Wedding Trend Alert!

Okay, so you know that I make it my mission to alert you to anything I find interesting.  Well, today's topic is something that is sure to be a wedding trend, Peeps!  I attended not one, but TWO, weddings last week, and something occurred at the second one that was truly amazing!

You see, the couple is very musically inclined and so talented, at that.  The bride is the lead singer of a band, and the groom is a wicked awesome drummer.  The bride's ENTIRE family can sing, as well.  Now you've all heard the traditional musical interludes during the reception, and this wedding delivered!  The bride sang "At Last" by Etta James to the groom, and the groom sang an original composition to the bride.  Now if you think that is amazing, wait until you hear this nifty little idea.

If you're a musically inclined couple, I would highly recommend featuring this trend in your big day.  Pieces of paper were distributed to the wedding guests at the reception.  On this piece of paper were the lyrics to, "I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends."  (Naturally, you could choose any song you wanted to.)  There were lyrics in black text and group lyrics in red text, and when it was time for the red text to happen, the entire group of reception guests joined in to sing along.  It was a really cool bonding experience, and it allowed the guests to genuinely feel included in the day!  It was also a great chance to hold on to your friends and sing at the top of your lungs, and really, who doesn't love that?  Everyone had such a blast, and even the little grandmothers were saying how unique this experience was, and they were laughing and smiling.

I will definitely count this as one of the most unique and fun experiences I've had at a wedding.  Any that you would like to share with me?

Until next time,

2010 Primetime Emmy Highlights

The Primetime Emmy Awards aired last night, and I was very excited to tune in.  They usually provide some laughs, great fashion, corny acceptance speeches, and sometimes even a few tears.

I'd like to start off with my favorite moment of the entire broadcast.  CONGRATULATIONS to Modern Family (ABC) who picked up the award for Outstanding Comedy Series!  I am beyond excited, and I'm so proud to work for a network that brought this show into your living rooms every week.

Source

This show is extremely funny, and is heartfelt, too.  If you haven't made the time to check it out, set your TiVo's NOW.  Like seriously.  Right now.  Do it.

There were also other highs in the program, such as host Jimmy Fallon's musical interludes and seeing newlywed cuties Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer from HBO's True Blood (um, is anyone else as sucked into that show as I am?  Pun definitely intended.). 

As far as fashion goes, here are three favorite looks of mine, and the ladies looked phenomenal!

Lea Michele from Glee looking fab

Sofia Vergara from Modern Family...can I be her when I grow up?  Seriously, how hot is she?

Claire Danes in a dress that is pageant perfection

The last highlight for me was when Eric Stonestreet from Modern Family accepted the award for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.  Check out his heartfelt acceptance speech and then again, go watch this show!

Source

That's my recap!  Did anyone else have any other favorite moments from the telecast?  If so, please share!

To My Friends, On Their Wedding Day

Dear Nay,
I am going to try to control my emotions today, although they fill me so much that I don't believe the Hoover Dam could contain them.  Today is the day you will marry your best friend.  As one of your best friends, I could not be more happy for you or more proud of you.

I know that you are going to be one of the most beautiful brides this world has ever seen because you are one of the most beautiful women this world has ever seen.  I can't wait to see your face when you see DK for the first time.  I can't wait until I see you walk down the aisle towards your future. I know you will walk with such elegance, because you have always effortlessly exuded elegance.  As far as grace goes, we will have to see about that because you and I both know that if there is a hole in the ground to be stepped in or a wall to walk into, one of us will be the one to find it!  :)  (You didn't think I could be serious this entire time, did you?) 

I hope that one day I can get myself together as well as you have.  I want to be a domestic goddess, too, darnit!  Maybe you could teach me how to cook, or how to arrange things just so, to the point that your home looks like something out of Pottery Barn or Anthropologie.  Maybe you could teach me how to roll out of bed and automatically look fabulous, because that is one skill of yours I've been dying to emulate for years!  Teach me, woman!  Basically, what I'm saying is that I want to be like you when I grow up!

Thank you for being such an amazing friend and sister to me all these years.  Thank you for continually being there for me, and for calling me when I haven't called you in awhile.  Thank you for putting effort into our friendship, even with all the stresses and obligations of the real world and life, in general.  I appreciate and love you more than you could ever know, and thank you for giving me the honor of being by your side on a day such as today.  It's kind of a big deal, you know.

