#Wifey Diaries: First Anniversary Gift Guide

Okay - Ant & I are not necessarily traditional gift givers.....a majority of the time our gifts to each other are things we can do together.  This started VERY early on in our relationship - our first Christmas presents to each other were a trip to NYC and tickets to see Chris Brown in concert.  We're not usually "stuff" people.  Not that we haven't gotten each other very nice "stuff" gifts - (I LOVE a new purse just as much as the next girl) - but they're less common.  Anyway, the point being....we decided that for our anniversary gifts, we were going to stick to the traditional anniversary gifts as a loose guide.  So I hit the internet and started brainstorming....and had a VERY hard time deciding what I was going to do for our paper anniversary.

I did come across some good ideas along the way!  So I thought I'd put them all in one place - maybe it will help you as you start shopping for your first anniversary gift.

For reference: here is Hallmark's official list of anniversary gifts by year - there are two versions, traditional & modern.

Personalized wedding venue portrait - Letterfest.com
I think these are just the sweetest!  You send in a picture of the place you got married - if you had a church ceremony you can include the reception location as well - and they create a custom sketch of it for you!  I absolutely love this.

Concert Tickets:
Is there a concert coming up your hubby would just LOVE to go to??  Concert tickets are printed on paper - and you've created another newlywed date night! Win win :)

Photo Book:
Ant & I LOVE my publisher for photo books.  Last year we used them to make wedding albums for our parents, and we're in the process of making one for our last vacation.  Make a book to remember your first year of marriage!!! They are SO easy to use and the quality is amazing.  They always have great deals too, if you sign up for their emails!!

Coffee table book:  Does your husband/wife have a particular passion?  Do you love travel, or art?  Find a coffee table book that could become a conversation starter with guests in your home!  When I was looking through this list - this one jumped out at me.  We love travel and are always talking about what our next adventure is going to be!

Customized Travel Map:  My roommate from college has a scratch off travel map, and I love it!  This version I found through mapyourtravels.com is absolutely perfect!  You can customize the plaque on it to say "Mascia family adventures" or anything else you'd like.  It includes four different colored markers to distinguish where you've been and where you dream to go.  

So what did Mr. and Mrs. Mascia give each other for our paper anniversary?

Overnight trip!!
Ant presented me with printed out reservations for a night at the Christopher Dodge House in Providence RI with a copy of the schedule for waterfire!  We have been talking about going to waterfire together for years and never made it - and after our B&B stay in Victoria he wanted to give us a chance to do that again!  So he booked a night in Providence so we can enjoy waterfire without worrying about driving all the way back to CT afterwards.  See?  Technically paper, but oh so much more.  His timing is perfect too - it's in early November, right before I give up my life to the holiday season in retail!

Anniversary Card:  This one sounds oh so obvious - but it fits the criteria!  In this case - my anniversary card to Ant included a surprise that we were going to get massages together that afternoon ;)

Personalized House sketch: - Ant & I have talked about getting a drawing/sketch/painting of our house done to add to our gallery wall above the fireplace, but never actually made any real progress.  When I saw the personalized wedding venue portraits it motivated me to get our house done to surprise Ant.  I found Rita Marie Weddings on Etsy and they were absolutely wonderful in getting me the portrait on time.  The final product was absolutely beautiful!!!  We've been in our house almost two years now, and I thought it was a fitting way to celebrate our first year as an official family.

What did you give your hubs for your first anniversary??  I'd love to add new inspiration to this list!!

xoxo

One Year as Mrs. Mascia

Ahh!  Longest hiatus ever.  Ant and I just celebrated our first anniversary this weekend.  We had THE best weekend - it was exactly what we needed after such a busy couple of weeks!

