tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20498691745825411582024-03-13T22:09:24.352-07:00Modern CharmInspiration for the modern bride seeking her fairy tale wedding.trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-14873512608638949602011-12-28T13:44:00.000-08:002011-12-28T18:58:11.982-08:00Vendor Love: Petal and ThornEvery now and then, I come across a vendor that just overwhelms me with the beauty and detail they put into their work. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetalAndThorn" target="_blank">Petal and Thorn</a> is one of these vendors. In fact, I was so in love with her shop that I immediately decided I wanted to feature her as my first vendor on Modern Charm. <br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetalAndThorn" target="_blank">Petal and Thorn</a>, which sells a variety of bridal accessories and flower girl accessories, has such beautiful pieces that range in styles from bohemian to elegant. Any bride would be hard-pressed not to find a piece that captures her eye. All of her pieces are feminine and sweet, and the charm of her headpieces is undeniable. Most importantly, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetalAndThorn" target="_blank">Petal and Thorn</a> includes headpieces out of the usual variety.<br />
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From her dainty white flowers to the gorgeously detailed ring bearer pillow, her shop contains so many beautiful items perfect for adding a touch of elegance and charm to your wedding. Her glass and crystal headbands are also perfect for more formal weddings (and the upcoming New Year parties). And, if I were to be honest, I have to admit that her butterfly clips made out of peacock feathers are so unique and lovely, that I would change the colors of my wedding just so I could wear them.<br />
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Products by: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetalAndThorn?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">Petal and Thorn</a>trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-83648398098228874802011-12-27T05:39:00.000-08:002011-12-27T05:40:13.411-08:00Tuesday Thought: Hot Chocolate Dippers<br />
Brides- if you've been searching for the perfect DIY favor for your
winter wedding, search no more. Recently, I stumbled upon these
delightful hot chocolate dippers from <a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/" target="_blank">Good Housekeeping</a>. Just take a look at these festive, sugary delights. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/easy-holiday-decorations#slide-5" target="_blank">(via)</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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If you have already decided to serve hot cocoa to your guests for your winter wedding, consider using these treats as a DIY wedding favor. Easy to make, easy to decorate; these hot cocoa dippers will add some charm (and sugar) to your winter wedding. In addition, these have many different ways that you can serve and display them! You can serve them on a plate or tray, arrange them marshmallow side-up in a bucket or vase or bundle them and wrap them in cellophane.<br />
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Even if you aren't having a winter wedding, these hot chocolate dippers still make a wonderful favor to your guests. If you want to add a spring-time feel to these little delights, simply change the straws and sprinkles to match your wedding colors. To further lighten up the appearance of these dippers, try using white chocolate instead of dark chocolate.trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-25574185264602571482011-12-26T09:28:00.000-08:002011-12-26T09:29:44.914-08:00Favorite Wedding Trends of 2011With the new year steadily approaching (5 days and counting!), I want to honor 2011 for all the wonderful and lovely trends and styles it contributed to the wedding world.<br />
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<b>1: Tea Length Dresses</b></div>
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Drawing inspiration from the tea length dresses found in AMC's <i>Mad Men</i>, bridal designers have increasingly been featuring tea length styles in their collections. Tea length dresses are perfect for the bride looking for something non-traditional, yet elegant and feminine. Not only are the shorter lengths charming and cute, but they're functional: tea length dresses easily let the bride dance the night away or help create a dainty and graceful feel to an outdoor garden wedding.<br />
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<b>2: Delicate and Airy Fabrics</b><br />
Many designers are beginning to rely on using light and airy fabrics such as organza and chiffon in their dresses. The delicate flow and airy appearance of these fabrics make them perfect in creating sheath dresses, such as those inspired by the Greek goddess of love- Aphrodite. These fabrics are great for brides who want a more delicate look for their wedding dress, or who are worried about getting too hot or feeling overwhelmed in a bigger dress with heavier fabrics. <br />
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<b>3: Cake Pops</b></div>
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So long cupcakes... hello cake pops! In 2011, many brides forewent the cupcake trend and instead featured a new take on cake: the cake pop. Cute, playful and easily customized and decorated, cake pops are a great way to add some beautiful details to your dessert table. And the best part...? Making these things from home are a piece of cake! Brides who are looking for a great DIY project for their wedding can easily turn to these delicate desserts.</div>
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<b>4: Dessert Bars</b></div>
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While candy bars will always be whimsical and cute, brides in 2011 have decided to feature something with a more homey and relaxed feel: dessert bars. Often filled with decadent desserts such as brownies, pies, s'mores or more, dessert bars are a simple way to offer guests some sugary treats other than cakes. Similar to cake pops, dessert bars give the bride a chance to show her baking prowess, or to show off some of the couple's favorite treats from a local bakery. </div>
