Author Archives: Kara

Guest Post: Bridesmaid Advice

Posted in Bridesmaiding, Guest post, Wedding by
Hey guys! Today I have my final guest poster: Amber from A Little Pink in the Cornfields! I adore Amber’s blog and always get excited when she has a new post!
Tomorrow I’m getting MARRIED and I’ll probably take a small hiatus for a couple days after that. I’ll be sure to post some sneak-peak photos as soon as I have the chance. Thank to EVERYONE for their amazing support and love on my way to walking down the aisle!
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Kara’s getting married in ONE DAY! <insert squeal here!>
Hi! My name is Amber and I blog over at A Little Pink in the Cornfields. When I was trying to figure out what to guest blog about here on Chatter, I knew I wanted it to be wedding related. But, I’m not married! What was I going to write about? I fretted about this for a few days…
Seeing as I have never planned my own wedding, I don’t really know what it takes.  But, I have watched a lot of my friends plan their weddings, and I have attended several. That counts, right?  (I’m aware it probably doesn’t!)
What I do have experience in, is being a bridesmaid. Albeit, I am nowhere near my 27 Dresses, I do feel like I have some experience standing up there in a frilly dress supporting the bride on her big day. So, for all you bridesmaids out there, I have some advice for you on how to do your duties right, but have fun at the same time.
  • First of all, you’re special enough in the bride’s life to be asked to be a part of one of the biggest days of her life. That’s special! Congratulations! Keep reminding yourself that when you want to walk away from the bride when she’s having a near meltdown…
  • Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
  • Be available for the bride. After all, you are in a role of support for the her, so if she wants you to work on stuffing envelopes for the invitations or help make centerpieces, you should respect her wishes and do so (you’re also there to help settle any panic attacks the bride may have suddenly). Also, don’t forget that she will be there for you someday.
  • Be honest with the bride about your budget. Be sure that you’ve made it clear how much money you can devote to the wedding, because it adds up QUICK!
  •  Start planning the shower and bachelorette party EARLY! Keep in touch with his and her family to find out if they want to combine efforts or do separate parties.
  • Work with the other bridesmaids on cost and work out a budget right away.  Gather everybody’s portion in cash and have someone in charge of expenses.
  • Work with the other bridesmaids on your wedding gift. If you’re all close friends, a scrapbook or other homemade gift is very thoughtful,  and meaningful for the bride. It’s also much easier on the pocketbook.
  • Borrow accessories or props for the parties. In my group of friends we save everything and use things over and over again. Cough,cough-peniscakepan-cough, cough.
  • If the festivities are in a destination, be sure to book travel and lodging as soon as possible to secure the best rate. Use sites like Priceline.com and share rooms with other bridesmaids.
  • Be organized and PLAN! This is one of the biggest days of her life, so be sure you’re taking the time to plan and make everything special for the big day! I promise you, the bride WILL notice.  And, if the bride doesn’t, her family will.
  • Get there EARLY on the big day and be prepared for a crisis. There will probably be one. Have a bag ready full of bobby pins, safety pins, lint roller, sewing kit, straightener, hair spray, extra makeup, wet wipes, deodorant, Kleenex, small shot of tequila….
  • That little light at the end of the tunnel is the … RECEPTION! It will be so much fun being a part of the wedding party at the reception. Trust me. It will be SO. MUCH. FUN. You will be thinking to yourself, “I love weddings! I’m so sad this all over!”
  • One more thing… something very important. Don’t wing your speech. Plan what you’re going to say. Or, if you’re like me and don’t want to write out word for word what you’re going to say, at least have the basic gist of what you’re going to say to the bride and groom.
  • And, the last piece of advice, which is probably the most important piece of advice of all. “Keep calm and carry on…”

 Congratulations to Kara and her groom! She will make the most beautiful bride and I cannot wait to hear all about it when she gets back!
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Thanks Amber! That is such great advise that I’ll even have to take note of for when I’m a bridesmaid in August!

Guest Post: Reese’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted in Food, Guest post by

Hi guys! I’m TWO days away from getting married and today I have Angela from Craving Cupcakes guest posting! Angela makes some of the yummiest looking baked goods I’ve ever laid my eyes on! Today she’s sharing one of her favourite recipes – and one I’ll have to try making in the future!

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Hi! My name is Angela, and I blog over at Craving Cupcakes. My blog is sort of a mixed bag when it comes to what I post about. Posts range from my every day life to the things I bake. I’m a nanny, an avid baker, and I live with my boyfriend. We moved into a townhouse several months ago, so some home related posts may creep in from time to time. Like the ever so awesome Kara, I’m a fellow Canadian. In fact, we live in neighboring provinces! I figured that for my guest post, I’d share what I do best: baking. This is one of my favorite recipes that I’ve blogged about before.

One thing you’ll learn quickly through my blogs is that both my boyfriend Stephen and I are peanut butter and chocolate fiends, with Reese’s peanut butter cups being one of our favorite treats. When I came across this recipe from Recipe Girl, I knew it was a perfect match. These cookies were amazing, and didn’t last long around my household. I highly recommend you try them! It also helps that they’re fairly easy to make.

Before we get to the recipe, I just wanted to say thanks to Kara for letting guest post, and hopefully she has a happy wedding week!

Reese’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Recipe Girl

(Printable Recipe)

  • 1/2 cup room temperature butter
  • 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 12 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (regular sized)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add in egg and beat well.

4. Fold flour mixture into the butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

5. Scoop out a tablespoonful of dough and flatten it. Place a peanut butter cup on top, then top with another tablespoonful of dough. Shape the dough around the peanut butter cup, making sure that you can’t see any of the cup peeking through. Only bake 6 cookies at a time, because they are quite large.

6. Garnish with additional chocolate chips if desired. Bake for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Don’t they look delicious? Thanks for sharing Angela!

Guest Post: Holly

Posted in Guest post, Marriage by

Hey guys! While I’m busy getting married and whatnot, I figured I’d line up a few guest posters for you!

Today Holly from Scattered Words is posting – Be sure to go say hello! She’s an amazing Mommy, wife, blogger and most importantly – Canadian! Thanks Holly for volunteering your blogging skills!

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Hi!  I’m Holly, and I usually blog at scattered-words.net – but I volunteered to write a guest post for Kara while she’s busy getting married and all that jazz.   She said I could write about anything I want, and while I thought about writing about something completely random – like my love for new pens, how my son is like a bagel, or how expensive a dog really is (especially if you have one that eats hardwood floors, baseboards, books, shoes, purses, socks, and couch cushions …) – but of course, I ultimately decided to write a wedding-related post!
I’m not exactly an “old married woman” – I’ve been married for 2 years and 10 months! – but I figured I’d offer a bit of marriage advice that I wish I had followed in those early days, weeks, and months:   Try your hardest to find joy in every situation. 
I’ll be honest:  I had a hard time adjusting to married life.  I didn’t expect everything to be perfect, by any means – but I definitely didn’t expect there to be quite so many bumps in the road those first few months.  I thought we had ironed everything out during our engagement (silly me!) –  but we fought a lot at first.  Mostly about silly things, like our schedules, chore delegation, when to get a dog, what kind of dog to get, where to put the bookshelf, what day to buy groceries – but also about bigger things, like money – whether we had enough, what to invest and where, how much to save – where to live, how to celebrate holidays, how to blend our families …
I was a bit of a poop for the first few months.  I knew when we got married that we would be living in Alberta but I wanted to be with my family in New Brunswick.  I hated our condo, I hated our city, I hated my job – but I love my husband.  It took me awhile to clue in, but I eventually realized that that takes precedence.
Yeah, yeah, I know.  Shoulda figured that one out before the wedding, eh?
 Anyway … married life is full of the unexpected (like your husband revealing to you while you’re on your honeymoon that he is the world’s biggest Star Wars nerd …) – but it’s also full of the awesome.  Knowing you’re with the person you were meant to be with.  Knowing you’re going to be with that person for the rest of your life.  Imagining what your babies will look like – and actually seeing your husband hold his son for the first time.    Experiencing love in a new, deeper way; watching it grow and change.   Complete and utter happiness.   Planning life together for the next 60 or so years …
Congratulations Kara & Kyle :D  Welcome to married life …
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Thanks Holly!