While wedding planning I found a blog on Weddingbee about photo-sharing.  The idea is guests upload their personal photos from the evening and it’s shared with everyone who attended the wedding.  Since I am absolutely obsessed with pictures, I figured this was a must have for our wedding.

I initially planned on creating the business card (using VistaPrints) as the blog describes and placing one on each person’s table with the menu card.   Then I could use the extras as reminders in the thank you cards.  However they came back with a TYPO (total fail on my part) so they went into the trash.  In the end I decided to make the escort card and photo-sharing card one in the same.

Check them out:

DIY Wedding Escort Cards, Table Tents | Life's Tidbits

DIY Wedding Escort Cards with Photo Sharing | Life's Tidbits

I purchased Avery Small Tent Cards, 2 x 3.5 Inches and downloaded the free template on Avery.com.  Although figuring out how to feed the paper through the printer so everything was facing the right way proved to be difficult the end result was exactly what I wanted!

I used the filigree images from our wedding invitations (also DIY) and the calligraphy font (which we downloaded for free) initially for the envelopes.  Reusing details from our other paper wedding products made the escort cards match the other paper items.

Cost: Avery Small Tent Cards ~$18 (plus cost of ink for printer) … pretty cheap if you ask me!

A couple of tips:

  • SPELL CHECK, spell check and have someone else spell check it too!
  • use regular paper white paper and print in gray scale for test pages.
  • mark which way the paper should be fed for each section very clearly.
  • set your printer to “high” quality instead of standard.  although this uses up more ink the difference, in my opinion, it totally worth it.
  • buy a bigger pack of escort cards then you think you will need.  inevitably you will have to reprint a couple for whatever reason:)

Here’s how the cards looked all set up and ready to go:

Photo Credit: Korie Lynn Photography

Photo Credit: Korie Lynn Photography

Happy DIY!

Share

Bridal showers are so much fun, but when it comes to opening the gifts you see a ton of the same stuff at each shower.  Glasses, mixing bowls, towels, baking sheets and well you get the point.  Sometimes it’s fun to get something not on the registry and I’m not talking about the re-gifted item or one that you don’t know what to do with when you get home ;)

Option 1

At both my shower and my girlfriend’s shower we got a version of the coolest gift idea.  I’ve been trying to come up with a proper name for this thing, but can’t … so let’s just go with “wine basket”.  

Mine …

Wine Basket Life's Tidbits

A poem was on each bottle describing when we should drink the wine.  In addition it came with wine bottle accessories such as chocolate, picnic blanket, fire cd and stoppers.  Each extra item went with a bottle.

My Friends …


Photo Credit: Sara Without an H

These had HAND MADE labels (so much artistic talent) and again said the circumstance to drink the wine.

I mean really, how cool are those!?!?!  The best part about this type of gift is it is totally customizable.  It is also wallet adjustable since you can modify the number of bottles of wine and accessories you purchase.

Option 2

Now this item I haven’t actually seen been given at a shower (YET!), but I think it would be a fabulous shower gift.  It’s a “Mrs. Hanger” for the bride’s wedding dress.  You can find these all over Etsy.  If the bride isn’t taking her husband’s last name you could also have the hanger personalized with Bride, I Do or something else along those lines.

I purchased the tiffany blue hanger with the notches (these are key to keeping the dress on the hanger).  The blue hanger doubled for as an extra something blue on the big day. 

Take a look …


Note: This is a camera phone picture

I just LOVED the hanger. It added a little something extra for the dress pictures and I got a ton of compliments on it. Sorry I just had to thrown in a couple pictures of my dress here.  Oh and the hanger too =)

Korie Lynn Photography
Photo Credit: Korie Lynn Photography

I’m dying for more unique bridal shower gift ideas, so please do add a comment with your non traditional gift tidbits.

Happy gift giving!!

Share

Happy New Year to you and yours!!!

I was reminiscing with the husband tonight about last year and there were a number of favorite days that quickly came to mind.  By far the best of 2011 included getting married and honeymooning in Italy. :) Here is one of my favorite pictures from our honeymoon:

This was taken in Positano, Italy on the very first night of our honeymoon. I mean the view from our hotel room was AAAHH-Mazing! Right??

In Positano we had the best bruschetta and gnocchi I have ever had in my entire life.  Sorrento had some pretty fabulous gnocchi as well (close second … almost a tie actually). :)

YUMMY.

All the honeymoon and wedding talk made me realize it is time to share some wedding related tidbits with ya’ll.  DIY Escort/Photo Sharing Cards and Unique Bridal Shower gifts posts are coming up this week!

Happy New Year!

Share

This Christmas we traveled to Kansas City, MO to spend the holiday with Alex’s family.  There is no ambient light and absolutely no “city” noise, which is a nice change of pace from DC.  I’m not a country kind of gal, but I love our little mini vacations on the farm.

First and foremost here is my favorite picture from the weekend! We put Sophi on the barrels of hay and the farm cat (Kitty) jumped up for the perfect Christmas Card shot.

Here are the other highlights from our Xmas break …

Santa’s Whiskers Cookies


YUMMO and let me tell you I’ve had far too many cookies this week.  They are kind of addictive and I just adore how they have the holiday colors in them.  Besides the cookies I made a cheese cake and my MIL made pumpkin bars so there is no lack of sweets in this house to choose from.

The Farm Pictures




And of course it wouldn’t be Christmas without the tree and presents!!

I hope you and yours had a fabulous holiday weekend.

Happy Christmas!!

Share

Happy Hanukkah (or Chanukah depending on your spelling preference)!!!

This year my friend who usually hosts a Hanukkah party decided to go on a vacation with her sister and mom.  I mean really how dare she go away without providing me with potato latkes before she left. =)  So this meant I would have to make my own potato latkes for the first time ever.

This recipe is super easy and if you have a food processor / Cuisinart it is like a hop skip and a jump to the frying pan.

Ingredients:

2lbs (~3 large potatoes)
1 medium onion
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons flour
vegetable oil

You will also need apple sauce and sour cream to serve with your potato latkes, and I guess if you are my husband then hot sauce should be on the table as well.  Hot sauce is new one for me and I would say skip it, but he insists it tastes good.

Using a food processor or a box grater shred the potatoes and onions. The food processor saved me a ton of time and makes it so easy!  I got to use one of the attachments for the first time, which is always exciting (it’s the small things, right?!).

Transfer them to a colander and squeeze dry. Mix the potatoes and onions with the eggs, flour and salt.

In a skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil. Drop about four tablespoons for the mixture into the skillet and press lightly to flatten them. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and a little crispy. It should be about 6 minutes.

I found that a fish spatula worked really well for flipping these babies and not messing them up.  Just randomly grabbed it, but thought I should pass along the tip nonetheless.  Remove from skillet and place the latkes on paper towels to drain the oil.  It makes about 12 latkes.  And take a look … Voila!

Potato Latkes Recipe, holiday recipe, hanukkah | Life's Tidbits

MAKE AHEAD: The potato latkes can be at room temperature for up to 3 hours. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350° oven before serving. If you plan to reheat them remember that they cook a little extra in the oven so don’t over fry them.

Just writing this blog makes me want to go reheat the extra latkes and eat them!  Anyways put some sour cream (I prefer light as it is less fat but still tastes great) and apple sauce on the table and serve.

Potato Latkes Recipe serve with a side of apple sauce and sour cream, holiday recipe, hanukkah | Life's Tidbits

And seriously how cute is that double serving bowl?  Thank you wedding guest and Crate and Barrel’s Registry.

Happy cooking!

signiture_nicole

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Share