Free Monogram!

I absolutely adore monograms and think they are positively essential for any wedding. They are so chic and are a great detail for every aspect of your big day.

You could...

 make them into a stamp for your wedding envelopes

or use it as wedding favor tags

or have it put into your cake design.

See?

Endless uses!

If you are looking for a monogram design, you need to friend Custom Printable on Twitter.

If you become a follower and comment on a post on her blog, you can get a free monogram.

Oh, yes.

That's right.

FREE!

Hurry.

Go now.

This deal ends tomorrow!

If you need more convincing, check out the monogram I got on Saturday.

It's so perfect. She made me two actually. One with our married last name and one without.

{I just didn't feel comfortable putting that up on the blog.}

I love that I got this free.

It's beautiful!

Thanks, Valerie.

[as a note:: this is not a sponsored/compensated post. no money/product was given in exchange for advertisement.]

A Signature

I don't know about you, but I think smell is very important. I can remember the smell of my grandmother's house in TX from when I used to visit when I was a child. I love the way my grandmother smells because it reminds of all the fun times we've had; her signature scent has a white gardenia base. Makes me smile just thinking about it right now. :)

I love coming home after a long stay because it smells like home. I also love the smell of my room; air fresheners are the best! I try to pick a signature scent [vanilla] for the year, but definitely change it up for the Christmas season. Mmmm...cinnamon, nutmeg, peppermint, all spice...thinking off them makes me feel all warm inside. You too? Good!

I need to find my signature scent. If you've been following me on Twitter, then you know that this weekend I was asking for perfume recommendations. I all ready have two perfumes in my collection, and I love them dearly because I like to smell good. And, really, what girl doesn't?

The first perfume I got was Dolce and Gabbana's Light Blue as a Christmas gift. It is a great spring and summer seasonal mist, and I definitely break it out on the really nice, sunny days!

The second fragrance I bought for myself while on a cruise in the Caribbean [hello duty-free!]. It is Calvin Klein's Euphoria, and I love it for it's sensual feel. I use it during fall and winter and for the all-important date nights with Mr. GrapeJuice.

These are great seasonal scents, but I want something that is me. One that I feel comfortable wearing for all four seasons. [Go with me on this one.] I know it's out there; something that's delicate but warm. Basically, a little mixture of my two perfumes combined but with a pleasant smell. [Am I making sense?] I got several recommendations from people via Twitter - thanks, ladies! And, I'm kind of stuck on one given to me by Louise {The Thirty-Something Bride Wife} - Marc Jacobs Blush. The description I read says it has hints of honeysuckle, and that pretty much sold me. I've been obsessed with honeysuckle since I first ate it on the playground in Kindergarten!

So, please excuse me while I wait impatiently for a day when I can go search for this beauty in stores and am able to smell it!!

D&G perfume photo : Amazon

CK perfume photo : iVillage

MJ perfume photo : My-Hair-Tools

For Your Dress

I don't know if you've seen this yet, but it's been saved in my favorites for quite some time now.
I think it is a really cute idea!!
Not only will it remind you of what you are becoming once you put the dress on, but it'll look AWESOME in pictures!
Imagine having your dress shot taken with it hanging off of such a precious piece.
{plus, the pricing is great}

.:Bridesmaids, Mothers, etc. - take note of this because it would be a great Bridal Shower gift too!:.

Found on Etsy.
Made by LilaFrances
Current Price: $15

Don't You Just Love Free Things??

I'm not typically a lucky person, but I still like to try. It never hurts to try. Think about how lost we would be without lights and plumming... Yeah, it brought a gross imagine to my mind too.

Anywho...!

I discovered a little contest available at Legally Pink and Green. {If you love all things fun and preppy, this is a blog for you!} She is giving away a 2010 Wall Calendar, and it just so happens to be pink and green. And, who doesn't need a calender for 2010?? I know I do. :)
There are five different ways to enter this contest, and you can find out what they all are here!!

This contest ends Thursday, August 20th @ 5 pm.

Hair Accessory Give-Away

I was over at Miss Kriss' blog and noticed that she had a contest posted on her sidebar. Always ready to put my luck to the test, I headed on over to the blog {Headbands and Hand Bags} that is holding the contest. The owner of this blog is giving away...

1. A beautiful navy blue ribbon headband
2. A cute, preppy pink and green headband
3. FIVE ribbon flower headclips

If you love a good hair accessory - and I totally do - then head on over to her blog and put your name in!!

