{A Little Piece of My Heart}

With Valentine's Day around the corner why not take the time to add a little extra love to your life...plan a dinner party with your best girl friends and celebrate long lasting friendships...buy a fun new accessory for a romantic night on the town...or better yet...treat yourself to a fancy sweet dessert...you deserve it...don't be afraid to indulge just this once...it'll be our little secret...

I especially love all the unique decoration ideas you can incorporate into your home and parties. I love this piece above from PrinceDesignUK. A clay heart imprinted with a vintage lace design.

If you are looking to add a little bit of spice to a V-day outfit try one of Jennifer Behr's rosette hair barrettes. Effortless chic...adds just the right amount of romance and sophistication.

Nothing says i love you like rich chocolate cupcakes...these handwritten chocolate glaze cupcakes can help you get your message across and are surprisingly easy to make. They remind me of a grown up version of the Sweethearts Candies you used to get in grade school...be mine? :) Find the recipe on the Martha Stewart website.

{Engaged ~ Leslie & Joseph}

We are so excited to feature our first real couple on the blog.  My sweet bride Leslie took a little time to fill out my post engagement questionnaire.  This is the reason I love planning weddings and I can’t wait for their wedding day.

Jenny Stein Photography

Q. Tell us a little about yourselves.
A. Leslie is 26 and Joseph is 28...We have been dating for over 6 years now. Our relationship has been pretty backwards but we like it that way. We welcomed our first born child Jovanni on October 12, 2005. Got engaged August 18, 2006. Moved into our 1^st home that we could call OURS in March 2009 and then welcomed our second born Dylan on September 29, 2009. Then finally in January 2010 we began planning our wedding.

Q. What are some of your favorite things to do as an engaged couple?
A. The number one thing we love to do together is laugh all day long. Family comes first as in our situation babies came before marriage so we love amusement parks and movies with the kids, and we also love time well spent together over dinner and a movie, or having some cocktails.

Q. How did you meet?
A. My brother introduced us.

Q. How long have you been together?
A. We have been dating going on 7 years and have officially been together since Valentine’s Day 2005

Q. How did you get engaged?
A. Joe proposed to me during the ending credits of a movie in the movie theater. He had waited all night to find the right moment to ask. He carried the ring box in his sock under his pant leg thinking he would have asked at dinner and in the pocket would have been noticeable, but he didn’t ask me at dinner or during drinks so by the time he asked me at the theater he had the box indentation on his leg! He thinks the proposal was silly and should have been more proper, but I think it was perfect and SO us. He got on one knee asked me to marry him and in front of an audience at the movie theater!


Q. Did you know it was coming?
A. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but I had NO idea that day or time. We had looked at rings in April and I was pretty sure he bought them and sure enough he waited 4 months to ask.

Q. When is your wedding date?
A. March 26, 2011

Q. Why did you select that particular wedding date?
A. It would have been the brides grandmothers 101^st birthday!

Q. Tell us a little about your dream wedding day.
A. I would honestly have to say I am planning my dream wedding. The only thing that would have made it a dream would have been to not worry about the financial aspect of it and if I would have been able to afford some more detailed things I had to pass up. This is everything I have ever envisioned. I am getting my outdoor ceremony and my indoor reception. I was blessed with amazing vendors who are making everything perfect and all I could have ever asked for.

Q. What is special about the location you selected for your wedding?
A. What is so special about this location is it offers everything I ever dreamed of. I was trying to be very cost conscious and even though the first time I toured it we knew it was the one we continued to look and went back to it at least 4 times before they were able to work with us and make our dream a reality! It has the outdoor terrace overlooking the city we fell in love in with beautiful views. A gorgeous setting that is different from the norm and an indoor reception area that has an amazing dance floor and still has the gorgeous views I love!

Q. What do you think will make your wedding day most memorable?
A. The most important thing to me is that everyone I love will be there to see what we have worked so hard for. I cannot wait to see it all come together and I think everyone will appreciate it. From the décor to the gorgeous flower choices to the dessert station that also is a practical favor that everyone will enjoy!

Q. Is there anything that you wish you could spend more money on while planning your wedding?
A. I honestly think the things I wished I would have had more money to spend on would be the small details you don’t think about in the beginning stages that might not get budgeted in and then you have to skimp later on. I just wish someone would have explained all that to me in the beginning. One thing that was very important to me was to have a Bridal Coordinator because this is my first and hopefully only time getting married so there are things that aren’t obvious so it is nice to have someone with experience and answers and to not have to worry when it comes to the day of your wedding so that you can treasure all you have worked for.

Q. What is the first thing you look forward to as married couple?
A. Being able to call him my HUSBAND and being called his WIFE and it being Legal not assumed! And as cheesy as it sounds I can’t wait to grow old with him J

{A New Year…A Healthier You}

With the New Year, come new resolutions. If you are opting for a healthier lifestyle, we are featuring healthy alternatives that are just as delicious and visually stunning as dessert tables.

Eat your veggies!

Create a fruit and veggie table displaying carrots, celery sticks and bell peppers served with different kinds of low-fat or sugar-free dressings for your guests to dip the veggies in. Consider serving low-fat yogurt parfaits in shot glasses topped with rasberries, blueberries and granola (left) or pumpkin latte shots with a dollop of non-fat whipped cream (right). Other alternatives to fill shot glasses with include sugar-free, no-sugar added or fat-free pudding, gelatin, hot chocolate or low-sodium tomato or vegetable juice.

Juicy watermelon cubes are carved with a round hole on top and filled with a combination of diced grapes and apple and are dressed with a non-fat yogurt dressing (left). An artichoke arrangement is displayed (right).

Create a caprese salad similar to the one displayed above (right) by using cherry or grape tomatoes with mozzarella cheese balls drizzled with a low-fat or sugar-free balsamic vinaigrette. Add basil leaves to garnish.

Fresh fruit tarts consisting of peaches, rasberries & strawberries.

all above images via Kristine Shin Designs

Beautiful arrangements made of brassica cabbage and artichokes.

Opt for no-sugar added and low-calorie confections

When creating a candy or dessert table for your event, consider offering sugar-free, no-sugar added, fat-free and low-calorie options for your guests.

Consider low-fat desserts or pastries that are baked with sugar substitute or sweeteners.

Smart Balance offers low-calorie and carb-friendly popcorns similar to the one displayed above.

all above images via everyday beautiful

Look for sugar-free or no-sugar added candies. Sweet Factory offers a wide selection of sugar-free, no-sugar added candies to create a candy table similar to the one displayed above.