Friday, December 30, 2011

One Day In December

Have you been following along? We are on the brink of 2012 and for the past few weeks, us fellow TWIPS members, have shared our 2011 look backs - sharing great insight, strength, creativity, huge business success, and a lot of personal struggles that have bonded us together. Who are all of us? Well we are Wedding Businesses from around the world who are run by inspirational people always willing to help, support and educate. We all met on the TWIPS site and it grew from there, regularly visiting each other blogs to offer encouragement, support and friendship. Acquaintances come and go but a true friendship can last a lifetime.The best part about being part of something like this is that in a world thats full of doom and gloom and cynicism, where everyone is out for themselves (especially in the wedding business where competitiveness has over taken common decency and quality), its a refreshing change to find such a positive collective of people from all over the world looking to do their level best to create a supportive network of friendship and education. Starting from the 9th December you will be able to read a post from each of us right through to the 31st December, not in a wahoo look at us but in a if we can then you can too kind of way. If you visit one of the blogs and you are touched by what you have read, then please comment, tweet or share in any way that you can and if you’d like to be part of the TWIPS then just click hereThanks to Orly for setting this ALL up!!! 
We hope you enjoy! 
One Day in December
One Day in December 2011 TWIPS Orly Lyndon the Boutique Intimate wedding photographer
copyright Cris Kiss My Tulle
Click on the {blog} to go to their post 
One Day In December Honour Roll
09th Dec} Shannon {Shannon Kelly Photography}
“You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. 
You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up”. 
10th Dec} Cris {Kiss my Tulle}
It's About What's Important.
11th Dec} Layla {Simply Savannah Events}
I can't wait to see what 2012 will hold, but after looking back on my past year I feel very blessed and thankful!
12th Dec} Amanda {Bacidesigner}
I couldn't possibly feel anything other than lucky!
13th Dec} Allie {Honey Bee Invites}
Let’s take a look at my 2011 goals and see how much progress I’ve made.
14th Dec} Jen {Blush Printables}
You gotta do what you gotta do, my aunt always told me.
15th Dec} Colleen {Soundtrack to Ido}
Every challenge brings a lesson and every blessing brings joy.
16th Dec} Shaffone {Making your Event Special}
I set out to bring awareness to plus size brides in the wedding industry, 
and I really feel that I have gone in the right direction in doing that.
17th Dec} Wendy {Just Wenderful}
Feel the fear and do it anyway!
18th Dec} Louise {Bijoux Bride}
I have since discovered the wedding industry is full of kind hearted and generous people.
19th Dec} Chandra {Oh Lovely Day}
The lesson I learned and wanted to share is that we (women) are too hard on ourselves.
20th Dec} Emma {Aphrodites Weddings}
Beautiful inspiration and trends: lace, vintage, coral, alternative dresses, sparkle, and more DIY.  
21st Dec} Lisshan {Wrapper Couture}
This post isn't meant to be a sad one or one to elicit sympathy.
It's meant to encourage you to push through the pain, as I often do.
23rd Dec} Jessica {Two Wedding Belles}
2011 is the year I finally found my blogging mojo, and alot more of you found TWB.
Plus I started so many new blog relation(friend)ships!
24th Dec} Krissy {Make Believen}
2011 has been an inspiring year for Wed Eclectic which is a collective/team of wedding vendors dedicated to hand making amazing designs and art for eclectic wedding lovers. 
25th Dec} Alicia {The Charity Wedding}
Life isn’t always perfect, situations don’t always play out how you planned, but I think if we start to find the good in the bad, we will realize how truly grateful we should be, all year round.
26th Dec} Orly {Intimate Wedding Photography}
You inspire me to...
27th Dec} Adrienne {Ruffles and Tweed}
Here's to 2011, the year of wonderful surprises, and to the hope that 2012 is even better.
30th Dec} Laura {Laura Lavender}
Believe in......
31st Dec} Lauren {Every Last Detail}
2010 is the year that I found myself, 2011 is the year I found my voice, and in 2012 I will be heard

