Wedding Gift Ideas

Attending a wedding this spring / summer season and not thrilled about the idea of giving money or another registry item? 

That was me a few months ago when I started my search for a unique gift idea for a couple that is one of my nearest and dearest.  The pressure was one...not only because I was in the wedding, but because they outdid themselves with their wedding gift to us! 

I wanted something personalized and sentimental, which can be tricky since people's tastes are so different.  I also wanted something of lasting value; it is their wedding gift, of course!

We went back and forth with idea after idea, but ultimately this is what we came up with!  Would love to know what you think...or if you've given or received a great wedding / engagement gift lately!

1. Wine Box. Not just any wine box, a gorgeous, personalized wine box from Wine for a Wedding with wine to toast their 1 year, 5 year and 10 year anniversaries!

First, you select the style box you want from a variety of creative designs.  Then you personalize the front with the anniversaries you want to celebrate and add an engraved toast on the inside of each lid!  You can even select one of their wine packages that are assembled to age for future anniversaries!

I think this will be my new go-to gift idea for my friends' weddings!

2. Engraved Door Knocker. A friend of mine had told me one of the best gifts she received (not on her registry) was an engraved door knocker with her new last name.  Since the couple we were buying for had recently purchased their first home, we thought this would be a cute idea.  Plus, I know firsthand the thrill of seeing your new last name on wedding presents - so exciting!   This Baldwin door knocker is from Things Remembered and comes in polished brass and satin nickel.

3. Personalized Door Mat. One of my favorite wedding presents was this personalized door mat from Williams Sonoma.  It was on my registry, and I was crossing my fingers someone would get it for us!  It is both gorgeous and sturdy - we have had ours out on our front porch for the past year and it still looks brand new - and went perfectly with the new house / new last name theme!

DIY Birth Announcement

I'll admit, I was a little embarrassed showing up to the hospital to meet my new baby niece empty handed two weeks ago.  But who'd of thought she'd come a week early...and when we were 400 miles away in Washington, D.C.?!  Not me!  Or that she'd arrive at 5am and we'd be there only a few short hours later, still before sun came up?

Plus, it didn't help that my gift was a personalized gift (of course it was!).  And the baby actually needed to be born for me to complete said gift! :)

But hey, we're family!  They'll get over my minor slip in proper etiquette!!

So anyways, when I was back up in NYC this past weekend I got to spend 3 whole hours with Emma and was so super excited to finally reveal my gift to her (well, her parents). 

Drum roll, please!!

I made a handmade birth announcement to hang in Emma's nursery!

I actually got the idea off of Etsy.  At at Christmas party, a friend of mine was showing me some of her recent Etsy purchases, and one of them was a nursery birth announcement.  It looked something along the lines of this:

I kid you not, this is $45 on Etsy

Or this:

$10

Both very cute!  And so thoughtful!  But I took one look and knew immediately that I could make that on my own. 

And I could make it better!

I was very happy with the way it turned out - it's cute, sweet and a great way to remember a baby's birth stats.  (Am I the only one who knows their birth height/weight/time because they have an engraved picture frame in their room all their life?)  And Justin and Sara were thrilled to receive nursery decor, something they said they pretty much forgot about on their registry!

Unfortunately (for you, I'm sorry!) I will not be revelaing my exact DIY instructions...  But if you should be so lucky to be expecting a baby in the near future, you can bet that one of these lovelies will be coming your way.  And yes - I have a boy version, as well!

Doesn't it look so sweet sitting above Emma's changing table?

I promise more pictures when her nursery is all set up!

P.S. I'm taking orders, as well, if you're in need of a baby present!  Message me if you're interested!  :)

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Did I mention I am going to be an aunt in two weeks? 

That's right, if you haven't yet heard, my brother (Justin) and his wife (Sara) are expecting their first little bundle of joy on or around March 23!  I am so unbelievable excited for them, for my dad (the first grandchild!) and for this beautiful little girl who is going to have 6 doting aunts (!!!) and 4 uncles!

Two weekends ago, we threw Sara and baby Emma a baby shower at the Water Works restaurant (and wedding venue) in Philadelphia.  If you've never been, I'd highly recommend!  Gorgeous views, great food and dangerously close to the Art Museum and boathouse row, two of the most iconic "attractions" in all of Philly.

