The experience is one of the reasons why I was drawn to Clear Eyes’® MyShiningMoment campaign, a celebration of the brand’s commitment to consumers by creating a platform for them to share the stories of when they look and feel their best – the moments when they truly shine! Not only did I actually use Clear Eyes the morning of our wedding to help my eyes feel clear and comfortable, but I spent the entire day living out my biggest shining moment, as my happiest self.

The day didn’t go exactly as planned. It was stormy and windy and so very wet in New Orleans that day.  We had to move our ceremony inside, and while walking into it, half of my veil ripped away from my hair and was flying off into the wind.  A couple of curve balls here and there for sure, but the day was still perfect. In fact, the little roadblocks are what made that day – and the days that came after it so memorable. A year and a half later, the shining moments just keep coming. There have been big ones, like this day that we closed on a home in Palm Springs, getting our pup Weeze and finally finishing the inside of our home remodel.

Clear Eyes®, the #1 best-selling brand of eye drops, is celebrating these happy moments, made possible when people look and feel their best. As the first brand equity campaign focused on bringing to life the emotional benefits of Clear Eyes®, the brand debuted a digital gallery, featuring photos and videos of shining moments as told by a variety of creative people.

And because everyone has their own shining moments, Clear Eyes is giving you the chance to submit them, between now and October 15th. Head over here for rules on how to enter. By sharing your own #MyShiningMoment across your social channels, you could win an all-expense paid trip to Miami, FL, for a private photo shoot with Bridges Aderhold!

Visit cleareyes.com/myshiningmoment to learn more and experience other people’s shining moments for yourself. Good luck to everyone who enters!

xoxo

Photos thanks to Taylor Cole

Brought to you by Clear Eyes

So the Wedding Wednesday posts just keep-a-coming lately, and as a perpetual procrastinator that (occasionally) enjoys checking things off of a list, I’m not complaining.  I knew that after the holidays I’d have to (finally) buckle down and get some wedding tasks done, and the invitations were a big one for me.  The options out there are crazy endless, and this whole planning thing has made me a smidge indecisive.  After our Save the Dates were smooth sailing though, it was a no-brainer to once again go with Minted.  I was immediately drawn to the Foil-Pressed category because (duh) metallics are my jam.  It’s like jewelry.  On a card.  Just go with it.  After sifting through ALL of the beautiful options like 1,000 times, I finally decided on the gold rush design for invitations to our wedding, the day-after brunch that my Godmother is throwing, and RSVP cards.  I uploaded our invite list and had the envelopes printed with all the names and addresses so that when they arrived, they were ready to be stuffed, sealed, and stamped.  Easy peasy, no addressing required.  If you’re a busy bride-to-be, I can’t recommend Minted more for save the dates, invitations, thank you cards, you name it.  They’re SO easy to work with, and I couldn’t be happier with our invites.  Let the RSVP’s begin!

xoxo

Since becoming engaged a little over a year ago, I’ve had some really fun (and also some quite tiring) moments in the wedding planning process.  Among the highlights: getting our engagement photos, finding THE dress, finally sending out our “save the dates,” and now, this day.  After receiving my dress (and staring at it in our extra bedroom for a few weeks), I couldn’t wait to start shopping for bridal accessories to complete the look.  I mean, I am a self-proclaimed “accessories fanatic” so it was only natural, but once I started looking, it was…hard.  Until I found the Mecca.

Tara, the babe above, has been a friend of Eric’s family forever and just so happens to be an amazing bridal consultant at Erin Cole here in Orange County.  She told me I had to come in and check out their accessories, and she was right.  First of all, THIS PLACE.  The space itself is beautiful, and the gowns are straight off the runway.  (If you’re a bride-to-be in Orange County with killer couture on your bridal wishlist, this is your spot.)  Their collection of dresses is nothing short of breathtaking, including one particular corner that I kept calling “my section.”  I showed Tara a photo of my dress, and she pulled some of THE most beautiful bridal accessories that looked like they were specially made for me.  The options are pretty much endless, but if you’re having that indecisive wedding brain, she’ll help you find a little direction.  And a little sparkle.  And sparkle I found.  I floated on out of there, and I can’t wait to show you guys the pieces I picked.  If you’re a bride-to-be in Orange County, I can’t recommend this place more, but even if you don’t live here, don’t fret, my pet, because Erin Cole accessories are sold in bridal boutiques all across the U.S.  And if you’re actually not a bride-to-be, couldn’t we all use a little sparkle sometimes?

