Customizing Your Party (and a GIVEAWAY!)

Sometimes having a blog is the best thing ever.  For example, when people let you try things out to review them, which is what today’s post is all about!  The folks over at Customized Girl totally made my day a few weeks ago when they contacted me and invited me to try out some of their goods (for free, thanks CG!)!  And the even better news is that Customized Girl will be offering a mind-blowingly generous giveaway here at The One! next week, so definitely keep checking back- lots of fabulous freebies on the way!!

Customized Girl, together with it’s sister site, Bridal Party Tees, has some incredible offerings if you’re considering making t shirts or keepsakes for your bridal party gifts, or if you are planning a bachelorette party.  I’ve tried making T shirts through VistaPrint (which were certainly workable), but found CG’s products to be of a significantly higher quality for almost the same pricing and with more options.  And just as importantly, the print quality was excellent!

I can’t share photos of my specific order just yet because it’s a surprise for someone special (but I promise I will down the road), but I’ll tell you this: I ordered a few different types of shirts- a men’s tee, ladies fitted tees, stretchy tanks and even a tote bag.  Each and every piece that I ordered arrived looking exactly as I had ordered it, and the shipping was super fast!  The fabrics are soft and comfy!  The ink was vivid and definitely not going anywhere!  And even though everything I ordered was a tad different, it all coordinated so well I couldn’t be happier!

One of the best things about these goodies is that they come in a variety of price points (unlike some of their competitors) and they always have some cute stuff in their sale section too, so you don’t need to bust out a bajillion dollars to have some fun.  And the customizing software is super-user friendly.  You can use their pre-made designs and change text, fonts, sizes, graphics, or you can start from scratch and make your own!

Aaaaand… it’s not just for girls.  They have options for men and kids too, so you can buy gifts for the whole bridal party (even baby onesies)!  All images in this post are, of course, from the websites, but you should definitely go check it out to see more!

Don’t forget to keep checking back in for the upcoming giveaway- it’s a great one!

Bacheloretting, Just $4.74

So, it’s not news that I heart VistaPrint.  But I recently learned that VP makes T shirts and totes, with prices starting at $4.74 (or in some cases, free, if you have the right coupon).  And so I did some looking into it.  Turns out these inexpensive tees are actually quite cute, and of course you can even upload your own design.  Now, I love companies like Zazzle and Custom Ink too, not to mention the adorable custom finds you can get on Etsy or Wedding Chicks, but hey, times are tough.  Sometimes you have to make the call to cut costs, and this is a good way to do so while still getting a product completely personalized (for instance, you could put each gal’s name on their own shirt; or make the bride’s a little extra special)!

Wouldn’t these be wonderful, affordable bridesmaids gifts?  Or perfect for an upscale out of town bag?  Personally, I always love wedding swag and have not stopped wearing my most recent wedding related item, a zippered hoodie from friend P’s bachelorette.  In fact, I *may* or *may not* have recently designed some tees for two different events I’ll be a part of in the near future, and I’m so excited with how they came out!  Here’s some of my favorite VP options!

And remember, if you order from VistaPrint, be sure to use Ebates so you can get cash back too!! 

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot, they make tote bags and hats too.  What designs are your favorite?

For the Bachelorette Who Has Everything

What do you get for a bachelorette who has everything?  Or at least for bachelorette who prefers to avoid strippers, phallic symbols, etc. at her bachelorette party?  Well, I’d start with a bottle of wine, maybe make some T shirts.  And I’d buy some fun books for the ladies to peruse while drinking that wine and wearing those shirts!  Here’s my top recommendations for bachelorette books to give, to share, and to receive (and some of these are not just for bach parties, hint hint):

Porn for Women: this book features hunky dudes doing things like asking for directions or saying things like “As long as I have two legs to walk on, you’ll never take out the trash.”  They also make a Porn for New Moms book.

Adult Mad Libs: Specifically made for Bachelorette parties.  Yes, really, truly fabulous!

What in the World Did I Do Last Night?:  I have no personal experience with this concept, I have no idea what you are talking about.

Words of Wisdom for the Bachelorette: This looks downright boring, but making fun of it might actually provide you with a new world of entertainment!

All images link to their source.

Venue Scout: Dylan’s Candy Bar

 Have you ever been to Dylan’s Candy Bar?  I know there are multiple locations, but I’m talking about the NYC based confectionery where sugar is the law.  Where I will never bring my children.  EVER.  Because they might bounce right through the ceiling.  Yep, it’s basically amazing.

Well, I’m super excited because I recently attended an outrageously fun bridal shower there (all photos in this post courtesy of friend-bride-to-be)!  I knew that Dylan’s could throw private parties, but I always figured they would mainly cater to 10 year-olds.  And I was so excited to learn that they do much, much more!  Like showers and bachelorette parties!

Ready for the best part?  If you throw a party at Dylan’s, they do all the heavy lifting for you.  They provide you with invitations AND thank you notes, a private, decorated room, food that isn’t just candy (read: tea sandwiches, fruit, crudites) and of course a tasty dessert of your choosing! At the shower I attended, a bartender made tasty cocktails right next to a lovely dessert buffet, and ladies made the nicest-smelling cotton candy while we noshed and visited.  There was also a very tasty and lovely candy-land style cake on display.  As Rachel Ray would say, yum-o!

They will even offer you a professional photographer, games (we decorated cupcakes, played a celebrity couples game, and of course the purse game!), and post-shower courier service so the bride doesn’t have to lug all those gifts home in a taxi.

Perhaps the best part, other than all the other great parts, was that each guest got signature Dylan’s paint cans to fill with candy from the personalized candy bar- which had things like gummies, chocolate covered oreos, jelly bellies, and so forth.  The lids of the paint cans were personalized for my friend, and the guests were elbowing each other to get to the candy.  You really haven’t lived until you’ve seen 50 and 60 somethings elbowing over candy! 

Even if you don’t live near a Dylan’s, this seems like the kind of theme anyone could run with for a grown-up girl party! I think it is pure brilliance.  Friends take note, for my next big birthday, this is the place to throw my surprise birthday party!

Bacheloretting The Sane Way

Today’s post comes from guest blogger Phara, who has some wise words for anyone out there planning a bachelorette party (tips that I fully agree with).  Coming soon, guest blogger Christina will tell you some ideas for throwing just such a party Chi town style, but in the mean time, read on for a few “best practices” for planning a fabulous fete that won’t end in hurt feelings or lost sanity!

 .  .  .

While the bachelorette party is certainly a milestone for the bride, it is often a source of tension among members of the bridal party.  Here are a ten tips to make this process go as smoothly as possible, and to help keep the focus on fun rather than funds.

1.  Organize a casual get-together for the bridal party early in the process.

 I think it’s important for members of the bridal party to all know one another in a fun, social way before they have to start making decisions together. 

2.  Follow the leader.

Next, someone needs to take charge.  Generally, this is the Maid of Honor’s responsibility.  However, in certain cases, your Maid of Honor may be young or out-of-town.  In that case, the bridesmaids should offer to take care of the party, but it’s still the Maid of Honor’s decision whether or not to let them.

3.  Do not involve the bride.

Ask the bride very early on who she wants to invite to her bachelorette party, and confirm the party’s date.  The bride should not be involved in the bachelorette party after this.  The bride should not be made aware of petty disagreements, or decisions about what to do or where to go.  In my opinion, members of the bridal party should know the bride well enough to know her likes and dislikes.  (A drag queen club is not necessarily the best idea for a bride who likes to strictly spend her evenings with wine and a good book.)  Other than that, why add more stress to the bride’s plate? 

In my case, early in the process, my sister (Maid of Honor) complained to me that my friends (other bridesmaids) were being “mean” to her and shooting down all of her ideas.  While I understand that my younger sister’s automatic action is to complain to me about everything, this is not something that I was willing to get involved in.  I reminded my sister that she is the Maid of Honor, and therefore, the supposed “leader” of this party.  I explained that she just needed to be confident and establish herself as that leader.  In all honesty, I think my friends still think of her as the ten year-old girl trying to tag along with us teenagers.  She’s now a 23 year-old law student – she can handle it.  As soon as she did that, there were no more problems.  However, if I said something to my friends, I would have gotten in the middle of small conflict and made it a big one.  No need for that, and everything was resolved without me.  I haven’t heard a thing since.

More tips after the jump… Continue reading »

Sale at Wedding Chicks!

Attention attention!  If you follow the Wedding Chicks, you’re going to love this.. a monster sale on their super cute tanks and tees for your wedding- or maybe for your friend!  Oh and did I mention free shipping?  I swear they aren’t paying me, I just think their stuff is adorable, and I may or may not have just scored super cute tops for myself and my sister on the big day.  Click here to see more!  (images from Wedding Chicks)

Barn Bacheloretting: The Fun!!

As you may recall, my bachelorette party was held at a gorgeous converted historic barn, and we seriously had an amazing time!  When I arrived, bridesmaids C., R. and T. had food and wine waiting for me, along with a scrumptious chocolate cake (which had the added bonus of looking like a part of the female anatomy, thereby resulting in us giggling like 13 year-olds).

The ladies also purchased for me the all-important “bride” veil and garter set, which I am modeling below.

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Barn Bachelorette

Its true in real estate, and its true in the world of bachelorette parties.  Location matters!   Which is probably why so many ladies I know have opted to travel to Vegas, Miami, etc. for their bachelorette festivities!  But not me.  My good friend C. and my sister B. were already flying in from out of town, and let’s face it, the economy stinks, so jetting off to a foreign country, however appealing on paper, wasn’t a good idea.  Rather, I asked my ladies to plan something a little closer to home, and to keep things on the lower-key side.  And they deeeelivered.

My bridesmaids found literally the most perfect possible place for us to stay- a converted historic stone barn on an 88 acre farm in the hills above the Delaware River.  It had a dramatic living room with a glass ceiling that kept us warm while allowing us to enjoy the feel of the original high ceilings.  The ground floor (former home of the animals) had an enormous kitchen with a barn-beam table, and the entire place used reclaimed barn wood for things like doors and cabinets.  Ping pong, rocking chairs, musical instruments, tennis courts, swimming pools, hiking trails, wood burning stoves- I’m telling you, it was country swank like I’ve never before seen, and the most supremely appropriate place for a relaxing ladies weekend.

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