southernafternoon.com

There are times I feel I breathe, eat and sleep weddings. I was on Pinterest the other day (shocker.) checking out decorating ideas and was transfixed by the array and patterns with wallpaper and fabric.  Everywhere.  The graphics remind me of everything from Moroccan tiles to bamboo lattice work.  They can be bold and overwhelming, which is surprisingly charming in a little powder room.  Alternatively, in a small tone on tone pattern, they can provide a subtle backdrop that adds polish and order and touch, which is unexpectedly sweet and gentle. Like maybe….on a great wedding invitation?

For example, here we show one of the color options for our Quatrefoil Wedding Invitation.  What a great option for a bride who loves enhanced simplicity! Tiffany blue is always beautiful, always classic, always a perfect choice, and, considering Pantone’s recent color suggestions, totally on trend.  A gray quatrefoil pattern frame surrounds the text.  The blue-green touches (and there really aren’t more than touches) stand out against the gray backdrop to make a combination that will look fresh and spectacular in your wedding album for years to come. Add an amazing bridesmaid dress with a bit of sparkle, fantastic ribbon bedecked shoes and that Lowcountry Lemonade (love when something so pretty is so yummy!) and your friends will remember yours as one of the prettiest weddings on record.

Clean lines, clear colors. A breath of fresh (wedding) air.

Lots more great ideas, as well as sources for these, can be found on our Pinterest boards!  Check out our website or our etsy shop to see other color options for this great invitation!

The produce bins at my local grocery have been loaded with cherries lately.  We’ve been dining on them breakfast, lunch and dinner.  With yogurt, in salad, as dessert.  And every time they taste special and sweet and fresh.  You know what happened next?

Wait.
Let me try that again.

You *know* what happened next.

I started thinking about a cherry themed wedding.  I started with our beautiful and classic Rachel Wedding Invitation. White and gray subdue the red and make it a more sophisticated palette. The cheery red print bridesmaid dresses don’t have the cheeky feel of a rockabilly dress, but they are still undeniably fun and unique.  Grilled cherry cocktail?  Yes, please and thank you!  And one of my very favorite trends–wedding pie.  Pie pops, mini pies, pie favors. Just pie, pie, pie.  If you want a wedding that will make guests leave happy, consider serving pie.  Homey and lovely, but elevated to celebration.  Check out the board for the sources and feel inspired!

In the world of weddings, you’re always looking forward.  Sure, there are times we work on the fly, but usually we’re in some of the earlier stages of wedding planning.  Which means that on Derby weekend, we’re not writing about the Derby (we did one of my favorite boards earlier), but I couldn’t let one of my favorite sporting events pass without a nod.

It got me thinking about Kentucky and how there is one aspect of Kentucky that is appropriate any time of year.  Bourbon.  Ah yes.  And what a great jumping off point for some Groomsmen gift ideas!  There are a million cool flasks out there (including these).  A lovely bottle of Blanton’s is welcome in any bachelor’s bar. It’s the good stuff.  The really good stuff. And the bottle with the horse on it is super cool.  Those nifty gray ice cubes are Whiskey stones–put them in the freezer and chill your drink without watering it down–genius!  And, if you want to go around smelling a bit like the Soup of the Day, that Demeter fragrance would be perfect. (I have smelled it and it does smell like bourbon, but not like a bar room.  Just a little whiff of the Angel’s Share.)  Finally, check out that super cool DIY suitcase bar!  Any of them would make great gifts that celebrate one of America’s greatest gifts to the world.  Links to all these goodies can be found on our Pinterest Boards.

Conversation hearts are one holiday treat that I’m content to admire and not eat (to me they are slightly sweet chalk, but I know others who love them.) Still, I always loved getting a box or a few in a Valentines card and sorting through them, reading the secret messages and decoding them for context.  They embody youth and that giddy excitement of parties at school, of all consuming crushes, of the first flutters of love. And they also make pretty sweet jewelry!

Check out this adorable sterling silver necklace by Christina Korber’s etsy shop…so cute!  “Be Mine” is a classic from the conversation hearts repertoire, but she also has “1 and only,” “amore,” and “marry me.”  And they are customizable, so you can get anything from a pet name to the much coveted “Hot Stuff.”  What about “Angel” for your flower girl?  Or your bridesmaids initials? Or maybe you could just casualllllllly leave this page up so your fiance can spot it and mention casuallllllly that Valentines is less than a month away…..

Check out this and some of our other great finds on our Pinterest boards–there’s even a Valentines idea board with a link to how to make Conversation Heart Vodka!

I spotted the image below on Pinterest and knew I MUST make something similar for Thanksgiving.  Ours will be a quiet affair this year, sticking close to home, movies and cleaning in anticipation of tree trimming.  But even though it’s low key I still want it to be special and festive. I’ve got some fancy cheese, some scaled down versions of our favorite dishes (Brussels sprouts with bacon! Sweet potatoes with marshmallows!), fancy plates from vintage shops and the bounty of the Goodwill.

This is a totally simple and elegant drink to whip up for us or for guests who drop by.  The original recipe called for creating a cranberry syrup and muddling fruit.  While it sounds A-MAZ-ING, I’m pretty sure I won’t have the energy for all that fuss, so I’m opting for a streamlined cocktail I’ve made before. It’s a crowd pleaser, easy to adjust for bigger crowds or designated drivers.  (Just mix up the fruit juice, simple syrup and ginger ale and have the gin (or vodka) on the side.)  Crisp, tart, refreshing and festive.  Do you have a favorite holiday drink to add to my list?  I’m always looking for good ones!

Cranberry Ginger Fizz Cocktail
Ingredients

1 cups real cranberry juice
1/4 cup simple syrup
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 orange, juiced
1 1/2 cups dry gin
1 cup chilled Ginger Ale
Mint & cranberries to garnish

Preparation

Put all ingredients in a pitcher with ice, stir, strain into glasses filled with crushed ice.  Garnish with mint and cranberries.

For the link to the original recipe and lots of other ideas, check out our Pinterest boards!

The whirlwind of the holidays is already starting to swirl around us!  Tonight was definitely an order in pizza kind of night after a week of trying to catch up with myself…and the pizza got me thinking about beers.  And beers had me thinking about weddings (most things get me thinking about weddings).  We’ve not done any posts about local craft beers?!?  How can that be?!? One of the easiest ways to bring a touch of the south, the locale,  your home town, where you met, etc. is to introduce a local beer to the line up of your reception.  Sure, you could tap a keg of the usual lager, but why not offer up something delicious, refreshing and totally unique?

Big Boss Brewery is located in our own Raleigh, NC and has been in operation since 2006.  They offer a wide range of year round brews, as well as a very cool selection of seasonal offerings.  The graphic bottles add a touch of rockabilly cool to any party, but kegs are available for some of their recipes.  Hell’s Belle is their version of a Belgian Blonde and would go great with some slightly spicy dinner offerings.  Light and refreshing, it’ll help keep (or definitely encourage) your guests to dance the night away.

Check out some of our other beverage finds on our Pinterest Board or head on over to Big Boss Brewery’s website to check out their other offerings!