Maryland Pink and Green

Lemon and Line: Flash Giveaway!

2012-01-27T07:55:00.002-05:00

Here's a special weekend treat for you! When David from Lemon and Line told me about the newest addition to the spring/summer collection, I was so excited. The Kelly Green and Pink bracelet is not yet available online and will be released in a few weeks. I could wear this bracelet Every. Single. Day.

The nautically inspired Lemon and Line bracelets are handcrafted in Newport, Rhode Island and are available in several sizes for a perfect fit. David says, "In the smallest of nutshells, I grew up boating and have been fond of all things water since day one. I have seen too many "nautical" accessories that just are not all that authentic."

Lemon and Line makes real nautical bracelets. The gorgeous and colorful bracelets are made of marine grade materials that are actually used on boats. Offered in a variety of styles and colors they'll complement any style or outfit!

My friends at Lemon and Line generously agreed to sponsor a giveaway for Maryland Pink and Green readers. One lucky reader will receive a Kelly Green and Pink bracelet in the size she chooses. To enter, simply "like" Lemon and Line on Facebook and leave a comment below this post. Share this giveaway on Facebook by using the like or share tab for an extra entry. Leave an additional comment for extra entries.

The contest ends at midnight on Sunday, January 29, 2012.

xoxo

Free Personalized Valentines

2012-01-25T04:55:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for classroom valentines for yourself or someone at home? With this special offer from Vista Print, get 10 Free Personalized Valentines . Since there are three valentines on each card, you'll have enough for a class of 30 students.

You'll even get color printing on one side and free envelopes. Shipping starts at $4.50 and there are lots of other free items on the Vista Print site. I always choose the least expensive shipping option and my items have always arrived long before the expected date.

These are two valentines that I designed on Vista Print.

Sock Monkey

Valentine Hearts

Be sure to order your Valentines ASAP. This offer is only valid until 1/27/12.

xoxo

Treats For Your Sweets

2012-01-24T10:00:00.001-05:00

Do you buy special treats for your favorite sweet peeps at Valentine's Day? I love Valentine's Day and love to celebrate it with family and friends. Anyone can be your valentine, whether it's a romantic or platonic relationship.

Hammond's Candy has the best lollipops and wonderful customer service. I love the Hammond's 2 oz Wild Cherry Heart Lollipop. It's a perfect and simple valentine treat. One year, I attached these lollipops to the minnies' valentines and their classmates were thrilled.

Another delicious option comes from Williams Sonoma. I love the x and o s'mores from Williams Sonoma.

This hot or iced chocolate is the richest that I have found outside of Mexico and is so delicious. The Aztec Hot Chocolate and Aztec Iced Chocolate set from Marie Belle makes a great gift for anyone.

Do you remember playing Mad Libs as a child? I used to love Mad Libs on long car rides. Valentines of all ages will love playing with and eating the Conversation Hearts Mix a Message from Dylan's Candy Bar.

What sweet treats do you like to buy for your valentine?

xoxo

Après Ski Chic

2012-01-23T05:56:00.001-05:00

This weekend, we had our first real snow of the season. Although I enjoy warm weather more than cold temperatures, snow is a pretty diversion every once in a while. But what do you wear in the snow and still look chic? Here’s a look at some après ski chic from some of my favorite style icons.

Charade is one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn movies. In the beginning of the film, Audrey Hepburn’s character, Regina Lampert, looks cool as she stays warm at the jet set ski resort in Megève, Switzerland in this chic ensemble. So simple and elegant.

Princess Grace helps young Princess Stephanie on skis. Great sunglasses and neutral tones are a perfect look. You could channel your inner Princess Grace with this outfit on the slopes today and look fantastic. Good style is timeless.

Jackie Kennedy wears what looks like a boiled wool jacket, turtleneck, and slim pants to keep warm while she's skiing. Caroline's fair isle sweater is something that my twincesses could wear now. Isn't it amazing that styles that were perfect 40 or 50 years ago are so timeless?

What do you wear in the winter to stay warm while you are skiing or enjoying the snow?

xoxo

Luxury Travel Perks

2012-01-20T09:20:00.002-05:00

Luxury travel these days is about much more than a suite with high thread count sheets. A difficult economy makes travelers even more discerning than normal and expectations are high. So what are some perks of luxury travel today? As I'm preparing to embark on another exciting journey, I am thinking about some of my favorite travel indulgences. I figure that I deserve a little something special after making it through security without shoes a full body scan at Dulles International Airport. Here are some of my favorite things away from home.

House Car: The Rolls Royce parked in front of the Plaza hotel? It does not belong to a celebrity or diplomat. It's yours to use during your stay. Many luxury hotels offer the use of a chauffeur driven house car during your stay. Have the house car drop you off at Dylan's Candy Bar or C. Wonder in style during your next stay in New York City. The hotel where I will be staying next week has a fabulous house car and I'm so excited!

Amenities: Lately, I try to travel with a carry on bag instead of checking luggage. It saves time in the airport, but one thing that I often miss are my favorite soaps, shampoos, and shower gels from home. L'Occitane amenities are my favorites! The next time you're booking a hotel, be sure to inquire about these luxurious extras.

Pool Butler: At Las Ventanas in Los Cabos, Mexico, a pool butler will spoil and pamper you as you soak up a healthy dose of Vitamin D. Your pool butler provides you with everything from thick, fluffy towels to slushy drinks with umbrellas. There's even Evian mist to spray on your skin. I'll stick with my Coca-Light-con-hielo-y-un-popote-por-favor. Allie from Summer is a Verb knows how good this is!

