The Dirty Blonde Stylist

Weekly Wedding Words: The Mood Board

The importance of a wedding mood board:

I am a very visual person. Being able to see, touch and feel something will sell me on It twice as fast as words. There are too many words to describe how I feel when I curate something, which is why I find it easier just to make it visual. My love for content creating came to me because I wasn’t the best writer, it was always easier to draw, style a photo or create a graphic. So why should planning my wedding be any different?

At this point in my planning process, I am ready to start capturing a feel for my wedding guests. This can be put in place by many different factors; colors, drinks, location, inside vs outside, lighting, décor, and linens.

I was told in design school that a great look can play with color, texture, print, and find cohesiveness. I believe the same is true of a wedding. There is a balance amongst it all that just makes everything work. So, how do we find that perfect mixture? For me, it all starts with a mood board!

The colors for my wedding are Slate grey and Champagne. The theme has jokingly become “accidentally elegant” and I am sticking with it!

So to start my mood board process, I find things that look like my wedding in my head; Pinterest themed tablespaces, signs, florals, color swatches and more! I copy and paste them all to a document and look at them all together, “do they work?” “does one thing stand out more than the rest?”

I ask myself questions until I get a more clear vision of what’s in my head. I delete the images that don’t work and start arranging the ones that do. After that, I return to Pinterest, The Knot and Style Me Pretty for more inspiration!

This process can go on for a while so I will skip to the end when everything comes together. The point of a mood Board is to be able to look at it and say:

“That is how I want my event to feel”

In this case my wedding!

It’s okay if it takes a few tries to get it just right, the point is that you got it right! Once you have created that vibe once, you will be surprised how easy it is to make it come to life. Save the image to your phone, take it with you when you go to look at linens and flowers, it will continue to inspire you!

I am excited to share with you my wedding mood board! The next step is just making it come to life.

Do you have a wedding mood board or inspiration photos for your big day? I would love to see them! Share them below or send me a DM on Instagram!

-ML

Weekly Wedding Words: Registering for your new life

Recently I stumbled across a blog topic by Lone Star Southern (love her! If you don’t follow her, you should!) She too is getting married this year and is going through a lot of the same struggles as I am. She recently featured a post about registering for her wedding and I was captivated. I started thinking about all the other brides who have to be going through this process and trying to come up with a Wishlist for their new lives all at once.

Jacob and I have bitten off quite a bit this year, we are getting married, planned a full honeymoon and buying a house all in 2019. Go us right?! In the beginning, I didn’t think we could do. It is certainly a lot financially and a lot mentally. So many changes and decisions to be made it’s a little crazy. The thought of registering always got me excited though! You get to pick out “whatever” you want and go “Beep Beep Beep” all through Target, is there anything better?

My naive self, registering has become one of the most stressful things for no reason! I created my registry online and as soon as I went to add the first item, I froze. I was looking for a vacuum, then I was in front of 20 different options and no idea which one to pick. So open a new tab and start reading up on vacuums, giving my vacuum selection a lot of energy. I accidentally fell down the rabbit hole of vacuums and I immediately closed the browser and shut my computer. I freaked out for being overwhelmed. Since then I haven’t touched my registry again. After reading her blog, I felt motivated enough to give it another try but with a different approach this time.

While I will eventually have to get back to my hunt for a vacuum, I felt like I needed to seek advice from elders and others. I went home for dinner and had a long chat with my mom about her registry. She told me all about this China pattern she had picked out on her registry and how my grandmother had gotten her a different set of China before the wedding. That China still sits in the China Cabinet at my parents and we have had many a Christmas Dinner on it.

