Friends,

It's been a minute. Wedding planning, working, honeymoon prepping and organizing a new house is no joke. But as most of you know, I just got married.

To say that day was a dream is an understatement. I know it's the old "cliche'" bride thing to say, but truly it was the best day of my life. Now, getting life back in order from Italy (post to come on that) I wanted to share with you a short wedding recap including some sneak peek photos from the best photographer in the world...Ali Dixon with Ali Marie Photography. Oh, and don't you worry, once she sends us the rest you know I will displaying them with another post to share with you all.

So for now, enjoy this short glimpse into our big day!

More to come,
Danielle

1. The Dress
I snagged my dress last November from Bella Bridal Gallery. I fell in love with all Martina Liana designs. To me, they are the perfect blend of sexy and elegance. This was the 9th or 10th dress I tried on and fell completely in love. It was a very fitted (definitely had to watch the wine and carbs pre-wedding) with the perfect amount of lace and bling. I added the coordinating cathedral veil as well for an added bridal touch. But most importantly, Sam loved it. The first words (through his tears) at the alter were a simple "Wow...you look amazing."




2. The Venue
Searching high and low through the city of Detroit, we landed on The Masonic Temple. It was everything I wanted-old school charm with beautiful views. They even let us on the rooftop to take a few photos (keep reading for that). Their events coordinator, Melanie, was a dream to work with. She was so easy to get a hold of and really made the small details work out great with our planner Carrie with Touch of Elegance! Teamwork makes the dream work, right? Plus, great food and bar doesn't hurt either!




3. The Video and Photo
The video was done by Lee Thomas Films. Friends, if you haven't seen his work...please drop what you're doing and check it out. It was a treat to have them a part of our day capturing all the moments. We are anxiously awaiting the footage!

The photo was done by Ali Marie Photography. Ali and I met in college back in the day at good ol' GVSU. Once I realized she was such a skilled photographer, I immediately wanted her to capture our weekend. We had her as the main shooter and she brought in another to help her out. Brides, do this!  Having a second shooter made sure we didn't miss a single moment. We can probably all agree these photo's are amazing. Just like the video, we cannot wait to see the rest of them!

Also, I can't forget to mention we had the best photo booth vendor ever! Fancy Flash did a great job customizing our template, bringing fun props and sending us all the photos right after Safe to say, it looked like everyone had a great time!




4. The Bridal Party
Besides having these crazies part of our day- they didn't look half bad either. The girls dresses were a mixture of Hayley Paige Occasions. They looked bomb! The guys rented their tuxes from The Tux Shop on Woodward. We decided on the slim navy suite with ties while Sam rocked the bow tie. I loved the way it all came together.



5. The Hair and Makeup 
Can we just say this was one of the highlights of my day? Just my gals getting ready and drinking champagne made for one fun morning. Hair was done by Crissy Battaglia of 6 Salon. She does my hair on the regular and her squad nailed it. I went with (thanks to her solid recommendation during my trial) a more higher-romantic up-do.

Let's take a moment for the makeup...hot damn did we look good! Danielle Paquin and Kristina Perillo are the makeup gods of all gods. They came in fully loaded ready to glam us up and were amazing to work with as always. Danielle has done my makeup countless times and I knew she would be the best person to turn to for this special look!


6. The Flowers
Michael B Anthony was the man of my dreams when it came to my floral arrangements. I wanted lots of gold, candles and hints of Fall colors. He was not only amazing to work with, but the everything came together perfectly.


7. The Band
Yes, we had a band. I love a live band. I believe it can change the mood of your celebration. L'USA rocked the night away. They came with all the bells and whistles in terms of a party atmosphere. Also, they let allowed us to give them some audio when it came to some traditional Italian dances and out first dance!


I hope you enjoyed the pictures and recap. We can't thank our vendors for being so amazing to work with. More photos and wedding bliss to come!


*This was not a paid sponsorship or paid posting. These were chosen specifically based on experience, reviews and research by my own doing. All opinions are my own.

