Wedding Wednesday | Invitation Sneak Peek

I thought that since I gave you all a sneak peek at the Fall Wedding Save the Date that you'd love to see a little glimpse of the invitation!! Check it out!

It's absolutely incredible! The invitation suite is designed and printed by baci on Ivory Handmade, Plantable Paper. . . see all the natural flecks and differences in thickness? The suite will be sent in a Natural Kraft Envelope with matching tree design and calligraphy (done by the bride's talented sister!!). I am just in love!!

baci's baking - Tortellini with Mushrooms and Peas

Sorry I missed posting yesterday's baci's baking I attended Lillith for the first time - what a blast!! Anyway, I never want to leave you without a recipe, so here it is. . . just a little sometime I tweaked from a Barilla recipe on the back of cheese tortellini :o)

Tortellini with Mushrooms and Peas

1 (8 oz.) bag tortellini
4 T. (½ stick) butter or margarine
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 cup (8 oz.) half-and-half
5 oz. frozen peas, thawed

4 oz. canned mushrooms, drained
⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1) Cook tortellini according to package directions.

2) While pasta cooks, heat butter in a large skillet.

3) Add garlic and saute over medium-low heat for 2 minutes.

4) Add cream, peas and mushrooms; heat to a boil. Reduce to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5) Add drained tortellini, mix well.

6) Add parmesan cheese, toss and serve.

Handpicked - Ann Taylor LOFT

This photo popped up an e-mail from Ann Taylor LOFT today and I knew I had to pick out my top nine favorite pieces for you all today :) I seriously can't get enough of these fun shades!!

1) Pleated Front Blouse Cami, Autumn Bouquet - $49.50 2) Cotton Faile Jacket with Ruffle in Rosewood - $98 3) Marisa Slim Cargo Pants in Sage - $59.50 4) Fluffy Flower Pin in Fresh Navy - $14.50 5) Twisted Neck Exposed Back Zip in Moss Green - $49.50 6) Chunky Gem Chuff Bracelet in Gold - $39.50 7) Ruffle Front Cardigan in Smoky Rose - $69.50 7) Flutter Silk Dress - $128 8) Twill Anorak Jacket in Gold Velvet - $148

BONUS: The e-mail said that you can get FREE SHIPPING on every order!!!! YAY!!

Rue La La Love!

My beloved Rue La La, the invitation-only site with Premium Private-sale Boutiques, is offering $10 to all new members again!! Just click this link, sign-up and fall in love (oh, and save a bundle, too!). Current Boutiques range from Puma and thomaspaul to Viader Wine and Windstar Cruises just to name a few :)

suck UK - My Current Wish List

My husband sent me an e-mail the other day entitled, "Since you like neat things. . ." which of course made me giggle immediately. When I clicked on the link he titled, ". . . some cooking fun" I was in love - the Apron Cooking Guide from suck UK popped up! I continued to peruse the suck UK site and decided that several of their items were awesome and unique, here are my top four:

1) The item that brought me to suck UK - the Apron Cooking Guide - an apron full of useful cooking information. 2) I'm in love with any unique way of sending snail mail and this Post Card Aeroplane is quite possible the coolest thing on the planet!! 3) The other day I decided I needed iPod speakers, the next day I saw this - a Cardboard Classic iPod Boom Box, fabulously retro looking and AWESOME! It was obviously meant to be. 4) Message Tape makes writing, spelling and pretty much anything you can slap tape on fun by allowing you to create your own message by blacking out the unwanted dots. It's even available in pixel or digital so you can mix it up a bit.

Wedding Wednesday | Peach + Pink Bridal Shower from Green Wedding Shoes

What do you get when you're in the bridal business and you get married? Incredible everything!! That's exactly what happened when Leila Khalil of Be Inspired PR, a Wedding Public Relations Company, got married this year. Leila's Bridal Shower images were posted on Green Wedding Shoes (one of my fave wedding blogs btw!) yesterday and I just had to share them with you!

Her sister, Kellee, and Carissa of JL Designs threw the shower with the help of Courtney from Joyful Weddings and Events. Enjoy the eye candy :)

And now for the list of incredible vendors. . .

Dessert: Pinkberry

Cake: Sweet and Saucy Shop

Cupcakes: Cupcakes Couture

Custom scent station: Kamilyn

Venue: High Profile Productions

Floral and event design: JL Designs

Planner: Courtney Toney, Joyful Weddings and Events

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals & Level 4 International

Linens: Elegant Designs

Invitation: Momental Designs

All other paper goods: Olive Hue Paper

Video: Cana Video Production

Photographer: Jessica Claire

Hair and make-up: Kacee Geoffroy

Spray Tan: Danielle of Island Spray Tan

Leila’s bridal shower is featured in the current issue of Bridal Guide magazine and if you want to get the view from her side, check out her most recent blog post!