After talking to my mom I decided to reach a little further, I took to Instagram. Over the weekend I got a lot of great feedback from some of my favorite Boss Babes, Wives, brides to be and Newlyweds. Here are some of my favorite comments and new great ideas!

sarah_w_reichert – “Brooklinen sheets!!!”

shesawstyle
“definitely my Keurig, GOOD kitchen towels (the kind that actually absorbs rather than repel water), a steamer (i hate ironing), and a vacuum! 🙌🏼”

_kamglam_
“Aww I love this!!! Definitely my Kitchenaid mixer! Also, the Nespresso Machine if you love coffee! Good towels reg. size as well as the Bath sheet towels!! ( the extra long and wide ones!👌🏼) I also love our stainless steel mixing bowls with lids, as well as a good knife set and non-wood cutting boards!”

agapeloveeventsrva
“All my fun kitchen gadgets, panini maker, quesadilla maker, Keurig and organization tools 🙌🏾 They still are saving my life 6 years later. 💗”

Some of the best advice was a practical lesson I needed to hear.

“Needs and wants are very different.

I registered for all of my NEEDS first and when I saw they were all purchased, then I added the decor items”

I am so thankful for all the great advice I have received over the last few days! Some things really do take a village, I had no idea a wedding registry would be one.

If you know something I missed, drop your comments below. Can never have too many options.

-ML

Best books for a rainy day: For the girl who does not like to read.

I will be honest with you, I have never been much of a reader. When I was a kid and had summer reading, I would fall asleep reading every time and even to this day, I can’t read for long periods of time without getting sleepy. That has not deterred me from the urge to cuddle up with a good book on rainy days under a cozy blanket. The rainy season is here in #RVA so I am gearing up for some dreary days. I am here to share some of my favorite books that give me life any day of the week. Given my lack of interest in traditional books, coffee table books have become my best friend, that and books on tape.

No matter the gloom of the outside, I am always brought back to my cheery self when I think about décor and party planning! My favorite party planning book has to be “Celebrate” by Lauren Conrad. I am obsessed with her brand and all the flat lays scattered throughout the pages ( lord knows I love a good flat lay). This book is new by no means, but her tips for parties you will throw throughout your life, are timeless!

The book could easily inspire me on a daily basis, whether it’s flat lays, content creation, or just general pretty photos! #timeless

If I am not In the mood for parties and events, I turn to my first love, Fashion. Rachel Zoe paved the way for my understanding of fashion as a career. Her attention to detail made me want to spend that extra 10 minutes on everything to make it better. Her book “Living in Style” has become my Bible for all things related to style. This book touches on fashion, beauty, spending when to splurge and save, and of course home. Given that I am moving into my first home come May,(EEEPPP) I have been actively flipping through, looking at home related design elements more than usual. Rachel Zoe has been my inspiration for years, it’s only natural that she follow into my journey of homeownership.

If you were ever looking for a woman with a story, Diane Von Furstenberg has had a hell of a life! From real-life princess to fashion queen, the woman invented the wrap dress for crying out loud! Being a young woman myself, I find great comfort in wise words from a successful woman. Hearing her story never gets old. “The Woman I Wanted to Be” is an amazing read for any young woman who is trying to #adult, a boss babe just settling into her new role as a boss, or fashion loving, goal chasing free spirit. This Is my version of a good story, rather than reading tales of princesses and knights, I will be under a blanket, knee deep in the wise advice of DVF herself.

Finally, my last alternative to TV and Magazines on a rainy day is audio books. Not only do I just not like to read, but it is also partially because of a minor learning disability with symptoms of ADD and Dyslexia, no doubt making reading, not my strongest skill. So, growing up a lot of what I did to focus and get the content out of books, was to follow along while the tapes read them to me. To this day, it is one of my favorite ways to get quality content out of books that aren’t filled with beautiful photos (like most coffee table books are). I will never forget, two years ago me and a few friends took the drive to Snowshoe for New Years Eve. From Richmond to West VA we listened to Harry Potter and IT. WAS. AWESOME! If you don’t have Audible, a 30-day free trial might just change your mind!

In a world filled with screens and digital this and that, I will always enjoy the printed copy and the sound a book makes when you first crack open that spine. If you are a book worm or know something great I don’t, feel free to drop your favorite books below! I am always up for trying new things.

