How to Become Part of the Blogosphere

My mind was wandering today as I periodically checked my Google Reader and I remembered how at first, I had no idea how blogs worked. I had no clue that I could know when a blog was updated!

So, I decided to share how to follow blogs with you all!

As I'm sure you've gathered from past posts, I believe blogs are an AMAZING resource for not only weddings, but everything under the sun you can imagine. I've found sales at stores, home goods, gadgets, and recent news through blogs. It is unbelievable how you are able to be connected to other people in throughout the world and even form "bonds" with those people.

The first blog I started following was Style Me Pretty. All I did was type in the web address every day and proceed to scroll through the new posts. But then, I started to find other blogs through those SMP posts. And then even more blogs! And I wanted to be able to look at them all, but my Favorites folder was getting SO full!

Then my wonderful best friend and blog veteran told me I could follow the blogs! So I signed up for Google Reader, which easily linked up with my existing Google username.

I now have SO many blogs that I follow and I add more every day-I'm not kidding. But I'm able to see an array of different weddings, photographers' posts, ideas, dresses, invitations, and designs, and that's only wedding related!

Here are some blogs that I follow that I would feel incomplete without:

• Style Me Pretty
• Hostess With the Mostess
• Southern Weddings Magazine Blog
  
• Classic Bride
• A Practical Wedding

Here are some blog following programs available for your use:

• Google Reader
• Bloglines
• Netvibes
• My Yahoo!

So go ahead and become part of the "Blogosphere". Sign up for a blog following program and start adding your favorite blogs. Look for the "RSS Feed" link, "Subscribe", or the RSS icon (found at the top of the post) to add a blog's feed. Good luck with starting to fill your screen (and head) with up-to-date blog posts!

Happy following!

This Should Start Your Day Off Right!

You may have already seen this, as it's been circulating the web for a few days, but I just had to share it!

One of the most enjoyable, lighthearted and sweet things I've ever seen! Amazing!

Enjoy!

Real Wedding: Pilster Photography

Chad Pilster of Pilster Photography (who I came into contact with via Twitter) sent over these GORGEOUS photos of a recent wedding. I fell in love with these pictures-they are absolutely breathtaking! The bride and groom photographed exquisitely, but most of all, Chad gave such an amazing glimpse into the wedding day. Exactly how photography should be, right?

These are the details from Chad:

Bryan and Sara during their wedding on Saturday, June 6, 2009, in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. The wedding was at Our Lady Star of the Sea catholic church and the reception was at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa.

Oh those dresses are indeed hot...I know the exact feeling.

And my absolute favorite...

Chad did such a great job catching the emotions of the bride and groom, as well as the complete vibe of the wedding! It's so amazing to have photographs like these that emit feelings and tell the story of the event so beautifully.

Vendors:
DJ who rocks all night long - High Fidelity DJ
Amazing venue and awesome catering - Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa
Church - Our Lady Star of the Sea
Florist - Celebrations, Flowers, Balloons and Gifts
Dress - Anne Barge
Photography- Pilster Photography
Second Shooter - Rob Cunningham
Special Thanks to Chad's assistant - James Shaffer

Thanks for the help!

Thank you all for your input on what photo I should include with my Thank You notes!

Since I couldn't pick just one, I decided to make a collage of my favorite photos to send out!

It's going to be somewhat small, but all the pictures are clearly visible. I can even pick out specific people in the group shot. I wanted everyone to see it since you were all a part of my decision to make it! Thanks again!

Contests!

I've been trying to get this post up all day to let you all know ASAP, but other obligations (work) prevented me from doing so.

I want to help everyone find the best things for their weddings, and what better way to GET these things than contests? We all would like a chance at getting free stuff!

Style Me Pretty is having a contest for gorgeous cake stands from Raise the Cake. All you have to do is pick out which one is favorite from their collection and post a comment on Style Me Pretty's post telling them which one it is!

Image from Style Me Pretty

Next, we have the Savvy Steal Giveaway from One Wed for a Simple Human steel bar rectangular step can. Yeah, I know, it's a trash can, but if you know your housewares, you know that Simple Human is the best of the best. This trash can is worth $200! So why not enter to win it?

*Image from One Wed

*Both contests end on Friday, so enter soon!

Inspiration Board: Peach & Teal

A very dear friend of mine (best) has been obsessing over Peach and Teal colors for the past few weeks. Every so often I get an email of a photo or link with the words "Remind me I want this for my wedding that isn't happening for another 10 years."

Well, I know this time span isn't true, and I absolutely adore her, so I made a Inspiration Board to tickle her fancy. She has always talked of a beach wedding, and these colors are perfect for the beach.

Along the way, I realized how fresh and crisp the two colors are together. The combination exudes class, intimacy, and a very easygoing vibe. Peach and teal (or orange and aqua/turquoise for bolder color choices) would work wonderfully as a color palette for any season. Adding in neutrals, such as white or tan, could easily set the tone from playful to more elegant.

*Row 1: Menu board; Centerpieces photographed by Aaron Delesie; dress by Suzi Chin Maggy, Nordstrom; Escort card table; Place setting
*Row 2: Chinese lanterns; Bouquet; "Meeting Street" Wedding invitation suite; Peach cocktail; Shoes
*Row 3: Outdoor seating; candles; Ceremony decor; small centerpiece

And I did eat a peach while searching for all of this inspiration. How could you not?

Health and Fitness: At Home Cardio Workout

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I've decided to start off the week with a Health and Fitness Tip! We all know that sometimes we feel guilty after the weekend because we had that appetizer at dinner or the extra drink at a party.

As I said last week, part of my issue with exercising while planning a wedding was finding the time to actually leave my house and get to the gym. And for me, in Florida, the heat is also an excuse for not going outside to walk or run. For those of you who are the same way, I found this great workout from Angie Schumacher that can easily be done at home. All you need is a timer!

Watch the"Burn Fat Without a Machine" video so you know what exercises to do, grab a timer, and find a space to do your workout in! The intervals of different exercises are designed to keep your heart rate up, which is the key to cardio exercise. I tried a couple of the exercises for a few minutes, and my heart was pumping!



Have fun and have a great workout!

For more fitness tips and workouts from Angie, you can go to her blog, Fat Burning Tips 4 Women.