I love a good margarita.

Proof of a successful party weekend!