Friday, December 23, 2011

Happy Holidays from Simply Savannah Events

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You and Yours! 
We will be taking a short break from blogging until after the New Year......
Don't you just love all that hallmark cheesy holiday cheer and wouldn't you like to spread some love. If you are sending cards out (which they should already be out! but maybe for next year) here are some good ole sappy quotes that you can use:
  • Best Wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a New Year of Health & Happiness!
  • Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year.
  • May the spirit of the holidays warm your heart and home.
  • May all of this good cheer last throughout the year.
  • Wishing you all good things now and throughout the coming year.
  • May your home be filled with warmth and wonder this holiday season.
  • Season's greetings and best wishes for the New Year.
  • May the special joys of the season be yours today and always.
  • May the gifts of the season... peace, hope, love, health and happiness be yours throughout the New Year.
  • Warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season.
  • Let us cherish the gift of family and friends this holiday season.
  • Wishing you a holiday filled with peace, love, joy and lasting happiness.
  • Wishing you every happiness this holiday season and throughout the coming year.
  • Wishing you a holiday filled with peace, joy and hope.
  • Wishing you all the joys of the holiday season.
  • May your holidays be merry & bright.
  • May the spirit of the holidays warm your heart and home.
  • Sending warm wishes from our family to yours this holiday season.
  • Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year.
  • Wishing you peace, love & happiness for the holidays and always.
So I'm Organized!! Desk clear, folders reorganized, to do list getting checked off, wish list started, goals for next year written down....starting to be ready for 2012. And now for a totally random inspiration board of fun holiday decor filled with Hanukkah and Christmas since I celebrate both. Plus I already did a New Years Eve board with a recap on my 2011. 
Bring it on 2012!! Bring it!

{Pin it Friday} Happy Hanukkah

Source: google.com via Layla on Pinterest

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Wet Wedding

It's bound to happen to some people, not sure what percentage of weddings get rained on, but I'm sure a lot. My cousin's wedding had rain but they had a backup plan and everything was OK! This picture is from my cousin's wedding and it's one of my favorite pics since we all grew up together and I miss them...awwww. They are all in Boston and I'm here in Savannah.
Will (my brother), Jackie (my cousin), Me, Gina (the bride, Jackie's older sis, my cousin)

Some say rain on your wedding day is good luck, not bad. Remember Life Law # 6: There is no reality, only perception. You have the ability to choose how you perceive any event in your life, and you exercise this power of choice in every circumstance, every day of your life.Put it in perspective. It was one day in your long life together as husband and wife. It didn't go as planned, but it's a sign of the resilience you have as a couple. And you now have a story to tell that is unique to everyone else's. Thanks Dr. Phil, sometimes I actually do like what comes out of your mouth! To read more on this article click here: www.drphil.com

This is your day to celebrate the amazing commitment you are making and to profess to the world the love you feel. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, else really matters. www.banderasnews.com


Make sure you have a backup plan!
Reserve a tent for the wedding just in case.
Let your wedding planner know what Plan B is!




Sometimes having rain on your wedding day can turn into super fun wedding photos! 
Here are some photos from all sorts of weddings that had rain on their special day.


These simple clear umbrellas are fun and can be found online at: Amazon.com Clear Bubble Stick Umbrella

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

{Organic Wednesday} Charity

CharityWatch is a nationally prominent charity watchdog service whose purpose is to help donors make informed giving decisions. Their web site will provide you with information about their organization, the charities they rated, and their method of grading charities. Other features include tips for giving wisely, a helpful-hints guide for getting the most for the dollars you donate; tips for online giving; answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ); and useful and interesting articles on a variety of topics relating to charitable giving; and more.