Love you,
Me


Dear DK,
Today, I am ready to celebrate you!  As the world of single men (and probably some married men too, let's be honest) mourns the loss of a chance with a great catch, you can rest assured that you have found one of the best women in the world.  Today, you will marry someone who loves you so, so much!  But you already know that.

I'd much rather take the time to just say thank you.  Thank you for making my best friend so happy.  Thank you for being cute with her.  Thank you for making her laugh.  Thank you for doing things with her - like literally jumping out of a plane with her.  Thank you for taking the time to leave her notes that simply say, "You're pretty."  My personal favorite that I've seen recently was when you told her you had put the bread in the fridge, and you threw in a "You're pretty" at the end of that very important message.  Thank you for being you, because you are who she loves, and that is a pretty great man if you ask me.

Thank you for always being so kind to me, too.  Even though I would love for you to tell me I'm pretty, I'm okay with you saving that for Nay.  I've always thought the world of you because I can tell that down to your core, you are a good guy.  Almost every memory I have of you involves you being kind to someone, no matter the circumstance.  I believe I've only seen you angry once in all these years, and even that was more of a mild frustration.  I've watched you grow up, and I've watched your priorities shift and I think you've done well - you've turned out just right!  I'm probably going to cry when I see you standing at the end of the aisle wearing the tie that I gave you (but never expected to play a part in your wedding day).  Thank you for including me today.  Oh, and I am going to demand that you make me more of your famous grilled cheese sandwiches.  :)

Love Always,
Me


To the pair of you:
This is my promise.  My love, devotion, and service to you does not end when the wedding is over today.  I actually take being a bridesmaid very seriously.  You won't need me every day.  Heck, you won't need me most days.  But in those moments when you do need someone, I will be there. 

If you need ears to listen to you, I will give you both of mine.  If you need shoulders to cry on, I will give you both of mine. If you need fresh eyes to look at a situation and offer new perspective, I will give you those too.  If you need hands to pick you up when you've stumbled, guess who will give them to you!  If you need a kidney, I can't make you any promises there, but I will at least go and get tested to see if I'm a match.  If you need a strong heart to love you and pray for you, please look no further than me.

As your bridesmaid, I will be on call to you 24/7/365 and 24/7/366 on leap years.  My support doesn't stop when the party does - you have it for the rest of your lives.  Use it and abuse it, because that's what it's there for. 

I love you both so much.

See you when you're married,

The Greatest Gift Of All

Clearly, everyone who has ever been on the internet is dying to know when my birthday is so they can send me a delightful gift.  After many denials of such vital information, I've decided to cave only because you all are so very important to me, and let's be honest, because I do love a delightful gift.  Yours truly was brought into this world on August 26th.  There, I said it.

Now, as far as gifts go, a girl could ask for sensible items such as ridiculously cute shoes, or that gorgeous new Coach purse.  She could ask for a fabulous dress that makes her feel like a million bucks, or she could ask for a new personal favorite gift of mine - a massage to get rid of all the stress in her life.  Some girls like a good book to curl up and read.  Some love things that are so sparkly they sear your corneas if you look directly at them.  (I'm not saying that I would say 'no' to that last one if you really, really wanted to give me that!) ;)

But this year, you will all have a very difficult time gifting me something better than my friend Nay has.  I'll tell you why.  She has beyond blessed me with the honor of standing beside her as she marries the absolute love of her life - her best friend, (and a good friend of mine), DK.

The thing about Nay is that, even though she is older than me, I've always been exceptionally protective over her.  She is genuinely one of the best people that has ever walked the face of this earth, and she is such a catch!  Lucky DK!  She is a fantastic cook, she is truly an artist (you should see her paintings), she does graphic design, she has a knack for looking flawless ALL THE TIME, and she is absolutely hysterical!  I mean, the girl will keep you rolling with her witty comments and one-liners.  Not to mention, she is absolutely GORGEOUS.  See?

Photo Credit:  Nay 

No matter what craziness we have encountered in the years that I've known her, she has always been there for me and she is one of the best listeners/advice givers I know.  I've always hoped and prayed that she would find the perfect man for her, and I am happy to say that I vividly remember the day that she did.

