A look back on 2015

It's definitely been a memorable year...one full of many professional and personal milestones. I thank each and every one of you for sitting down with Simply Sarah Style to catch up on inspiration and life happenings. So here's the list...the most popular posts of 2015:

#10

Our gender reveal party

#9

A Betsy Ross American flag-themed bridal shower

#8

A quick and easy yard sale makeover with Krylon

#7

How I stumbled upon $40 chairs at Ballard Designs

#6

The Wedding Series: Part III

Access more of the wedding series: Part I, Part II, Part IV, Part IV and Part VI.

#5

This "My Kentucky Tee" can be your Kentucky tee 

#4

My 12 days of Christmas Home Tour

#3

Holiday gift giving with Hallmark Gold Crown

#2

One dresser: 3 different ways (Another Bargains & Buyouts score)

I'm excited to share that this Dwell Studio dresser will be making an appearance in Baby P.'s nursery! 

("What I didn't show you in my last Bargains & Buyouts post" and "Another reason to love Bargains & Buyouts" were also popular.)

#1

Breakfast entertaining made easy with Yoplait Plenti

Thank you for your continued support of Simply Sarah Style. Here's to 2016!

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An unexpected birthday surprise

This past Sunday, I woke up to the most lovely birthday surprise. Our wedding had been featured by Cincinnati Magazine! Since our wedding was over two years ago, I had forgotten about the submission of photos.

When I look back at the pictures, I can't help, but smile. Our awesome photographer Sherri Barber combined with a talented team of vendors truly made our day spectacular.

You can find the feature online here.

The best part? The Facebook teaser...

(True story. One bridesmaid went into labor after the ceremony.)

A special thanks to Cincinnati Magazine and Cincinnati Wedding Magazine for featuring our big day! It definitely made my birthday even more special. 

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A Betsy Ross American Flag-themed Bridal Shower

I recently hosted a bridal shower for my dear cousin Betsy. Since Betsy's new last name will be Rossi, we decided to host a "Betsy Ross" American flag-themed shower. (You know... since Betsy Ross was credited with creating the first American flag.)

I wanted to play up the red, white and blue in a glamorous way.

I set three tables: the dining table, our sunroom table and one long folding table. They each looked a bit the same, but also a bit different.

I worked with my favorite Fiverr artist to create an illustration of Betsy and her fiancé. (Be sure to check out the other illustrations this artist has produced for me. They're incredible. This girl is good!)

Here's my best budget tip for party-planning: Buy wrapping paper and use it as a table runner. (You can find my favorite sources for wrapping paper and all the ways you can use it creatively here.) I lucked out and found this textured navy and white wrapping paper at TJ Maxx for only $2.99. The roll provided enough footage to cover two tables. 

Another one of my favorite tricks: Give bottled water a custom look by removing the labels and wrapping the bottles with patterned Duct tape. Also, if you're going to buy Duck tape, I recommend using a Michael's coupon from your phone and getting 40% off a roll.

As far as the drink selection, we offered water, tea and strawberry lemonade. I used Crystal Light for a low cal option. I also stumbled across a patriotic bottle of vodka and had to buy it. So I said, "Let there be vodka lemonade!"

A first for me... I dropped $15 in candy just to fill an apothecary jar. I recently became obsessed with Party City's wall of color-coded candy, especially the Sixlets. They're so good and you can buy them in the color of your choice.

The Cheeky tableware (plates and cups) were some of my favorite purchases. I always love the Cheeky selection at Target. Plus, the company donates one meal to Feeding America per purchase. 

I've used the chevron cups on a couple of occasions and people always ask about them. They feature a vibrant design, plus are extremely durable.

For dessert, we selected a gorgeous "naked" cake, but it turns out "naked" cakes don't travel well. Our cake had a little sliding incident, so the baker showed up at my house to repurpose the cake-slide into individual mason jar treats. 

Here's what it looked like before we decided it needed to be broken down. Even with it's imperfections, it was still beautiful! 

It ended up looking just as stunning packaged as individual treats! 

My sweet mother made all the pie pops, and once she ran out of sticks, she made mini heart-shaped pies. She is so darn talented! I used the pie pops as party favors. 

To create a keepsake, I asked party guests to leave well wishes for the bride and groom on a large canvas letter. 

I even decorated the porch, although we didn't end up spending much time outside due to the heat.

Overall, it was a lovely day and I hope Betsy felt surrounded by love. 

A special thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate! 

Here's to a wonderful wedding and a lifetime of happiness for Betsy and Dom!