-ML

Spring Cleaning for your Brand

It’s that time of year again, the time when you bust out the Clorox wipes, rubber gloves, and Windex and wreak havoc on your house! This year spring cleaning is taking on a whole new meaning, we will be cleaning an empty new house before we move in and then cleaning our apartment from top to bottom in preparation for the big move out. While prepping for a move and a wedding all In one year, I still carve out time to work on my brand.

I love to take some time, while I main cleaning mood, to look at my brand on a very broad scale. Try and look at my Instagram, Facebook and website as a user guest who has never seen me before. “What is my first impression?” I scroll through my posts back to January and look for photos that don’t quite fit, blogs that could have had better content, Facebook posts with no call to action. Once I have identified those misfits in my feed, I know now to be careful not to go back in that direction moving forward.

After that, my next step is to refresh myself on what my followers like to read. Sometimes this means taking a poll on an insta story or scrolling through and seeing what posts have gotten the most likes or comments.

After all the observation, it is easy to feel stuck. “Now what?”

You are not alone sister! If you have ever asked yourself this as a result of feeling stuck about what your content should look like, just say the word!

Here is where I come in, I have clients who come to me when they want something to spice up there feed. Something that looks and feels like your brand but is different enough to create attention to someone who may be so familiar with your posts they don’t even pay attention anymore.

You want your brand to be clear to any random person who comes across your page.

What are the 3 to 5 things you are focused on and talking about?
Does your page look clean and cohesive?
Are you getting the type of interactions you ask for?

Happy Spring Cleaning boss babes! If you find yourself in need of a little content boost, don’t be shy, I would love to work with you!

-ML

Weekly Wedding Words: The Commitment

The commitment

During the wedding planning process, there are a million decisions to be made and a billion options for each. For each step in the wedding planning process, there comes a time when a final decision must be made, this can be hard for a Bride sometimes. There is no telling what you will stumble upon tomorrow to make you want to change from plastic plates to ceramic plates. It can’t all be as easy as knowing this is the man for you. So when does the guessing about what you want, become a commitment to what you are going to get?

In my current phase of planning, the whole wedding party is feeling those emotions on some level. The large vendors are booked and now it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of it all. Bridesmaid dresses are going to be ordered in just a few weeks, so the pressure is on for me and the girls to find those perfect dresses that are crazy expensive! Along with the dresses, decisions like plates, linens, music and toasts are becoming more of a focus.

Is there anything worse than being indecisive? With events as big as a wedding it isn’t uncommon the indecisive gene to take over, even I am guilty of it more than usual. So I have come up with three things to have helped me even in my toughest of decisions.

The Breakdown

Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed, my go-to strategy is to break down the question or problem into parts that don’t overwhelm me.

Example: You can’t make a decision on plastic plates vs real? They need to be ordered the same time as the linens if you are going to rent them and the vendor is being pushy about getting a final answer.

The Breakdown: Ignore the timelines and pressure from others and just picture your wedding. That up-close shot of the tables all set, beautiful flowers in the middle and your guests aren’t even there yet. What does that look like? Sometimes meditating on the issue rather than trying to make a jolt decision really helps to focus and not regret something you picked when you were overwhelmed.

The Original

Throughout my wedding planning, I have been super organized. It is in my nature as a wedding planner, but I will admit being the Bride is a totally different role. Part of my decision making, has been going back to my original thoughts I jotted down in the very beginning. Being able to see an uncomplicated view of what I wanted from the get-go, sometimes brings me back to reality.

The Hyper organization

When I first started planning, after I jotted down little bits and pieces I wanted, I wrote down all the big pieces. From there, I made a timeline from January until October, just a few bullets of things that need to get done that month. Then when the month comes, make an even more detailed list; not just book a florist in March but also pick out all the specific flowers you want in the bouquets. That is the next thing most florist will ask you anyway. It has become an efficient way to knock things off my list and also makes me focus on making decisions before the month is over.

I hope these little tricks help you on the road to your big day! If in doubt, you still find yourself overwhelmed and are looking for a little help, that’s what I am here for!

