Crocheted Jewlery

When you think of crochet, what’s the first thing that enters your mind? Baby bonnets and blankets, eh? Well, times have changed and so has the artistic rendering of crochet. Take the unusual works of Melanie Miguel who has with great dexterity created jewelry by merging her love of needlework with jewelry-making through crochet.



She uses wire threads made of precious metals such as 14k gold or sterling silver.



Her silver crochet necklace is my favorite – you would feel like a princess wearing this piece on your wedding day – it would also be amazing in gold, then you could match it up with that pretty gold bridesmaid dress mentioned in a previous post. Since her creations are all produced by hand, she accepts orders by phone or email. Besides jewelry, Melanie can do some pretty neat things with stone and clay as seen by her sculptures.

Topics:
Jewelry - Platinum Jewelry

W is for Wedding Cookie Invitation

There are invitations that you get in a bottle, there are those you get in a box, or as usual in an envelope (yawn, yawn). But, what if you get one that you can eat? Edible invitation, you say? Aha, got your attention there! Edibles, Inc. makes these wonderful edible invitations, including greeting cards, which are custom-made on a cookie - measures about 5x7. At $15 per cookie, it's not a bad size if you wanna eat it. Just remember to write down the date, time, and venue for the event. Then enjoy it!

Topics:
Edibles - Wedding Photo Cookies

One Gold Bridesmaid Dress You Gotta See

Gown from ©Lazaro



This fall 2006 season, many bridesmaid dress designers have picked the colors: bronze, gold, and orange for their collections. While searching online, this one from Lazaro caught my attention. Even if I weren't becoming a bridesmaid, I'd love to wear this dress - like for a party or fancy dinner date. It' just so simple - yet what is striking is the color and pretty gold sash (which you can also wear on the back instead of on the side of the dress). Although many of their trunk shows were during the summer, Lazaro still has some remaining ones throughout the country for the month of September.

Here is another view of the dress from brides.com:

Gown from ©Brides



I found these show dates from their site:

September 08 - 10, 2006
Bridals By Danielle - Philadelphia, PA
215-670-9500

September 15 - 16, 2006
Jobyna's - Glendale, CA
818-248-0026

September 21 - 23, 2006
Julian Gold - San Antonio, TX
210-824-2493

September 28 - 30, 2006
Here Comes the Bride - San Diego, CA
619-688-9201

One Custom-Made Dress, Pls. - Online

In the age of RTW (ready to wear) dresses, a custom-made dress is not something we normally think of when planning the attire of your bridesmaids. Enter Coco Myles and you’ve got custom couture made easy for the today’s tech savvy bride. It’s so much fun to use their site – choose your style, experiment with colors and fabrics, match it with a shawl, add on beadwork, and even choose a sash color. Though a little limited, you can currently choose from 6 different styles of skirts and tops and their sizes range from 2 to 32.

*** Do note: they don’t mention if they carry petite sizes.

Here is the dress I ended up picking:

Weddings for a Cause

While spending enormous amounts of money to have the perfect wedding is becoming more of a fact these days, there is always a way to make a lavish and extravagant wedding, one that is both memorable and yet charitable. Not to say that we should start having charity weddings, but there are some ways to put the money spent on a wedding towards a good cause.

Here are some of my ideas - I know that not every bride or groom will agree with them, but here they are:

1) Instead of storing your gown, you can donate your gown to a charitable auction such as one for breast cancer. The same can be said if the groom had bought his tuxedo. You may want to check this website:

Charity Folks has teamed with the Knot for a wedding dress auction

2) Have the flowers from the reception brought to a nursing home.

3) Have your guests give donations to a charity through a registry of your choosing:

I Do Foundation

Just Give

4) For guest favors, make a donation to your favorite charity and let guests know by enclosing a small piece of candy together with your donation card's message.

5) If your wedding has any leftover food, have them given to a homeless shelter.

Japanese Wedding Site

As we all know, there are dozens of wedding planning sites around the US, but today, I decided to look at what’s going on outside our wonderful country by taking a trip (ahem, a virtual one) to Japan. And if you cannot understand words of a foreign language, it’s a good thing that there are still pictures to go by.
For this “trip”, I stumbled upon this site called Zexy – in what appears to be a Japanese wedding site similar to brides.com or knot.com.



