This adorable red blazer by BB Dakota is less than $70! It will look amazing with all of your leopard print pieces this season!

A Great Dress for $100 or LESS!

All of these adorable dresses are available on Asos for $100 or less! I shared some of my faves, but Asos has over 700 dresses for less than $100! They have great quality stuff at great prices. They also have FREE SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING AND free return!  

Looking for the easiest way to shop for a deal?  On the left side of their page you can narrow your search by choosing the price points you want to stay between.

Shop away!

-a.e.h.

Get The Look: Miu Miu Glitter Shoes

Can't afford these Miu Miu ankle boots? 

Get these Steve Madden booties for less than $170....

-a.e.h.

Bridesmaid Boot Camp: Lingerie Shower

Rituel by Carine Gilson navy soft-cup silk bra & shorts/ VPL stripe B stretch-cotton bra & brief/ Eberjey annie bralette & briefs / Honeydew polka-dot bralette & briefs/ Jenny Packham feather-trimmed silk-chiffon slip/ Calvin klein envy lace triangle bra & shorts/ La Perla Iconic Surpique satin hipster & bra/ Eberjey cleo bralete & bottom/ Deborah Marquit french lace balconette bra & bottoms

-a.e.h. 

Bridesmaid Boot Camp: Who Pays? Part 3

-a.e.h. 

Bridesmaid Boot Camp: Bachelorette Party for the Domestic Darling

Throw a 50's housewife themed bachelorette party for the friend who aspires to be the next Martha Stewart.  Send out retro inspired invites and schedule a cooking class in your area for the bride and friends to attend during the day.  If you are in the Knoxville area, The Glass Bazaar offers some great classes.  Make sure everyone wears an apron- have everyone find a retro inspired one or have everyone decorate their own earlier in the day.  To decorate the canvas aprons bring lots of glue guns, fabric paint, rhinestones, ribbons, and fabric scraps.  You can even  get attach tulle to the back of a chef's hat for the bride to wear as a veil!  Before you go for dinner and out on the town, have everyone change into their best 50's housewife garb...don't forget the pearls!

1. Retro inspired aprons 2. Rhinestone chevron necklace 3. Kate Spade bow clasp pearl necklace 4. Let's help the bride become the "perfect" housewife invites 5. Black suede peep toe heels 6. Pave pearl studs 7. Pretty rubber gloves 8. Black cocktail dress 9. Green cocktail dress with bow detail 10. Pearl bangles 11. Floral cocktail dress 12. Kitchen Aid stand mixer 13. Glitter tart servers

Below is a hilarious article you could incorporate.  It is hard to imagine, but this was an actual article published in the 1950s!

-a.e.h. 

"A Good Wife's Guide
Housekeeping Monthly May 1955

1. Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a
delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of
letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are
concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home
and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is
part of the warm welcome needed.

2. Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed
when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair
and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary
people.

3. Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring
day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

4. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part
of the house just before your husband arrives.

5. Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper etc, and then run a dust cloth
over the tables.

6. Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a
fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a
haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all,
catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal
satisfaction.

7. Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's
hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if
necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he
would like to see them playing the part. Minimize all noise. At the
time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or
vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

8. Be happy to see him.

9. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to
please him.

10. Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him,
but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first -
remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

11. Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or
goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you.
Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his
very real need to be at home and relax.

12. Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order
and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and
spirit.

13. Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

14. Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stayed out
all night. Count this as minored compared to what he might have gone
through that day.

15. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair
or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready
for him.

16. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a
lot, soothing and pleasant voice.

17. Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment
or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such
will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You
have no right to question him.

18. A good wife always knows her place."

      

Bridesmaid Boot Camp: Who Pays? Part 2

-a.e.h.

Bridesmaid Boot Camp: Bachelorette Party for the Laid Back Lady

Throw a vintage camp themed bachelorette party.  Rent a lakehouse for the weekend and send out rustic invites to all the bride's best girlfriends.  Have each guest sign up for activites like canoeing, hiking, arts & crafts, or even shopping!  For cocktail hour serve drinks in mason jars and make yummy s'mores inspired desserts!   Have all the guests write sweet words of encouragement and funny stories from the weekend in the Field Note journals.  At the end of the weekend the bride can take them home!

1. Makes s'mores inspired dessert like this s'more brownie recipe 2. Field note journals 

3. River Island aztec knit sweater 4. Timex Traveler Watch 5. Minnetonka pull-on fringe booties

6. Distressed denim shorts 7. Serve drinks in mason jars & use colorful striped straws

8. Madewell long tee dress 9. Hunter watling lace up gloss boots 10. Newstand tote 

11. Vintage inspired pajama set 12. Michael Kors tortoise bracelet 13. These rustic tubs make great ice buckets. Use them for the weekend & send them home with the bride!     

