Our Wedding: Whiskey Tasting + Stocking the Open Bar

In the early stages of planning our wedding (back in 2013), my father was adamant about hosting a whiskey bar during the reception. We all thought it would be a wonderful idea, but I don’t think any of us truly realized how much of a hit it would be…

First, though, some details on our open bar. (Of which I have no photos, sadly.)

The venue has a designated bar area and bartender on staff, so the Bride and Groom need only worry about stocking the bar with whatever beers, wines, and/or liquors, liqueurs, garnishes, and mixers they wish.

We only had about 85 guests in total, and I had the hardest time figuring out how much alcohol we would need to ensure we wouldn't run out… and also so we wouldn’t overbuy. Everything I found online was unhelpful. We just had no way of knowing how much people would end up drinking.

An open bar with a variety of choices was an absolute essential for us, and the beauty of our venue was that we had the freedom to do whatever we wanted—and take the leftovers home.

Making decisions on what we wanted and making booze purchases was a seven month process. After a brilliantly curated California beer tasting that Jonathan put together for us to try, and what felt like endless wine tastings, here are the final choices (and quantity) for the bar…

our wonderful bartender

WINE

• Cielo Viola, Ruby Hill,  Livermore Valley – 1 case
• Crimson & Clover, Concannon, Livermore Valley – 1 case
• Pinot Grigio, Fel (previously Breggo), Anderson Valley – 1 case
• Chardonnay, Concannon, Livermore Valley – 1 case
• Mourvèdre Rosé, Cline, Sonoma County – 1 case
• Nina’s Cuvee, Cline, Sonoma County – 1 case

(That’s 72 bottles of wine… and we only had 85 guests.)

BEER

• 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat, San Francisco  – 2 kegs
• Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA – 1 case
• Trumer Pils, Berkeley – 1 case
• Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Boonville – 1 case
• Anchor Steam Beer, San Francisco – 1 case

This doesn't even touch on the liquor, of which we bought Costco-sized containers of gin, vodka, bourbon, and rum—along with appropriate mixers, bitters, and garnishes for each. (You know: tonic, Coke, ginger beer, limes, oranges, cherries, etc...) It was all so extensive, I can't even remember everything, hence why it isn't listed here.

In the end, we bought way too much alcohol, but happily milked the remaining bottles of booze and wine for a year and a half afterwards. We only used one keg of the Watermelon Wheat, and my overly generous father took the keg back to the bar we rented it from and offered it to the patrons there for free.

In hindsight, we could have nixed all of the liquor and mixers and stuck with wine and beer, plus whiskey at the whiskey bar (see below), and we probably still would have had plenty for a guest list of 85 people. You live and learn.

So, the bar was open for guests the moment the reception started at 5 PM until the party ended at midnight. The plan for the whiskey bar—located up the walkway from the bar, next to the fire pit and photo booth—was to open it after the first dance (around 7 or 7:15 PM), where my dad and Uncle Tom would host and pour for one hour. Then the remaining bottles would be moved to the bar, where guests could continue to taste and drink, but without my dad and uncle’s time being eaten up.




Cut to nearly three hours later when not only were my dad and uncle still hosting what was clearly the most popular attraction of the night, Jonathan had also started pouring and refused to shut the thing down. One of the event planners came and told me that she “tried to get him to stop and come spend time with other guests, but he wouldn’t listen.”




Finally they wrapped things up, around the time our late night sandwiches (BLTs, grilled cheese, and tri-tip—personal highlight of the night for me since I barely ate dinner) were ready for guest consumption.

A full list of the whiskies we featured, in order of their line-up in the top photo:

WHISKEY

• Eagle Rare 10-year-old Bourbon Whiskey
• Blanton Single Barrel Bourbon
• Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• High West Rendezvous Rye Whiskey
• Bulleit Rye Mash Whiskey
• Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky
• Bowmore 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• The Balvenie 12-year-old Double Wood Single Malt Scotch
• Jameson Irish Whiskey
• Bernheim Kentucky Straight Small Batch Wheat Whiskey

Did you host a fun activity at your wedding? Was it a hit with guests? Would you do it again?

Special thanks to my Aunt Lynn and Uncle Peter for introducing us to the most delicious white wine I've ever had (Fel), and my Aunt Julie and Uncle Tom for graciously utilizing their Cline wine membership to help us cut costs on several of our favorite featured wines.

