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Wedding Wednesday - Cake Porn

04:24 Unknown 0 Comments

There are a ton of options out there when it comes to wedding cakes. Whether you choose to go traditional or alternative is entirely up to you. In this list I'm showing you 7 to choose from.

Tiered fruitcake with marzipan (traditional): This is the standard type of wedding cake that has a long history behind it, and is said to be modeled on London's Bride's Church (England). This cake is rich and not everyone likes the taste or the formality of this kind of cake.

Cupcake wedding cake (alternative): This kind of cake has gained a lot of followers in recent years. It's a tower of cupcakes that are usually in different flavors. The frosting can include many different types of symbols, initials, flowers, fruits, etc. as preferred. While many bakers are happy to make this kind of cupcake, this style is also great for a wedding reception planned for home as the cupcakes can be made easily in advance and frosted by generous family members just prior to the wedding. Or, buy them in bulk pre-frosted, and add a few finishing touches!
The tiered stand is widely sold as a "cupcake tree".

Croquembouche (French traditional): This high cone of profiteroles with a cascade of toffee (to which can be added sugared/candied almonds, chocolate, flowers, ribbons, etc.). This cake can usually serve around 30�40, so if you have more guests, consider several croquembouche. As a form of dessert, Croquembouche takes care of the dessert menu, which can be an excellent solution for a tight budget. As a delicate cake, you need to be assured of careful delivery.

Chocolate cake (French): Chocolate cake has had an avid following at weddings for quite a while now and the French wedding cake is lavishly decorated with a lace style. The relevant baker would be a French patisserie.

Cheesecake: For the bride and groom who don't much like cake, a Cheesecake is an option. This isn't a cheesecake, it's a layer of cheeses! One large cheese disk is on the base, with smaller cheese layers working their way to the top. Flowers and other decorations are added to the cheese layers. This can work out to be much cheaper than a traditional wedding cake but still lets you have the "layers".

Theme cake: There is a definite tradition of theme cakes for geek weddings. Cakes from Star Wars, Star Trek, and other sci-fi flicks are not unusual, as are cakes from beloved themes such as manga, anime, Hello Kitty, and anything that takes the fancy of the bride and groom. This sort of cake will come naturally to you if both of you are huge fans of something!

Cookies. A lavish "cookie table" assortment, often carefully arranged, is a Pittsburgh-area tradition. It could accompany a simpler cake, and many people can contribute without needing to coordinate efforts much in advance.

I'm currently loving the naked cake trend. What kind of cake did you have or are loving for your wedding?

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Wedding Wednesday - Create The Perfect Wedding Website

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You're engaged! Congratulations! In order to spread the exciting news forget the phone chain that your mom is planning and create a wedding website filled with all the information you're dying to share and your guests can't wait to read -- like how much of a discount you can get them at the hotel? And where you're registered so they can buy you a gift you actually want?

Today, you no longer need to be, or marrying, a web developer to create a chic site filled with all the essentials:
Your Love Story: To share how you met and fell in love
A Who's Who of the Bridal Party: Because who doesn't want to know!
The Fine Details: Where and when you'll wed
Gift Guidance: The shops and sites you've registered at
Guest Book: So friends and family can write how cute you two look in your engagement photos

There are dozens of websites and tools you can use to create a stylish-looking wedding site a/k/a "wedsite" with costs ranging from free to a few hundred dollars.

Want a site to match the look and feel of your wedding stationery? Pick a company that has templates through a stationery designer like NearlyWeds and WeddingWire (Wedding Paper Divas) or AppyCouple and theknot.com (Minted). Want a site that will crowdsource wedding photos? Try WeddingWoo. And for couples who want more than just a "flat" site, create a Google+ account so you can "Hangout" with the bridal party and vendors to make important decisions and post links to key information, or make a digital magazine of your love story and wedding plans with GLOSSI, which you can embed into a site or just share the link for guests to flip through.

Here's a snapshot of some of the best websites and tools to help you make the ultimate wedsite:

Wedding Woo

Stemming from a couple�s desire to create a customized wedsite for their own wedding, the team behind WeddingWoo developed a site for couples who want an easy way to create a fully customized wedding website. Each of their templates can be customized with a full-page background photo.

Favorite Feature: WeddingWoo helps its customers create their own wedding hashtag, so all of the tagged photos in Instagram are automatically displayed on the couple�s wedding website for easy crowd sourced photos. All pictures can easily be downloaded.

Pricing: Free for a 7-day trial, then customers can choose a 1-year plan for $39 or a 2-year plan for $59.

Privacy Policy: Password protection option available

Appy Wedding

Unique to other sites, Appy Couple offers a mobile app which syncs in real time with your website. The app includes push messaging, photo sharing, wedding countdown clock, travel details and more, giving your wedding guests all the details for your big day in the palm of their hands.

