Wedding Wednesday: A & J's NC Nuptials

First of all, HAPPY (golden) BIRTHDAY to my amazing fiance! We have a few days weeks of birthday celebrations lined up and I can't wait to celebrate with you! 

Now on to the wedding details. On Sunday Aaron and I were guests at the bride, A, was is one of Aaron's best friends from high school. The wedding was held at Heirloom Gardens, a 200-acre working family farm in Yanceyville, NC. 

The ceremony was in a meadow outside of the farm house. Right before the ceremony there were big, dark clouds in the distance and a few rounds of rolling thunder, but thankfully, the big storm never arrived and everything went as planned. A and J exchanged vows, the rabbi shared Torah, family members recited the seven blessings, J stepped on the glass and they were married! 

During the cocktail hour in the garden we had a chance to catch up with friends from AHA and I got to meet a few of Aaron's classmates. The reception was held in a greenhouse that was filled with gold and green accents, terrarium centerpieces and a photo booth. Dinner was catered by the venue and included veggies picked fresh from the farm that same day!

Mazel tov to the bride, the groom, the families, and everyone involved. You did it!

Weekend Recap

It is officially Summer! 

That means road trips, sleeveless dresses, sweet North Carolina corn on the cob, fresh watermelon, family visits, ice cream runs, summer concerts, birthdays, and only one more season until our wedding day!

Okay, so I didn't get to posting the weekend recap yesterday, but there is no better time than now! On Friday evening, Aaron and I and made a Target run for my short list which originally only included Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Therapy, mascara and greeting cards, but of course I forgot to add on the mint green lace dress that wanted to be on my shopping list. On the way home we picked up hibachi from my new favorite Japanese to go restaurant for dinner.

Saturday took us all around the Triangle. We went suit shopping in Briar Creek and then in Durham. After lunch we attended a couples wedding shower over by Shelly Lake. We enjoyed frozen cosmos, screwdriver and margarita cocktails, more creatively named shotcicles or poptails, haha, they were really good! We played a round of Celebrity Catch Phrase and then everyone headed outside to learn how to play croquette. 

On Sunday we spent a relaxed morning getting all spiffy for a friends wedding in Yancyville, NC. It was our first wedding of the year and one that we had been looking forward to (we look forward to all of them...) It was beautiful and so much fun! I will post more about the wedding tomorrow for Wedding Wednesday.

Hope you had a good weekend (and Monday!)

Simply Saturday

Favorite Things Thursday

 

Stained Glass Fairytales by Mandie Manzano

Mermaids Lagoon | The Mermaids Song

These beautiful, vibrantly colored art prints inspired by fairytale characters and pop culture are amazing! These are my top two favorites, but there are so many more in Manzano's portfolio on Society6. I haven't bought anything from here yet, but I think it might be a good go-to for sourcing art when we have more wall space in the future.

Favorite new show of the summer so far, Family Tree on HBO. The show is written and created by Christopher Guest and Jim Piddock. It's a single-camera, documentary-style show that follows Tom Chadwick, played by Chris O'Dowd, who begins exploring his family heritage after inheriting a mysterious box from a great aunt he never met. Unsure of his identity, he uncovers a world of unusual stories and characters as well as a growing sense of who he and his real family are. It's so funny!

"Set the foundation with the powdered ashes of Susan B. Anthony." - @tadelesmith

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I am still getting used to the "share", "reblog", and "heart" buttons being at the bottom of each after being being relocated there by, I am assuming Yahoo's people. It makes so much sense, but after years of tumbling and scrolling back up to the top to like a post, my scrolling finger just seems to be stuck in it's old ways... Is it just me or does anyone else have this problem quirk?

To end this FTF post, I have big, exciting news to share! I have a blog re-design in the works! It is inspired by my passions, including mermaids, jadeite and Raleigh. I wanted to share a sneak peak before the whole new layout goes live, hopefully soon! 

I hope you have a lovely Thursday!

Wedding Wednesday: A Bridal Shower

Earlier this month Aaron and I drove up to MD for the weekend for my bridal shower! My amazing sister, Dana, along with my aunts and other family members had been planning this party for months. 

Even though we decided to call it a "Bridal Shower" I knew that I wanted to invite men and women and have it be more of a couples shower. There are plenty of ladies who enjoy the traditional women only Bridal Shower with girly decor, a fancy sit down brunch, and toilet paper wedding dresses games, but I'm just not one of them! I wanted to be able to invite all of my friends and family to celebrate while we were in town. 

The shower was held at my aunt and uncle's beautiful house in Annapolis. They were amazing hosts and were so kind to open up their entire home for the shower. We had lunch set up in the kitchen, a delicious dessert table in the dining room, a slideshow of photos of each of us growing up, and drinks on the deck, including a signature "Manassa Punch" created by my aunts.

After lunch we played a round of "Who Said It?" with ginger mustache (for Aaron) and hot pink lip (for me) props, and then we opened gifts. After the shower "ended" friends and family stuck around to hang out on the deck until the evening. 

Thank you to everyone who helped plan our shower and to everyone who joined us in Annapolis to celebrate! We cherish the moments that we spend together and always look forward to the next party!

From the Archives: Jadite Glassware in Movies

How about a little blast from the past? Here is one of my favorite posts from the archives, not of this blog, but of my blogging history. You never know what might pop up! Jadeite lovers unite!

One day when I was doing a word association exercise with the list of words that I keep in my notebook for blog inspiration, I had a light bulb moment! I thought, "I should combine two of my favorite things that I usually post about separately, into one post!" From this brain blast, the post about Jadite glassware seen in movies was born!

Jadite, or sometimes Jadeite, was manufactured by several companies such as Fenton, McKee, and Anchor Hocking between 1942 to the mid 1970's. The Fire King line (my personal favorite) came in four main designs called, "Restaurant Ware", "Alice", "Jane Ray" and "Charm". 

I have a small but growing collection of Jadite pieces. I have been steadily collecting Jadite since I was in high school and I truly love every piece that I have. I have cups, chili bowls, a batter bowl, and a pair of McKee shakers that I use everyday. Every now and then I spot a key piece of Jadite used as a prop in a movie. 

The Birdcage

Director: Mike Nichols

Starring: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, & Hank Azaria
Pieces Featured: Galaxy Swirl Mixing Bowl / Dinner Plate

Secretariat

Director: Randall Wallace

Starring: Diane Lane, Margo Martindale & John Malkovich

Pieces Featured: Fire King D Handle Restaurantware Mugs

Far From Heaven

Director: Todd Haynes

Starring: Julianne Moore & Denis Quaid

Featured Piece: Fire King D Handle Restaurantware Mug

Big Fish

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Ewan MacGregor, Steve Buscemi, Albert Finney, & Billy Crudup

Featured Piece: Fire King D Handle Mug / Salad Plate

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X-men - First Class

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender,  Kevin Bacon & January Jones

Featured Pieces: Jane Ray Dessert Bowl / Jane Ray Oatmeal & Cereal Bowl

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photo source

Spanglish

Director: James L. Brooks

Starring: Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Paz Vega & Cloris Leachman

Pieces Featured: Restaurantware Mug / Jane Ray Salad Plate
 

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Zodiac  

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo & Robert Downey Jr.

Piece Featured: Fire King D Handle Restaurantware Mug

How I Met Your Mother

Episode: Season 7, Episode 7: Noretta

Pieces Featured: Salt and Pepper Shakers with Stand / Sugar Bowl

Okay, okay, I know this on isn't a movie, but I couldn't resist! Aaron spotted the featured Jadite in this past Monday's episode of HIMYM!

I had so much fun doing the research for this post! I would like to send heartfelt thank yous to Kate of Jadite Kate and to King Jeff  from the Fire King Flickr group for pointing me in the right direction. 

Do you know of any other movies that feature Jadite pieces? Let me know! 

What do you collect?

Weekend/Life Recap

Hi there! I have been on a bit of a blogging break recently because... I started a new job! I am the new News In Education Manager at The News & Observer! The News & Observer is the oldest newspaper in Raleigh and is central to our city. This position is a perfect combination of working in education and technology. Its challenging, but I like it so far!

Making the adjustment from working 20 hours a week back to 40 hours a week hit me harder than I thought it would. Since I started at the beginning of June it seems that I have been trying to find time to fit everything in. Even though blogging has been one of my favorite hobbies for the past 13 or so years, there are times when it's not easy. It can be hard to find the time to dedicate to blogging when I am also trying to find time to work 9-5, keep the apt tidy, cook dinner almost every night, get to the gym, keep in touch with my family, keep in touch with my friends, making time to play with our very energetic kitten, plan a wedding, organize parties, and keep up with current events and industry news. Whew!

So many good things going on, but there is only so much time in each day!

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On Friday evening Aaron and I went to see This is the End with a few friends in Cary. It was so much more than it promised to be! If you are a fan of apocalyptic humor, Seth Rogan and his friends, Pineapple Express, or seeing the downfall of celebrities, then this movie is for you!

On Saturday we were in full on wedding planning mode! (less than 4 months to go!) We were crossing items off of our To Do list like wedding planning ninjas!  

On Sunday we ran a few errands then made time to video chat with our families for Father's Day. Even though I just got to see my family last weekend and they are coming to visit next weekend, I can never get enough of them!

So, as I try to find the time to dedicate to blogging, I ask that you please be patient with me, and know that I won't forget to write!

I hope you had a good weekend!

Simply Saturday

Oak City Style

 

Raleigh Hot Dog Shirt | Oak City Collective

Last month at the Morning Times First Friday Market, my friend Kelly and I spotted a collection of amazing Raleigh inspired screen printed t-shirts created by Fouryou Designs. I wanted to buy one that night, but the seller had sold out of the design in the color and size that I wanted. Darn! I should have thought more about shopping earlier on and less about drinking, oops! 

Anyway,  I snagged a business card and looked them up over the weekend. I discovered that they had even more designs then we saw displayed in their booth. Inspired, I did as I always do, and spent a little time searching around the Internet and Etsy for other Raleigh/Oak City inspired designs. Here are a few of my favorite designs that I found.

Raleigh Summer Trees Track T | Ahpeele

The Raleigh Acorn Factory | She Calls Me Todd

 

Drink Local | Oak City Collective

Official Acorn | Fouryou Designs

Even though we won't be able to go to First Friday this month since we will be traveling, I will keep these in mind and hopefully add one or two to my collection soon! How do you represent your love for your city?