we bought a bar

January 19, 2015January 19, 20151 Comment

i don’t know about you, but i am still struggling to get back into the swing of things after the holidays. one thing is for certain though, the weather this weekend was simply top-notch. was able to spend time outside shoveling and, for lack of a lady like way of putting it, picking up #starksthepup droppings from amongst the yard. glamorous, i know. anyways, it was so nice to be outside, with fresh air, not crazily bundled up. it was so refreshing. sunshine and fresh air… so good for the soul. seasonal affective disorder is a real thing. the good news is that spring is getting closer and the days are getting longer.

i had grander intentions for this weekend than what actually played out; but such is life. if nothing else i was ridiculously productive this weekend. cleaning, organizing, laundry, dusting, dishes, blogging, wedding and such. if we’re being honest i was not so accomplished with the last two but i gave it a solid effort (or so). and plenty of relaxing and binge watching of crappy reality shows.

the highlight of the weekend was our newest addition to the house; a bar. we’d been eyeing this bad boy for several months now at our favorite local spot, mama’s happy… in the city. it is seriously no exaggeration when i say that either one or both of us have been there every weekend since my mom and i first discovered it back in october. we may need to cut ourselves off for a while; this being the third substantial piece of furniture we now have in our home.

it’s perfect though. and what was also perfect was being able to finally unpack several boxes of bar related items that have just been sitting in the laundry room for months. you really don’t realize how much drinking related items you have until you can completely fill a piece of furniture. what can i say, we’re pretty fancy like that.

i have to say i’m rather jazzed about what i have in mind for tomorrow’s post… stay tuned. in the meantime, cheers lovelies.

you may also like:

christmas came early // and other fancy things

building our home // how to use annie sloan chalk paint

9 tips to help you say [yes to the dress]

January 7, 2015January 7, 20153 Comments

happy wedding wednesday, lovely people! i first have to state for documentation purposes that the windchill here in minnesota is currently -31 degrees. yes, 31 degrees, below zero. anyways, i digress… today we’re talking about saying yes to the dress! ask any girl what things she is most excited to do once she gets engaged she will say shopping for ‘the dress’ and if she doesn’t she’s lying. jkbs. i couldn’t wait to go and try on dresses but it was also a little overwhelming. so many styles, so many fits, so many fabrics and so many dollar signs. good news though, i made it through and have said yes to my dress! i am thankful to have had the BEST experience ever at Posh Bridal Couture [in wayzata, mn] all because of my fabulous consultant alissa falvey. she was beyond incredible and continues to make the whole experience like something straight out of a fairy tale.

so i’m taking everything i’ve learned during this process to help out my fellow brides and future brides. here are 10 tips to help you say yes to the dress.

