Blush + Bashful

Macy’s is carrying on the grand tradition of Marshall Field’s and the traveling bridal gown sample sale. Great deals on designer gowns can be found here from Friday, March 2nd through Sunday, March 4th. I’m a huge fan of buying sample dresses. It is a great way to get the luxurious designer look for an affordable price. And, let’s be honest. You are only wearing this dress one time.

Here are a few tips for shopping for a gown at a sample sale:
1) Keep an open mind! You never know what you’ll like until you try it on.
2) If you want to take someone shopping with you, make sure they will be honest with you. Also, make sure this is someone whose opinion you actually want to listen to!
2) Be firm about your budget. Yes, it’s a great deal to get a $7,000 dress for $2,500. But, if your budget was $1,000, stick to it!
3) LOVE the dress. You can’t return a wedding gown. You’ll be wearing this dress on the most important day of your life. You want to feel spectacular! (This may contradict my previous point!)
4) If there is a flaw on the dress, find out whether it can be fixed BEFORE you purchase it.
5) This is the hardest one…Don’t buy the dress on impulse. Yes, there is only one of each dress at a sample sale, but walk away from it for a little while and think about it with a clear head.

Give the Macy’s Bridal Salon a call to reserve your appointment! The number is (312) 781-3545.

Happy Shopping!
Meg

Today I was talking to my creative and fashionable friend, Jaime. She mentioned that she added some of her new handmade jewelry pieces to her etsy.com store. Knowing that she makes fabulous jewelry, I asked her to send me the link so I could see her latest work. I was immediately excited when I saw it. She uses the store name “Magnolia Street” to house her collections online. I think our connection was meant to be, as blush + bashful got its name from “Steel Magnolias” and uses a magnolia in its logo. See what I mean?!

I asked Jaime to give me a quote about how she got started making jewelry and why she loves it. Here’s what she had to say,

“The first time I realized I could make my own jewelry was when a friend of mine came into work wearing a simple leather cord bracelet with recycled glass beads spaced intermittently and tied to it. I admired it and asked where she had bought it, and she told me, ‘I made it!’ She said she had gone to Caravan Beads on Lincoln and Roscoe and had received help there to make her own bracelet.

“I decided to give it a go and went to the store myself. I was quickly hooked. The walls are filled with gorgeous, shimmering beads, shells, strands, findings…everything you could want to make beautiful pieces all your own.

“Later, I got a basic tool set as a gift and began to make my own creations in earnest. Today, I’ve designed pieces for a friend’s wedding, as a birthday gift for another friend’s mother, and have several commissions for pieces rolling in. I even designed an entire line of pieces for another friend who handed me $200 in a bead shop and told me to ‘go crazy.’ I also make pieces and leave them in random places for friends to find for their birthdays and special events. It tickles me to no end to to hear a high-pitched squeal and an ‘On my goodness!’, and know that they’ve foudn a pretty necklace or bracelet or earrings that I’ve secretly left for them in a little stashed spot.

“My desire is to create unique, clean designs that don’t belong to any one time or place, but that make the wearer feel classic and beautiful. My pieces stand the test of time…and the test of a girlfriend’s eye, who will look at what you’re wearing and immediately want one for herself!”

If you’re interested in contacting Jaime about designing custom bridesmaid jewelry using your wedding colors or a unique and impressive gift for your future mother-in-law, email me meg@blushandbash fulevents.com and I’ll put you in contact with her. She’s great!

Enjoy!
Meg

My friend, Kristie, recently started a company called “A Stork Told Me.” It is a sign rental company that places personalized birth announcements in the yards of families with new babies. I talked to Kristie about how she got started and why she loves this business so much. Here is what she had to say,

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business, but I was never sure what type of business it would be. When I worked at the Yellow Pages a few years ago, I talked with a lady who owned a stork sign rental business. She had so many good things to say about it, so I kept the idea in the back of my head. When I moved to the suburbs, my neighbor had a baby and got a stork sign to announce the birth. I felt like it was a sign that I should bring this idea to the surface again! I invested in the materials and minor advertising and the business took off from there. I love that I get to help new parents give recognition to their little miracle. It’s very rewarding to make a baby’s arrival extra-special. Plus, it’s a great stay-at-home Mom job!”

Check out Kristie’s website www.astorktoldme.com to see the designs and read more about her business. I happen to think that “A Star is Born” is the cutest! This would be a great gift to surprise a friend with her own little miracle.

Cheers!
Meg

Urbane Weddings is an adorable wedding accessories and custom invitation store at 1920 N. Damen Avenue. Debra Baum, the owner, had a second baby and now she’s closing up shop. Lucky brides can score gorgeous pieces including brooches, earrings, necklaces, tiaras, combs, shoes, and more for 30-75% off. This is huge because their goods are expensive!

Get all the details online at www.urbaneweddings.com or by calling the store directly at (773) 289-3000. Happy bargain hunting!

Cheers!
Meg

This weekend I spent some time shopping for centerpiece prototypes for a few of my clients. I like to keep a stash of inexpensive ideas (expensive ones are easy) around for my bargain-hunting brides to look at and to be inspired by. I love gorgeous, rich, over-the-top floral centerpieces as much as anyone else, but I find that a lot of my brides don’t want to spend their money on them. They’d rather have top-shelf liquor!

So, I was trying to find some inexpensive vases and cool candle-holders for these mock-up arrangements. I drove all the way out to Schaumburg in the snow for my project! I found some great ideas at IKEA, but nowhere else. I’m so disappointed! If I had been looking for something else, I would have found a ton of fantastic stuff. I guess I’ll just have to shop again soon. Darn!

Cheers!
Meg