2 More Weddings: Jan. 2010 and April 2010

Maggie and Patrick were married in January 2010 at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in downtown Austin, Texas. They had their reception at Texas Old Town in Sage Hall.  Pictures below of their fun reception by the wonderful Old World Studios Photography.

Lacey and Ian were married in April 2010 at Texas Old Town in Tejas Hall. They had PoK-e-Jo's cater their reception and their DJ was The Awesome Sean with ATXDJ. Photography was done by Old World Studios. See their wedding photos below.

Don't you just love weddings?! We will be posting more pictures next week!

2 Weddings: December 4 & December 5 beauties

Congratulations to Raj'ae and Travis & Angela and Jodie!

These couples recently got married at Texas Old Town. One on December 4 and the other on December 5.
Both were photographed by Margaret of Old World Studios. (Just a reminder...if you have any photos from an event at TOT, pass them on so we can feature your event on our blog!)

Now...on to the photos!

Let's start off with Raj'ae and Travis.

Now it's time for Angela and Jodie!

Stay tuned...because tomorrow we will be featuring a few more weddings photographed by Margaret at Old World Studios!

A Texas Christmas

In the spirit of Christmas, I want to offer you a few gifts.

Not real physical gifts, but a few cyber gifts! For one, check out this website with a list of Fun things to do all around Texas. This is great if you plan on traveling around visiting family and friends during the holidays. Check it out here: Fun Things to Do In Texas

The next one is a great compilation of free things to do in Austin right now. Free things right when you need them in the midst of all the crazy holiday shopping! Check it out here: Keeping Austin Free

These next few are great family photos that hopefully get you thinking around your family this year. I hope you need a laugh... Photos courtesy of Awkward Family Photos.

Here's to hoping your Christmas is as Fun, Free and Awkward as these links and pictures show!

5 Reasons to Have a Work Holiday Party & What Not to Wear

All of December and January seems to be filled with various types of holiday parties. Between family, friends and religious celebrations there seems to be little time left to plan that office holiday party. So before you decide to just let it slide to a small break room party with a "Bah Humbug" approach, here are five reasons why you should have an office holiday party and what not to wear!

#1: Increase morale among staff: Most employees find it difficult to be productive during this busy time of the year. An office party increases face-to-face time and gets everyone out of their cubicles and offices. Just acknowledging the holiday season is an instant morale booster.


#2: Tight budget?: You can have an office party even on a tight budget and increase employees' confidence in the company. Why not have a potluck/homemade style office party in the break room or a nice conference room. Break out the decorations and music and let everyone hang out for the afternoon and even leave early after the party.

#3: Recruit new employees: You can fill entry-level and internship positions by networking with your employees for referrals. You can even have them drop a paper into a bowl or basket with their referral and contact info. This can make everyone feel like they are helping the company grow while helping a friend get a job!

#4: The truth can set you free...or not: There is sure to be some different personalities showing up when the office party is in a different setting. Make sure the party is a positive experience by allowing the shy employees to speak up about new things they would like learn or have the opportunity to try. Make sure everything is managed effectively. Arrange for drink tickets or have the bartender check ID's so each person may only have so many drinks.


#5: Teambuilding: Make the rounds with everyone and get to know them away from the normal office and meeting rooms. Provide team building activities to let people in different departments get to know one another. Casino Knights in Austin is a great company to use, and they have been out to Texas Old Town several times.

No matter where or when you chose to have an office holiday party, it will always be appreciated to have some time away from the hustle and bustle of work and get to know the people you work with better.

Now, be sure to play it safe and wear work appropriate not club attire at the office party. Check out these 11 things you should never (ever) wear to an office party, courtesy of Glamour.

Don't #1: Serious Cleavage: Don't get too carried away with the low-cut stuff! You are still with your co-workers at a "work" event.

Don't #2: Holiday Colors: Stay away from the elementary red and green outfits. You may be confused for a Christmas tree.

Don't #3: The Highest Heels You Own: Cute heels are great for a holiday office party, but stay away from the "stripper heels" especially the ones that make you the tallest person in the room.

Don't #4: Crazy Animal Print Clothes: Don't be afraid to try something bold, but keep away from the seriously loud animal prints. You'll have to keep those animal print dresses stowed away for another night.

Don't #5: Sheer Fabric: Super-sheer choices don't go for the office, so you will have to skip them for the office party too.

Don't #6: Ultra Casual Attire: Unless your office party is at a ranch, picnic in the park, or a sporting event, the jeans and a t-shirt is not good for the party.

Don't #7: Christmas Sweater: Do yourself a favor and keep those at home for a cold day by the fire. But, feel free if the invite does say "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party!"

Don't #8: Wrinkled Clothes:  Say yes to the iron pre-party. Just because that dress usually looks cute, doesn't mean you can put it on after digging it out of the corner of your closet.

