October To Do List

Besides from the last minute wedding items we need to tackle like the seating chart, place cards, last minute decor items and so on I want to squeeze in some fun - after all, fall is my favorite season!

I make it a mission every year to visit a farm and go pumpkin picking. I cheated this year already with buying a pumpkin for our front porch from Trader Joes, but I have a plan that doesn't involve carving them so that's my excuse for dragging hubs to the pumpkin patch if he asks!

This year I want apple cider fresh from the farm. Usually I always have a gallon in my fridge around this time of year that I pick up from the grocery store or Trader Joes, but nothing beats the real deal.

So this one is half way crossed off since we already have a game night scheduled with a few friends for the first weekend in October, but that still means we need to make sure the bon fire happens! My mom helped us build an amazing fire pit and seating area in our back yard this spring/summer so we need to put it to good use!

I know this sounds simple, but it's our first actual year having to buy Halloween candy! In college we never had to, and after college we lived so far out in the middle of nowhere that we never had any trick-or-treaters. We are going to get slammed this year - our neighborhood is HUGE and there are tons of surrounding neighborhoods. I can't wait to see all of the kids!

I've spotted a few cute costumes for pets and this year I intend to dog shame our pups! haha Plus, who doesn't love a small dog dressed as a ladybug or penguin?

This one will be easy - minus the raking part. Since our house backs to woods it creates a lot of privacy, but also a TON of leaves! This is a freebie to-do item and I plan on jumping into at least 1 big pile of leaves this fall.

I've been pinning tons of pumpkin themed desserts on pinterest and plan to make at least one of them! Maybe a pumpkin trifle for our game night?!

I plan on hitting up Hobby Lobby for some DIY wreath items to make one weekend. Our front door could use the lovin' and I am digging these DIY wreaths I have seen on other blogs! Okay, maybe the succulent wreath doesn't scream fall, but how gorgeous is that?

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Trader Joe Fall Favs

Who doesn't love Trader Joes? Especially when you are greeted with stacks of pumpkins and mums on your way inside? Next year I'm tempted to decorate our front door step with those Cinderella pumpkins on the right. I love the white ones!

 

I saw this pumpkin Greek yogurt on Trader Joes website when I was looking for dinner inspiration and crossed my fingers that my local store had it in stock. I can't wait to try it with some sliced apples, cinnamon and maybe even a drizzle of honey. Ugh, mouth watering...

I had to pick up some avocados when I saw they were only 99 cents. I love the sign that they put up - who knew that storing an avocado half with a piece of raw onion in the fridge would keep it from browning?! Thanks for the tip TJ!

I am obsessed with these and am so excited to find them at the store again! I love spreading the the fig butter on toast - it tastes just like a fig newton bar! The honey apple butter is amazing also - and I love that these have no fat (and only 40 calories and 9g of sugar per tbs). I haven't tried the pumpkin butter yet.

If you pick these up, look on the side of the label for their suggestions of how to use it - the pumpkin butter's label says, "We suggest using Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter as a pastry filling, poultry glaze, ice cream topping, on toast or mixed with fat free cream cheese for a unique spread." It also gives you simple instructions for turning it into pumpkin soup!

I have such a hard time finding Quinoa in grocery stores so I always grab some when I am at TJ's. I'm planning on making BBQ chicken quinoa salad one night this week.

Canned pumpkin. Enough said. I'm sure I could find a way to use this in 2 seconds looking on Pinterest.

Last, but not least. I found the gem - pumpkin spice coffee... and  get this - for only $3.99. If I wasn't sold at pumpkin spice, I was definitely sold on that price. I can't wait to try this with some vanilla or caramel creamer. I might need to stock up on this!

I also grabbed some eucalyptus and placed it on our entry table - it's already made the entire first floor smell amazing. I love fall!

Fall Entry Decor Inspiration

I'm back! I recently started a blog with my friend Lauren, www.bmorelovely.com, and it made me realize how much I miss sharing my thoughts and loves with all of you. So here I am, I hope you'll continue to follow along :)

It's officially fall - which means it is completely acceptable to break out the pumpkins and fall decor (even though we have been burning pumpkin pie candles all month)! Walking past Trader Joe's at work today I couldn't help but grab a few pumpkins - they had mini pumpkins for about 70 cents each, these adorable striped larger mini pumpkins for a dollar and regular pumpkins for only 3.99 - I couldn't resist.

