This Site For Sale

I’ve been working on other projects and just don’t have the time to dedicate to this blog as I would want. So unfortunately I had to make the decision to move on.

The sale includes:
- all content
- 2 domains (theresourcefulbride.com and resourcefulbride.com)

Asking price: best offer

Send all bids and inquiries to abena@theresourcefulbride.com

Lala Weds Melo and more

It’s only Wednesday, but this has turned into a very busy weekend and week for celebrity weddings.

After a long engagement and rumors of breakups, MTV VJ Lala Vasquez married Denver Nuggets basketball player Carmelo Anthony. The nuptials took place on Saturday night, July 10, 2010, at Cipriani’s in New York City. About 320 guests were in attendance, including star basketball players Lebron James, Kenyon Martin, and Amar’e Stoudamire. Other celebrity guests included Lala’s good friend Kim Kardashian, rapper Trina and singer Ciara. It was certainly a star studded event.

Lala lost 15 pounds to look stunning on her big day and I have to say she looks great. The rich red theme would not have been my choice for a summer wedding in the city but it is beautiful. What do you think?

Others who got hitched this weekend include Kevin Liles, VP of Island Def Jam Music Group to Erika Jones in the bride’s hometown of Birmingham, AL. The ceremony took place at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church with a reception following at Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa.

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem also wedded secretly this week. And Bristol Palin got engaged to Levi Johnston. Mother Sarah Palin was supposedly not told about the engagement.

All the best to all the newly weds.

Sources:

http://ca.eonline.com/uberblog/b189782_kim_kardashian_on_hand_bff_lala.html

http://theybf.com/2010/07/08/wedding-fab-trey-songzs-manager-kevin-liles-is-getting-hitched

Music Monday #2

Sometime last month I decided to start a monthly series on wedding music called Music Monday, inspired by #musicmonday on twitter. I’m a bit late continuing the series but song two is here.

This song is very special to me. It was actually my walk out song. I knew i didn’t want the “Wedding March”, none of that “here comes the bride” stuff, but couldn’t decide on a song. This was actually picked by the husband. It’s on of his favorite songs by one of his favorite artist. I think he made a great choice. To this day it’s still “our song” and brings back floods of memories.

Luther Vandross – “Here and Now”

One look in your eyes and there I see
Just what you mean to me
Here in my heart I believe
Your love is all I’ll ever need
Holdin’ you close through the night
I need you, yeah

I look in your eyes and there I see
What happiness really means
The love that we share makes life so sweet
Together we’ll always be
This pledge of love feels so right
And, ooh, I need you

Here and now
I promise to love faithfully (Faithfully)
You’re all I need
Here and now
I vow to be one with thee (You and me), hey
Your love is all (I need) I need

Say, yeah, yeah…

When I look in your eyes, there I’ll see
All that a love should really be
And I need you more and more each day
Nothin’ can take your love away
More than I dare to dream
I need you

Here and now
I promise to love faithfully (Faithfully)
You’re all I need
Here and now
I vow to be one with thee (You and me), yeah
Your love is all I need

(Starting here) Ooh, and I’m starting now
I believe (I believe in love), I believe
(Starting here) I’m starting right here
(Starting now) Right now because I believe in your love
So I’m glad to take the vow

Here and now, oh
I promise to love faithfully (Faithfully)
You’re all I need
Here and now, yeah
I vow to be one with thee (You and me), yeah
Your love is all I need

I, hey…yeah…yeah…hey…
Uh, hey…
I-I, love is all I need
Ooh…ooh…yeah…
Yeah…yeah…hey…yeah…yeah…
Love is all I need
Ooh…ooh…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh
Hey…yeah
Hey…yeah…

New Take on a Favorite: Guestbook Signature Frame

Signature photo frames are a nice touch for guestbook ideas. It happens to be one of my favorite guestbook ideas because it can be displayed in your home and not tucked away in a draw like my wedding album is. (Click here to check out these five great guestbook options)

Most signature frames are made of cardboard, and guest sign the cardboard around the photo in a permanent marker. In my youtube rounds, I came across this video of a company that makes the same photo frames we love, but instead of cardboard, they use polished metal. Guests then sign the polished metal with a diamond tip pen that engraves directly into the metal, making it truly permanent. Since messages are engraved, you don’t have to worry about smudging, or the cardboard losing color over time. Watch the video and then visit I Do Engravables for more details.

