My Life Preserver

I'm Not An Alcoholic. I'm Irish!

2010-03-15T18:25:00.003-04:00

"St. Patrick's day is the closest thing the Irish have to Christmas"

-Michael from The Office

So St. Patrick's day is coming up and I am beyond excited! Not only because you can drink until your liver falls out without people passing judgement but because my birthday is two days after. People have had a day to recover and are ready to help the bars finish off that green beer or get rid of those green Bud Light bottles.

Other reason why this is my favorite holiday/week of the year include:

Corn beef hash? Yes please!

The color green is everywhere!

Green beer!

Green Wine!

When I take pictures with Shamrocks my green eyes really stand out.

I am also taller than a leprechaun. It feels nice to not be the shortest one for once.

So drink till you can't stand and make sure your kilt is long enough to cover your lucky charms!

Happy St. Patrick's day!

Ahoy! It's a Boy! Part 2

2010-03-15T17:50:00.003-04:00

Update: Here are the invitations that I have made for my cousins baby shower.

Want to make these?

What you will need:

navy, yellow and white cardstock printer with navy ink

white paint Q-tips
white Hemp or cord double stick tape

Martha Stewart anchor punch scissors

Directions
Cut navy card stock into 1 1/2 thick strips so that it is the size of a grosgrain ribbon.
Next cut off tip of the Q-tip and dip into white paint to make dots. While paint is drying print out invitations.

Use double sided stick tape to attach navy cardstock strip to the invite.

Fold extra behind the invite and tape. Take white hemp and tie it around the invite and make a knot. Make sure you have enough of the string to tie in the anchor.

(Sorry I don't have a picture of it!)

Next use the tape and put invite on the yellow card stock. (I cut mine into 5x7 pieces)

Take extra string and tie in the anchor. You shouldn't need to knot it.

And TADAAAA!

These were some of the other invitations that I made but decided not to use.

What's for Dinner?

2010-02-22T15:29:00.006-05:00

Being unemployed has given me all of this free time to cook. I have some family recipes but I also wanted to find some of my own that I could share. My search for quick and fabulous recipes led me to the one and only Martha Stewart.

At her website I found Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair. My husband and I were in love at first bite. (Sorry that sounded like some vampire quote. LAME.) Anyway not only was it delic but it was super easy to make.

Ingredients
Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed, drained, and quartered

2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers

8 ounces angel-hair pasta

1/2 cup parsley leaves

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

(I copy and pasted these from Martha. The link is up top if you are not impressed.)

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Place flour in a shallow dish, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets, shaking off excess. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken in batches, adding remaining oil as needed, until light golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a dish.

Add broth to skillet, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Add artichokes, capers, and the chicken with any juices. Gently swirl to combine, and bring just to a boil. Remove skillet from heat. Swirl in butter, and cover to keep warm.

( I also added some shallots because why not)

Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente; drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta, topped with parsley.

And TADAA!

Martha's

Ali's

Instead of that glass of water in Martha's photo we has some vino and I recommend it. Lance likes to drink after a long day at work and I never let anyone drink alone.

Let me know if you like it!

My Mother Always Told Me White Is Right!

2010-02-16T08:17:00.001-05:00

Spring is right around the corner and I cannot wait! I also cannot wait until my birthday. Not only because it's my birthday, but it is also the last day of winter and that means I can start wearing bright colors and whites without getting the stink eye. Anyway after some online window shopping I noticed a trend... White! Lots and lots of white!

Lilly Pulitzer seems to think to think white is right. Just check out their new arrivals.

Need more white? How about some Shoshanna:

Even Carrie is into white.

What is the best part about wearing white?

All of the bold accessories that you can wear with it.

Like these from Saks

Piperlime

and Banana Republic

Yummy! So dearest Spring, please hurry!

Lovey Dovey

2010-02-15T12:04:00.007-05:00

Hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day!

I made some delicious cookies...

I promise they tasted better than they looked.

On Sunday I woke up to pink pancakes :)

My silver five :) Yes, I am a dipper.

The most ridiculous box of chocolates EVER with my fav chocolates.

And we made a pizza! I didn't get a picture. We ate it too quickly.

How did you celebrate?

Dear Barbie, I hate you! xoxo, Ali

2010-02-15T10:28:00.009-05:00

Can we talk about the Christian Louboutin Barbie?

Leave it to Barbie to show little girls what they can't have.

Firstly, the body... those long spidery legs... totally not fair. I am fine with not having boobs, but having long legs would allow me to be at eye level with others and I think that would be nice.