I have so much to update you on, but I thought now would be the perfect time to share our anniversary photos with you!  We took them a little early....back in June while we were out in Oregon on our PNW road trip.  I thought it would be the perfect way to remember the trip and remember this exciting time in our lives - as newlyweds.  I found Jessi from Echo Photography via instagram!  {see?? sometimes my excessive interest in scrolling for wedding photos comes in handy} I originally reached out to her to see if we could meet up in Seattle, but when we realized ours schedules wouldn't match, she offered to come down in meet us in Oregon!!!  Her photos stood out to me immediately - besides being stunning and capturing special moments with her couples, she does an abolutely incredible job of taking in the scenery around her.  I was officially sold once I saw her bucket list - her love for travel rivals ours.

On our last day on the Oregon coast, Ant and I met Jessi at Cape Kiwanda.  Ant & I had been traveling along the coast all day - so we stopped at some nearby outlets and used the restrooms to put ourselves together.  Then we met Jessi for a cup of coffee before we walked out to the cape, and spent some time chatting about travel and the PNW and how amazing the light was that day - we got the luckiest!!!  

The Oregon coast is STUNNING.  There is no other word for it.  It is so unique and absolutely beautiful Ant and I could not get over it.  Cape Kiwanda is a perfect example of this - you walk along a beach and up this big giant hill of sand and find yourself at a fence that says "do not cross."  So what do you do?  Immediately, and without hesitation, crawl under it and work your way out to the tip.  There's beach, there's rock, there's a mini forest, and its all on the edge of the ocean.  It is unbelievable.  We were so excited to explore every inch of the area - and Jessi was amazing company for all of it!

Anyway, enough gushing about the Oregon coast and Jessi for now - just check out some of the pictures for yourself!  We love that we look back at these and are immediately brought back to this crazy trip we went on.  

xoxo

30 days as Mrs. Mascia.

Ant - When you asked me to marry you, you said we would be embarking on a journey of trust, teamwork, communication, growth and success.

Today, in front of our friends and family, I vow to love and cherish you every day of this journey for the rest of our lives. 

You make me a better, more patient person.  I promise to continue to learn your patience; it is something that never ceases to amaze me. 

For better or worse, I promise to communicate.  You and I know that this is what sets us apart.

There is absolutely no one on this planet who makes me laugh harder than you.  I vow to do everything I can to bring as much joy to your life as you have to mine.

No matter how busy our lives may get, I promise to put you and us first, always.  You always challenge me to be better, and together there is nothing we can’t do.

Ant, I promise you a life full of adventure.  Whether it be discovering the world around us or the adventure of starting our own family, I vow to make every day with you count.  You are my partner and my best friend.

I can’t wait to see what our life brings us, because I know that in the end, I will only love you more.

Happy 1 Month, Mr. Mascia - xoxo

the year nothing happened

Just like that, Christmas is over...and it is almost the new year!  If your holidays are anything like mine, they involved LOTS of family & food, and they FLEW by!  I'm always amazed at how quickly they pass.  Our Christmas includes two VERY important birthdays also, so it's double the celebration! You need a vacation from your holiday, in the best, sleepy want to snuggle on your couch all day kind of way!  Anyway....I'm looking forward to posting about some of my favorite gifts to give (and receive!)...but with 2014 only a few short hours away....it would be wrong to not reflect on 2013 in its fabulous entirety.

I made a facebook album not too long ago that I titled "the year nothing happened".  It was the perfect way to describe a period of time where too much has happened to describe in one sentence otherwise.  Ant and I have since lovingly referred to 2013 in that way...either that, or our quarter life crisis.  Either is fitting!  In our 25th year, we have accomplished a LOT. and I couldn't be more proud of the life we are building together.

I sat here for awhile trying to recap the major things that have happened....but really, the amount that has happened this year is a bit outrageous.  When I break it down to the most basic quarter life crisis moments, you get this:

Ant and I got engaged on May 15, 2013.
We bought our first home on September 11, 2013.
I made my first big career move on November 6, 2013.

This does not include the AMAZING travel I (/we!) did this year, or any of the many other million exciting things that have happened in the lives of those we love (graduations, weddings, babies, oh my!)  Ant got a promotion at work, I crossed international borders for work (oh Canada!)....etc. etc. etc.  you get the gist.  The short version, 2013 has been very good to us..

I put together this little video that goes backwards through the last year via my personal instagram account.  While it doesn't include half the things that have happened - it's a cool way to reflect on some of the highlights!