DIY Video: Wedding Pillow

Here is a simple to follow video from Wendy on how to make a wedding pillow. Sometimes certain projects seem so intimidating to do, but once you see someone do it and explain it in such a simplistic fashion, you realize how do-able it is. I love Wendy’s videos. This is about the second or third that I’ve posted, and I will be posting more in the future.

Favor Friday – Dahlia Pouches

Aren’t these just stunning? The bright, vibrant color just screams spring. And the way they truly resembles dahlia blooms are beautiful. I can just see them clustered on a favor table. These would also make great centerpieces. You know how I love items that serve dual purposes. Place these favor pouches in a shallow vase, something like the ones below, and it would make for a beautiful centerpiece.

Something like this! Shallow Vase for Centerpiece (Ikea)	Or this! Shallow Vase Centerpiece (Ikea)
So you get an effect like this! Shallow Flower Box

(From Martha Stewart Weddings)

You will need:

• Dahlia bulbs, (They used dahlia bulbs for their dahlia pouches, naturally. You could use any edible favors like jelly beans, M&Ms, mints, etc.)
• Tissue paper (They used colored tissue paper in azalea (CT1AP) from Nashville Wraps , $11.95 for 480 sheets)
• String or heavy thread
• Ribbon

To wrap the bulb/favor, stack two pieces of tissue paper and fold them in half side to side, then top to bottom.

Download the PDF dahlia template, and print onto standard printer paper.

Cut out template; then lay on top of folded tissue paper, aligning straight edges of template with the two folded edges of the tissue paper.

Trace lightly around the template, and then cut on the line to create a tissue-paper dahlia.

Open tissue paper and rotate top sheet slightly so the petal tips are staggered.

Wrap the bulb (or whatever favor you’re using) in another layer of tissue paper, and place it in the center of the tissue-paper dahlia.

Wrap the tissue-paper dahlia around the bulb/favor, drawing the sides up and to the center; secure with string (leave ends long for now).

To make the tags, download the PDFs of the initials tag and the planting-instructions tag if you are using dahlia bulbs. (You gotta love how Martha included templates for every project)

For the initials tag, type in your first initials and wedding date. Print onto 8 1/2-by-11-inch card stock. (Customize cardstock color and font color to fit your theme and liking, just be sure the ink shows up clearly on the card stock i.e. orange font on pink cardstock may not be a good idea)
For the planting-instructions tag, also print onto card stock.

Using a 1 1/2-inch circle craft punch, punch out each tag. (Turn the craft punch upside down, so you can see the positioning of the design in the hole of the punch.)

Place an initials tag on top of an instructions tag, and use a small hole punch to make a hole through the top center of both tags.
Thread string through the holes and tie; trim ends.
Wrap a pretty ribbon around to cover up the string, and tie.

Photo Credits:
- http://images.meredith.com/lhj/images/2009/02/ss_101332098.jpg
- http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/paper-dahlia-how-to
- Ikea.com

Grey Orange Green Inspiration

Last weekend I took a trip to Home Goods to get a basket for some jewelry. My budget was $10. Found the perfect basket in about 5 minutes and it was just $7.99 = SCORE, under budget bay-bee. Another 40 minutes later the register totaled $43 and some change. How did that happen? Anyone who’s been to Home Goods knows exactly what happened. I can just get lost in there. So many great items for the home, at super low prices, that for just about every item you touch even if you don’t need it you’ll find a reason why you still need to get it. I needed my purchases so much that they stayed in the bag in the living room until last night when I took it out to show the hubs the great cups I got. The last thing I need are more cups but the colors were so stunning I couldn’t resist. Don’t you agree….

My crappy camera doesn’t do them any justice. I first spotted the gray one and thought the hubs would like. A few aisles later there was the green. On the way to the register we hit the treasure chest – - an entire display with every color you could think of. Of course, I added orange to my stash and my mother went the way of blue, orange, yellow, and green. Placing them on the table to show the hubs I thought how great they worked together and had to do an inspiration board. Gray is the color of the season, and paired with orange and green makes for a harmonious blend. The gray is subtle enough to subdue the boldness of the orange, and green is like the cherry on top. This is by far my favor color combo of the season… thus far.