The clothes! It is not socially acceptable to wear princess dresses all the time. Thank you for allowing me to believe so. I have tried and it is not. Just ask my husband...

Welcome home honey! No I did not clean... I watched tele and searched for jobs all while wearing my wedding dress.

Then the dream house and the sweet car. If I could have an all pink house and car and my husband would be okay with it then believe me I would. Has anyone ever wondered what Ken thinks?

And now custom Christian Louboutins! WTF?

Now I don't mean to sound bitter... I will always love Barbie. (Except that fact that she has 10 million professions and I can't even get a job.) But why does she have to keep popping up (net-a-porter and Perez Hilton) and showing us grown ups that she is just that much cooler.

All photos are from Toys R Us minus the Christian Louboutin one.

Ahoy! It's a Boy!

2010-02-11T19:01:00.021-05:00

After the wedding I was experiencing planning withdrawals. I had no clue what to do with all my free time and constantly found myself on the knot stalking other weddings and forcing my help on others. During this low point, I received an exciting phone call from one of my cousins.

Kelsey told me that she was PREGGERS!!!!!

Now let me tell you a few things about Kelsey...

Kelsey also has an obsession with all things preppy and nautical. In fact, I think her soon to be baby boy will only wear nautical/preppy outfits. In a family with 30 cousins, there are four of us girls that are all about the same age. We call ourselves MACK (Morgan, Alison, Courtney, and Kelsey) and we are like sisters. These three girls were my MOHs.

Anyway Kelsey and I made a pact that we would plan each others showers because we have such similar taste. But let's be honest, the fact that I am unemployed and without a child is probably the main reason. Morgan, Courtney, and myself are hosting, but I am the one who needs to make it happen. This baby boy is coming May 18th. (According to the doctors. It really is his decision though, isn't it?) Kelsey picked the date of March 28th for her shower. That leaves me a little over 6 weeks to git er done.

And now that Kelsey is going from this:

To this:

It is time to get this planning started! The following pictures are my inspiration for the shower.

Nothing says nautical like navy, yellow and white. P.S. How delicious does that cake look? And the dress? I love it! Actually, I love this whole group of photos!

DCNearlyWeds

Grosgrain ribbon around the napkins and rock candy.
Tastefully Entertaining

Love the centerpieces here.

Tastefully Entertaining

Again with the grosgrain ribbon this time with the baby safety pin.
I am not sure where I found this so let me know if it is yours and I will give you credit.

I am determined to make these building block cakes made by the fabulous Martha Stewart.

Martha Stewart

Originally I wanted to make these invitations, but to my dismay I found out that my printer doesn't print white ink. From this group I also love the napkins and of course,

the life preserver!

finestationery's photostream

I am in love with these little sailboats, but my family members all have one from my wedding soo unfortunately this group of photos is really just for color inspiration.

The Party Dress

Um... how adorable are these?

Cookie Crumbs

Okay so the rest of these pictures are just some that I gathered together before we knew the sex of the baby and before I knew what Kelsey really wanted.

Flights of Fancy

Whitney English

Preppy

Loving Every Second

Fun and Sassy Designs

This post wouldn't be complete without a planning bio for the shower, so here it is:

http://nauticalbabyshower.weebly.com/

Let me know what you think so far! I will be back with photos of the invitations I have made.

Newlywed

2010-02-11T11:25:00.004-05:00

I forgot to put these photos in the last post. So ladies and gentlemen, I present my newlywed ass. Enjoy!

First comes LOVE, then comes MARRIAGE, then comes a BABY in the baby carriage. No I am not pregnant, but my cousin is, which means I get to plan a baby shower so come back tomorrow for some baby shower ideas.

Let Me Tell You About a Little Place Called the Grenadines

2010-02-10T19:34:00.026-05:00

Looking for a place to go on your honeymoon or just for a romantic getaway? Well look no further because I am here to tell you about St. Vincent and the Grenadines. South of St. Lucia, west of Barbados and just north of Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the perfect vacation spot. If you liked the British Virgin Islands 15 years ago then you will love, love, LOVE this place. Sun, sand and no Sandals hotels, was everything I wanted in a Caribbean honeymoon.

Live on the East Coast? Well this place is even more perfect because it is in the same time zone. No more spending days trying to get adjusted to the time change.

How do you get there? Well you want to hop on a plane to Miami, which just so happens to be the WORST airport in the world. Made even more confusing if you have been drinking the whole way there.

Run to your connecting flight to Barbados and pass out from all of the alcohol you drank on the way to Miami.

