Engaged? Don't let this happen to you!

Well now that engagement season is officially here, I thought I would share a personal experience of my own-Don't let this happen to you!

The Story:

I remember is wasn't that long ago when my husband popped the question back in 2004 on Thanksgiving weekend, it wasn't a flashy proposal, just us, waking up, and me-half asleep.
I heard him rustling about beside me-but I still laid there with my eyes closed.

Feeling something on my pillow beside my head, I opened my eyes-it was my dream ring. The one that was always displayed in the jewellers window, and I just happened to always walk by all the time. It was sparkly and gorgeous, and I wept with tears of joy as my soon-to-be husband slipped it on my finger. In my excitement, I actually forgot to give him an answer as I jumped all over the bed, and then hit speed dial on the phone to call every relative and girlfriend about my news!
The next day as I drove to work, I almost rear-ended another car, because I couldn't stop staring at it on my finger!

Ahhhh the engagement days.....

Then one day it happened.....
Just five years after we were married-I glanced down while logging into my computer at work-and it was gone!
The whole top piece (which was quite sturdy with 6 claws holding my diamond in) was gone!
Heart attack mode set it-I glanced away, and then back again-as if hoping it would suddenly reappear!
But it wasn't there-it was no where to be found.
I scoured the parking lot, crept on the carpets on my hands and knees, checked every crook and cranny, sifted garbage and vacuum dust-but nothing.

This is the worst part: because we had recently switched insurance companies-we had forgot to include our jewellery riders. Not only that, we had no guarantee on the ring, since the jewellery store had closed out just a while after we wed.
It seems like such a long time since I have been able to wear my beautiful engagement ring.

The Moral:
Don't let this happen to you-please learn from my misfortune. If you are newly engaged, ensure that you have insurance, and a good policy that covers any loss or damage to your diamond. It is an awfully big expense to have to replace it, not to mention the sentimental value attached to your ring.

The End:
This story does have a happy ending however; just last night, while almost half asleep, I heard my husband rustling around the side of the bed-I opened my eyes, and there he was, on one knee, with a new ring, asking me to marry him all over again.
This time, through my tears of joy, our years of experience together flashing before me. I answered "Yes".

{My beautiful engagement ring-notice the gaping hole where my main diamond used to be}

{The new "engagement" ring-this stone will be removed from my new ring and placed in the old one-don't worry it won't go to waste-we are having our Daughter's birthstone placed into this one, and will be giving it to her when she turns Sweet 16 :)}

Congratulations on your engagement, enjoy it-it is a beautiful time for two people to share.

All the best,

Carol

A Wish for You

A wish for you just before I sign off on my mini-vacation to enjoy this time with my own family and friends;

I wish that you all get a few more bills this time of year-the bills of Health, Happiness, Wealth and Prosperity.

I hope that you enjoy this Holiday Season surrounded by all of your loved ones, and I wish you all the best for the upcoming New Year!

Merry Christmas!

A Chocolate bar to share :)

So today, I did what most of us are doing this time of year; fighting the crowds in shopping malls to get that "perfect gift" or last minute item to put under the tree.
While standing in the line at Home Sense, waiting to check out, like the rest of the worn-out shoppers, I happened to glance at a rack with chocolate bars on it. Except I could not help but laugh at this particular bar amidst the rest of the display. It wasn't wrapped in silver or gold (as most are this time of year). It was hot pink and black, and was called the "Marital Bliss Bar" and the way it was divided as "his" and "hers" made me LOL!
This is a perfect little stocking stuffer for any Brides or Grooms to be!
Check it out:

Hope you are all having a great week!

Serve them up-Holiday Style!!

One of the many things we enjoy when entertaining, is discovering new beverages to "wow" our guests! Holidays are the best time to serve up some old favs with some new twists! We usually start by picking out some fancy glassware to serve our drinks from. Start by some colourful martini glasses, or antique tea cups, or stick with the simple classic styles and dress them up.

Get creative with garnishes and rimming sugars-one of our favourites is to rim martini glasses with flaked coconut (to look like snow), or colourful sugar, and finish off with a small candy cane or snowflake quins-you can get all these in bulk at your local Bulk Barn stores. You can even add a slice of fruit in the bottom for some added sweetness!

For after dinner wind-downs, warm your guests with a fancy eggnog. Spruce up your favourite coffee, or herbal tea, cappucino, or espresso. Make it decadent with cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean sugar, or whip cream and chocolate sprinkles!