Psst… in case you missed it: my wedding day look, our wedding venue, and our wedding soundtrack.

** All photos by Joe Gunn Photography, courtesy of The Sleep Peach

I Bought Things

Remember what I said last week about being patient? Turns out, I'm terrible at being patient. Surprise!

On a whim, Jonathan and I went to the Long Beach Antique Market this past Sunday, thinking maybe we'd find some mid-century furniture, specifically: round kitchen table with four chairs and/or a large round coffee table.

We got up at 6:30AM and headed out shortly after. This antique market happens once per month (3rd Sunday) and takes up 20 full acres of a parking lot adjacent to the Veteran's Memorial Stadium. If I didn't go there knowing exactly what I wanted, I might have had an aneurysm from over-stimulation.

Oh, and, you know, egregious humidity and heat might have been a factor, too. It was easily in the mid-90's by 10AM, and it didn't help that I was speed walking through the market in search of what I knew must be there: the perfect dining set. (Remember: I'm a grown up now.)

In addition to loads of furniture, there was, well, everything else you could imagine. Here, I took some pictures.









It was a blast looking around at everything. Even though I was on strict orders (from myself) not to buy anything unless it was what I was searching for specifically, it made me eager to go back again next month, and then maybe every month after that. Some things (like the original wood/metal/light art) were well beyond my price range, while other things were practically being given away. Whatever vintage or antique sort of item you might be searching for, chances are, you could find it here.

These pictures are the tip of the market iceberg. I'm excited to go back and explore some more, when it's about 20 degrees cooler.

So, while we didn't find a coffee table like we'd hoped, we certainly didn't come home empty-handed. Impatient though I may be, I think it might have paid off this time.



Because I'm in love. I saw it, and I knew we'd found the right set. It's a teak table and chairs, with a sleek mid-century modern aesthetic. It's in need of some serious lovin' (degreasing, sanding, staining, re-upholstery, etc.), which is where a few designated weekends with Shane will come in very handy.

It wasn't cheap; it came to $400, after originally being told $500, but I gave him the ol' "Hmm, interesting," and then turned to Jon: "Do I really want the table too, honey?" In all honesty, though, it was a steal. I've been looking for a table and chairs just like or comparable to this for about nine months now, and a single refinished set of 4 chairs could easily run $750 on its own! With another $100 of elbow grease and DIY care, we'll have this baby sparkling!

I'm thinking... herringbone fabric on the seats, maybe?



Yes. We're really, really happy with this purchase despite the unplanned-for attack on my bank account.

Oh, and speaking of purchases! Look what arrived in the mail yesterday...



If the table and chairs didn't send me closer to bankruptcy, this sure did the trick!

Bankruptcy never looked or felt so good!



What we have here are technically two items, not just one. The first is a cushy, 8'x11' non-skid rug pad. It is an absolute necessity on my super-slick laminate floors.

Next, is the pièce de résistance: an 8'6"x11'6" Moroccan style trellis rug made of 100% wool. I found this beauty (and the rug pad) on Overstock.com and I could not be happier.

I started looking for an enormous rug as soon as we moved in. We identified within a few hours that a rug was going to be our first major purchase after the bookcases. Aside from hating how big and drab the room looked without something to ground it (literally), functionally we needed one. Ennis and Fry were sliding around like idiots, and it just wasn't practical to have so much open, slippery floor.

This one stood out immediately, and the price was right, too: only $453.99 for an enormous, thick, wool rug. After thinking about it for a few days, I went back and saw that it was an additional 15% off due to a promotional back-to-school sale. I bought it immediately, for the cool price of $372.70 (just over $81 off). Again: a steal, especially for the quality.

It kind of speaks for itself.

Please excuse the dog/cat fur blanketing our chaise. We keep it real around here.

Jon was a trooper and trusted my instincts on this one.

The challenge was to find something that could match our steel blue couch, orange lounger, and green/brown/orange recliner all at once without bringing more orange into the mix. (We're officially oranged-out. No offense, Fry.) It couldn't be very dark, either, because we wanted to add more light to the ground, not force the light to the gargantuan ceilings. I also hoped to get a pattern, but not one that would conflict visually with my beloved recliner.

It also needed to be cushy. Luckily, I had two helpers who were more than happy to test its cushiness out for me. An Ennis v. Fry wrestling match was underway within 10 minutes of the rug being put down.

Needless to say, I'm thrilled that they're thrilled.