Thedirtyblondestylist@gmail.com

-ML

Weekly Wedding Words

How to savor your time as a fiancée

They say the time before your wedding passes so fast. You spend a year and sometimes 2, planning this huge day that is never any longer than 24 hours no matter how much you plan. Usually, as a planner, I do not experience the emotion side of wedding planning. Being a bride myself now, the tables have turned. I got engaged in June and here it is March! Where has the time gone?? While I am steadily chipping away at wedding planning pieces, it already feels like this year is flying by! March may as well be spring, which may as well be may, then its summer and then fall which means my wedding!

Now while I realize there is a lot of jumping in that way of thinking, that is how I feel.

I Can finally relate to my brides who look at me and say “How is this day already here?”

I got to thinking today, “how can I savor this time?”

So follow along wedding lovers and brides to be, I am excited to announce a weekly blog post called the Weekly Wedding Update!

Each week I will share a peek inside my wedding planning process.

We are at the point where I have spent the last three months frantically booking vendors, fear that many would already be booked. Now I am almost done with the large purchases and had a second to breathe. You look around and say when was the last time we just had a silly conversation or when was the last time our plans didn’t revolve around saving money for the wedding?

So how do we savor this time?

I think it boils down to these three things:

Don’t forget to be present in the moments. I always say life does not stop to plan a wedding. There are still birthdays, dinners, concerts and family functions.

Don’t miss out on those moments by only wanting to think, talk, save and obese over the wedding. Everyone is happy for you and happy to talk about the wedding…to a point. Leave something to their imagination the next time you want to tell your aunt all the details you have planned for the reception

2. Remember to love on your man! This wedding would not even be happening if it wasn’t for you two TOGETHER. So stay together, it is easy for the planning bride who does 95% of the wedding planning and the groom shows no interest. That doesn’t mean you need to keep it all to yourself, talk to him and include him in an aspect that you can. This is all about you two anyway, now isn’t the time to drift apart.

3. Stay having fun! While a wedding can be huge finical stress, don’t let it control your life. Worrying about money is a stress that is undeniable. There is always that extra 30 bucks you can take to get a slice of pizza and have a drink at a brewery one Saturday night, just you two, good old fashion date night. There are plenty of low budget ways to have fun, get day drunk by yourselves, order a pizza and watch a movie, go mini golfing, take a long walk together and just talk. “We are never short of opportunities, or short on chances to take. It is in these moments when we remember who we are, and why we are together.” -Myself

Stay tuned for next weeks feature!

Happy planning lovelies!

-ML

RVA Around town – Spring Events

11 RVA events this Spring

After being cooped up all winter, the second the skies start to clear and the sun kisses our skin, I know we are ready to be out and about again. I love events, that is no secret! #RVA has always given me such a variety of things to immerse myself in over the years of living here. So for those of you, here in the Richmond area, who are ready for some fun weekends ahead, I have compiled some super fun events coming up this spring you can’t miss!

March 10^th – Richmond Wedding show

Naturally I would include this event, As a planner and a bride, even wedding fanatic, I love this show!

This event is a great place for ideas, meet and greets with vendors, collecting swag, view a beautiful Bridal fashion show, there is everything wedding related in one place!

April 5-6^th – Tracy Morgan at The Funny Bone RVA

If you are looking for a different form of a date night, The Funny Bone is a great option. I’ll admit, It wasn’t until this past weekend that I had ever been to a live Comedy show. I was pleasantly surprised at the well-known comedic names who were scheduled at the Richmond Funny Bone. From TJ Miller to Tracy Morgan. I have a feeling this will be a show you shouldn’t miss.

April 28^th – Bow Wow Luau at Strangeways Brewing

This event has three things I think most Richmonders love…Beer, Dogs and Free! Join everyone is Strangways for a free event for you and your pups!

Strangeways is proud to once again support the animal rescue community with their annual Spring dog event. RVA favorite food trucks, Pet contests, and all donations go to the Richmond Animal care and control foundation. A good cause and a great time!