How does your favorite charity rate? Of the over five-hundred charities currently rated by CharityWatch, only a select number qualify for their listing of Top-Rated charities based on their rigorous analysis. Groups included on the Top-Rated list generally spend 75% or more of their budgets on programs, spend $25 or less to raise $100 in public support, do not hold excessive assets in reserve, and receive "open-book" status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to CharityWatch.  http://www.charitywatch.org/

After looking at their many highly rated charities, here are my TOP choices of the "A" organizations:
Since 1951, the Animal Welfare Institute has been dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people.
The Hunger Project (THP) is a global, non-profit, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger. In Africa, South Asia and Latin America, THP seeks to end hunger and poverty by empowering people to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs and build better futures for their children.
Big Brother Big Sisterpositively impact a child for the better, forever.

Also on December 11th CNN broadcasted an amazing show about Heroes. Many tears were shed! The top ten were selected from more than 10,000 nominations submitted online on the CNN Heroes website. 

These four really touched my heart! 
American Widow Project: provided support to more than 900 military widows since 2007.
Global Soap Project: recycles partially used hotel soap to save lives in impoverished countries.
Yayasan Bumi Sehat: Robin Lim and her team have helped thousands of low-income women have a healthy birthing experience.
World Access Project: provided hundreds of wheelchairs to people in rural Mexico.

But there were so many great stories and you must read more and donate if you can here:



How do you donate? What charities do you support? Will/did you make a donation for your wedding?
I like to donate my blood as much as I can to The Blood Alliance and support our local Humane Society

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Pinterest 411

If you haven't jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon yet, or you have no idea what everyone means when they say they're pinning; this post is for you. I've become addicted to Pinterest and find it so useful in soooo many ways. I hope this post will help you understand why it's very helpful to anyone who is excited about organizing your inspirations in ONE place. This is going to be a very LONG post explaining A LOT, but not everything will be explained here, and my grammar is TERRIBLE btw. Plus Mac users may have a slightly different way of doing things and I'm a PC user (desperate to switch to MAC though). So, sorry if you get overwhelmed or if I go on and on or you get lost in my computer jargon or if you are a MAC user and my directions are a little off. ALSO GOD FORBID PINTEREST EVER CRASHES, WE WILL ALL REVOLT AND HAVE COMPLETE MENTAL BREAKDOWNS!!

What the heck is this thing?
Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. A pin can be added from a website using the Pin It button, or you can upload images from your computer, or you can repin other people's pins. Liking a pin adds the image to your profile’s Likes section; the image does not get added to one of your boards. Once installed in your browser, the “Pin It” button lets you grab an image from any website and add it to one of your pinboards. When you pin from a website, they (the pinterest fairies) automatically grab the source link so we can credit the original creator. Pins are the most useful when they have links back to the original source. If you notice that a pin is not sourced correctly, leave a comment so the original pinner can update the source. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests. From books that you like, wedding inspiration, DIY ideas, fashion, fun art projects for your kids, inspirational slogans, silly animal pictures, whatever you are looking for! So let's go thru all these different ways of using Pinterest STEP-BY-STEP!

How to install the Pin I Button:
How to install the Pin I Button onto your navigation bar. Click on this link and all you have to do is literally drag their Pin It icon up to the navigation bar by clicking on it with your mouse and don't let go until you are up to the navigation bar which is the little horizontal area below the url bar, and then let go of the mouse and voila it's now saved up there for you to use. http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/ 

How to Pin:
Once you have the pin it button shortcut you can now start using it.....
For example you are reading an awesome blog and love one of the ideas on a DIY favor or maybe a really cute fashion style. 
1. Click the Pin It shortcut on your nav bar and it will automatically pull all the images from that blog post.
2. When you hover over the images you'll see a blue pin it button show up. 
3. Click on the blue button.
4. A new window will pop up and you can now decide where you want this image to be saved. You can create a new board or select a board you already created. There is a little black down arrow that when you click on it will open more options and your boards. Then you can write a little description of what you like about this image or just describe the image.
5. Click on the red pin it button and Voila it's saved! (I have found a few times that the link gets corrupted and does not save correctly and this is a glitch on their part)

