A Little Fun for Saturday

Happy Saturday!

Our friends over at the Knot sent this over to us and we thought we'd share this fun little video clip with you.  All of you Randy Fenoli fans should really enjoy this!

















xo
Kasey & The Bliss Girls!

Destination Ohio!

We have been dreaming of summer and warmer weather here at the studio and we have destination weddings on the mind! A lot of brides want a destination feel, but would like to get married in Ohio, so we have dreamed up some cute ways to give your wedding that destination feel right here in the heart of it all!

This week we were dreaming of Napa, California and some yummy wine. When it comes to finding the right winery Ohio has a wide selection all over the state. If you want a database of Ohio Winery's go to the Ohio Wine Association. But having looked around there is one that stands out. Fox Hill Vineyard it is a small winery located in the Alexander Valley owned by a lovely looking older couple who truly loves what they are doing, we love that! When people truly care about their product they are going to give you a great experience. This photo from their website is so pretty, it seems like just the perfect place for an Ohio destination wedding!                                                          photo courtesy of Fox Hill Vineyard


xoxo, Kasey&the Bliss Girls

Pintrest: Marquee Letter

Today marks a month adventure though the world of Pinterest Crafts!

I'm Maggie, one of the interns (I like to think of myself as the crafty one. Paige is the brains!) here at Bliss Wedding & Event Design.  I have been given this month to show you how doable some of these crafts we see on Pinterest are.  Lucky me because I'mm ambitious and would like to think that I can do everything I see! But as a recreational crafter, I have limits and some of those crafts we see are done by people who do nothing other than that!

But when it comes to weddings in particular I would have to say that most times, I can only do the same thing about 5 to 9 times before I want to hurt everything mostly because I find the work to become too tedious. At a wedding you have at least 10 tables and well I am reaching my upper limit at that point, BUT that should not scare you away from doing maybe one DIY project! So I am going to show you the good the bad and the ugly from my month of DI[wh]Y projects. Some will look awesome others may not. Keep your eyes peeled for the photo lantern. I am already having nightmares about that one! But today's craft was pretty simple and lost cost. It would be a cute decoration for your wedding.

Supplies:
Large Cardboard letter ( I got mine at Joann's)
White paint Globe Christmas tree lights ( LED or Normal, but I saw use LED they get less hot)
X acto knife

1. You will need to paint the letter white and let dry fully.



2. Next you take the X-acto knife and cut out the back, but not to close to the edges. I would say the cut needs to be about two inches wide.

3. This is the tricky step. You will need to space the light blubs and then cutting an X pattern on the painted side of the letter you will mark where all the letters go.



4. after cutting all the X's you will need to push the end of the light bulb thought he middle of the X. Do this for all of them.

5. Then if you have a letter like mine you need to remove the zig zaggy cardboard, so that you can do the next step.



 6. Time to reach the light blubs with the cord. This takes some patience and a willingness to fiddle with it. But once you get the first few the rest are as easy as pie!

7. PLUG IT IN!

 

 Very cute and inexpensive was to put your initials up somewhere at the wedding.

Happy Crafting!

 xoxo, Maggie

Trend Alert: Small Bites

With the holiday season fast approaching it is now time for the holiday party! Weather hosting or attending it is quite the time for merriment. And a time for some delicious food! A new thing trending is a small bite! They have have been popping up everywhere! They were at our last wedding where Cameron Mitchell catering made some yummy one bite mac&cheese, monte cristo and tacos (well those were from when we went to the Ivory Room). Also at Sarah and Daniel's wedding in September they severed some wonderful two bite cupcakes from Cupcake Yum Yum! Below is a picture of a yummy one bite BLT that you make and take to any holiday party! There are tons of ideas on our Pintrest page!

>                                                          Blog and Photo Credit: Return to Sunday Supper


xoxo Kasey & The Bliss Girls 

Food Truck Friday: Mya's

Today we went down home to taste some delish fried chicken. Having been to and learned to love the south. I am a bit of fried chicken snob. But after having visited this food truck it is safe to say that there is a little bit south here in the heartland of Ohio. The chicken sandwiches had a wonderfully warm honey dressing with a homemade biscuit. We also sampled the mac and cheese and well it is Asher approved. Overall it was a taste of warm fatty heaven. Mya's is actually named after a four year old girl. The daughter of the owner so don't go asking to see Mya and ask her about her food truck. It won't work.

 Mya's is open on the weekends (Friday,Saturday and Sunday)from 12pm- 8pm across the street from Wholly Craft in Clintonville.




 

xoxo, Kasey & The Bliss Girls

Make it Yours: Pattern Scarves

So this weeks "Make it Yours" is about THE best fall/winter...well really summer and spring accessory! Patterned Scarves. They are great because they come in all different weights from a nice wool one for winter to a nice lightweight one for spring. They add pizazz to any outfit and it is nearly impossible to go into a store with out seeing one. Now I love Forever 21 for inexpensive scarves that are trendy and won't last past the season. Anthropologie has really cute ones for winter right now which is what is pictured below. With this one little accessory you can change the whole look of an outfit and it is a super easy way to add a little bit of color! They can also make great bridesmaid gifts for you ladies that have fall or winter wedding! Also I would like to say that they are truly fun and functional and they don't have to break the bank. Happy Hunting!