I enjoyed getting around the site by just clicking on the site's graphical metaphors . It's a good thing they have those buttons with metaphors. Now I know how it feels to be a foreigner in another country who could only get around by pointing at pictures.

Here are some of the pages I visited:

Destination Weddings



They feature some pretty interesting destination wedding resorts. Each resort provides detailed information with several pictures of the place that you can view in an enlarged format. Be sure to check this place with some spectacular views.


Dress Fashions



Since this visit is one based purely on the visual, I must say that their Flash presentation of various wedding dresses is a treat. When you land on this page, put your mouse on each model and a new picture comes up of the model wherein you can view the gowns from different angles.

Jewelry



The wedding ring section features some very cool flash videos of each vendor. To view each vendor, click on the pictures under the section called Special Report. When you click on a new link, a window pops up offering virtual tours of each store and a showcase of their collections.

Wedding Flowers



I found it most intriguing when I saw this picture of a bouquet that really looks like a flower ball – pretty neat-looking pomander. It's the first picture on the top right of the page.



Some additional sites that I found recently:

Wedding Expert

Wedding Net

Wedding Park

Wedding TV

When you were younger, were you ever told that you watch too much TV? Well, that was then – that was before the age of web video! And with so much new stuff coming up on the web, here are a couple of online video sites to check out:



The Knot TV Live
Features fashion runway shows, beauty, shopping, and honeymoon reports. What I like most are the clips showing the collections of wedding dress designers through the Knot TV on Demand. They have a nice schedule of videos posted on their site, as well.



Wedding Channel TV
Features mainly wedding fashion videos, but also includes other components of wedding planning such as how to choose the right kitchen appliances (yeah, some people need help with that).




YouTube
Great for all you wedding voyeurs! There are loads of real weddings that you can watch. Wonderful to watch on a labor day weekend!



Google Video
Google’s new video search is another great way to check out other weddings from people kind enough to post their video on the web. Also recommended for wedding voyeurs.

Weddings Mags in Digital Format

If you're like me, there's nothing better than having a nice magazine to read on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Multiply that by 12 months though, and you've got a whole lot of magazines probably stacked up at home. Lately, I came across a free trial subscription from Zinio - a digital magazine subscription service. By downloading their reader, it seems that you can view an entire magazine on a pc, laptop, or notebook tablet.

Whether it's a business or bridal mag, it would certainly be great to have this considering that some magazines can get pretty darn thick and enough trees are getting axed. Why not use technology to simplify things, right? Evidently, their collection titles are growing and now Zinio's offers Destination Weddings & Honeymoons' mag, too.

Wedding Cakes you can Carry

They're are normally meant to be eaten, but what if you had a purse that was the shape of a wedding cake. These lovely cake shaped bags from Gioia Handbags are sure to make you wanna eat cake! Of course, icing and flavor - not included.

The end of the 24 hour hitching post

Perhaps it’s the sign of the times, or just a sign that the Vegas Marriage License Bureau is cutting back on hours (i.e., costs amounting to about $200K). But anyways, spontaneous acts of matrimony shall soon come to a disappointing end for many – at least on a 24-hour basis. Does waiting for another 6-8 hours really matter from the time a proposal is made till the vows are exchanged? Maybe for some it does matter.

Whilst getting married during the wee hours of the night and often morning will no longer be available, waiting a bit longer might actually be a good thing for those who may be rushing into marriage a little bit too quickly. Maybe this delay might actually result in more planned weddings as opposed to saying “I do” right away. And in Vegas, it might be an opportunity to weigh in more of the experience of having a wedding there besides just getting hitched – unless this is your thing and spontaneity is tied to romance - not that I recommend one in Vegas, but yet some dig it. And if you do, here is a neat guide to "Las Vegas Weddings."

**Incidentally, there is a place in Coeur D' Alene, Idaho called The Hitching Post Wedding Chapel.

Color - it's not all the same

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but what about color? Say, no more for the guys at the Pantone Institute have created this ingenious product that calibrates your computer monitor to the correct color. Since virtually every monitor renders color differently, this device takes care of the problem. So, when you bought something online and the color blue, which you thought was a light crystal blue turned out to be darker than usual - then you need the
PANTONE® Eye-One Display LT. At a cost of about $169.00, it's worth it if you surf and shop frequently online.

