Awesome MINTED Giveaway!

Valentine's Day is going to be extra special on CB this year because I will be happily bestowing some super fabulous Minted goodies to TWO lucky CB readers!! You guys already know I adore the designs at Minted so I'm beyond happy to be hosting this contest! Okay, let's get to the good stuff:

What's being given away:

50 free wedding invitations -or- save the dates to two CB readers! Each winner will have a month to redeem on Minted.com.

How to enter:

Simply leave a comment on this post and include a valid e-mail address so I have a way of contacting you in case you win.

How to achieve an extra entry:

Scroll down to the bottom of the blog and follow CB by clicking 'Join this site.' Just let me know you did so in your comment and I'll throw in an extra entry for you. ;o) 

Deadline to enter:

February 13, 2012 at midnight Central European Time.

Two randomly selected winners will be announced on Valentine's Day! Bonne chance!

Here's a few of my favorite current designs currently offered on Minted:

ps. There will also be another contest launching on Valentine's Day on CB so stay tuned!

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Help me choose the perfect Vday card!

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorites. I mean, really, how can you not love a day that is all about love?! Plus the reds and pinks and hearts and glitter win my heart over instantly.

I'll be in Amsterdam this year on Vday with J and a wonderful college friend of both of ours so while we'll be busy sightseeing, I thought it would be fun to surprise J with at least a little card that tells him how much he's loved. :o)

Side note! I've been working with Anna McClure, of Jack's Master Custom Invitations & Cards, on a new site design for CB {you can sneak a peek at some of the new design already but it's not fully rolled out just yet} this year and I absolutely adore her aesthetic and sense of whimsy and humor. She has a kind heart, as well - a portion of her annual proceeds are donated to animal rescue organizations. Isn't that the best?

Here's a few of her current Valentine's Day designs that I'm swooning over right now:

So which one would you go with? ;o) I'm really digging the #1 Fan design.

If you'd like, you can peruse more of Anna's cards - she also does fab custom save-the-dates and invitations! And be on the lookout for a giveaway coming up soon from Jack's Master! ;o)

This is not a sponsored post.

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E-shoot Inspiration. Run with it.

This is my inspiration for you ... for your e-shoot ... from what I believe is not an e-shoot. ;o)

I'm loving the timeless trench mixed with playful pink polka dots. Grab your honey {and photog} and have some fun in the rain.

What are you doing for your e-shoot?

Image found on Prepaganda.

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Candy Bars = out, like yesterday | Drink Bars = IN {+ here to stay}!

I suppose the blog title says it all but let me explain a teensy bit. I hate to knock something in its entirety so yes, if your candy bar was designed and brought to life by Amy Atlas and the ganache in your imported macarons from Paris match the sashes on your bridesmaids dresses, ... okay ... fine, your candy bar is probably totally fabulous in its own desperate way ..... But. Most candy bars I've seen in real life and on the webs, ... well, they look more like they were designed for a second-grade Valentine's Day party. You know what I'm talking about ... the M&Ms sorted by color and scooped into clear vases ... twizzlers {sometimes still in the wrappers - really?!?} plopped inside another clear vase ... etc. etc. When images of this sort start to become ubiquitous, I find it clear that a trend has run its course. Are you with me?

So I'm saying farewell to the now-ick candy bar and giving the drink bar a warm + welcome hello!

I'm really loving the minimalistic approach of this Martini Bar via Sunday Suppers. You don't always need ribbons and bows and color-coordinated ingredients ... jus' sayin. This looks fresh, clean and inviting.

The understated labels are fun yet simple. I. heart. ... and am ready for a 'tini!

If you're dying to turn up the decor quotient a tad, how about this cocktail bar via Southern Living {below}? I love the 'W' monogram made of mums. And the lemons and limes add some vibrant color.

I know if I were heading to a wedding and spotted a bar like one of the two shown above, I'd be beelining. And if it were a Bloody Mary bar, sorry, you'd be left in the dust. :o)

Are you planning on having a drink bar at your wedding? If so, share in the comments what drinks you'll be serving. And if you're planning on doing a candy bar, please share the why. ;o) j/k ... sort of.

Images: Top 4 via Sunday Suppers. Last image via Southern Living.

