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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Wedding Wednesday: Our Church Wedding Shower

On this Wedding Wednesday, today's post is a continuation of favorite highlights from pre-wedding and wedding events as my husband and I prepare to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary next week. I was so excited that Craig and his parents were able to come visit in April and shower hostesses worked together to coordinate a double shower weekend during their visit, so both Craig and his parents could attend and be a part of the two showers.

I shared with you last week about the first shower held during the double shower weekend, now I will share about the second shower: the church wedding shower. My home church in Oklahoma was Northside Baptist Church, the location of the former First General Baptist Church. My parents were married there in 1972 and my maternal grandparents began their married lives together there in 1948. On my wedding day, I had attended church in this building my entire life. My baby shower was held in the very same fellowship hall where our wedding shower was held on the sunny Sunday afternoon last April, so it was a very special day in my life.



The shower hostesses were my dear friends and church family members Judy Browning, Linda Earl and Melody Ross Parker. I loved the gentle rose details in the shower invitation they chose.

The color scheme for the shower was done in my wedding colors of pink and green, and I loved their special touches such as the tulle archway with blush pink wedding bells and mint green accents in front of the cake table. Besides 
I was crazy about the shower cake. Since Craig was able to attend the shower with me, the ladies surprised us with a cake in his honor with his favorite flavor of cake: an iced pumpkin bundt cake. They also served diabetic chocolate cupcakes for diabetic guests.



Here we are when we arrived at the shower. For this shower, I chose a cream satin dress suit with a butterfly necklace in cream given to me in memory of my mother by my dear friend Diana. 


Here are the shoes I chose for this shower: silver shimmer slingback high heels encrusted with Swarovski crystals.
I will remember the incredible sight of our overflowing gift table for as long as I live. We were so blessed to receive so many wonderful shower gifts from loved ones on this day.



I was so excited that Craig was able to be a part of this special day and take part in the opening of our gifts. This went down in our life history as the wedding shower where we received seven crockpots! We appreciated the love that went into all seven.

This was a favorite gift from our registry that is loved and used often in our home: a drink carafe.

This was another favorite gift that has a treasured place of honor in our home: a handmade doily from a dear lady who is a longtime family friend.

We love this gift of an afghan with pictures of area landmarks from my hometown that is our constant reminder of "home" in our newlywed New York home.
                    What would a blog post about this shower be without a crockpot picture for good measure?  
 
Coming up: Favorite memories from my third and final wedding shower.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

"Step into Summer Giveaway" Winner!

We have a winner in the "Step into Summer Giveaway". Thank you to everyone who entered.

Congratulations to Kara Smith! I will be contacting you with the details on ordering the pair of shoes of your choice from DAWGS Footwear.





 a Rafflecopter giveaway


Wedding Wednesday: My First Bridal Shower- A Spring Tea Personal Shower

As my husband and I prepare to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary, I will begin sharing favorite highlights from our pre-wedding and wedding events that are full of treasured memories. Up first on this "Wedding Wednesday" is my first of the three bridal showers that were held in my honor. It was extra-special because my then-fiance' Craig and my future in-laws traveled from New York to be a part of what would be a "double shower weekend", with our church wedding shower held the next day.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon last April, my first bridal shower was held in my hometown of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The hostess was my Matron of Honor, who is my best friend and sorority sister Christy of Tulsa. She did her usual amazing job hosting the shower for me. The theme was a spring bridal tea-themed personal shower with a color scheme in my wedding colors of pink and green and butterfly detail, held at a local historic home.

I loved the Victorian bridal-themed shower invitations she chose.
Most of the festivities were held in the parlor of the Thompson House, such as the fun shower games she had planned and the gift-opening. 

Here I am as the guest of honor in front of the wonderful gift table in the parlor. I chose to wear a Lilly Pulitzer "Franco" dress in the Patchtastic pattern, one of my favorite Lilly patterns because it is a pink and green pattern with butterfly designs and patchwork detail, along with a Lilly "Paley" cardigan in pink. I wore my mom's memorial necklace, a Swarovski crystal butterfly in an eternity circle.
The shoes I chose to wear were these silver shimmer slingback high heels encrusted with Swarovski crystals.
 Here is the gorgeous food table Christy created for the shower. A pink rose tablecloth with matching pink rose plates, napkins and cups with pink cutlery and a fragrant spring flower centerpiece in a delicate vase that she presented to me at the close of the shower. She prepared all of the food, including cupcakes, divine tea sandwiches, dainty roll-ups, marvelous pasta salad, vegetable crudite' with creamy dip and an assortment of fresh fruit with tasty fruit dip, along with peach tea and pink lemonade.
I was crazy for the shower cupcakes she baked and decorated! She made my favorite cake flavor: traditional yellow vanilla-flavored cupcakes with buttercream lattice frosting detail topped with pink and green sugar butterflies.

