Special Edition :: Happy Wedding Day Brittany!

My best friend is getting married today!!!!!!

The girl I have been calling "B.White" for nearly fifteen years of my life will soon change to "B.Screeton", even though it doesn't have the same ring to it, ha I am SO HAPPY for her. Brittany has found her Mr. Right and she hasn't stopped smiling since. And I can't wait to see how big her smile gets today, on her wedding day!! 

I thought it would be fun and appropriate to do a little "time travel" of Brittany and I :) 

Brittany, Me, and Jaaci - We would "model" for hours in what we thought was our "best" outfit or whatever matched eachother, ha :)

Chelsi, Me, Jaaci, and Brittany our senior year of high school. 

In 2006

In 2009

NOW :) 

The gorgeous Brittany Marie at her bachelorette party. 

I can't begin to explain how happy I am for Brittany. She deserves the perfect life with the perfect man, and Dustin is absolutely the right man for this perfect life!! I'm honored to be standing up next to Brittany on her BIG day, while she looks gorgeous as ever!!!

CONGRATS BRITTANY AND DUSTIN!!!!!

Katie's Lake Bridal Shower | 05.14.11 {Willoughby, Ohio}

I'm so excited to share this beautiful "Sweet and Spicy" Bridal Shower with you today!!!  I, along with the mother and sisters of the groom, threw this little soiree for one of my best friends and college roommate, Katie, in May earlier this year.

The sweet pink, fiery red and spicy orange themed shower was held at Olivor Twist in Willoughby, Ohio.  Guests were invited on baci designed white linen with red backing invitations requesting guests wear pink, red or orange attire to the event.  Each guest was asked to bring a sweet or spicy recipe with them to the shower on the provided card.

When guests arrived at the venue, they were asked to choose their name tag slogan - "I'm a little sweet. . ." or "I'm a little spicy. . ."!  They were greeted by tables draped with white linens, carnation centerpieces in red vases, pocket fold red linen napkins with baci designed menus placed inside and tasty Spiked Pink Sherbet Punch {recipe below}.

After dinner, guests were directed to the dessert display.  All the tasty treats were made by family members or the hostesses - they ranged from spiced carmel truffles to choco-berry tartlets, seriously yummy!!  Gifts for the shower games were in various shades of shower colors and included some of our favorite kitchen spices :o)  The favors were a perfect combination of sweet and spicy with a pink rock candy sucker and spicy jalepeno pistachios!

Spiked Pink Sherbet Punch

Recipe Originally by Paula Dean on The Food Network

(Printer-friendly Link)

2 quarts sherbet (Any flavor will do - we used raspberry to go with the color scheme, but I generally use lime)
2 liters ginger ale
1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice
Lemon slices
Lime slices
Maraschino cherries

1)  In a punch bowl, add 2 quarts of lime sherbet. Then add ginger ale and pineapple juice.
2)  Decorate with lemon and lime slices and some maraschino cherries.

Four Years!! {The Bridal Party}

I'm going to keep the Amanda and Ilario Wedding Par-tay going for a little while longer :o)  Right now its some of my favorite photos of The Bridal Party then we'll finish it up tomorrow with some shots of just the two of us and The Reception!!

I love, love, love the photos of my sister and I - we have the middle one framed on our gallery wall in our home because I love it so much!

My hubby is so handsome and our fathers look just as dashing in the photo to the right.  We have the photo of the men walking down the street framed on our gallery wall as well - love it!

There was never any doubt that our photographer, Sticky, was going to be an amazing father after seeing these photos of him and our flower girl,  Hannah. . . also, no doubt Hannah is going to grow up to be a stunning beauty!

The corn field may have been a bit messy, but the results were well worth it!!  Love, love, love :o)

Four Years!! {The Ceremony}

Today I'm continuing Ilario and I's Four Year Wedding Anniversary by sharing some beautiful details from our Ceremony - enjoy!

I love how beautiful my mom looks in this photo below and I can't get over how little my baby brother is!! Four years later and he's a handsome and strong young man, towering over all of us :o)

Now to explain the blue tongue that I walked down the aisle with - lol!!  Minutes before, I took a dissolvable mouth strip and it was the culprit - I love that the moment was captured because I probably wouldn't have remembered such a funny, random occurrence :o)

I can't express in words how talented my family members are when it comes to singing - my Aunt Sherril, cousin Sophie, Uncle Frank and Aunt Deb sang so beautifully on my wedding day, it's one of my most cherished memories!

I love my daddy!!  These photos can make me smile even when I'm having a bad day :o)

When I cry, I laugh - so throughout our vows I was simultaneously bawling and giggling :o)

Ilario and Uh-mana-dah Cursaro (yes, our priest said my name wrong because he was concentrating so much on Ilario's) - lol!!!

All of the photos captured of the children involved in our wedding are amazing - below our flower girl, Hannah, looks so sweet with her aunt Sarah (who I grew up next to) and my gorgeous nephew, Grant, is having his tie straightened. I LOVE IT!

