Party

The Story of the Best Day Ever…Ours!

I have been meaning to blog about my amazing wedding (aka The Best Day Ever) to my best friend, my husband, since before I actually got married. I had planned to blog about all of the DIY stuff that I did to get ready and save money for the wedding. In fact, a couple of my DIY things that I made for my own wedding inspired a new wedding business. More on that later…I have been waiting for the photograph’s, then once I got them, I was recovering from a second ankle surgery. I’m finally on the mend and so excited to share the story of our “Best Day Ever”.

We got married at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs in Nathrop, Colorado on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 4 pm in the afternoon. It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shinning bright and the snow capped mountains made it feel magical out. There was so much love surrounding us that day (and all weekend) that we felt like nothing else in the world mattered, except the love that we shared with our family and friends that weekend.

Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO, Colorado Weddings — Snow Capped Mountains above Mt. Princeton Hot Springs.

A little less than a year before our wedding date, I fell on the ice and broke my left ankle in two places. I had to wear a cast and be non-weight bearing for about 3 months, then I started physical therapy. About 5 weeks into physical therapy, I wasn’t getting better and actually was having much more pain. After going back to the doctor and finally getting a CT Scan it was determined that the bone wasn’t healing and I needed surgery to basically screw my bones together. I had that done in May and started the recovery process all over.

Fast forward to October. I’m in and out of the boot, did another round of physical therapy and still was having a ton of pain and not able to walk well. Another trip to the doctor and finally an MRI determined that I had a torn ligament, stretched tendon and some cartilage damage. This all needed to be repaired. It was way too close to our wedding date for me to under go another surgery. So instead, I opted for a cortisone shot and alternating between wearing the AirCast boot and normal shoes. The weekend of the wedding, I was in the boot more than normal shoes. I wanted to be able to walk down the aisle on my own. Which, thankfully, I was able to do, as my beautiful friend, Cyndee, sang “One Thousand Years” by Christina Perry. That song was perfect to walk down the aisle toward my future.

Mhphotoshoot.com |Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop CO |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride — Walking down the aisle with blue shoes on!

We planned our wedding ourselves and I definitely knew the theme I wanted and how I wanted the day to play out. The theme was “Vintage Elegance”. I shopped many thrift and antique stores to find the perfect decor, linens and serving dishes all at bargain prices. We were on a pretty tight budget since I had been injured most of the year and not able to work all that much. Amazingly, being very resourceful, we were able to pull off a very elegant wedding for more than 100 people for much less than the average wedding costs these days. I did do a lot of the “work” myself with the help of my fabulous friends.

I made the boutonniere’s, corsages, my brides maid’s bridal bouquet and my bridal bouquet. I used vintage buttons and brooches for everything I made. My bouquet was very special to me. I used my Nana’s costume jewelry that she had given to me a few years before she passed away. She was a florist her entire professional life, so I know she would have loved how it turned out. Every time I look at it, even now, I think of her and smile. I also inherited her “gold tooth” and wanted to incorporate that into the day somehow. I put it in an organza bag and pinned it to the underside of my dress. My friends who were in my cabin with me getting ready found that pretty funny. I, on the other hand, couldn’t contain my tears. I so wish she could have been there to see me marry the man of my dreams. A man she loved very much too.

Bridal Corsages |Colorado Weddings |That Vintage Bride — Bridal corsages that I made out of silk flowers, pearls, vintage & new brooches, lace and ribbon.

It was very important to us that our wedding was a family affair. We don’t live near any of our families and don’t get to see them nearly enough. Instead of having our friends stand up for us, we asked our niece and nephews to be our attendants. Their ages range from 4 years old to 12. None of them had ever been in a wedding before, so it was pretty exciting for them. They all did a great job and (I think) had fun. The location of our wedding is a resort hot springs with cabins and hotel like rooms. All of the kids stayed in cabins and really enjoyed the cabin stay along with swimming in the warm pools. Even though it was cooler out, the water was amazing. My husband and I are both avid hot springers and we love to soak. We had been to many hot springs during our courtship but Mt. Princeton Hot Springs is by far our most favorite here in Colorado. We are planning an anniversary trip back up there for our first anniversary!