For more great recipes for Holiday Drinks Check out
http://www.lcboholiday.com/?homepage&lang=en

All the best for the holiday season!

Handy Tips for Taking Care of your Elderly Guests

Often times, people tend to forget that there are going to be a variety of age groups attending their wedding. if you are going to go to such lengths to make sure all your guests are comfortable and well taken care of, then keep your elderly guests in mind when making your plans.

Here are some useful tips to make sure that they enjoy your day along with you!

• Make sure extra water is on hand-this is especially important for a summer wedding when the weather is sure to be hot or humid
• Ensure they are seated at a place that gives them adequate room to get in and out of (especially if there are walkers needed to assist them) or if they need to get to the washroom in a hurry.
• Make sure you are aware of any of their dietary needs (ie: if they are diabetic) and make alterations for their menu wherever possible.
• Try to avoid sitting them next to loud speakers, and if possible seat them somewhere that they can see what is going on.
• Ensure that your venue has elevator access, or limited sets of stairs. If this is not possible, then make your elderly guest aware that there will be stairs to climb
• Try not to have them wait too long to get photos taken, or have them stand for long periods of time
• Ensure that there is someone available to take them home early if they wish to leave after dinner.
• If possible have a comfortable chair waiting for them in a lounge area or make sure there is a footstool available-this can go a long way! 

{Pinning the corsage on my Grandmother on my wedding day}

Just by taking a few extra thoughtful steps to ensure they will have a great time at your wedding will leave a lasting impression on them. They will most certainly be pleasantly surprised that you took their needs into consideration, and they may just end up staying the rest of the night!

Happy Planning!

How being a Mom has helped me to be a better Wedding Planner

This morning started off as a usual morning in our household, getting up, and going downstairs to put the coffee on and make breakfast-then it started...
My two little darlings (ages 2 and 4) started to tug of war over a toy (not really an unusual occurrence-considering they have a gaz-illion toys, but always seem to want to play with the exact same toy at the exact same time).
So I settled it through my "Mom negotiation skills-101". Then it got me to thinking..
These are the same set of skills that I have learned by becoming a mother, that has made me become a better planner-because I am forced to use them every single day.

• Scheduling: Yes I tend to "rule the roost" when it comes to our daily lives, making sure lunch is made, bags are packed, dance classes and Dr.'s appointments are attended-it all comes down to time management-and being a really good juggler ;)
• Negotiating and Compromise: Let me tell you, it's not easy with an independent 4 year old who has made up her mind, but when it comes to what she is wearing to having dessert first-I always have a card or two in my back pocket ;)
• Creative thinking: This one keeps me on my toes a lot-from being able to answer "life" questions to what to do to keep them busy on a rainy day-I am forever re-inventing the wheel on creativeness!
• Problem Solving:This is a toughy. Much like dealing with Weddings, you have to be careful when feelings are involved and come up with a win-win resolution as much as possible.
• Keeping my Cool: Emergencies happen when you least expect them too. Expecting the unexpected especially at 3AM when your child wakes up with a high fever and it involves an emergency trip to the hospital, or dealing with food allergies that require the use of an epi-pen. It could even be something like a an unwarranted temper tantrum down the grocery aisles. It has taught me to really dig deep and find my patience, really put things into perspective, and serves as a constant reminder that things don't always go as planned.
• Having a back up: Yes, just carrying an extra pair of clothes, or blankets has gone a long way. You never know when you are going to need them-this is one of the reasons I carry a fully stocked emergency kit at every wedding I attend. 
• Physically: It keeps me fit chasing after 2 of them all day long, I find I have more energy now than I did at 22! 
• Always looking out for dangers: Not that I am the over protective Mom, but it suddenly seems when you have kids, there is danger lurking around every corner! Whether it's an uncovered wall outlet, the corners of tables, or a wet floor-there are alway safety considerations. this helps me to stay alert and always look ahead for anything that might be unsafe or dangerous.
• Being happy: I love being a Mom, and I also love planning and designing, when I am doing what I love to do-it just naturally makes me better at being both. 

Now there are many planners out there that don't have kids-and they are terrific planners-I am just relaying this as my own experience and how my own role through Motherhood has helped me to better develop the skills necessary to be a good planner.
(Many people develop skills many different ways-mine just happens to be this way).

As always, I will continue to develop both personally and professionally-it just makes it all that much better to know how my little ones have helped me :)

Have a great day!