Add pins by uploading images:
Another way of adding pins is by uploading images from your computer like an attachment. When you are logged into pinterest you'll see on the right top corner Add+  
1. Click on Add+
2. This then opens another window and click on upload a pin 
3. Then click on choose file and find where you saved your picture you want to add onto pinterest and select open.
4. A new window will pop up and you can now decide where you want this image to be saved. You can create a new board or select a board you already created. There is a little black down arrow that when you click on it will open more options and your boards. Then you can write a little description of what you like about this image or just describe the image.
5. Click on the red pin it button and Voila it's saved! (I have found a few times that the link gets corrupted and does not save correctly and this is a glitch on their part)

How to Repin images from other people: 
As mentioned before you need to know the difference btwn Repinning and Liking. Liking a pin adds the image to your profile’s Likes section; the image does not get added to one of your boards
1. The easiest way to find inspiration is to go to pinterest.com and click on the red pinterest logo on the top of the page and it will search for all the new pins of the day. 
2. You see something that you love, when you hover over the image you'll see Repin, Like, or Comment  button show up. 
3. Click on the Repin.
4. A new window will pop up and you can now decide where you want this image to be saved. You can create a new board or select a board you already created. There is a little black down arrow that when you click on it will open more options and your boards. Then you can write a little description of what you like about this image or just describe the image.
5. Click on the red pin it button and Voila it's saved! (I have found a few times that the link gets corrupted and does not save correctly and this is a glitch on their part)

How to Follow people:
Each image has been pinned by someone and the more people you invite or follow the more inspiration you'll have to look thru. Under each pin there will be a picture of who pinned it, where they pinned it to and maybe who they originally pinned it from and those links are active and will bring you onto that persons profile and all their boards. If you like them you can choose to "follow all" under their image on the left hand side OR you can choose to just "follow" the board that you like. Once you start following more people when you click on the red pinterest logo on the top of the page it will search for all the new pins of the day of whoever you follow and this will grow.

How to mention or communicate on Pinterest:
So now you're following people, or your friends have joined, or you have a wedding board and you want to tell another friend about the cool pin you just did, or you just want to say something nice to the person about the pin. You can actually communicate on Pinterest similar to Facebook. To mention a pin to a Pinterest user, you first need to be following at least one board belonging to him/her. Underneath the image of your pin or someone else's pin there is a add a comment section. Type the @ symbol immediately followed by his/her username. Potential matches to this username will begin to load; when you see the person you want to mention, click his/her name. The user you mention will receive a notification. (You can change your email notifications by going to the top right side and clicking on your tiny profile picture, then select settings, then click on change email settings, and click or unclick which ever settings you want). OR you can just type something in the add a comment below the pin and not tag anyone, but just say something nice.

Searching Pinterest:
On the top left there is a search box. There you can search for your friends by typing in their names, then click on the magnified glass and it will pull all the matches, then click on People, and it will narrow it down again. Find your friend and click Follow. 
Or maybe you are looking for signature drink ideas or arts and crafts for your kid. Just type what you are looking for into the search field and see what you get and start pinning. If people type into the description box about their pins the magical pinterest fairy will search all of those descriptions and pull out anything related to what you are looking for, just like google : )

Mobility!
Since I'm a wedding planner, I love clients who use Pinterest!!! Having a wedding inspiration board is really helpful for me to SEE your vision and get an idea of what you are looking for in your design. So when we meet in person you can SHOW me with your laptop, my laptop, or with iPads. Plus then when we follow each other I can help find you inspiration and you can repin my ideas. 

The BAD part of Pinning!
Brides please be aware that if you are collecting the "PERFECT" pictures list for your weddings or engagement sessions you need to be aware of a few things. I'm friends with a lot of photographers and they have already started complaining about the evils of Pinterest. Please understand that when you hire a photographer for your wedding you only have them for a specific amount of time and you may not be able to get EVERY SINGLE PERFECT SHOT on your Pinterest board. Also you may not be able to get that exact picture because you may be outside or inside and there is totally different lighting then the image from your "perfect image pin", or that photographer who took this "perfect picture" had a special lens or filter attached to their camera or did something afterwords on their computer photo software and tweaked that image. Plus who wants to be a complete copycat. It's ok to be inspired but be yourself and change it up a bit!