Favorite Feature: Guests can take photos using the app at any wedding-related event and they�ll be uploaded to your app�s gallery page for everyone to see.

Partnerships: Appy Couple is partnered with FineStationery, Wedding Paper Divas, and Minted, so your wedding app and site can coordinate with your wedding stationery.

Price: Couples are charged $28 to create an app and website. The app is free for guests to download.

Privacy Policy: Couples can decide what they want each person to access, allowing them to post private events that only invited guests can see. Couples can also decide if they want their site to be searchable online or if they choose to be in the Appy Couple directory.

Riley and Grey

Just launched Riley & Grey is an invitation-only site, which offers limited-edition designs with custom domains that are simply stunning to look at, filled with all the need-to-know info your guests are looking for, and available on the go with mobile and tablet friendly versions too. The web 3.0 designs are inspired by various themes, including of the moment Gatsby (shown here) or filled with personal images of the happy couple.

Favorite Feature: Riley & Grey allows you to include a range of functionality to your wedsite, including RSVP collection, a guest address collector, and site support through a live person who can answer questions as well as walk you through site setup.

Price: Three pricing structures, include: a $35 monthly fee, an annual fee of $240 (40% savings), or if your wedding is over a year away, you can reserve a design (they are retired every few months) and custom domain for a one-time $35 fee, which will be put towards your account when you decide to publish the site.

Privacy Policy: Password protection feature available.

Wedding Jojo

With a watercolor design, Wedding Jojo automatically gives off a warm, romantic vibe. There are two site options to choose from: The �Taster� offers limited features, and the �Full Slice� offers unlimited photo storage, custom domain, and your own wedding blog to update friends and family with planning news.

Favorite Feature: The selection of template designs range from vintage to modern, including geometric and floral patterns in a wide range of pretty colors.

Partnerships: Several templates were designed by the team at Martha Stewart Weddings.

Pricing: Free or $14.99/month for the �Full Slice� plan.

Privacy Policy: With the premium plan privacy options include: Password protection, disabling search engine indexing, and per guest privacy options.

The Knot

With over 100 designs to choose from�styles coordinate with the hottest names in wedding stationery�theknot.com offers couples personalized wedding websites for free. In addition to the desktop version, your site is seamlessly translated into a mobile site that will work with guests� iPhone or Android. You can also sync your weddingchannel.com or theknot.com registries so family and friends can easily shop for engagement, shower, and wedding gifts.

Favorite Feature: With the Capsule album feature guests can upload and share photos they take with their iPhone, Android or via their Instagram account at the wedding and other pre- and post-wedding events. All the images are aggregated into one account so you can see everyone�s favorite shots in one place.

Partnerships: With sites inspired by invites available at Minted, Paperless Post, and Wedding Paper Divas you can easily coordinate your wedsite with your wedding invitation and other stationery elements.

Pricing: Free, with upgrade options for $19.99.

Privacy Policy: The first page of the site is always public but users can choose to password protect the other pages.

credit: huffingtonpost.com

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Jamaican Corn beef & Cabbage

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Corn beef and cabbage, more appropriately known in Jamaica as "bully beef & cabbage", is one of those super easy one pot meals for those lazy days or when you don't have the time to sit down and cook a big meal. This can be served with dumplins, (boiled or fried), rice, bread or even on its own with a couple slices of avocado.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 head of medium cabbage

1 can of corn beef

1/2 medium onion

1 tomato

1 tbls oil

black pepper

METHOD

Throw everything except the black pepper and corn beef in your pot.

(use a dutch pot, it will let your cabbage spring water and begin to steam without burning)

With your stove on medium-low let your cabbage steam for about 10 mins.

Add your corn beef using a big spoon or spatula to break it up.

Sprinkle some black pepper, cover, and after a couple minutes, serve with your side of choice.

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Daily Musings Of My Life - Disney On Ice

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I'm still not sure if the boys enjoyed Disney On Ice as much as I did. They featured all of the classics so it was right up my alley. I think the boys loved the cotton candy, popcorn & Mickey Mouse way more than anything else. Oh and Captain Hook.

If your kids have seen the classic Disney movies they'll definitely love it and I do recommend it as an awesome family experience.

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Wedding Wednesday - Creating The Perfect Registry

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Building your wedding registry can start out fun but end up frustrating and overwhelming! You want to add everything while at the same time not come off like a snob. Think about the items you NEED, items that are broken or out-dated in your home. Items that you dream of owning.

Know though that not everyone will buy a gift. Not everyone will stick to the registry. Some guests will give you cash and others will think their presence is enough. And while you may think that having multiple registries help your guests, It can come off as snobbish and overwhelming to your guests. Find one place that you love, and select a wide range of items, varying in price and two times the amount of guests you will have.