Private Pool: If you want to get away from the scene at the main pool, many hotels offer villas with private pools. At Las Brisas in Acapulco, Mexico, fresh hibiscus flowers are carefully placed in your private pool every morning. The view of the bay from the hillside villas is truly stunning. This is one of my favorite places and is reminiscent of the Old Acapulco that Slim Aarons adored so much.

Rainforest Shower: I dream of luxury showers. At home, my shower is a very basic, ordinary shower. At the El Tamarindo close to Manzanillo, Mexico, the shower in the private casita is a true experience. A rainforest shower head is complemented by multiple jets on the sides of the walls. Love!

Keswick Hall Baby Butler: When the minnies were infants, I was fortunate enough to travel with a nanny on many occasions. A nanny certainly makes it easy to enjoy dinner for two or a night on the town with twincesses in tow. Keswick Hall offers baby butlers to new mommies. They’ll heat bottles for you in the middle of the night and will place pink, blue, or yellow sheets on the crib in preparation for your little one’s arrival. They'll help make a vacation a little bit more relaxing for new parents. Maybe you'll catch up on a little bit of sleep!

What are some of your favorite luxury travel perks?

xoxo

Rolls Royce Coca Light Shower

Stamp Pretty Papers

2012-01-19T08:22:00.001-05:00

Recently, I was contacted by CafePress about some of their wonderful products. CafePress offers Custom Stamps and Custom Stationery, which go hand in hand for your correspondence and crafting needs.

The are hundreds of options for your Custom Stamp. See all of the varieties that you can choose. Make your mark on stationery, gifts and letters with their custom snap stamp collection. Purchase one snap stamp base, then buy multiple interchangeable faces, choosing from almost a thousand customizable designs.

Now you only need one stamp base. Easily change your stamp face with the season or for a special occasion such as a shower or party.

As a Marylander, I love the crab motif stamp.

Get your Greek Letters on a stamp! The stamp would be perfect to make rush posters, book marks, or invitations for recruitment parties. Show your sorority pride with this unique stamp. A great gift for a big or little sister or a friend who has just received her bid.

The stamp also makes a perfect gift for a high school graduation. Send your favorite student to college in style and encourage her to send you snail mail! Pair the stamp with some CafePress custom stationery for a wonderful presentation.

Everyone loves a monogram! These stamps are unique and add a special touch to your letters.

This set is a perfect personalized gift for someone who is able to choose the custom stamp and lettering of choice. Simply give them a gift box with the stamp base and code with instructions for ordering. You can even add on the option of a colored stamp pad. Pink and green, anyone?

While you're browsing the CafePress site, be sure to take a look at the custom valentines and invitations. They're perfect for any party from a childrens' party to a gathering of friends. Take 20% off your order with the code 20JAN for an even sweeter deal!

CafePress has a special treat for Maryland Pink and Green readers! One lucky winner will receive a Custom Snap Stamper Kit. Use the code included in the box for you or a gift recipient to go online and create a custom masterpiece. Includes: 1 Snap Stamp Base, voucher for custom stamper face, black ink pad.

Use the widget to enter the giveaway. You must leave a comment to enter the giveaway as well as being a Facebook follower. There are options for many extra entries, too! You can tweet the giveaway every day for an extra entry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to CafePress for their generosity and best of luck to everyone who enters.

Outfit of the Day

2012-01-18T07:25:00.007-05:00

Today's outfit from Kayce Hughes is perfect for work or play. Both of these pieces are on sale right now, so you can get this look for a great price. Remember to enter to win in the Kayce Hughes giveaway. The contest ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced tomorrow.

I'm planning a packing list for a trip next week. Where do you think I'm going?

What are you wearing today?

xoxo

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

2012-01-17T09:05:00.004-05:00

"It's like an Easy Bake Oven for Mommies!" According to Natalia, the Babycakes Whoopie Pie Maker is an advanced Easy Bake Oven for Mommies. She's actually correct in her assessment of this easy to use toy. This weekend the minnies and I were at Wegmans and saw the Babycakes Whoopie Pie Maker. It looked like a lot of fun, so I purchased it on a whim. I think I must have been hungry or something because I don't normally buy things like this, but I'm thrilled with the purchase and plan to use it often.

The whoopie pie maker only needs to preheat for a minute or so and it is ready to use. The instructions say to preheat while you are making the mix, but I found that it gets too hot if you do this. You’ll get better results if you preheat just before you need to bake. Just wait for the little green light, and you're ready to go.

The whoopie pie maker is easy to use right out of the box and has all of the tools you will need. It comes with a cooling rack and little two prong fork to help remove the baked whoopie pies. There's even a recipe book with different types of whoopie pie cakes and icing.

Since this was our first attempt and somewhat of a fun experiment, I just used a regular cake mix for the whoopie pies. Here’s what I had in the mix: 2 cups of red velvet cake mix, 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 egg, and ½ cup of water. It’s so easy to make, that I mixed it by hand.

Once you have your whoopie pie batter mixed, you’ll need to work quickly. This was the only challenging part of the process. Since the whoopie pies cook so quickly, it’s important to get the batter in each little space in a relatively short period of time so that your first little pies don’t burn.

The instructions said to use about a spoonful of batter. This is about right, but basically you need to fill the bottom space entirely to get good results. For the last batch, I actually squeezed the batter on the griddle using a pastry bag. It was lightning fast and none of the little whoopie pies burned.

Play with the baking times a little bit. Again, since these bake so quickly, it is best to be ready and organized. I set a timer for two and a half minutes, but the whoopie pies were a little too brown for my liking. For the next batch, I shortened the time to two minutes. Just right. We also tried a batch at a little bit less than two minutes, but the texture was too spongey and not firm like a whoopie pie.

