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Thank you for all of the love and support this little corner of the internet has received over the past several years. As friends and family members were getting married, their weddings fueled the inspiration for this blog. But as seasons of life change, my focus, along with those nearest and dearest, shifted away from the wedding planning stage and I began to neglect this blog.

I have decided to indefinitely retire Calligraphy by Shannon in an effort to pour my attention into my lifestyle blog The Scribble Pad where I will be merging past and future inspiration boards and parties. You will still be able to place orders for calligraphy, custom invitations, and hand stamped items through my etsy shop. And as always, you can stay in touch with me under my moniker, The Scribble Pad on my blog, etsy shop, facebook, and even twitter! I look forward to sharing this new adventure with you.
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Brides Give Back: Arizona

Reminder: This Thursday!

Check out this must attend event:

(click on image for details)

For more information, and to view a full list of event sponsors visit: www.bridesgiveback.com. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Arizona's Faith House which provides a safe haven for victims of domestic violence.

Please consider attending this event or donating to The Faith House.


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Custom Colored Jewelry to Coordinate Your Wedding

For brides, one of the very first decisions made is the wedding color scheme. This will affect the entire wedding’s choices from the season, table linens, bridesmaids gowns, bouquets and so much more. Once a bride decides on her color pallet, all of the fun details can be decided upon.


One of the smaller details that can bring together all of your wedding colors is the bridesmaid jewelry that you select. Although it used to be that brides only chose one or two colors for their wedding, now trends are turning to adding a third, fourth and sometimes fifth color to the pallet. In this instance, the bridesmaid’s jewelry is a great place to pull all of those colors together for a vibrant and unique look.


Finding the right pieces is key to finishing off the look and coordinating all of your colors together. A great place to start is to find a jewelry designer or company that uses the Swarovski brand of beads. Swarovski creates the most beautiful hues of colors in over 130 crystal color options and over 30 pearl color options. The thousands of color combinations allow for brides to truly coordinate their wedding colors with their jewelry. Whether you find the exact color or a similar color that coordinates with your color pallet, Swarovski will give you the best color and sparkle that will last a lifetime.


Don’t be afraid to mix all of your colors into your bridesmaids jewelry. Lush pinks, oranges, reds and browns all mixed together are one of this spring seasons most popular color pallets. Although this may sound like a mesh of colors, but put together they add a bright and deep pop of color that is both dimensional and beautiful. Whatever your color pallet, try to find jewelry pieces that allow a few levels of color customization so you can coordinate all of your wedding colors into one beautiful and unique piece.


Lastly, find jewelry pieces that are trendy, but also timeless in nature. Pearls and crystals work well for this because they are always in style and can be mixed together for a complimentary look. Your bridesmaids will love to wear their jewelry again for other celebrations or with a great blouse. You too, as the bride can wear your bridal jewelry again. This is one nice way to relish the memories of your most special day again after the wedding.
(these are my favorite! I may just have to get them as a special gift to myself!)

For more inspiration, visit BonitaJ or e-mail Bonnie at: info@bonitaj.com

15% Off Discount Code: BLOG15

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Earings for Your Wedding Day

A bride goes through the trouble of accounting for every single detail of her wedding and most importantly the way she looks. Of these details, is the selection of her bridal earrings. There are many varieties and designs of bridal earrings available online and in retail stores. Use some of our tips below to help you decide on your bridal earrings.

The first item to consider when selecting your bridal earrings is the details of your bridal gown. Take into consideration the embellishments and design. Does your gown have lace, pearls, rhinestones, crystals, a big bow or colored ribbon? Use these items to help determine the materials that will be included in your earrings. If your gown has lace you may want to consider a more elaborate earring such as a chandelier style earring that carries a pattern. If your bridal gown has pearls or crystals sewn onto it, then select bridal earrings that include these same materials.