Philadelphia Water Works

Now, I'm not typically a huge fan of gift opening at showers - it's dreadfully boring for guests and I literally break out in hives watching the honoree oooh and ahh over items she picked out on her registry in front of a room fill of people - but I think I have 100% changed my opinion for baby showers after this one.  The stuff is just so damn cute I honestly didn't want the presents portion of the party to end!! 

So much so, that I left with a list of great gift ideas for the upcoming (3) baby showers I have this spring that I wanted to share with ya'll!  (And don't worry - this list is the fun non-registry stuff only - I don't know the first thing about strollers or cribs or rectal thermometers!)

Designer baby clothes. I know some of you are probably scoffing right now thinking, why would I spend $100 on designer baby shoes when you could buy 5 at that price?  But the point is, you are going to spend a certain amount on a gift, right?  Well the shower is really the one time to give that person, not only the practical items, but also something they likely would not buy for themselves (or their baby).  Sure, they'll likely be saved for special occasions only...but I personally would be happier knowing my gift didn't go straight to the "play clothes" only file...  And trust me when I say these items will go in their "save forever" box!

Now if this is not the cutest thing you've ever seen...

(By the way, I have never seen so many designer baby duds than at Sara's shower - Emma got her first pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes, baby TOMS, a Juicy Couture track suit, Polo dresses and shirt, baby Uggs!  Emma is going to be the best dressed baby!)

Baby Clothes Line: A number of guests made these adorable baby clothes lines with an assortment of different outfits and sizes.  I thought this was a very fun way for Sara to "open" the outfits (vs. opening one outfit at a time) and display afterwards for everyone to see!

obviously not a picture from Sara's shower, but you get the idea...

Receiving / Stroller Blanket: Of the handmade kind, like this one made by my cousin's very talent fiance, Meggan!!

Or perhaps splurge this cashmere one from J. Crew...

J. Crew cashmere baby blanket

A gorgeous blanket will be forever treasured.  (And you never know which one will turn out to be the child's one true lovey!)

Designer Baby Bag: Sara's sister and mom gave her a beautiful Marc Jacobs diaper bag, and I immediately thought what a great group gift this would make from a bunch of your girl friends. Just because you need to retire your favorite purses doesn't mean you have to start carrying ugly printed Vera Bradley (don't get me wrong, love the weekenders...but wouldn't be caught dead carrying a purse/diaper bag...sorryimnotsorry)!

Marc Jacobs

Finally, here is what my sisters and I gave our sister-in-law and niece-to-be: At the last Lilly Warehouse sale in November, we each bought baby Emma a Lilly outfit - 2 shift dresses and 1 bathing suit - because if she's gonna be a Rowley girl, she's gotta love Lilly! 

Lilly printed bathing suit

baby Lilly shift with lace

Emily made (like actually sewed!) these adorable burp cloths and then we got them monogrammed!

And this is perhaps my favorite gift of all.  We gave Sara a gift certificate for a professional photography session by a photographer that will come to her home and shoot in the baby's actual nursery!  We chose Tina Jay Photography because she recently took pictures for Emily's boyfriend's sister's baby, Stella, (that was a mouthful!) and they were seriously the cutest photos I have ever seen.

case and point.

need i say more

Would love to hear if you have any great non-registry gift ideas!!  

My Best Friend's Bridal Shower: Part 2

~ The Menu ~

What to serve at a any party is always as much fun as it is worry.  The big concern always being - will we have enough food?!  (And the answer is almost always, yes....and way too much!)

Fortunately for me, and due to the fact that I live 3.5 hours away from where the party was being held, the majority of the menu planning fell on the shoulders of Ms. Ashley Sansing.  And boy did she do an incredible job!  She planned an amazingly catered luncheon complete with an assortment of homemade appetizers.  And, everything was gluten free!

Ashley enlisted the services of Entree Metropolitan Catering, a catering company with operations in Washington DC, New York, Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.  And here is our review: the food was great, the menu options (including dietary restrictions) were limitless, the prices decent (although we scored a great deal), but we were less impressed by all the un-returned phone calls and wrong email excuses.  (So, if you're looking for services in the Northern, VA area, just remember you will need to almost stalk them!)

So what did we eat?  Besides the delicious honey nut chicken, mixed green salad, deviled eggs and large crudite and cheese platter provided by Entree, Ashley also made a huge crockpot full of homemade queso, guacamole and the most delicious gluten free pasta salad!  (And boy, did we have plenty of leftovers!)

