Today is an exciting day on the blog as I'm thrilled to introduce you to a brand new monthly contributor on Brenda's Wedding Blog. Please meet Michelle who will be joining us each month with a brand new signature cocktail recipe. Michelle is from a small town in Upstate NY whose personal passion is for DIY projects, cooking and wellness. Please join me in welcoming Michelle and enjoy today's signature cocktail which is perfect for the warmer months heading our way. I will now turn the blog over to Michelle . . .

The wonderful thing about cocktails is that you can literally make anything you want, once you know what ingredients go together. You can be as creative as you like with cocktails. Often, at parties and weddings, we can come across cocktails, which are interesting and unique, and we can't wait until the next wedding and the next wonderful unique cocktail we might encounter. Some of the fun of going to a wedding is sampling these new concoctions. But, with a little creativity you don't have to wait. You can invent your own signature cocktail.

One essential ingredient for cocktail enthusiasts is simple syrup. You could make a bottle of simple syrup yourself at home and store in the fridge for anytime you want to make cocktails. It adds a delicious sweetness and thick consistency to some cocktails. To make your own simple syrup, you need two parts water, one part sugar. Bring your water to the boil on the stove. Add the sugar and dissolve, stirring all the while. Remove from the boil as soon as the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to cool and then bottle it and keep in the fridge. Below is a sample recipe for an Orange Sunrise Cocktail you could easily make at home. Don't be afraid to experiment with your cocktails and add whatever you like to this recipe, a small leaf of mint, or maybe try brandy instead of tequila.

Ingredients:
6 oz. orange juice
1 tsp simple syrup
1 1/4 oz. tequila
1 tsp grenadine
1 slice of lime

Method:
Combine orange juice, simple syrup and tequila. Pour 2/3 over ice in a glass. Mix grenadine with your remaining mixture and slowly pour into the glass. Add anything else you think might work with your signature cocktail and garnish with a slice of lime.

There you have it: a simple recipe for a delicious cocktail. Play around with drinks and different ideas and see if you can create your own creative characteristic cocktail. Why not hold your own cocktail party and let your guests invent their own drinks? Or hold a dinner party and serve up some of your creative concoctions? So get inventing and most of all, have fun.

Fan Favors for the Ceremony. This DIY Scroll Fan Program Kit is perfect for the creative bride. They will easily add that perfect personalized touch to your wedding ceremony while at the same time, cooling your guests at your outdoor wedding. These printable programs from The Wedding Outlet are easy and fun to create. The kit includes a complimentary CD full of predesigned templates to create your own personal look.  With only a few simple steps, you can print these programs on your home computer or at your local printer for only a few cents. Made from 80# cardstock.

Don't forget about the special COMBO SAVINGS going on now at The Wedding Outlet:
5% off your order PLUS $5 ground shipping with code combo55

Don't miss your chance to WIN $500 to shop for your wedding Favors, Gifts & Accessories
{Contest ends 3/31/13}

If you are planning to include a little DIY into your wedding or party, you will love these DIY Favor Kits from Favor Days. The Love Letter Flowering Pillow Favor Boxes feature a 3-D black and white flower applique that is etched with lines from Shakespeare's sonnet, "How Do I Love Thee?". The pillow favor box is accented with a natural twine tie.

The Silver Favor Box Kit with Laser-Cut Monogrammed Favor Tags are super elegant with the classic black laser-cut initial tags against the stunning silver boxes.

With the Jeweled Monogram Silver Favor Box Kit you can see your initial "up in lights". The silver boxes with the added "bling" letters will surely add some sparkle to your guest tables.

The Two Piece Ivory Favor Box, Ribbon & Tag Kit will add simple elegance to each place setting at your wedding or special event. The tags arrive blank so you could even rubber stamp on "thank you" if desired or a monogram letter.

Blooms by the Box joins us again today with the last of their 3-part series of how-to floral videos. You might remember previously seeing the DIY videos with Diana creating a beautiful ranunculus centerpiece and matching ranunculus bouquet. Today, Diana is back to share with us the video on creating your own ranunculus boutonniere.

I'd also like to share with you the details on the launch of a brand new section on Blooms By The Box called DIY Flowers 101. It's an online lesson series for DIY'ers and is the complete guide to DIY flowers for weddings. It covers everything from flower care to tools and techniques and it's completely free to anyone who needs the information. Blooms DIY 101 will be a valuable "go-to" resource for anyone considering making their own arrangement as it will let help you make an educated decision if you can handle going forward with DIY flowers.

With spring around the corner I thought these DIY Napkin Holders would be perfect for upcoming bridal showers. The complete DIY can be found on Ideas Mag and if you'd like to make them even a bit easier you could always use green pipe cleaners for the stems instead of wrapping floral tape around wire. And, you might want to hot glue the ribbon loops to each other instead of sewing them. Looking for the perfect bridal shower invitation to coordinate with the napkin holders - I spied this Bright Blossoms Custom Bridal Shower Invitation at zazzle and thought they looked so cute paired together.