Cocktail Music

For the wedding we were going for a dinner party vibe and we wanted our music choices to reflect that intimate ambiance. We could have gone for a small jazz ensemble but we wanted variety and there are songs we love that just don’t sound the same when replicated. So we went down the iPod route and it went surprisingly well except for a few snafus at the start of the reception. If you are going to use an iPod make sure you have someone designated to operate the different playlists and have a trial run with the music system at the venue first so there are no mishaps. My sister and I worked together on the playlists but none of us were familiar with the system (and the wait staff were not familiar with my sister’s iPod) to make it run smoothly. SO….. we had a bit of trouble getting the music started during cocktail hour but once we got it going it went great! Despite the small inconvenience at the beginning (which could have been alleviated if I followed my own advice) I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

I loved putting together the reception music selections with my sister. Loved it. I'm planning on creating a CD filled with all of our songs as gifts to our loved ones. We received many requests for the playlist so I thought I would share it here with all of you. To start here is our cocktail hour music selection:

A couple of our songs were an ode to our engagement in Paris and then we played some of our favorite classic Jazz and Latin tunes. It was relaxed, fun and nice to listen too. What's great is that we can use these playlists for dinner parties we may have down the road. We saved good ol' Blue Eyes for dinner and dancing. More music selections to come!

GOOP

A friend of mine informed me of GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow's website devoted to living and eating healthy. I really enjoyed perusing the site; it's well written, the visuals are great (the content even better) and Ms. Paltrow comes across sincere and down to earth. I think it's a misnomer to associate Paltrow with eating twigs and berries; the lady obviously thinks allot about the quality and taste of her food and enjoys cooking. The turkey rago recipe she features looks delicious. I read on and her most current newsletter about detox struck a chord. Although I've spent the last month traveling and being for the most part "active", I feel sluggish, unhealthy and spent. For the most part I eat in moderation but my food intake has not been very healthy. Paltrow details a 7 day detox plan filled with recipes that actually sound tasty to eat. Although Paltrow is no doctor she does make clear that this kind of detox should be cleared by a doctor first.

So... I'm thinking of doing it! The recipes for the detox actually sound good and the thought of purging my insides of impurities is even better. I'm desperately going to miss my morning coffee and my occasional and unhealthy grazing but I think it would be a good kick start to thinking about my food intake in a more responsible manner. So any takers out there??? What are your thoughts on detox diets?

Calling Card Cases

How gorgeous are these antique calling card cases? Calling cards (and their fancy cases) were once de rigeur in the day. One would never make a house visit without one. The protocol was to leave your calling card (with the butler of course) and wait to be admitted after the person being called upon had reviewed and accepted the calling card. The calling card has really been making a resurgence lately and people have been using them instead of business cards to relay contact information in a more informal fashion. I hate having to hunt down a scrap of paper to write my email/and or phone number to an acquaintance or personal friend; it would be wonderful to carry my own personalized calling cards and in one of these antique calling card cases to boot!

The cases above attest to the popularity of the calling card. Some cases were simply made; others out tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, and silver and they were truly works of art. You can find these beauties at Simply Antiques.

We're Back!

We are back from our honeymoon! Can you guess where we are at? Here's a hint....

Yep, that's Jack and I looking pretty spiffy on our camels. I named mine "Mocos" which means "snot" in Spanish. Arn't I original? Boy did we have a blast!!! I can't wait to show you all the pictures we took and tell you all about the wonderful people we met and places we explored. More to come once we are over our jetlag!

Perpetuum Mobile

Anticipation. Excitement. Love. This piece encompasses how I feel right now and how I will feel on my wedding day:) Thank you Penguin Cafe Orchestra for this amazing piece of music!!!

Lace Veil

I did a post a while back on antique lace restoration and my sister and I decided to go with Gentle Arts for the restoration of our antique handmade point de gaze lace (with gorgeous double petaled tulips and roses). Leigh Reveley has been working diligently on our veil and we opted to have the lace re-attached to beautiful silk tulle. The silk tulle is a little less stiff and voluminous than nylon tulle but we wanted to go for authenticity so we stuck with the silk tulle. I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the restored lace veil (any day now!) and to calm my nerves Leigh emailed me some before and after photos. Here is a glimpse of the cleaned repaired lace (no more holes!!!!!)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

*UPDATE: I received my veil!!! Leigh Reveley saved the day---she did an amazing job. I can't recommend her enough!

Paper Trail

Image Source

We are finally winding down with all of our last minute wedding plans but it just seems like a never ending to do list. It is exhausting! We are so blissfully excited for the wedding and honeymoon but probably just as excited about never having to do wedding planning ever again! (ok, I amend that.... except for my siblings of course). Anyway, I've been working with Theresa Patton over at TT Patton, a stationary store based out of Barrington, Illinois for all of my miscellaneous paper needs. I came to her late in the game and she was willing to help me out at a moment's notice (thank God). Anyway, she carries a huge variety of products and in my case she happened to carry Alexa Pulitzer's La Cartoleria products which I love. Alexa Pulitzer is based out of New Orleans and her designs have a particular New Orleans flair. Here are some of the items I picked out to go with our gastronomically inclined theme (more to come on that soon) :

Place Cards for our sit down dinner (to go with the wine cork place card holders above!). All calligraphy has been done in chocolate ink:

Gift tag:


Menu:
You can get the wine cork place card holders here.