The second item to consider when choosing your bridal earrings is the color of your gown. While most gowns are traditionally white or ivory, there are newer versions that are light pink or perhaps have a vividly colored waist, ribbon or design in them. Find materials that coordinate or match perfectly with your gown color selection. For instance, a white gown will not look as pretty with ivory pearls, while white pearls will match perfectly.

Finding a style of earring that matches your wedding look is the final stage in selecting your bridal earrings. If your dress is very simple and you want something more elaborate for your ears, choose a full clustered earring that dangles or an intricate chandelier style earring. If you are looking for a simple look to finish off your accessories, choose a simple drop style earring or a stud earring. This will coordinate your look together in a more subtle and simple manor.

Whatever bridal earrings you decide to wear, pick a pair that makes you feel beautiful. This is supposed to be your most memorable and beautiful day. It is important to finding the final details that best finish your look.

Lastly, when you’ve packed away your tiara, gown and shoes, keep those bridal earrings out. You can wear your bridal jewelry for years to come after the wedding to keep those memories alive.

To see the full collection of Bridal Earrings available from BonitaJ, click: Here. For more information or to request a custom order, e-mail Bonnie at: info@BonitaJ.com

15% Off Discount Code: BLOG15

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Red: The Color of Love

Red is a popular color many times throughout the year including Independence Day, Christmas and now for Valentines Day. Whether it’s decorating, a card you send, a dress you wear or the perfect piece of jewelry, red is universally recognized for meaning Love. Finding a nice piece of jewelry for a gift idea for your special someone in red may be the perfect way to send that message to them.

There are a wide variety of reds available in jewelry. There is hot fire red, deep garnet red, light raspberry, ruby red and even bright cherry apple red. Your special someone may have a particular red they love or wear, but they all represents love. Combining various shades of red together creates a dimensional color pallet that works well to mix and match with outfits on numerous levels. Taking a raspberry red and mixing it with a deep garnet red and maybe a light pink creates a jewelry piece that can be worn with a great dress, jeans and a t-shirt or for special occasions like a Valentine’s Day dinner.

A truly unique piece of jewelry is the most custom way to give the gift of jewelry. Finding a designer that offers an array of color choices that you can mix and match, as well as sizing for bracelets and necklaces gives the most custom fit available. Further customizations like various clasp styles, earring styles and the option of sterling silver or gold filled metals are also ways to make your jewelry gift more special and a better fit.

Finding a perfect red jewelry accessory piece that your special someone will cherish for a life time is one of the nicest gift ideas. Whether you give your jewelry for this Valentine’s day or for any other special occasion, select a jewelry piece that is timeless. Go to BonitaJ to check out more jewelry now!

For More information about the jewelry you see here, e-mail Bonnie at: info@BonitaJ.com

15% Off Discount Code: BLOG15
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Guest Blogger + Wedding Jewelry Discount


Next week, I will be featuring Guest Blogging from Bonnie at BonitaJ. She makes gorgeous wedding jewelry and is a delight to work with. As a special treat to our readers, she is offering a generous 15% all of her jewelry! To find out the coupon code, check back next week! It will be listed at the bottom of each of Bonnie's featured posts!

PS - Check out her "sponsor" button on the right sidebar. It will take you to her website anytime you are interested in browsing her collection!

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Save Money: Your Wedding Dress

One HUGE expense for your wedding is your dress, but this is one of the easiest areas to cut back without missing out. I once heard a bride say that your dress should be 50% of your budget! YIKES, that would have sent me back until I was 60! I promise you, that is not necessary. You no longer have to spend a lot to walk down the aisle in style.

There is a growing market of "used" dresses. Don't be turned away by the term "used" as many of these dresses are floor models, or sample dresses that have yet to be worn for a wedding, but can no longer be sold at full price. Among the many places you can get designer dresses for a better price, these are my top three favorites:

PreOwned Wedding Dresses: PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com is a listing service designed to connect buyers and sellers of new, sample and used designer wedding dresses.
The site boasts hundreds of wedding dresses with easy to use search criteria like designer, price, and location. Not only can you buy dresses here, but after your big day, you can also sell your dress here! (40% of the gowns listed on our site is sell - most in less than 3 months.)

