Wedding Planning Wednesday - Skeleton Keys

I adore skeleton keys. I think I first started paying attention to them when my sister started collecting them and even got one tattooed on her. It was one of those things where I'd always look for them to give to her as gifts and eventually I fell in love with them myself.  Last summer, before Mando and I were even engaged, we went to the Long Beach flea market and saw buckets and buckets of antique keys for sale and I mentioned how cool it would be to give those as wedding favors. The idea has stuck with us ever since. When we finally got engaged I explored other options such as jars of raw honey or coffee grounds (can you tell we have eclectic taste?) but we both still loved skeleton keys the best. I love the rustic look and how each key has a past and a story. Isn't that the most amazing thing about antiques after all? I also want to try to incorporate the keys into our theme somehow. Alana had the idea of using them in the boutineers which I love and it gave me the idea to also hang them from the bridesmaids bouquets!

Now that it has been decided, I'm super excited to start antique shopping and collecting keys. Hopefully the flea market still has them for sale! XOXO

*All image sources can be found on my Pinterest wedding board here.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

I made these sweet treats almost 2 months ago, and just never got around to blogging them. Late last night I had a sweet tooth and was searching my recipes for something to bake when I came across them. I instantly remembered how delicious and decadent they were and I knew I had to blog about them today. If you like chocolate and peanut butter then this is the recipe for you! It has been adapted from Bake or Break and is sure to satisfy even the biggest chocolate craving!

You will need:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips + 1/3 cup more for garnishing
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 1/3 cup more for garnishing
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

First, preheat the oven to 350° and line your muffin cups with 12 paper liners. In a large microwave-safe bowl combine your sugar, butter, and water and then microwave on high for about 1 minute or until the butter is melted. Add 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir until they have melted. Add your egg and vanilla extract and then add the flour and baking soda and mix. Allow to cool to room temperature. When the mixture has cooled, stir in 1/2 cup of both peanut butter chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon the batter  into muffin cups about 2/3 full and bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set. Place pan on wire rack. The centers of your brownies will fall upon cooling - THIS IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. If it doesn't happen then just use the back of a teaspoon to make a hole. Melt 1/2 cup of peanut butter in the microwave (about 45 seconds). bowl. While brownies are still hot, spoon a tablespoon of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Cool completely and then shove as many in your mouth as possible! Enjoy! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Oregon Trails

You may remember this post where I mentioned that it's my dream to move away from California and live somewhere that's quiet, and beautiful, and wholesome. My first choice is, and has always been, Oregon. Neither of us have been there before, but I've read and seen pictures enough to know that this picturesque place is perfect for us. The scenery they have is BREATHTAKING and with both beaches and forests you get the best of both worlds. It's a safe place to live and raise your kids, and we could actually afford to buy a home with lots of land. Honestly, about 75% of my days are spent daydreaming about living there. We've been talking about the idea for months now and decided to take action. In mid-August Mando, Cayden, my mama, and I will be taking an epic road trip up the California coast and through Oregon to the Portland/Mount Hood area where we hope to live. We'll be checking out the neighborhoods, job market, and all the beautiful scenery the place has to offer. The trip is mainly for Mando to see if he likes it (I've already made up my mind) but it's also going to be a vacation for us. We don't often have the opportunity to travel so I really want to make the most of this trip and see everything there is to see. If I can get Mando on board we hope to move after the wedding. And if everything goes well my mom will be joining us. I made a promise to her when I was a little girl that I would always take care of her, and Mando and I would be absolutely thrilled to have her live with us.

Anyway, the purpose of this post aside from sharing the road trip news is to ask for your help! We plan to take the scenic route up Pacific Coast Highway and since we've never been before, we need advice of the must-see places to stop! So far on our CA list is San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Gilroy, and the Redwoods. In OR I want to stop in Klamath Falls, Mount Hood, Portland, and St Helens. Obviously we've never been to these places and have no idea what to see so if anyone has take a trip up the coast, or been in any of those areas I would LOVE to hear your suggestions on places to stop. If you have any other suggestions of places to see I'd love to hear that too! I really want to find some cute, small towns with antique shops, beautiful scenic places, and anything else worth seeing! So please, if you have any advice to share I'm all ears!

I hope you all have a GREAT weekend! For once, we don't have a full schedule so we plan to just hang out as a family and veg! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday - The Venue

Who knew May was such a popular month for weddings? I expected June/July/August/September to be busy, but thought that May was a safe date! Apparently I was wrong however, because several venues Mando and I called were already booked for 2012! We realized that we needed to book our date fast and the hunt for the perfect venue began...

I originally had my heart set on finding and old, rustic barn but believe it or not barns are few and far between in Orange County and the ones that we found were way out of our price range. After the bitter realization that I would not be able to get married in a barn I was determined to find something equally lovely. I had a few requirements for the venue:

• I wanted the wedding and reception to be at the same location
• I wanted it outdoors
• I wanted to get a 'rustic' vibe from it

After checking out 6 different places we ended up choosing the Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim Hills. The nature center offers stunning scenery that just takes your breath away when you see it for the first time. 300 year old oak trees tower over you and you can cross several gorgeous bridges and creeks to a number of hiking trails. It's quiet and tucked away and many people don't even know it's there. The ceremony site consists of rows of wooden benches facing a platform for the bride and groom complete with a wooden arbor. There are 3 options for the reception site, but we like the area to the left of the ceremony site best. To the left of that lies a gorgeous bridge leading to the rest of the nature trails.

What I love is that it meets all of our requirements, is under budget, and all of the money to book the venue goes towards preserving wildlife. I do have some reservations about the backless benches and how 'rugged' the terrain is (we are concerned for our older guests) and I also have a lot of decisions to make regarding decor (Should I get rid of the pink in our wedding colors?) but I'm actually really excited to have our wedding here... I know no matter what I can make it work and our wedding will be a beautiful day!

left: the ceremony site                                            right: the reception site

A closer look at the ceremony site and benches

the beautiful bridge to the left of both ceremony and reception site leading deeper into the nature center

side view of the ceremony site and a view of the 300 year old oak trees

M&M Sugar Cookie Bars

I have been baking, swearsies! Almost every weekend I've been making something yummy and delicious and even photographing it with every intention to blog them. I've just been focusing on other things lately and haven't gotten around to posting them! I first made these M&M Sugar Cookie Bars over Memorial Day weekend and they were a huge hit! I slightly adapted this recipe from Pinterest and I liked them so much that I decided I'm to bake them again for Cayden's party. The recipe is actually really easy and only uses a few ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen!

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup M&M's + 1/4 cup for topping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish.

Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl then stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cook for about 3 minutes and then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Stir this into the wet mixture and then gently fold in 1/2 cup of M&M's. Pour mixture into greased baking dish and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Then remove it from the oven and top with remaining M&Ms, gently pressing them into the dough. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the top is set and the bars have barely golden edges. Cool completely in the pan before slicing.

If you like sugar cookies then you will definitely love these. They are sweet and chewy and perfect for any occasion. Enjoy! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Crafty Craftersons

It's no secret that I love to make things. I mean, I love it so much I made a business out of it. Anytime I see something in a store that I like I automatically ask myself 'could I make that?' before buying it. It's a great way to save money and recycle/upcycle materials you have laying around! And when it comes to home decor, there are plenty of DIY ideas out there. I've been on the hunt for some wall art, specifically items to include in a gallery wall, and I've found some great ideas on Pinterest. Here are just a few of my [Friday] favorites!

I love this idea for a gallery wall. Whenever I go to antique stores or flea markets I always see old letters made out of brass or steel and I love them but I never know what to do with them. You could either leave them as-is for the weathered look or spray paint them a fun color and then just attach it to some scrapbook paper and pop it in a frame! If you don't have antique stores near you it's easy to make a large initial out of cardboard and paint it!

I love these yarn wrapped monograms and have been dying to make one. You can cut out the letter from an old cereal box or buy one made from wood or recycled materials from Michaels. Then just pick out yarn that you love and get to wrappin'!

Chalkboard paint is all the rage right now. I love this idea of making a countdown with it because you can use it over and over and customize it whatever way you want! Just get a 2x4, sand it, paint it, and attach vinyl letters that say 'days until'. Easy peasy!

This is one of my favorite finds on Pinterest. Find places on a map that you love or that you've gone to with a loved one, cut it out in a heart shape, and then frame it! It can be used as art in your home or given as a sentimental gift!I want to do this for Mando for the place of our first date, our first apartment, the place I gave birth, the place he proposed, etc.

This is one of the simplest projects I've seen... literally anyone could do it! Cut out pieces of cardboard in various sizes, cover them with pretty fabrics, and BAM! You have yourself a pretty little gallery wall! I think this would be a great way to decorate a craft or play room!

I've been looking for a wreath for my door that I can hang year-round so I was super excited when I saw this. I know Michaels sells these wreaths for pretty cheap as well as the wooden numbers. Slap some paint on the numbers, find some pretty silk flowers and you've got a pretty new wreath to greet your guests!

I challenge you next time you see something in a store to ask yourself if it's something you can make at home! You never know until you give it a try! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. I'll be spending it catching up on some crafting of my own! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday - The flowers

Most of the weddings that I've seen are all about the glitz and glam. The bride wants to be pampered and treated like a princess with her big, poofy dress, jewel encrusted centerpieces, and dance floor complete with a custom made monogram. I, on the other hand, would be happy getting married in a barn with 20 close friends and family members and a vintage dress. I definitely prefer the look of DIY weddings and I know that I can create a beautiful day doing the planning and creating myself with a small budget. I love the personal touches you get with a DIY wedding that you just don't get when you use an event planner!

One way I plan to save money is with the flowers. Flowers are one of my favorite things about weddings. And because I worked in a flower shop and assisted with bridal arrangements I plan to go to the LA flower market and do the bridesmaids bouquets and centerpieces for the wedding myself. Here are some of the flowers I'm thinking of using!

Baby's breath is known as a filler flower. It's what you typically see nestled in between your dozen of red roses. I happen to think that it is lovely, delicate, and understated which is exactly the look I'm going for. I'm thinking of using a big bunch of it for bridesmaids bouquets and as far as centerpieces go, I love how it looks displayed in mason jars and antique vases and tea tins. And the best part? Baby's breath is very budget friendly! 

For my bouquet I might go to a florist if I end up wanting something more complex. Right now I'm really liking unique flowers such as ranucnculus and anemones. I think the above arrangement is delicate and whimsical and having the twine wrapped around  would make it tie in really well with my theme.

That's all for now! Tonight and tomorrow we'll be looking at hopefully the last of the venues and if all goes well I'll be able to share which one we chose by next week! YAY! XOXO

**all image sources can be found on my Pinterest wedding board here.