Vintage Bicycles. . .I'm in Love!

Lately I've been absolutely obsessed with vintage bicycles. . . anything that has a neat, old bicycle. . . keeps calling my name!

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Check out a few of the items that I'm in love with lately. . .

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Maybe I'm in love with bicycles lately because of this little print that I found online at Etsy! Check it out - I'm buying this card for my hubby for sure! It's simply divine, isn't it?!? (Shout out to you Kyle!!)

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This is from an etsy artist called wheelerstudio from West Hollywood. This lovely letterpress blue bicycle print is so fun . . . I think it could be a fun addition to my home, in a nice thick black frame. . . . Its from a little Etsy artist named bittersugar from Portland, Oregon.

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Check out this cute little chicky riding a bicycle - what a cute little addition to a childrens room! Its also from an etsy artist mamed barkingbirdart from Portland, Oregon too!

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This little Navy shirt is adorable and would be a great addition to my wonderful husbands wardrobe. . . hint, hint. I can just picture it now with some lovely plaid shorts and some loafers! It also hails from an Etsy artist, named happyfamily from New Orleans, LA.

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Lastly, check out this little beauty. . . Its a Schwinn Cruiser or maybe better yet, check out the Tandem Tango Schwinn Cruiser. (Can you honestly imagine us "cruising" around on that little bugger?!? WOW!)
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Can you see why I'm obsessed with these little vintage loveys lately? I sure can. . .

Out of Town Guests Rejoice - Welcome Bags and Breakfast in a Box. . .

Leslie and Adam had a couple unique ideas for their out of town guests. I think they were fantastic and I just had to share them with you all. . .
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Each guest was greeted with a welcome bag full of all sorts of goodies at the hotel check-in desk, each bag was complete with snacks, beverages, local area attractions, maps and a little guide to Leslie and Adam's favorite things in Cincinnati. These bags were draped with a paper, monogrammed, doily and then tied with ribbon. They were adorable and full of great treats - which we, of course, devoured many of after the wedding festivities!
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Inside each of the bags, along with a number of other treats were some hand wrapped candy bars with coordinating ribbon to match her wedding theme. Adorable and, of course, my lovely husband devoured them in literally a minute. . . he loves chocolate!

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When we returned to our hotel room, following the reception, we had a small white box tied with pink ribbon on our bed. It was a breakfast box. Leslie and Adam had homemade muffins, juice and fruit packed into this neat little box, that was perfect for breakfast on the road. This breakfast box was the first I'd seen and I think it was a great alternative to hosting a brunch the day after the wedding. It was such a thoughtful and unique gesture that I knew I'd be blogging about it in the future! I couldn't wait to share this idea with you all. . .
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Let's talk about how cute the message on the outside of the box was as well. . . It read " Mmm. . . Breakfast! Have a bite to eat before you hit the road tomorrow morning. Thank you very much for being a part of our special day." Adorable. . . Want to copy it, I do. . .
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There are plenty more details to come. . .Happy Friday!

Simple Spanish Inspired Dinner Party. . .

My husband and I are fortunate enough to be a part of a great little Supper Club. It was started by one of our sweet friends and its something that we do once a month. We have five couples that are a part of our "Supper Club" and we rotate to one of our homes, once a month for a lovely dinner party!
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If you are looking for a way to expand your social circle, experiment with great dinner parties and enjoy company centered around a great meal, delicious beverages and great conversation - I'd encourage you to start a "Supper Club."
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This week we hosted our "Supper Club" and we made a spanish inspired meal, mainly using the grill. It turned out lovely and we all had a great time. . .
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Below are a few key pictures of the items that we made and a few of the recipes as well!
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Enjoy. . .

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We started off with a couple varied appetizers. We made citrus and coriander marinated/grilled shrimp with a homemade red pepper mayonnaise; fresh guacamole with flax seed and blue corn chips (thank you trader joes for the chips!), Crispy Flour Tortilla bites with chorizo sausage, balsamic infused corn, black bean salsa and a greek yogurt with dill sauce. All were a big hit. . . and they were all first time "experiments" (as my mom would call them!). . . so I was thrilled with the end result!

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Below is a picture of the Chorizo, Black Bean, Corn and Greek Yogurt Appetizers. . . They were delicious and I can't wait to make them again! (Recipe below. . .)

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You can't have a spanish inspired meal without homemade sangria. I found a few recipes online, added my own touch and ran with it! Look how beautiful it turned out. . . (Oh how I wish I had some left over!) The sangria used a dry white wine (and a lot of it!), some cranberry juice, apple liquer, a dash of Sprite and then a TON of fruit that I simply chopped up and threw in! (Oranges, Green Apples, Lemons, Limes, Melon, Peaches and then I added some raspberries at the end for a little color) This was a huge hit - in fact it may have been too much of a hit as I heard it was hard for most of the "Supper Club" friends to get up the next day! Oops . . .

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For the main course we served citrus and tarragon grilled Chicken, Homemade Spanish Rice with Vermicelli noodles, Purple grilled asparagus (who knew it turned green when you grilled it - I thought the purple would add a splash of color to my table - no such luck! ha!), fresh guacamole, Avocado halves with corn maque choux and a nice green salad with corn, black beans, mango, peppers, grape tomatoes and a cilantro dressing.


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Here is a picture of the avocado halves with the corn maque choux. Mmmmm. It sure was good . . . (Recipe below. . .) and it was so pretty too!
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Lastly, for dessert I made a homemade Pineapple Upside down cake in my cast iron skillet. It turned out lovely - meaning it both looked pretty and tasted good! I forgot to take a picture - I served it warm with low fat whipped cream. . .
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I tried to brighten up my dark dining room as much as possible by using a bright orange runner from Potterbarn and various colored napkins from Crate & Barrel. I had fresh flowers throughout the house and some candles lit as well. Mmm. Mmm. Sure was a great time with new friends and a delicious dinner, if I do say so myself! Think of your foodie friends and ask them to start a supper club - its a simple way to socialize with friends and enjoy a nice, creative meal in a new setting! Enjoy. . .


Recipes:

Spanish Inspired Citrus and Tarragon Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

-¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-¼ cup roughly chopped Fresh Tarragon

-2 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar

-Zest and Juice of one Orange

-Zest and Juice of one Lemon

-2 Teaspoons of Adobo Seasoning

-1 Teaspoon of Grated Ginger

-1 Teaspoon of Minced Garlic

-2 Teaspoons of Ground Cumin

Directions:

Marinade: Mix all ingredients above. Marinate meat for 3-4 hours, minimum.

Grilling: Grill the marinated chicken breasts over Direct Medium heat until the meat is outside and no longer pink inside, usually 8 to 12 minutes. Turn throughout and baste chicken while grilling with remaining marinade.

Serves 4 boneless chicken breasts

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Grilled Shrimp with Pepper Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

-2 Pounds of Large Raw Prawns or Shrimp

-4 Cloves of Garlic, crushed

-3 Tablespoons of lime juice

-1 Teaspoon of cumin

-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Pepper Mayonnaise:

-1 small Red Pepper6 Cloves of Garlic

-1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-1/3 cup Mayonnaise

-1 Tablespoon of Lime Juice

Directions:

Shrimp: Clean shrimp. Combine Garlic, Lime Juice, Cumin and Coriander in a bowl. Place shrimp in the marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.

Pepper Mayonnaise: preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the Red Pepper into quarters, remove all seeds and place on baking tray with garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 20 – 30 minutes or until the skin of the pepper begins to blister and garlic is brown. Remove from oven and place off to side to cool. Combine red pepper and garlic in a food processor with the mayonnaise until smooth. Add in lime juice and salt to taste. Preheat the grill or a skillet on your stove. Drain the marinade and cook shrimp in small batches until cooked.

Serve the shrimp with the mayonnaise and a small lime wedge.

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Avocado Halves with Creamy Maque Choux

Ingredients:

-1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-½ Sweet Onion, Chopped

-1 small Red Pepper

-4 Ears of Corn on the Cob

-Dash of SugarDash of Salt

-Dash of Cayenne Pepper

-2 Tablespoons of Butter

-2 Ripe Avocados

-Juice of 1 Lime

-Coarse Salt

Directions:

Corn Mixture:

Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil, chopped Sweet Onion, and chopped Red Pepper. Saute mixture for 2-3 minutes. Cut corn off the cobs into the skillet. Season with a dash of sugar, cayenne pepper and salt. When mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat and simmer. Cut butter into pieces, stir into corn mixture and simmer until creamy, approximately 5-7 minutes.

Avocado Halves:

Cut avocados in half, lengthwise, and remove pits. Squeeze lime juice over avocado to avoid browning and season with a bit of coarse salt.

Place corn mixture into avocados and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Buttons & Lace = Adorable Place Cards

Seriously, who doesn't love buttons ? Then add a touch of lace, the neat chocolate brown scripty font and an adorable pink envelope - you've got the perfect place cards.

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For Leslie and Adam's vintage inspired wedding the picture below showcases her creativity in a unique, yet subtle way. Check out the photos below for the details of the place cards. . .

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The place cards were arranged symmetrically on a table adorned with beautiful bouquets of light pink roses, white hydrangeas and some lovely greenery. . .
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Inside the lovely envelope was the actual escort card - with each stating "We're so happy you've come to celebrate with us. Please have a seat at table . . ." Perfectly put and I loved every bit of it!
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More details from Leslie and Adam's lovely wedding to come. . .

Delicious Cookie Buffet. . .

Miss Leslie planned an elaborate wedding complete with all the details you could ever imagine. . . She did a neat variation on a "candy buffet" and she did a "cookie buffet". . .

Check it out. . .Here is a snapshot of the cookie buffet. She used some of her favorite homemade cookies like Coconut Macaroons, Italian Wedding Cookies, Maple Sugar Cookies and a few more as well. . .She adorned the table with beautiful arrangements of roses, peonies and hydrangeas. . .

She used apothecary jars, tied them with some white tulle and light pink ribbon. She then used little silver round picture frames and labeled the cookies with her matching brown font. . . fabulous!




Here is closer shot of the coconut macaroons. . . Yumm!


She then took white wax bags and labeled them with some lovely monogrammed stickers that coordinated with her invitations, save the dates and her overall, vintage, look. She used silver tongs for the cookies and placed them around the table. . .

Overall, the cookie buffet was a unique approach and was one that all of her guests enjoyed. . .It served as a lovely favor for her guests and a nice little treat for the next day as well! It was Lovely.

Creative and Glamous Bride + Downtown Cincinnati + Great Weather + A Love Affair = Perfect Start to a New Life Together

Whether you are planning a wedding or simply looking for a new entertaining ideas, this will be the beginning of a few blog posts for you!

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During the first weekend in May, my sweet college sorority sister married her best friend! My lovely husband and I were fortunate enough to celebrate with them!

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Below are the beginning details from this fabulous wedding. . . Leslie and Adam were married at a Lutheran Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were then carried in vintage Packard (featured in the Curious Case of Benjamin Button) to the reception which was held in the historic Hall of Mirrors, downtown Cincinnati, at the Hilton Hotel.

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Leslie and Adam's vintage inspired wedding was one of kind. The details were flawless and unmatched. Check out some of the amazing details below. . .

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Over the next few days I'll showcase you a few details from the reception from floral arrangments, a photo booth, her beautiful 5 layer cake, lovely cookie buffet, the wall of vintage family wedding photos and many many more . . . so check back often more of her beautiful details! (The photo below is from her amazing photographers - Bluebird Photography - on the blog!)
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Here is a shot of leslie following the wedding as she and her newly announced husband greeted guests as they excited the church! This is a great way to make sure you see all of our guests prior to the reception! Check out her dress too - AMAZING!! Leslie was actually asked to be a part of "Say Yes to the Dress" a show on TLC. She traveled to Kleinfelds in NYC to pick out her dress and the crew was actually at her wedding filming! She should be on TV soon, we can't wait for it to air! (I'll keep you all posted, if I hear before it airs!)

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This a sweet shot that shows her cathedral length veil and a great shot of the bride and groom during an extra special moment in the ceremony. (If only I could learn to take photos better - LisaKae, I may be attending one of your workshops soon!)

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This is a sneak peek of the photos Leslie's great photograper took during her wedding! I was only able to see the ones she posted to her blog - can't wait to see the rest! She is amazing! Check them out - Bluebird Photography!
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More details to come. . . Check back soon. . .

Babies. Babies. Babies.

Babies. Babies. Babies - lately it seems like everyone I know is carrying around a cute little bundle of joy either in their arms or in their bellies. . . its such an exciting time for everyone involved! If you happen to be expecting a new little one or simply looking for a way to spice up an old space, I have the place for you!

Since I am not currently in the market for baby or kiddos decorating supplies, it isn't as applicable to me quite yet, but as soon as I am, I will surely be contacting Weego Baby out of Santa Monica, Califonia.

Earlier I posted about a store called Weego Home, its a fabulous little shop in Santa Monica, California. The owner of Weego Home has now opened a second location targeted towards your little ones, called Weego Baby, and the store is impressive!

Check out some of the shots from the actual store. . . ADORABLE!

I'm sort of obsessed with this wall art - I think it'd be fun to have in an office or extra bedroom too!

Check out this babies room. . . Ilove the ceiling art, wall decor and the color choice is ideal for a little jack or a little jill. . . so if you're waiting to find out the sex of your new little one, look at this great color! Sort of the new yellow or mint green. . .

Oh. My. Heavens. I'm in love. I asked Ben if I could redo my room to look like this - he said no. I love ceiling art, and the pink chair. . . adorable.

Check out this little ladies room. . . I love the color choices and how the built ins are filled with all sorts of items! This store carries great accessories, games, home decor, furniture and even strollers and other necessities!

Check out Weego Baby - you won't let down. . .P.S. they are also hosting a HUGE warehouse sale at Weego Home and Weego Baby - check out the website and shoot them an email for details! Enjoy. . .

Fabulous Finds. . .

During our recent trip to California for sweet Sara's wedding, Ben and I took a couple extra days and spent some time in Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach!

While in Santa Monica I stumbled upon a fabulous home decor store called Weego Home. Check out a few of these pictures. . . It was awesome and the majority of their items are available online through the website! We may have found our dining room rug here, in fact!

Check out this wall - its at the back of the store - fancy-schmancy! Talk about one-of-a-kind! I was picturing it in a bathroom or possibly an office to liven the space up a bit. . .

The pillows are actually what pulled me into the store originally - they are fabulous and they have a ton of these little gems!




Check out this lovely bedroom picture - I want the backdrop - I think a canvass like this could transform my bedroom into being fit for little-old-me, into a space that is fit for a queen! I am also obsessed with this rug - I've spoken with the store twice in relation to this rug in a different color - we'll see where it goes - may just be in my dining room before you know it!


Last, but not least - check out this lovely tabletop and space. . . Can you say - L.O.V.E.L.Y !!

The long and short of this great little find - The prices were EXTREMELY reasonable and the items were priceless. . . which to me equates to a match made in heaven! Enjoy. . .

Hey Bridey. . . Check out these adorable shoes!!

Hey Bridey. . .

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Check out these adorable pumps. . .

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Believe it or not, they are from Forever 21 and they only cost $20.80!
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Can you even believe it?!?
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I think they would make the most adorable wedding shoes for any bridey out there - don't you agree?
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(Psst. They may kill your feet around 10pm, so plan to find a cutesy pair of flips to sport after dark!)