Blog Archives

Tattoo Blanket Tattoo Covers!

8/31/2015

Attention all my tattooed peeps! Today I have a fun new product for you to check out!

Do you ever wish you could erase your tattoos just for a couple hours, so you don't have to resort to wearing a hoody or other long sleeved (and toasty warm) shirt to cover them up?
Whether it's from your boss, customers, or anyone else, it can be a big pain to have to cover them up!

Never again will you have to suffer through the heat to cover your tats!
Introducing, Tattoo Cover Arm Sleeve Tattoo Blanket!

My husband has this to say about the tattoo blanket (he's the model in all of these pictures); "These Tattoo Blankets are a snug fit, but not too tight, They stay where they need to, and keep my tattoos covered when I need them to be! The material seems durable too. I will definitely recommend these sleeves to anyone who is in need to cover their tattoos for any purpose."

These sleeves come in two colors; black, and white.
They are a cool breathable fabric blend that you will find much cooler in the sun than a long sleeved tee.
Speaking of the sun! You can also use these to protect your tattoos from the sun! Whether you just got a new one and want it shielded while it's healing (the sleeves are non-sterile, so should not come in direct contact with a healing tattoo or open wound. If used to protect a healing tattoo it should be placed over a sterile covering), or just want to protect your ink from the fading effects of the sun, these sleeves are perfect!
And the best part? They are only $7.99 each!!!

So what do you think? Pretty sweet eh? You can purchase yours (for yourself or a great gift for someone else), on their Amazon Page here!

Peace Love and Tattoo Sleeves
Jess <3

*Disclosure*
I was given these Tattoo Covers, and these are my thoughts on them.

Our 50's Diner Wedding Shoot!

8/26/2015

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I am so absolutely, completely in love with this set of wedding pictures that we did!

Even though I was the one who came up with the idea for us to do this shoot, I was still absolutely astounded at how wonderfully nostalgic and whimsical they turned out!

After our wedding, me and my brand new husband made our way over to Kremeland, in Navarre, where our photographer from Graham River Productions was waiting with a milkshake and a booth! I just want to give a quick shout-out to Kremeland. They were very accommodating, and they have a magnificent establishment! If you are ever in Navarre Ohio, make sure to visit them!
Here are the indoor shots we did!

*Sigh*
See what did I tell you? Magical!
After our indoor session was complete, we headed outside to complete our photos before scurrying off to the reception.

Yay!
I hope you love them as much as we do, they turned out exactly as I imagined in my head!

So we are now halfway through all our wedding pictures!
Still coming up; Our wedding reception part 1, Our wedding reception part 2, and Posed portraits!
Stay tuned!

(^^^Need a DJ? Try Synchronicity Sound Productions! I swear by them!^^^)

Peace Love and 50's Diners
Jess <3

How to Get Super Mega Long Hair!

8/23/2015

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I am constantly, and I actually mean constantly, getting asked the same three questions;
#1. Is your hair real? When I answer and say that indeed it is, the second question, is more of a disbelieving, "No it's not?!" When I've convinced them that it is (unbelievably, more than not, this involves them raking their fingers through my hair looking for extensions!), the third question that I inevitably get, is, "How did you get it so long?!"

So for those of you who've asked, and all of those of you who wonder, here is how I got super mega long hair- and how you can too!

#1. Hydrate your hair monthly.
Doing a monthly mask works wonders for your hair! It makes your hair shiny, beautiful, and healthy. I invented my own hair mask, and the recipe is here. Do this once a month, and you will notice a complete difference in your hair!

#2. Eat healthy.
The two years I lived in China, was when I noticed my hair growing at an incredible rate! Not only was my hair growing faster than I could keep up with, but my fingernails were too! I can't be exactly sure why this happened, but I attribute it mostly to how healthy I ate when I was there. When you eat healthy, it affects your whole body!

So make so your diet consists of;
-Plenty of water
-Lots of tea (not the kind that comes in a can, the kind that you make out of tea leaves!)
-Tofu
-Seafood
-Rice
-Vegetables; asparagus, celery, green beans, eggplant, sweet potatoes, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and mushrooms
-Fruits
and
-Whole wheat breads and pastas

And stay away from;
-Deep fried foods
-An abundance of meat
-White breads and pastas
-Dairy products
-Sugary foods
-Pop and any sugary drink
and
-Anything with the ingredient high fructose corn syrup!

#3. Use Millcreek Botanicals Biotin Shampoo
Washing with this shampoo, you will notice longer hair almost instantly! Not only is it very healthy, but it also contains biotin, which is wonderful for hair growth! I don't use this because my hair is already long, but I bought it for my friend and it started working immediately! You can purchase it here.

#4. Massage.
Every time I shampoo my hair, I give myself a little scalp massage. Massaging your scalp is wonderful to stimulate hair growth and health! So when you're lathering your shampoo on your head, just give it a gentle massage in a circular direction with your fingertips.

#5. Only wash your hair once or twice a week.
Yes, I only wash my hair once a week! And! Before you get all judgmental and grossed out, just let me tell you, that it is actually much healthier to wash your hair once or twice a week, than to wash it every day. When you wash your hair more than once or twice a week, it will strip your scalp of all its natural oils, and it makes it produce more oils, at a faster rate, which is why your hair gets greasy when you don't wash it for a day! Which is not how it should be! So because my hair isn't use to being washed every day, I can literally go seven days before my hair starts to show any grease! I actually attribute a big part of my long hair to this tip!
To wean yourself off of washing your hair every single day, read my posthere where I give you great hairstyles for every day of the week that will help conceal a little greasy-ness until your hair starts to get healthy again (and remember, most likely you think your hair looks a lot greasier than other people do!).

#6. Limit use of hair dryers and flat irons.
Using all that heat styling on your hair is very damaging! If you start cutting out, or at least limiting your usage of these, your hair will be so much healthier!
After I wash my hair, I never use a hair dryer. And I only use a flat iron if I slept on my hair wrong and it has a crease in it, or if I want to curl my bangs. People always tell me that my hair looks and feels sooo healthy. Well I used to bleach the crap out of it, so it definitely should not be! But I believe the fact that I don't use these devices helps a lot!

#7. Live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling lifestyle!
I believe that my hair is as long and healthy as it is, because of the healthy lifestyle I live! And I know I already talked about eating healthy, but living a healthy lifestyle involves more than just eating healthy!
I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, my alcohol consumption is very limited, I eat healthy, I drink lots of water and tea, I take my vitamins, and I always make time for myself to relax and de-stress! These are definitely keys to having beautiful skin, hair, and a happy life!

I hope this article helps! Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Peace Love and Long Hair
Jess <3

More My Peace Love Life Articles You Might Like:

Your Week in Hairstyles

My Peace Love Life Hair Collection

How to Get Shampoo Commercial Hair

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10 LITTLE Ways to Save BIG on Your Wedding!

8/17/2015

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Hello future brides! My name is China Barbie, and I am here to tell you; "Your wedding does not have to bankrupt you!"
I got married in June, and I paid full price for almost nothing for my entire wedding! So I have here the tips and tricks I used for my wedding, that helped me save BIG!
You can use one of them, or you can use them all! Either way, get ready to save some money!

Tip #1- Work for your Vendors!
I have a friend who worked at a country club for a couple years while going to college. The only reason she worked there? So she could get a discount on her wedding reception!
I worked a second job at a Chinese Restaurant for a year while I was engaged, just so I could get a 30% discount from them on our food!
I worked for our photographer whenever he needed help, to get money taken off the total cost.
I also got the kegs of beer for our reception at cost because I got them from the sports bar I work at!!!
I put this tip as #1, because this tip saved me almost $1,000!!!
This is a very simple, and very smart move! And! If you get a second job, you can put your paychecks from that job directly towards your wedding!

Tip #2- Become a Crazy Coupon-ing Bride!
This is one of my favorite tips I used for my wedding! While I was planning my wedding, I never went into Joann Fabrics without at least one coupon on me, and it saved me a ton!
Here are my biggest bridal coupon-ing secrets!

-Go to www.joann.com/coupon any time before you go to Joann Fabrics (which is the best place to buy wedding stuff!), or sign up for their text alerts by texting 56266.

-For our Save the Dates, I just printed out our picture in postcard sizes at Office Max. I receive coupons from them bi-monthly, so I got 20% off of my entire Save the Date Prints!

-I bought a lot of fun wedding stuff from Oriental Trade (you know, that awesome bulk-buying magazine you used to get as a kid, that had a bunch of themed party supplies, and glowsticks?!!). Well, they actually have a lot of nice wedding stuff!!!
Go todealcatcher, or retailmenot, search Oriental Trade (or any online store you're looking to buy from), and get your free coupon codes!!!

Tip #3- Rent!
Renting is one of the biggest ways you can save on your wedding (and not have 100 glass jars sitting in the back of your closet for the next ten years!)!
I do have my own wedding rental business (here), but you don't have to go with mine, check out any rental business in your area, and start saving!

Tip #4- Pay in Cash!
When I bought my wedding dress, I received ten percent off for paying in cash, and another ten percent off for paying in full!!! I saved over $200 by paying in cash!
Whenever you're paying for a big ticket item, simply ask if they offer a cash discount! The worst that can happen is they say no, you say ok, and you move on!

Tip #5- Make it Yourself
Diy-ing your wedding ensures that not only will you spend less money, but that your special day will truly be special and unique, and not look like every other wedding you see on Pinterest!
I made (ok my fiance helped out too!) our centerpieces, all the flower bouquets, our cake stand, my garter, the table runners, my veil, the flower girl's basket, our guest book, the hairbow I wore to the reception, and the bridesmaids purple ribbon wraps!
This tip saved us such a large amount of money! Plus, it was super fun!

Tip #6- Buy in bulk
I went to Zinck's, an Amish outlet fabric store, and bought the roll of lace you see above, for $5.00!!! The lace was over 200 yards long!!!!
I used this lace for everything! That's the great thing about buying in bulk, it (very inexpensively) helps seamlessly blend all the elements of your wedding together!

#7. Use your bartering skills
Nick actually tattoed our officiant for his services!
I received a discount from our videographer, and day-of wedding coordinator in exchange for advertising their businesses on this blog!
Just figure out what you're good at that people want, and offer it! Just be sure that when you ask, be super nice about it, and make sure that neither of you come away feeling ripped off!

#8. Go to a Bridal Show
Bridal Shows are so much fun to go to!!! You will eat way too many free samples of cake, get to see lots of adorable ideas of set-ups, get to meet with and talk to vendors face to face, and get bridal show coupons and discounts!!!
I got 20% off my entire bill at the rental business I got my tablecloths and coffee maker from, because I got their coupon at a local bridal show!

#9. Support Small Businesses
I am an avid supporter of small businesses in general, but for your wedding, it is actually a really smart move to go with a small business! When you hire a small business, not only are you getting their full attention, but they work extra hard to make sure that you're happy with their services! You can also most likely get a great price, because they don't have a lot of employees and overhead to pay for! I used mostly small businesses for my wedding vendors, and I was extremely happy with all of them! I have a complete list of my vendors at the bottom of the page!

#10. Don't Use "Wedding Services"
As soon as something is marked as "wedding", the price shoots way up!
For our reception hall, we used a rental hall, instead of a wedding rental hall. It only cost $450, and we could bring in our own food and drinks, which saved us a lot!
Our ceremony venue was a theatre, and we saved money by using that instead of a wedding venue!

So those are some of my tips to have your dream wedding on a budget!
And my last tip, is just to think outside the box! Sit down with a pen and paper, and write exactly what you want your wedding to look and feel like. Make sketches, and make a plan! Use that great brain of yours!

My Vendors!
These were all the vendors I used for our wedding, and I could not have asked for anything better! Take a look, I highly recommend all of them!

• Photographer:
Lisa Austin from Graham River Productions.
Our pictures turned out amaaaaazing (as you can tell here. And here!).
http://www.grahamriver.com

• Videographer:
Captured Occasions.
Not hiring a videographer is one of the top regret of brides! Make sure that's not one of yours! Watch ours here. This video literally made me cry! It was so incredible to be able to watch our big day together! Captured Occasions is a small business, the owner Rachel was the person who actually was at our wedding! She did absolutely incredible! I highly, highly recommend her!
http://www.reellifeonvideo.com

• Wedding Planner:
Perfectly Planned by Val. I planned my own wedding, but I hired Val for my Day-of-Coordinator. I very much recommend getting yourself a day of coordinator! It takes all the pressure off you on your big day! She yelled at everyone for me so that I didn't have to, and made sure everything ran perfectly!
http://www.perfectlyplannedbyval.com

• Ceremony Venue:
Lion's Lincoln Theatre
https://www.lionslincolntheatre.com

• Reception Venue:
The Oaks Club
http://www.the-oaks-club.com

• My Dress:
Unusual Junction's Universe Bridal and Prom
http://universebridalandprom.com/

• My Shoes:
White Converse All Stars

• My Headpiece:
I made my veil, and the bow I wore at the reception. I bought
the fabric for both of them at JoAnn Fabrics.

• My Jewellery:
My mom bought me my pearl necklace from a second hand store (not
sure if it's real or not, it was only $10 so I'm guessing not!),
and I bought my pearl bracelet from Eden Ministries, the organization
that I work with, that helps get women and young girls in China's red
light district help and an escape from prostitution. I also bought one
for my mom and mother in law.
https://edenministry.org

• My Hair:
Abby Warther Hair Studio. Bri Scott did my hair, and she did amazing!
I am absolutely obsessed with my wedding day hair! I get so happy every
time I see it!
http://www.awhairstudio.com

• My Make Up:
I did my own makeup. After a terrible experience with an airbrush artist
who made me look way too tan, and not look like myself at all, I decided
to just do my makeup myself. I was super nervous about it, but it turned
out perfect, I looked like me, and I am so glad I was true to myself and
did my own makeup!

• Groom’s Attire:
Hollister Slim Fit Jeans, a George long sleeved white button up shirt,
black and white OP shoes, black dickies perry suspenders, a black American
Commodore Tuxedo Jacket with tails that I bought him at a garage sale
for $.25 (!), and a V6 watch.

• Bridesmaid’s Dresses:
The bridesmaids wore black dresses and black shoes. They didn't
match at all, I just told them the requirements, and they bought
whatever shoes and dresses they wanted. My sister got her dress at a second
hand shop for $10! They also wore black and white scarves that I found
at vintage shops, tied around their necks, and purple ribbon tied around
their ankles.

• Cake:
The top tier of the cake stand was a delicious white cake made by Katy's
Kreations, and the donuts were from Krispy Kreme, which Katy from
Katy's Kreations picked up, dropped off, and arranged beautifully.
I have wanted a Krispy Kreme Donut Wedding Cake since I was a little
girl, and I was not disappointed one bit!
https://www.facebook.com/KatysKreations

• Flowers:
I made all my own flower bouquets and flower arrangements from fake
flowers I got at the Flower Factory.
https://www.flowerfactory.com/

• Stationery:
The invitations were party invitations from Party City. We made our
own Save the Dates and printed them out at Office Max.

• Caterers:
Ming Hing, a Chinese Restaurant that I worked at, was our caterer.
Everyone loved having Chinese food, we got so many compliments on it!
https://sites.google.com/site/minghingorrville/home

• DJ:
Our friend Kevin started his own dj company, Synchronicity Sound, and
he did so great!
https://www.facebook.com/synchronicitysound

Peace Love and Weddings
Jess <3

Outfit of the Week; A Cookout in Wedges

8/14/2015

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Two Sundays ago, me and the husband went to a farewell party for our dear friends, Emily and Kevin. They moved to North Carolina that week (super sad face!), and had a lovely cookout to say goodbye to everyone.

What I Wore:
-A blue top with white hearts on it that I re-constructed from a plus size shirt!
I actually made the back of the shirt the front! I sewed the middle in to form a sweetheart neckline, and tied bows around the straps to cinch them in.

-A denim skirt.
I found this skirt at a thrift store for $.25! The brand is called Pins and Needles.
It's super cute, and very easy to wear as a high-waisted skirt (which are pretty much the only kind I wear!).

