Mad About Pink

What's not to love about this shade? Remember, pink can be more than pretty, girly, and cute. Check out these sophisticated finds that I am loving right now!

I'm obsessed with this dress! Jim Hjelm Bridesmaids dresses are definitely topping my list right now.

I don't know what kind of flowers these are but they are GORGEOUS!

I have to give Simon G some love. He is the designer of my engagement ring as well as the Diamond and Pink Sapphire beauty above!!!

One of my favorite bloggers (Mrs. Turtle) on Wedding Bee wore these Stuart Weitzman pumps on her wedding day! She had them dyed and added some clips!

Check out this brooch! It can be worn in your hair, pinned to your bouquet, or if you're really bold you can add it to a sash on your dress!

I love this satin and velvet garter and I REALLY love the price!

Okay, so who is having pink as a wedding color?! 

Your Gift Giving Guide - Part Two {Children}

I don't have children but I do love cute things and I have lots of friends with adorable little ones! Therefore, I am here to bring you your gift giving guide {children's edition}! These gifts are under $25 and perfect if you need a gift for a little boy or girl. Ladies first!

{Little Girl}

Owl Hat - $23 - Buy it here

Little Purse - $18 - Buy it here

Sugar Cookie Bake Set - $18 - Buy it here

Pillowcase Dress - $25 - Buy it here

Thanks to my cousin Michelle at The Real Life Mom for this idea!

Hoot Memory Match Game - $16 - Buy it here

{Little Boy}

Cloud B Twilight Constellation Night Light - $21 - Buy it here

Felt Magnetic Fishing Set - $15 - Buy it here

Little Elf Onesie - $21 - Buy it here

Cookie Monster Plush Toy - $15 - Buy it here

Fleece Dino Hat - $18 - Buy it here

{Boy or Girl}

Panda Pillow Pet - $20 - Buy it here

Next up, gifts for the men in your life! I may be asking Mr. CF for help with this one! Stay tuned :) 

Cutest Cupcake Stands Ever!

So cute, right?! For all you DIY girls out there, how can I do this myself??? These would look incredible on our dessert table!

{Source}

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

My lovely bridesmaids live in five different states, none of which include Alabama! Of course I'm sad that I live so far away from my closest girl friends but I must admit that social media makes things a little easier. Don't you feel like you can keep up on the lives of all of your friends without even talking to them? To me, that is both a good and bad thing. Good because you can stay updated, even while sitting in your pajamas at midnight (which I've been known to do). Bad because you can go years without talking (on the phone or in person) to some of the people you know. I have had the privilege of talking to some of my bridesmaids on the phone this week and just love our conversations. I fully intend to call the rest of them so expect a phone call girls! When you live far away, a healthy balance (I sound like a therapist) between phone and Facebook is key :)

One of the first things I wanted to do after getting engaged was ask my closest friends to be in our wedding. As I started to think about who I'd select to stand by my side as I marry my wonderful husband-to-be, a number of friends immediately came to mind. I freaked out for about one second when I counted the number in my head (8 to be exact) but I immediately relaxed when I reminded myself that not one of them could be eliminated. They have all played a major part in my life, both personally and professionally, and I just knew that I had my girls.

The next step was figuring out how to ask them. Should I call? Should I send a hand-written note? Should I wait until I see each of them in person? No, no, no. Do you want to know what I ended up doing???

I headed over to EMTsweeetieWeddings on Etsy and had her make me some "will you be my bridesmaid?' cards. I've mentioned before that I love cards and that I still have every card I have ever received (seriously) so this was the perfect choice for me. Check them out!

Our wedding colors are Navy, Ivory, and Blush and Judith customized the cards for me. I think they came out great! I was so excited to mail them out and even more excited when I got a call from each of my girls saying "YES, I would love to be your bridesmaid!" Very fun!

How did you select your bridal party and how did you ask your girls to be in you wedding?

My $8.15 Shopping Trip

I have been craving Greek salads day and night. Sadly, there was no more lettuce or feta in the fridge. So, I went through my coupons and headed to the store! I must say, I love you Publix! Want to see what I got for $8.01?

 {Two Bags of Lettuce, Two Packages of Feta Cheese, One Pack of Singles Cheese, & One Gallon of Publix Iced Tea}

I also stopped by CVS to use some of my CVS Rewards Bucks before they expired and I'm not going to forget to give them some love. I love you CVS!!! Want to see what I got for $0.14? YES, 14 CENTS!



{A $10 Wedding Magazine, Aveeno Body Wash, Bottle of Hand Cream, Nivea Lip Gloss, and Makeup Remover Wipes}

How did I get all of this for $8.15? Well, some of my readers already know because they are fellow "couponers". For the rest of you guys, I must send you over to Southern Savers, my absolute FAVORITE website! I check it daily and it has saved Mr. CF and I SO SO SO SO SO much money. We used to spend $120 on groceries each week and now we spend between $60-$80. When you're planning a gorgeous vintage summer wedding (hehe), it's important to save money any way you can!

Let me give you two examples of how I saved so much money today:

Publix example:  Fresh Express Salad retails for $3.97/bag. This week it is on sale for Buy 1 Get 1. That means each bag is 50% off, or $1.99. Well, I had (2) $1.00 off any Fresh Express Salad coupons (that I printed off of Southern Savers a few weeks ago) so I got each bag for $0.99 or 75% off the retail price!!! See, it's easy!