xoxo

Photos thanks to Taylor Cole

Well, guess who finally got one more little detail done in the wedding department?  That’s right, this slacker over here.  And not a moment too soon.  Our save the date cards are FINALLY out, and I can definitely say that if Minted hadn’t made things so easy, they’d still be just something in my to-do list.  I’ve been wanting to get around to these for weeks because our wedding is a destination for about half of our guests, but a couple of trips, fashion week, and life in general seemed to get in the way.  Creating them could not have been more simple though.  You can easily play around with designs, layouts, the number of photos you want, and wording.  Once you’re done with your masterpiece, an independent designer will send back a proof for you to OK.  Because calligraphy and all that addressing jazz has never really mattered to me, I had my envelopes printed by Minted as well.  So when they came in, all I had to do was stuff ’em, seal ’em, and stamp ’em.  Done and done.  Now on to the next!  Music suggestions in New Orleans, anyone?  That should be an easy list to weed through…

xoxo

ASTR dress;  JustFab heels (similar)

A few weeks ago I shared part one of our engagement photos, and today I’m back for round two.  We started off our afternoon dressed up and jumpsuited in Corona Del Mar, and we ended it right in one of our favorite places: at the beach near our house.  While we might not normally hit the sand in jeans and a little white dress, we did feel right at home pretty quickly, and I think that Taylor Cole once again captured us perfectly.  (Not to mention the gorgeous golden sunset in the background.)  So happy Wedding Wednesday to the guy who can always make me smile.  Seven months (plus a few days) to go!

xoxo

P.S. – This little white dress is a total steal at under $100, perfect for all brides to be out there or anyone looking for a great white dress.  Shop it and a few of my other favorites below!

Ripley Rader jumpsuit (c/o)

 Today’s Wedding Wednesday post is definitely one of my favorite ones yet.  It’s a sneak peek at a few of our engagement photos, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out.  You may notice under most of my fashion posts that familiar line: “Photos thanks to Taylor Cole.”  She’s my go-to blog-photog and someone whose creative eye and amazing photography skills I’ve come to completely trust for my blog and my business.  She’s an amazing spirit, and I’m so grateful that I get to work with her all the time.  Even further, she’s really familiar with Eric and I and our relationship, so it’s pretty much the perfect fit that she’ll be our wedding photographer as well.  (Plus, she’s currently planning her own wedding, so it’s always fun to chat about the details.)

When it came time for our engagement photos, I must say that it seemed a bit daunting.  I take photos for the blog all the time, but posing for pictures is definitely not Eric’s favorite activity.  (Although he’s really photogenic.)  The afternoon turned out to be completely painless though, and dare I say, a lot of fun.  Eric was a great sport, and we laughed a lot.  I think the photos really capture that fun day for us.  Taylor is beyond talented, and I’m so incredibly excited that she’ll be traveling to New Orleans with us to capture the photos from our wedding in just about eight months!

xoxo

Adrianna Papell dresses: Lace Yoke Drape Gown,  Beaded Blouson Dress,  Beaded Bodice Taffeta Gown,  Embellished Blouson Gown

Adrianna Papell dresses: Beaded Mesh Sheath,  Petal Chiffon Fit and Flare,  Floral Jacquard Dress,  Sequin Fringe Sheath

When it comes to planning our wedding, I’m pretty relaxed on most of the details so far.  I’m sure it’s mostly because it still seems so far away (about nine months) and also because my mom is helping a ton.  Before shopping for (and finding!) my own dress, I hadn’t given too much thought to a color scheme or the bridesmaids’ dresses, but I had come across a muted floral gown that I loved and thought would work well with the type of wedding dress that I had envisioned.  (I had imagined myself in something lace and slightly bohemian.)  The gown that I chose for myself was definitely a little more glam, so I decided to glam it up for my girls as well.

I loved the idea of having everyone in different dresses in a similar metallic color scheme, and when I started searching around, I found several styles from Adrianna Papell that seemed perfect.  I made a collage with a few gowns, sent it to my gals, and told everyone to choose their top two.  After a few back and forth emails and texts, we’ve got six different dresses in a blush, champagne, and grey color scheme, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.  (You can check out a sneak peek of a couple of the dresses here!)  While I’m keeping the rest under wraps for now, today I’m sharing a few of the Adrianna Papell dresses that I seriously love for all the bridesmaids and wedding-goers out there.  Happy Wedding Wednesday!

xoxo

A couple of weekends ago I had the Saturday of all Saturdays, the day that I’ve been waiting for since Eric proposed really.  My mom and godmother came to town, and along with Kathleen, we went shopping for the dress.  I had somewhat of an idea of what I wanted, but I hadn’t spent much time looking at gowns and definitely didn’t have any exact dresses picked out.  Our first stop of the day was The White Dress in Corona Del Mar.  I showed Nancy (the super sweet consultant) a picture of a red carpet gown that I really liked and started browsing the racks.  As I headed into my overfilled dressing room, Nancy pulled one last dress, a stunning Yolan Cris gown that was very similar to the photo I had shown her.

I stepped into the dress and knew it was The One.  I walked out of the dressing room, and I think my mom and godmother knew it was as well.  (Perhaps it was my mom’s crying that gave it away.)  I tried on everything else in the dressing room “just to see”, but nothing really compared.  (Although I do LOVE the form-fitting gown that I’m wearing above.  It’s definitely my second favorite.)  I had one other appointment scheduled and decided to still go because my dream dress was over my original budget.  After trying on a few dresses there though, I knew that I had already found my dress.  We headed back to The White Dress to pop the champagne and say yes to the dress.

I couldn’t believe how easy the decision was for me (after discussing that tiny little budget detail) and although the overall design is similar to the inspiration gown I showed, it’s really different than what I thought I would choose.  I’m over the stinkin’ moon about it though and can’t wait to wear it in about nine months.  As Carrie Bradshaw said, the dress “upped the ante.”  Now all the details are starting to come together and the fairytale is all beginning to feel real.

xoxo

Hands-down (and probably not surprisingly), my favorite childhood pastime was playing dress-up.  I had a box full of old dance recital costumes (from my short-lived tap and ballet career…), 80’s style dresses from my mom, and accessories that could keep me occupied for hours.  I once even had a “tea party birthday” where all of my friends and I dressed up and had “high tea.”  Fast forward twenty or so years later, and I still love playing dress up (especially when it involves fourteen great girls and a hair and makeup team that makes you feel fab).  Whether it’s a wedding, work event, New Year’s Eve, or any random cocktail party, give me a sparkly dress and heels and I’m one happy gal.

With wedding season upon us, I figured there would be no better time to share these fun photos from the day.  If you’ve got a few weddings (and showers, parties, bachelorette weekends, etc.) on the horizon, don’t blow your budget on a ton of new dresses.  Every stunning dress above was provided by The Stylist LA, a favorite site of mine for borrowing amazing dresses.  Get familiar with the site to save yourself a ton of headaches, and if you’re in the LA area, don’t miss out on their summer sample sale, happening this week!  They’ll be selling their gently-used dresses, and Ashley, Kathleen and I will be selling new and like-new pieces from our own closets.  Hope you guys can make it!

xoxo

Another Wedding Wednesday is here, and recently I popped the question…to my bridesmaids!  Choosing my bridesmaids was definitely the most difficult choice so far because I wanted all of my girlfriends by my side, but I finally landed on six and couldn’t be happier.  I really wanted a special way to ask them and decided there’s nothing better than saying it with sugar.  I thought these little sets from Sugarfina were adorable, and being a sugarholic myself, I’m obsessed with their candy.  Off they went, some by mail and some personally delivered, and in the end they all said yes because they were hopped up on sugar, distracted by candy, and I promised no ugly dresses.  Either way, victory for me!

xoxo