-My Purse.
I just realized how dirty my purse is! I guess it's time for a wash! It is a large green bag
that I got in China, and it says, "Hello Milk", and has a picture of a milk carton on it! I
absolutely love it, it's so funny!

-White calf length socks.
You can find these anywhere, and I've been obsessed with wearing these with heels, especially wedges!

-My Wrap Around Espadrille Wedges.
I have no idea where I got these either, it's been so long! But I, sadly, had to retire these after the bonfire, they were just too old an falling apart!

I did some research and found some wrap around wedges! I definitely need to get myself a new pair! These are SO great for summer!

My Hair and Makeup:

-As you can tell, my hair is all back to black! I always love going back to one color, I think it just goes so good with my skin tone, but always end up missing my crazy colors very quickly! I am the matron of honor in my friend's country themed wedding tomorrow, so I wanted normal looking hair for that, so as not to draw too much attention! So until then at least, I will be rocking the monochromatic hair!

-I had just washed my hair that morning, so it was very clean and difficult to manage, so I brushed it out, and didn't do any more with it.

-I was not in the mood to put on a lot of makeup (I had worked a thirteen hour shift at my soul-less, money making job the night before, and was absolutely exhausted), so I did my "look like you tried when you really took less than 3 minutes to do your makeup" trick. I put on foundation, did my eyebrows, put on mascara, and then a bright shade of lipstick!
My red lipstick is called L'oreal Colour Riche 402 Blake's Red. It is AWESOME!

^^^Me with my flamin' mallow!^^^
We had a wonderful time, with even better friends, and ended the day with a fire, making smores and sitting around enjoying the company.

Peace Love and Ootw
Jess <3

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Dresses, Dresses, and more Dresses! Discovering Aisle Style!

8/9/2015

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Good Sunday afternoon everyone! Today I thought I would interrupt all of my recent wedding posts, for...another wedding post!
I have recently discovered this super awesome UK based website that is just bursting with the most beautiful wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, evening dresses, communion dresses, and more! It is called Aisle Style (http://www.aislestyle.co.uk/), and if you're planning a wedding, or any other special occasion, you need to know about this website!
So sit back, relax (which is probably what you're doing already!), and indulge yourself in Aisle Style's luxurious and dreamy dresses!

Bridesmaid Dresses:
If you want unique, stylish dresses for your bridesmaids, without breaking their banks, look no further than Aisle Style! They have a crazy huge selection of any style bridesmaid dress you could imagine! And most importantly, your pals won't have to spend hundreds of dollars on their ensemble for your big day!
My absolute favorite part of shopping on Aisle Style, is that you can build your own dress!
This is so cool! To build your perfect bridesmaid dress, that is tailored perfectly to suit your style, theme, color, and the body shapes of your girls, here is what you do!
-Go to the bridesmaid page.
-Once you're on the bridesmaid page, look on the left hand side. There, you will find the options for price range, neckline, color, waist style, silhouette, length, body sizes, style, fabric, even dresses for different venues! Click on what you want for each category, and you will be shown every dress that comes in that color, price range, length, etc!
For example, when I chose to look for dresses that are 100 pounds or less, with a sweetheart neckline, and that comes in the color pink, I have 184 choices!
SO cool!

Take a look at just some of the gorgeous bridesmaid dresses you can find on Aisle Style! You can find their complete line of bridesmaid dresses, and build your own!

I would wear this gorgeous pink dress for any special occasion I could think of!

60's themed wedding anyone?!! *In love!*

This is a stunning bombshell dress in red!

I am completely smitten with this dress, that is fit for a goddess!

Wedding Dresses:
I did not discover this website until after I was married, but if I had known of it earlier, it definitely would have been one of the places I looked! And whenever my sister gets married, I intend to have her look on here!
They have the same build your own dress options as the bridesmaid dresses, and that makes it so nice to find a dress! You can look it up by season, price, silhouette, inspired looks, necklines, and plenty more!
Here are some of the breath-taking wedding dresses I found on Aisle Style.

This magnificent trumpet style dress is so crazy beautiful!

This dress is just so adorably funky! LOVE!

So hippie-licious and wonderful!
Ok, I realize that I do tend to flock more towards the funky dresses, but I promise that they have classic dresses too! Look below!

So beautiful.

