magnificent milestones

Welcome Home Wednesday

Kara Underwood Gordon — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:07:06 +0000

Last weekend, I spent a few fun hours scouring the North side for antique finds with a friend. In honor of our “Welcome Home Wednesday” feature, I thought I’d share some photos from my afternoon! It was great to get out and be inspired!

I loved these repurposed wooden crate lamp shades from Roost in Andersonville. So fun and creative!

xoxo,
Kara

Photos via {1} Chicago Home and Garden {2} Magnificent Milestones

Valentine’s Day Couple: Megan Cahill and Patrick Breen

Kara Underwood Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:44:25 +0000

When I met Megan, I was immediately excited to work together! And when I met her mom, Margie, my excitement went to a whole new level! I was instantly their third wheel and I loved every minute of it. Over a year, we designed playful save the dates followed by engraved invitations with a custom monogram. Once we raised the bar, we followed suit with coordinating day of pieces that debuted Megan and Patrick’s new monogram.

Some words from our bride…

What was the best compliment you received regarding your wedding invitations? How can I just pick one? We received countless compliments about our breathtakingly gorgeous wedding invitations! Until you plan a wedding, you never realize how much thought goes into the invitation from the envelope liner to how “loopy” the font should be to the thickness of the cardstock and it was wonderful hearing such amazing feedback from our guests! Kara was so amazing helping us every step of the way.

What was your favorite moment of the wedding day? Besides gleefully walking down the aisle after we said “I do,” I would say my favorite moment was walking into the reception (glass of champagne in hand!) with my husband to see the space before our guests arrived. The end result truly took my breath away and it was worth every late night and busy day! It was so rewarding to see all my ideas and selections come to life!

Any advice for all those ladies in the planning process? My best advice would be to plan ahead! Planning ahead helps you stay organized as well as ensures the vendors you want will be available for your big day! Make sure to write down and keep track of all your ideas No matter how organized you are, something small will still come up in the weeks and days leading up to the wedding and if you plan ahead you will have plenty of time to conquer that issue and still focus your energies on getting yourself ready for the big day!

I would also say to enjoy the process! Although I look back and there were certainly some stressful times trying to make planning, work, etc. all flow together, it was honestly such a fun time in my life! My mom and I had so many fun appointments with all of our great vendors picking out everything from A to Z and would always recap everything over a fabulous dinner with both my dad and fiancé (now husband). I can’t think of anything better!

Congratulations, Megan and Patrick!

xoxo,
Kara

Photography by Andre LaCour and Amanda Hein
Perfectly Planned by LK Events

Valentine’s Day Couple: Natalie Nutson and Joshua Barney

Kara Underwood Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:39:19 +0000

Natalie, simply put, was a beautiful bride with great taste. We worked together on everything from save the dates to menu cards in order to capture her classic style in a cohesive look. This perfect match was a perfect match for a timeless winter wedding at the Chicago Cultural Center. Just look at that amazing dress and veil!

What was the best compliment you received regarding your wedding invitations? Josh and I were told by numerous friends and family members that our wedding invitations were elegant, timeless, and a reflection of us. To have the invitation – the true “start” to the wedding day – showcase our personalities and style to our guests is exactly what we had hoped for; it set the tone for our day.

What was your favorite moment of the wedding day? Saying “I do”! It was such a blissful feeling to experience the culmination of all events leading up to that point – from dating to getting engaged to the parties and the planning – and then finally being in that moment. …plus I knew a great party was about to start!

Any advice for all those ladies in the planning process? So many people told me that “the day will go by so fast” and to be sure to “take it all in”. I assure you that, if you follow your instincts during the planning process, you will have nothing to worry about the day of. By working with vendors I trusted and in choosing details I knew best reflected our tastes, I was completely relaxed throughout the wedding day and enjoyed every moment of it 110%!

Congratulations, Natalie and Joshua!

xoxo,
Kara

Photography by Imaginative Studios
Perfectly Planned by LOLA Event Productions

Valentine’s Day Couple: Ashley Knapcik and Grant Markgraf

Kara Underwood Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:53:12 +0000

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we are excited to feature the wedding stories of {3} Magnificent Milestones brides! Read on and enjoy!

After each meeting with Ashley, my cheeks would hurt the rest of the day from laughing so much! She made wedding planning exactly what it should be, fun! So it makes total sense that Ashley and Grant’s wedding was full of laughter. Just look at that adorable dog! I’m so happy to share a few of her gorgeous photos today.

Some words from the bride…

What was the best compliment you received regarding your wedding invitations? “The invites are SO you!!” It meant a lot that people thought the invite represented my style and personality!

What was your favorite moment of the wedding day? Dancing to ”Cry Me A River” by Michael Buble. It wasn’t even our first dance song, but it’s one that Grant and I always have fun dancing and singing to at home. It was so awesome to share that with our friends and family!

Any advice for all those ladies in the planning process? Relax and have fun!! It’s all going to be over before you know it and then you’ll wish you enjoyed it more!

Congratulations, Ashley and Grant!

xoxo,
Kara

Photography by Amanda Hein and Riverbend Studio
Perfectly Planned by Big City Bride

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Kara Underwood Gordon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:00:58 +0000

The way to a lady’s heart is as easy as 1, 2, 3

{1} Wine
{2} Sweets
{3} Love letter

Happy Valentine’s Day!

{1} Lucky Night Red Wine {2} Strawberry Cupcake and {3} Vintage Stamps

Gift Guide: Valentine’s Day!

Kara Underwood Gordon — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:26:56 +0000

1. Have you ever needed to add just a smidgen of thyme or a pinch of salt? These Heart Spice Spoons ($32) from Beehive Kitchenware make it easy! They are a great Valentine’s Day gift for your friend or loved one who loves to bake.

2. A little creativity can go a long way on Valentine’s Day. We love the idea of pairing these cute alphabet earrings ($15 each) from By Boe with one of our I Am fragrances ($25).

3. Feel like giving something homemade this year? Or need a recipe to go along with your gift of our spice spoons? Dig into this recipe for lemon and rosemary butter cookies!

Ingredients
2/3 cup of room temperature butter
2 tbsp of lemon zest
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 cups of AP flour
1 tsp of fresh chopped rosemary (optional)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Cream the butter until fluffy
Add the zest and mix for one minute
Add the sugar and mix until smooth
Add the egg and mix on high until a smooth batter forms
Add the vanilla and mix
Slowly add the flour and rosemary if using, mix until the dough forms a ball and just releases from the sides of the mixer
Dump the dough out onto the worktop and form a ball, cover in shrink wrap and chill for about 15 minutes
Flour a dry flat surface and take the dough from the fridge
Roll it out gently flouring well until about 1/4 inch thick
Cut out the cookies with your favorite cutter and place on a baking sheet or Silpat mat
Gather up the scraps and roll again until all of the dough has been turned into cookies
Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden around the edges
Let cool and drizzle chocolate on top (optional) or dust with some powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week

Photos via {1} Beehive Kithchenware {2} Magnificent Milestones {3} Foodness Gracious

Font Friday

Kara Underwood Gordon — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:21:41 +0000

Fiolex Girls via DaFont

Happy Hour: Mull It Over

Kara Underwood Gordon — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:37:05 +0000

A tall glass of this adults-only hot chocolate is the perfect way to welcome the weekend!

Mulled Wine Hot Chocolate

Serves at least 8 or 10 people…depending on the crowd!

Ingredients
500ml water
400g caster sugar
100g cocoa powder
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
8 cloves
250g dark chocolate (about 70%), chopped
2 clementines, halved and thickly sliced (substitute with orange)
1 sprig of rosemary
1 x 750ml bottle of red wine (your choice)

Instructions
Place the water, sugar, cocoa, spices and chocolate in a pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and whisk until it chocolate has melted and everything’s incorporated. Add clementines and rosemary and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Add the red wine and warm through gently.

Serve warm (not hot) and fill up a glass for yourself!

Cheers!

Photo and recipe via Citrus and Candy

Favorite Item of the Week, Cuddle With Cider!

Kara Underwood Gordon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:25:39 +0000

With some snow finally in the forecast (although 1-2 inches isn’t exactly a snowstorm) and the temperature below freezing, we thought we’d feature one of our favorite items of the week – Cuddle With Cider ($8) from Chewing the Cud. These adorable sachets are filled with spices to add to a hot glass of apple cider. Yum!

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away and these spices are a perfect way to get warm and snuggle up!

Photo via Chewing the Cud

Welcome Home Wednesday

Kara Underwood Gordon — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:43:25 +0000

Since stationery is all about personal taste, it seems only natural that we also love talking about home decorating! Today, we want to feature these Zerobird pillows because they are cute, colorful and all about Chicago! Zerobird is designed and made locally.

We love the way these pillows look against the white couch in the store!

Photos via Amanda Hein for Magnificent Milestones