~ The Signature Cocktail ~

I couldn't let Ashley have all the fun with the food and drink, so I took responsibility for the signature cocktail!  And I was so excited to finally have a chance to hop on the mason jar train!  That's right, we served Danielle Rozdzielski's infamous Champagne Punch in mason jars and colorful candy shop straws from BHLDN.  It was as fun as it sounds!

Ingredients:

• 1 16oz package of frozen whole strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Blend ingredients together.  This can be done 1-2 days ahead and can be frozen.

2. Put mixture in a punch bowl and pour (slowly) 1 large bottle of champagne.  Serve!

~ Games ~

After a rousing purse scavanger hunt game, the fun continued with Kathryn answering Newlywed-esque questions we had asked Luis prior to the shower.  This was my favorite part of the day, because for every answer she got wrong Kathryn had to tell us, in Spanish, a reason why she loves Luis (her fiance).  I took videos of this portion, and I'll admit, brings tears to my eyes to watch! 

I hope you enjoyed hearing about Kathryn's shower!  Did you get any new ideas for something you're planning?

xoxo

My Best Friend's Bridal Shower: Part 1

Wedding Paper Divas


Two weekends ago, I helped throw a bridal shower for one of my very best friends, Kathryn!  And I can't tell you how much fun I had planning this event for her.  The day was beautiful...our bride-to-be was positively glowing! 

And since bridal shower season is (technically) upon us, I thought I'd share with you some of the details of the day!

~ You're Invited ~

to a very Lilly shower

We knew we wanted to plan a day for Kathryn that was bright and girly, so we decided to throw her a Lilly Pulitzer themed shower!  What is more fun than a signature pink and green Lilly pattern?!  I can't think of much!  And our bride-to-be happens to have a closet full of Lilly...so we knew it'd be right up her alley!

Our first order of business was getting out the invitations.  We found the invitation above on Wedding Paper Divas, a great site for all wedding related stationery - from engagement to bachelorette, bridal showers, thank yous, and wedding invitation suites.  

(Lilly actually has its own line of paper goods btw - you can check some of them out here)

We included two additional cards in the invitation envelope.  One with instructions for filling out a recipe card...

Enclosed for you is a recipe card.
To fill it in, shouldn’t be hard!

Kathryn might like to try your favorite cake,
or that special dish you’re always asked to make!

Remember our girl eats gluten-free

So make some substitutes, if need be!

Bring this card on the special date,

And we’ll make her a beautiful cookbook keepsake!

We had the recipe recipe card made by ThePinkCoconut (on Etsy), who designed the card with Kathryn's new monogrammed initials and provided a PDF that we printed and cut with a paper cutter!

And another with directions for the wishing well:

Wishing wells are nice and fine,

But let's shower this bride with a bottle of wine!

Ever the hostess, ready to fill you up,

Now it’s our turn to put some pinot in her cup.

Perhaps for their anniversary or on their wedding night,

Or to have a glass after their first married fight!

Be creative and write up a little a reason,

Why you chose the wine you did to toast to Kathryn’s wedding season

~ The Decor ~

Next, we started scouring websites for everything Lilly...!  We found the most adorable matching napkins, plates, cups and decorations in the pattern Floaters and I kid you not when I say we bought everything the pattern came in!!

Plates





Napkins




My favorite decor items were this amazing lantern....

  



 ...and these incredible pom poms!! 
 

~ The Favors ~

For the favors, we filled these adorable tumblers with candy!

Tumblers



 

~ Some Little Surprises ~

We even bought Kathryn a princess crown to wear while opening her presents!  To keep the attention on her, of course!

But ultimately, the adorable flower girl...in Lilly of course...stole the show!

We also made Kathryn a recipe binder to put all the cards she received using Lilly wrapping paper!  Here she is opening up her book...

Since this was the first of two bridal showers - thats right, Kathryn has one more shower to look forward to in March (!!) - I'll have have to wait until after then to reveal the other little surprises we have up our sleeves...


Anyways, have you planned a shower recently?  What was your theme or inspiration?  I'd love to hear about all the little touches - they make everything special!

And, don't forget to check back tomorrow Part 2 when I'll talk menu, signature cocktails and games!

