Another weekend is here. It’s as if I ask myself every day how life seems to be passing by so quickly. The later I get into my twenties, the more of a Grandma I’m turning into. This weekend I’ll be staying in to finish my taxes. It’s going to be a real rager (heavy sarcasm).
Not that I really mind one bit. I’ll take a jar of old people butterscotch candies (okay they actually are really good) and a marathon in front of the TV with a batch of cookies any day over going out and partying. That phase of my life is long gone.
I’m officially a Grandma in a 28 year old body.
But seriously, life seems to be insanely busy. Not only because I have a wedding to plan, the Healthy Glow Co, Ambitious Kitchen and a new (!!!) product coming out. But also because I have set some pretty big goals for myself: more travel, a shop, a show, and an entire life full of adventure ahead of me. Admittedly there are some days were I wish that everything would slow down just a little bit so I could veg out and watch The Americans or Planet Earth with a big bowl of avocado oil popcorn followed by a healthy smoothie bowl.
Besides taxes, I want to check out Beauty and the Beast. Not gonna lie, that was my favorite Disney movie growing up. Anyone else excited to see it?
Next week, my friend Sarah is coming to do my engagement photos with Tony. Fingers crossed for good weather.
Now before we get into weekend favorites, I do want to ask you if you have any wedding recommendations for the following:
1.) Wedding photographers
2.) Wedding videographers (prefer Chicago/Illinois based)
3.) Your favorite wedding songs for first dance or to walk down the aisle to
I’m on the hunt. (Also thanks if you already gave a recommendation — I so appreciate it!)
NOW WEEKEND FAVORITES:
This basil pesto grilled cheese. Cool, I just drooled.
I LOVE HUMMINGBIRD CAKE. Gonna make it for Easter.
Oven fried honey sriracha chicken magical drumsticks. Dinner tonight.
This roasted chickpea KALE salad looks bomb.
Loving these natural remedies for pain.
According to doctors, this is how much avocado you should be eating a day. How much do you eat?
OBSESSED with this jumpsuit. Perfect for festival season.
This wedding idea is insanely cool.
Lentil baked ziti. OMG OMG.
Just got this tripod and absolutely love it for both photos and video.
Hope you guys have the BEST weekend & happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Check out http://www.xpressvideoproductions.com/index2.php?v=v1#!/Home for a videographer – they did a great job with my wedding.
So interesting about the avocado amount. I usually eat 1/4th and have recently started looking at the FODMAP since I have issues and its eye opening. I thought I was being “healthy” but didn’t know that some of the health foods are causing me issues. I can’t wait to see if some of the foods I eat that are big triggers help when I eliminate them.
Hey Monique! My sister is actually a wedding photographer, and is wonderful (biased but true) http://www.courtneytimmsphotography.com if you want to look at some of her stuff. Good luck with the wedding planning!
I don’t know any Chicago photographers/videographers, but I would suggest negotiating with them. Once I realized you can negotiate, I got all of my vendors for a slightly lower cost or else got more hours of coverage for the same price. Also, once you have your photographer choices narrowed down, make sure you choose the one you personally love. The one who’s blog you keep looking at and love their style of photos. Everyone gave different opinions when choosing mine, which gave me second thoughts, but I’m so glad I chose the one I did because our engagements pictures turned out exactly the style I wanted and I’m sure the wedding pictures will be just as good.
Love this!!! Have an amazing weekend I’m sure the photos will turn out beautifully. That Hummingbird Cake is on my to bake list as well- SO PRETTY
http://stilltalkingproductions.com/ are awesome wedding photographers!
A Whole New World for wedding dance song. I’m sure there are other Disney princess songs that would fit. Alcohol by Brad Paisley would be a good funny waltz (it really does have the correct beats)
Enjoy the wedding planning! It only happens once so don’t stress too much. Here are the first dance/isle walking songs I chose; one seemed a bit unconventional but it fits me. 🙂
Isle walking: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (Sound of Music – the part when she got married, so I was able to talk my (catholic!) church into playing the processional piece (bridesmaids) and then the music to the Maria song (with no words). Those who know the movie know the song. 🙂
First dance: Only You Can Love Me This Way, by Keith Urban
Good luck!