2014 has big shoes to fill, but I have a feeling it might even blow this year out of the water.  We already have a number of vacations planned - I made the nice list this year and Santa rewarded me with JT tickets for February (!!!!!) - oh yea, and I'm marrying the love of my life!  We are very, very Lucky.

I hope you have a wonderful New Year!!!  What are you most thankful for in 2013?  What are you most looking forward to in the new year?

I'll see ya in 2014 to discuss our New Year's resolutions! (or lack thereof....)

#becomingmrsmascia November wrap up!

Happy December! (5 days late...HOW is it already December 5th???)

Anyway, I thought I'd do a quick wrap up of November's #becomingmrsmascia - it's sort of fun to see the month in review through pictures!

If you don't already follow me on instagram (http://instagram.com/theshorelinebride) ...what are you waiting for??

11/20 - Freezing picnic at Lighthouse Point Park to celebrate 5 years of hanging out with this guy!  We had the most productive day around the house together and ended the night at our favorite local wine bar, Ballous.

11/21 - We finally hung the picture...and suddenly I HATED the color of the wall.  So we decided it was time to paint! A trip to Home Depot and an hour of comparing blues and greens gave us these three finalists.  The test run...

11/22 - XBox One came out, and the world stopped.  I came home to a TV that way prefers Ant's voice to my own.  How rude!

11/23 - First haircut in as long as I can remember - project long healthy hair for the wedding begins!

11/24 - Roomie was in town!!  We spent the afternoon at the outlets, enjoying the sparkly things that Christmas brings, especially in Kate Spade...

11/25 - Ant and I picked the final color - and got one coat on!  The snowman mug made his first appearance of the season - and hit on anyone who would pay attention.

11/26 - The finished product!!!  Couldn't be happier with our pop of color.  Now we need new couches to match the fancy new wall :)

11/27 - Save the Dates went out!!!! YAY!  Talk about a sigh of relief.  More posts to come on that process...and the final product!

11/28 - Happy Thanksgiving! As usual, the holiday meant lots of travel for us...but there's nothing more important than family, especially this time of year... so you make it work!  We started the day off in Rhody with my family, and ended it in CT with Ants.

11/29 - I work retail....so 11/29=Black Friday.  Starbucks Caramel Brûlée Latte required.

11/30 - Ant and I worked opposite schedules Black Friday weekend...so I enjoyed my morning off with a retail hangover in bed doing arts & crafts.  Getting ready to bust out the Christmas/Winter decor!

Overall, I'd say it was a pretty productive couple of weeks! Mailing our save the dates was HUGE - we wanted them out before the true holiday craziness hit.  Getting our living room wall painted was a wonderful bonus!

How was your November??  Did you end it with a retail hangover or a turkey one?

Pretty things and good deals

Happy Saturday! (and a belated Happy Thanksgiving)

Today's post is a short(er) one....in honor of Small Business Saturday!!

I work retail, so Thanksgiving week means Black Friday - one of the busiest weekends for us, and the official kickoff to the holiday season!  Today is also small business Saturday.  One of my favorite things about living in Guilford is that we have so many small local businesses in town.  There is nothing more fun than spending the afternoon wandering in and out of the stores around the green!  I have a busy work weekend - so I didn't get to participate in too many deals - but this one jumped out at me as something I HAD to share - especially if any of you out there are local CT shoreline brides!!

A couple of weeks ago I spent my Halloween afternoon up in Hartford at Alicia Ann Couture's studio.  As you know - Rachel from No Eye Has Seen is our wedding photographer....in our initial meeting with Alicia - when we decided to hire Rachel, I found out that Alicia also does glamour/boudoir shoots! Her brand, Alicia Ann Couture launched just a few weeks later...and after a little bit of thought I decided to go for it and book a session with her!  A friend of mine had done a boudoir shoot for her fiancé as a wedding present, and only had good things to say.  I thought it would be a special thing to surprise Ant with - as well as a fun way to treat myself.  (I can safely write about this here, because he just got 3 photos as a teaser on our 5 year anniversary....he has to wait to see the rest!)