(Photos via Preppy Princess)

DIY Wedding Keepsake Box

I've been trying to figure out how or where I'm going to save all the little "mementos" from our wedding, and to be be honest, it's been a much harder task than I'd imagined!  Where do you put all this stuff?!

My dress found a home in the trunk of my car for a good 3 months after our trash the dress photo shoot (yes, it was still wet and sandy) before I finally decided to drop it off at a dry cleaners.  Its now resting peacefully in a box in the comforts of our storage unit.  (Such a sad ending for something so beautiful, don't ya think?!)

My white shoes are neatly put away in their pretty little Kate Spade box...but are taking up some much needed real estate in my closet! 

I also have a big brown box full of all the other little items: our program, ring boxes, shower invites, menus, invitation, bachelorette swag, etc. that is so disorganized its making me cringe!

Luckily, over the summer (when I was in full throttle wedding planning mode) I came across this wedding keepsake box on Etsy...

Etsy shop: TheMemoryKeepers

...and bought the supplies to make my own during one of my frequent trips to Michael's craft store!

Unfortunately, I had forgotten about my brilliant plan until this past weekend.  I was digging deep into my craft drawer when, low and behold, I found the black photo box I purchased full of scrapbooking appliques and paper!  Better late than never, right?

I had even thought ahead and printed out my own "contents" list (piggybacking off the ideas on this one):

Etsy shop: TheMemoryKeepers

my version of the checklist

While I know I'm not fitting everything into this little box, at least I know what does make the cut will be safe...  And, beautiful memories deserve to be stored somewhere pretty, right?

The best part?  The whole thing cost me a whopping $13...pennies compared to the $45 price tag on Etsy!  (Plus, I think mine's cuter anyways!)

Dare I even say it: another great gift idea!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's day, loves!  No matter how you're celebrating, I hope all of you have a day filled with lots of love and laughter (wink*) and of course, chocolates!! 

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today, so I thought I'd share with you some of my memories Valentine's day growing up... 

When I was a kid, there was nothing more I looked forward to on Valentine's day than dinner with my family.  Every year, my dad gave would go to a special candy shop and fill a small red heart box for each kid with an assortment of our favorite candies.  My mom would put them out at our assigned seats at the dinner table and there was never a more beautiful sight than those pretty red boxes wrapped in cellophane staring us down during dinner.  My mom would give my dad, and my dad would give my mom, a larger version of the heart box.  I remember being sooo excited at the thought of one day getting the big heart box from my own husband!  (Ooohh the little important things in the eyes of a child!)  But until then, I felt pretty special that my daddy was my valentine just like he was my mommy's.

My dad also always, always gave my mom jewelry - he loved giving her jewelry.  And even though dark chocolate nonpareils trumped a necklace any day in my book (then, not now of course),  it was a gesture that was amazingly reassuring to me as a kid to see my dad give my mom such beautiful things - it was a visible sign how much my parents loved each other (because as kids, you don't see all the little, less obvious acts of love they did for each other each and every day).  Still and always will be, in my eyes, so romantic!

As we ate our candies for dessert, my mom would tell us the story about how she once as a kid ate some of the jordan almond candies from her sister, Kathi's, valentine box.  When Kathi told on her...she was sent to her room and was so upset she that she secretly bit the blinds (so that they would have teeth marks) on Kathi's side of the room. This story made me love my mom even more because I always thought she was such a rule follower - it was funny to hear that even she got in trouble as a kid!

What I'd do to hear that story one more time... <3 

One of my funniest memories is when in the 2nd grade a certain boy chased me around the playground trying to give me a Valentine's day card that I refused to accept (because boys were gross, of course!)!  He finally stopped when I told the lunch aid that he was bothering me...and he subsequently went back to his desk, erased my name and gave the card to another girl!  They went on to "date" the majority of elementary school!  Ahh how fickle is love even at 7-8 years old...

My first real Valentine was my 6th grade boyfriend.  I remember how excited I was to have a boyfriend on this glorious (well of course I thought it was glorious then...I had a boyfriend!) holiday!  He gave me a gold necklace with two interlocking hearts and a single rose.  I think I gave him heart boxers (a suggestion from my mom) and Abercrombie woods cologne (because that's what all the hot guys wore back then, right?!)  Side note: I actually was his date to his senior prom in high school...and I wore the heart necklace!

High school Valentine's days actually make me laugh to think about.  I went to an all girls high school where it was literally every girls dream to have their boyfriend send them flowers at school.  So much so, that I swear some girls sent themselves flowers so they wouldn't feel left out.  The front office literally looked like a florist with the hundreds (i kid you not) hundreds of flower arrangements.  It actually was quite comical!

Did anyone else ever have to observe "the breakup window?"  You know, when you're dating someone and in your mind its over...but you can't break up with him too close before or after said holiday?  I did, once...I remember feeling so guilty about him taking me out to a fancy Italian dinner!  And cringing at the flowers he sent.  Luckily, we were broken up by St. Patrick's day!

Besides the ones I've spent with Nate - our first one he took me out to a big fancy dinner in New York and the next morning, cooked me heart shaped pancakes for breakfast (cue: aww!) - I actually don't have many other real memorable memories of Valentine's days past.  I don't remember the ones I was single for, or the ones I was casually or seriously dating another guy.  And thankfully I don't have any horror stories (although I kinda wish I did because those are always fun to tell)!  Because to be honest, in the scheme of things, they didn't matter...

(I guess I can say that much more confidently now, as I am sharing my first married Valentine's day with my soul mate!  I love you, Natey!)

Anyways, Nate and I actually are planning to spend our first married Valentine's Day just like any other Tuesday night...except with a better than usual dinner: lobster (ravioli's), wine, cheese and chocolates!  And I wouldn't have it any other way! 

Ironically, I will be making Rachel Ray's "You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Sauce" for the ravioli's - which is the best and worst thing I've ever made Nate according to the Newlywed-esque game we played at my Bridal Shower.  My mom taught me how to make it the summer after college, right before I moved to New York and started dating Nate.  And I guess, it worked!

(BTW I highly recommend trying out this recipe...you won't be disappointed!)

I'm curious, what are your favorite Valentine's day memories?  I'd love to hear some stories...

xoxo

P.S. A big hug and kiss to all my faithful readers out there!  Thank you all for your love and support in reading, following, pinning and commenting on my blog!  You guys are the best! 

P.P.S. How cute is that google video?

Monogram Love

Call it my recent name change (or maybe my love of all things prep), but I can't get enough of monograms lately! 

kTr

KRT

K

T

KT

Torok

Ok I will stop now.  (I sorta feel like a little school girl doodling her first name with her crush's last name to see how well it sounds...except that this is my actual new name!)

But anyways, the sky is the limit on what you can add a name to (apparel, jewelry, home decor, etc.) and adding a touch of personalization turns an ordinary registry item into an amazingly thoughtful gift.  It requires a little extra thought and planning - likely not the type of thing you're buying the week of the shower/wedding/birthday - but that's exactly why I love it!  You know whoever was behind it was really trying to give you something that was made just for you.

Thanks to my dear friend, Pinterest, I've put together a pretty decent wish list of preppy monogrammed gifts in case you're ever in need an idea for me! 

I desperately want this gold ring (or the matching necklace by Jennifer Zuener...love her stuff...or both!)


Kraftshop: Monogrammed Ring



Jessica Zuener z10 Swirly 2 Initial Pendant



How amazing is this monogrammed floppy hat!?!?! (I think it would make an adorable bridal shower gift...perfect for the honeymoon!)

Via Pinterest

I love love love these leather flats!!

Sweet Pete Monogrammed Moccasins

I love stud earrings...and all the pretty colors (especially pink!)

Tootlebugs: Preppy Monogrammed Earrings

To-die-for monogrammed chairs (and gingham wallpaper...and floral curtains) - Ok, I'll just take the whole room!

Lilly Pulitzer

I think these matchboxes would make adorable wedding favors!  Or to put out at a cigar bar?


Monogrammed Goods: Matchbox

Now that's what I call a preppy dessert plate!

Pearls, Whiskey and Frat Boys

The perfect pillow for someone with a beach house!! Wink*

Zhush Nay Linen Throw Pillow

And of course, every girl needs cute stationary (this is so a gift mom would have loved to give...)

Kate Spade Monogram Note Card

What kind of personalized gifts have you given or received?  I'd love to hear some of your ideas!

P.S. A few other monogrammed ideas here!

P.P.S. Free printable custom monograms (for wedding invites, guest bags, menus, etc.) here!