Then get on to the smallest plane you have ever been on.

If you want to go to some of the smaller islands plan on taking a boat.

Here we are arriving at Union Island

Lance on the boat to Palm Island. No, T-Pain was not there.

While searching on the internet I found this hidden gem. It was everything we wanted in a honeymoon and more. Even before we went I knew how perfect it would be because everyone I told had to ask "Where is that?"

About 30 some islands and cays make up the Grenadines. Out of all of these little islands Lance and I decided on Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent.

Palm Island

If you love gorgeous beaches, then this is your island. The sand was incredible, the water was perfect, and the bar proximity to the beach was ideal.

If you decide to go here you can stay in a place like this

Wake up to this

And this

Head up to the bar

Side note: This really isn't the bar at Palm Island it is a bar at a deserted resort on one of the other islands. If you need a picture of the bar, click the link above or keep reading.

You can drink this

And for the rest of the day do this

Still not convinced? Think you need more activities?

Well, you can go for a "hike" up three different trails

On this hike you can take some cool pictures

and see the amazing views

You can take naps in hammocks
And if you don't feel like walking all the way back to eat here
And would rather stay at your hammock

You can have all of this delivered

When you leave your beach front room you can take pictures like this before dinner

Some other activities include

Champagne Sunset Cruise

Captain Yannis's Day Sail

Dinner at the Heart

Tuesday Rum Tasting

and all of these

Afternoon Island Tea

Thursday Afternoon's Botanical Stroll

Palm Breeze Hobie Sail

Private Charter to Union Island & Tours

Captain Yannis's Private Day Charter

Day Trip to Mopian

Scaramouche Day Tour

Picnic Lunch Under a Thatched Umbrella

Allegro-Deep Sea Fishing

Scuba Diving By Canouan Dive Center

Now if you want a more expensive vacation, Petit St. Vincent is the place for you. This place claims it is all-inclusive BUT it DOES NOT INCLUDE alcohol. This is not a problem though if you spend the previous part of your vacation at Palm Island. Everyday a mini bar is stocked at Palm Island and even if you do not drink all of your beer you are still given some. When leaving Palm Island make sure you take all of your FREE beer and champagne. Do not put it in your Longchamp bag though because it does not work as cooler and your bag will never look the same. Okay so PSV... to get there you also leave from Union Island on a boat.

PSV is even smaller than Palm Island but it feels even more private. Each couple/ group gets their own cottage. On the map the cottages look closer than they actually are.

This was our closest neighbor

Now when you arrive at PSV, you will be picked up by this with a drink

You will then be driven to this

And if you really don't want to leave your cottage for the rest of the trip have no fear, all you need to do it write down some requests and do this

(If you do not want to be disturbed just raise up the red flag)

They will bring you stuff like this

While in your cottage you can do fun things like this

You can go on a trip to a tiny sand bar and have breakfast

Or you can go on fishing trips and if you catch this

they will make you this

When it is time to leave you will be picked up at your cottage by the Flintstone car

you will then get back on the boat, get on the tiny plane to Barbados, hop on to the plane to Miami and finally wait four hours before you get on your plane home

I'm a MRS!

2010-02-10T14:24:00.026-05:00

Now on to our wedding! I am sure you observant readers have already noticed from the picture in my header that I was married on August 1, 2009. A mere nine years after meeting the love of my life. Lance and I decided to get married at my family's beach house on the ONLY sunny day this past summer. The day before our wedding was like a hurricane. But at that point in the wedding planning process nothing could really phase me.... I was done being crrraaazyy. In the end though, that cold, windy, rainy day was absolutely perfect. Perfect because our wedding had absolutely no humidity. Humidity and my hair do not work. Unless I am going to an 80s party and then it is perfect.

Here is a picture of us rehearing during hurricane AlLa, as I like to call it. Get it Al from Ali and La from Lance...

I decided it would be best if I didn't look at the weather leading up to the wedding because we didn't have a back up plan. But before I went to bed I decided to ask Morgan one of my Maids of Honor what the weather was supposed to be. Of course she lied and said it was only supposed to rain in the morning. It was supposed to rain ALL DAY!

Thankfully I woke up to this:

And this

Which was perfect so that the boys could do this

While I got ready

See I wasn't kidding about my 80s hair..

Now onto the wedding! All photos were taken by Kristen Dawn Photography.

Check out her website! She has a cute little montage of the wedding! It makes me cry every time.

http://www.Kristendawnblog.com/index.cfm?q=alison&x=22&y=15

The invitations by Dot the I Stationary.

http://dot-the-i-stationery.com

Jimmy Choos on the beach? You better believe it!

