Franklins World: TJMaxx

This is not where I thought this post was going to go today, but hey!  I had all day today off with nugget - we have had unseasonably warm weather for the start of fall and so we spent the morning taking advantage of it with a nice walk around the lake {see photo below of my pup - part cavapom part mountain goat}.  I had a few errands to run, including a return at TJMaxx, so I called them once they opened and asked if they were dog friendly.  Now - I only bothered to call because they DID show up on a list of "dog friendly" stores I had looked up, but I don't alwayssss trust the internet.  Anyway!  The woman checked with her manager and told me that yes dogs were allowed!  So, Franklin and I headed off.

My observations: TJMaxx IS definitely pet friendly.  Every associate was nothing but friendly to us - but you could definitely tell that customers aren't used to people actually taking advantage of the policy in this particular store.  I had a couple people give me funny looks, but Franklin and I went about our business.  He was pretty adorable - he likes the bark at his own reflection and they had mirrors at the checkout that caused a little bit of an episode.  What are ya gonna do?

In other related news, TJMaxx had some absolutely amazing seasonal items they were just putting out!  I am not always great at actually doing it, but I love getting the house ready for the various holidays - so we picked up a few things and surprised Ant when he came home to a home ready for fall!

Pictured below:  table runner & pumpkin salt & pepper shakers just purchased today!  Rewind candle was a gift & mercury pumpkin was from Target last year.

I also completely couldn't help myself with these adorable gargoyles.  They've been added to our staircase frames - along with a pumpkin vanilla diffuser shaped like a bottle of poison {sadly not pictured}.  That was the first thing my husband noticed - the smell of the diffuser!!  It is amazingggg.

Also - did you know you can shop online at TJMaxx???  Sorry if I'm behind the curve, but I just discovered this a few weeks ago when I was looking for frames for our gallery wall.  When you order online you can return to the store for free - nice and easy.  They usually have a deal that's free shipping if you spend at least $89, which is scarily simple.  Here are a few of my holiday favorites currently available online...three things I've become a complete sucker for: pillows, candles, & table runners.

Have you already gotten your home ready for fall??  Where do you find your decor?? I'd love to know!!

xoxo

#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

The Little Things: Gifts for Mom

With Mother's Day coming up, I thought this was an appropriate time to jump back into blogging about "The Little Things" - the details that made up our wedding day! Who knows, maybe this will spark some inspiration for you :)

When it came to our mothers, we wanted to give them gifts that would have special meaning, and be a nice reminder of our wedding day.  We knew we would be gifting them photos in the future, but that was after the fact - we wanted something to give them the morning of the wedding as a "Thank you" for all of their love and support leading up to the day.  

After lots of brainstorming and online searching, we came up with two different ideas!

First, we found Sarah Ku on Etsy! {Have I made it clear how much I love Etsy yet??}  She had beautiful and simple designs, and so I reached out to her about getting two custom prints done.  The first, for Ant's mom was a quote from "You are my sunshine" which has always had special meaning to them.  For my mom, we used a part of the poem that she would be reading during our ceremony by e.e. cummings.  Sarah did a beautiful job with the wording and watercolors!  Each one is unique and special, exactly what we were looking for!

For the second part of the gift, we worked with Kelley from Aquinnah Jewelry {now also on Etsy!} to create pieces for each of our moms.  She had recently posted pictures of new butterfly charms she had that I absolutely LOVED.  I had her make a gold butterfly necklace for my MIL, and silver butterfly earrings with pearl accents for my mom!

What did you give your mother on your wedding day?? Or if you aren't married yet....what are you getting mom for mother's day???  It is coming up in just a couple weeks and I am ALWAYS looking for good ideas for our mommas :)

xoxo

#Wifey Diaries: Valentine's Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!  I wanted to share with you a few "things I'm loving" in regards to my Valentine's Day holiday this year....

Mix and Match Mama: 

Does it again!  We had a bake sale at work over the holiday weekend to raise money for the American Heart Association.  I was off on Thursday last week and spent ALL DAY baking.  My pistachio Kitchenaid and I were besties for the day.  I used three recipes I found on Mix and Match Mama's website! Two of them I LOVED, one I probably won't make again.  But let's focus on the ones I loved, since that's what this post is about!

