Look Back at Michigan

Happy Wednesday friends! It feels good to finally be back in the Sunshine State. We had a blast in Michigan at Rob's cousin's wedding hanging out with his family for the weekend. Admittedly, I am a bit bad at remembering to take pictures when we are having so much fun, but I did manage to snap a few shots from the weekend and wedding that I wanted to share with you today. 

We started the trip off early Friday morning enjoying breakfast tacos and Mimosas at Chili's in the Jacksonville airport. Once we got to Michigan, we did what we naturally do, found two local breweries and popped in for a pint. If you are ever in the Detroit area, both Dragonmead and Kuhnhenn in Warren are excellent! After our little adventure, we made our way to the hotel where we were greeted with the cutest welcome basket full of Michigan made treats. My favorite part of the basket was the custom door hanger we put to good use Sunday morning. The wedding on Saturday was gorgeous and we had such a good time at the reception. I even convinced Rob to hit up the photo booth with me. Sunday and Monday were both full of eating, drinking, and family time. Although it was a bit cold and rainy, we did get to enjoy a rare double rainbow! All in all, it was a great extended weekend away. 

Hope you enjoy a few of my snap shots from the weekend as I get back to reality!

Party DIY {Perfect Welcome Bags}

The welcome bag is a little wedding extra that takes the whole experience over the edge. It's a nice way to make guests feel at home and thank them for traveling so far to join in your special day. There are so many things you can place in your bags, but there are some key items that I think make it a perfect bag. These items are fun and show guests all the things they can do in town when they aren't celebrating with you. While the contents can vary based on location and theme, there are a couple standard items that can be customized to your wedding like maps, snacks, and beverages. This bag and list is perfect for a summer beachside wedding but is easily adaptable no matter where your wedding is. Here are my must haves!

1. Maps: Whether you pick up local maps from the store or have beautiful ones hand drawn, a map is a nice way to show guests all the fun places to go and will help them not get lost! Show where the hotel is, where the ceremony and reception are taking place, and provide a list of all your favorite places to go.

2. Welcome Note: It's hard to see and say hi to each guest before the wedding, so welcome them all with a hand written note in their bag. Thank them for coming and be sure to tell them how excited you are that they are here.

3. Weekend Itinerary: Provide guests with a weekend itinerary telling them when and where they need to be. Include things like the rehearsal dinner, ceremony time, reception, after party, and brunch the next day.

4. Local Flavors: Show your guests a taste of the community from the second they arrive. Include local favorites like craft beer, homemade treats from the bakery, Florida oranges or anything else that speaks to the favor of the area.

5. Beach Essentials: Since summer is upon us, I'm focusing on beachy weddings. Order personalized plastic sunglasses and throw in a pair for everybody. Toss in a bottle of sunscreen, a bottle of water, some aloe vera, and some magazines to read while lounging.

Welcome to the Party

It's time to get down with a little gift giving to your guests. Usually they are the ones showering you with gifts, but maybe every get together should start (or end) with a little thank you for attending. Whether it be a dinner party or a weekend full of celebration, thank guests for taking time out of their busy schedules and supporting you. While a simple dinner party only requires an embroidered dish towel and some nice hand soap, my favorite gift to give to guests is the welcome basket for a weekend soiree. Surprise out of town guests at their hotel with a basket full of essentials to make them feel at home and ensure a few days of comfortable fun. Some of my favorite items to pile in the basket (or bag) is a bottle of room spray in your favorite scent, luscious lotions, a bottle of wine with a couple glasses, a map of the area with a list of things to do in spare time, and a pair of fuzzy slippers. 

What would you want to see in a welcome basket?

*Image: Martha Stewart Weddings

Dining Uncorked {Breakfast Basket}

So, for someone's first big prelim last week, I decided to get creative and throw down with an amazing (if I do say so myself) breakfast basket for him to eat during the test. It's four hours long and that kid was bound to get hungry! Anyways, I filled the basket (or box in this case) with a frittata, some chocolate chip cookies, a thing of orange juice, and these amazing sausage rolls! Seriously, they are so good and a household favorite.  And, they are incredibly simple. Here's the rundown on how they're made....

Ingredients: 

1 roll of sausage (I use maple)

1 pack of crescent rolls

Direction:

{Step 1} Unroll the crescent rolls keeping the sheet of rolls together as much as possible.

{Step 2} Spread the pack of sausage evenly on top of the crescent dough. 

{Step 3} Roll the sausage and crescent sheet up and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. (The point of freezing it is to make it easier when you go to slice it.)

{Step 4} Take a serrated knife and slice the roll into equal size pieces.

{Step 5} Bake at 390 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Also, a breakfast basket would be a great idea for a first day of school or any big day. I love the idea of doing it for a wedding welcome basket. Have your favorite snacks, a bottle of wine, lots of water, and maybe some Tylenol.