Source List 

See something you liked? Find the items here:

Caricture - Fiverr
Plastic Cups & Plates - Cheeky at Target
Striped Table Runner - Wrapping Paper from TJ Maxx
Red Berry Cartons - Michael's
Blue Gingham Paper Liners - Michael's
American Flags - Michael's
Metal "R" - Michael's
Denim Ampersand - Michael's
Marquee Ampersand - Michael's
Gold Chargers - Michael's
Metallic Paper Stars - Party City
Red & Blue Sixlets - Party City
Crystal Candle Sticks - Macy's (wedding gift)
Large White "R" as Guest Book - Hobby Lobby
Wooden Utensils - Ivana's Gifts and Things on Etsy
Striped Straws - Kirkland's
Pie Pops - My momma
Patriotic Paper Garland (not pictured above) - Snooty Blooms on Etsy
Party Invitation (not pictured above) - Bash Studio

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The Wedding Series: Part VI

MUST-HAVE MONOGRAMS

(New to the Wedding Series? Be sure to stop by here, here, here, here and here.)

To wrap up this series, I thought I would end on a humorous note.

For fun, let's count all the ways I can throw a monogram into wedding planning. And if you know me, you're laughing right now, because you know how much I like to monogram E V E R Y T H I N G.

1) Wedding Dress Styling 

2) Bridal Attire

3) Bridal Scarf (because it might snow or be chilly the first week of April... you never know)

4) Reception Door Decor

5) Shortbread Cookies 

7) Cocktail Napkins

And if a single initials counts...

8) Bridesmaid Bouquet Styling

9) The Wedding Program

(And if you're wondering... my favorite place to purchase monogrammed goods is MK's Totebags & Monogramming in Covington, KY. Mary Kay has the best prices and selection in town.)

Here's to monogramming the heck out of everything we own for the rest of our married life! A special thanks to all those who joined me on this journey as I shared our lessons learned.

Photos of our big day by the talented Sherri Barber

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The Wedding Series: Part V

LESSONS LEARNED

(New to the Wedding Series? Start here, here, here and here.)

While this picture makes our wedding look absolutely magical (Sherri Barber worked some crazy awesome photographer magic to make this happen), there were many areas in which the experience could have been improved, and possibly a little less stressful. (Hey, you live and your learn.)

Below are a handful of tips and lessons learned. I'm sharing these tidbits in hopes they can help ensure smooth sailing for current and future brides.

COST SAVINGS 

• Getting married in a church? Select a date close to a holiday and you'll find luck in the flower department. Since we were married the weekend after Easter, the church was already decked out in beautiful blooms, which meant significantly less money we had to spend.
• Avoid ordering bridesmaid dresses without seeing them in person. As you may recall reading in a past post, the fit of my bridesmaid dresses was a disaster. I saw the short version in person at the boutique, but ordered the long version thinking they would look the like the picture. Not the case. It was expensive to get them majorly altered.
• If you're looking to shave a little off your expense list, it's okay if the groomsmen do not have boutonnieres. In fact, my florist said that many people are forgoing these to save money. By wearing matching tuxedos, it is clear who is and isn't in the wedding party. The guys don't need a boutonniere. They don't care about them. Plus, the boutonnieres have the potential to get turned while pinned and then they look awful in photos. 

LOGISTICS 

• Prior to the ceremony, designate a person who can help pace out the wedding party as they walk down the aisle. Typically, a wedding planner would handle this for you, but we did not use one.
• Prearrange for someone to close the church doors before you prepare to walk down the aisle in order to create the feeling of a grand reveal. My church doors were wide open and it didn't even occur to me that they should have been closed until I re-watched the video weeks later. Now each time I attend a ceremony as a guest, I notice that the doors are closed before the bride arrives. One area I wish I could re-do.
• Think of every possible photo scenario you would like captured on your wedding day and make sure you add it to the shot list for the photographer. They can't read your mind, so if there is a decorative detail or a certain family or friend photo you would like to have captured on film, write down in advance and give it to your photographer.
• Know what vendors need to be tipped and designate a friend or family member as the person who distributes the tips on your behalf. 
• One final logistics note for Catholic brides - Don't forget to kiss your groom! The priest will not say, "You may now kiss the bride," but you do practice incorporating the kiss during rehearsal. We practiced, but were so excited in the moment that we forgot. Total bummer.

LOOK YOUR BEST 

• Most definitely do a trial run on hair and makeup, but perhaps not on the same day as your engagement pictures. I thought I would be smart and save money by combining. Not such a great idea, because I didn't absolutely love my hair or makeup for my engagement pictures. I honestly would have liked my hair to be a little more natural and not so stiff for my pictures. (See the rest of my engagement picture prep tips here.) 
• Have someone tighten your belt (or dress if it laces up), fluff your veil and touch up your makeup before you walk down the aisle. These are all things that did not cross my mind that I wish I would have done to make sure I was looking a little more polished. 

The wedding process definitely has it's ups and downs, so I hope these tips and lessons learned are food for thought to help make your wedding run a bit smoother. 

All the best,

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The Wedding Series: Part IV

RECOMMENDED VENDORS 

(Did you miss Parts I, II and III? If so, start here, here and here.)

Our big day came together beautifully thanks to a collection of talented vendors. I vetted the list of weddings professional in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area, plus a handful of Etsy shops, until I found the perfect match for our style and budget.

While there are a couple vendors I wouldn't work with again, here's a list of those who went over and beyond to wow us with their products or services:

Reception Venue - Bell Event Centre

Photography - Sherri Barber

Flowers - Posy Floral Designs

Limo Service - Motortoys (Most affordable rate for quality in town.)

Bridal Party Gifts - MK's Totebags & Monogramming (The best gift shop for every occasion.)

Large Wooden Monograms - Scrappin Plus on Etsy

Wooden Letter Guest Book - Route 17 West Weddings on Etsy

Monogrammed Cocktail Napkins - Confetti Grey on Etsy

Custom Gift Tags - Tagged with Love on Etsy

Wedding Garter Set - Lucy Bridal Boutique

RSVP Management Service - RSVP Services (Seriously, the best $160 we spent on our wedding!)

Wedding Invitations - HEN & CO. on Etsy

Wedding Stationery - Wiregrass Weddings

Calligraphy - The Purple Squid (Another great investment. Our invitation envelopes were stunning. So stunning that I had a hard time dropping them in the mail.)


Do you have a local favorite not listed? Share below and help out other brides!

My bouquet photo via Posy Floral Designs

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The Weddings Series: Part III

THE THREADS

(Did you miss Part I and II? If so, start here and here.)

Let's talk attire.

Considering I love dressing and accessorizing, selecting my wedding dress was not at the top of my wedding to-do list. Oddly, I was much more excited about other tasks like selecting stationery and wedding party gifts.

I felt like there was so much pressure to pick the right dress. It was strange. I didn't expect to feel that way, but for some reason, selecting the dress wasn't as exciting for me as I expected. Did anyone else feel that way? I know, it seems so strange.

I did end up purchasing a dress I loved. I found several that I was drawn to at Bridal and Formal in Reading. I was surrounded by my friends and mom who helped me narrow down the selection to three gorgeous ballroom-style dresses. I finally set my sights on one gown, which of course was $500 over budget. Go figure.

Then to make matters even worse, the embellished silk belt they put on me to style the dress was $900. Let me tell you... When you are in wedding mode, you are not thinking clearly. In my head, I was registering the belt as $90. A big difference, huh. The realization that the belt added almost $1,000 to the cost of my dress led to a total freak out/devestating moment.

After telling the sales associate that I loved the dress, but couldn't afford it all and would have to reconsider purchasing it, she brought out a $300 silk belt... Whew! Much better. Still not cheap for what it was (e.g., an embellished appliqué on a piece of ribbon), but much more doable with the discounts the shop offered. I truly felt I needed this belt to make the dress extra special.

To finish it off, I added a big pouffy veil that I called my "Barbie veil" (Pinterest-inspired, of course).

So yes, the dress cost more than I expected, but I cut corners when making other purchases. You'll be delighted to know that my almost brand new shoes were a Snooty Fox consignment store find and my earrings came from the clearance rack at Charming Charlie.

Here's how it came together...

Now, let's talk my handsome groom. He and his groomsmen wore Vera Wang tuxedos from Men's Warehouse. We bought the guys' bow ties from a random website. We also included striped stocks from Men's Warehouse in their attire package, so they could look extra snazzy.

Lastly, to hit on my wedding party attire.

I thought the bridesmaid dresses were a sure bet. From day one, I was set on ordering these dresses. I loved the ruffle around the neck and bow detail. I thought it was soooo Simply Sarah Style.

While the boutique only had a short version in stock for fittings, I felt comfortable ordering the dress with the full length bottom because the online photo looked so attractive. Boy, was I wrong! The dress skirts were huge. Each bridesmaid (minus the four girls who were expecting babies) had almost eight inches cut out of each side to get a more tapered look. Honestly, the dresses fit like ball gowns worn by the step sisters in Cinderella.

I was devastated with how they turned out. The dresses quickly went from the top of my favorite list to my sh*t list. They were a fail in my eyes, but what could you do after each girl spent so much money on them?!? It even crossed my mind to personally cover the cost of ordering a completely new style dress for everyone.

So now that the bridesmaids dresses were a downer, let's end on a happy note! This flower girl dress... only $19.99 at Burlington Coat Factory. Talk about a major score! And I paid only $1.50 for the headband at Kohl's. I kid you not.

(Isn't she the cutest?)

Thanks for stopping by for the third post in this series!

Photos of our big day by the talented Sherri Barber

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