Strawberry Buttermilk Cupcakes:

Okay - mine looked nothing like these (I need to practice my frosting skills) - but they tasted AMAZING.  These are perfect for dessert, or breakfast....and the fresh fruit was just the best thing ever.

Recipe found here!

Chocolate Banana Muffins:

I sense a theme here.  My favorite baked goods are ones that can be eaten as dessert and also justified as a breakfast food.  These chocolate banana muffins were SO simple and absolutely delicious!  I left a few extras at home knowing my husband would like them.

Recipe found here!

Valentine's Day on Feb 15:

Ant and I had our Valentine's Day dinner on Sunday night, since I worked on Saturday evening.  To me, this was a HUGE win/win.  A few year's ago we went to a restaurant we LOVED on Valentine's Day, and had the most disappointing time.  It was too crazy, too crowded....not our scene.  We like a nice relaxing meal - our favorite environments are those where we can share a bottle of wine and just chat....so celebrating on February 15th has sort of become an unofficial tradition of ours.

The Guilford Bistro is our favorite local spot, and Sunday night did not disappoint.  It was SO COLD, like negative degrees cold, and some reservations had cancelled, so the restaurant was more quiet than usual...perfect for a romantic Valentine's Day date!  It's BYOB, so we always stop across the street for a bottle, and they had our FAVORITE appetizer.  It was perfect!  If you live on the shoreline, you need to check this place out.  Just make sure you make a reservation, no matter what night of the week!!

Aquinnah Jewelry:

Hubs did good.  We don't typically exchange gifts on Valentine's Day, but this year he insisted since it was our first one as husband and wife.  He surprised me with a necklace from Aquinnah Jewelry.  Kelley, the owner and designer is the sweetest, and helped me design all of my bridesmaids earrings! I LOVE all of her things, and have gone back to her a few times for various gifts.  The rolling wave necklace is simple and stunning - he put so much thought into picking a piece he knew I'd love.

My Valentine:

Last but not least, I'm LOVING my Valentine.

xoxo

Kate Spade Surprise Sale!

Okay - SUPER important Hump Day PSA here!!! STOP whatever you are doing and go check out the Kate Spade New York Surprise Sale!!!  These come up every so often, and are basically the best things ever.  They usually last for a couple days, and are up to 75% off everything!

Last spring, they had a wedding specific surprise sale that one of my best friends alerted me too - in the midst of all the pretty I found the perfect earrings for our rehearsal dinner! They were gold and blush, and only $19!!!!  Can't beat that.

Below are a couple of pictures from our rehearsal dinner - I blew up the first one nice and big so you can see the earrings....

I went ahead and did some brainstorming from today's surprise sale for you....below are a few of my favorites that could work in your potential wedding planning....

These first two are simple studs - again ONLY $19!!!  I wear gold studs legitimately every day - either my elephants or my Kate Spade "Mrs." earrings, and these adorable "Ta Da" would also do the trick!  The mint pave studs remind me a lot of my own blush ones!

I think this Daycation print is perfect for summer - and either of these bags would be perfect for holding bridesmaids gifts...or maybe your own honeymoon!

The Highland Place Mini Maria is actually the bag I currently use - except mine is a darker teal color.   I think it is the perfect size - and at $129 also the perfect price!  The Moon River Bangle in white just screams bride.  Bridal shower, rehearsal dinner....you name it.

Okay...you are welcome in advance! Happy shopping!!!

xoxo

#Wifey Diaries: Christmas Jewelry

This Christmas season was so special.  It was our first Christmas as a married couple, as a family of two.  We had the best time with both of our families - and I massively enjoyed my ONE day off of work!  Working the holidays just makes you appreciate the little bit of time off with loved ones that much more, I've decided.  I also may have decided this because it's better for my sanity, but thats besides the point.  I know Christmas seems like it was a longggg time ago, but I still have some pretty details to show you!

As a newlywed, I got a couple very special & fun new pieces of jewelry that I wanted to share with you!  They are PERFECT - and would be perfect gifts for any newlyweds in your life.  I squealed for joy with each and every one.  They were thoughtful and simple and very ME.