My Grandmother!

The tables

The guest book and escort cards.

The ceremony programs

P.S. I made these. Yes I am very proud.

Getting buttoned up.

Kiss from my Mum.

Kissy face and we are ready to go!

Lance waiting :)

My Dad and I

We were both crying... obviously. I am a pisces. I don't know Lance's excuse. :)

Kiss the Bride!

The Girls in their Jack Rogers!

Time for formal pictures here are a few:

After our first dance was over, the food had been served, the cake had been cut, and parent dances were finished, I received an amazing lap dance from my wonderful husband!

I did not think the day could get any better and then the sunset happened...

THE END!

If you want to know where we went on our fabulous honeymoon come back tomorrow. If you cannot wait until tomorrow check out my wedding page with more wedding and honeymoon pictures at http://mrslsfournier.weebly.com

Who Am I?

2010-02-10T08:29:00.016-05:00

This Summer my high school sweet heart and I tied the knot. But before I show you the fabulous wedding we had, I think it is time for a little show and tell.

Who am I you ask?? If anyone is even reading.... Well my name is Ali. I grew up in Cape Cod, more specifically Bourne. You know right by the bridge also known as the armpit of the Cape. I have four not so little brothers David, Taylor, Kyle, and Ian. I am only 5'2" so THANKFULLY, for my Dad's sake, they are all around 6 feet. Anyway I met Lance when I was 15 at the Kent School, which is a boarding school in Kent, CT. Yes my parents loved me! I actually WANTED to go to boarding school and after marrying my best friend from that boarding school, I am pretty happy I went! So lets fast forward 9 years. (Yes 9! I was on the 5 year plan in College. Please don't judge.) I graduated from my nursing school with a BSN, passed my NCLEX and now I am currently an unemployed RN. You heard it an unemployed nurse. Believe it or not we exist. So on to Lance. Lance is my accountant/ auditor who works for one of the big four accounting firms. He is a smarty pants so he already has both his Bachelors and Masters.

Here is a picture of Lance and myself..

... yes we are hard core.

Now let me tell you about how this adorable accountant decided to make me his wifey. Warning: This is long, I repeat LONG story so if you don't really care then skip it. I put it in grey and I bolded a few KEY points.

On the weekend of July 4th, we went to Nantucket to visit Lance's family. (They rent a house out there.) My parents have been invited every summer, but because of scheduling with my four brothers they were usually unable to make it. However, this summer they said yes. I remember telling Lance that if he was going to propose this should be the weekend because both families would be with us and it would be perfect. Little did I know that he had been planning for a while. Unbeknownst to me he had taken my parents out to lunch and asked if he could marry me. He then took my mom with him to pick out my ring.

Before we left for Nantucket I decided do a little snooping. Luckily for Lance, he knew I would snoop and he asked for a bag to put the ring in. He then hid it under his orthotic. When I didn't find anything I was pretty disappointed. On a very rainy July 5th, he got me to go to Beach #12 saying that his father had told him they built a snack shack on it and I believed him! As we walked over the dunes, Lance was far ahead. I was dragging behind feeling horrible and wondering how they do this to my favorite little beach! I asked if he could see it and then when I got up to the top he was standing there. He waited until I got closer got on his knee and he said the most romantic speech I had ever heard before asking if I would marry him. Of course I said YES!

Here are a few photos from that weekend.

And a few of engagement photos that my brothers took.

Here is a link to my planning bio http://aliandlance.weebly.com/ . I used this weebly page to help keep all of my thoughts together. If you are interested in some nautical preppy wedding ideas take a look. Now if anyone is still reading, I would like to thank you and would like to let you know that it is time to get ready for the WEDDING!

Bloggy Blog

2010-02-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

AHOY!

So today I start a blog about my obsession, all things nautical and preppy. With a mix of my married life and living as an unemployed graduate RN, with a splash of my hunt for the perfect house and puppy and a hint of decorating and cooking!! So if these topics and more are your LIFE preserver please continue reading.

After planning a preppy, nautical wedding.....

and decorating our little apartment...

Please note: This is obviously from Christmas. Unfortunately, we don't normally have a 7 1/2 foot tree in our living room. Although it would be nice to have the smell of pine in our apartment all the time.

and now planning a preppy, nautical baby shower for my cousin..

I have decided to talk about it. So if you are still reading and still interested please stay tuned for some good, nautical, preppy times!