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Overdue favorite wedding of 2011: Lauren Bush + David Lauren

I never had the chance in December to write up a Favorites 2011 list so I'm just going to share one overdue favorite with you today. 

Favorite 2011 wedding: 

Lauren Bush and David Lauren.

Yes, yes, yes, Kate Middleton was gorgeous and all and she did marry a {once-cute} prince but Lauren's dress {custom designed by the groom's father, Ralph, of course!}, fabulously bohemian headpiece and eclectic-yet-all-American Colorado ranch wedding tops it for me. You can see more images here.

Now tell me your fave wedding of 2011!

Images found on Vogue and here.

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Interior Design --> Wedding Color Palette

Loving this periwinkle and cream color palette for a wedding!

Found via Eclectic Revisited on facebook {one of my faves for design inspiration}.

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Submit your honeymoon to UK's BRIDES magazine! ;o)

Just wanted to share this fun opportunity that came across my inbox this morning:

The UK's BRIDES magazine is looking for some romantic honeymoon photos and they'd love to see yours. You can submit your photos along with a little info about your fun escape to the mag and you just might be featured on BridesMagazine.co.uk! 

Good luck!

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Sponsored Post: New Year = New Way to Plan Weddings!

Have you guys visited Wedding.com yet? They've kicked off the new year with some brand new tools + templates, checklists and wedding budgets to make the wedding planning process even easier on you - and what's not to like about that? There's also a forum now so you can chat with other brides-to-be about anything and everything wedding. Love that. ;o) Oh, and you can connect with local vendors to find the perfect one for you! {You can detail the exact services you're interested in}

And the best part is that it's FREE! Whether you're a wedding photographer, caterer, florist, videographer ... or you're seeking one, this wedding website is the perfect helper!

Enjoy!

This post is sponsored by Wedding.com

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CB At Home: Accessory shrines

Hey loves, I hope you enjoyed the weekend. Mine was fabulously lazy with one early morning flea market thrown in. I woke up before the sun rose {not too common for this girl} on Sunday and traveled with some friends back to Tongeren, Belgium, {Did you miss my other European antiquing posts? Click here to catch up.} and I thought I'd share my favorite little jewel I toted home with me:

Yes! It's my first full-body dress form and I was told it is over 100 years old. It's marked 'PARIS Made in France' and I've already been imagining dreamy back stories for it. Some of my friends were a little creeped out by it but after I added a few sparkly numbers and tucked a pair of RayBan aviators on the 'shirt collar', I think she {or is it a he ... can't really tell but does it really matter? ... } is looking pretty chic next to my accessories table.

With my new addition, I felt inspired to spruce up my vanity. I did a little googling and found the holy grail of 'accessory shrine' inspiration here. I grabbed a few milk glass compotes out of the guest room {left over from our wedding 3 years ago} and started organizing. Here's a little glimpse:

{Above: The European charm bracelet I talked about in this post that my mother gave me years ago. love.}

I found the little gold + glass jewelry box at the Braderie de Lille in France last September.

The little glass bottles I picked up at a tiny flea market in France last summer. The vendor explained that he found them while on a World War II exploratory dig in the nearby area. My friend bought a grenade he had found on the same dig.  The milkglass compote is from my wedding. :o)

What does your vanity look like? Is it skillfully arranged with fun mementos or a crazy mish-mash of your favorites? I'd love to see some photos!

ps. Dress forms can be fabulous wedding accessories, too. ;o)

Images by me.

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Styled wedding shoot from Washington state: Vintage meets Modern

I love receiving styled shoots and finding out all the inside details. Photographer Mary Collier, from Washington state, sent in this lovely shoot and explained:


Late last summer I teamed up with a local antique/re-purposed store from Wenatchee, WA to create Whim Weddings. Truly a mix of old and new. We wanted the look to be vintage as far as the scene and the details but keep the bride and groom looking modern and fresh. This shoot was set in a cherry orchard just outside of town and shot close to sunset.

 

Thanks for sending over this lovely shoot, Mary!