baci's backing - Spasagna Florentine

When I lived in Northwest Ohio we would frequently head to Fort Wayne, Indiana to shop, eat or pretty much do anything that wasn't bowling or going to see a movie because that's about all there was to do in my small hometown. So I grew to know the restaurants in the Fort Wayne area pretty well and at the time (mind you, this was pre-2001 so I'm sure there are a billion other great choices in the area now) Cheddar's Casual Cafe was my absolute favorite place to go because of their Baked Spasagna and Strawberry Lemonade. I was obviously pretty easy to please as a high schooler :) Anyway, the Baked Spasagna would honestly haunt my dreams during my post high-school life, so I finally decided to get online and try to find out how to make it. Well, I was in luck! The recipe isn't quite as fabulous as Cheddar's original, but I'm sure it's a bit more healthy for you. . . minus a bit of grease :)

Here's how Cheddar's describes their Baked Spasagna so you can prepare yourself for the deliciousness:

Cheddar's original creation! We layer spaghetti with cheeses and our special blend of spices, bake until bubbly and then top with your choice of our homemade meat or marinara sauce.

Now for the recipe! If you notice that Cheddar's only serves their Spasagna with meat or marinara sauce, but my recipe says spaghetti or alfredo it's because back in the day those were your only two choices and I'm keeping it old school :)

Spasagna Florentine

2 (10 oz) packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 T. fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 lb. small curd cottage cheese
2 large eggs
¼ cup butter, softened
⅛ t. ground nutmeg
1 t. salt
¼ t. ground black pepper
8 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 lb. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 jar of Spaghetti or Alfredo sauce

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.
2) Squeeze all excess moisture from spinach with your hands.

3) Combine spinach with parsley, garlic, cottage cheese, eggs, butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4) Layer ⅓ of the noodles in the baking pan, ½ the spinach mixture and ⅓ of each cheese.

5) Repeat layering. On top, place last ⅓ of noodles and cheese.
6) Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

7) Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with sauce on the side.

Handpicked - The Perfect LBD

I'm keeping it simple today for two reasons 1) The Little Black Dress is simple. . . end of sentence. 2) I've been catching up today from last week's Bridal Fair craziness and it's already 7:30 so I have got to get moving to Bekah's to watch The Bachelorette!!! We've decided we will certainly want to punch Frank after this episode!

Anyway, I found The Perfect Little Black Dress online at Banana Republic - every girl needs one so if you don't have a couple (or several like me) go get yourself one, Lady!! It sells for $150.00 and it's made of the most fabulous lightweight wool. You're welcome ;)

And the Winner Is. . .

A huge thanks to everyone for entering our Sapling Press Stationery Stationary Tote Contest - I never knew I could have so much fun giving something away :)

The winner (chosen using Random.org) is comment #10: Natalie Cline of Once Upon a Cline (follow her journey on Twitter, too!) with her comment:

Of course I love "blogs & comments"! Those cards are darling! I will have to "favorite" their store to remember to check back when I'm in the market for some cute cards!

Congratulations, Natalie!! Think of it as a baby shower gift :) E-mail your address to amanda@bacidesigner.com and I'll send your awesome tote on it's way!

If any other designers or companies would like to team up on a future giveaway, just contact me and we'll chat! Once again a huge thanks to all of you!!

baci's Big Day!

Today's the big day - baci's First Bridal Fair is tonight!! I'm so excited and nervous all at the same time :) If you're in the area be sure to stop out, we'd love to see you!! Details below.


And don't forget, today is your last chance to enter baci's Sapling Press Stationery Stationery Tote Giveaway!! The contest ends at midnight tonight!

Wedding Wednesday | Jenny Yoo Bridesmaid Collection

I've always been a fan of Jenny Yoo, but yesterday when I went dress shopping with my best friend and bride-to-be, Katie, I tried on several pieces from her Bridesmaid Collection and I fell in love all over again! Jenny Yoo offers some of the most gorgeous colors I've ever seen - Casper Blue is my current favorite and Katie's most likely choice for her big day - and they offer tiered pricing, the more dresses you order the cheaper they get!

Ainsley in Eggplant

Darlene in Pewter

Dylan in Evening Blue

Eva in Navy

Margaux in Eggplant

Marni in Emerald Green

Norah in Jeweled Green

Phoebe in Casper Blue

Reaghan in Eggplant

Riley in Ginger

baci's baking - Creamy Four-cheese Macaroni

A day late, but I couldn't leave you without a baci's baking recipe this week :) Once again, a tweaked recipe, this Creamy Four-cheese Macaroni (from the Food Network originally) is my absolute favorite guilty pleasure!! Enjoy!

Creamy Four-cheese Macaroni

3 cups gemelli pasta
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2⅓ cup milk
¾ cup shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded non-fat cheddar cheese
4 oz. Velveeta Light, quartered
½ cup Japanese Panko bread crumbs
salt

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.

2) Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt water and add pasta - cooking until al dente. Drain into a colander, run under cold water and set aside.

3) While pasta is cooking, combine flour and milk in a large saucepan, whisking until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

4) Add cheeses and cook until melted and thickened.

5) Remove from heat and stir in the pasta and ¼ teaspoon salt.
6) Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs over top.

7) Bake until bubbly, about 30-40 minutes.

baci's Rebranded!

If you checked in to anything baci related late yesterday or early this morning you might have noticed a change. . . baci is rebranded!!! This is such an exciting time for us! I've wanted to rebrand for a while now, but I just wasn't sure what direction to head in then one day I was instantly inspired by a link I found posted by Pamela Court on Twitter for "30 Unique Logo Designs That Actually Say Something". The title says it perfectly, these logos actually say something - the designs stand alone and it's incredible. I wanted baci's new logo to do just that so I immediately knew I wanted to incorporate the kiss, after all that's what baci literally means - it's perfect! As for the colors, the pink and green combo was cute. . . but it was just that, cute, and totally overused by many a company so I went the more elegant route and choose what happen to be my two favorite colors, plum and peach. I also changed the way the company's full name is written out - we used to be baci - designer stationery & events, but now we are baci designer stationery + events. . . just a bit more modern and simplistic, which is what we're going for as a whole.

Anyway, here's a look at the new baci homepage, it will take a bit of time to update the whole site so please be patient. . . I promise it will be worth it :) I'd love to hear what you all think about baci's new look!

baci GIVEAWAY :: Sapling Press Stationery Stationary Tote

Good Morning, All! Big news here today on Designing Woman. . . we have our first ever GIVEAWAY!!! YAY!!

The lovely Lisa of Sapling Press was kind enough to send along an extra Stationery Stationary Tote when I ordered mine (it's my new favorite thing EVER!) last week. Lisa and I, along with every other creative soul in the business, would rather listen to fingernails on the chalkboard than see people misspell our beloved stationery. . . the gorgeous Sapling Press tote displays both words with their definitions in an effort to spread the good-spelling word :o) Lisa says it best on her Etsy site, "I now offer it up to you, fellow stationery lover, good speller and lover of all things awesome."

Now how to win this oh-so-freaking-cool Sapling Press tote:

1} Read this post. . . see you're already almost done with step one - lol!

2} Hop on over to the Sapling Press Etsy Shop.

3} Check out their quirky "We Go Together Like. . ." Cards (which are as equally awesome as the Stationery Stationary Tote).

4} Choose your favorite (My fave is ". . .Teen Girls and Vampires") and post it here in the comments section (No anonymous posts will be accepted) - this will act as your entry.

* Earn Bonus Entries by Tweeting the following, "Win an @saplingpress Stationery Stationary Tote from @bacidesigner - www.bacidesigner.blogspot.com!!" or by writing on baci's Facebook Wall, but be sure to come back to this post and let us know that you're showing the love!

This contest will end next Thursday, July 15th and the winner will be chosen at random and announced that Friday here on Designing Woman.

On your mark, get set. . . GO!

Wedding Wednesday | Bridal & Beyond Summer Bridal Bash

Baci is excited to announce that we will be participating in Bridal & Beyond's Summer Bridal Bash at Anatomy Nightclub + Ultralounge on Thursday, July 15th!! It's a new kind of Bridal Fair and we can't wait to be a part of it. . . click on the poster (designed by baci!) to view all the details of the evening.

Stop by our table for some of the infamous baci's baking sweets and Perugina Baci Chocolates! We hope to see you there :)

baci's baking - Chocolate Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Duo

Picky Palate is one of my favorite cooking blogs to follow! I've gotten so many great recipes from Jenny's posts, including this Chocolate Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Duo. . . they were SUCH a hit the first time I made them that I hurried up and made them again shortly after!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Duo

(Tweaked Minorly from the Picky Palate Recipe)

Peanut Butter Cookie
2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie
2 sticks softened butter (1 cup)
1 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugars until well combined.
3. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
4. Place flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix with fork or salt. Add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.
5. Take a tablespoon of peanut butter cookie dough and a tablespoon of chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough and gently press together forming a "not so perfect" ball. Don't press and roll too much, just stick them together and place onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through to your liking.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Milk White Cake Stands - My Current Wish List

Each time I throw a party here at our home I realize there are a few things I'd like to have and the baby shower we're hosting tomorrow is no exception :) I want milk white cake stands to display food on my buffet table - I always see so many pretty designs done with these simple, yet gorgeous, stands so I want them. . . all! Here are my four favorites:

1) O.k, so the first one isn't technically a stand, it's actually a bowl, but the Rosanna Decor Bon Bon White Footed Square Bowl is so unique I don't care about the technicalities! 2) Martha never disappoints - Martha Stewart Collection Large 12" Square Cake Stand. 3) The Scalloped Medium Cake Stand from Williams-Sonoma is so girly and pretty! 4) I never shy away from a Pottery Barn product - Great White Cake Stand - and it would match the plates and cereal bowls we already own.