I received so many wonderful gifts that day, including a number of pieces from my wedding china pattern of Lenox "Butterfly Meadow" and oh, so many gorgeous pieces of lingerie, most of which you will not see in this pictorial feature. Ha!  Here is a picture of a favorite lingerie gift in lacy pink that I chose to share with you.
                                       
Here is another favorite gift I received at the shower, a gorgeous white satin gown, part of a set that came with a matching robe.
Christy presented several of her gifts to me inside this wonderful butterfly gift box that has since become my wedding keepsake memory box. Christy, wearing pink, is pictured to the right.
Christy also gifted me with this Precious Moments bride figurine, that she displayed on the shower food table. This figurine is a treasure of mine, now displayed in my living room curio cabinet.
Here is Christy opening her shower hostess gift from me: Thymes "Kimono Rose" body lotion and strawberry kiwi tea bags in a pink and green box from one of my favorite Southern gift shops: Tulsa's "Tea and Magnolias". Pictured to the left is co-hostess from the Thompson House board, my dear friend Frances.

Frances opening her hostess gift from me, a silver monogrammed mirror compact from Tea and Magnolias. It was very special to have her as a shower hostess. Here is a fun tidbit: one of her bridal shower hostesses was the "original" Mrs. Manning: Eli and Peyton's paternal grandmother.

Christy made me this wedding rehearsal bouquet using my pink and white ribbons and bows from my shower gifts. It was so fun to carry it at the rehearsal.
Christy closed the shower by presenting each guest and me with a beyond-amazing shower favor box full of divine items she hand-picked. The butterfly-embellished spring green shower favor boxes were filled with Bath and Body Works romance-themed hand cream, a set of pink-themed nail files, a set of Victorian note cards, a rose tea bag, Victorian pink high heel sticker, organza drawstring bag and a pink and white linen handkerchief with a hand-stitched pink butterfly.
It was a truly amazing day!

UP NEXT: Tomorrow I will share favorite highlights from our church wedding shower. 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

DAWGS Footwear Review and a "Step into Summer Giveaway"

The Southern Fried Bride loves shoes! I have two characteristics I always keep in mind when looking for my latest new pair of shoes: style and comfort. Recently, I was contacted by the DAWGS Footwear company offering me to look at their selection of shoes and choose a pair to review for you. When I looked through their assortment of styles, I was impressed not only with the styles available for women, men, babies, toddlers and children, but also with the characteristics of their footwear.  
I chose to review the Women's Spirit Toner shoes in black and soft pink.
These are some of the attributes of this particular style of shoe, according to the DAWGS Footwear company: a non-marking outsole, adjustable Velcro strap that accomodates all widths of feet, ultrasoft & super lightweight, and a massaging foot-bed.

I have been wearing my Spirit Toner shoes every single day for a month now, and I was immediately taken with their lightweight yet sturdy feel on my feet. I have found them to be ideal for my evening walks with my husband, perfect outdoor shoes for lakeside warm weather activities and great for wearing for day-to-day housework and errands.

Here's a look at some of my favorite shoe styles from their selection:

For the bride-to-be planning a beach wedding or honeymoon, I love their Women's Z-strap sandals in white.

Bendable Flip Flops in hot pink! They fold & fit right into your purse for easy access.





Bendable Ballet Flats in white!




My husband loved the look of their Men's Spirit Golf shoes.

I officially have these shoes on my list for future reference for a little girl: adorable Baby Fleece in pink for warmth in cold weather.


It's time for my "Step into Summer Giveaway" and thanks to the generous people at DAWGS Footwear, one of you will win a pair of DAWGS Footwear shoes of your choice! Giveaway is open to US residents only. To view the entire selection, you can go to their website here. Enter through the Rafflecopter app below. Good luck!

FTC Disclaimer: I received a pair of Spirit Toner shoes from DAWGS Footwear (ARV $55.00) for the purpose of my honest review and a giveaway prize of one pair of DAWGS Footwear shoes. I was not financially compensated by DAWGS Footwear for this blog post. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Mother's Day Delight: "Southern Breeze Banana Pudding" and a Winner!

If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing dessert for upcoming Mother's Day weekend activities or for a fun dessert for two with enough for tasty leftovers, banana pudding is an excellent choice. The origins of this distinctly Southern recipe date back to 1901, when the Nabisco company began selling their vanilla wafers and printed a banana pudding recipe on their boxes that called for lining the sides of the pudding dish with these wafers. This recipe caught on quickly and through the years, has found its way to countless dinner tables and many a potluck in just as many variations.
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The traditional recipes I have seen for banana pudding sometimes seem to almost require jumping through hoops with all kinds of contraptions to come out with a bowl of pudding. I have created a recipe in my kitchen that I have found to be a much easier way to prepare and at the same time, a lightened up version of this dish.  By substituting traditional banana pudding recipe ingredients of whole milk, 4 egg yolks and twice as much heavy cream with the ingredients in this recipe, each serving is spared nearly 250 calories, 20 grams of fat and 100 milligrams of cholesterol. Here’s to healthier choices!

“Southern Fried Bride's Easy Southern Breeze Banana Pudding”

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups low-fat milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon banana extract

40 Nabisco reduced-fat vanilla wafers (half of one 11oz. box)

2 medium bananas, ripe and chopped

Topping: 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
               1 tablespoon sugar

Garnish: ¼ cup chopped walnuts
             1 banana, chopped


In 4-quart saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar with cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk; heat to boiling on medium, stirring frequently. Gradually add eggs, beating vigorously. Cook 1 minute, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in banana extract. In 2-quart casserole or serving dish, place 20 vanilla wafers. Pour 1 1/4 cups pudding over wafers, covering wafers completely. Top with one chopped bananas. Repeat layering once. Top with remaining pudding, making sure to completely cover chopped banana layer. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Before serving, prepare whipped cream topping in medium bowl by adding cream and 1 tablespoon sugar. Beat with mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pudding. Garnish, if desired, with chopped walnuts and chopped banana. Enjoy!

We have a winner in the "SFB Facebook Page 6 Month Anniversary Giveaway"! The Jewel Kade "Jack Stamp" personalized charm necklace with ring charm, valued at $38, goes to...All Hummer!

Thank you to the fabulous giveaway sponsor Jennifer Peterson, Jewel Kade stylist! If you would like to see more of the beautiful, hand-crafted creations, you can view them on Jennifer's JK website here and they can be delivered right to your door.

Stay tuned for a fun giveaway here on the blog, just in time for Mother's Day!

FTC Disclaimer: I was provided with a giveaway prize of a Jack Stamp personalized charm necklace with ring charm, valued at $38, provided by Jennifer Peterson, Jewel Kade stylist. I was not financially compensated for writing this blog post. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Kentucky Derby Recipe: "Marvelous Mint Julep Cupcakes"

Kentucky Derby time is here! I created a recipe that is my tribute in cupcake to a legendary derby drink. I baked these mint julep cupcakes to serve my family while we watch the 138th "Run for the Roses". Here's a fun fact: Churchill Downs expects to serve 120,000 mint juleps today!

"Southern Fried Bride's Marvelous Mint Julep Cupcakes"

1 stick butter, softened


1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons creme de menthe

Preheat oven to 350º degrees, Line or spray muffin pan. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs and extract. Beat together until creamy consistency. In separate bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder and stir until well-combined. Add dry flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds until all of flour mixture has been added. Add milk, bourbon and creme de menthe to mixture and mix until well-combined. Divide the batter evenly in muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.


"Marvelous Mint Julep Frosting"

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 stick butter, softened


1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon creme de menthe
Cream butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and salt. Mix until well-combined. Add bourbon and crème de menthe. Mix until smooth consistency. Frost cupcakes. Enjoy!

Here's one of my accessories I chose for our Derby Party: a pink Lilly Pulitzer clutch with bow detail.

Enjoy the race!

Friday, May 4, 2012

SFB Facebook Page 6 Month Giveaway!

A little over 6 months ago, I decided I would take the step launch my own Facebook page for The Southern Fried Bride. What has happened in the time since then, has been absolutely astounding: 5,333 Facebook fans, as I type this. I am grateful for and treasure every single fan, as I do every single follower of this blog. Recently, a wonderful young woman named Jennifer Peterson contacted me about sponsoring a giveaway. She is a Jewel Kade stylist, and I knew the prize would be perfect to celebrate 6 months of "The Southern Fried Bride" Facebook page. Here she is with an assortment of Jewel Kade jewelry.
           

Jennifer introduced me to Jewel Kade, and I am crazy about their jewelry creations. They are handcrafted and I believe this attention to detail shows in each creation. I love that each charm is stamped individually by a JK Production Artist with the recipient's choice of initials or wording.



I love this one for sports fans:


Just look at these wonderful wedding inspiration ideas for how a bride could make a very unique style statement on her wedding day by accessorizing with Jewel Kade jewelry:

 
The giveaway is now open on "The Southern Fried Bride" Facebook page, thanks to fabulous sponsor Jennifer Peterson, JK stylist. The winner will receive a Jewel Kade "Jack Stamp" personalized charm necklace with ring charm, valued at $38. To enter, go to the SFB Facebook page here and go to the "6 Month Anniversary Giveaway" tab. Giveaway ends on Monday, May 7 at 11:59 pm.
If you would like to find out more about Jewel Kade jewelry, you can visit Jennifer's JK stylist page here.

FTC Disclaimer: I was provided with a giveaway prize of a Jack Stamp personalized charm necklace with ring charm, valued at $38, provided by Jennifer Peterson, Jewel Kade stylist. I was not financially compensated for writing this blog post. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.