Thrifty Holiday Gift Ideas

Looking for unique AND affordable gifts for the holidays this year? Check out these three great gift ideas I found courtesy of Oprah:

1. Gratitude Boxes - Buy an inexpensive decorative box and fill it with messages from the heart (ex: "100 reasons why I love you", "Thank you for....", etc...). Check out this article for more tips on making your own gratitude boxes.

2. Treasure Boxes - Fill a wooden "treasure box" with mementos from the past and organize them in chronological order (ex: fill your box with your child's keepsakes or if your planning a wedding, fill your box with memories from the time you 1st met your fiance through your engagement). Check out this article for more ideas on how to fill your treasure box.

3. 12 Dates of Christmas - Here's something you and your fiance can do together this holiday - during the month of December, plan 12 fun and inexpensive date nights together (ex: ice skating, a walk in the park, staying in for a movie night, etc...). Check out this article for more ideas for your date night.

Happy Thanksgiving

From all of us here at Simply Perfect Weddings, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Photo courtesy of The Knot.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

With Thanksgiving less than a week away now, I wanted to share this delicious pumpkin cheesecake recipe with you from Martha Stewart. This cheesecake recipe is a nice alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie and can even be served as a dessert for your Fall wedding reception or bridal shower.

{This recipe serves 12}

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (from 10 whole crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

4 packages (8 ounces each) bar cream cheese, very soft
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons pumpkin-pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up.

Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter until moistened; press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth; mix in flour (do not overmix). Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.

Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).

Remove from oven; cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold before serving.

Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Pink + Purple Design Inspiration

The wonderful ladies over at Southern Weddings Magazine have done it again and have recently launched their new blog. The design board pictured above comes straight from them, and I knew when I saw it that I absolutely had to feature it on our blog as well! The details are simply stunning and the use of these bold colors throughout the entire reception is amazing!

Color Inspiration: Cameo Pink + Black

Today I bring you another beautiful creation from Martha Stewart Weddings. I love all things pink and this combination of cameo pink and black is just pure perfection in my mind!

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Sumptuous Plum

Beautiful...all I really have to say about this bouquet! Of course, it doesn't hurt that it's purple and it's from none other than Martha Stewart!

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Wedding Graffiti

I'm not exactly sure how I stumbled upon this site today, but I was sure glad I did! Wonderful Wedding Graffiti is an online vendor that provides wedding graffiti for all aspects of your big day. Car & window graffiti, dance floor monograms, candy labels, and tented place cards are just a few of the many items that they offer! I spent quite awhile browsing all of this eye candy and am thinking about getting some of my own graffiti from their home collection. Check out their website for more information about this great product!