Today was a monumental day in my life --my first bridal shower!  This one was especially exciting not only because it was my first bridal shower ever attended, but it's also the first I had to plan...and it turned out great!  My beautiful cousin loved all of her gifts, but she loved one in particular that could be a hit at any bridal shower or party: Bridal Wine Poems.  At the shower, the bridesmaids will read each poem (in order) of special moments to come in the bride and groom's lives.

DIY Tutorial: Bridal Shower Wine Poems

Here's what you need:
A basket
Some pretty ribbon
Bottles of wine (I did 6)
Scrapbook paper of your choice
Bridal poems


Find a wine bottle for every occasion that you want to cover.  The wine poems I focused on were "A Year of Firsts"--six bottles to celebrate some special "firsts" in the newlywed lives of the bride and groom.  You can make it your own if you'd like!  It's also a fun scavenger hunt around the wine store to find wine titles/bottles matching the general theme of all of your poems.

Here are the occasions, bottles, and poems that I used:

1.  Bridal Shower Bottle --Wine: Courtney's Angels

Friends and family together as one
This is your day for some gifts and some fun
 Enjoy all the lovely ladies in your life
As you celebrate your journey to becoming a wife!

2.  Wedding Night Bottle -- Champagne of your choice

The night you have dreamed of is finally here,
 The future surrounds you with hope and yet fear.
You've been to the chapel and married your soulmate,
So sip this wine and toast this date.
The night is meant for you each to share,
(Bride's name) and (Groom's name)--a perfect pair.

3.  First Fight Bottle -- Wine: Conundrum

 Love as you might,
You'll have your first fight...
Drink this wine,
While you make up all night

4.  First Christmas Bottle -- Wine: Pacific Redwood (or anything Christmas-y)

A wise man said wine is better than beer,
And now is the season for lots of holiday cheer.
So pop the cork and relax a bit,
And when the night is through,
Kiss goodnight, close your eyes,
And Santa will be good to you!

5.  First Valentine's Day Bottle -- Wine: Sweet Bliss

 Cupid saw (bride) and shot an arrow through her heart
She then found (groom) and now you won't find them apart.
Toast to the day of candy, love, and kisses
To Mr. (groom's name) and now to his Mrs!

 

6.  First Anniversary Bottle -- Wine: Forever

 This past year has found you 
In good health and good spirit,
 So keep saying I love you,
One always needs to hear it.
Raise your glasses to each other, 
As you look back at year one.
There's so much that you've been through
Yet there's so much more to come!

The Making of the Wine Basket

Print and cut out wine poems, and mount them on different colored pieces of scrapbook paper.  I got these iridescent multi-colored sheets from JoAnn fabric for 59cents each!  



Once all of the poems are mounted, cut the tags with patterned edge scissors as pictured above.  


 Punch a hole in the corner of each of the poems and tie them around each bottle with a pretty ribbon and bow.


 Here's the bridal shower bottle in action ;)


It was such a hit!  Enjoy!  If you want a copy of these poems, e-mail me at agirlsguiltypleasures@gmail.com with subject line: Wine Poems
  

The clothes I received are so trendy and fit perfectly.  The fabric is of good quality, and the clothes can be worn for so many different occasions.  With Spring already here, and Summer just around the corner, you should definitely stock up on some of the latest fashions from DivaNY.  The best part of all though, in my opinion, is the price.  I browsed around the site for a while, and couldn't find a single item over $60!  Now that's a good deal!  

Here are some of my top fashion finds (some which I own personally and love)

How adorable is this?  This is the sheer high-low ivory dress, which I absolutely love!  It is perfect for spring or summer --be on the lookout for a way to win one of your own in an upcoming giveaway!

This is the sleeveless elegant peplum top which is absolutely essential for any wardrobe!  It looks awesome with just a pair of dark skinnies.

Here is the chic pencil belted dress which fits like a glove.  This has to be my favorite item that I received, and I cannot wait to find an occasion to wear it!!

So be sure to check out www.DivaNY.com and let me know if you find any cute new spring and summer finds!  Also be on the lookout for my upcoming giveaway to win your own high low ivory dress (pictured above)!!!
 

My blog really took off as a result of the popularity of my post "Online Shopping on a Budget."  This post is basically a comprehensive list of all the stores that offer some of the most affordable and fashionable options that the Internet has to offer.  One of the most inexpensive shops on there is called SammyDress, a wholesale clothing company from China.  Being the cheapest site as well as being the only Chinese site on my list has brought tons of speculation and doubt from my readers as to whether or not SammyDress is a reliable shop to buy from.

I will admit, I also questioned how some of the adorable clothes could be so inexpensive.  I recently have been in contact with people from SammyDress, and they offered to send me clothing as a means of reviewing the quality if their product as well as the legitimacy of their website.  

 I picked out a few items and received them in a timely manner.  It is important to be safe with what you pick, especially since shipping items back to China isn't exactly an option for most of us.  What I mean by safe is picking items that you can see all of the details of.  For example, some of the items I picked looked adorable on the model on the site, but when I received them, they had some back details or sleeve details that were not evident in the picture.  So look carefully at the photo and make sure you have a good idea what the item looks like!  

For many of the clothes on the website, the option for size is not there or it says "one size." I was nervous that this generic size would be too small on me, a size medium.  When I received my items, all of my items fit nicely, none too tight or too loose.  

One thing that I definitely suggest when ordering from SammyDress: don't buy something that is intended for an upcoming occasion or that you need very soon.  Though I received my items in a timely manner, I also had direct communication with the company.  You will receive your items, but do not risk buying something for an occasion that is within a few weeks of placing your order, because since this shop is based in China, there are various steps they must go through in order to deliver products internationally.  If you want an item sooner rather than later, choose the clothes that have the "ships in 24 hours" option, because that means those items are more readily available.  Also, if you contact them, be aware that they are from China, so there is a language barrier, but they do speak enough English to understand your requests.

This sweater has gotten so many compliments and is so cozy!

Of the 8-10 items I ordered, there were some of good quality and there were some that could have been better but were really fine in general.  The beauty of the cheap prices is that you can buy various items and chances are there will be a few that you really like.  My two favorite items from SammyDress have gotten me more compliments than most of my other clothes.  

When shopping through SammyDress, don't forget to account for the shipping price that will be added on to your order (which will often equal more than the clothes you are purchasing).  It's easy for your shopping bag to rack up charges, but the shipping added at the end is what may discourage you from buying.  Also to stay safe, always pay with PayPal for international orders.  Here are some more links that can help you with that information:
 http://www.sammydress.com/m-article-id-58.html%28do
http://www.sammydress.com/m-article-id-39.html%28three

A Girl's Guilty Pleasures promise:  If you order from SammyDress and have an issue and are getting no response, please e-mail me at agirlsguiltypleasures@gmail.com ad tell me your issue and order number and I will try to contact them in order to get you a response.