Save The Dress: SavetheDress.com is a listing service for owners of designer wedding dresses to sell to prospective buyers. They are one of the leading sites to sell or buy pre-owned, new or sample wedding dresses. Buyers benefit from a large collection of affordable top designer wedding dresses including Kenneth Pool, Vera Wang, Justina McCaffrey, and Monique Lhuillier all at an affordable cost.

Encore Bridal: Encore Bridal is a consignment bridal e-Boutique, offering new, sample, and nearly-new couture that will take your breath away - at a price that won't! Our collection includes dresses and bridal accessories from today's most well-known designers... Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Reem Acra, Amsale, and Pronovias to name a few. The brands you desire are now within your reach -- all priced at 30-70% below retail.

Browse around these online shops to see why you can be part of a
eco-conscious and affordable movement in wedding gowns!


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Brides Give Back

Check out this must attend event:

(click on image for details)

For more information, and to view a full list of event sponsors visit: www.bridesgiveback.com.

Here is a sneak peek:

There are many more sponsors for this fabulous event. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Arizona's Faith House which provides a safe haven for victims of domestic violence.

Even if you don't live near Phoenix, Arizona, visit www.bridesgiveback.com and consider donating or contact Sarah from The Wedding Hub for more information!

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Jane Marvel: Eco-Friendly Bags

Are you looking for the perfect bag to bring on your honeymoon? Do you need a tote to store all of your wedding related details? Are you always on the hunt for the next big thing?

If so, then you need to check out Jane Marvel:

These laminated canvas bags are made in a variety of colors and sizes. Plus, they are eco-friendly, vegan, and waterproof! What more could a girl ever ask for?


Plus: Daily Candy is offering a discount code! Enter DAILYCANDY to receive 30% off all orders! But hurry, these discount codes never last for long!

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Save Money: Wedding Shoes

(Photo coutesy of: Orange Acid)

Each day, news about the economy gets more stressful. The last thing any bride needs is more reason to be stressed! Throughout February I will be featuring tips on how to save money on your big day. Today's topic: Shoes!

Wedding shoes, like everything else in the wedding industry have sky high prices for likely a one time use! Here are some terrific alternatives to shelling out major cash for your feet:

1. Nontraditional:
Wear a pair of bright party shoes that accents the colors in your wedding. I have noticed this trend in the blogging sphere, but typically these bright party shoes are associated with a huge price tag. You don't have to spend hundreds to sparkle! Check out these Jewel Tone Flats from Old Navy, or take a peek at the selection from Macy's.

2. Designer Styles for Less:
Payless is featuring a line by wedding dress designer Lela Rose. Within the collection are a wide variety of shoes that could be just right for you! Also, Target is known for featuring top designers for less, while they don't have a bridal line out know, keep your eyes peeled, one might pop up!

3. Forgo the Footwear:
If you are having a beach wedding opt for bare feet or flip flops! It is the beach, why not? Check out these Embelished Flip Flops from Nordstrom.

4. Wear Your Sneakers: Having a casual affair or a backyard fete, skip the heals and wear skimmers, you feet and wallet with thank you! Check out the Design Studio by Keds and design a pair of slip ons that coordinate with your wedding.

I know some of these ideas you have heard before, while other's push the envelope. Bottom line, your wedding day is your wedding day, and you should do what is best for you and your feet! I wore ivory flats down the aisle, and packed embelished flip flops for my rehersal! It was great to have two options for my feet. When one pair got a bit uncomfotable, I switched them up so I could keep dancing all night!



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Bonnie Marcus Valentine

Bonnie Marcus Press is offering a fabulous 15% off for Valentine's Day! Take advantage of this wonderful discount. I have a full shopping cart already!

(click on image to view larger)

PS - the adorable "Peace, Love, Joy" card in the center of this flier is under the "holiday" collection and perfect to let your girl friends know you love them!

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