First - my #Wifey necklace!  I already shared this one with you here, but it's worth sharing again. My littlest sister Sara got it for me - it comes in silver or gold, and they've added a few different fonts...but I'm obsessed with mine!  The swarovski rhinestone "i" is the perfect little touch.

Next up is the necklace I just shared on Tuesday - my Friction silver state necklace!  Katie got this for me in New York, at one of the many holiday markets!  We go shopping at them every year together, and this year she specifically led me away from this particular shop, so I was completely surprised when I opened up this beautiful necklace.  This one kills me - it is all of my homes in one place.  There's a miniature Rhody, CT, and an "M".  The first pic below is a little awkward, but it shows each individual charm the best, so I'm leaving it for ya.  The second one is a more accurate image of how the necklace hangs.  You can also get this necklace in silver or gold, with any combination of states you'd like!!

The last piece of jewelry is this bangle bracelet my MIL got for me.  It is a simple silver bracelet with an engraving inside - "the joy is in the journey."  When Ant proposed to me he talked about the journey we would be embarking on.  I referenced this is my vows back to him during our ceremony...so the reference to the journey is a special one for both of us.  It was such a thoughtful gift!!  This exact bracelet is from Lia Sophia and you can't get it online anymore, but MantraBand has some similar styles, if you like this one!

Aren't they perfect??

xoxo

The Little Things: Pearls and Pastries

TGIF!!!

This week started out nice and normal - work has finally slowed down after the holidays, and Ant and I have had a chance to get back into a slightly more normal routine.  We got to see my parents this weekend, and his mom yesterday...I caught up with my BFFL for a girls night on Tuesday - all sorts of lovely normal things! and then today happened at work.  and I'm ready for a TGIF relaxing night at home.  Soooo, I'm opening a bottle of wine and waiting for my husband to get home with sushi, and I thought I'd share something sparkly with you! 

Enter Pearls & Pastries.

I found her on instagram through my ongoing search for all things fun and wedding related.  I immediately loved all of the sparkle she has, and thought it would be the perfect little detail to add to my wedding day!  She often runs sales if you follow her - so one day when she was running 20% off, I ordered a hanger for myself!

When it came in the mail it was packaged with a pinch of confetti - so much fun! 

In the scheme of things, it was SUCH a small detail of the day, but when I look back at these pictures of my wedding dress it adds a totally beautiful touch! {also, can we just reflect again on those walls??? sighhhhh}

The gold was stunning, but if we're being honest.....this black and white photo is my absolute favorite.  Talk about timeless!!

I bought her standard hanger, but she has so many other fun options if you are looking to make your closet sparkle a bit!  Below are a few photos from her instagram of some of her other hangers for sale....never mind gifts for myself, I think these would make some amazing bridesmaids gifts!!  Who doesn't love some sparkle?  Or a personalized hanger just for them??

The little things may not make or break the day - but they sure do add some fun!! What was your favorite "little thing" from your wedding day??

xoxo

The Little Things: Flower Girl Gifts

Happy {almost} New Year!!!  Last week was a total whirlwind....I had an amazing time celebrating the holidays with our family, and then we spent the weekend in Boston visiting friends from school!  I can't wait to share some of the really special newlywed gifts we received this year....but in the meantime I'm going to play a little bit of catch up with some posts I've been meaning to share...

I was very stumped on what I was going to get my flower girls as a gift on our wedding day.  There are so many cute ideas on Etsy and all of the wedding websites, but none of them were really tailored to flower girls as young as mine (ages 3 and 18 months).  So I decided to get creative!  I found these adorable customizable crayon rolls on Etsy, so I got them each one in our wedding colors - navy and blush!  {**Side note, this shop makes only the most adorable things.  I am not very frequently shopping for small children, but if I were....I would spend way more time here!**}  I then bought them each crayons to fill them, a number of Crayola activities books and a mini set of blocks.  They were so cute and simple - and I figured might be a good form of entertainment for the girls later on in the night!!

I love the way they came out - nothing too over the top but definitely special and designed for them, as a way to remember the day!  What did you get your flower girls on your wedding day??

xoxo