Don't Forget!

Happy Friday! I think this has officially been the longest week ever. I'm looking forward to a low-key, relaxing weekend. Do you think I'm getting old when I'm excited to have NO plans and nothing to do?

Also, a friendly reminder to enter my Green Giveaway! It's super easy... just become a Google follower (if you're not already) and leave a comment here. It's basically like cash - a $40 gift certificate to the lucky winner for use at any of CSN's 200+ online stores. Winner announced Monday!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Kelly

(Image Source)

First Year

One year down, a lifetime to go...isn't that how the saying goes? Luke and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary last month. As previously mentioned, we went to brunch at North Pond in Lincoln Park. We exchanged cards and the traditional "paper" gifts. He gave me some beautiful card sets from Papyrus. My Mother-In-Law also showered us (okay, mostly me) with gifts too. She's so sweet! Flowers, antique china and diamond earrings!!! Luke mentioned to her that she was "showing him up" (haha), but I didn't really mind. It was a wonderful gesture. I can't believe it's already been ONE year. Time flies when you're having fun!

I was adamant about saving the top tier of our wedding cake (a.k.a. cupcake tower) for our 1 year anniversary. The Carrot Cake was delicious back then...could it be just as good a year later (and frozen)? After defrosting and unwrapping it, it looked safe enough to try so we both dug in. Verdict: Very yummy! The coconut frosting was still my favorite part...thanks again, Traveler's Cafe!

Photos ©2010 Keg Design.

Green Giveaway!

Images Courtesy of CSNstores.com

Keg Design is hosting another CSN giveaway... and this time it's going to be green. As in cash money green (well a gift card, but nearly the same thing)! The lucky winner will receive a $40 gift certificate for use at any of CSN's 200+ online stores. I'm currently looking for a new vanity, and love the bedroom vanity options CSN offers. What's on your list? Baby items, furniture, shoes, cookware... you name it, CSN has it.

How to enter:

1. Become a Keg Design follower. You must do this to be eligible. Leave a comment telling me what you would purchase with the gift certificate.

2. Become a Keg Design Facebook Fan for a second chance at winning.

3. Post about this contest on your site, linking back to Keg Design, for another chance to win.

(Don't forget to leave a comment letting me know to add you a 2nd or 3rd time.)

Keg Design's "Green Giveaway" will close on Sunday, August 1st at Noon CST. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on August 2nd. This contest is valid for United States and Canadian residents only.Thanks for entering and good luck!

Real Wedding: Amy & Marc Part II

As I mentioned earlier, Amy and Marc were a pleasure to work with. I haven't known them very long, but I can tell that they're a couple that will live a long, happy life together. Here are some of my favorite pictures from their big day...the outdoor shots and reception details. Their reception was held at Flossmoor Country Club in Illinois. More on the details from Amy...

We wanted something simple, but elegant. Our flowers were beautiful; we had 3 different types of centerpieces. My favorite was the tall candles with the bud vases. We gave each table a “name," as well as a number, and then included a brief description of why that place was meaningful to us. For example, Table 12 was Millenium Park “Our First Kiss" and Table 25 was Hawaii...our "Honeymoon" destination.

I used to come home from work every day and tell Marc, “I have a great idea for the wedding….” I think he only said no a couple of times (once to fireworks and once again to sparklers). When I told him my idea for our favors he was a big fan! See, when we dated, we spent most of our summers at Wrigley Field watching the Cubs, so we had to incorporate something Cubbies in the wedding. When we first started dating, I would bake cookies for Marc all the time, so perfect...why not have a Wrigley Field cookie favor!

Our band, Front of House, rocked! Everyone LOVED them! Our first dance was to “You are the Best Thing” by Ray Lamontagne. For my birthday, Marc got us dance lessons. He made me promise not to say anything to anyone about it. People would ask, “Are you guys going to take dance lessons?” and we would respond back, “No! Marc would never take dance lessons.” We get out on the dance floor to do our dance, and after the first turn I hear my sisters yell out, “Oh my gosh! They took dance lessons.”

When I was a baby, my dad would sing “Once in Love with Amy” to me. When it came to picking out the song for our Father/Daughter dance, there was no question about what song we would dance to…

Everyone says to enjoy your wedding day and to take every moment in because the day goes by so fast…they weren’t lying! WOW! I still can’t believe the day came and went. Thankfully, we had an amazing photographer, Paul Yamashiro, who captured the special moments of our wedding. We hope you enjoyed them as much as we enjoyed experiencing them. Our wedding was truly a dream come true.

Real Wedding: Amy & Marc

I had the pleasure of designing Amy and Marc's wedding programs, menu cards and table numbers. The couple was an absolute delight to work with, and I was so excited when Amy agreed to let me share some of her wedding photos on Keg Design. Here's her wedding story...

Marc and I were married June 5, 2010 at St. Maria Goretti church in Dyer, IN. We picked our wedding day because it fell between our parents’ wedding anniversaries and we wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our lives joining as one. I can’t begin to tell you about the range of emotions I felt on our wedding day... I was nervous because this was the biggest day of my life to date. I was excited because I was marrying the love of my life. I was anxious to see Marc and start our life together. Not to mention, I’m a crier, so sometimes my emotions get the best of me.