I've been pinning ideas for my pumpkins and entry way lately. Here's what I have been loving...

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I love the idea of turning pumpkins into flower pots for mums or pansies! I learned a trick - spray bleach after carving out the inside of the pumpkin and it will prevent it from molding with the varying weather.

I'm also really digging the idea of painting pumpkins - I can't wait to paint our house number on a pumpkin and add a pop of color with a fun pattern like chevron for our front doorstep!

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I love these recycled glass jugs from West Elm. They are the perfect container for tree branches for an entry console. Rustic and beautiful - with a touch of aqua.

I'll be sure to share some of my DIY fall decor once complete!

Getting Past Hump Day: Lunchtime Workout

I really look forward to my lunch time workouts. It gives me a chance to get out of the office, stop staring at a screen and to get in my gym time before it gets dark out. If you are like me, your motivation comes to a quick stop the second you get home from work.

Easy for me I have our wedding to motivate me to get into shape. I posted on my Facebook page today that today, 75% of people would drop their New Years resolutions. I got my workout in, did you?

The biggest advice I can give you is to not focus on seeing the pounds dropping from the scale, focus more so on how you feel. Is your body sore the next day? Great! You are working your muscles that have been in hibernation. If you watched the Biggest Loser, week 2 is ALWAYS the hardest. The first week you are loosing the extra water weight your body had been carrying around. If you don't see a change the second week, why not push through it and see how well you do during the third week!

My workout tomorrow will look a little like this: 

I'll start off with 20 minutes on the elliptical at a level 12-14 depending how I feel while doing it. Rather than doing chair dips, I plan on doing 20 overhead tricep extensions and standing cable tricep extensions.

To end the workout I always do 25 regular sit-ups, 25 reverse sit ups and a 40 sec - 1 minute plank.

Here is what's motivating me this week:

I'm trying on wedding gowns this weekend and am absolutely terrified! Hopefully I find something amazing! I'm doing a juice detox Thursday and Friday so I'll share my smoothie recipes with you!

What to Ask Your Wedding Florist

Friday after work I headed to Towson to meet our florist for the first time. She was recommended to me from a handful of girls at work so I had full confidence that I didn't need to look into other florists. 

I'm one who loves to be prepared. I printed out photos of what I envisioned my bouquet as, my bridesmaids, the boutonnieres, the tall centerpieces, the short centerpieces... you get the idea. I had already filled out a form telling her more about our wedding - the location, the wedding party, the colors... but I had no idea what to ask her!

I quickly did a Google search and tweeted asking for brides advice! I quickly gathered all the questions thanks to Real Simple, Lindsay, and Heather.

I want to share with you the questions I found, because it came in handy to have during our appointment so I didn't forget anything! The answers in pink are from my florist, so you get an idea of what yours may say.

1. Will you set the flowers up at the site according to my specifications? If not, you may need to hire a wedding coordinator. If the florist will be setting up, make sure you both go over a diagram of where everything will be. 

Yes. I am giving my florist a copy of our finalized room layout and ceremony layout so she knows exactly where to put everything. It is the florist's job to set up - and since you are busy getting ready for your big day you shouldn't have to worry. I'm also giving a copy to our wedding coordinator and my bridesmaids/mom so they can go down and check.

2. Will you take away the arrangements at the end? This could incur an extra fee, but it might be worth the price if it allows you and your wedding party to depart without a backward glance. If you are renting containers or other decorative items, don’t assume the florist will retrieve them. Check the contract to make sure who’s responsible. And be sure you know the venue’s policies about cleanup. 

 Our florist does come to pick up the materials she has rented to us that night. Make sure you tell her the time the wedding ends and that your guests take home the flowers they want before she cleans up. This does include an extra fee, but our florist requires it so she doesn't lose any of her belongings. You may also want to bring extra vases so your guests have something to take the arrangements home in.

3. Who will be in charge of my wedding flowers? For quality control―and to make sure all your conversations haven’t gone to waste―get confirmation that the floral designer you’ve been dealing with will do the arranging. If you’re having a large wedding, it may be too much work for one florist, so she should be aided by a trusted associate. 