 


xoxo, Kasey & The Bliss Girls

Make it Yours: Gucci Bag

This week I bring you Gucci. I love it. Normally it extends past what my budget can allow, but hey this is all about the things I love and wish for. So this crossbody bag is what I would gladly carry all my things in, such as my superblam from last week! It is super cute and functional all while being quite the stylish little bag. So now it's time for you to make it yours. Now back to work! Looking forward to my November weddings!









xoxo, Kasey and the Bliss Girls

Make it Yours: Elle Decor and Inc. Magizines

Magazines! Not something I have an over abundance of time for, but when I get the chance to actually sit down and read one between walking the dogs and bedtime for Ash and G my go to magazines are Elle Decor and Inc. I laugh sometimes when they are sitting next to each other. Elle decor has some of the beautiful homes with some of the most fabulous style! They have such interesting spaces that are so well put together that we use it as inspiration when designing spaces for clients. I think that it is important to look for wedding trends outside of the wedding magazines.  Contrast that with Inc. that is all about business with article titles like "Lessons from the World's Most Ruthless Competitor". I mean a girls got to know her stuff! I have some big plans for Columbus's event scene, that why I use the hashtag #emipirebuliding!

Food Truck Friday (on Sunday): That Food Truck

This wonderful food truck is being written about a little later than normal, because I got a case of food poisoning. Don't worry not from the food truck! I say this because I know you were, in fact wondering if that is where I got sick. No on the contrary this food truck was far from anything that would make you sick with anything other than delight! We sampled the squash fritters and the lazy chicken sandwich. Let's just say that the whole farm to fork thing they have going on over there is really working for them. Dan Kraus does all the butchering of the meat that they serve. Which made for a very yummy lazy chicken sandwich. Normally Kasey and I are not fans of mole sauce, but the black mole on our sandwich really made the whole thing come together. So yummy! The chicken was super tender and it all just worked so well together. Our squash fritters were the perfect fall side dish! Crispy on the outside and squashy goodness on the inside with a side sauce that made it even better, but I could not tell you what was in it. Overall it was a great fall meal!

 I am happy to say that we made friends with Dan and Steve and they are so cool that they have a website! thatfoodtruck.com.  Most food trucks don't so this going on so it is quite exciting!  They told us that they put this truck together themselves. So fun! So be on the look out Columbus these guys mean business! They are gain popularity in the foodie world!  They also have a blog, which is linked on the website. Check it and see what they got going on!






xoxo, Kasey & The Bliss Girls

Make it Yours: Superbalm

Today is Monday.

Monday's are not always the most exciting days. The quote from Office Space comes to mind  "Somebody has a case of the Monday's". So in an effort to help make Mondays a little brighter I want to share with you all the things I love! We are going on a journey from lip gloss to places and everything in between. So we kick it off with Clinique Superbalm. Now this stuff is the best! I have been using it for almost ten years at this point. It stays on forever, no flavor ( I don't feel like having a permanent snack on my lips), not sticky. I will say that its only flaw is that it has no SPF in it, but that is not a deal breaker for me! Overall it truly is the best and I never leave home without and if do its a sad day in the office! Just ask the interns!

 Hope this helped cure your case of the Monday's like it did mine!




Photo courtesy of clinique.com


xoxo, Kasey & The Bliss Girls

Pantone Announces Color of the Year

We've been anxiously waiting to hear Pantone's announcement about what their choice will be for the color of the year...



Tangerine Tango is the big winner for 2012! We can't wait to see where we see this color pop up in 2012. Will you be incorporating this into your wedding and event designs?

Introducing the Wedding Party

Showcase your fabulous wedding party at your reception by creating these adorable groomsmen and bridesmaids bios. Capture the personality of your wedding party and your relationship with them by integrating your favorite memories and photos. Take some time out of your special day to recognize those who have supported your love and watched it grow over the years. Not only will this make your wedding party feel warms and fuzzy, but your guests will feel more connected as well.

TOMS Shoes

TOMS shoes are an American shoe company started by Blake Mycoskie, a former contestant on The Amazing Race. For every pair sold, they donate a pair of shoes to people in impoverished villages. Since May of 2006, TOMS has given over 60,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and South Africa.



