wedding

Exactly 3 months ago, my living room looked like Paper Source threw up everywhere. Paper, ribbon, labels, chalkboard (everything) covered my dining room table, while old cafeteria cans turned in to “old” fruit and vegetable cans lined the floor… Painted lanterns, mismatched crystal votives, big vintage windows, would-be wooden table runners surrounded by painters tape… to give an accurate sense of table schematic, of course. Ahh, those were the good ‘ol craft-tastic pre wedding frenzy days. Now, a lonely bunch of peonies sit in a mason jar atop the dining room table… which is now home to honeymoon central. (More on that later!) There are still so many details, DIY how-to’s and photos of ...Read More
One month ago, I married the man of my dreams and we spent the night dancing and laughing with our closest family and friends. Per his request, but mostly in my planning (perfectionist) state, I handed off a desired playlist to our trusted music aficionado, Jesse Kivel of Dart DJ. Of course we had our picks for special moments like the first dance (Otis Redding’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is) , recessional music (Stevie Wonder’s “For Once in My Life”) and other important songs (Peter walked down to “Born to Run” by well, The Boss, of course). But, in my wildest dreams, I would have never thought that the song ...Read More
Almost two weeks ago, I  started to write a post…. March 26th. 10:30am… As I type this post, I’m sitting under a heat lamp with foils in my hair and a latte by my side. With just 72 hours to go until I say “I Do,” I’m in full bridal beautification mode and if I’m being honest, it’s kind of the best part of the planning process. This week, I’ve had, in no partcicular order (certainly not by rank of what hurts the worst): My eyebrows shaped and tweezed, waxing, laser hair removal, (Judaism = Hair issues), a manicure/pedicure, and now a cut, highlights, gloss and blowout. In just a couple hours (oh, ...Read More
I’m a girl who likes a plan. I thrive on order and system. A Virgo through and through, there is no detail “too detailed” and no perfecting “too perfect.”  So you can imagine how out of my little Type A comfort zone I feel right now, battling a head cold. Nine. Days. Before. The. Wedding. Sniff. As I sneeze all over the computer typing this and sipping my coffee, (Oh, you thought I’d say “tea,” huh? Yah, right. I’m getting married in 9 days, work full time and have a 6 year old. Coffee it is), I realize that there are actually a  few things that I have ZERO control over. And ...Read More
A few weeks ago, I was showered with love by some family and dear friends at one of the best bridal showers I’ve ever been to! I promise, I’m not just saying that because it was for me… Okay, well that definitely helped, but honestly, the hosts of this party happen to be chic, creative, and extraordinarily generous so each and every element blew me away. From the flowers, to the party favors, to food and of course, some very special gifts, I walked away not only feeling very lucky an special, but also with some great ideas for future parties of my own! Because of the attention and time that ...Read More
When it comes to party planning, in my opinion, one of the most important details is the very first thing that people see: The Invitation! To me, the invitation sets the tone. Everything from color, shape, texture, and wording dictates what kind of an event your going to have and how people should feel about it. Granted, I’m one of those freaks who notices every detail down to the stamp placement (and if it coordinates with the theme of the event), so I realize that my opinion is slightly skewed, but still… This is is one area that I wasn’t willing to go anti-bridezilla on. From the moment Peter asked me ...Read More
This past week marked my last week of a partnership with KLEAN LA… which meant my glorious 24 day run of all things gluten and soy free, was coming to an end. But guess what? I had so much success and am feeling so great, I’m not going to stop! In 24 days, which basically spanned over 5 weeks (as I scheduled my deliveries to Monday-Friday), I lost about 6 pounds and feel fantastic! With 47 days until “the big day,” *(but who’s counting, really) I’m not stopping now! There is obviously a big financial consideration when it comes to choosing to do a diet delivery service. But knowing that I ...Read More
My friends keep asking me if I’m less stressed “this time around….” They wonder if since this is my second wedding, I’m less intense or less interested in all the little details… Um… Nope. I’m still every bit as crazy as I was the last time. Let me be clear though: I’m not the bride that is dictating that the bridesmaids have identical hairdo’s or that felt the urge to spend thousands on a wedding dress. Oh no. My bridesmaids (might I point out my life long best friends and sister in laws) have been given one detail: Wear navy and have alcohol standing by for me. Simple right? Oh, and my ...Read More
Grilled Chicken MarbellaBaby Spinach & Roasted ZucchiniSpaghetti Squash I love the message I got from Kiki Heinzer, CEO and founder of KLEAN LA this week: “Low-carb diets are so 2000! We are all becoming more educated on the benefits of eating a diet of balanced, whole foods.  The use of complex-carbs in the Klean program plays a very important role. Carbs are our body’s main source of energy.  If you completely eliminate carbs from your diet, your body breaks down your precious lean muscle for energy instead.  The less lean muscle you have, the fewer calories you burn at rest and the slower your metabolism gets!  This means you have to work ...Read More
Greek Chicken Salad with Romaine, LentilsPomegranates, Walnuts, Mint Balsamic Vinaigrette If you come to my house and enter the kitchen, on the counter you’ll see a huge (and I mean huge) container labeled “VIRGIN DIET.”  Usually people do a double take and wonder what exactly I’m doing and (usually the men) make a joke asking if I know that ship sailed for me a long time ago. Ha ha ha. I reassure them that I’m not becoming a nun but in fact trying to follow a diet created by JJ Virgin. The Virgin Diet calls for eliminating 7 things: Soy, corn, gluten, dairy, sugar and artificial sweeteners, eggs and peanuts. Sounds cray ...Read More