skip the entourage: i don’t know about you but when i watch say yes to the dress on TLC and i see a family reunion i get anxious for the bride. this experience is for you. think about who you want to be there with you for the moment you find “the one” and also who will give you honest (not brutally honest, necessarily – let’s leave the claws at home, ladies) feedback but also support you in whatever you choose. i brought my momma, and my personal attendants tash & lys. tash has styled me for all of life’s important events (first dates, first speaking engagement, etc.) so this was a must do for her.
it might be the first one: everyone is so fearful of saying yes to the first dress they try on. stop it. i elaborate that you should absolutely try on more dresses; but if you keep going back to the first one and you can’t imagine yourself in anything else on that day, get it girl! the one that i ended up saying yes to was the second dress i tried on. i kept comparing everything else to it. and that’s when i knew.
enjoy the experience: make a day of it. soak in every princess-like moment of it. it should be exciting and fun. we started our day at caribou, obviously, and then it was over to posh. and minnesota girls let me tell you, posh knows how to create the experience. they are in the most adorable location and it’s so quaint and fancy and beautiful in there. and you are greeted with mimosas and a fantastic staff of ladies. oh and they have snacks! oodles of snacks! we got this little area all to ourselves with a ginormous gorgeous mirror. and then the fun began. gorgeous gowns and necklaces and veils. try it all, i did, because i only plan on doing this once.
make sure you can bust a move: you’re gonna be busy on the day of and you need to be comfortable. make sure that you can sit, breathe and most importantly dance. these are the important things.
you probably won’t cry: i’m an emotional person. i can bawl from an episode of parenthood and the series finale of gilmore girls gets me every. single. time. i expected that my wedding dress would bring me tears. isn’t that what’s supposed to happen? the whole group crying with happiness? no. no it’s not. i mean it can, but it’s definitely not a deal breaker. nobody shed a tear. we were all smiling too much. and sipping our prosecco.
be honest and be 100%: with yourself, your sales person and your lovely supporters. if you don’t like something, say it. don’t feel obligated just because they like it. if you want to try something different, let them know. you are the one that needs to feel like the best version of yourself in this dress and only you will know when that happens. i had another appt. scheduled at another bridal salon later that afternoon and i was really not sure what to do. i loved this dress, but “what if.” thankfully alissa encouraged me to go; she said she wanted me to feel 100%, and that she would be there until 5 and to give her a call and let her know. well we went, and i just kept comparing. and my 95% went to 100%. i knew and i called alissa and we headed back to posh.
get a little dolled up: you don’t have to pull out all the stops but you want to feel good about yourself going into it. i had tash curl my hair and i wore it down, because that’s how i plan to wear it on the day of. dab a little color on those cheeks. and smile.
know your price range: this one is hard because it really depends on what you’re comfortable with. but decide this before you go into your appointment. it’s less awkward for both you and the consultant. give them a sticking point that you cannot go over and make sure they don’t show you dresses above that. and do not get tempted to try on a uber expensive one because you can lie to yourself all you want but you will probably love it and contemplate selling your car to get it.
take pictures: document the shit (pardon my language) out of this day. BUT! do it on someone elses phone. you don’t want anyone who shouldn’t see the dress before the day to do so, even accidentally. oh and of course selfies & #blingshots are a given.

i hope these tidbits help you as you search for the dress; and a huge thank you to my momma, tash & lys for being there with me and to alissa and posh for being beyond incredible and making me feel like a princess and letting us stay after closing to cheers with prosecco and jam out to music. you are lovely people and i couldn’t be happier to be part of the posh family. xoxo

you may also like:

stamps & hot chocolate // wknd happenings

the story of our wedding // how to ask your wedding party

the story of our wedding // part one {the engagement}

the story of our wedding // part two {the ring}

2014 // year in review

December 30, 2014December 31, 20141 Comment

the end of the year is all about making lists, which is something i can totally get on board with. this past year was definitely a game changing year. so many incredible things happened. here are my “tops” of 2014. cannot wait to see what 2015 has in store…

top four in 2014

worth mentioning

blog milestones

over 8,000 views in 2014
over 1,000 views in one day
100 blog followers
attending Go Blog Social in april [game changer for my blog]

social media diva highlights

presented my half day workshop on social media for the 2nd time at EXHIBITOR2014 in Las Vegas, NV
and again at EXHIBITOR FastTrak in Boston, MA
spoke on a panel on event planner at the 2014 Cvent Corportate Meeting Summit
was featured in an article on mashable (!!!) on top stressful jobs
had my first [paid] speaking gig on social media for the Upper Midwest EDPA
spoke on a Power of Live webinar on Amplifying the Social Experience at Every Touchpoint hosted by Cvent and BrandRepublic

life + family + travels

got ENGAGED to my best friend and love of my life [b] on the beaches of st. eustatius in march
traveled to: florida (x5), the carribean, las vegas (x2), texas, kansas city, cincinnati, niagara-on-the-lake, on (canada), nashville, phoenix, san diego
celebrated 2 years with [b]
met my social media soulmate, dick vitale. and he said i was Awesome with a capital A
went to my first, second and third concerts of my life. (imagine dragons, iggy azelea, garth brooks)
sold the townhome & bought a first home together in st. louis park (sidenote: moving is the absolute worst)
my big brother bought a house + got a job! my baby brother graduated from high school + started college! my momma & daddy celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary!