Valley & Co Spring Ezine Contributor

Hi friends!  I'm very sorry for the silence on the blog this week but there has been a family emergency with a family member in the hospital and I just haven't felt much like blogging.  My family is doing alright and things are looking better now than they did just a few days ago so we are positive.  I appreciate everyone's patience so much.  I hate not blogging but sometimes other things are just more important.  For those of you who have sent kind words to me and my family, thank you so much.  We can't thank you enough for your support.

I have a perfect post to share today which will help get me get back into the swing of things.  Yesterday Aleah and Nick Valley of Valley & Co launched their second ezine, their Spring Issue and it looks fabulous!  The Valleys asked me to be a part of this issue and I had so much fun creating a macaroon-inspired photoshoot.  The Paris shop Ladurée was my inspiration.  Here are a few pictures from the shoot:

Check out the entire Spring Issue to see the rest of my feature (I'm on pages 40-44) which includes some free downloads but don't just stop there.  This ezine is overflowing with talent so be sure to peruse the pretty styled shoots, read the Valley's great advice, and get shopping suggestions with the gift guides.  Aleah and Nick are one talented duo and some of the nicest people around so support them and let them know how they did on their amazing second ezine.  

Thank you so much Aleah and Nick for your support and for asking me to be a part of your lovely spring ezine!   

Envision Creativity

Today I had to share a new wedding industry resource that my friends Aleah and Nick Valley put together.  They created the Envision Creativity Daily, a newspaper-style blog with content being fueled by the tweets of industry peers.  

This is a great way to see what everyone is saying but simple because it is all in one place.  I follow many of these talented people but aren't always able to catch every tweet, retweet, and link.  This way, I am sure to catch everything important.  We can't be expected to sit in front of Twitter all day, reading everyone's updates.  Creating a paper like this allows you to not miss out on the news, while still having a life! 

I had never seen or heard of these newspaper-style blogs before but after seeing this one, I realize what a valuable resource this can be for this industry or any other.  Thanks Aleah and Nick for introducing it to me and probably many others.  These two are always coming up with amazing ideas...I don't know how they find the time but I'm glad they do.  They are helping to create a better wedding industry world.

Be sure to check back tomorrow.  I have a beautiful roundup of inspirational images to share.  Hint: red, white, and blue!             

Top 100 Wedding Blogs

I just wanted to do a quick little shout-out tonight before I headed off to bed and to get my post in for the day.  Earlier this week Bride Tide released their list of the top 100 wedding blogs of 2011.  I was so excited to see so many familiar faces and friends who made the list.  I am honored to know and work with some of these talented people!  Two great ladies that I have the pleasure of working with regularly are:

Emma from Emmaline Bride

Alison from The Knotty Bride

Aleah and Nick from Valley and Co also made the list!  I have had the pleasure of working with them {and meeting them!} before on DIYs and I hope to work with them in the near future.  

Other friends that I have gotten to know and who made the list are:

Sofia and André from Branco Prata

And Chris from Postcards & Pretties

Congrats everyone!  You guys all rock mucho!

To see all of the 100 blogs that made the list, check out the link here.  And definitely check out Bride Tide as well.  It is such a great resource.  All of the best wedding posts from around the web can all be found right here in one place.  Perfect!

Good night!

A Holiday E-zine Contribution

Yesterday, along with my project that appeared over on Emmaline Bride, another one of my DIYs made its debut!  Not too long ago, Aleah and Nick Valley of Valley and Co asked if I would like to contribute a project for their first holiday e-zine they were putting together.  I had previously created this s'mores DIY for them and was so excited and honored to get to work with them again.  They are such a great duo and I really enjoy their tweets, blog posts, knowledge of the industry, and just overall kindness and support! (thanks guys!) I had to work quickly so I decided to create some cute, one-of-a-kind wrapping details that would inspire people to wrap beautiful presents this year.  

I must be completely honest with you...I am not known for being a great wrapper.  Don't be fooled by this DIY or my general knowledge of crafty things.  I kind of suck at it.  Usually I wait until the last minute (on buying the gifts and on wrapping) and then just throw everything into bags to eliminate stress.  So in all actuality, this DIY was not only intended as inspiration for Valley and Co readers but also for myself.  This year I want to wrap some bomb presents and this project has gotten me pretty pumped.  I have all the materials (bakers twine, kraft paper, velvet ribbon, washi tape, pretty paper, etc) so I have no excuse.  If nothing else I should hold myself accountable for blogging purposes.  Will I hold up this end of the bargain?  If you see blog pictures of my presents, then you'll know I made an effort...if you don't see blog pictures then...well...you get the idea (shame).  

So without further ado, here is a sneak peek picture of my Valley and Co-style holiday wrapping:

And to see the entire project with all the pictures and how-tos, take a look at the ezine here.  My work begins on page 30 but peruse the entire thing for decor inspiration, beautiful photos, gift guides for everyone in the family (including dogs), and helpful tips!  Enjoy!   

Valley and Co Guest Blogger

Happy Friday everyone!  I have a great DIY holiday project to show you today but you'll have to head on over to Valley and Co to check it out.  Aleah and Nick Valley, the amazingly talented duo behind Valley and Co, were in need of some guest bloggers this week and I was so happy to be able to help them out with a post.  I created a mini all-in-one s'mores kit that is perfect for the holidays (or a winter wedding) and is quick and easy to put together.  Make a few of them and hand out as favors after a holiday party or use as stocking stuffers for friends and family.  Or even better, make one and gift it to yourself.  Even though the s'mores are mini, they are still delicious! 

Here are a couple of teaser pictures but make sure to check out the full post here to see the whole tutorial.  And don't forget to leave Aleah and Nick some love...they are the sweetest!  I can't thank them enough for having me today and for their overall kindness and support that they have given me here on my blog and on Twitter.  It is people like them that make me feel so welcome in this wedding blogging community.  Thanks A + N!!