Hope you are enjoying Bridesmaid Boot Camp! Don't forget to check keeping back for more inspiration & advice!

-a.e.h.

Bridesmaid Boot Camp: Who Pays? Part 1

Want to learn more about trading in your bridesmaid dress?  Take a look at Newly Maid. 

Hope this was helpful!  Keep checking back for more bridesmaid Q & A!

-a.e.h.



Bachelorette Boot Camp: DIY Glitter & Glam

For a great activity at the bachelorette party let everyone decorate their own wine or martini glass using these techniques!  Have lots of rhinestones (put on with hot glue gun), paint markers, and an assortment of glitter colors. Once they are dry everyone can use their glass the rest of the night!

For the lingerie shower, use a clothes line (any string or ribbon will work) & these glitter covered clothespins to display each item the bride opens!

Want more DIY ideas?  Keep checking back this week for more Bridesmaid Boot Camp!

-a.e.h.

Bridesmaid Boot Camp: Bachelorette Party For the Glam Girl

I am constantly being asked questions about the duties of the Maid of Honor/Bridesmaids, which is why it is Bridesmaid Boot Camp week here at alexandrahansen.com.  Being one of the bride's go-to girls is no small task so I want to make sure you are ready! Keep checking back this week for answers to all your etiquette questions and for lots of fun ideas!  I will also be sharing some inspiration boards to help you throw a bachelorette party that perfectly suites your bride's taste!  

1. Learn how to make these adorable tinsel drink stirrers! 2. Bachelorette Tiara 

3. Vince sequined crepe top 4. Amazing feathered Zarb champagne bottle 

5. Absolut Vodka Glimmer Bottle 6. Robert Rodriguez sequin & bead silk skirt 7.Melissa Odabash Martinique twisted bandeau bikini 8. Vince sequin mini dress 

9. Anna Sui tulle mini dress  10. Steve Madden gold glitter booties 

11. Deborah Lippman glitter nail polish in boom boom pow 12. Jcrew sequin loafers 

Don't forget to keep checking back this week for more posts!  You can also follow me on twitter for more updates! 

-a.e.h.

DIY: Decorative Tray

I am a huge fan of DIY projects but only if they don't look like a DIY project.  There is nothing worse than hearing, "Did you make that yourself?"....If it didn't look homemade they wouldn't be asking.  I was excited when I came across this how-to for decorative trays a few months ago on Martha Stewart.  These trays are super easy to make and add a quick splash of color to any coffee table!  



Are you going to try making one of these fabulous trays for your home?

-a.e.h. 



Inspiration Board: Outdoor Fall Wedding

I wanted to share an inspiration board I have been working on for one of our October 2012 brides at RT Lodge.  Hope you enjoy!

all images via pinterest

-a.e.h.

via Coco+Kelley

ZARA Launches Online Store for US TODAY!

The wait is over! We no longer have to browse the pages of the ZARA website wishing we could order.  The online shop for the US opens today so shop away!

Have fun shopping!

-a.e.h.

Learn to MAXImize

If you have fallen in love with your maxi skirts and just cannot imagine packing them away for the season- do not fear.  Take your maxi skirt into fall by pairing it with a cute cozy sweater.  This look couldn't be easier to take from runway to real life!

From Left to Right:
1. Tibi Cable-Knit Sweater;  Miss Selfridge Blush Plisse Maxi
2. Sonia Rykiel Striped wool & cashmere sweater;T by Alexander Wang Silk-charmeuse maxi skirt

3. J.Crew Betsy wool and cashmere-blend sweater;Mara Hoffman Mara Hoffman Red Arrows Maxi Skirt

4. Markus Lupfer Ruby Ring merino wool sweater; Warehouse Pleated Maxi Skirt

5. J.Crew Cashmere Sweater; Helmut Lang Draped jersey maxi skirt

Gameday Fashion Finds

My little sister just started college at my alma mater- The University of Tennessee.  I have been telling her for months (maybe even years) that she needed to start shopping for cute orange gameday clothes.  She called me in a panic this week when she realized the first game was this Saturday and she had nothing to wear.  This post is dedicated to her...

1. Orange Bangles
2. Jil Sander High Waist Orange Skirt
3. Orange Slap Watch (comes in tons of colors!)  
4. Kate Spade Shoulder Strap Bag
5. DVF Orange Belt
6. Kenneth Jay Lane Orange Enamel Necklace
7. Orange Skinny Jeans
8. Vince Camuto Orange and Gold Bangle
9. 3.1 Phillip Lim Wool Mini Skirt
10. Jcrew Orange Canvas Wedges
11. Kate Spade Medium Serena
12. Orange and White Bow Dress
13. Milly Orange Zebra Dress
14. Marni Patterned Skirt         

Go Vols!

-a.e.h.