And Fry is thrilled that it's almost lunchtime.

* All images property of The Sleepy Peach

I Guess I'm a Grown Up

Andy Gilmore, 10-10-12 (rotated)

I've got the design bug again, big time. Starting fresh in a clean, empty apartment has been inspiring, and I'm feeling confident in the decor-direction our new home is headed. Right now I'm set up working in the kitchen, which has been a necessity in this tropically humid heat (thank you, lone ceiling fan!), but it also gives me a panoramic view of the main living area... and I want to work on it. All day, every day, until it is the exact thing that I (ahem, we) want.

I remember moving into my first apartment after college, with my dear friend, word wrangler, and blogger-in-crime, Kait. We didn't have much money (OK, I had no money at all, and she was on a very tight budget), so we had the typical hodge-podge of acquired Craigslist items and hand-me-down furniture. We couldn't afford to be picky. This meant that whatever large piece of artwork we could find for {super} cheap on Craigslist, love it or no, that's what we'd get to place over our couch. Whatever we could find that was comfortable to sit around on, we'd lug it home in my station wagon and do our best to set it up like we'd spent $500 on lounge chairs instead of just $75.

Considering our limitations, I think we did an admirable job.

I was taking a little Home Staging course at the time, which helped me discover the kind of design that reflects who I am and what I love. It's this course that made me realize my sensibilities are not in the "designer" realm; I do not consider myself skilled at all on that level. Rather, I think of myself as more of a "stager": I've learned to work with what I have in the space that I'm given.

Since then, I've learned so, so much. This is my 3rd apartment that I consider "mine," and the fun part is, I have a partner who shares my interest in making a home look beautiful. This time, I'm not stuck in an empty apartment where I'm desperate for basic necessities and therefore buy whatever cheap thing I can find that'll be "good enough until I can afford something better." Now, I'm able to invest some good chunks of money in quality pieces that I actually like.

No. Love.

That's not to say I don't buy things that are inexpensive. On the contrary, IKEA and I are still super tight (though I'm trying to avoid getting everything from there), and I'm not one to turn my nose up at free things or cease my daily shopping rounds on Craigslist.

The point is, I know what I want now. I know what I'm drawn to, and I'm willing to wait until I can get it, whether that means checking on Craigslist every day or saving up to invest in a quality piece. I won't buy art just to put on the wall, and I won't buy a piece of furniture just 'cause we need someplace to store our liquor.

Now that we've found an apartment that we intend to stay in for at least two years (if not more) is that we have time. There's no rush, and that's a pleasant feeling. For the first time, I'm not stressed out or embarrassed that my home doesn't look perfect. I'm not worried about what other people will think about me and my design choices.

I guess this is what it feels like to be a grown up.

I'll take it.

Style by Emily Henderson

So what am I loving right now?

Bold prints, color, clean lines, wood, mid-century chairs, cozy furniture, giant libraries, outer space, geometric designs, plants, little vignettes, perfectly placed artwork, typography, anything with herringbone, and unusual combinations.

Before starting our move, I was already on the hunt for specific items that I knew for certain I wanted, eventually, to be part of my home. One of these big items is a round Mid-Century/Danish Modern dining table with four chairs. Pretty much this exact set from Apartment Therapy a while back. I've pretty much driven myself crazy by trying to figure out how and where I will acquire the perfect dining room.

Patience is a virtue. I think.

I've probably lost most of you by now, but if you're still with me, I'd love to hear about what you're coveting for your house. Or do you have absolutely no interest in any of this and think it's all boring bullshit?

I anxiously await your thoughts. In the meantime, here's a sexy-ass picture of the Orion Nebula that I have framed and will eventually hang above my office desk:

Big Move, Little Apartment Tour

It's been almost a month since I last updated, and I actually have several half-written posts that are pending (including a lengthy one about my trip to New York), but I am jumping this to the head of the line, because, well...



WE MOVED. Jonathan and I are officially residents of Orange, CA. After nine months of living with my parents to save money and plan the next chapter of our lives (with Jon as a full-time grad student and me as a work-from-home 20-something), we spent the weekend getting settled into our new apartment, and we're absolutely, out-of-our-minds exhausted. It's been a very long week.

Despite its many flaws, we love love love our apartment. I'm excited to have my own space to decorate again; a place that is filled with only our furniture, our trinkets, our books, and our food. I'm thrilled to have our books and DVDs finally out of boxes. They are the most beautiful artwork we own.