March 16^th– Shamrock the Block

The streets are filled with Green and Gold! If you have any form of Irish heritage, now is the time to flaunt it. This Family friendly event stretches down Broad for miles of people, vendors, beer, food trucks, live music and good times had by all! If you live in Richmond and are trying to celebrate St. Patties day with the rest of the city, this is for you!

March 23^rd-24^th – Richmond Brunch weekend

For a city that loves to Brunch, it was only a matter of time before someone put all those Mimosas to good use.

“All participating restaurants have agreed to give 15% of proceeds during Richmond Brunch Weekend back to VCU Massey Cancer Center. So order two mimosas!”

Click the link above to view all participating restaurants, including some of my favorites; Brunch, 3 Monkeys, and Maple and Pine!

March 28- 31^st– French Film Festival

The French Film festival has become a Carytown tradition, hosted by the always glamourous Byrd Theater. “The Festival has welcomed to Richmond more than 850 directors, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers, music composers & artists-technicians. Since 2003, it has been recognized formally by former French Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency Jean-David Levitte, as the most important French film festival in the country.” Experience culture in your own backyard.

April 4^th– 7^th – Richmond Flying Squirrels Opening weekend

It’s the time of year when the clouds start to part and the weather gets nice enough to sit out and enjoy a beer in the company of some good friends. The flying squirrel’s games hold a special place in my heart, this is where I met my now fiancé back in the hot summer of 2016. Everyone should experience this Richmond stadium at least once, and don’t forget to stick around for the fireworks!

May 17^th-19^th– Dominion River Rock

While I have never been to River rock I am so excited to attend this year! For the outdoor lover, the adventure junky and the RVA explorer this is the palace for you!

“one of the world’s largest outdoor sports and music festivals. The weekend is packed full of events – mud runs, bike races, white-water kayaking, bouldering competitions, stand up paddle boarding, and more!”

Let me tell you I am all about this, even if you don’t feel like participating, there will always be the RVA staple of great food and the view of the mighty James.

May 4^th – Lady Antebellum at InnsBrook

For all you country lovers, I will see you there!

Lady A will grace the outdoor concert arena as the first concert of the summer series this May. I have been lucky enough to have seen them before and am defiantly coming back for more! Let’s be honest, does “Need you now” and “American Honey” ever get old?

May 5^th– Opening day of Cary Street Farmers Market

In a health-crazed spring where we are all obsessed with being outside, healthy and clean inside and out, the farmers market is a natural calling.

May 18^th– Strawberry Wine festival

Hanover Vegetable farm has become one of my favorite places 3 times a year. They have grown to put on some super fun events each season and this spring they are bringing us the 4^th annual Strawberry wine festival. Wine tasting for local vineyards, vendors, live music and great food! So if River rock is a little much for you, this might be more your speed!

see you there!

-ML

TOP PHOTO CREDIT to the amazing She Shoots RVA!

Extra Extra, Birthdays

Why you SHOULD be so extra for your birthday

I am not one to shame the people who get excited about birthday month, act like a queen during birthday week and ride into their birthday on a throw. I have always loved birthdays! I have always been asked to dumb down my plans for birthdays for the men in my life, no guy ever wanted the surprise party I was planning or the over the top trip I wanted to plan. Somehow they always made their wishes clear to me before I started planning and it was nipped in the bud before I even started. The ladies, on the other hand, most of them are on the same level as myself, printing and mailing invitations for parties weeks in advance, planning trips and all kinds of celebrations that I usually help organize because I am all about it!

Last year was my 25^th birthday, as “monumental” as that birthday could have been, I hardly did anything. I was lucky enough to go rafting down the James River in the morning with my fiancée then after that though, there wasn’t much to it. Not from lack of trying but more from me not caring to plan or push for anything.

A lot of my friends were sort of surprised I didn’t do anything extravagant and to be honest, looking back, so I am I. Why didn’t I want to do anything big, was I just tired? Was I over the idea of being extra? (never) The mystery will always remain.