This.
Holy moly, I could spend hours looking at all these dresses!

Is being a guest the closest you'll get to a wedding this summer? Don't worry! Aisle Style has wedding guest dresses also! Find the complete collection here, and find your perfect wedding outfit for every wedding you attend this year!

And don't forget about communion dresses, prom dresses, flower girl dresses, and veils and accessories!

So go ahead and find your perfect dress for your next big occasion at Aisle Style!

Like and follow them on:

Facebook

Pinterest

Website

Aisle Style for 2015 Bridesmaid Dresses from Top Designers at Affordable Price.

;

Peace Love and Wedding Dresses
Jess <3

*Disclosure*
I was selected for this opportunity by Aisle Style, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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A Visit to Amish Country!

8/3/2015

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My parents live on the outskirts of Amish Country, so last week my mom decided to venture intoBerlin, one of the largest Amish settlements in the world, to buy material for curtains.
Since moving out of my parent's house, and not seeing my family every day has been kind of hard on me, I jumped at the chance to go with her and make it a fun girls day! My sister agreed, and it was set!

We brought along my sister's dog Ziggy (or Poopy as he is more commonly referred), because, let's face it, he's the cutest gosh darn thing you could ever see! She either keeps him in her purse, with his head pokin' out the top, surveying the scene, or just carries him around. Most people don't even notice, and when they do, they just freak out about how cute he is, and want to pet him!

Our first stop was Ritzman Pharmacy in Berlin, for some reasonably priced essential oils (this is where I get all my essential oils). The pharmacy also has an adorable little 50's soda shop, so we of course had to take some pictures!

After the pharmacy, we parked our car and walked around a bit.

Find your perfect dress to go exploring in this summer!

An entire Elvis section?!! :D

My little sister rocking every hat she ever puts on!

My sister somehow looks fantastic in every hat she ever tries on, how is that even fair?!

And then, on to the main event! The holy land for crafters; Zinck's Fabric Outlet!
Zinck's has anything you could ever need, for any craft project you could ever think of! At crazy low prices! When I was planning my wedding, I bought a 260 yard (!) roll of lace there, for $5.00!!!
The walls are packed, as far as the eye can see, with fabric of all colors, designs, and materials. They have bins and boxes bursting with sale items that you get to rummage through! It's a shopaholic's dream!

A bin overflowing with bandanas for $.49?! I'll take one of each!

Oh my goodness, can you even get any cuter?! I didn't think so!
While we were there, my sister bought that piece of yellow fabric to make him a little neck scarf, for only a couple cents! How dashing!
And that box is full of retro belts for $.49 each. I bought an adorable pink one!

Some of our adorable purchases!

We were exhausted after all our shopping, so we went to Olde World Bakery and Bistro for some food.

The food was absolutely wonderful. We got an appetizer of hummus with vegetables and the best homemade bread I have ever had! We all got the Farmer's Wife Salad.
I would highly recommend this place!

I had an absolutely wonderful day. It really felt like summer!
I highly recommend, grabbing a couple friends, and being a tourist in your own hometown, before the summer's over! It's very fun, inexpensive, and you will see your town or city through a fresh set of eyes!
Take your camera, dress cute, and have a blast!

;

Peace Love and Amish Country
Jess <3

Tattoo Blanket Tattoo Covers!

Our 50's Diner Wedding Shoot!

How to Get Super Mega Long Hair!

10 LITTLE Ways to Save BIG on Your Wedding!

Outfit of the Week; A Cookout in Wedges

Dresses, Dresses, and more Dresses! Discovering Aisle Style!

A Visit to Amish Country!

I'm China Barbie!

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Tattoo Blanket Tattoo Covers!

Our 50's Diner Wedding Shoot!

Subscribe to our super duper awesome mailing list

How to Get Super Mega Long Hair!

10 LITTLE Ways to Save BIG on Your Wedding!﻿

Outfit of the Week; A Cookout in Wedges

Dresses, Dresses, and more Dresses! Discovering Aisle Style!

A Visit to Amish Country!

I'm China Barbie!

---Popular Posts---

Categories

Archives

10 LITTLE Ways to Save BIG on Your Wedding!