Credits:
Photography: www.mkcphoto.com
Dress: www.wenatcheeweddings.com : Bella Sera
Hair & Make-up: Tousled
Props and styling: Out On A Whim
Baked Goods, including cake: Top Tier Cakes for All Occasions 

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Dear bride-to-be,

While catching up on some of my favorite blogs, I came across a beautifully honest post and I just had to share a quote from the blog entry because I think the message will resonate with almost every bride-to-be:


"It's difficult to be around people who are trying to be perfect- perfectly healthy, perfectly polite, perfectly poised, perfectly controlled. Remember that being human means being imperfect, being flawed. Let yourself be. Let others be... Stand up and reveal who you are and know that you are good enough. Stop worrying that people will find out who you really are. Instead, hope that they do. Help them by openly sharing yourself and being not who you think you should be, but who you really are." -Melody Beattie


Here's to letting your hair down and planning a perfectly imperfect wedding! 


xoxo,
CB

Image stream from the film Melancholia via here.

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CB is loving Fibi & Clo sandals!

Have you guys heard about Fibi & Clo? If not, I feel certain you will soon fall in love!


Here are two of my favorite styles:

{Top: Love Knot, $45; Bottom: Gold Cascade, $45}


Seriously, how cute are these?! And did you catch the prices? 


fibi & clo kindly sent me the Gold Cascade pair and I am saving them for when it warms up a little but I can't wait to flash a little glitz this spring. They look and feel fantastic - l.o.v.e.

And girls, tell me they are not peeeeeeeerfect for bridesmaids gifts, right?! Or to fill a basket on the dancefloor for guests' tired feet! Beautiful and comfy! I love. See the full collection here.

What do you think?

{In order to comply with newly revised FTC Regulations, I was kindly sent a pair of sandals by fibi & clo for this review}

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Shimmer + shine for the bride

The holidays still have me lusting for shimmer and sparkle and then I spied this sequined silk-chiffon beauty on Net-a-Porter:

Now tell me that isn't meant for a NYE bride! Sometimes I really wish we would have married during the winter holidays - it's such a fabulous excuse to pile on the glitter. I'm imagining shimmery gold lambskin ballet flats peeking out ... how would you accessorize?

Oooh, and bonus: completely re-wearable! Investment piece if I ever!

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Napa Valley wedding with full-on charm!

Loving this super sweet Napa Valley wedding today! And, no, you're not seeing double - the bride has a twin sister - how fun! Scroll down for all the eye candy and details!

Thanks to photographer Laura Monfredini for submitting this lovely wedding along with the following write-up:

Stacey & Glenn chose to say their "I-do's" in the Napa Valley even though they're from New Jersey because it was where they first said "I love you" & "I love you, too."  The couple met online & immediately connected.  A few months after they met, Stacey's identical twin sister, Suzanne, invited the new couple out to San Francisco where she lives for a visit.  Stacey & Glenn headed up to Napa & on a sun-soaked afternoon (after a couple of glasses of wine), Stacey worked up the nerve to tell Glenn that she was in love with him (how cute she said it first!).  Luckily, (she says) he quickly responded that he was in love with her too.  A year later, almost to the day, Glenn proposed.  They decided immediately on a small, intimate, destination wedding in Napa & Suzanne helped orchestrate the cross-country affair.  The day was perfect -- it was warm but not too hot, the ceremony took place at the Avia Hotel, in the charming revitalized downtown Napa, and the reception was in the backyard at a private estate, set in the vineyards a few miles up the road.  

Credits:

Photography:  eLLe Photography  - www.ellephotographs.com 

Dress & Hairpiece (Bride):  Romona Keveza, Exquisite Bride, Milburn, NJ -- http://www.exquisite-bride.com/

Dresses (Maids):  J Crew  -- www.jcrew.com  

Suits (Groomsmen): Brooks Brothers  -- http://www.brooksbrothers.com/ 

Shoes:  Manolo Blahnik

Wedding “detailer”:  Heidi Johnson, “Sew Heidi”, Napa, CA, sewheidi@earthlink.net 

Rings:  W. Kodak Jewelers, Hoboken, NJ -- http://www.wkodakjewelers.com/ 

Wine:  Eponymous Wines, Napa, CA -- http://www.eponymouswines.com/ 

Catering: Peter Hall Catering, Napa, CA

Location:  Avia Hotel (ceremony), private estate (reception), Napa, CA

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