Family and friends mean the world to us, so it was important that they share in this day with us. We wanted to do something different than the typical wedding program, so we included a “bio” on each member of our wedding party. We wanted to make it personal, and wanted our guests to know why these people were so special to us. With the help of Keg Design, we came up with the perfect wedding program.

We are blessed to have such adorable nieces and nephews, so it was a no brainer to have them in our wedding party. We knew our flower girls would look like little princesses, and every princess needs a wand, so our florist, A Stem Above, created a wand for each of them to carry down the aisle.

Our favorite part of the day was our ceremony…by far. We were married by Father Dindo Billote, a family friend of Marc’s since forever. Father gave Marc and I homework before our wedding: he asked Marc and I to write letters to each other about why we wanted to marry each other, how our lives have changed since meeting, and how we see our future together. He said he may take some quotes from our letters and use those in the homily. Well, he quoted our entire letters! (Well, only half of mine because it was so long! Ha!)

Check back tomorrow for Part II of Amy and Marc's wedding. Photos by Paul Yamashiro.

Wedding Invitation: Kim & Jeff

You might remember that I shared Kim and Jeff's beautiful Save The Date with you a few months back. A lot of time and exploration also went into their wedding suite. These invitations are one of my new favorites! Each piece was printed on premium card stock using raised thermography. I enjoyed "styling" the photo shoot of this set too - I used a lace backdrop and strand of ivory pearls. I love how each individual design compliments the next, but has its own unique look and feel.

5"x7" Invitation Card with Navy Inner Envelope

#4 Baronial Reception and RSVP Cards

Complete 7-piece Invitation Suite

Invitation and Coordinating Map

Personalized Map includes Accommodations & Driving Directions

RSVP Card with Menu Options

Close-up of Border Design and Pearls

Photos ©2010 Keg Design.

Who doesn't love a photo booth?

Luke and I attended the "Forever in Our Hearts" Summer Luau with a couple of good friends this weekend. It's an annual event that helps raise money for the Children's Heart Foundation. It was wonderfully organized and they even had an island-inspired photo booth with props...I couldn't resist!

I'M BACK!!!

Hello everyone...I'm finally back! I've enjoyed an amazing 5 week break, but I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things at Keg Design. Summer is also in full swing in Chicago, and I've been taking advantage of the great weather. Here's a recap of the last month and a half...I've definitely kept myself busy.

In late May, my brother attended his Senior Prom. You better believe Luke and I were there for the pre-party festivities and picture-taking at my parent's house. Don't they make a cute couple? I love the vintage style dress and color coordination.

In early June, it was time for Cody's high school graduation. The ceremony was supposed to take place outside (on the football field), but due to a last minute weather scare, the school moved it inside. OMG, it was HOT in the gym! Really hot. The event brought back many memories of H.S. for me since I attended the same school ten years ago. My reunion is coming up this fall...oh boy!

My Mom and I traveled to Italy for about 2 weeks in June... it was an A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. trip! Seriously, everyday I'm at work I dream that I was back in Italy sipping champagne for lunch. I guess I'll just have to keep dreaming. Our first leg of the trip was Florence, my favorite Italian city. I studied there during college, so I know my way around pretty well. We did lots of shopping, eating, drinking and walking... and of course some sightseeing too.

From Tuscany, we traveled north to the Italian Riveria. We stayed in a small beach town called Santa Margherita Ligure. It was absolutely beautiful. We were about an hour north of Cinque Terre, which we visited via the "awesome" Italian train system (insert sarcasm). The scenery in this region is just breathtaking... mountains, greenery, water, flowers and more. More details to follow.

When I returned to the States, Luke and I celebrated our ONE YEAR wedding anniversary. We went to North Pond, a local hot spot for brunch, and enjoyed mimosas and yummy food. Our anniversary also happened to fall on Father's Day this year, so we headed out to my parent's house in the evening for dinner. I'll recap our 1 year old cake "tasting" soon!

I think I've already mentioned how fabulous the weather has been this summer. I mean, we've had our fair share of rain and storms, but we've also had some perfect weekends full of blue skies and abundant sunshine. Luke and I have been taking Murphy, our black lab, to the dog beach as much possible. He loves it!

I've also been fortunate to spend a good amount of time with friends this summer. We've celebrated birthdays, newborns and other big milestones. Here's a group shot from Luke's Birthday party last week.

This past weekend, I hosted a bachelorette party at my house. It was for my dear friend, Kim, who is getting married this August. Her MOH's helped me decorate, and I made some awesome white sangria for the party. We had such a blast (as you can see from the clothesline of lingerie!), that I was still recuperating from the festivities on Monday.

So, what have you been up to lately? I'd love to hear all about it. Comments! Comments! Comments! It's been so long since I've blogged that I think I have a serious case of blogger withdrawal. Keep checking back frequently because I have so many new things to blog about. Can't wait to catch up...