Earlier this year my Dad passed away, in lieu of a funeral, we threw a “gathering” at his favorite restaurant. We rented the whole place for a few hours, had an open bar, appetizers and made it all about my Dad. It was a great event. So many people told us “that’s the way to do it” and how much they enjoyed themselves. All I could think was “wow, I wish my Dad could have been here to enjoy this, see all his friends, eat this yummy cake!” We never did a big party like that before, especially not for anyone’s birthday. Of course, I am glad that my Dad’s last event was such a success and the biggest event we had thrown, but I so wish he could have been a part of it.

That is when it changed and clicked in me, birthdays are a yearly celebration of life. Not here to say that every birthday party should be as large as a Celebration of Life Gathering, but there is something to be said for a good ole time for every birthday!

Each year you go through so much, don’t you think we deserve to have a day that’s like your own new year’s eve? Celebrate all the accomplishments, morn the losses and learn to congratulate yourself for growing from them, take one day a year that is all about you and makes you special! Everyone has that one day a year where it can be all about you and your journey, have your own reasons to celebrate not just because you are turning 26.

Would I even be a party planner if I didn’t tell you a few fantastic ways to celebrate?

Slumber party

As a kid, 90% of my parties ended with my mom letting my best friends come back to the house and sleepover. Why can’t we continue this staple party moment as adults? You and your girls, face masks, Pizza, champagne, and the best movies you can find. That’s an awesome idea! Even if that is all you do that day, it’s a moment to really catch up, bond and make hilarious moments with your girls that you cant always have in that 1-hour dinner out somewhere.

A day on the Water

Being born in July, a lot of my parties have involved water. An awesome day, that I have yet to live out, is floating the river with a big crowd of friends and of course a floating cooler by my side. Then a picnic lunch when we get out and made even a bonfire to close out the night? A tall over I know, but just sounds like such fun to me!

If the river is a little too country for you there are plenty of water-related alternatives; indoor water parks, renting a boat for the day, the beach or even just a spa day with some well-deserved time in a hot tub, whatever floats your boat (pun intended)

Pregame & Brewery Crawl

Living in Richmond, I have a lot of access to local breweries. Even if you don’t want to go all out and be super extra, there is a ton of fun to be had just exploring your own city! The Richmond Beer Trail is an interactive map to all the best Breweries and Cideries in RVA. Collect stamps from each location to earn swag in the end and also get pretty drunk along the way. Happy Birthday to me!

No matter how you choose to celebrate your big day, just make sure you do! Remember what you did for your 23^rd, 34^th and even your 44^th birthday, make them all one for the books. Celebrate your life and life moments like that is all there is in life to do. Wednesday wisdom from me to you.

-ML

Making your wedding guests feel like family

5 Ways to make your guests feel more welcome

The devil is in the details, I never quite understood that expression, but I am lead to believe that it means while something may look simple, the closer you look the more detailed it is. When it comes to a wedding, most would agree, that this is the place of for details. Details are what set weddings apart. Some extra things here and there can separate a standard hotel wedding to an amazing evening with a great party. I am a huge fan of being extra, hence, I live for the details! I have pulled together five details that can really make life better for you and your and your guests.

Welcome bags

I love a welcome bag, whether it’s for a conference or a fancy hotel stay, that little sense of a greeting is so special to me. In the case of a of wedding, a welcome bag would be found at the hotel for those out of town guests or in their seats when they arrive at the wedding. Check with your hotel and see if this is a service they may already offer for your guests, if not, here is what I think makes a great welcome.

Tissues

Advil

Small water

Bride and groom Sweet and Salty treat.

Program or letter from the couple

It doesn’t have to be much to make an impression. If you are planning to leave a small welcome on the chairs, make it simple, a program with custom tissues could be all they need. Don’t overwhelm them with a whole bag of things to carry along with their purse or coat etc.

Bathroom essentials

This has become a pretty common trend at weddings now and one that I am all about! Your dancing your butt off out there, if you’re like me, you’ve worked up quite a sweat. Head to the ladies room to freshen up and what do we find, a basket of goodies and everything I need!