Four Years!!! {Getting Ready}

Can you believe it?!?!?!  Ilario and I have been married FOUR years today!!!  I couldn't be more blessed to have found such an amazing man to spend my life with!

And since reliving that very special day is one of my favorite things (EVER!), I'm going to spend today and tomorrow showing you all some of my favorite details.  Right now, it's all about the ladies (and a few of the handsome men) getting ready.  All photos by Brandy J Photography :o)

My bridesmaids, flower girls and mom spent the morning of October 27th getting ready at a salon in my hometown, which unfortunately is no longer open :o(  My dear friend and hair dresser, Jen, flew in from Charlotte to do my hair while my cousin Kristie and another stylist at the salon helped out with hair as well.  I also was lucky enough to have the talented Jordanne Clyde doing my makeup and an Arbonne specialist working on the rest of the ladies!

I adore the moments captured in these next few photos - my sister is obviously making fun of me while helping put on my jewelry (lol!!), I'm assisting my cousin's little girl, Alivia, put the finishing touches on her flower girl dress and then Alivia and our family friend, Hannah, twirling in their gowns - LOVE!!

The photo of my garter is a very special one - my grandmother, mom and aunts have all worn that garter on their wedding days!!  Jami even wore it earlier in this month :o)

Once again, a few more of my favorite moments - I was having a little fun while the ladies were fluffing my crinoline and then my mom making my brooch (which I purchased in Charleston - where we were engaged!) look just perfect.

Stay tuned for photos from our ceremony!!

Friend Photo Shoot

Less than a month ago I blogged about my recent photo shoot with some of my best friends done by Pea Pod Photography out of Archbold, Ohio. I know I already said it once, but I'll say it again, I had a BLAST in this photo shoot with my friends and Ashley, the photographer, was amazing!! I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures :)

You can check out all the photos from our session on facebook!!

Friend Photo Shoot

Last Saturday, a group of us girls got together to meet up with Ashley from Pea Pod Photography Studio out of Archbold, Ohio to do a Friend Photo Shoot! I thought this would be a way to have fun with my friends, but be able to share it with them forever! The group consisted of six girls, I'm surprised Ashley didn't leave us after 5 minutes because of how crazy we were :) But she made it so easy to take pictures with!

This was her FIRST Friend Photo Shoot! However, I would like to share with you some previous client's photos to get you acquainted with her awesome work :)

Rachelle and Tyler Engagement Photo Shoot

Marshall Photo Shoot

Eowyn Photo Shoot

Kellsie Photo Shoot

If you would like to check out her blog, just follow this link:

http://www.thepeapodphotographystudio.blogspot.com/

Can't wait to share our Friend Photo Shoot pictures with you!!

Wedding Wednesday | Wedding Day Involvement

Question: Is it possible to involve EVERYONE in your wedding day?

Answer: No, probably not....but we will sure try!!

Every since I started planning for my wedding, I have been slightly stressed trying to figure out a way to involve all my friends, girls and guys, in my wedding. So I started making a list of ways for people to be involved and matched names to it. This sounds simple, but again, it was not, it lead to more stress. Only because through out months of planning you make friends and loose friends. I am here to tell you when you are picking people to be involved, make sure they are people who will be there for you and help you through the wedding process, not someone you think you will not be friends with after you get married or will stress you out even more.

Here is a list of ways for some of your favorite people to be involved

1- Bridesmaid

2- Groomsmen

3- Usher (you need 1 for every 100 people you invite)

4- Flower Girl/Ring Bearer

5- Greeter/Program Passer (make sure this person is friendly--after all, this will be the 1st person your guest meets)

6- Guest Book Attendant (Can have 1 or 2 people--depending on how big your wedding is)

7- Readers (I'm Catholic, so I need 3 people to read passages I've chosen)

8- Bubble Passer

9- Reception Hostess (to help anyone find their seat if you have a seating chart, or to just be there to help answer any questions the guests have)

10- Photographer

11- Wedding Planner

12- Eucharistic Ministers (Again, Catholic, so I need 3 of these to help our Priest)

13- Wedding Day Assistant (Someone to keep you sane throughout the whole day, make sure all the little things are put together and done right)

14- Singers (If you have a friend that can belt out beautiful notes, don't be afraid to ask them to sing a song during your wedding)

15- Cake Cutters ( I would suggest 4 people--2 on each side of the table to keep everything moving smoothly)

16- Reception Perfectionist (He or She will MAKE sure the reception looks just as beautiful as you wanted it to)

These are just 16 ways I can think of and there might be more! But don't be afraid to ask for help when getting things around for your wedding. Remember all those people who said "if you ever need help, just let me know" right after you got engaged--go find them :-)

baci's baking - Chipotle Pork Loin with Italian Simmered Rice

A few months ago I signed up for a Real Simple subscription and it has already proved to be a great idea, even after only one issue!