We'll be getting height extensions and an extra shelf or two sometime this week. Luckily, we have the space and the books/DVDs to fill it.



Our ceiling in the main living area slopes, and is approximately 15 feet high on one wall. We've discovered that it isn't easy to keep that room cool, but it makes for an open, light-filled room with loads of potential.

Also, Ennis seems pretty happy so far.





There's a lot of work to do, which is rather exciting. My mind is already racing with the kinds of lamps we can get to make a bigger impact in our living room; what sort of original art we can create to fill the rectangle of wall above the couch; how I will manage to find the perfect rug (i.e. huge, but still affordable); how to incorporate a functional bar area; whether we can find and install an over-sized pendant lamp to balance out the room...

All that will come, in time. Dreaming about it is lots of fun, though.

About a month ago, after coming down and taking some measurements, I had some fun playing around with the floor plan of the main living area. Some color/design elements not-withstanding, it's a pretty accurate look of what we're (okay, I'm) aiming for in terms of layout and aesthetic...

Luckily, we've already got a good foundation; we came to this apartment with most of the basic furniture necessities, so we're in no rush to buy/make a ton of new things. As I mentioned back when we found our apartment, we've got 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, plus a separate dining area; there is plenty of square footage to store rogue boxes with items that don't have homes. We're not going to be stuck spending loads of time in a room that isn't functional. Our second bedroom will be an office/guestroom. For now, though, save for a single bed, there isn't much going on in here but lots and lots of crap.



Plus, we need somewhere to store all our wine, beer, and booze until we can get a liquor cabinet!

We also have some great artwork (large and small), still lingering in closed boxes or leaning up against walls and furniture. I just can't bring myself to tackle that project yet. I've always been frustrated with empty walls, and in the past thrown up whatever I had when I just couldn't take it any more. My new plan is to practice patience; there is no rush; my walls can survive without color for a few weeks.

Eventually, I will be pulling out all of our favorite pieces and designate them to the appropriate rooms and walls. I'll keep you updated on what we decide, and in some cases, how we'll even manage it. (Does anyone have any tips on how to hang frames that are really, really heavy? I'm skeered.)

Our bedroom is actually one of my favorite places in the apartment. After several pint-sized bedrooms in my various Seattle apartments, it's strange to have an actual "master" bedroom and bathroom. There's so much space to walk around, but it still feels cozy and intimate.

Our kitchen is both small and big; we don't have a lot of counter to work with, but at the same time there is room to move around, come in and out; we can actually cook together comfortably, which is a nice change. Also, the white cabinets make it feel nice and bright.



And while the dining room has become my interim office, I'm excited to invest in some quality chairs and eventually a solid wood table. (I've been on the hunt for Danish/Mid-Century Modern dining chairs that don't cost $1000 for months—a seemingly impossible task. And what do you think... a round table, eventually?)

Until then, I'm happy to leave it a blank slate.



Then, there's our balcony. An actual outdoor area for us to call our own. It's not much yet (just a few plants that made the move with us from Livermore), but I cannot wait to put a stamp out here as well. I'm pretty sure it's going to involve some plant table building sessions with Shane.

Can you tell I'm a little excited to decorate?

Yes, it's true, the apartment doesn't look like much now, but even in all the chaos, we've set up little happy vignettes where we could—including this wonderful one with a Virgen de Guadalupe candle that I just had to buy in honor of my dearest friend, Jessie. (It will henceforth be known as my "hurricane light"... or maybe "earthquake light" would be more accurate since there have been three over 4.0 since I've been here?) And what's a better companion to Catholicism than R2-D2?

It's the little things.

Moving is a tough thing for me. I'm just not good at it. Part of it is because I'm a bossy control freak and horrible to be around. The other part is probably that in the last eight years, I've moved about 10 times. Aside from those summers in college where I returned to my parent's house for two months, this is the 10th place I've lived.

This time feels different. Baring something bad happening, this'll be the first apartment I've lived in where I'll likely be here for more than a year and a half. The knowledge that these 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, open living room, tiny dining room, and galley kitchen will be my home for the foreseeable future—not just an "okay place until I find something better"—makes me want to put the time, thought, and effort into creating exactly what we want.

It's a relief, and it's a nice change of pace for me.

If I'm productive/responsible/on top of things, I'll be tracking all the fun changes here. I mean, maybe, if you guys are really nice. Like I said, it's been a long week.