Photo Credits:
- www.theknot.com
- http://rlv.zcache.com/orange_damask_monogram_wedding_invitation-p1618589782446056292dki9_400.jpg
- http://www.porterhousedesigns.com/colorsizzle/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/picture-7.png
- http://greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com/2009/06/non-matching-bridesmaids-dresses.html
- http://www.favorideas.com/wedding-themes/themes-by-color/gray-in-weddings/
- http://idoinspiration.blogspot.com/2009_10_18_archive.html
- http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/2009/03/maybe-well-just-make-it-a-feature.html
- http://roseville143.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/amsale-gray.jpg

Music Monday – Wedding Edition

Inspired by #musicmonday (or #MM) on twitter I thought it would be cool to bring that over to TRB. I’ve come across some really great music thanks to Music Monday. Old songs that I completely forgot about, or new ones that I probably would have never downloaded but ended up loving. For our wedding, the hubs and I put together some of our favorite music and created a CD favor for guests. Every time I look back at the CD, there are always songs that I wish I had included. Hopefully this monthly miniseries will provide some inspiration for your reception, ceremony, or CD if you’re doing one. There’s a lot of music that at first listen may not seem like typical “wedding music” but lyrically, couldn’t be more fitting. I always think back to that funky couple that walked danced down the aisle to Chris Brown’s “Forever”. If you missed it, you clearly don’t spend enough time on the internet, but you can check it out here

This week I’m starting out with Rascal Flatts – “Bless the Broken Road”. I absolutely LOVE this song. Don’t know when/where I first heard it, but never knew who sang it. Found out thanks to #MM that it was Rascal Flatts so I downloaded their greatest hits – - love all their music!


What are some of your favorite “wedding” songs? Traditional or not. Share.

You can find these lyrics and listen to the song here

“Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn’t see how every sign pointed straight to you

[Chorus:]
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I’d like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You’ve been there you understand
It’s all part of a grander plan that is coming true

[Chorus]

Now I’m just rolling home
Into my lover’s arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

I love River Rocks

In a previous post (Quick 5: Guestbook Ideas) I showed how river rocks can be used as a “guestbook”. You can incorporate the river rocks into the décor around your venue – - such as doing a dry river bed across the tables or placing them in a shallow vase and include pens so that guest can sign the rocks with a message for the bride and groom. Then the rocks can be re-purposed around your home as a constant reminder of your wedding day. To read more about that idea and other guestbook ideas, check out the old post here.

I love the idea of using river rocks throughout your wedding. Mainly because I use them so much throughout my home décor, it’s such as easy item to re-purpose into everyday living. And not to mention how affordable they are. There’s so much that can be done with them. They can be painted for a whimsical theme. And large, flat ones make a great surface for writing on – - such as for using as a guestbook or like this couple in Colorado did.

Going with the organic theme of their wedding, they used the river rocks as escort cards. Using a metallic gold pen (a staple for any DIY bride) they wrote the guest’s name on one side and table number on the other. This would also be a great favor, especially if you could find some way to fit the name of the bride and groom and wedding date on there as well.

Munaluchu Bridal Magazine

“Catering to the bride who craves culture and style”

A few weeks ago, while I was still half asleep listening to the Pix11 (formerly CW11) morning news, a story aired about a chic new bridal magazine. As part of Black History Month celebrations, Pix featured Munaluchi Bridal, a young team on a mission to change the face of main stream bridal magazines. They definitely got my attention.

Our publication is built on how to improve/enhance the options of the African Bride. We offer our readers the opportunity to easily source wedding information such as banquet halls, photographers, wedding gowns, and the list goes on.

We aim to be the prime source for all African Brides who are looking for top notch wedding vendors.

We look forward to your support and are anxious to fill this void in the wedding industry. Much Thanks, and Happy Planning!

The Munaluchi Bridal Team www.munaluchibridal.com

As I flip through old issues of bridal magazines, it’s clear that something is definitely absent. They do occasionally feature stories of real brides who infused cultural elements into their weddings. If I were wishing to do the same I would not know where or how to get the items featured in the images because there’s no information provided. You usually get information on how the bride saved on her invitations, who baked the delicious cake, but not who sewed her beautiful, African inspired gown. The image of “the bride” is consistent from issue to issue. Even the advertisers are the same page to page. The non-traditional, off-beat bride is not depicted.

I’m anxious to get my hands on a copy of Munaluchi Bridal! I don’t believe it is available on newsstands yet. You can order from their website at http://www.munaluchibridal.com Stay tuned for an update. I’ll be sure to post my impressions when I get a copy. I wish them much success.

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