**Aisle
Check out Sam Stroud Photography (http://www.samstroudphoto.com/) for a photographer – he and his team are crazy talented and super fun to work with! I’ve worked with them as a wedding planner and also had them shoot my wedding! Sam himself is completely down to earth and can make anybody who’s uncomfortable in front of the camera look like a million bucks!
Also, check out Caleb Lee with East West (http://www.eastwestproduction.com/home/) for a videographer – he is PHENOMENAL. I can’t say enough amazing things about him or his work!
Best wishes wedding planning! 🙂
Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran for a first dance song…not traditional but I love it!
Photographer: Robin Sloan at riverbendphotostudio.com…..loved her!
Our first song: Everly Brothers: Let it be me
I got married last summer and walked down the aisle to “Kola” by Damien Jurado (played by friends). Definitely an untraditional choice but it was a perfect fit for us.
Takes My Breath Away by Tuck and Patti is the best wedding song. An old one but so good. The recipes sound great. Going to try lentil baked ziti for sure! Me too with the taxes. Bleh.
Enjoy wedding planning! And YAAAASSSSSSS! More avocado!! Have a great weekend!
I’m also currently wedding planning. Our first dance song is a special song to my fiance and I – Lovelier than You by B.O.B. I’ll be walking down the aisle to one of Ed Sheeran’s recent releases, Perfect.
My husband and I LOVED Better Together Cinematography for our wedding videographer! They are a husband and wife team and do fabulous work! http://www.bettertogethercinematography.com
I’m not local but so I can’t recommend a photographer of videographer (we are actually skipping video bc of expense) but I am walking down the aisle to a classical guitar playing, probably Bach (as a classically trained musician there is just something about live music during the ceremony) and our first dance is going to be by Leon bridges. But we just chose that last week and have been engaged for 9 months! You’re moving fast!
Hi Monique,
If you love Planet Earth, I assume you mean the BBC nature documentary!?! If not this will not make sense at all 😂
I walked down the aisle to a remixed (I had a friend who was a sound engineer) track of https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopp%C3%ADpolla it is a truly beautiful, emotional and uplifting piece.
https://vimeo.com/3986821
Congratulations and I hope you have the wedding of your dreams x
Beauty and the Beast is so well-done! It was my favorite princess movie growing up and I love it. And I just finished my taxes last night. Such fun… not. Hope you’re having a lovely weekend!
My friend Naomi is a photographer in the city on the North Side. Here’s her website! https://www.naomiepsteinphotography.com
I’m also planning a Chicago wedding!
There are so many amazing photographers. Here are some favorites:
http://www.zacheraphoto.com
Bonphotage.com
http://edandaileen.com/
http://carascophoto.com
Congrats your engagment Monique! For our processional songs we chose the acoustic versions of a few songs we loved done by Vitamin String Quartet. Lots of great options and they sounded beautiful, classic & unique. Enjoy all of it!
I can’t recommend Maggie Russo Photography enough! She’s amazing!
http://maggierussophoto.com
She also does a lot of photography for Homespun Hostess so there is another blog connection there! http://homespunhostess.com
I love hummingbird cake too. I need to bake it more often.
Cristina G for a wedding photographer! She’s amazing
http://cristinagphoto.com/
A girl I went to HS with is an amazing wedding photographer (based out of MN) and her style seems right up your alley!
katebeckerphotography.com
Wedding dance song- Neil Young – Harvest Moon- This is the song that Julia Roberts and her husband in the movie EAT, PRAY, LOVE dance too for their wedding and it almost made me cry. Maybe you could play the wedding dance scene on Youtube if its on there,
and see what you think.
Thank you for this great post. But this your statement ” Admittedly there are some days were I wish that everything would slow down just a little bit so I could veg out and watch The Americans or Planet Earth with a big bowl of avocado oil popcorn followed by a healthy smoothie bowl.” make tears drop in my eyes because it remind me of my Mama.
Thanks for this wonderful and memorable post.