Tag Archives: abattylife

Bachelorette Jen Schefft on How to Host a Clothing Swap Party

Posted in Liz's Life by

Hey guys- sorry I’ve been MIA this week. It’s been a busy busy one! Today I’m blogging over at Nextgen.chicagonista.com. It’s a local blog I contribute to that is geared towards young women in Chicago.

My post is about a recent clothing swap party I attended with former ‘Bachelorette’ Jen Schefft. Check out my video interview with Jen where she gives her predictions on the winner of this seasons ‘Bachelor: On the Wings of Love!’

Have a wonderful weekend!

Five Lessons in Avoiding the Bridal Blues

Posted in Wedding Planning by

Planning a wedding can be a roller-coaster of emotions and events that no one prepares you for. It can prompt many brides to run into situations with friends, family and their fiance they haven’t faced before, which can bring out the best and the worst in those relationships.

The other night before I went to bed, I was contemplating some of the less than wonderful moments I’ve encountered during my six months of planning and realized I’ve learned some valuable lessons.

So in my journey to help other brides, I decided to write those lessons out for you all. Here we go:

Five Lessons in Avoiding the Bridal Blues

  1. It’s OK to be unhappy once in awhile. So you’ve met your prince charming, you’re madly in love and you’re planning your dream wedding. That means you should be feeling pure bliss all the time, right? WRONG. With an engagement comes a lot of stress, anxiety and worry. It’s normal to feel less than chipper sometimes, which brings me to my next lesson.
  2. Don’t mask your feelings with “wedding planning.”Going from a single girl, to a fiance to someones wife is a HUGE transition. You’re likely going to feel a wide array of emotions that can sometimes be uncomfortable. I think sometimes brides try to avoid dealing with those emotions by throwing themselves into planning their wedding to the last detail. This may work for awhile, but eventually those feelings will rise up and you’ll explode- either in the form of a fight, stress overload or tears. Allow yourself time to feel your feelings for just 10 minutes and you’ll be able to put them behind you and enjoy the moment.
  3. There is no scorecard.Keeping track of who’s done what for you and comparing that to what you’ve done for them in the past is a recipe for disappointment. Give people the benefit of the doubt and trust they’ll support you when you need it.
  4. Don’t ask for opinions about the things you’re REALLY excited about. If you’ve fallen in love with a dress, flower type or necklace, don’t ask your friends/family for their advice unless you’re willing to hear that they aren’t as amped about the object as you are.
  5. Adjust Your Expectations.Not everything you’ve dreamt up for your wedding will happen. You’ll have some disappointments. If you expect them in advance, you won’t be crushed when it doesn’t work out.

There are a lot more I’m sure, but those are the five I can think of now. What do you guys think? Any lessons you’d add to the list?

Happy Friday!

The Cutest Little Swing Dress

Posted in Wedding Planning by

Luke and I are planning to do a swing dance for our first dance. We’ve been taking lessons at Galaxie on the west side of Chicago and it’s been really fun so far!

With just two classes under our belt we’ve learned the basic footwork and four spins. Luke is being a great sport about it all and has picked up the steps quickly. I shouldn’t be surprised though, you all know he has moves.

Since I’m predicting after our six week course and five private lessons we’ll be dipping and twirling, I decided I needed to get a swing dress to wear for our performance. Something cute that will show off a spin.

I searched on Etsy, (my favorite site ever!) and found this adorable dress.

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So stinkin cute right?! I wish I had spotted this back when I was hunting for bridesmaid dresses! The dress maker is able to do it in many colors.

I really hope she can get me one in time for April! =)

Wedding Band Bling

Posted in Wedding Planning by

With about three months to go until our wedding, Luke and I have starting looking for wedding bands. Given that my ring is very classic- it’s a princess cut solitaire with a four-prong, white gold band – I wanted to do something a little more unique for my wedding band.

I did some research online and came up with some options that I like:

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I didn’t think I’d be able to find something this unique at jewelry stores since almost every bride I’ve seen has a classic (and very pretty) enternity diamond band.

Luke and I were surprised when we stopped in the Steve Quick Jewelry Store one block away from my place that they had a wide variety of unique bands.

SIDE NOTE- guys, if you’re in Chicago looking for diamonds check out Steve Quick jewelers if for no other reason than they have a fully stocked bar.

When Luke and I were there a guy came in with his buddy to pick up an engagement ring, which he was giving to his girlfriend that night. He must have been nervous because he, his buddy and the sales woman proceeded to take three shots of tequila to “calm his nerves.”

But I digress…they ended up having a lot of “vine” and “flower” options that I really liked! I’m still debating, but I found one I really love. What do you think?

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It wouldn’t fit on my finger, but you get the idea. I really like the delecate vine pattern offset by the two thin lines of diamonds. It’s also right within our budget, which is great!

I’m going to go back to the store again to try it on next to my engagment ring to see how they look together. I don’t want the band to take away from my diamond, but also don’t want something too typical.

*Sigh. Decisions, decisions.