Our florist.

 

4. Do you typically limit the number of weddings you have slated on a weekend? Ideally, the answer to this is yes―the florist should have one or two, max. However, this may depend on the size of your wedding and the size of the florist. If the florist seems to have an astronomical amount of weddings on her plate, make sure she is confident that she can devote ample time to your event. 

 She limits herself to one wedding a week! This is great for us because I know our flowers will have the time needed to make sure they are perfect.

5. What would you consider suitable substitutions for the flowers we have discussed if these are unavailable? Hammer this out now so you aren’t surprised minutes before you hit the aisle. The florist should guarantee color harmony, size, look, and price. You may even want to request a picture of what the florist has in mind before approving. 

6. How will I reach you on the wedding day? The florist should give you a cell-phone or pager number. 

I have her cell programmed in my phone. Make sure you give her number to your family and bridesmaids as well just in case!

7. When will the flowers arrive, how will they be transported, and how will they be packaged when they arrive? Flowers should be delivered at the last possible moment, even if the building is air-conditioned, to prevent wilting. Bouquets should be delivered about half an hour before photography is scheduled to begin. Your florist will determine the delivery time, taking into account the time of year, the temperature, and the sun’s brightness. Florists use climate-controlled vehicles (some have refrigeration), so the blooms arrive fresh. 

My bouquet and our bridal party's flowers will be delivered at the time the photographer arrives. This ensures we have them for the photos. 

8. Can you advise me on which flowers would be best for my wedding? What is in season and what we could do to limit the price (i.e., substitutions that are cheaper)? You and your florist should discuss whether it’s an indoor or outdoor event (with sun exposure a factor), the length of the photo session, the gap between ceremony and reception, and so on. These factors will help determine if the flowers you select will be hardy enough. 

Our florist recommended not using hydrangeas in our personal flowers because they wilt quickly.

9. Are there any taxes, overtime charges, gratuities, or fees that aren’t included in the contract? You don’t want hidden fees to pop up after the wedding (there will be enough last-minute expenses as it is). Make sure the cancellation policy and associated fees are also in the contract. 

10. When will the balance be due? While there’s no hard and fast rule, florists generally request payment about two weeks before the wedding. 

Two weeks before the wedding the full payment is due. A deposit is required to hold our weekend and due at the signing of our contract.

11. Do you supply vases/votives or do we? 

Our florist can supply both. The vases/votives pricing depends on the size.

12. Have you worked at the our venue before? 

She has several times. I was thankful she actually knew the room names at our venue before we even told her. This put me at ease because knowing the venue helps her to design and envision our wedding.

13. Do you create sample centerpieces and bouquets for us to approve/review?

At a price. This is something Lindsay suggested to me and thank goodness she did! I have heard of many brides being unhappy with their flowers. We are ordering a sample tall centerpiece and my bouquet a month prior so we are using the same flowers that will be in season. Thank you Mom!

I hope these questions and answers help you during your wedding planning! It really helped me know the right questions to ask and to make sure our wedding day is nothing short of perfect! 

traditional yet contemporary home design

Over at ron brenner architects I am doing some design work for new clients of mine.  They are looking for a home that blends the contemporary with the traditional; something that is both yesterday and today.  I presented the following three concepts.

A double gable scheme.  This form being familiar without being common.  

Shed on shed scheme.  Here I utilized a classic saltbox colonial roof form; blended with a more contemporary arrangement of windows and use of color.

Gable on saltbox scheme.  The full front gable is an unusual variation.  Side bumpout and "link" between house and garage is clad with metal

My clients were very happy with the alternatives.  In my next article I'll show you which scheme they chose; along with the developments we have made since then.


Which scheme do you prefer?

latest design by ron brenner architects

I just wanted to give you a sneak preview of a new home designed by ron brenner architects.  The new modestly sized home is illustrated below.

The design is a modern interpretation - blending elements from the classic american farmhouse and the arts and crafts. 

Ron had this to say about the home:  "The design process we use is always very collaborative.  In this case Mark Sova (from Main Street Builders) developed an initial concept floor plan.  We took that and performed a number of massing studies in order to determine the best possible form for the plan.  Then we developed a pleasing fenestration.  The result is a modern interpretation of a Midwestern Farmhouse".