Miniatures - All Dress Up

Call it haute couture, but mini haute couture to be more exact. After WWII, miniature dolls dressed in the most extravangant outfits seem to be all the craze as Parisian couteriers seemed to have a fancy for putting their creations into minis. Their work is so striking in detail that it is worth looking at. The Museum of History and Industry in Seattle is hosting an exhibit called Théâtre de la Mode. This same exhibition featured the same dolls (kept and cared for permanently at the Maryhill Museum of Art) that were used back in 1945 - when they first debut at the Louvre. Because these were miniatures, fashion designers from Nina Ricci to Balenciaga embellished these gowns as if they were as real as their life size version such as their bridal gowns that actually had a floor length train. By miniaturizing the dolls, artists were able to capture the detail in greater level simply and much out of necessity because the lack of materials after the war made it challenge to create run-way ready dresses, so they made them the size of dolls. Of course, if you can't head out to Seattle, then you can at least order the book entitled "Théâtre de la Mode: Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture" about the exhibition from Amazon, order it from your local bookstore, or borrow it(if you're lucky) from your library.

Lavish Weddings on The Rise?

While this article was written more than 3 years ago, the viewpoints on weddings are intriguing. It cites that extravagant weddings are on the rise, but I think that they have always been this way. It's just that they are getting more attention nowadays because of influences of high profile figures (i.e., celebrity weddings). Incidentally, this article was a prelude to a book called "Cinderella Dreams."

Ivory wedding dress - the forgotten color

Ivory - the other color, the unpopular yet mysterious sister of white, and the color for the bride who wants to be different, but of course, just as elegant. White wedding gowns seem to be the de rigeur for wedding gowns in every fashion mag - both online and offline. Perfect bodied models can be sautering down the runway in every white gown imaginable. However, when you do see a one wearing an ivory gown, something different just happens. Your eyes just seem to gaze a bit longer and soon you'll notice that ivory is indeed a color for the bride who wants to be unique. ** Since finding an ivory bridal gown can be somewhat of a challenge, it will be my goal to build a list of ivory dresses found on the web.

I'm starting out with these:

Priscilla of Boston - Platinum Gown Collection has a strapless lace embroidered gown.



A Silk Taffeta gown with strapless and ballgown design from Jim Helm. There is another one with an A-line design and an embroidered bodice that is just as nice.

Red Rocks Here We Go

Most couples head out to the coast or water (i.e., lake, or beach) for a wedding. But, for those who chose to go inland, Arizona ain't so bad especially if you're looking at Sedona. This wonderful place is tucked deep within Arizona (near Flagstaff and about 100+ miles from Phoenix). The words tranquil, peaceful, and calm just seem to emanate from the place. One visit there and you will understand why it's a very unique place to tie the knot. Be sure to check out one of the most picturesque places called Cathedral Rocks. Some of the most popular resorts in Red Rock country include the Enchantment Resort, L'Auberge de Sedona, and the Hilton.

Wedding gowns - for doggies

There are gowns for women and girls, but now dog lovers can get a piece of the action. These cute dog dresses are just so unique. Great when having pets as part of the wedding entourage, or as replacements altogether for the ringbearer.

Yummy Chocolate Truffles

Truffles delight. Truffles are decadent. Truffles in moderation can bring joy yet lots of calories. After trying a couple of Lindt chocolate truffles the other day, I am just hooked on these little critters. They're wrapped in little bonbon sized candies, yet teeming with creamy filling. My personal favorites are the hazelnut, mint, and raspberry filling. And at about $7 per bag of 8.5 oz, that's not too bad for something so damn good. Even if you're not planning a wedding party or bridal shower, you've gotta try them. For one thing, they're also cheaper than buying truffles from Godiva.

Let's Go Jelly Beans - Favors and All

Jelly beans from Jelly Belly are the quintessential candy - no matter what age you are. And with the multitude of colors and flavors now available, they make wonderful favors for all kinds of parties. They're also a hit as wedding or bridal shower favors now that you can buy them all in one color such as pink, gree, or blue. As for chocolate lovers, you have not been forgotten. Jelly Belly also has a new line of chocolate jelly beans - to be exact, they're candy coated chocolate in flavors of fudge brownie, cappuccino, cococut, vanilla, and caramel to name a few. Their website also sells Jordan Almonds and other traditional wedding candies, but go for the beans, they're so much more exciting.