Hello there,

I have been dying to share this lovely weekend with you all for the past week. Finally got some time to sit down, edit a vlog, post these photos and share about my awesome weekend!

A few weeks ago Sam and I had the opportunity to partner with Traverse City Tourism to bring you a fun filled romantic winter weekend up north. As you can imagine, it was a blast! Taking a long weekend to eat, drink and venture into northern Michigan never disappoints!

Our weekend started off bright and early Friday heading to Traverse City. We first made a coffee pit stop at BLK/MKT. This market is amazing. Housing many fun shops and eateries, it's a perfect place to start your day.



Post cappuccino buzz, we checked into the Grand Beach Resort. This resort sits right on the bay with a beautiful view of the water. Even in the snow, it was stunning!

After we got settled, we hit up more downtown shops to explore. I feel like downtown Traverse City does a great job of having a diverse and unique shopping experience. You can easily find something for everyone! Once I got my shopping fill- we sat down from some yummy cider at Taproot Cider House.




We headed back to the hotel to freshen up for a soon-to-be fabulous dinner at Amical.



Amical is now on my list as one of my favorites places to eat. Not only did we indulge in some amazing food (including the best filet mignon I have ever had in my life) but the atmosphere was charming, unique and filled with character! Perfect for a romantic night on the town!

Once we came out of the food coma, we hopped around downtown for a bit more exploring before bed. It was fun to check The Coin Slot (fully stocked arcade bar) and Monkey First Brewing Company to finish out the night.


We woke up Saturday ready to conquer the day- our schedule was packed. As always, we drank our way through Romancing The Riesling with all our favorite wineries on Old Mission Peninsula. This event put on by WOMP is one of my favorites. Each winery participating pairs their best wine with some yummy food. What's not to love? Plus some of the wineries let you sample limited time wine selections and get sneak peeks into the bottling process!







One activity I was very excited about was snowshoeing at Black Star Farms on Suttons Bay. I will admit...I have never snow-shoed before and was nervous that I was not prepared for this adventure- especially after having a few glasses of wine.




Once we got our gear and picked our trail I was so excited. Not only were the views amazing, but it was such a peaceful experience together. The trees, the snow, the relaxation...it was beautiful and something Sam and I have never done together.




That evening we relaxed over another amazing dinner at Trattoria Stella in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. The Village in this area of TC holds some awesome trails, shops and restaurants!

Our dinner at Trattoria Stella was to die for! Not only does this restaurant have some amazing character being in the State Hopsital but the food was amazing! We all indulged in some awesome pasta dishes- perfect cozy and comforting food on a snowy evening!



After dinner, we were so tired we ended up heading back to the hotel to watch a movie over a glass of wine and reminisce about our lovely day.

We had to get up and take off Sunday to get back home to Detroit. But before we hit the road, I had to stop and snag some amazing donuts from Peace, Love and Little Donuts. They are made to order and delicious! Perfect for a long Sunday ride home.




I can't thank Traverse City Tourism enough for allowing Sam and I explore the weekend in the beautiful great north! We will definitely be back soon!

More to come,
Danielle

Happy Sunday friends!

I am bringing you a little snippet into some new beauty favorites I have been loving this winter. I had the privilege to partner up with Rustic Maka to try some amazing natural deodorants and body musts!



First of all, let's dive into Rustic Maka and their vision. Rustic Maka was founded in 2014 by two sisters who were born and raised in Warsaw, Poland. Their passion for skincare and high quality ingredients, led them to their first natural deodorant they self made in their kitchen. From then on, their products expanded and the craze continued. Now offering body creams, scrubs, and so much more- I have become obsessed with this line of self care products.



Diving into these products, I wanted to give my honest review and time allotted to see how they treated my skin with this crazy Michigan weather. I will say, they did not disappoint.

