The Elmhurst College Jazz Band

The Elmhurst College Jazz Band has gained international acclaim as a truly outstanding collegiate jazz ensemble. Under the direction of Doug Beach, the band has received outstanding ratings at jazz festivals from many jazz greats including Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, Conte Candoli, Pete Christlieb, Greg Hopkins, Jiggs Whigham, Rob McConnell, and Bob Brookmeyer. The band has toured 17 nations and has twice been honored with invitations from the U.S. State Department to tour Europe. Frequent performances with well-known guest artists are a regular part of the band's schedule. Recent artists have included Bobby Shew, Louie Bellson, Pete Christlieb, Conte Candoli, Diane Schuur, Terry Gibbs, Lee Konitz, Denis DiBlasio, Clark Terry, Chris Vadala, and Frank Mantooth. In addition, the band has commissioned a number of original works from such well-known composers as Bill Holman, Alan Broadbent and Denis DiBlasio. The band also hosts the annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival, a major event that attracts the best jazz bands from around the country and is adjudicated by the greatest names in jazz today. The band has produced numerous recordings, all available on CD.

The Willowbrook Ballroom

From its simple dance hall beginnings, to its rise as one of America's "SWINGINGEST" meccas -- the legendary Willowbrook Ballroom has touched the lives of millions for decades. From the high energy sounds of Count Basie and the oscillating rhythms of Benny Goodman, to the infectious dance tempos of modern-day swing groups like Brian Setzer Orchestra and the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Willowbrook has been 'home' to many a famous band. The Willowbrook Ballroom is a dance ballroom and banquet facility located in Willow Springs, Illinois along Archer Avenue. It was founded in 1921 by John Verderbar and named Oh Henry Park. Today, the ballroom continues to host ballroom dancing events with a live orchestra weekly. The Willowbrook Ballroom has its original 6,000 square-foot "floating" maple dance floor. In 2000 The Willowbrook Ballroom was profiled as one of America's "Glorious, Historic, Legendary, Treasured Ballroom Dance Floors" in Amateur Dancers magazine.

The DJ

After some brainstorming and some heavy candidates, we've decided on a DJ.

At first we weren't sure if we would even hire a DJ. We got the Elmhurst College Jazz Band right away, so that was cool, but we didn't think everyone would appreciate getting down to the standards all night. There was a very brief discussion about an iPod being used and I even had a plan to mix a video to music. Eh, too much work. What we really needed was someone to get on the mic and run the evening. So we decided to hire a DJ.
We got two recommendations. We've discussed the two, contacted them, got our quotes and we've made the decision. Joe has a friend at work, Rex, who has worked with (musically) a guy who goes by Jayfunk. He's a DJ for KISS FM and I actually listened to his mix on my way home from my Mom's house last night. We'll be meeting with him on Sunday, May 4th to discuss song lists and the things we need him to do for the evening. He gave us a very decent quote for what he'll be doing and he even went out to the ballroom to check out their system before giving us a solid number. I thought that was really professional of him to do.
So we should have some awesome music to kick it to while we're out on the dance floor. Rock!

Jay Ejercito
103.5 Kiss Fm Chicago
www.jayfunk.com
773-895-0528

Who Loves Cupcakes? I do!

Maybe it's because I used to take the most delicious Mom-baked cupcakes to school every year for my birthday, but I just love cupcakes. They're the perfect size dessert (as long as you can keep to just having one), and they come in any flavor/decoration combination you can imagine. If it wasn't for my equal love of wedding cake, I'd beg for a cupcake stand full of delicious cupcakes to share with our guests after dinner. Who knows, maybe I'll throw some on the sweet table.

So how does one become a cupcake guru? Crate and Barrel makes it all possible.

The first thing you have to do is decide which kind you want to bake. This is the most fun part! You can choose what kind of cake to what kind of frosting and how creatively you want to decorate your cupcakes. Do you want to make them all the same or put a different design on each? Maybe alternate? Or how about some letters so they spell out "Congratulations!" Try browsing 500 cupcakes from Crate and Barrel.