Wedding Cheesecakes

I'm not a big fan of cheesecakes, but when I saw these featured on the Food Channel, I think I may be a convert. These delicious cheesecakes are made in a multitude of flavors (i.e., 180 and growing) such as espresso Kahlua, Lemon Mascarpone, and Tiramisu to name a few. Based in Minneapolis, MuddyPaws Cheesecakes, there is nothing muddy at all. And with these delicious creations, it is no wonder why they're often chosen as an alternative to traditional wedding cakes.

Wedding cupcakes - the perfect little cakes

The three-tiered wedding cake has been around for ages. For those looking for a fantastic alternative, wedding cupcakes are it. They are available in just as many flavors and colors as regular cakes. Their smallness makes them ideal as lovely desserts or they can be given out in cute containers for guests to take home as sweet favors.

If you love cupcakes and who doesn't except if you're more of a muffin type, then check out this blog:


Cupcakes Takes the Cake

And for more pics, be sure to check out:

Cakes 4 Fun

Photo cookies - yummy favors

Cookies - whatever shape, size, or flavor, you just gotta love them. What's better than a plain cookie? One with your photo, of course. Okay, a little conceit is okay. Mrs. Beasley's has these cute photo cookies - perfect as favors for a wedding or whatever occasion. All you need is a lovely photo of yourself and your image can be imprinted on a vanilla cookie. Just be sure to eat the cookies within 4-5 weeks because the image starts to fade soon after that.

Nicole's Wedding

Nicole Kidman looked absolutely exquisite in her flowing Balenciega wedding gown. From what I've read, the wedding was performed as a traditional Catholic service. And soon after, reports have said that several of their wedding day mementos have been available for auction on eBay. I just have two questions:

1) How could it be a Catholic service, if she had previously been divorced unless of course, she got an annulment?

2) Why are their precious keepsakes being so quickly sold on eBay?

You gotta wonder, but nevertheless, I'm still happy for Nicole.

If you want to see pics of the wedding, these sites are a must-see:

BBC News
Nicole Kidman Unlimited
Yahoo News

Mojito Mojito Mojito

Summer = hot = need for refreshing drink. There's soda, water, and fruit juice, but sometimes you just need something exotic and different. Mojito is the answer! I tried this drink, while attending an engagement dinner party at an LA restaurant called Ciudad and got hooked on it. Considering that it's got rum in it, though, I decided to search the web for a virgin mojito recipe. So far, these three came up and because they might not be around after a while, I've pasted them below. I haven't tried them, but I surely will:

1) The Recipe from Splenda's website:
http://www.splenda.co.uk/recipes/virgin_mojita.html

Virgin Mojito

This tangy non-alcoholic lime and mint drink is really refreshing on a hot day.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 limes, juiced
4 tsp SPLENDA® Granulated
8 mint leaves, torn
1 tray or bag of ice cubes
300ml (½pt) soda water

Method:
1 Mix together the lime juice, SPLENDA® Granulated and mint leaves, stirring well.
2 Drop the ice cubes into 2 glasses, pour over the lime mixture and top up with tonic or soda water.
3 Serve immediately with a sprig of mint to decorate.

2) The Recipe from Boston.com's website:
http://www.boston.com/dining/recipes/v/virgin_mojito.html

Serves 1. This is a nonalcoholic version of the Cuban classic. It's a great way to use up the jungle of fresh mint that takes over your garden.

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
8 ounces club soda
Ice (for serving)

1. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, combine the mint leaves, sugar, and a splash of the club soda. Crush them with a spoon or a muddler (a rod with a flattened end), mashing them to release the minty flavor.

2. Add the remaining club soda.

3. Fill a glass with ice cubes, strain in the mint mixture, and add enough of the remaining soda water to fill the glass. Serve at once.

3) The Recipe from Food and Wine's website:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/virgin-mojito

Serves one

Ingredients

* 15 mint leaves
* 1 teaspoon raw sugar
* 1 ounce fresh lime juice
* 1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
* Ice
* 4 ounces chilled ginger ale


Directions

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint, sugar, lime juice and Simple Syrup. Add ice, shake well and pour into a highball glass. Top with the ginger ale.

Place your wedding bets?

Place your bets here. No, I'm not talking about horse racing or boxing matches, but marriages to be exact. At Weddingbetting.com, you can decide on how long a couple's marriage is expected to last. While making your wedding announcement online, be careful because your picture may end up as part of a wager. Some make take this website as an offensive play, but if you take things all in good humor, then maybe it's not so bad.

