Real vs. Steal

We all know and love designer items, yet we don't always have the budget for them.  Here are a few of my FAVORITE designer items that I wish I could have, however, planning a wedding and saving for a house is my #1 priority. So I listed some look-likes for a HUGE fraction of the designer cost.

Chanel Quilted Purse vs. ASOS // Reiss Brina vs. ZARA Court Shoe //  Michael Kors Watch vs. Charlotte Russe Valentino vs. Shoedazzle

Thank goodness for designer inspired items to help us ladies on a budget save some cash!

xox hope you have a wonderful day!

-L

Operation Gardening : The Ladybug Experiment

I have been growing my own vegetables for the past 4 months, and let me tell you-- it is such an excitement when your own vegetables spring up!  But when all of a sudden your precious plants become infested with aphids.. all hell breaks loose!  I didn't want to buy pesticides because I am trying to stay as organic as I can, since I will be consuming the vegetables myself.  I did my research and came to find out that ladybugs were a great way to get rid of those plant eating devils!  I purchased my own lady bugs and boy was that a thrill!  Here are some photos of my experiment:

Crawling around the pot

 

The result: No more plant eating aphids! It worked!

However, yes those pretty little ladies will soon fly off and venture into another garden, so you will need a backup plan:

Another method you can do if ladybugs aren't your forte, is 1/2 cup distilled vinegar with 1/2 cup water, mix it and put it in a spray bottle container. This will kill the aphids and larvae on contact.  Be careful- Some plants may react horribly with vinegar.

Hope that helps, friends!

P.S. While watching over my ladybug friends, I caught a bee on my basil flowers and had to snap a shot:


 
& here's a few of my garden plants, they are growing so fast!
I get so excited when I get to harvest more veggies!

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Basil

Jalapeno

Serrano Pepper

Lemon Tree

Bell Pepper

Little baby basil leaves

Do you have a garden? What is your favorite vegetable or fruit to grow?

xo- Lisa

Wedding Shower Success : And The Drama Behind The Scenes.

One of my best friends Bridal Shower was this past weekend.  We had so much fun!  The theme was Candyland, and we had our own Candy bar. It turned out so cute and we did it all ourselves!  However, the pre-planning process was not an easy task. Let me tell you...

So, weeks ago I called the table & chair rental company to confirm our reservation and exact table/chair count.  Everything seemed like it was going smoothly, and I had no idea what was about to occur.  The night before the Bridal Shower, the table rental company was to deliver the chair and tables by 8PM.  11:30 rolls around, and they were still a no-show.  Thankfully, 5 minutes past, a Party Rental truck comes rolling down the street.  I thought the stress was gone, until he starts pulling 5 square tables out of the truck.  We ordered ROUND tables, and to make matters worse, they didn't even bring the chairs.
The guy starts storming off and that was that.  I didn't think they were even going to show up the next morning, I thought we were screwed.  Thank goodness they showed up and brought the correct tables and chairs this time.

It doesn't end there.

We began setting up around 8 am for the 12'o clock. The rest of the bridesmaids were supposed to be there to help us.  They were nowhere to be found, we couldn't get a hold of them, and they still had some of the supplies we needed.  The Bride-To-Be was not thrilled.  Finally, when all the guests arrived, she started having an anxiety attack from all the stress and had a hard time breathing.  She had to breath from a paper bag. Thankfully, the guests had started playing the toilet paper game and didn't realize what was going on.   She finally calmed down and started to begin her day.  It all worked out in the long run, but man was it stressful!  Just like they say, "Nothing  ever goes as planned!" -- couldn't be more true! haha!

Here is a photo of all the lovely bridesmaid ladies ( missing Jo!)

Our adorable Candy Bar ( Man was that a hit!)

 

We had Buca Di Beppo catering. It was delicious, and man was that a hit! Check out that line --  out the door!

 

 We started off with the toilet paper game, where we put groups together in teams and they had to make a bridal gown/veil out of toilet paper! It was so funny to watch!  Those girls sure were creative!

 It was such a fun day!  We even had our own Mimosa Bar

 

Have you planned a Bridal shower before?  Did you have any struggles?  What was your favorite part?

xox 

-Lisa

 

Bridal Shower : What We Have Planned & What To Wear

So my girlfriends Bridal Shower is this coming weekend, and me and the other bridesmaids have been slaving away trying to get every last detail done!  The theme is Candyland, so we are focusing on rainbow colors.  We are also having a mimosa bar (which I am stoked about).  I can't wait to set it all up and post photos!  I will be posting oodles of photos throughout the day on my instagram account, so make sure to follow me and check it out!

We are also having a catered lunch from Buca Di Beppo.. mm delicious!!!! 

Since it is most likely going to be outrageously hot this Saturday, I definitely need to wear something I won't fry in. Something cute, comfortable, and affordable. I'll need to wear something light, and flowy. 

                         oh my hotness!                   >>    SAT 91°F

                                                    
Here are some of my favorite picks: