Dressing Your 'Maids

The lovely ladies that will stand by your side on your wedding day have been there for you through through  laughter and tears and now they will accompany you at the alter on perhaps the most important day of your life.  You were honored to choose these wonderful women as your bridesmaids as much as they are honored that you chose them to be apart of your celebration. 

Dressing these special women can be tricky.  You want them to be stylish, yet comfortable and fit into the vision that you have for your wedding all at the same time!  And if you're like me you want your ladies to be able to wear their dresses again since they are purchasing them especially for your day.  Twobirds Bridesmaids is one of the best ways to style your girls that I have ever seen ... 1 dress = over 15 ways to wear it!  What can be better than that!  Check out some styles below to see the many different ways to accommodate all styles and body types!

Caribbean Taco Salad

This is one of my all time FAVORITE summer recipes.  Most people who know me know I love Spanish Foods, this is definitely a twist on a classic!  With summer looking like its here to stay, this meal would be a perfect refreshing end to a busy week and the best part ... it's super healthy!  You can find it on the Jennie-O website along with a ton of other great recipes!

Picture courtesy of Jennie-O

OBX Weddings

This past weekend I was able to visit the BEAUTIFUL Outer Banks in North Carolina, I've always wanted to go there and was so excited for the weekend to get here!  Our first stop was the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.  While we were there the staff was busy setting up for a wedding!  What a neat idea, a wedding by a lighthouse!  Of course I didn't leave without picking up a pamphlet on Outer Banks Weddings!  Have you ever thought of having a beach wedding? 

In most cases a beach wedding would be considered a destination wedding since most likely the bride and groom are planning from out of town.  The logistics of a beach wedding are a little different than an "inland wedding venue."  It is very important to have a planner who knows the rules & regulations as well as the lay of the land when planning your destination wedding.  For pre planning the Outer Banks has quite a few websites to help get you started.  One great resource I really liked was from the Outer Banks Wedding Association, take a look at tell me what you think!

Here are some pictures from my OBX adventure!  Can you imagine your wedding at any of these locations???  I'm not sure how many weddings these locations have hosted, but nothing is impossible right?!?! :-)

This is at the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, looking for a nautical feel for your wedding?



Jockey Ridge State Park is the tallest natural sand dune in the Eastern United States.  This could be an ideal location for hang gliding lovers!

The beach at Kill Devil Hills would be perfect for beach lovers!  Walk right out of your hotel and onto the beach!

For the history buff, the sprawling land around the Wright's Brothers Memorial could be an amazing location for you!



Balsamic Potato and Green Bean Salad

This year I cooked a marvelous (if I do say so myself) Mother's Day Meal for a few special Mother's in my life.  It was a great day of fellowship and fun and the perfect end to a busy weekend!  One of the side dishes I made was balsamic potato and green bean salad.  It wasn't the first time I have prepared it, but it has been awhile!  I found the recipe in the June/July 2007 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray (of course) and the dish was ALL THE RAVE with the Moms!  For those of you who don't hang on to your magazines like I do, you can find the recipe here!  As Rach would say ... Yum-O! 



Honey Orange BBQ Chicken

Last Thursday I shared a side dish that I served at my Mother's Day dinner.  This Thursday I want to share an equally fabulous main dish that I served in addition to grilled Salmon.  One Saturday morning I happened to tune in to one of my favorite cooking shows, Down Home with the Neely's on the Food Network.  This ultra loving couple was making Honey Orange BBQ Chicken as a part of a meal they were preparing for a gathering with friends.  Now I am not one to like honey, but this dish looked so good I could not wait to try it out.  It fit in marvelously with my meal and everyone enjoyed it!  I hope that if you don't get a chance to try it this weekend you think about trying it Memorial Day weekend.  It would be a wonderful "official" start to the Summer season dish!  Have a great weekend!!!

Picture from Food Network Website

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ...

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of coordinating and decorating a "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" themed birthday party for a very special 3 year old!  Being weather conscious, I wasn't able to go all out with the decor as originally planned, but we were all very happy the rain stayed away until the party's end!  Below take a peek at the colorful tables, balloons, letters (decorated by Kamryn's older sister) and palm tree that we were able to do!  Everybody had a blast, great food, great fun and tons of bouncing around for kids & adults!

COLOR INSPIRATION: Purple & Teal

Have a look at this fun color combo for any wedding!  These jewel tones go perfectly together for any time of year!

 For starters, lets give a little love to the men!  Dress them with different ties in the same color range, similar to dressing your girls in different styles of the same color.

How about these iridescent gowns that showcase both of your colors?!?! 

 A very elegant cake with a ton off of flair!

Have you ever thought about adding a punch of color through the actual chair?!?!

An overall very cohesive and beautiful look!

Photo Credits (Top to Bottom): The Tie Bar, My Dress 4 Less, Wedding Bee Blog, Classic Party Rentals, Wedding Bee Blog

Spring Vegetable Soup

Over the past few mornings, here in beautiful North Carolina, it has been a little chilly.  Although I was excited for the summer weather, the lower temperatures have been quite refreshing.  Before it gets hot and stays hot, that means there's still a little time for the last soup of the season.  This Spring Vegetable Soup Recipe straight from Rachael Ray is quite filling and is a tasty reminder of the beauty that spring brings! Enjoy!

 

Photo Credit: Tina Rupp

CELEBRITY: The Royal Wedding

April 29th most of us tuned in to see a little piece of history in the making as we watched Prince William & Kate Middleton tie the knot.  Of all the fanfare, the most enjoying part of the festivities for me was watching a couple who is truly in love be united in holy matrimony.  I also enjoyed learning about British wedding customs from fascinators to the symbolism behind the wedding cake.  In case you missed anything take a peek at a few of the details!  Photos courtesy of the Today show.