A Beauty Tip for Every Bride and non-Bride

For the past 6 months, I’ve been battling acne. Acne happens in your 30s? Yes, it does. I guess it’s payback time for all those years in high school and college when acne wasn’t a problem. Whether it’s a hormonal or stress thing, I’ve decided to win the war on acne by using two products. They’ve worked for me like a miracle and I hope they work for you as well:



“Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar, Dry Skin Formula Soap”. This soap worked miracles for me. Costs about $2 bucks at your local drugstore. I’d try the travel size first to test it on your skin. Be sure to test test on your skin first. Try it on your wrist or ankle for any reactions. There is also a regular formula available if you're not prone to dry skin.



The second product that I’ve used in conjunction with the soap is the “Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Controlling Astringent, Salicylic Acid Acne Medication.” Costs about $4-5 bucks. It may come across a little strong so be sure to test this oil astringent on your wrist or ankle first. Use only a small amount because it is a little on the strong side because of the salicylic acid content of 2%. After washing your face with the soap, get a cotton ball and wipe some on your face, but avoid your eye area, since the solution is strong. It has a smell like alcohol, but you get used to it.

I’m not a beauty queen and don’t ever think I’ll be one, but there is always beauty inside everyone one of us – no matter what size, shape, or race. Ultimately, we all want to be one, though on our wedding day!

Food Network TV Wedding Show

Seems like this summer... I just can't get enough of wedding shows. The latest one from the Food Network called "Food Network Caters Your Vegas Wedding" is an all out fun to watch program. Coupled with the fact that there is a wedding cake contest (a definite must-see), superb online videos covering everything from planning a shower to selecting favors, and menu ideas, it's definitely one of the more practical shows out there. The nice thing about this program is the site makes it possible for couples to apply.

HGTV At-home weddings

Admittedly, I'm not crafty. Never was and I don't think I'll be crowned at Michael's anytime soon. Nevertheless, there's always room for inspiration especially when planning your wedding. And if you're planning a wedding at home, which is not uncommon, HGTV has a great program on at planning at-home weddings on their Wedding Design on a Dime show. Be sure to checkout their friendly checklist featuring key questions to explore when starting the planning process. There are also some really nice photos of real weddings from a charming lakeside location to a beautiful backyard reception. If you have the luxury of time, their online videos of DIY projects are pretty easy to follow. I especially like the one on making wedding bouquets. Ironically, I also learned that a wedding at home can sometimes cost much more than a wedding set in a location, so one must plan carefully.

A Wedding Trousseau for Modern Times

During the Victorian Times, a woman of society that was preparing to get married would often have a bridal trousseau assembled before her wedding day. It would contain an array of bridal accessories made with fancy lace and embroidery, jewelry, and elegant embroidered linens for the home to name a few items. While not everyone can afford to hire a professional seamstress adept in the fine art of embroidery and lace, it is still a wonderful experience to put together a bridal trousseau - even in modern times. For example, a set of monogrammed towels, hankies, table napkins, and a beautifully embroidered shawl or bag can make up a wonderful trousseau, which are also items that can be given as bridal shower gifts.

Pocket Watches - Revived

There is a sense of classic coolness that comes with owning a pocket watch - be it in sterling silver, gold, or platinum (i.e., 95% platinum). While not as popular and certainly not as trendy as a wrist watch, pocket watches are the perfect gifts for that bestman with an affinity for anything vintage. It is also ideal for the man in your life who may seem to have it all. And of course, don't forget, Dad - it's a great Father's Day gift, too!

Platinum on the cheap - the new platinum?

That platinum engagement or wedding ring may not be all what it's cut out to be. It appears that a new platinum alloy called 585 platinum has caused quite a stir in the jewelry industry. You could call it a battle of pure vs. chemically engineered alloy as jewelry makers and sellers alike are mixed as to what can now be branded and labeled as being platinum. Considering that 585 platinum jewelry consists of 58.5% platinum and traditional platinum is said to have 95% platinum metal, I guess you just have to start approaching the same way as gold as in 24K, 18K, 14K, or 12K. In the end, it is really an oxymoronic label (i.e., 585 platinum). How about mass luxury? Do you see the semblance? What do you think?