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<b>5: Food Trucks</b></div>
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Brides wishing to provide their guests a new catering experience, or some delicious- yet cheap- late-night snacks have started to turn to food trucks. Food trucks, or carts (as pictured above), are often capable of providing food to many people in a short amount of time. Ranging from large trucks that serve burgers or dumplings to small carts that sell ice cream or donuts, food trucks can be found to suit any bride's need and fit any wedding environment. </div>
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<b>6: Green Weddings</b><br />
With the younger generation being raised in a more eco-friendly world, it is no surprise that many weddings in 2011 had some sort of focus on being green. Whether it's by giving seeds as wedding favors, using invitations made from recycled paper or just focusing on introducing natural, eco-friendly products, couples have found some creative, and quite charming, ways to add a earth-loving attitude to their weddings. <br />
<br />trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-71909277646503950522011-12-26T06:01:00.000-08:002011-12-28T18:56:14.865-08:00Holiday WishesHey guys!<br />
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I hope you all have had a very lovely holiday season so far! Mine has been really crazy busy, but it's been nice to see family again. I was able to come visit my parents for a week, which I haven't been able to do for quite awhile. For Christmas, my lovely fiance surprised me with a Kate Spade purse and iPad case (I can't even explain how much I adore them!). But even more importantly, my gifts to everyone else were quite the hit. I'm proud of myself for doing so good!<br />
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But how have your holidays been? Busy or relaxing? I hope you all are able to spend them with your loved ones, because that's what makes the holidays so wonderful and lovely.<br />
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With love,<br />
Kelsie<br />
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<br />trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-80675624272960923732011-12-16T05:32:00.000-08:002011-12-16T05:33:55.120-08:00Charming Detail: Unique Escort CardsGood morning everyone! I hope you all have a lovely Friday today. The fiance and I actually have some free time today so we're going to have a wonderful day-date. It's been awhile since we've been able to spend some real time together, so it'll be quite nice.<br />
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Today's charming detail is a unique, playful and very lovely take on escort cards. Instead of assigning guests a table number and giving to them via a flat card with their names on it, try coming up with a unique way to assign guests to their table- such as giving the tables names instead of numbers- or a unique display for the cards. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/gallery/ibiza-wedding+6161" target="_blank">(via)</a></td></tr>
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This bride did both for her wedding. She created some vintage-inspired tags that assigned each guest a
location ("Sara Conroy: you're going to Southport, England"). In addition, she hung each card on twine that she strung from one post to another, and she clipped the escort cards onto it with some colorfully red clips.<br />
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The thing that I love most about unique escort cards is that is a really simple way to make guests feel more special, and to make your wedding unique. Escort cards are pretty much a necessity at any wedding, so why not add a little more charm to yours?<br />
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With this time of a year, comes many creative, and very lovely, winter weddings. Winter is often thought of as the most romantic of seasons, and a great way to bring the romantic feeling into your own wedding is by incorporating natural, and seasonal, items into your wedding. This is actually one of my favorite themes for a wedding, and- if time wasn't an issue- I would have had a winter wedding of my own.
Here's some lovely and inspiring photos and some gorgeous details for a winter wedding.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stylemepretty.com/" target="_blank">(via)</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/85073510/white-silver-winter-wedding-wreath?ref=sr_gallery_15&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=winter+wedding&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade" target="_blank">(via)</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stylemepretty.com/" target="_blank">(via)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-42465126810771896222011-12-14T12:44:00.000-08:002011-12-16T05:39:31.778-08:00Choosing Your Favor Idea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.279983458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.279983458.jpg" width="212" /></a>One of my favorite details at a wedding are the favors. Not only are they the bride and groom's way of thanking their guests for sharing their special day with them, but it should also be a decorative element that helps contribute to the uniqueness and loveliness of the wedding, as well as compliments the theme.<br />
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However, sometimes its hard to stray from the common favor ideas. When pretty packages of candy sounds so appealing, it's hard to think of something that you could do instead. In fact- just a couple days ago, I spent an entire day trying to come up with an original idea for favors at my wedding. Trust me- I understand how difficult it can be to come up with original ideas.<br />
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Here's my four simple tips to help you discover the perfect favors for your wedding:<br />
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<b>#1: DIY or Purchased? </b><br />
Before you begin to do anything else, you should first decide whether you want to purchase your favor from a store, purchase a hand-crafted favor from Etsy or a local artist (like the pictured mason jar favor by <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82395194/wedding-favor-mason-jar-unique-wedding?ref=sr_gallery_36&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=wedding+favor&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade" target="_blank">Poppy and Pearl Co.</a></span>), or make the favors yourself.<br />
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While time and budget should be considered when decided, the most important factor is how each would fit into your wedding. If you are trying to have a very unique wedding, for example, you should go with DIY favors or hand-crafted favors. <br />
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<b>#2: Use Your Theme</b><br />
You may have had to do word associations in your Creative Writing classes in college, but did you know they'll come in handy now? The easiest way to think of the perfect favor is to think of your theme and write down the first 10- 20 words you associate with it. <br />
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Without using my theme, I don't think I would have ever been able to choose my favors. When I thought of my theme- a garden wedding featuring navy and peach- I immediately began to think of peach as a fruit. I then decided that I wanted to bake a dessert that features peach, and all my other favor ideas began to fall into place from there.<br />
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<b>#3: Use Your Location</b><br />
If you're having a large amount of out-of-town guests, you may want to consider having a favor that features something special to your location. A beach wedding that I attended once actually featured sand dollars, shells and starfish that the couple had found on the beach that they were getting married on.<br />
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<b> #4: Feature Diversity</b><br />
One thing that I highly recommend doing is having a variety of different favors. <b> </b>Not all of your guests are the same, so why would you want to give them all the same thing? At my wedding, I will be featuring three different favors- one delicious and edible, one whimsical and unique, and one playful. By having more than one favor, not only will you have a more beautiful display, but you're guaranteed to satisfy everyone.<br />
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I've already talked about my favors, but I'm curious- have you chosen yours?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82395194/wedding-favor-mason-jar-unique-wedding?ref=sr_gallery_36&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=wedding+favor&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade" target="_blank">Poppy and Pearl Co.</a></span>trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-46025764189985206822011-12-11T16:40:00.001-08:002011-12-16T05:39:46.697-08:0012 Hours of Wedding Planning & Favor IdeasHey guys!<br />
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Apparently that inspired feeling that I woke up with was quite the strong one! I have actually spent the past 12 hours working on more wedding planning! With only 153 days left, there is so much to do that the time just flew right by.<br />
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After (<i>finally</i>) choosing the wedding invitations and contacting a designer to create a custom designed wedding guest book box, I managed to still have enough energy to set up appointments with a couple vendors as well as choose most of the decorative elements for my wedding.<br />
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<a href="http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.222560592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.222560592.jpg" width="213" /></a>The only thing that has me stumped is the wedding favors. I know I want to do something unique and that I want to do some DIY for at least a portion of it. I want to provide my guests with more than one option- to add fun and diversity to my favor table, and please all palettes.<br />
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My first thought is something whimsical, like the pictured pinwheels from Etsy seller <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/aubabi78?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">aubabi78</a>. I also have a vision of providing milk in an old-fashion glass milk jug with a striped straw tied around it. Lastly, I also have a vision of doing something edible that contains peaches, preferably baked or prepared by yours truly. Where I'm stuck is deciding between if I would like to bake peach cobblers in a jar or miniature peach pies.<br />
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So, my lovely ladies, I need your help. What do you think? Which would you like to see at a wedding?trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-78640554463251728592011-12-11T09:00:00.001-08:002011-12-16T05:39:55.749-08:00My Happily Ever After: Inspiration BoardHey guys!<br />
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This morning I woke up and felt super inspired to work more on planning my wedding (...that's probably the result of me picking out invitations up until the second I fell asleep)! So, for the past five hours I've been picking out more gorgeous things for my wedding.<br />
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The thing I'm <u>most</u> excited about, though, is the inspiration board I pulled together a little bit ago. Up until this point, I haven't pulled all my elements together- especially seeing the navy and peach combination. And, I just have to say, I am ecstatic about how beautiful and gorgeous they all look together. Never, in a million years, would I have thought about choosing those colors for my wedding, but looking at this now, I can see that that is the <i>only </i>color combination I want. <br />
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Overall- I cannot believe how beautiful everything is. I actually teared up while I stared at it for the longest time, just taking it in. It all feels so surreal. The dress and the shoes I already have for the wedding. Everything else is just similar to what I'm going to have, or it's something that I haven't picked out yet (like the favors). But I'm curious- what do you guys think?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Row One: <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/nellia-designs-regina/d0cdba5dc7c4aac0.html">Nellia Designs</a>, <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/kat-flower-brooklyn/e5142466269892b7.html">Kat Flower</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Row Two: <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/taylord-events-ketchum/b7b93eb142475ff2.html">Taylor'd Events</a>, <a href="http://www.davidsbridal.com/" target="_blank">David's Bridal</a>, <a href="http://www.katespade.com/" target="_blank">Kate Spade</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Row Three: <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/ashley-dru-wedding-portrait-photography-elkhart/96bb06d88b8cc427.html">Ashley Dru Wedding & Portrait Photography</a>, <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/chic-sweets/0fa71f03b2ef2472.html">Chic Sweets</a>, <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/maxie-bs-greensboro/b1d243236fb8167e.html">Maxie B's</a></span>trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-75340215443701505482011-12-09T13:22:00.001-08:002011-12-09T13:32:16.077-08:00Floral Fun and Blog BeautyHey guys!<br /><br />So today has been a lovely day for me! This morning, my fiance and I drove the 2 hour drive to Orlando to meet with the potential florist for our wedding. I wasn't sure what to expect, and to be honest I was stressing over wedding colors the entire drive there. However, right before we reached Orlando, inspiration struck and I thought of the most beautiful color combination for our wedding! I won't go into it more, because I'm sure I'll have a post dedicated to it soon enough- after all, I'm completely inspired by the choices. <br /><br />But back to the story- I met with the florist and she is so lovely! She's this sweet woman from England and I know that she'll be a real delight to work with. In our meeting, we were able to come up with some really great ideas. Halfway through the meeting, though, it struck me- <i>I </i>am getting married! It's all been very surreal or distant up to this point- even trying on the dress. But sitting there with my fiance and the florist, looking at pictures of lovely flowers and bouquets, made me realize just how incredible this is. And I have to say, ladies, I've been walking on air for the rest of the day! <br /><br /><br />Another lovely thing that has happened, as I'm sure you have seen, is that my blog's design has been updated. The wonderful Erin at Designer Blogs installed it this morning, and it's really lovely. If you've been thinking about getting a new design for your blog, I highly suggest you check out Designer Blogs, because they are just so wonderful to work with and their work is so beautiful. <br /><br /><br />Anyways, with my joy and inspiration from the florist meeting to the delight of my newly beautiful blog, I am just feeling so inspired and energized. So, just to let you ladies know, I'll probably be pumping out another two posts... and maybe even one about my wedding! <br /><br /><br />XO<br />Annatrulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049869174582541158.post-4528514204717788752011-12-01T06:04:00.000-08:002011-12-14T11:40:32.717-08:00Something Old, Something New...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXADYKVBK2_czABUQzqxI64d6YuVsnGGWozuzgSGAv8CdBsXjQJD1V7XTK-UmOSMWC8-SIfh6XyP3IKYcXDS3Aso7rasM0fyPy8s-ACrAx2flhUsZLhaN0zC-jaM-J2XnFo4HRHppj6Q/s1600/purple+nail+polish+heart.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXADYKVBK2_czABUQzqxI64d6YuVsnGGWozuzgSGAv8CdBsXjQJD1V7XTK-UmOSMWC8-SIfh6XyP3IKYcXDS3Aso7rasM0fyPy8s-ACrAx2flhUsZLhaN0zC-jaM-J2XnFo4HRHppj6Q/s320/purple+nail+polish+heart.png" width="320" /></a>There's a phenomenon in life that occurs when something unexpected rises up, and a person watches as their life moves from one path onto a completely different path. I experienced this first hand three years ago when I met my fiance, Eric. Before that evening, I had always thought that I would be a "career woman"- I would focus on school, only date a little, and go on to medical school. I didn't want to marry until my 30's; I wanted a closet full of designer shoes, not men's shirts and ties. But from the moment I met Eric, I realized that something would change. And looking back now, I am still blown away by how all it took was one night to bring me a completely different path. <br />
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But why am I telling you this? Well, because, my blog (as well as myself) has undergone a change like that. Now that the semester is out, I have been dedicating the past couple days to wedding planning, and I've began to realize that I really love it! I'm quickly learning that it is a huge passion of mine, and I just cannot get it off of my mind. It's become such a passion of mine, that I've actually begun to consider a career in wedding planning once I've graduated or one in wedding photography. I cannot imagine anything that would make me happier than to spend every day planning or photographing weddings.<br />
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Likewise, I want to blog about it. <i>All the time</i>. While I had originally created this blog to be a resource for the domestic goddess, I now see this blog taking a new direction- into a resource for future domestic goddess. I've always loved wedding blogs as a source of inspiration and loveliness, but now I can see that what they inspired most was my own desire for a wedding blog. Photos, trends, suggestions- I want to blog about it all! I want to blog about anything and everything from the time he gets on one knee to the time she says "I do".<br />
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So, then, meet the new <i>Modern Charms</i>- a blog dedicated to one of the loveliest events on Earth: the wedding of two wonderful people in love.trulykelsiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01941010051886111511noreply@blogger.com0