First things, first, their natural deodorant stick.  Let's be real, I did not ever think twice about what I was putting under my arms. Dove and done in my mind. When I polled my fellow friends and followers, I realize that the natural deodorant craze is real and people are loving it. Therefore, I was very excited to try.

My Thoughts:  Loved it. The scents, the softness and the power of the ingredients actually worked. I will be completely honest and say I was nervous I was going to stink. Merely because I work out often and sweat under my arms when it gets super cold (yes, I know, TMI). However, timing and patience is key. Your body does have to get used to these new "good for you" ingredients as it is working with your natural sweat cycle.

Plus, the ingredients and benefits are outstanding:

• Magnesium effectively neutralizes body odor
• Baking soda-free formula
• Features non-gmo and organic ingredient
• Free of aluminum, parabens and synthetic fragrance
• Cruelty-free and vegan certified by PETA and Leaping Bunny
• Convenient twist-up stick
• Recyclable containers
• Made in USA

Next, I dove into their "Takes Two to Mango" body scrub and body cream.


My Thoughts: "YASS QUEEN" x 100. The scrub and cream combo is my jam. I suffer from red bumps on the back on my arms in the winter so I am always on the lookout for a great scrub to pamper myself in the bath or shower. Well, this did NOT disappoint. The scrub is course and smells amazing. It truly exfoliated like a champ and didn't leave my skin irritated. Helped those little bumps disappear. The body cream was also a huge hit! You would think "body cream" means heavy and thick. Not with this one! The canister was so light I was in shock! It truly is a whipped sort of consistency that makes for amazing hydration.

Hi everyone-

As you might of saw a few posts back, I teamed up with the GM Renaissance Center to bring some pretty cool concert series over the summer. Now, I am back at it again with their Holiday Headquarters pop up shop! Holiday Headquarters is a three week long shopping experience with over 30 local Detroit vendors at the GMRENCEN.




Whether you are looking for Detroit classic apparel and gifts or something for your favorite fur buddy, this place has got you covered. When I first walked in, I was floored with how many different items the market had to offer. I always love filling stockings with fun Detroit finds and searching for something truly unique to give friends and family.

During my first visit on opening week, I snagged fun items top finish off my holiday shopping (talk about a one stop shop!). Some being goodies from the trendy places like  Whimsical Wit and The Peacock Room. Girly, festive and perfect for anyone who has great taste :)


So where can I find this gem for your holiday shopping? It's located in the GMRENCEN in Tower 300 (Level 1) the market is open for one more week Monday thru Friday (11-5 PM and Thursday until 6 PM). You can't miss it!




*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the GMRENCEN. All opinions are my own.”

Hello friends,

Checking in here for a short and sweet post on a pretty cool summer event happening downtown Detroit. I bring you Chevy's Rockin' On The Riverfront.

I was so excited about this collaboration. Mainly because nothing sounds better than being downtown listening to some amazing music. Throughout the summer, these concerts take place right on the Detroit Riverwalk behind the Renaissance Center. Talk about a great location? The "Ren Cen" houses so many businesses, restaurants and of course some pretty cool GM gear and vehicles.





Sam and I saw Vince Neil of Motely Crue-talk about a legend! Holy crap, that guy can still rock out. It was a blast. We were up close (maybe with some ear plugs) and had the best time. Best part? This concert series is FREE to the public. Yes...FREE! Having this open to the public allows all people to enjoy such a fun summer event without breaking the bank. So grab your chair and snag a spot sometime this summer!

Upcoming concerts here!





More to come,
Danielle



*this was a sponsored post. All the thoughts and opinions, however, are my own

-Where: Detroit Riverfront

-Who: Vince Neil of Motley Crue

-Price: drum-roll.... FREE! 

Who doesn't love a good Tigers game? I always say you don't have to love baseball to love a Tigers game. The environment alone in Comerica Park is outstanding. Beer, brats and sunshine..what more could you ask for. The best part is that Tigers games work for those on a budget too. Bleacher seats are extremely cheap and still such a great view!