How to track who is pinning directly from your blog: 
Type this into your browser but replace "thenameofyourblog" obviously with your blog title. http://pinterest.com/source/thenameofyourblog.blogspot.com   OR 
http://pinterest.com/source/thenameofyourblog.wordpress.com

The great thing about Pinterest is that it can dramatically increase traffic to your blog! If you start pinning images from your blog so that people can repin them, and repin them, and repin them, then the more people will click on your image and they'll be directed to your blog where that image came from. Plus when anyone else goes to your blog and pins your images (which is why I love that little sneaky tracker above) you can see who is repinning your images and maybe you want to follow that person since you have similar styles. AND it's really cool to see how many people are repinning from your blog. It's great when someone repins your images because that will also generate more interest to your blog and create more traffic. You can also see who has liked or repinned your pins underneath each of them when you have your board open. It's crazy how fast people start repinning!! Vultures, I tell you!! JK :)

FYI If you have a flash based blog or you go to a website that has a copyrighted block or a flash portfolio, you will not be able to capture their images and pin them. 

MORE FYI Facebook will not let you pin images from photo albums. BUT if you right click on the image or any image for that matter and want to grab it (except copyrighted blocked images) then select "open image in a new tab", when the tab is opened with the image, you will then be able to use the pin it shortcut.


Followers vs. Following:
If you click on your profile name on the top right corner, then right below your profile name on the left hand side it will list how many followers you have and how many you are following. You can click on these to open up a window showing all of them so that you can be nosy, plus decide if you want to Follow them too or maybe you want to Unfollow someone (sad).

But what is lover.ly? Lover.ly is a new visual search engine and cloud scrapbook for all your wedding inspiration. IT'S ONLY FOR WEDDINGS If you want to use them here is their website: http://lover.ly/welcome  

HAPPY PINNING AND YOU CAN FOLLOW ME OR EMAIL ME AND ASK FOR AN INVITATION TO JOIN:  https://pinterest.com/laylam/

Friday, December 16, 2011

{Pin It Friday} Christmas Cat

My cat LOVES to sit under the Christmas tree especially when the lights are on. We just finished putting up the decorations and here she is saying hello. I have to be careful though and not put any of the fragile expensive ornaments near the bottom! Also that cute crochet ornament was made by my mother-in-law and they are all over the tree in different shapes. This {Pin it Friday} is also to teach you that Pinterest will let you add pictures from your computer and add them onto your boards. 
Give it a try!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

{Bright Idea Thursday} Wedding Rescue Ideas

I have 2 amazing inventions, it's mind blowing how obvious they are but so needed!! Don't you wish you created them!!??
The first one is the discreet and easy to use, "SoleMates High Heeler® attaches easily to most stiletto and kitten heels. By increasing the surface area on the base of the heel, it reduces the pressure on this area and prevents the heel from sinking into grass or falling into cracks! The patented design of the SoleMates High Heeler® is mechanically engineered to fit snugly on most heels and yet the flexible material grips securely without damaging the heel or compromising the aesthetics of the shoe. On grass, cobblestones, grates, and more...experience the difference! Looking for SoleMates in a store near you? Try the zip code finder to locate the closest shop! We suggest that call ahead to make sure that the store selected is stocked with enough products for your needs."