Don't #9: Novelty Socks: Those striped toe socks with jingle bells may sound fun to you, but keep them in the confines of your home for a snow day.

Don't #10: Too Tight, Too Short Dresses: Don't mess up your professional reputation by wearing that  Kim Kardashian worthy dress. Keep to those cute and warm sweater dresses or nice pants and a sweater top that will still show off your body.

Don't #11: Festive Garb: The antlers and battery powered Christmas light necklaces and sweaters need to stay at home with the kids. This is still your professional life and you don't want to be remembered for being the immature one. Unless of course you work at a quirky place anyway...then feel free to be as fun and quirky as you want!

The Holiday's are Coming to Town!

It's never too early to get in to the Christmas spirit. Growing up every year on the day after Thanksgiving we would pull out all our Christmas decorations, including a great 7.5 foot tree, and start setting them up while listening to Christmas music and eating leftovers.

I loved it and those are memories I will never forget. This year it's just my husband and I in our little apartment. We plan on a few decorations, but we really don't have the room or storage! Even though we don't have a big 7.5 foot tree or any of those decorations and things we enjoyed growing up, that's not going to stop us from having a great little Christmas party with our friends!

Whether you are like my parents or like me and my husband, anyone can throw a great looking and easy Christmas party. I love to cook, so one of the first things I do when planning any type of party is figure out what I would like to serve. Many times I do a pot luck type of party and have everyone bring something. That way everyone has something they like.

Edible Ornaments

Fun desserts and different drinks rather than just the regular sodas and water are also something fun to have. Try making a Christmas tree out of cupcakes or even cute little edible ornaments. If you don't feel like baking and decorating try The Cupcake Bar. They are exactly what their name says, a full service bar for cupcakes. They have 75 toppings, 20 flavors, and a spread of different fillings. You just walk up to the bar and tell them what type of cupcake you want, what you want on it and what you want in it. Sounds fun and delicious to me!

There are tons of drinks you can make for the holiday's that aren't just your regular eggnog. Try a few non-alcoholic drinks such as a S'more Mocktail with marshmallow cream topping and graham crackers or a Cranberry-Mint cooler with a frozen holiday wreath made from a shot glass mold with mint and cranberries . If you can't do with out the eggnog, try this new version with a cookie ornament garnish.

Ornament wreath

Decorations are next on the list of party planning, but are pretty easy around the holidays with the abundance of Christmas trees, snowmen, nutcrackers, and lights. If you want something easy, fun and inexpensive, you can make an ornament wreath. It's as easy as taking an old wire hanger and forming it info a wreath shape and adding ornaments of your choosing.

There are tons of other ideas and inspiration you can find, so these are just a few of my favorite things. At this time of year don't forget all the special people in your life and everything you have to be thankful for, including all the little things most people take for granted, such as their health, mobility, job, family, money, friends, and whether you are married, getting married our just engaged this holiday season, you are blessed to have found someone to love you and take care of you for the rest of your life.

Is this the worst wedding guest ever?

WARNING: This video does contain some profanity, so please don't watch if you are easily offended.

Is this the worst wedding guest ever? Or funny?  What do you think?
This guy is a radio host and you can find out more about this guy at  www.specialdeliveryshow.com or www.twitter.com/eastsidedave.

What type of wedding are you having?

Gone are the days, it seems, where people are content with something simple.

The definition of simple has stayed the same (free from vanity, ostentation or display; innocent or modest) and does not mean ugly or cheap.

So, why do many brides, venues and event planners continue to go for a "Platinum Wedding" or try to do a David Tutera style wedding, all the while turning into a "Bridezilla"? I understand there is tradition and many girls dream of the day where they get to be a princess and walk down the aisle to their very own prince charming. That's understandable and love is in the air, but the majority of the population is not royalty so why should we spend money like we are.

It is very possible to have a beautiful wedding with all your family and friends for under a years salary. Heck, it's possible to have an amazing party-of-the-year type of wedding for under $10,000.

Sometimes it is the simple beauty of a place that is enough. Why cover up walls with drapes and lights just because the wall paper of color doesn't match with your wedding colors? Let the walls stand for themselves and tell the story of your venue!

On top of that, nobody, not even royalty, need 5' tall centerpieces. I would go for something where your guests can actually see and talk to each other across the table over dinner.

Enough of the rant, I just see it as a little insane to spend so much money on a wedding. Yes, it is a very special once in a lifetime event, and I hope that many happily married couples can look back on their wedding after 10 years and say, "Man, we had a great time and I love you even more than I did then."

But, I think that even if I had been married outside a trash dump in freezing rain and no one showed up, I would still look back on that day and at my wonderful husband and say how much I love him and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Besides, even if you do want that super fancy dance hall, why not be adventurous and take a Friday wedding with a discounted price! :)

I hope you all are well and have a very happy and thankful Thanksgiving.