And by Carmen, I mean, Nicki Ann.

Well to be honest, I have been really busy lately. We have been booking tours and weddings like crazy and blogging got pushed aside. Then with the holidays… Well, I don’t have to explain that. I know you know EXACTLY how the holidays can get.

Excuses, excuses.

I can promise you that I am working on some really great blog posts and we will be back up and posting regularly beginning Monday. It is actually one of my New Years’ resolutions to make blogging a priority this year and get back on a regular schedule. The fact of the matter is that I need to plan better. And that is something I want to work on this year.

That, along with quite a few other things, will make me better at what I do both at home and at work. So my solemn vow is that I will be back and better than ever. Planning is exactly what I plan on doing this week – planning for the upcoming wedding season (we have 31 wonderful couples joining the family this year so far!), planning for blogging, and planning for an AMAZING year to come.

I truly hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!

I am always looking for cute and unique things for weddings because I love practical things. I saw this on The Plunge Project blog and fell in love!

Talk about a way to surround yourself with loving family and friends!! I love this idea and think it would be an amazing heirloom for future little ones. I can only imagine cuddling up with my hubby in front of the fireplace in this one

Seriously. These are the cutest! Imagine getting a small brown paper covered box in the mail one day with this inside and a little note.

I am pretty sure that I wouldn’t be able to call her right away to accept (or she wouldn’t be able to understand me) because of the tears and overwhelming emotion. So sweet and thoughtful! Want ‘em? BHLDN has one for every member of the party!

As I go through webpages full of shoes to post for you, I am faced with the fact that shoes for the fall are starting to peek their pretty little heads in the picture. It makes me sad because I am not ready for the summer to be over yet. But it makes me happy because of all the new styles coming out!

These cuties from Sam Edelman are perfect for a n

I popped on Etsy and this came up on the very first page. I couldn’t let it go without sharing because it is so darn cute!

I mean, seriously. How cute is this?! You can find them on Better Off Wed’s Etsy site. What an awesome alternative to the oh-so-common monogram cake toppers! You know me, I love something different!

With Memorial Day weekend behind us and the warmer weather sneaking in, it is pretty safe to say that summer is here. Well, not officially. That technically happens in 12 days, but you get where I’m going.

What comes with summer? Picnics, parties, weddings, and ice cream.

I was discussing the wedding menu options with a couple recently and mentioned that they can have a sundae bar as a dessert option. Their faces immediately lit up and I knew I had just found the one thing that would truly make them happy on their wedding day. And why wouldn’t it? Almost everyone loves ice cream. There is something so calming about getting your favorite flavor of ice cream, sitting on a bench and enjoying it on a hot summer evening. There is a great little ice cream shop near my house and I love going there.

So when I found these awesome ice cream bowls, I knew I had to share them. Wouldn’t these be the cutest wedding favors?

Each guest could have their own bowl to fill with ice cream and top with whatever they want! I can’t think of a better way to end your reception!!

As I was browsing Etsy (don’t you just love the new layout of the site?!?!), I found these favors that I LOVE. They are so similar to my own mini bamboo plants that I gave out, but with a twist. Succulents are super popular right now and why wouldn’t they be? They require little to no work to take care of and every time your guests look at them, they will think of you and your future hubby. 

These ones are potted in coconut pots and are available from So Succulent on Etsy. The best part is that each and every one can be slightly different, which gives  it a bit of depth. I love practical favors! This one certainly fits the bill!

This clutch was posted about 3 weeks ago on Preston Bailey’s Bride Ideas blog, but I loved it so much I knew I had to share it with you. This Kate Ketzel crystal bridal clutch is A-MA-ZING. I am in love with it and not just because of the sparkle. The price is pretty appealing too at only $124.95!!

This morning, I decided to be a bit lazy. Rather than getting up and getting my workout in before work, I decided to watch a movie. What movie? Well, I’m flattered you cared enough to ask. My wonderful hubby recently bought An Affair to Remember for me. Since that is not really his type of movie, I figured I would pop it in and relax a bit. Let me tell you, I was hit immediately with inspiration.

So what sparked the inspiration? The fashion, of course. When I saw Deborah Kerr in the orange and beige gown at the beginning of the movie, I knew it would make a gorgeous wedding gown.

I instantly fell in love. This was just the first of many dresses to win me over. The movie is full of them! But when I saw this one in particular, it reminded me of the Maggie Sottero Collection I recently browsed through. To be honest, I try not to look at bridal gowns for the simple fact that I yearn for another one every single time. I decided that for you, I would suffer and peek through them again to grab a few to share.

I love the grecian feel of these gowns and think they mirror Deborah Kerr’s gown in An Affair to Remember, yet bring a modern twist to the table. And yes, now I wish I could go try on gowns again…

Sigh…

Well, ladies and gents, today I get to introduce our new intern, Jennifer. She wanted to write a little something to help you get to know her a tiny bit. If you really want to meet her, you’ll have to schedule an appointment to come in and check us out

Here’s what she had to say:

“As many of you have heard or read a little I am the new intern at the Mansion at Maple Heights. I am working with Nicole Pope doing event planning. Just to share a little about me- my name is Jennifer Eisenbeis, I was born in Pittsburgh, PA and am 22 years old. I am a child of three with a older brother and older sister. I just finished classes at Pittsburgh Technical Institute in hospitality. Time flies when you’re in college! When you’re following something that you know makes you happy and you enjoy it at all times, you know it’s what your meant to do. I found that calling in high school when I started creating beading classes to create jewelry for a woman’s shelter. The creativity, organization, planning, communicating with others, and helping people with special things is something I have always enjoyed and, that’s what lead me to the path I am in now. To help people put together special events of any sort is something amazing that I love to do and help them with. Being able to be an Intern at the Mansion is something that is amazing to me as well as the services offered by the Mansion “WOW” me. It is an amazing place and I know I am going to learn so much about event planning with hands on experience from Nicole.”

Jennifer is planning on writing a few posts for the blog as well. Since she is completely new to the business, it will be a nice change to get a fresh perspective. So be sure to give Jennifer a big Mansion welcome when you see her