As I read magazines, I tear out pages that peak my interest - recipes, home decorations ideas, etc - and put them in a folder labeled "Inspiration". I used to feel bad defacing my magazines, but I realized that I can never find anything if I try to look back (I tried that for about the first three years of my Better Homes and Gardens subscription and I swear I'm still looking for some ideas!!) and after all, no one else reads them after I'm done ;o) Every few weeks, I go through my folder and throw away things that I don't like and I format (cut off raw edges, put through a hole punch) any recipes to put away in my Recipe Organizer (I love my Wilton Kitchen Keepsakes one!).

Today you all get to benefit from my anal retentiveness ;o) I ripped these two recipes out of the most recent Real Simple Issue and cooked them right up for our friends, Rachel and Aaron, this past Thursday - the result was super tasty, tasty enough to share with all of you! The Chipotle Pork Loin recipe has a Black Bean Salad recipe with it, which sounds super yummy, but I didn't go in the Mexican direction with these meal - it was all about comfort food and Swanson's Italian Simmered Rice was the perfect compliment. Enjoy!

Chipotle Pork Loin with Italian Simmered Rice

Original Recipes from Real Simple and Campbell's Kitchen

(Printer-friendly Link)

Pork Loin

1 t. ground chipotle chili pepper or chili powder (I used the chili powder.)
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. ground coriander (I left the coriander out and it was still delicious!)
4 T. olive oil
kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin

Rice
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth
1 t. Italian seasoning, crushed
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1) Heat oven to 375° F. In a small bowl, combine the chipotle pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1 teaspoon salt.

2) Place the pork on a rimmed baking sheet and coat with the spice mixture. Roast until the internal temperature of the pork registers 145° F, 40 to 50 minutes. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
3) Meanwhile, heat the broth and Italian seasoning in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil.

4) Stir the rice and spinach in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in the cheese. Serve with additional cheese.

Join baci's book club!!

Earlier in the week during my most recent baci's baking post, I mentioned book club and promised I would delve into it deeper later in the week, well here I am, about to delve in ;o)

When Ilario and I moved back to Ohio in the Fall of 2008, I joined my sister-in-law, Cathy, at her current book club. Shortly afterwards a few of us branched off and started our own book club which I began organizing and hosting at my home on a monthly basis (well actually my in-laws house because I didn't have a home at the time!). That was November of 2008 and ten members. Fast forward to April of 2011 with thirty members and a Waiting List!! What I will call baci's book club for simplicity's sake, has come a long way - there are only a few of us original members left, but collectively we have compiled such a great group of women that I am proud to be in cahoots with :o)

Now that you have a little background on baci's book club, I'll fill you in on why I'm telling you all of this, lol! Each month after baci's book club meets, I'll write a little recap of the meeting, along with our next month's book choice and meeting date (everyone works harder with a deadline, right?). Then you, baci's book club eMembers, can comment on the post with your thoughts on the month's read and start reading the next month's book choice with us!

We're all in book club to find out what other people are interested in reading or recommend reading (and to socialize, of course!), so now you can do the same with us from the comfort of your own home, wherever you are!! There's also a bonus - each month we rotate who brings an appetizer, dessert or booze so the Tuesday after each meeting I'll share one of our favorite recipes from the night! Everyone wins when food is involved ;o)

So how do I become a baci's book club eMember, you ask. . . just fill out the form at the bottom of the post AND THEN I'll send you a baci bookmark in the mail, it's as simple as that! Be sure to tell your friends, because the more members we have the greater book club becomes!!

To get you going, here is what we're reading for the month of May - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (we LOVE reading a book then watching the movie!).

And to give you a nice jump start on your "Want to Read List", here are books we have read in the past:

Kane & Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen {The club as a whole wasn't a huge fan of this one.}
Cain and Abel by Michelle Perry {A happy accidental read :o)}
The Kids Are All Right by Diana and Liz Welch
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Firefly Lane and Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah {We love Kristin Hannah!}
The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert {This is one of my favorites, but the club wasn't such a fan. . .}
The Four Seasons by Mary Alice Monroe
The Friday Night Knitting Club and Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
Best Friends by Martha Moody
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows {A wonderful read!}
Hissy Fit and Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews {We really love Mary Kay Andrews and can't wait for Summer Rental to be released in June!}
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb {I honestly couldn't bring myself to finish this one :o(}
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein {Great, great book!}
Life of Pi by Yann Martel {The club didn't like this one too much either, but it's definitely an interesting/perplexing one!}
Self Storage: A Novel by Gayle Brandeis
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Missing Mom by Joyce Carol Oates

So what are you favorites? Any of the ones we have read peak your interest? What do you recommend we read next?

I hope this provides you all great choices of books to read and a wonderful chance for online conversation :o) I look forward to reading with you!! Thanks!

Image from Book Club Queen