All She Blogs

It's finally springtime in Chicago, which means the season of bar-b-ques, beach days and picnics is in full swing! And as the days grow hotter, you'll surely be in need of some refreshing beverages and sweet treats. To celebrate Memorial Day, we made these darling strawberry, banana and blueberry skewers and paired them with a bubbly fruit punch cocktail. Coupled with festive red, white and blue accessories, our outdoor spread was the perfect way to enjoy the extended holiday weekend!

Nestled in Lincoln Park, Sarah and Brian tied the knot just steps away from the place they first met seven years earlier. Filled with touching moments from their wedding party and custom cocktails, Sarah and Brian's wedding was a celebration that was nearly a decade in the making! 

The Meet Cute: We first met in the Spring of 2007 in Lincoln Park. Brian was on the way to a concert and I was shopping with friends. If you know anything about us, this is still basically how our social lives work! Our roommates were dating each other, so naturally we ended up spending more time together. It came full circle as we ended up getting married just one block from where we first met.

The Proposal: It was a Friday night in November and we had planned to stay in. Brian said that he had to work late and when I got home expecting an empty apartment, he was there preparing a romantic dinner for us! He had every detail covered from printed menus to fresh flowers, candles and wine. It was exactly the proposal I had hoped for!  

The Invitations: Initially we weren't sure what direction we wanted to go, but ended up choosing something very timeless and classic that tied in with our venue. We liked the idea of working with someone directly to help us find exactly what we wanted as opposed to ordering from a website. The team at All She Wrote did a fantastic job of guiding us along the way and making the process effortless. In the end we got exactly what we hoped for and we would recommend them to anyone.

The Big Day: A family friend officiated our ceremony, which made it very personal and unique. During the speeches, my sister and family sang a song they wrote for our wedding. Additionally, Brian's father surprised us by singing a song he wrote during the reception. We had been dating seven years leading up the wedding and his song was about how it "finally" happened. We also had his and her drinks at the reception that were definitely crowd pleasers!

The Lessons Learned: Have fun! Wedding planning can be very stressful at times, but we really tried to embrace it and we had the most fun when we were planning together, whether it was picking out the music for the ceremony or cake tasting. Remember that it's about the two of you, so be confident in the choices that you make. Any personal touches will go a long way with your guests!

Bride’s attire: Maggie Soterro BHLDN | Hair & Makeup: Zazu Salon & Outer Beauty| Groom’s attire: Formally Modern | Invitations: Vera Wang by All She Wrote | Photographer: Victoria Sprung Photography | Flowers & Decor: Crystal Bailey | Venue: Salvatore's Ristorante | Music: Toast & Jam (DJ) & Deane Myers (pianist) | Catering: Salvatore's Ristorante | Cake: Oak Mill Bakery

Name: Denise 
Hometown: Plainfield, Illinois
Position: Manager
How long have you worked at All She Wrote: Over two years. 
Favorite item we sell: Letterpress stationery.
Favorite monogram & why: M18 because my monogram is DOP and I prefer to obscure that.
3 words to describe All She Wrote: Youthful, tasteful and friendly.
Can’t live without my: Family.
Email or snail mail: E-mail for data, snail mail for personal.
Polka dots or stripes: Why not both? 
Tea or Coffee: In the morning black coffee and in the evening black sleepy time tea.
My perfect Saturday in Chicago would be… A hot summer day outside with a little gardening, yoga and cooking.

As the manager of the store, Denise has many responsibilities, but her favorite part of her job is interacting with our loyal customers. A Chicago resident for many years, Denise’s happy place is in the mountains of Colorado where she’s surrounded by  nature. Though a vegetarian for 20 years, Denise still longs for the pair of leather boots she’ll never have.

Flowers are budding, birds are chirping and spring has arrived in Chicago! We love that this gorgeous time of year falls around one of our favorite holidays to celebrate: Mother's Day. While appreciation for any parent should be given every day of the year, we like to show our Moms a little extra love on this special day!

Treat yours to something beautiful, like this Margaret Elizabeth necklace or Mar Y Sol clutch. For the Mom whose kitchen is her sanctuary, we adore this gold mug and Rifle Paper Co's newest recipe box. And if all she needs is a little relaxation, we think this scented Illume candle and coffee table book will do the trick. For more ideas, take a look at our Mother's Day gift guide and use our code ILOVEMOM to receive 15% off all online orders until May 8th.

If nothing else, we know that every Mom would appreciate a heartfelt note. Happy Mother's Day, Moms!

This past Sunday marked our annual Monograms & Mimosas event, and this year was our best yet! Shoppers were treated to complimentary monogramming on all in-store purchases and a few lucky visitors also received a free Lilly Pulitzer tote with their purchase. Sunday strollers enjoyed our mimosa bar and sweet treats from CB Custom Bakeshop. Our personalized cups and napkins were a hit and are now available for purchase in store for your very own champagne brunch! The highlight was our Kate Spade giveaway that featured a floral tray, tidbit plates, acrylic tumblers and picnic blanket. Many entered, but our lucky winner, Sarah, scored the whole collection! Thank you to all those who stopped by and helped make our event a success!

Join us this Sunday, April 17th for our 4th annual Monograms & Mimosas event! Enjoy free monogramming on all in-store items, a complimentary Lilly tote with $50 purchase while supplies last & a chance to win this Kate Spade picnic set. The Kate Spade giveaway includes a large floral tray, 4 acrylic tumblers, 4 tidbit plates and an adorable picnic blanket to lay out your whole spread! Want to increase your odds of winning? Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for an extra raffle ticket or make a purchase of $75 or more for an additional entry. One lucky winner will be drawn at the end of the event, so be sure to stop in before 3pm!

Name: Meghan
Hometown: Sarasota, Florida
Position: Owner
How long have you worked at All She Wrote: I bought the store at the end of 2012.
Favorite item we sell: I’m loving our long cotton night shirts right now. They’re the perfect length and a weight and so pretty with a monogram. I have collected quite a few… it’s becoming a problem!
Favorite monogram & why: My custom monogram designed in-house because it’s unique to me.
3 words to describe All She Wrote: Classic, preppy and warm.
Can’t live without my: Emily Ley planner. It keeps my head together.
Email or snail mail: Snail mail, of course.
Polka dots or stripes: Stripes for sure! I love any kind of stripe from really wide and bold stripes to tiny ticking stripes.
Tea or Coffee: A large nonfat one Splenda latte. I do not function without coffee first thing in the morning… and many days to keep me going in the afternoon. 
My perfect Saturday in Chicago would be… sleeping in until at least seven (a forgotten luxury as I have two kids under two) then go for a long walk with my family around our Lincoln Park neighborhood, hitting a playground or two. We’d probably pick up lunch from the Chicago Bagel Authority (the Messy Katie is my favorite). The night would definitely consist of a babysitter, maybe cocktails on a rooftop bar somewhere and reservations at one of the many restaurants on my list of places I want to try.

For over three years, Meghan has been our owner, buyer and one-woman tech department. She is always on the lookout for new products that our customers will love and strives to create an inviting space to shop in-store and online. When she has a rare free moment you might find her fixing, painting or refinishing something. She learned how to hang drywall and install hardwood floors when she was twenty-one and has had the renovation bug ever since!