I am back in Charm City today, after an early flight out.

 Man, does it feel good to be back “home”.  Sometimes I do miss the hustle and bustle of city life and having things readily available.  I took me and His and Her RH up here to see their grandparents (my parents), and get a little prenatal spoiling msyself!  I definitely need a break, because this has been (and will continue to be) a very busy wedding season for The O.   It will be a brief vacation for my parents and the kids next week to a resort and then back to work for me.  Oh, and did I mention I need a root canal?!  Oodles of fun!

Quick FYI. I journeyed to Big Lots today to get His and Her RH some little things to take on their plane ride tomorrow. Always in planner mode, I was looking at things that could be transformed. They have some gorgeous glass hurricanes and vases that would help enhance any candy bar. These puppies were huge too!  They came in all types of different shapes and colors, which made it all the better.  Prices were pretty good for the size.  Go to your nearest Big Lots!

I love a good shoe.  I can’t help it. And it’s not my fault. My mother, at any given time, can walk into her closet and pull out at least 10 pair of shoes she hasn’t worn yet.  Whenever we go shopping, you can trust her when she says, “I have a pair of shoes that would be perfect for that”.  But I digress. 

These Alisha Hill beauties  (Heidi) are bringing “SexyBack” with this  gorgeous ankle design.  They are available through Serendipity Prom.  I heart Serendipity because are deliciously notorious for their designer gowns.  These are great for the anti-bride, or the bride who wants a lot of glam without the bridal price.  You can get “celebrity inspired” dresses from certain movies or star’s appearances at awards shows.  Serendipity is also a great place to go for those super stylish bridesmaids dresses you’ve been looking for.  The price, at times, is pretty comparable to what you would pay at a boutique or bridal salon, but the styles are so chic, you can guarantee that your best gal pals will wear them again. So see, more wedding sugar than you can deal with! 🙂

 For my beach brides, don’t worry– I didn’t forget about you.  I am all about pretty feet.  There is no way you can go on the beach barefoot for you ceremony and have “Hammer Time”.  My old school friends know what I mean.  But as an extra incentive for you to get your tootsies in order, check out Jewels by Michele. For my first trip to Jamaica in 2005, I had about three pair of barefoot sandals.  When I went back six months later, I had about six!   Michele carries full matching ensembles (anklet, sandal and toe ring), so you can start your SO’s foot fetish now!  Sign up for her newsletter, she’s always offering great specials too!

Today is the day, ladies!

Postage goes up from .39 cents to .41 cents for a regular first class mailing.  Larger mailings (read your invites!) actually go down from .63 cents to .58 cents. However, for the first time in USPS history, the post office will be charging according to the shape of your mailing as well.

For first-class, letter envelopes, the allowed thickness is a quarter inch. If you go over a quarter inch, you run into more costly large envelope or parcel rates.  Another thing to consider for your specialty invitations is also having to deal with a new pricing category called “not flat-machinable.”

That pertains to mailings that are not flat and more rigid because they might contain things like cardboard. As such, they don’t go through processing machines as easily as letters — they have “parcel-like characteristics”.

For any questions or more information about how this might affect your invitation mailing, more info can be obtained at www.usps.com or (800) 275-8777.

To all the moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day!  We appreciate you and absolutely love everything you do for us.

Brides, say a special thank you to your Mom today!  Promise to only throw one temper tantrum or go on one shopping spree per week regarding your wedding.  And try not to accidentally on purpose to break that promise 😉

 My mom and I separated this year by a couple hundred miles, but will see each other soon! I look forward to taking her and my dad on vacation with my kidlets and enjoying  being a mom myself. 

Enjoy your special day!

If I ever thought that people calling me the Simon Cowell of wedding planning was bad, I’m glad that I’m not the Miranda of wedding planning!

 The Netflix fairy came yesterday…and I decided to spend my sleepless, pregnancy craving filled ngiht with a flick. So it was just me, Meryl and Anne and a lot of fabulous clothes.  *swoon*

 It was a great movie, and Meryl, who stars as the nightmarish, yet soft-spoken boss, Miranda Priestley, was fabulous.   A great movie for some laughs and style inspiration :)So while I’m glad I’m not mean like Miranda, I would snatch out a patch of hair (someone else’s of course) for some of her wardrobe!

 Oh! And, btw, the Netflix fairy also dropped off Memoirs of A Geisha. BEAUTIFUL.  The movie is 2.5 hours long, and I’ve already watched it twice.  Beautiful imagery and costuming.