The second invention is helpful for those windy days when you are trying to have your picture taken but your veil keeps blowing in the wind and covering your face or your hubby's face. Sometimes the wind blown veil is sexy, but for when you need it to stay in place use these beautiful pieces of magnetic jewelry that can be easily attached to the veil and removed. The round shape jewel measures approx. 3/4" and the oval is approx. 3/4"X1/2"

Sunday, December 11, 2011

MY One Day In December


Are you ready for some major teamwork and inspiration!!!?? For the rest of December us TWIPS will be creating a blog train of our 2011 highlights. To learn more about what the TWIPS are all about you can go to their website hereYesterday Cris of Kiss my Tulle (Cris is also the designer behind the One Day In December logo above) did her post on what is important in life and then tomorrow will be Amanda of Baci Designs. Plus Shannon Kelley was the brave one to start! This will keep going up to the NEW YEAR! Brilliant, Right!?? As for me, I chose to look back at 2011 and do a recap, it has been a roller-coaster of ups and down but with some majorly awesome ups. Here is my recap:

* I started my business {Simply Savannah Events} - and have 12 weddings booked!

We helped out with Savannah 1st Food Day

We joined forces with amazing wedding vendors to create 2 styled shoots:

I went down to Miami, Florida to help out a Savannah photographer Alicja of Taken Photography

I met an amazingly inspirational TWIP- Allie of HoneyBee Invites and have loved getting to know all the other TWIPS. Allie and I, as well as other TWIPS, have bonded together since we have all lost a parent. It's difficult being in the wedding industry when you didn't or won't have your parent there to share in the joy at your own wedding. BUT as Cris mentioned it's all about knowing what matters, and for me, since it's been a few years since my father passed, I enjoy remembering the good times. Allie and I joined up on a TWIPS Tweet-a-tete interview where we talked about your connection of loosing a parent. Enough with that, I'm going for a POSITIVE POST! OK, so I have also become friends with other spectacular wedding professionals and even though I may not have worked with some of them yet or even met them in person yet, I feel like I have a great network: LUV TO: Nicki Bursae Photography, Teresa of The Wedding Studios, Carrie of Two CakesA to Zinnias, Cindy of All About You Entertainment, Anissa of Urban PoppyAlexis Sweet Photography, Alicja of Taken PhotographyShannon Christopher PhotographyJayne B PhotographyMelissa Hopkins Photography, Sharon of Alternative Life Photography & DesignChelsea Patricia Photography, Lauren of Every Last Detail, Emily of Emily Grace Design, another Emily of Potter and Butler, Paula of Frog PrincePaperie, Jennie of Studio 1621, Valerie of 1420 DeZigns, Deborah of Ahh Green Spa in Hilton Head, SC and so many more!!
Picture: Allie of HoneyBee Invites, Sarah of dodeline, me, and Jeni of Sea Star Arts - Fine Art Photography

My husband and I built a stand out bridal show exhibition booth that made people stop! That was Eco-friendly too!!


* Here are my favorite 3 blog posts from 2011 that I put together:
signature wedding drinks

* The newest addition to the blog are the {Inspiration Boards} created by my assistant Nicole:
inspiration board starry night
inspiration board long distance loving

* I became addicted to pinterest!

I'm staying true to my Eco-friendly focus by posting green ideas weekly to the blog, and I just finished reading 
The Green Bride Guide by Kate Harrison

Plus I taught a bunch of art workshops for elementary school kids at the local cultural art center (my other passion!) 
Just look at their talent:
 Amate bark painting by an 11 year old
Glue Batik by a 12 year old

I also planted some sunflower seeds into my makeshift green house and used toilet paper rolls for sowing then watched them grow!! This really made me happy since I am obsessed with sunflowers. For my wedding bouquet I had 8 giant sunflowers and I got my 1st tattoo in high school and it's a sunflower, it's on my left ankle, random tidbits of info. 
Here is a little collage of my sunflower endeavor!

I can't wait to see what 2012 will hold, but after looking back on my past year I feel very blessed and thankful! Have a happy & safe New Years Eve!
NYE Inspiration source: sparkle dotsglitter clothes pinssparkle shoesParis on NYENYE celebration ideasblack and white new yearsstarry starry nightdiy ideas how to decorate for the holidaysNYE moviemakeup