I can NOT speak more highly of the experience!!  I brought my middle sister with me for moral support (which I also highly recommend).  We told Ant we were busy all morning doing wedding things...not a lie, and enough to keep him from asking any more questions! Erin Infantino from Simply Gorgeous by Erin did my hair and makeup in the studio (again - HIGHLY recommend).  She was incredible and made me feel - and look - absolutely amazing (which is why I have since booked her for our wedding!).  Alicia was so professional and made me feel so comfortable throughout the shoot....and the pictures are stunning.  She advertises her shoots as glamour/boudoir which I think is the perfect description.  While I busted out some incredible lingerie I bought for the occasion from Beneath the Gown and Victorias Secret - the photos are not raunchy or in-your-face sex - but more soft and feminine - with a touch of sexy, of course!

Here is one example from my shoot (stolen bad quality screen shot - since I haven't purchased my album yet!)

Anywayyyy....long story short - Alicia just posted her 2013 Holiday Promo - and I am passing it along to all of you!!!  If you book now for a shoot this winter, you get a gift certificate for a free massage along with your glamour session!

I would recommend this to any woman - whether or not you are planning a wedding.  The photos make a perfect birthday gift, anniversary gift....or present to yourself!  It is a fabulous way to pamper yourself.  For me, it was honestly just a fun afternoon.  If you need more convincing - let me know! I can put any of your fears to rest :)

Have you ever done a boudoir shoot?  What was the occasion?  

5th anniversary - #becomingmrsmascia

Happy Wednesday!

Today, November 20th - is our 5 year anniversary! It is the day that our trial period ended and the rest of our lives began...

When Ant and I first started dating, I had just found out I was going to be spending the following semester abroad in Spain - and I thought he was crazy for wanting to commit to a relationship while I was on the other side of the world!  He had just transferred up to UConn, and I thought he would regret   being tied down while I was away for four months...so one of the terms of our relationship was a "trial period"...a period of time where he could change his mind and take it back, no hard feelings!  I had just met the cutest boy ever and did not want him resenting me - I am not exactly a patient person but I was willing to wait until I got back to see where things would go! Less than a week into said trial period, Ant, with a bit of exasperation, asked me if the trial period could be over and we could just date.  That's one thing I learned pretty quickly about Ant, and have learned to absolutely adore...the guy knows what he wants! So anyway, long story short...November 20th has been our anniversary for the last 5 years.  and it's our last official dating anniversary!  Next year, 8/8 will become our date.

A quick photo dump of the last 5 years, primarily previous anniversaries...

*Our first picture together, ever.  This is the one I showed everyone when they wanted to know about my new boyfriend.  We look like babies...

A few shots of us in Spain.  Yes, he came to visit me, a whopping 3....4? months into our relationship.  Whatta guy.  (THANK YOU Bettie & Tony) :)

First anniversary:  Road trip to Niagara Falls & Toronto

...and then we graduated! UConn Class of 2010.  Can we go back??

To be honest, I can't find a single picture of our 2nd anniversary....but we had just moved into our apartment together!  Here's a pic of our first Christmas in the apartment in the meantime.

Our 3rd anniversary - my grandfather had just passed away, and we took a much needed mini getaway to Providence, got fancy in the Biltmore. and fancy for us means opening bottles of wine with toothbrushes.......yep.

Year 4...took a long weekend, this time to Mt Snow, VT!  Oktoberfest there (AMAZING foliage), followed by Brewfest at Mohegan Sun. 

As a way to transition from our old anniversary to our new one, and start the official wedding countdown - I am going to document the next 261 days through pictures on my instagram with the hashtag #becomingmrsmascia! (if you don't already - follow me! @theshorelinebride) If it is blogworthy, you will also find it here.  Anything wedding related will certainly be the priority - but otherwise you'll get a snapshot of whatever other exciting things are happening in my life! (exciting being a relative term, of course)

My first official #becomingmrsmascia pic is just me and my guy.  Keeping it simple :)