Click here to enter!

This contest ends Sunday, August 16th @ midnight!!
Hurry, hurry, hurry.
:)

Suzie Homemaker Yumminess

So, I just got back from spending some quality time with my best friend and maid of honor, MC, at the GH Mall. She was looking for shoes (boots, actually, if we're being honest) for a birthday gift to herself. I was on a mission to find a new purse. She got lucky and found EXACTLY what she was looking for on the first try. I, on the other hand, had absolutely no luck.

These are the boots that she found and that we both loved. They are brand new and she was the first to buy a pair!! What an awesome birthday present. She got them in Storm Grey (as pictured). When they go on sale in a couple of months, I totally plan on getting them in black.

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Also, while MC was waiting for the sales lady to bring her the boots to try on, she and I found some lovely shoes for me. I would love to own these and will probably also purchase them when they go on sale in a couple of months. I'm so excited. The shoes are navy but don't appear to be in the picture...just so you know! :)

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After purchasing the beautiful boots, MC and I went on a hunt for the perfect purse. About a month ago, I was in PA visiting family for a reunion. We were killing time in a mall and I found the perfect bag. However, it was $99...which happens to be a little out of my budget. Naturally, I thought it'd go on sale and I'd just get it later at another store. Wrong. I have not been able to find it anywhere. Apparently, it's an older style and the only place I can find it for a decent price is ebags.com. (Has anyone bought something from there before?) They have sales on Wednesdays and Sundays that make the price about $80 - including sales tax. Below is a picture of it and I have not been able to find anything remotely similar to it that I love as much as I do this bag. Your thoughts?

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And, now, to tie in my blog title. I bet you were wondering when I was going to do that. Now I am! :D While with MC today, she handed me a recipe I has asked for earlier. It is for Peach Cobbler with Blueberry Muffin Crust. How yummy does that sound? I can't wait to make it. I've just got to do it soon before peaches are out of season. And, for your enjoyment, I am going to give you the recipe in this post. Lucky you! (Plus, this is for my benefit in case I lose the paper the recipe is written on. I'm forgetful like that.)

Peach Cobbler with Blueberry Muffin Crust
by MC the Maid of Honor

4 lbs peaches, peeled and sliced
3/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 c. butter

1. Toss together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat
3. Add peach mixture to skillet; bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes
4. Spoon hot peach mixture into a lightly greased 13x9" baking dish
5. Spread Blueberry Muffin Batter (recipe below) over hot peach mixture evenly
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until crust is golden

Blueberry Muffin Batter
by: MC the Maid of Honor

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 c. fresh blueberries

1. Combine first four ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl; make a well in center
2. Stir together milk, vegetable oil, and egg; add to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. DO NOT OVERMIX - some clumps are okay!
3. Gently fold in blueberries

Notes
- Use a wooden spoon - not an electric mixer - to prepare muffin batter
- A smaller baking dish works too; MC used an 8x8" and the juices spilled out the sides but it's fine if you put a baking sheet on the rack below the dish

My mouth is watering now after just typing the recipe up. I'm so going to store soon to get the ingredients that we don't all ready have in the house! Yum yum yum. :)

*~Sassy Bride~*

I'm in love...and not just with R!

I have found some new vendor sites that I really love. One that I am particularly falling all over is Ever After! While some things are some what out of my price range, there are most definitely others that are in it!! But, hey, I love to dream that I can afford such things.

For example, I have completely fallen in love with this necklace (below). I so know that I cannot afford it for my wedding, but it's one of my wedding colors and would look stunning with a strapless dress. The designer is Glamorosi and she has lots of other wonderful designs as well that are quite affordable!

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There is another designer, Notepourri, on the site that I have also fallen in love with. Their address label designs are super cute! And, coincidentally enough(!!), they too have a design that match my wedding colors. I seriously wish my wedding was sooner rather than later...so many good deals!!

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The other site that I also love is Save On Crafts!! R and I were perusing the site last night and saw so many things that would be perfect for our wedding. I love DIY projects but I get bored easily. This is why I love the fact that our wedding is in two years; so I can work on our projects! :) To have the wedding now or later? Silly indecisive me. But...back to what I found!

I found these beautiful green unscented candles - $5.99 for a pack of 6. These would look great in frosted votive candles around a centerpiece on a white table with silver flatware.

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I have so many ideas running through my head of what I want. I just wish I had an outlet to put all my energy...like designing my ENTIRE wedding!! :)

C.