Bobby pins

Mouth wash

Spray on deodorant

Advil

Hair ties

Hair spray

Q tips

lotion

Tampons and liners

Take this list as far as you’d like but I think having most of the items above in a small basket or tray in the bathroom will cover most woman’s requests for the evening. In the men’s room, feel free to have a small spread for them as well

Spray on deodorant

Mouth wash

Tissues

Advil

They don’t need as much as we do most of the time.

Childcare

In some cases, children are just part of the bargain, especially or out of town guests. If you find yourself with a lot of guests wanted to bring their children to a 18+ wedding, consider hiring on site babysitting service. This will go a long way and becomes a win win for you and your guest. You get to have a kid free wedding and the parents aren’t constantly worried about their children miles away at home.

Favors

If you are planning to do favors, consider doing something practical for your guests or at least unique. A koozie is a go to type of favor. As overdone as they are, I still love a koozie favor. Sure I may not use it years from now or know where it is now, but that night while my beer is cold, my hand isn’t thanks to that little guy. Now if this is a more elegant affair with beers served in glass, I don’t see much need for this as your favor. Up the game, your beer is in glass so maybe your favor should be too, like a custom small candle or a frame for your photo stripe from the photobooth. Being creative doesn’t have to break the bank

Thank you cards

This last step comes after its all said and done, thank you cards. Tradition says that guest have up to a year to send gifts to the bride and groom, same timeline applies for sending thank you cards. This is the last step of your wedding, don’t procrastinate. Show your guests some appreciation, don’t make them think you took their gift and ran. Once everything is opened dedicate a day and just knock them out. If you get more, then write those cards as soon as you get it so you won’t forget once that new mixer is tucked away under the counter.

A lot of people see things like this a waste of money and things that can be cut when it comes to working with a tight budget. While I can understand that, having a tight budget for my own wedding. At the end of the day, the people you have chosen to spend this day with are important, make them feel appreciated for not only being there for you today but in everyday life.

-ML

Elf it up!

We have all seen the movies, those fancy office Christmas parties that are semi-formal, with appetizers and food for days. Growing up I think we all thought we would have a job that had a big office Christmas party like those. Being a Boss babe that usually isn’t the case. So it’s up to us to throw ourselves our own version of the perfect Christmas party! As a millennial, I think we have all been to at least one Tacky sweater party. Once an original idea, but now seems to be the staple of the holiday season. So how can you throw a Christmas party that is truly special? As an event planner, I thrive on unique and fun filled events, I am excited to throw my own Elf themed party for some of our close friends this year.

The Christmas movie merriment: ELF

This is a low key type party best suited for a smaller group.

Main event: A viewing party of “Elf” with a drinking game twist.

Below you can create or download your own version of the drinking itinerary:

Drink for every time you see a reindeer
Shot for every time someone says “ho ho ho”
Chug your drink when Mr. narwhale says “bye buddy hope you find your dad”
Drink every time you hear a Christmas song
Drink every time Buddy breaks out in song
Every time he mentions the world’s best cup of coffee, pause the movie, starting with the person on the right, list different brands of coffee, last person to not answer must chug their drink.
Drink every time the Christmas SPirit is mentioned

I am excited to host this party myself this year for a few friends and can’t wait to let the merriment commence!

Decor: No need for the fancy décor here, this kind of party is dying to have some handmade décor just like buddy did in the movie. Computer paper linked chains everywhere will do just fine, embrace your inner child and bust out some hand cut snowflakes!

Added details:

Elf drinking sheet printed for everyone
Chocolate martinis with peppermint edges and candy cane decor
White paper chains and paper snowflakes
Christmas cookies shaped like an elf

This is literally the easiest and laziest party a poor 20 something-year-old could throw. I am all about the fabulous types of parties, but save the glitz and glam for new years. Let Christmas be the time for friends, silly movies and a childhood sense of wonder.

-ML

Share this:

“Needs and wants are very different.

I registered for all of my NEEDS first and when I saw they were all purchased, then I added the decor items”

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: