Vera Wang meets "Gossip Girl"

Hey everyone!  The famous Vera Wang featured some of her beautiful designs of both wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses on the newest episode of Gossip Girl.  It was the 100th episode of the drama-inducing show, and the producers wanted to celebrate the accomplishment with a bang... or Wang :)

Here are some images from last night's show - aren't the gowns gorgeous!?!?

Photo via Huffington Post

Photo via InStyle

Photo via InStyle

Oscar Party Inspiration

As you already know we (the people at baci) love to throw parties, so why not throw one to watch the Oscars on February 26th! It is being hosted by the amazing Billy Crystal on ABC.

1st Step is to buy a beautiful dress and what better way then to look like Audrey Hepburn, any woman's idol!! This dress is from ModCloth for $52.99.

2nd Step--Send out Invitations. Clearly you would call us for this :) BUT, since baci has never designed an invitation for an Oscar party (but many other parties, ha) this simple, yet elegant invitation would be wonderful for an Oscar party.

3rd step--Prepare Food!!! How delicious do these Oscar cookies look!! And what makes them even better is they have cards with "awards" on them, such as: Best Motion Picture.

4th step--Add a fun factor. Why not make up a ballot for all the people who are up for all of the Oscars and check off who you think will win. And for every one they got right, they get a prize (or just one big prize for the person who wins the most). Maybe an Oscar cookie for that category, bag of popcorn, or a bottle of wine. Your choice--make it fun but elegant!!!

Hope you enjoy the helpful hints to throwing an Oscar party, Enjoy!!  Be sure to send us your photos of your Oscar party - we'd love to see them :o)

Sunday Funday, #21

Sunday Funday -- Beautiful Black & White Wedding Photo

Source:  The Image is Found

Happy 4th Birthday to baci!! {And a New Release AND a Giveaway - Today ROCKS!!!}

January 2012 (seriously, how is it 2012??) marks the fourth year in business for this lovely little company I get to call my own.  Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have a job that I love where I get to make the world a little prettier each day.  Sometimes I forget that I used to work for a bank for God's sake.  And sometimes I forget to change out of my pajamas. . . but that is neither here nor there ;o)  It's times like this - baci's 4th birthday - that remind me how great life is and how far I've come, all because of people like you!

Never in a million years did I imagine baci would become the company it is now - growing from a small, part-time custom stationery business to what is now not only a full-time custom stationery boutique, but a planning and event styling studio as well.  It's amazing where life takes you and I feel very blessed to have my husband, my sister and a very special friend by my side every step of baci's way :o)  If it wasn't for Ilario, Jami and Caroline I would have lost my mind a very long time ago!

We have a lot of amazing things planned for 2012 and we're happy you're all on this journey with us!  Stay tuned this year for awesome announcements and maybe even a new look for baci this year :o)

In the meantime, we're pleased to release our newest shirley | edith occasions card - "heppy berf dey"!!  This comical happy birthday card, along with all of the cards in the shirley | edith couture kraft occasions line, is made from 100% recycled brown bag paper. The card comes with matching 100% recycled brown bag envelope. {Each Card Size is 3.5" x 5" with 4 Bar Envelope}

Purchase our new "heppy berf dey" card (or any other design from our current listings!) from our shirley | edith Etsy Shop before the end of the month and receive Free Shipping (on all orders - both domestic and international) with code HB2BACI!!

2010 shirley | edith birthday card - "birthday defined"

2011 shirley | edith birthday card - "birthday cake"

And there's more :o)  Receive not only our new "heppy berf day" card, but both of our previous Birthday Card designs from 2010 and 2011 when you enter our Happy Birthday to baci Giveaway!! The contest will be a quick one - with a deadline of 11:59 PM EST Tuesday, January 31st.

Here's how to enter:
1}  Visit our shirley | edith Etsy Shop then come back here and comment about your favorite s | e card!

Bonus Entries for (Please leave a comment below for each entry!):
1}  Becoming a follower of baci's blog
2}  Liking baci's Facebook Page
3}  Following baci on Twitter

Good luck!!  A winner will be chosen at random and announced here on baci's blog Wednesday, February 1st!  And thank you again for making it possible for us to celebrate baci's fourth year - it's going to be a good one :o)

baci designs | Branding + Blog Work

Before the New Year I was lucky enough to do some design work for two of my fellow TWIPS - Stephanie of Stephanie Saul Photography and Shannon of Shannon Kelley Photography!

Stephanie has an incredible lifestyle blog called Fab You Bliss (you must check it out!!) and I had the pleasure of working with her to create a new logo for it!  We also designed new social media buttons and her "As Seen On" Badge.  I love the way everything turned out :o)

Shannon and her family recently moved to Haiti to do mission work (they truly are an amazing inspiration!) so she decided she needed a little update to her blog and logo.  We edited her logo to include not only her beautiful photography, but her mission work as well.  Then we designed her new blog header around the gorgeous photos of her family and a map that included her new home :o)  I adore how the new sidebars look, too!!

We love re-branding and designing new logos for our friends in the wedding industry - drop us a line if you'd like to work with us {info@bacidesigner.com}!!

Wedding Wednesday | Tangerine Tango, Aquamarine + Burnt Orange Inspiration

Hey everyone! Tangerine Tango is the 2012 Color of the Year from Pantone!  I've put together an Inspiration Board for you all to start getting some great ideas for colors for your upcoming wedding!

{Row 1}: via The Ray & The Ro, The Knot, Power to Personalize Your Wedding

{Row 2}: via The Garter Girl, Popular Grove, Ashallan, One Fine Day Events

{Row 3}: via New England Fine Living, rhondajewelry

{Row 4}: via Karen Tran Florals, One Fine Day Events

baci's baking | Ritz Cracker Fluff

Hey everyone! I’m Brittany, baci’s new intern, and I wanted to jump at the opportunity to provide you all with one of my favorite recipes for my first blog post! :) My Aunt Mary gave me the recipe for Ritz Cracker Fluff, which besides being absolutely delicious is a great dessert for any occasion! It’s super easy to make too!

Ritz Cracker Fluff

(Printer Friendly Link)

Ingredients:
2 Rolls of Ritz Crackers
1 Stick of Margarine (melted)
¾ Tablespoon of Sugar
2 Small Boxes of Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 Cup of Milk
1 Quart of Vanilla Ice Cream
1 Tub (8 oz) of Cool Whip

Directions:
1. Crumble Ritz Cracker rolls and put into a 13 x 9 pan. Be sure to save a small amount of the crumbled Ritz Crackers to sprinkle on top at the end.
2. Add the sugar and margarine and mix into the crumbled crackers.
3. Make the instant vanilla pudding, but instead of the 2 cups of milk specified on the pudding box, use 1 cup of milk and the quart of ice cream. Mix together the vanilla pudding mix, milk and ice cream. (You may have to soften the ice cream to mix.)
4. Spread the pudding onto of the crumbled Ritz Cracker in the pan.
5. Once you spread the pudding, put the Cool Whip on top of the pudding. Spread the Cool Whip evenly over the entire pan.
6. Sprinkle the remaining crumbled Ritz Crackers you had left over on top of the Cool Whip.

And you’re all done! :) You can serve it right away, however I recommend refrigerating it at least an hour before serving. This will allow the pudding to thicken up and everything to settle. The dish must be kept in the refrigerator when not being served.

I hope you enjoy Ritz Cracker Fluff as much as I do, and I look forward to future blog posts for you all!

Handpicked | Bridesmaid Dresses

In honor of two of my best friends recently getting engaged (and being in the wedding mood), I am picking out nine different bridesmaid dresses for today's Handpicked!

1) Dessy Collection Style 2856 from Dessy.

2) After Six Bridesmaid Style 6639 from Dessy.

3) Organza Dress with Draped Bodice and Bubble Skirt from David's Bridal - Vera Wang, enough said.

4) Strapless Ruched Satin Ball Gown from David's Bridal.

5) Satin Strapless Ball Gown with Sweetheart Neckline from David's Bridal - I actually wore this for one of my best friend's wedding, it was so comfy and had pockets (very nice, so I could carry around my camera at the reception).

6) Claudia halter dress in silk chiffon by J Crew - All I can say is Stunning. 

7) Alexia Designs #4056 by Alexia Designs.

8) Alexia Couture #872 by Alexia Designs - I know this is a little different, but I love the black and white together in this dress.

9) Silk Dupioni Strapless Bridesmaid Dress by Ann Taylor.

Sunday Funday, #20

This beautiful Save the Date is one of my most favorite recent finds!  Check out the rest of the invitation suite and the amazing wedding details on Oh Lovely Day!!

WeddingLovely.com's New Wedding Planning Email Newsletter

Tracy, the genius behind Wedding Invite Love and Wedding Planner Love, has done it again!  She's launched an incredible tool that will help brides with their planning timeline - WeddingLovely.com, an email newsletter system to inform couple's of what they should be planning and when, is now available!  Simply sign up with your email address and enter your wedding date (even if you haven't solidified it, a guesstimate works, too!) and you'll start receiving emails full of tips and recommendations based on where you should be in your planning timeline.  Seriously awesome!!

Post-wedding True Brides {Fred + Meghan}

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mathews are back to answer some post wedding questions for us!

The Bridal Party

Describe your wedding ceremony:

It was very classic and elegant.  Fall-themed colored.

Describe your wedding reception:

It was very energetic and rustic looking!

What was the most special part of your wedding day?  

Right before walking down the aisle :o)

The Beautiful Couple!!

What was the most stressful part about your wedding day?  

Getting all the gifts together at the end of the reception.

Who was your favorite wedding vendor and why?

  Big Ear Entertainment with Nick Duve because he is a close friend and made the reception amazing!

Did you plan a honeymoon and if so, where? 

  We did not plan one yet… might go to California!

Anything else you would like to share about your wedding day?

  We coordinated our first dance to the song "Shake It" by Metro Station and after we led with Tim McGraw's "My Best Friend".  It was amazing!

The Bridal Party

A BIG CONGRATS to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mathews!!!

All Images by Mandy Coy Photography

baci's baking | Cake Pops

A few weeks back on baci's baking | baby shower food I talked about cake pops. Cake pops are becoming more popular and more people are wanting to know how to make them. I found the perfect article that gives you step by step instructions and pictures to make these delicious cake pops. They are perfect for any get together, birthday, holiday, or to just have as a dessert at home!

Cake Pops on Love from the Oven

Enjoy these tastefully treats!!

and P.S. there are MANY more great ideas on the website!!

Handpicked | Wedding Dresses

I enjoyed looking for wedding dresses when it came to my big day, so I loved getting to find nine beautiful dresses to share with all of you!

1) Corsage One-Shoulder Gown from Ann Taylor - $450 - I love it, elegant and beautiful. Perfect for a beach wedding.

2) Ball Gown with Asymmetrically Draped Bodice Style from David's Bridal - $1,028 - If you have the money, please buy this gorgeous dress by Vera Wang. 

3) Strapless Faille with Sweetheart Draped Bodice Style from David's Bridal - ON SALE, $349 - I know I have talked about this dress before, but I still like it. I like the fact that it's short in the front, so you can wear with a pair of stunning color shoes. 

4) Bernadette by Maggie Sottero - Amazing dress with lace all over and a keyhole back.

5) Carissa by Maggie Sottero - Beautiful ball gown with a crystal belt that finishes off the wedding gown.

6) Style Bevan from Wtoo by Watters - I enjoy all the tulle on this dress.

7) Style 2244 from Alfred Angelo - Short dress with a flower pattern, perfect for a small wedding.

8) Style 6724 by Mori Lee - Beautiful!! I would have worn this for my wedding!

9) After Six Bridal Style 1034 from Dessy- $510 - A Greek, Goddess feeling and I love it!

Sunday Funday, #19

Can you imagine how beautiful the button bouquet looks since the "button-iere" is absolutely amazing? I'm in love! :)

{source}

Jess' Baby Shower Brunch | 07.03.10 {Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio}

I'm not really sure how I let this little beauty slip past the blog, but it is most certainly better shared late than never!

You might remember Jess from the other life events baci has been a part of, starting with the engagement party Ilario and I hosted at our home for her and Glenn, their 2009 wedding held at Goodale Park and even their holiday card from last year :o)  Well right in the midst of all that wonderfulness, I, along with her sister and two sister-in-laws hosted a Chic Black, White and Yellow Baby Shower Brunch for her - right here in baci's back yard :o)

It all started with the incredibly unique paper and fabric invitations I designed and printed in-house.  They were finished off with a hand-stamped dahlia and machine sewed to a coordinating dahlia print fabric.

 The plain white invitation envelope was spiced up with another hand-stamped dahlia and gorgeous abstract postage.  The menu for the day was also designed and printed in-house by baci.

 The event decor continued with the black, white and yellow color scheme - we even added a pop of zebra, which Jess adores!

The menu for the day went as follows and it certainly didn't disappoint!

Appetizers

Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches

Fresh Fruit Kabobs Served with Marshmallow Dip

Main Course

Schtone

Rosemary Potatoes

Herb Roasted Bacon

Spinach, Apple and Walnut Salad

Cinnamon Toast with Blueberry Compote

Dessert

Madeleine Cookies

Beverages

Mimosa

Lime Sherbet Punch

Canada Dry Ginger Ale

San Pellegrino Sparkling Water

Dark Roast or House Blend Coffee

Even the gifts for the shower games matched the decor!

The favors were Homemade Lemon Iced Sugar Cookies, using my Grandmother's Recipe, of course!

We even grabbed a photo of all the ladies at the end of the event!  Though the heat was definitely intense that day we all had a wonderful time :o)

A special thank you to:

Brandy J Photography for the amazing photos of the custom designed stationery

Alexis Moore and Klaus Rothe for the wonderful event photos

Sitting Pretty Linens for the beautiful napkin rentals

Benny of Tallmadge Tents for the perfect white chairs

And of course, Ilario Cursaro, Alexis Moore, Laurinda Moore, Allison Rothe and Carolyn Moore for making this event possible!

baci's babies | Harris Family Photo Shoot

The Harris Family Photo Shoot

My best friend, Brittany, asked me to take some pictures of her family, which included the adorable, little, Rose!  I was thrilled she asked me and didn't hesitate to say YES!!!

Look at that adorable face!!

She looks so innocent by the "Time Out" chair and in a tutu :)

She just loves kisses from Daddy!

Rose made it so easy to take photos!

A woman's best friend, her daughter :)

This has to be my favorite picture of Rose!!!!

I was so happy Brittany asked me to take pictures of Rose!!  I hope you enjoy them, too :)