Get your wedding stamps

Nowadays it seems like email has replaced the age old tradition of letter writing through snail mail. While the convenience of email is certainly invaluable, you have to appreciate a lovely hand written every once in a while. Whether it's on a beautiful greeting card, monogrammed stationery, or on a homemade cut-out card, a letter written without the help of a word processor always lends itself to realizing thoughts and words more sincerely and deeply. For this, a couple of real nice stamps have come out from US Postal called "wedding stamps." Elegant and simple - these nice stamps would make any philatelist bride and groom happy! At $0.39 each, what a fab find.

Bridezillas

I wish we had access to the WE channel. They have an ongoing program called Bridezillas featuring an account of a real-life brides and their quest to have the perfect wedding. It's always fun from an outsider's perspective to see how brides cope with the challenges of making their special day truly unforgettable. Makes you just want to head out to Vegas and say "I do."

Can u say Tiramisu - Wedding Cake?

Everybody has different tastes and preferences when it comes to wedding cakes, but what do you do if the groom wants chocolate and the bride wants vanilla? If you're like me, you probably want to have both chocolate and vanilla on the cake, right? But what if you just cannot decide? The answer: a tiramisu cake. You can get the richness of chocolate and creaminess of vanilla. Check out this unique tiramisu wedding cake recipe from epicurious.com. It looks so yummy! I want one!

Crowing Glory - Wedding Tiaras

While not everyone has ties to the royalty, the next best thing to "feeling" like one is on your wedding day. More specificially, I'm taking about having a diamond encrusted tiara and being the envy of all your bridesmaids. If money were no object (i.e., Daddy's footin' the bill), or you're a bride with a big pocketbook and of course, a rich fiance, then a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum's tiara exhibition in the UK might be worth it. And for the rest of us, perhaps an online visit might provide some inspiration for finding a copycat or at least an "inspired" version.

Flip flops - the new craze?

Summer is here and everyone is going nuts over flip flops. Funny that they've been around since the 60s. But, of course, anything old has a strange way of making it back in a "new" way. Take these flips flops with pink rhinestones, or if you want your slippers personalized, then you may want to try them out! As for something plain, I recommend just going barefoot!

"Brides gone wild" - they say?

In the "Personal Journal" section of the Wall Street Journal, an article called Brides Gone Wild covering wedding photography seemed entirely mundane up until I started reading it in more detail. As it seems, some brides are now having their special day captured in a more risque style. I'm not talking full blown nudity, but to be photographed in a bustier and heels, hours before your wedding is a bit too much for me. When you're old and gray, I guess looking at how sexy one was on their wedding day is a form of twisted vanity.

My shoe shopping trip #1 - a review

A little bit of shoe shopping can just turn me nuts. While at Nordstrom's, I saw the funniest design for a shoe - a bridal shoe to be exact. For $89.95, you can get the following:

- 4 inch heel
- A Leather upper/synthetic lining/rubber sole.
- Braided leather straps
- Step-in style
- Comes in either black, silver, or white





But, if you are like me and prefer something simple and subtle, you would probably be happier with this satin sling back shoe for a little more money - about $94. It has:

- a satin finish
- A rhinestone strap
- about 2" heel

Do people still wear cufflinks?

Hmm. I'm not sure if these are very popular even for weddings nowadays, but I thought these were the cutest ones around - shaped like little bow ties.

Yahoo Answers

I was browsing around the web and stumbled upon Yahoo Answers. Though there are some interesting questions and answers, I do wonder how valid or factual is the information being provided. I guess you can't always rely on one source to get your answers. This is probably why Yahoo has Ask Yahoo! for those questions that need reliable answers. I also like Yahooligans, which is something Google doesn't offer.

Fondant - Oui Oui

Fondant. Sounds like fondue, but sure doesn't taste the same. I didn't know what it was till I tried during cake tasting trip at a local bakery. One of the sample cakes was a small butter cream mocha icing with fondant. My first taste of it seemed like I was taking a spoonful of sugar. It was so sweet that the cake itself didn't even need the butter cream icing. While the fineness of the icing appeared like a pretty porcelain finish, the looks can be deceiving if you're not a fan of ultra sweet stuff. Though it's not my wedding, if given a choice, I'd rather choose buttercream as cake icing instead of fondant simply because I want to taste the cake without getting a sugar slap at the icing.