Not only are these shoes part of a worthy cause, but they are also cute and super stylish. They are made of natural materials and slide on for a relaxed and comfortable fit. They would make a great pair of traveling shoes or slippers for unfamiliar planes and hotel rooms. They fold up fairly small as well, making them good to tuck in the luggage for a honeymoon. Check them out at www.tomsshoes.com

Wedding Insurance

I always recommend wedding insurance but in light of a few recent occurrences with wedding vendors in Columbus I feel even more strongly that it is necessary to carry this type of insurance these days. Just recently we've had:

• One of our top florists close up shop in the middle of the night with no warning.
• A wedding venue closed due to financial problems. People were left with no wedding venue and lost all of their deposit money with little or no hope of recovering it.

There are several insurance companies that specialize in wedding insurance to help protect yourself against situations like I've mentioned above. If for any reason your wedding has to be cancelled or rescheduled due to an unforeseen circumstance you can be protected. They can also provide liability insurance if your venue or facility requires you to carry this to hold your wedding on their property. For my wedding we were in a museum and we were required to carry $1 Million Liability insurance. I believe we paid around $350 for this coverage - and that was almost 5 years ago. The insurance coverage is pretty inexpensive when you look at the grand total of the amount being spent/invested in the wedding.

Wed Safe and Travelers are the two most common wedding insurance companies. I highly recommend you visit their websites to see how you can protect your self and your wedding investments. It's always better to be safe than sorry in my book!

Survey Says...

I promise, this will only take a minute of your time! If you wouldn’t mind, please click on the link below and answer 9 quick, easy questions about different design aspects of wedding vendor’s websites.

Wedding Vendor Website Survey

We won’t record anything about you other than what state or country you are from - we don’t even ask for your email address so no spam or anything like that.

You will likely see this link on lots of other blogs and sites - this survey is being shared all over the blog-o-sphere so please take the survey only once.

If you have additional comments on the subject, please feel free to email me with those and I will share them with the other wedding vendors who are participating! We can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

(If you are a wedding vendor and would like to participate, just copy this post to your blog and email the link to emilie {@} emilieduncan {.} com - She will send you the results once we have closed the survey in March)

Blogging It Forward - aka Make Melissa Pay

My very good friend Emilie has this posted on her blog today and I thought it was such a great idea I had to participate! A chain blog (we've got chain letters, and email so why not a blog)!

Let's Eat Cake, the amazing fundraiser hosted by the equally amazing Melissa Margarita-DiStefano, is February 17th at the Plaza Paramount Hotel. {Wow, that is right around the corner!!} Let's Eat Cake is a cake decorating competition with all proceeds going to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. In an effort to make sure we get the word out to everyone (and raise money), we are starting this chain-blog (Ok, not sure if that is correct terminology. But it's like a chain letter so let's just go with it, shall we?)

Here's what we need you to do...Repost this post on your blog and ask others to post it on their blogs. Melissa will donate one dollar to the fundraiser for every blog that this is reposted on. Let's make Melissa Pay! Once you have reposted it, leave a comment letting us know that you posted it along with the url to the blog. It's for a great cause and it will be fun to see how far it will go! So lets do it... Lets blog it forward and raise money for a great cause!!!

Thanks Em for passing this along and to Unique Designs for their unique idea of a chain blog!

I Love My MTV

Engaged and Underage is casting for season 3 of the show. If you are currently engaged, between the ages of 18-22, and getting married in late 2008 or January 2009 you may be eligible to appear on the show. Click the link above to download the casting questionnaire.

Good Luck!

The Hottest Tickets in Town

...and I've got one to give away!

The Victorian Village Home & Garden Tour is next weekend - Sunday, September 21st. This is the 34th year of the Tour. You get a very unique chance to tour some of the century old homes in the neighborhood as well as some of the new ones that have been build as recently as last year.

I have had the privilege to be a committee member for the Tour for the past 7 years. My husband and I have also been one of the fortunate and honored home owners to have our home be on the Tour (2005). It was such a great experience to share our home and give a sneak peak into all of the work we've put into our own home. The Tour is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Victorian Village Society. All proceeds from the tour go towards neighborhood improvements.

Bad Ike, Bad Ike

So that terrible storm Ike moved through on Sunday night. He made such a mess of everything. We just got our power back on late last night so I've been scrambling to get things ready for Kim & Derek's wedding this Friday and the Victorian Village Tour on Saturday and Sunday. Columbus isn't guaranteed power back in all locations until Sunday. Isn't that INSANE? So needless to say I'm a little behind with the blog this week. Please stay tuned and I'll be back very very soon with more fabulousness with this week's events.

xo

Kasey

photo courtesy of The Columbus Dispatch

What a Wreck!

I've held off as long as I could but I really had to share this blog with you. It's called Cake Wrecks - When Professional Cakes Go Horribly, Hilariously Wrong . It's hysterical! I actually laugh out loud and sometimes to the point of tears reading it. Not only are the cakes featured really wrecks created by PROFESSIONAL bakers but the commentary accompanying the pictures is really the icing on the cake. I know that wasn't funny but Cake Wrecks is so check it out!

You MUST go back and read some of the older posts. One of my favorites is Failure to Communicate. Here's just a few pics from that post.