I was out at a fraternity party gathering at college, when all of a sudden, Nay ran up the stairs and said, "I have to tell you something."  So, we went to a place in the house that was more quiet, and she looked like she was about to pop!  I asked her what the deal was, and she immediately exclaimed, "I met someone!"  To be honest, I was in utter disbelief at first, because Nay just does not get super excited about men.  There were those that she liked, and those that she thought were attractive, but she expressed those things in a very reserved and nonchalant way.  This time was different.  So, naturally the next question I asked was, "Okay, well who is it?  Do I know him?"  She said that I did and that the guy she met was DK.

Photo Credit:  DK

Now, if I'm keeping it real, I was probably more in disbelief over this fact than the fact that she'd met someone.  Don't get me wrong - DK is an AMAZING guy.  But, he is also one of the last people you'd ever think Nay would go for (at first glance).  He was a member of one of the wildest most fun fraternities on campus and there were certain connotations that went along with that.  He was the lead singer of a band and just completely the opposite of what you would think Nay's type was (if you had asked me back then, I would have said, tall, dark, handsome, lawyer or do-gooder-type, possibly from a different country or world-traveled and cultured).

But here is what is important:  In the years that I had known her, I had never seen Nay light up the way she did when she talked about DK.  I knew in that very first moment that this one was different.  This one was special.  Like every couple, they had their ups and downs, but it was adorable to watch them all twitterpated, and it was awesome to see them as their relationship grew into a powerful and very real love.

So Cute!  Photo Credit:  DK

So, you can imagine my excitement when Nay called to tell me she was engaged, and she asked me to stand beside her as a bridesmaid.  I accepted with all the love and joy in my heart, and then she asked me if I would mind if she got married on my birthday.  Are you kidding me?  I get to hang out in a pretty dress, eat cake, dance and have dinner with tons of our friends, all while watching two people that I love so much committing their lives to one another?  YES PLEASE!  Sign me up for that!  I could think of no better way to spend my birthday than that.

So, that is why this year will be the best birthday ever!  I have to say a huge THANK YOU to Nay and DK for giving me the greatest gift of all - their love and friendship.  I could not be more proud if I tried, and I could not be happier for two people who deserve all the love and the happiness that life has to offer.  They are great for each other, and I am so incredibly excited to take part in their big day. 

Here's to friends!
Here's to love!
Here's to friends in love!

Until next time,

I'm A Real Twit!

Okay, completely lame joke time!

"Tweet, tweet."
"Who's there?"
"Miss Chicken Wing!"

Yes, Peeps - it's true!  I'm a real Twit!

Source

This is a completely new world to me, but I am trying to figure it all out!  I've heard from many sources that Twitter can be an amazing networking tool, but I was extremely hesitant to try it out.  First, it was completely overwhelming to me and I just had no idea how it worked.  How do you see if someone wrote to you?  If someone asked a question on their Twitter page, how could you see what had already been answered?  It was insane!

But, at the urging of two fantastic individuals in the ecommerce and blogging universes, Phill and Carly, respectively, I decided to take the plunge!*

So.....

*Sidenote:  Seriously, go check out Cutaway Clothing (Phill's awesome clothing website) and The Less Than Domestic Goddess (Carly's super amazing blog).  You will not be disappointed, I promise! 

These two sites get the Chicken Wing Stamp of Awesomeness!  See?

Until next time,

Do The People At Shoebox Know Me?

I mean seriously...

Source

I am pretty sure that I need to buy this, and I felt the need to share.  This is also available at Hallmark stores, which is where I first saw it, loved it, and collapsed into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.  Momma Chicken Wing and Little Sister Chicken Wing lost it and said, "I can't believe I haven't heard you say that before."

I love it when you find little bits of goodness in unexpected places!

Until next time,

Flamenco Inspiration

It always fascinates me where I find inspiration because, much like this blog, completely random things get my creative juices flowing.  An example of this is my most recent inpsiration.  I was channel surfing the other day, and came across a show on one of the Discovery or Travel-type channels, and they were discussing the art of flamenco dancing. 

For those of you who might not be familiar with the art form, Wikipedia won't let you down:  "Flamenco is a style of music and dance which is considered part of the culture of Spain, although it is actually native to only one region: Andalusia.  It has often been claimed that these influences coalesced [...] in the 15th century. Flamenco is popularly depicted as being the music of Andulusian gitanos (gypsies). Other regions, mainly Extremadura and Murcia, have also contributed to the development of flamenco, and many flamenco artists have been born outside the gitano community. Latin American and especially Cuban influences have also contributed."  Source


When I think flamenco, I think the series of sharp, crisp movements paired with swirling arm motions.  I think of the dresses that the female dancers where, and that is where I draw the most inspiration.

Source

Something about Spanish style has always spoken to me, and flamenco calls out to me in the same way.  For example, here are some home finds that scream "FLAMENCO" to me.

Please excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard.  Have you ever seen a shower curtain so luscious in your life?  Oh Anthropologie, you slay me.  Source

Adorable and ruffly - just the way I like it!  Source

"You can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella, ay, ay, ay."  Source

As you can see, there are tons of neat ways to incorporate art into your home.  If you have found any other flamenco-inspired items, please feel free to shoot them my way!  I'm always on the lookout and look forward to expanding my scope. 

Until next time,
Miss Chicken Wing

Am I The Only One....

...who has been living under a rock?  Have you all heard of this gal?

Source

I recently happened upon a bold British beauty (say that five times fast) named Pixie Lott, and let me tell you that there is something so adorable and endearing about her.  She is the cutest thing you ever did see and has a remarkable voice that is quite different.  She exhibits insane control over her instrument, and I've decided that I happen to like her.  I happen to like her a lot.  The crazy thing is that she's only 18.  The voice you're about to hear would suggest a lot more living than imaginable at that age.

Source


Source


Source


Source

The last song, "Nothing Compares," was featured on the ever-popular MTV series, The Hills.  (What?  That's cool.  Say you don't watch it.  I believe you.)  I hope you enjoy this selection, and if you do, check her out on YouTube or on her website, http://www.pixielott.com/.

Until next time,

Thought For The Day

Here's your Daily Thought from Real Simple:

"We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are."  - Bill Watterson

My furry friend Boone and I enjoying where we were...the pool!

How true is that?  Here are my wishes for each and every one of my Peeps on this absolutely gorgeous Friday.  May you live in the moment and appreciate all that you have today.  May you give thanks for all the blessings in your life.  May you find at least twenty reasons to smile your biggest smile.  May you do at least one thing that makes you truly happy.  May you stop to smell the wildflowers and enjoy the sunshine.  And tonight, when you lay your heads down, may you dream of lovely things and wake to find them real.

Until next time,

Magical Pixie Dust!

For those of you in the blogging community, especially those like me who have never been considered a computer genius, you know that every cool little thing you discover is like magical pixie dust!  The next thing you know, you swear you just saw a leprechaun walking a unicorn across a rainbow!

My most recent dose of magical pixie dust is the little tiny icon of my beloved damask chicken wing!  You'll notice it by the web address in your browser bar and also on the name of the internet tab where you see THE BLOG OF THE CHICKEN WING.  This was a major victory for me and some of you may be wondering how to accomplish this yourselves, so I figured I wouldn't keep this pixie dust to myself!

For starters, this is called a favicon (fave-eye-con).  It's really just an extra-special touch as it's completely unnecessary, but I happen to like it and think it continues the branding of your site.  So, the first thing I did was read this article --> click here!  It was so easy to understand!  I used the first reference he gave to upload my icon, which was http://www.iconj.com/generator.  After uploading my image, and sharpening +3, I chose option 2, which was "Host It at IconJ.com: (Direct Link)."  I copied and pasted that code instead of the one that the first guy gave, just where he said to put it.  I hit 'Save,' 'View Blog,' and badda bing, badda boom - I had a favicon!  :)

I know this is such a simple accomplishment, but I am very happy to have figured it out finally!  I'd been wondering how to do this for a long time, and just couldn't think of the correct way to search for directions.  But, friends, this is yet another example of why we should never give up.  You'll get there one day, so keep chipping away and using your thinker, and everything will work itself out!  :)

Okay, enough tech talk for me.  I feel the need to go shopping to get back to something I've always been good at.  ;) 

Until next time,
Miss Chicken Wing