By the way, you'll have a lot of whoopie pies from the recipe I posted. We had 3 batches of 12 individual pieces...that's 18 whoopie pies in less than 20 minutes from start to finish, including mixing and icing. It's easy to make many different flavors of whoopie pie because the process to make them is so fast.

Here are the delicious whoopie pies we made!

The possibilities with this are endless. The whoopie pie maker also works well to make silver dollar sized pancakes using regular pancake batter. Mini whoopie pies would be adorable on a candy buffet or as a little treat at a baby shower.

Later this week, I'll share a family secret with you. My mother is going to share my Aunt Jan's semi-famous and very delicious homemade recipe for Pennsylvania Dutch whoopie pies and icing.

xoxo

How to Tie a Murfee Scarf

2012-01-16T07:34:00.002-05:00

You probably have at least one Murfee scarf from Lilly Pulitzer in your closet, right? Up until recently, I only had a few ways to tie my Murfee scarves. I could wrap it around my neck to have the ends fall in the front or the back. It also looks great in a simple knot, either low or high on the neck. Probably my favorite way to wear the Murfee scarf was to fold the scarf in half lengthwise and then slide the ends through the loop.

One day, I accidently created a new way to tie the scarf and love it! Here's what you need to do. First, fold the scarf in half lengthwise and wrap it around the back of your neck.

Then pull one of the ends of the scarf through the loop.

Next, pull the other end of the scarf through the loops, weaving it in the opposite pattern as the first end of the scarf. You'll notice that you should either start by going over or under the loop depending on how you pulled through the first end of the scarf.

Finally, adjust the scarf so that it is comfortable around your neck and so that you can see the woven pattern of the tied Murfee.

How do you normally tie your Murfee scarf?

xoxo

P.S. Sorry for the quality of the photos. My 10 year old fashion consultant, Alexia, wanted to help me with this, but since she's at least a foot shorter than me, she took the pictures on a non-flattering up angle, giving me 7 chins! Ugh!

Pageant Fun and Commentary

2012-01-15T07:57:00.002-05:00

“Here she is, Miss America…” The familiar song lyrics bring back memories from my childhood. Like many other girls, I grew up watching the Miss America Pageant every year. It was quite the event at our house. My mother and I would take notes on our favorite (and not so favorite) contestants as we watched the pageant and make our selection for the winner.

50 Contestants pose in white dresses for Life Magazine in 1956.

Today, I still enjoy watching pageants. Last night, it was fun to see social media commentary while watching the Miss America pageant. You can see my twitter feed from last night to see what I had to say. While all of the participants prepared for this competition, it is easy to see who truly has talent and poise and who has been coached. My preliminary picks were Miss Virginia, Miss New York, and Miss Texas. After some of my favorites were eliminated, I supported Miss Oklahoma, who was the first runner up.

Some observations from last night:
1. Judges: I’m not sure how judges were selected, but I’m not sure that these people recognize poise, talent, and character. Kris Jenner as a judge?

2. Talent: The talent portion of the evening is always interesting. We had quite a few dancers who looked like they had spent 6 months preparing for a dance recital. Only two, Miss Oklahoma with her Irish Dance, and Miss California who danced on pointe, demonstrated a high level of skill in their presentations. Someone needs to tell the other ballerinas on pointe that regular shoes would have been sufficient. I had high hopes for Miss Texas on the piano, but was disappointed with her posture.

Then we had the singers. During the song about Disneyland, I actually laughed out loud at the lyrics. "I still believe in Disneyland, maybe it's all fake, but that's a chance I'll take." Really? No pageant is complete without someone putting on a red dress and singing Memory from Cats. The twist on this song was that it was sung in Italian.

3. Tidbits and Fun Facts: Some of the information about each contestant that ran across the bottom of the screen was just strange. Knows how to give a manicure to a cow? Afraid of windmills?

4. Miss Wisconsin needs to invest in some waterproof mascara.

Just this week, one of my friends posted something about a pageant for her elementary school daughter on Facebook and it elicited many, many comments and opinions, including quite a few negative ones. People have very strong opinions about pageants. In my opinion, pageants are no different than any other sport or extracurricular activity for a young girl when they are handled correctly by the parent. Overzealous parents exist in every sport, dance, and activity. When parents don’t handle things correctly, they can push their child into difficult schedules, activities, and affect their general well being and self esteem through activities that are not necessarily age appropriate.

It’s up to us as responsible parents to allow our children to participate in activities that they enjoy. It’s up to us to instill good character and values in children while emphasizing the importance of education. Any extracurricular activity, whether it is pageants or soccer, requires a proper balance. Ok, so I’ll get off my soapbox now.

My girls love to watch a good pageant as much as they enjoy watching a high school girls’ soccer game. But we’re certainly looking forward to the Miss Universe competition.

Until then,

God Bless America

xoxo

image via Time

Playing with Printables

2012-01-14T09:09:00.002-05:00

Although it's impossible to be a pro at everything, I like to try different things. The minnies and I are brainstorming some other preppy pun-ny slogans to make Valentines. I'll let you know what add to the list.

Meanwhile, I'm playing with the printables and designing some graphics.

Here are the first attempts of the morning! Feel free to copy the jpeg image and print. Depending on the size of the printable, these would be great for classroom Valentines, cupcake toppers, or place cards.

xoxo

A Taste of Maryland

2012-01-13T09:13:00.002-05:00

Recently I created a theme basket for a DAR fundraiser. Our chapter house is Roland Park in Baltimore, Maryland is a stunning Queen Anne style home that was built in 1892, the same year that the DAR was founded in the State of Maryland. It is lovingly maintained by the Maryland Daughters through donations and fundraising.

The basket that I created was sold at a live auction at a party for DAR members with the proceeds from the auction going to benefit the Roland Park chapter house. Every chapter makes a basket with a different theme. You may remember that last year, I chose a Preppy Pink and Green theme for the basket. This year, the theme was A Taste of Maryland.

When I first thought about this theme, I knew that I wanted lots of patriotic colors and yummy treats from the State of Maryland. Instead of using a basket, I chose a Picnic at Ascot insulated cooler that comes complete with preppy blue gingham plates, napkins, and silverware.

The two most popular items in the basket were the seven layer cake from Caroline’s Cakes and the signed print of the Preamble to the Constitution. In the movie, The Help, you can see a cake from Caroline’s Cakes in one of the scenes. Their famous Caramel Cakes are pure heaven.

Some of my favorites from the basket are...

- Maryland Viognier wine
- Triple Crown Preserves, a blue ribbon award winning blend of strawberry, red raspberry, and cherry preserves and a salute to the second gem of the Triple Crown, The Preakness.

Here's a printable I designed for the basket.

I really enjoy selecting items for the basket every year and am happy to work to benefit such a worthy cause.

What are some local specialties where you live?

xoxo

Tangerine Tango - Pantone's Color of the Year

2012-01-12T07:44:00.004-05:00

According to the Pantone website, this year's color of the year is, “Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Orange is one of my favorite colors and brings a splash of warmth and sunshine to any outfit or space, all year long. Tangerine Tango is a versatile color that is vibrant and bright for spring, but will easily transition to a fall wardrobe later this year. This year, it's not about the Little Black Dress, or even the Little White Dress. Let's try the Little Orange Dress on for size!

Here are my top picks in Tangerine Tango for women.

Let's not forget about the mini-fashionistas. Here are some wonderful selections just for the minnies.

Bring some heat and energy to your home with the addition of Tangerine Tango home accessories and electronics. Pillows, linens, kitchen appliances, and A pop of color is a fantastic way to give a fresh new look to any space. These are my top picks for the home in a variety of price points.

Orange and pink is one of my favorite color combinations. On a funny note, I always said that I would love to have a store named Mango Tango. It's close to Tangerine Tango, don't you think?

What are your favorite color combinations with orange?

xoxo

If you're interested in previous selections for Pantone's Color of the Year, you may want to read about these fantastic colors.

- Lilly Pulitzer style maven Jane Schoenborn talks about Honeysuckle.
- See how turquoise is a refreshing, calming color.

Kayce Hughes Giveaway

2012-01-11T00:26:00.003-05:00

When Kayce Reagan Hughes finished college, she employed her artistic talents working for Ralph Lauren in the Women’s Design department. She gave that up six years later after the birth of her first child, son Reagan. Four years and four more children later, Hughes began turning vintage fabrics into nightshirts for her daughters. “They were so cute that I had a seamstress make some dresses and shorts for me as well”, she says. Marketing them under the labels Pears and Bears, Hughes took her tot-size garments around to a handful of stores who snatched them up.

What began with a simple nightshirt has now expanded to an over 200 piece collection that includes children’s apparel, gift and layette collections, a flower girl collection and an ever expanding women’s line of clothing and accessories. - reprinted from the Kayce Hughes website

I love Kayce Hughes' clothing for women, children, and infants. Her classic collections are timeless. These are items that you reach for in your wardrobe year after year. Recently, Kayce answered some questions for me in an interview that I would love to share with you. As you read the interview, enjoy seeing some of my favorite things from Kayce Hughes. Right now, all of the fall collection is on sale for 50% - 60% off the original price. The online prices reflect the discount.

MPAG: Your business originally started out with classic children's nightshirts in vintage fabrics. Tell me about your favorte vintage fabric find.

Kayce: The nightshirts were actually copies of vintage fabrics that I found at my local fabric store. They were copies for feed sack prints that were popular in the 1940’s and are often used by quilters today. I do love to hunt for vintage goodies including fabric. One of my favorite finds was some unused fabric that was probably intended as kitchen curtains in the 50’s. It was flocked with white dots and daisy flowers and I had one of our vintage style dresses made in it.

Brooke Dress in Red Corduroy

MPAG: What are your favorite styles for women from the fall collection?

Kayce: That is kind of a hard one. I love the Brooke Dress in the red pansy fabric because I love that fabric. I also love the Miro in the denim because it feels so effortless. As much as I love dresses many days I feel like wearing jeans. On those days I love to wear our ruffle blouse with a blazer or our Evy Top.

Evy Top in White Bueno Shirting

MPAG: As a business owner and mom to seven children, you surely have a busy schedule. What are your secrets to staying organized?

Kayce: Staying organized.... I am not sure that I have ever gotten there. A few things that help are that my children are not super busy. We say no to a lot, especially when they are little. My 14 year old loves to dance and has class at least 5 days a week and we carpool with two other dancers.

Christina Dress in Red Corduroy

MPAG: Spring is just around the corner and we are all eager to see the latest Kayce Hughes collection. Can you give us a little preview of the colors, textures, or styles we can expect for spring?

Kayce: I am really excited about our spring line. We have added two new gingham colors, green and turquoise, and they feel so fresh and classic. We also did a grouping of navy and tomato in both solids and a print that I am loving and is new for me.

Day Dress in Red Gingham

In addition to the Kayce Hughes website, you should also visit her blog and like her Facebook page. Her sense of style, design, and everyday life are so refreshing.

Napkin in Green Floral Print

Here's the best part! Kayce Hughes is sponsoring a generous giveaway for Maryland Pink and Green readers. One lucky winner will receive one of two options: choose two items from the fall collection or choose one item from the new spring collection from Kayce Hughes!

Enter To Win! In order to win, you must be a Maryland Pink and Green follower and you must like Kayce Hughes on Facebook. Leave a separate comment for each entry.

First Entry: Leave a comment mentioning your favorite item from the Kayce Hughes website.

Additional Entry Opportunities:
1 Entry: Subscribe to Kayce Hughes' blog
1 Entry: Like Maryland Pink and Green on Facebook
1 Entry: Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter with a reply to @mdpinkandgreen

That gives you 4 different ways to enter the contest! The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 18. The winner will be announced on Thursday, January 19.

Many thanks to Kayce for this wonderful opportunity for Maryland Pink and Green readers.

xoxo

Lilly Inspired Baby Shower and Nursery

2012-01-10T09:23:00.008-05:00

Today I have a special treat for you! Courtney, Mommy to Be and Maryland Pink and Green reader, shared her Lilly Pulitzer inspired baby shower with me as well the adorable nursery that she has planned for baby girl, Lilly. Courtney is a fellow Phi Mu sister and her sorority sisters from the Princeton, New Jersey chapter organized a delightful shower in her honor. Courtney’s sorority sister, Audrey envisioned the Lilly Pulitzer themed cakes and Blue Sheep Bake Shop in New Jersey brought this vision to a beautiful reality.

Courtney's Phi Mu sister Lauren designed the perfectly pink and green invitations for the event. The paper was from paper-source.com. Aren't they lovely? Lilly is a family name, but it sure suits a little future Lilly loving minnie well.

Each of the four one of a kind cakes from Blue Sheep Bake Shop served as the table centerpieces for each of the four guest tables at the baby shower. Flavors included strawberries and champagne, chocolate with chocolate mousse filling, red velvet with cream cheese filling, and marble with chocolate ganache filling. They all sound so delicious, but I think that my favorite would have been the red velvet with cream cheese filling. The bakery is well known for delicious cakes. It was even invited to be on the program Cupcake Wars! I love the idea of using cakes as centerpieces. Functional and beautiful!

Lilly Pulitzer Koozies at each place setting are excellent party favors for the event.

Courtney says, "I wanted to wear one of my Lilly dresses but I am 36 weeks and have gotten to the point where black is much much prettier and slimming." I think that you look amazing, Courtney! She did wear a Lilly Pulitzer Connelly wrap over the dress to add a pop of color to the outfit.

The nursery also has delightful touches of pink and green Lilly Pulitzer. For Courtney's Washington, DC baby shower, her sister created a game called pin the Lilly dress on the baby. She created the shift dresses from real Lilly patterns and individually stitched each dress along the edge.

After the baby shower, Courtney and her sister decided to custom mat frame four of the dresses and hang them in the nursery as wall art. Michael's did a fantastic job of custom framing and has frequent sales and promotions.

Take a look at the nursery glider, too. Courtney's family took real Lilly fabric and created a blanket, pillow and baby clothes from the preppy fabric. Just beautiful.

Here's a close up view of the stitching of the wall art.

For the nursery walls, Courtney used the Lilly Pulitzer Desert Tort Wall Decals above the changing area. The decals are great visual stimulation for the baby and are safe enough that they won't fall off on her.

Courtney loves pink and green as much as I do! More adorable touches in the nursery include a Lilly night light and diaper bag. Here's a funny story about the diaper bag. Courtney purchased the bag a few years ago, just as she had just gotten engaged or was getting engaged. The rationale behind her purchase was that perhaps Lilly wouldn't sell a diaper bag in the future! Her husband actually opened the package, something he NEVER does, and about had a heart attack when he realized it was a baby bag. It's a story he still doesn't let her forget. But that's ok, Courtney! A Lilly girl has to do what she has to do! I was buying smocked dressed long before I found out that I was going to have twin girls.

Thank you, Courtney, for sharing your baby shower and your adorable nursery with me. It's truly a Lilly inspiration to other Mommies to be!

xoxo

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End of an Era in Bridal Fashion

2012-01-09T05:40:00.003-05:00

When I saw this article about Priscilla of Boston stores closing, it made me sad. So many iconic American Brands are disappearing. Other brands that used to have quality construction and fabrics seem to have swapped them for inferior quality. You've probably noticed it, too. Plaids and prints that don't properly align, expensive cashmere sweaters that pill horribly on the first wear, and thin fabric that feels cheap are my biggest pet peeves. But, I'm getting off track. Back to the wedding dresses.

Priscilla of Boston has been the designer of choice for classic American Brides for many decades. Long before Vera Wang started envisioning her gowns, Priscilla of Boston dressed some of America's most famous brides.

Princess Grace chose Priscilla of Boston.

Luci Baines Johnson chose Priscilla of Boston.

Tricia Nixon also chose Priscilla of Boston.

To loosely paraphrase an article I read about the stores closing, a David's Bridal representative says that brides are not willing to pay for a Priscilla of Boston gown and that the company prefers are to focus on David's Bridal, where gowns cost around 1,000 or less. A wedding is every girl's dream. To this day, I remember making an appointment at the exclusive bridal boutique in Polanco in Mexico City to find the perfect dress from Pronovias. With butterflies in my stomach, I rang the doorbell at the boutique and loved the personalized experience and attention I received. It made me feel like a princess. There is a dress for every bride and every budget.

In my opinion, there are many brides who are willing to pay a higher price for a wedding dress and a unique bridal salon experience. Think about the success of the TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress" where viewers see a bride's search for the perfect dress at the upscale Kleinfeld Bridal. Furthermore, many day dresses from some of my favorite designers retail for the prices of what some David's Bridal Gowns cost! Many bridal designers have multiple price tiers in their collections and this model might have worked well under the umbrella of these two brands.

Although I was disappointed that Priscilla of Boston was closing, I was disgusted to hear that many Priscilla of Boston gowns were defaced and spray painted (in pink!) so that they could not be used. To paraphrase, they didn't wan't the value of the dresses to be cheapened by the secondary market. What? While I understand that dumpster diving is a problem and that the company didn't want the bridal gowns to end up in the hands of thieves, wouldn't it have made more sense to donate the dresses? Why destroy a wedding gown? Who would destroy an American Icon? At a Charity Auction, brides could bid on the iconic (and now collectible) gowns, while helping a worthy cause. This would have been a win-win situation for everyone, right?

What was your experience like when you were shopping for a wedding gown? Did you buy it in a bridal salon or online?

xoxo

images via getty images and mnbc

Rendi: Custom Gifts and Home Décor

2012-01-08T06:58:00.002-05:00

Recently, Teresa introduced me to Rendi Style. Make custom gifts and home decor that are unique, meaningful, and from the heart. These items make perfect gifts or add a special touch to your own home.

According to Rendi's website,

Rendi’s products give you a new and creative way to care for family and friends. Rendi means “you make” in Italian. You make your life reflect the values you hold most precious. Doesn’t that really mean our relationships? You make a gift – a one-of-a-kind, personal gift that you’ve given from both your hand and your heart. You make people happy. You step out of life’s busyness and take time to tell someone just how much they mean to you. You’ll be amazed how your creation impacts the people in your life.

Every Rendi photo frame and every home and wall décor sign is made from 100% recycled wood right here in the U.S.A. Every Rendi piece is also planet friendly and made with 100% post-consumer recycled wood and water-based finishes. They are created and shipped out the door within 2 business days and all products are beautifully gift wrapped for free.

Without a doubt, my favorite item is the 12 x 22 Customizable Large Pennant Sign with Ric Rac. This is adorable for a girl's room or birthday party. Love!

This 12 inch Round Customizable Sign with Jute comes in several different color stories, but I'm partial to the pink and green. The quote library on Rendi's website is such a helpful resource for your gifts. Find the perfect quote for any occcasion with ease. This would be perfect gift for a friend's birthday or graduation.

This is from Teresa's personal collection. It is also January's feature product of the month with a discount of 20% off retail price. It is a dramtic 2 feet tall 1 foot wide tag that has 4 different color options. With Valentine's Day around the corner, she chose to the famous Corinthians passage thinking it would make a great gift for that special someone. But it can also be personalized with up to 400 characters of your own words. Gorgeous!

Another one of Teresa's favorite gifts is a variation on the house rules tag. This 11 x 23 tag can be personalized. Teresa created this piece for her mother for Mother's Day. Her mother cried when she opened the gift! It can also be customized for Grandmothers, Fathers, Sisters, and Teachers. The possibilites are endless.

Rendi is running an amazing promotion this month only. Buy 2 products get 1 free for all party orders. If anyone is interested in taking advantage of the promotion, message Teresa for details. You can email her at teresa dot youmake at gmail dot com. Be sure to check out her Facebook page for more promotions.

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo

Best $5 Sandwich at Lunchbox

2012-01-07T08:54:00.006-05:00

Volt is one of my favorite restaurants, but it is truly a splurge to go to eat there; not to mention that it is often difficult to obtain a reservation. So when I heard that Bryan Voltaggio’s new restaurant, Lunchbox, had opened, I knew that I had to try it. The restaurant is located in Carroll Creek’s beautiful promenade and is a perfect stop after a visit to the library.

The decor of the restaurant is casual and comfortable. I love the lunchboxes on the wall and the exposed wood. Each table has a Mason jar filled with disposable silverware that looks like the real thing.

On the day that we visited, Bryan Voltaggio was busy making sandwiches. He chatted with customers and is quite personable. One customer remarked that she was surprised to see him there to which he replied, "Of course I'm here, I work here!" He's so down to earth despite the fact that he has reached bobblehead fame and constantly has people taking pictures of him!

My girls liked the crate full of free apples beside the cash register.

The menu at Lunchbox is full of lots of delicious options. The best part is that everything on the menu costs $5 or less. We tried the sandwiches, soup, and sweets. On my next visit, I want to try a salad.

The food on the menu is fantastic, but the drink choices are also fun. You can try Cheerwine or Mexican Coca Cola at Lunchbox. Cheerwine is so yummy and difficult to find. Mexican Coca Cola is so much sweeter than Coca Cola in the United States.

Here's a selection of the sandwiches:
cuban: jerk pork shoulder, ham, pickle, gruyere, mojo sauce, cuban bread
the pilgrim: turkey, orange-cranberry, sage, cream cheese, seven grain
reuben: pastrami, swiss, pickled cabbage, marble rye
muffaletta: capocola, prosciutto, gruyere, olive relish, classic roll
portabella: cherry glen farm goat cheese, pesto, piquillo pepper, sourdough

I tried the Pilgrim and loved it. The sandwich is huge and half of a sandwich would have been plenty for me. It's full of fresh turkey and a light cranberry dressing. It has so much flavor! I also love the Butternut Squash soup at Lunchbox. Creamy and delicious.

Even the to go boxes are fun at Lunchbox. Isn't this little lunchbox cute? We couldn't finish all of our sandwiches, so we took some home to eat later in the afternoon.

My friend Anita and I went to Lunchbox with our girls and we saw many other moms who had the same idea! I'm looking forward to another visit to Lunchbox soon. If you're in Downtown Frederick shopping or looking for antiques, stop in for a snack at Lunchbox. You're going to love it.

xoxo

Wishes for the Wise Men

2012-01-06T04:55:00.007-05:00

Do you still have a little bit of the holiday spirit? Today we celebrate the Epiphany to remember the Magi's visit to the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem. If you lived in Mexico, this morning you would wake up to find little surprises and gifts in shoes that you had carefully placed by the Christmas tree or Nativity scene.

Image via The White Company

In the United States, children carefully write letters to Santa with their wish lists. The postal service quickly and efficiently sends these letters to Santa at the North Pole and you know the rest of the story. But how do the Three Kings, Baltazar, Melchor, and Gaspar, know what to bring little children in Mexico?

Children write letters to their favorite king. After attaching it to a helium balloon, the children release it to reach the kings in the sky. My friend Lucia helped her children launch their balloons, but the palm tree tangled the balloons to the kings! Oh no!

My dear friend has quite a sense of humor and did exactly what I would have done in this situation. She laughed! Of course, her children didn't see the humor in the situation and were so concerned that the kings would not receive their letters. They thought that perhaps the kings wouldn't come to their house tonight! Luckily, Lucia managed to find some extra balloons and the second attempt was a success. The balloons were on the way to the Star of Bethlehem.

Later in the day, everyone continues the celebration with a light meal that consists of hot chocolate and a sweet bread called Rosca de Reyes. A small figure representing the baby Jesus is hidden in the sweet bread ring. The lucky person who finds the baby in their piece of cake will host another party on February 2 to celebrate the Candelaria, the 40th day after Jesus' birth and the day he was presented in the temple.

Mexican celebrations are such an important and exciting part of their culture. I love El Día de los Reyes!

xoxo

My Credit Card is Smoking

2012-01-05T07:14:00.004-05:00

I have been really good about not spending money lately, but this latest round of post-holiday sales is too hard to miss. So many stores are getting ready to bring in their spring merchandise, but I still have many, many months of winter, so it's a great time to stock up on things to wear now.

J. Crew has an additional 25% off with the code SHOPNOW. My ten year old daughters love J. Crew's line for children. This striped sequin heart tee would be so cute for Valentine's Day, don't you think? Grown up and not at all baby-ish for a tween.

When I opened my email last night, my heart skipped a beat! My favorite designer of the moment, Elizabeth McKay, is offering 50% off of fall items and up to 75% off of classics with the code BLIZZARD. Elizabeth McKay's style is so classic and elegant, yet versatile. I can wear almost all of the items in her collection to work, but they are perfect for play, too. Last week, my official Disney touring outfits included Elizabeth McKay tunics and jeans. It's time for me to pick up another Lindsay dress, this time in Mascot Orange!

Kate Spade has an additional 25% off of sale items with the code NEWYEAR25. Kate Spade is another great choice for the office. I love the pink Rosie Cardigan.

So why is my credit card smoking? Well, just before all of these sales launched, I picked up a few items from the Lilly Pulitzer 2 day sale. This year's experience was wonderful compared to online sales in the past. Although I lost many items in my cart before I could check out and size selection was fairly limited, the inventory was accurate and I will receive everything that I ordered. This is a huge success! The shipping from King of Prussia to Maryland was incredibly fast. I received shipping confirmation and my packages on the same day!

As if all of this were not enough for your shopping delight, Lilly Pulitzer will also be on Rue La La today at 11:00 a.m.

Whew! What great finds have you purchased in this latest round of sales?

xoxo

Disney During the Holidays

2012-01-04T04:15:00.003-05:00

Many of you have emailed asking for more details about my Christmas trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I’ve already shared some fantastic shopping and sweet treats with you, but here’s a very unofficial-non-tourist-non-expert guide to Disney World during the holidays. When I booked this trip, I knew that it was the busiest time of the year for Disney World. Several parks reached capacity on two different days, yet the girls and I never waited in line for rides. In fact, we only waited in one line during our entire trip…30 minutes for the Magic Carpets of Aladdin on the Magic Kingdom’s busiest day at two o'clock in the afternoon. But before I go too much into the details of the parks, let me share a little bit of other information with you.

Accommodations
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village was our home away from home for the week. This hotel is fantastic for individuals or families. I love the villas and appreciate having a kitchen and laundry facilities. The savanna view is incredible, too! This little guy was just outside of the balcony. We were on the 4th floor and that seemed to be just the right spot to see the animals. As a tip, if you visit this resort and you don't have a car, be sure to request a room close to the lobby. Luckily, I had requested this in advance and was close to the lobby, but I heard others complaining about a 15 minute walk to the bus!

The hotel offers an array of interesting programs to guests that offer a unique experience beyond the theme parks. We celebrated the New Year in South African style and the girls participated in numerous children's programming activities. There's also a community room with crafts, billiards, games, and other activities.

The Twincesses designed their own t-shirts!

Transportation, timing, and tricks
With a little bit of planning, you can see and do everything in the Disney parks without standing in line, even during the busiest times of the year! We used Disney transportation on this trip, but honestly, I think that I will rent a car in the future. Often, the buses were very crowded, particularly after fireworks or evening shows.

Since the twincesses and I are used to waking up early, we just continued our normal routine and were at the gates for the rope drop every morning. This strategy isn't for everyone, but it certainly worked extremely well for us! In the Magic Kingdom, we finished every attraction in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland in less than an hour and a half, including Space Mountain! In every park, the same story was true. We rode Soarin' in Epcot, Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom, and Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios with little to no wait.

105 minutes? No way. We only waited 5 minutes for this ride and rode it a second time with a fast pass!

By late morning, we're finished with the main attractions and have time to enjoy shows, parades, and a leisurely lunch. It's a good idea to make reservations for a table service restaurant for lunch. I love to have a place to sit down and take a break after a busy morning. Some of my favorite restaurants in Epcot include Le Cellier, Teppan Edo, and Via Napoli.

The girls also love to meet characters and I enjoy the Christmas decorations. Usually, we take a break in the afternoon and spend some time at the hotel before heading back to the parks for evening entertainment like the Candlelight Processional, which is probably one of the most moving Christmas shows I have ever seen.

There's so much more that I can share with you about this incredible experiencee! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
What are your best Disney strategies?

xoxo

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Orlando Vacations

A Nautical New Year

2012-01-03T00:01:00.003-05:00

There's something special about the sea. The sounds, smells, and sight of the water make me smile. Nautical inspirations remind me of the ocean even during my cold, landlocked city winters.

Bring a little bit of the sea to the new year! Enter to win a set of 4 Nautical Tervis Tumblers.

Enter to Win!

1. To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this blog post to share an idea for a future post you would like to see on Maryland Pink and Green during 2012. Leave a comment on this blog post between today, Tuesday, January 3, 2012 and 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. A winner will be announced on Thursday, January 12, 2011. Please note that you must be a follower of this blog in order to win.

Extra entries:

2. Like Maryland Pink and Green on Facebook.

3. Share the link to this giveaway on Twitter with a reply to @mdpinkandgreen. Leave an additional comment with a link to your tweet.

4. Like this blog post on Facebook by clicking the "like" button at the bottom of this post.

Please leave me a comment for each entry! Best wishes to you and thanks for entering the giveaway!
xoxo

pictures via pinterest

Custom DIY Initial

2012-01-02T10:27:00.001-05:00

Every year I say that I am going to write more notes to friends via snail mail. Here’s a great way to personalize your notes or stationery in the New Year. At the Wedding Chicks website, you can design a vintage inspired framed initial to use in so many ways.

You can choose from a palette of gorgeous colors that will match any color scheme. The monogram would be so pretty for thank you notes for a bridal or baby shower.

Here's the design I created using antique pink! Simply choose the color and letter and you'll get a unique design. Right click on the object to save it and drop it in documents to print. The possibilities are endless.

Hope you're having a wonderful start to 2012!

xoxo

Past, Present, and Future

2011-12-31T16:33:00.002-05:00

Tonight as we celebrate the beginning of the New Year, it’s a good idea to review the past year. I am enjoying some special moments with the Twincesses on vacation while making memories that we will always cherish. It’s a great time to reflect on the past, to examine the present, and to plan for the future.

Thank you all for your support to Maryland Pink and Green during 2011. It means so much to me! 2011 has been a year full of happiness and I have a feeling that 2012 promises even better things.

The Past
2011 was a great year for me. Maryland Pink and Green has an expanded fan base and it is truly a joy to write and share with you in this space. On a professional level, I can honestly say that I have never been in a more positive work environment. It’s truly a joy to go to work. I have met new people, created new projects, and strengthened the relationships I already had.

Top Blog Posts 2011
Loyal readers aside, Google, Facebook, and Pinterest have been great sources of new readers for Maryland Pink and Green during 2011. The following posts have consistently ranked well throughout the year. Here they are along with a few of my favorite posts.

- Lilly's 80th Birthday Party in Palm Beach was such a wonderful fall getaway.
- My review of Modalu's Pippa Bag is still at the top of searches! I love my bag and use it often.
- Use your 2011 calendar for pretty DIY project when you Frame a Year
- Mod Podge was my go-to craft item this year. See how I made my pretty Lilly inspired pumpkins this fall.
- Organizing my classroom at the beginning of each year is always so much fun!
- Everyone got a laugh out of my dressing room mishap at Tory Burch!
- Mommies and their daughters are thrilled to have an American Girl Store at Tysons Corner.
- Designing a pink and green candy buffet for the Twincesses' First Communion is another highlight from 2011.
- Be sure to read about the 8 Items Every Woman Should Own in this blog post.
- Finding a great bargain is so exciting! See what I got for $1.70 at Michaels.
- My trip to the L.L. Bean Outlet.

The Present
Sometimes life seems like a bit of a rat race for me. Work, although personally enriching and meaningful, often leaves me exhausted and feeling like every day is like the movie Groundhog Day. Between the girls’ activities and social lives, a full time job, teaching Spanish courses online, and blogging, I’m a pretty busy peep. That’s why I always love to do special things with the Twincesses or on my own and take a break from the fast pace of everyday life, even if I need a vacation after the vacation!

The Future: 2012
You can count on me to continue with Maryland Pink and Green. That being said, I'd love to get your input for future posts. Your ideas and wishes will help me interact with you as much as possible. Please let me know what you would like to see in posts in 2012.

Thanks to you! Best wishes for a Happy New Year!

xoxo

Image via tres sugar.

12 Days of Christmas: Pink Nesting Bowl Set

2011-12-30T06:01:00.004-05:00

Yesterday my friend Jen and her lovely daughter joined the Twincesses and me for another day of adventure at the Magic Kingdom. It was great to tour the park with other people and the big girls and the little girls had a blast! I overheard the three little girls playing the sweetest version of "Would You Rather" for the tween-age set. Too cute!

Here's another giveaway for you just before the New Year! I loved hearing your entertaining tips for the Preppy Plates giveaway and am eager to get your input for this giveaway from Zak Designs.

Enter to win a lovely set of bowls from Zak Designs. The lotus 4 piece set is a perfectly pink collection of 3 melamine nesting bowls that rest on a lilly pad platter.

My friend Jen and I enjoyed our adventures for Lilly's birthday party in Palm Beach, but we also had a blast with all of the little girls, too! Do you like to travel with your friends and their children, too? What are some of your favorite destinations for girls' weekends?

Use the widget to enter to win this adorable set and leave a comment with your favorite travel destinations.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xoxo