CVS example:  A few weeks ago the Oral-B Vitality electric toothbrush was on sale for $23. Plus, if you bought it, you got $13 in Extra Care Bucks! That is basically like a $13 gift card for you to use on anything in the store. On top of that, I had coupons (two of them) for $10.00 off any Oral-B electric toothbrush. So a few weeks ago I bought two of the toothbrushes for $13.00 each and in return CVS gave me $26 in Extra Care Rewards Bucks. Today, I went in there with my reward bucks and scanned my CVS card at the little red machine at the front of the store and what did it spit out???? A $5 off any $30 purchase! SCORE! So, I shopped around and bought enough products to get me up to $30 and then I used my EC Bucks and my $5 off coupon and got $30.00 worth of merchandise for 14 cents! Again, it's easy!

I would love for you all to share some of the ways that you save money on a weekly basis!

Your Gift Giving Guide - Part One {Ladies}

Tonight I'm sitting by the fire thinking about my favorite holiday, Christmas! I love Christmas for so many reasons. I especially love gathering with family at Midnight Mass. Last year I attended Mr. CF's church with  my mom and his family. I remember it being completely dark inside, with the exception of hundreds of candles held by each person in the room. The voices of those singing in the choir sounded like angels. The experience moved me to tears, just as it does every year.

Of course my faith, family, and friends are part of the reason why I love this holiday so much...but there is one more thing. GIVING! I love to give gifts. I love the anticipation I feel when someone is opening a gift I gave to them. Seeing the excitement on their face and seeing how loved they feel is priceless to me. I have never been able to give people expensive gifts but I have always tried to make the gifts I am able to give special and meaningful. I spend time thinking about each person before I go shopping and I think I like the thought and planning aspect more than I like the shopping itself!

In honor of it being the season to give, I will be posting a series of entries to help you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Tonight I will focus on the women in your life and every gift featured is handmade by an Etsy seller and is under $26.00!

Later this week I will be posting gifts for children! If you have a child or know of something a child would love, please comment and I will feature your gift idea! Also, feel free to comment with an inexpensive gift you'd love to give or receive this holiday season.

{Gifts for the Ladies}

For the Coffee/Wine Lover

Wine Coasters - $18 - Buy them here

Doily Coasters - $18 - Buy them here

Coffee Cozy - $10.50 - Buy it here

For the Jewelry Lover

Sterling Silver Letter Necklace - $23 - Buy it here

Jewelry Pouch - $16.50 - Buy it here

For the Technology Lover

Hand Stitched Camera Case - $20 - Buy it here

Cell Phone Case - $14 - Buy it here

For the Girl that Loves to Send Cards

Personalized Note Cards - $16 - Buy them here

Custom Address Stamp - $19.95 - Buy it here

For the Cook

Wood Grain Custom Recipe Cards - $20 - Buy them here

Reversible Half Apron - $25.75 - Buy it here

For the Bride-to-Be

To Have and to Hold Tote Bag - $15 - Buy it here

Crystal Bouquet Wrap - $25 - Buy it here

For the Girly Girl

Ruffled Neck Warmer - $24 - Buy it here

Knitted Cupcake Coasters - $13 - Buy them here

Doily Necklace - $12 - Buy it here

For the Traveler

Travel Laundry Bag - $20 - Buy it here

Fabric Luggage Tag - $12 - Buy it here

Mermaid Passport Cover - $18 - Buy it here

Let me know what you think and be sure to share your ideas on gifts for children of all ages!!!!!! Happy giving!

Dreaming of the 'moon!

It's a dark and rainy afternoon in Madison, Alabama which has me dreaming about places with blue skies and clear water. What better time to plan a honeymoon??

Originally, I wanted Mr. Cuddlefish to plan our honeymoon because I heard that that's what grooms usually do. But who did I even hear that from...I have no clue! And I don't tend to follow all the rules anyway. Since all the big things for our wedding are already taken care of and we're at an odd place in our engagement (9 months to go with everything set in stone), it seems like the Honeymoon would be the next thing to tackle. Allow me to dream.

Ahhh Italy...

I have always wanted to go to Italy and I can't think of a better person to go with than my cuddlefish...on our honeymoon.

I would love to fly into Naples so I can say that I saw the province where my family is from. Apparently, there are a lot of DiLeone's in that area. How cool! I don't know of a DiLeone in the United States that I'm not related to! We'd spend the night and then head to Positano, a tiny seaside town on the Amalfi Coast, which I hear is the most magnificent and charming place in the world. I would love to stay at the Villa Fiorentino, a 6th-century home owned by an Italian family. Their honeymoon suite has an outdoor shower and a little pool overlooking the town! We'd spend each afternoon floating on our backs in the clear blue ocean, gazing up at the town and pinching ourselves...we are each married to the love of our life!!!!!

One of the days, we'll take a boat trip to Capri. Capri is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples. From the pictures I've seen, it is GORGEOUS!! Do you agree?!

We'll go to the Blue Grotto, where the reflected sunlight makes the water glow.

{Pictures by Joanna Goddard}

To get into the Blue Grotto (it's a cave) you have to wait for the waves to subside, and then everyone in the boat has to lie down, so the boat can squeeze through a tiny hole in the rock. Can you see it in the picture above? Crazy fun, weeeee!

After exploring Southern Italy, we'll head to Rome. I don't want a touristy honeymoon but who can go to Italy without visiting Rome!? After 8 or 9 glorious days, we'll head home and start our life as man and wife :) So much to look forward to!

Where did you go on your honeymoon? Or, is there a place in the world that you'd love to visit someday?