Once you've made your choice, you've got to gather your ingredients. Maybe you keep your flour and sugar in plastic bags in your cabinet. I prefer to store them in canisters on my counter. This way, they're always available for cupcake baking! This set of four stainless steel/acrylic canisters is perfect for keeping your ingredients fresh and styling up your counter space.




Time to start measuring and mixing!



OK! Let's throw those cupcakes in a pan and get bakin'. Of course, you want to put your cupcake cups in first, and cool them on a cooling rack, so you'll want to invest in an entire set of cupcake baking materials such as the ones featured at Crate and Barrel as the 4-piece Cupcake-Muffin Set. The thing I love best about this set is the option to make mini-cupcakes or mini-muffins. At school, the kids come around on their birthdays with mini-cupcake treats they get at the store. Wouldn't it be great to be able to make your own minis?

Ready to frost? The Barefoot Contessa has a delicious line of frosting mix all ready to go at Crate and Barrel!

The Dress

I got it! The dress I've been oggling online is mine!

Mom and I went to the salon today for our appointment (which they seemed to have lost but were very pleasant and accommodated me anyway). We were greeted by a lovely woman named Cindy who got right to it. I told her I was there to see a particular style and she showed me to the fitting room. She found the dress pronto and it was on! With my waist cincher firmly in place, she slipped the gown over my head as we discussed the uniqueness of the gown. Next, she slipped on the matching jacket and voila! I looked like a bride! The dress is everything I thought it would be and more. The color is lovely and I think the fit of the dress is perfect for my body type. I've never stood in front of a mirror and felt so lovely.
"I like it," I said shyly, afraid to let my 10,000 watt smile show.
"But do you love it?" Cindy asked.
There it was. I couldn't hold it in anymore. The smile still hasn't come off my face when I think of that dress.
Measurements out of the way, it was on to the veil. The one I ended up choosing is one they handmade at the store, so Cindy specified the measurements of the veil for the designer. She told me it would be made from the same material as the netting on the dress.
I'm sorry I can't add more specifics about the gown, I plan to save it for family only until the wedding. Some things just have to be a surprise.
However, I will say, that upon showing Joe's lifelong friend Avery the pictures of the dress online, he mentioned that it looked like something Vera Ellen would have worn in White Christmas (1954), which is exactly what I thought when I saw it. The song of the same name was my grandparent's wedding song, as they were married in December. Just another tidbit about this wedding that makes it so special to me.

How Pretty

I've decided to start looking at linens. While the ballroom will have some very nice linens, they're not floor length. Maybe I've watched too many wedding shows, but it seems to be a big deal to have floor length linens. So I started researching places to rent from locally and I found M&M Special Events in Carol Stream (they also have a location in Carollton, TX). I started browsing their samples and wow! They have a ton of gorgeous finds!
This was my first favorite.I really like the way the light catches the vines. I think this would be a pretty setup for the linens. It's their mocha vine overlay. I would layer this on top of a chocolate colored solid linen that goes all the way to the floor, just like in the picture. Imagine it with a tall centerpiece with raspberry colored flowers, perfect for fall!
My only hesitation is that I think most people would expect white linens for a wedding. Does it matter if I go with a color? The ballroom itself doesn't have much white in it and I'm afraid that white linens would stand out too much. What do you think? Color or not?

New Readers?

From what I hear, the save the dates have started making their way into our guests' mailboxes. If you couldn't tell, I did make them. Archiver's makes it easy. I'm curious to know if anyone has gone to our website and even possibly made it to my blog. I worked really hard to get the website all ready for today's "launch." I didn't want people to get the save the dates, go to look at our website and see an unfinished product. As for my blog, you can always comment on posts, you know. For all I know, no one has read a word of this blog but me. I haven't done a whole lot of internet advertising for it, but it's out there.

My adorable bridesmaids have been conversing online via email the last couple of days. I just love that they're doing that. Maybe I should start a wedding Ning. It's a thought. Could be fun. Something to keep around and look back on. I think I will, actually. Some of you non-techies are reading this with raised eyebrows, I'm sure. And I just know that if Joe ever read this, he'd roll his eyes at me. Just be glad I don't twitter. There would be a thousand posts for today alone.

XOXO