I have so much more to share about our wedding. I will be posting more photograph’s and more information about how I made and planned everything so that we and our guests had the best time ever on the best day ever!

Venue location: Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop, Colorado

Photo credit: James Hoang of MHPHOTOSHOOT – http://www.mhphotoshoot.com

Bridal bouquet, boutonniere’s, and corsages – http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatVintageBride

Wedding March sung by: Cyndee McGovern – she sang, “One Thousand Years” by Christina Perri

*Little Miss Idea is a personal blog written by Meg Meg also runs a bridal planning and creative business – That Vintage Bride. Email: ThatVintageBridge@gmail.com for more info or pricing.

Summer…where has it gone?!

Wow! Summer has flown by this year. At Little Miss Idea, we’ve been busy helping our clients get organized, plan their summer parties and get caught up on all kinds of administrative & daily tasks. Summer is my favorite time of the year, with so much to do…festivals, weddings, bridal showers, parties, BBQ’s and more! My next favorite time of the year is Fall. I love the change in seasons and welcome the cooler temp’s. If Summer got away from you and you could use some help this fall, please keep Little Miss Idea in mind for any of your needs. We’d love to help you get organized, shop for your upcoming dinner party, get your holiday card/gift list started or updated well before the rush…whatever you may need help with, just ask! On a personal note, I will be embarking on a cross country road trip with one of my best girlfriends in September. I’m really looking forward to our one on one girl time and seeing what we can discover along the way. I love road trips. They remind of youth and feeling free. If you haven’t taken a road trip in some time, I highly recommend it. It’s good for your soul to get out on the open road. Even if it’s only a few hours away…it will do wonders for your spirit. Enjoy the rest of your Summer, with or without a road trip. If you do take one, I hope it leads you on an unexpected adventure!

What’s for Dinner?

Julia Child Recipe's — Delicious Julia Child Recipes from "Julie & Julia" Themed Dinner Party

#52 – Host a themed dinner party and ask friends to make a dish to share. Then make a party out of it!

We were recently invited to a really fun “themed” dinner party at a friends house. The theme was inspired from the movie “Julie & Julia”. Everyone chose a Julia Child recipe and spent most of the day Saturday sifting flour, melting butter, sauteing vegetables and thickening sauce to make some of the most delicious dishes I’ve had in a long time. They were better than any restuarant I’ve been to in awhile. I was very impressed with all of the dishes and what fantastic cooks our friends are!

Once we were all there and the dishes were beautifully displayed on the table, we all took turns telling everyone else our individual stories about picking the recipe, shopping for the fantastic fresh ingredients and what it took to prepare the deliciousness we were about to enjoy. Almost everyone’s dishes took quite some time to make, but wow…they were so yummy. There was plenty of food to go around and we were all more than satisfied at the end of the evening.

We didn’t do this as a group, but my boyfriend and I decided to watch “Julie & Julia”, the movie, the night before the dinner party so that we were up on most things “Julia”. Since the movie was fresh in our minds it made for great dinner conversations while we finished our first plate…then went for seconds!

We did figure out that between all of the dishes we made, there was more than 2 pounds of butter in them. That’s probably why they all tasted so good!

It wasn’t all that expensive to plan this type of dinner since most of Julia Child’s recipes call for fresh ingredients, and we each only prepared one dish. So besides bringing a bottle of wine, it was a fun, inexpensive night out. You should try it. Find a theme you’d like to try some recipes for. Pick a date. Share the plan. Then enjoy a fun night “in” with some tasty food and great company!

Quick cash for the Holidays…Sell your old, unwanted or broken gold jewelry!