Two personal faves of mine are Macy's & Zola.com.

What I love with Macy's is that they give you a checklist to help you select the most popular registry items.

Zola is trendier & carries a lot of your favorite major brands as well as give you the option to accept cash towards say your honeymoon or the down payment of a house.

There are also other sites to consider depending on your Taste, like Target, Crate & Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond. But like I said, try to stick to one. Test out your favorite sites and then go with the one that has all your favorite options. Do not stress yourself out too much, this is supposed to be fun!

And remember, do not include your registry details in your invitations. Instead, create a wedding website with a link to your registry as well as other pertinent information about your wedding, like ceremony & reception locations, directions, dress code, RSVP reminders, information about yourself and your fianc�, and all that awesome jazz.

(We'll go into more detail on websites next week)

Have you started building your registry?

Mommy xo

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Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

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Today for breakfast I made something I haven't made in nearly a year! Fred LOVES cornmeal porridge and has been asking me to make it for the longest time now. As you can tell from the picture its super thick! If you don't want your porridge as thick as mine feel free to add more water.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Fine Yellow Cornmeal

4 cups Water

1 cup Milk

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 can Condensed Milk

METHOD

Mix cornmeal in 2 cups of water.

Bring remainder of water and milk to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium, stir in cornmeal & salt.

(cook time 12 minutes)

Continue stirring until thickened to reduce the chances of lumps.

Reduce heat to low and let the porridge continue to cook until done.

Add nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla.

Sweeten with condense milk.

Serve hot.

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Wedding Wednesday - How To Accommodate Kids At Your Wedding

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In the beginning of wedding planing, one of the questions always asked is should we have kids at the wedding. Kids get loud and cranky. But for those of you with large, extended families, not having your nieces, nephews, younger siblings & children of your own at your wedding is not even an option. Here are a few ideas on how to keep your mini guests feel welcomed and stay entertained.

During the ceremony, unless the kids are a part of the wedding party, the parents are responsible for keeping their children still while you get wed. The reception is where it becomes a little bit more challenging.

If your mini guests are ages ten and under, getting them a separate kid height table is ideal. Depending on the theme of your wedding, provide arts and craft boxes for them to use. Stick with the colors of your reception so that it looks like you thought of them during the planning process, not to mention it will look amazing in the wedding photos. Put disposable cameras on the table so that they can take pictures of each other and whatever else they want so that you can get a different view of your wedding from their eyes. When putting your favors together, create something just for them. Cookies and milk are a great option.

As far as your menu goes, kids meals are cheaper as they will all prefer to eat chicken fingers over chicken vera cruz.

If you have lots of teens attending, you could create a cafe (coffee-free, but still) with tables and chairs, sodas, an espresso machine serving steamed milk, a variety of herbal teas and designer water, international newspapers and magazines, and a dozen vintage board games. Have music playing, too (cool music). Assign one member of your waitstaff to man the cafe. Your teenage guests won't want to leave.

If you definitely want the kids out of the way so that the adults can party carefree, set up a room just for the kids with a care giver, filled with fun activities for them to do. The younger ones, three and under, will be ready to sleep before the evening is over so having a designated nap area is also an awesome idea.

Whatever you decide to do, think of how you'd want your kids to be treated while at someone else's wedding. And if you can't accommodate them, not inviting them is always an option. Or not.

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Wedding Wednesday - Engagement Photos

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CONGRATS! YOU'RE ENGAGED!

Now what?

This is the question a lot of newly engaged couples ask themselves. For me it was to take engagement pictures. We took our pictures three months after announcing our engagement which I think is about the perfect time especially if you're planning on getting married within a year. These photos are perfect for save the dates & wedding announcements in your local paper.

I know I wanted to look glamorous but I wanted it to be at a park. A mix of luxury and country in a sense. And funny enough, after many many days of scrolling through wedding themes and colors online and on Instagram, I've decided that my wedding theme will be "Black Tie Bohemian". I love the thought of everyone dressed up in gorgeous gowns and tuxedos while celebrating outdoors, surrounded by nature.

Something else that I decided on were wedding colors. Black, White, Nude, Blush & Gold. Which all sounds like a lot but all those are neutrals and go so perfectly together. Also, Black, white & nude is what we're wearing in these photos here. These colors were not even in my mind to be my wedding colors when we did this shoot.

When doing your shoot, focus on being happy & in the moment. Your photographer will probably ask you to kiss less or lower an arm but he should be able to work around what the two of you are doing while shooting. Try to enjoy every moment of it. Worry less about posing, all our posed pics looked too fake and didn't make the cut for us. Everything you see here is just us in our element, enjoying each other.