#57 – Sell your old, unwanted, mismatched or broken gold jewelry for immediate cash

I think I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but I thought it was worth mentioning again…if you have old gold jewelry that is broken, you don’t like it or maybe you’ve lost one earring…why not sell it to a gold dealer? The value of gold is only going up and you just might be surprised by how much mula you can get for your old, broken and not worn anymore gold jewelry.

If you live in Colorad, I personally know a great gold buyer and will be happy to send you her information. She will even come to your house to weigh and inspect what you have. If you refer to her to your friends, she’ll pay you a 5% commission too. So just by spreading the word about how easy it was and how much money you made selling your gold, you make even more money. If you’d like her info, please email me at: littlemissidea@gmail.com and I will send it to you in an email.

Another thought about gold, is to host a gold selling party at your house and invite your friends over for a girls night in to socialize and make some money. What a nice change, come over and make money instead of spend money!?!

Denver…H & M Grand Opening Party next Wednesday, 11/9/11…VIP Style!

#63 – Party…VIP Style for FREE

If you live in the Denver metro area, you won’t want to miss the H & M Grand Opening party which is being held, Wednesday, 11/9/11, the night before H & M, Denver opens to the masses. To get on the “list”, make sure you register, as your name must be on the list or you will be turned away. Space is limited, so if they fill up, check back for cancellations. You can only register one person on the link, so if you’d like your “crew”, your mom, your boyfriend or husband to come with you…make sure they register too. The invite is non-transferable and you must have an ID that shows the name you register with and be 21 or older (that must mean cocktails are being served!) to be admitted. The party is FREE and is being promoted by 303 Magazine. H & M is also offering a 25% off discount to everyone who attends on top of their already fantastically low prices, so you definitely want to get on the “list” for this one.

What a great way to get out for a fun evening and do a little shopping…maybe even get a headstart on your holiday shopping. Hey here’s an idea…if you are looking for a part-time holiday job and live in Denver, go check the store out next Wednesday to see if you might like to work there. Then go back on a day when it’s not so busy, and see if they need some help…you might be pleasantly surprised if they do need your help. Little Miss Idea will be there with some friends enjoying the evening and shopping the deals for sure!

Banquet Server or Bartender for the Holidays…

#64 – Banquet serving or bar-tending is a great way to make some cash during the holidays…

Holiday parties will be in full swing before we know it. You might want to check with local hotels, convention centers, or social clubs (Elks Lodge, American Legions or VFW Posts) to see if they need help serving for banquets and upcoming holiday parties. Holiday parties go into January often times. So you could have at least two months of work evenings and weekends. The pay for banquet serving varies depending on what part of the country you live, but I know you get gratuities or tips for all of them.

If you have experience bar-tending, you might prefer tending bar at the holiday parties over serving food. Most parties have limited drinks that they offer so you probably won’t have to serve anything too fancy or hard to mix up. If it’s been awhile since you mixed up a great Martini or Manhattan…you might want to download a “mixology” app for your smartphone then you’ll have drink recipes at your fingertips. I know several people who tend bar for holiday parties and they generally make anywhere from $100 and up in tips when serving drinks at these parties. Even if it’s an “Open Bar”, people still tend to tip like they are out at a bar for the evening. So smile, be friendly and mix up some tasty beverages…then count your mula on your way home!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Finds…

#65 –

Need a last minute Halloween Costume for a party this weekend?! Check out your local thrift stores or even e-bay. You might find a great costume that has only been worn once and is a bargain.

I made my costume this year by going to a thrift-store and buying things separately, but I had the time to do that this year and it was fun searching for the perfect pieces. If you don’t have time but still want a great costume, check online or go to a pop-up Halloween Store that seem to be in every vacant big box store in towns/cities across America. Since Halloween is on a Monday this year, this weekend is going to be the weekend for the spookiest & fun costumes at your local pubs and neighborhood Halloween parties. So be creative…check out your local thrift or second hand-store, you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find or the inspiration you may get from looking through all the stuff there. Or if time isn’t on your side this year and you need to just pick an already made costume, look online. This might be your year for winning the grand prize at your local costume contest! Wouldn’t that be fun?!