Google Notebook - nifty idea

I have decided to be a bit helpful for the coming wedding. In an effort to help them plan out the details, we've set up a Google Notebook. It's accessible from virtually anywhere and it allows you to achieve a virtually paperless desk. Okay, maybe not so paperless, but still worthy of saving a couple of trees and precious time. Since finding anything on the web using places like Google or yahoo has become a "needle in the haystack" activity, we decided to collect our findings and share them with the world. It's a work in progress so it may be in dire need of some organzation. Check the wedding notebook we started out!

Oh June!

June is right around the corner and so is it high time to go on a diet. If I want to make it the upcoming wedding without looking like a Krispy Kreme donut. For the most part, juggling work and excercise is a massive undertaking that requires a lifestyle change. I mean shift to be more exact. Likewise, I think the first place where I can start is by eating right. So, I'm now searching for better ways to manage my diet. That red strap dress might be a distance dream unless I seriously attack this problem.



Incidentally, a friend of mine said that people nowadays are giving out donuts as favors or as an alternative wedding cake for their wedding. Now, call me old-fashioned, or queer if you want to, but honestly, do you want your wedding to be remembered with a donut? Hmm. Oh yeah, I remember the rainbow sprinkled donut with chocolate - they were really special? Ok., I am not donut bashing. Heck, donuts are great with cofee, but at a wedding party?

Sew Away

This weekend will be spent learning how to sew. My first attempt at sewing will be attaching a button to my favorite shirt. Okay. It is act of desperation, but sooner or later we gotta learn how to sew. There is a great site that I came across, which covers all sorts of sewing projects. Whether you plan to make your own veil or sew a stuffed animal for a baby, it has lots of fun stuff to follow!

A Princess for Every Bride

While not every bride can be as glamorously dressed as Grace Kelly when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco, I think every now and then it is nice to be inspired by her grace and beauty. It is sure a far cry from where she was born in Philly!

Really amazing commerical

My Mom recently sent me an email that was forwarded to her by a cousin of hers. This is quite an amazing movie clip of a Honda commerical in the UK. Here is the clip uRL:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/honda.php

Enjoy!

Probate gone awry

When an ex-stripper marries an old Texas oil billionaire, you'd think that the Supreme Court would have better sense, but times have certainly changed. It appears that the court may rule in her favor, thus allowing her a piece of the pie of her late husband's fortune. What a crazy world!

A Cool Wedding Blog

I came across this blog while searching the web for wedding blogs - like a typical Friday breakfast session - I'm just surfing the web! ANyways, I think these guys are doing something really unique by raising money for their honeymoon in Hawaii. You can also find a neat journal of how their wedding planning is going so far.

Flasks and Money Clips

A friend of mine was recently shopping around for some groomsmen gifts. She was wondering if item such as money clips and flasks are still appropriate gifts for men her age - around 25. They do come in some stylish forms and designs, but a money clip is a money clip, and a flask is a flask.

While I don't think these products are without practical purpose, I do wonder if men especially young men like to carry around a flask? It just had me seeing visions of DOMs or alcoholics. And what about money clips? Well, I can see the practical side if you carry around large wads of cash that can't fit your wallet, but most guys nowadays use the card unless you're a casino-going Sin city high roller.

Paradise

In my usual Sunday fashion, I generally spend it by preparing for the coming week (e.g., laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping) or I sit around home doing nothing. However, yesterday I decided to just do the latter and join the ranks of mouse potatoes – munching on chips and surfing the web. Ain’t good for my thighs, but what the heck. Anyways, I came across this really awesome looking hotel in Morocco called the Kasbah Tamadot – now owned by Sir Richard Branson. While the place is located on the outskirts of Morocco and if you are willing to brave the countryside, perhaps it might be worth it, but for me, I just choose to oogle at its beauty. Sure looks like an exciting and romantic place for a honeymoon.

My First Invitation to a Wedding in 06'

Yes. This summer I finally got invited to my future sister in law's wedding. While I won't be a member of the wedding party, attending a wedding is always a perfect opportunity to people watch. Probably one of the best parts of a wedding is finding out more about other people and trying not to let other people know about you. It's as if you have to play a sort of masquerade at events like this because inevitably gossips and rumors start to linger long after the wedding. You'd think people would remember how beautiful the wedding was, of course, but somehow, gossip just seems to stay around much much longer. For example, who married whom, so and so gained 10 pounds, or did you see her new boyfriend? Yeah, these are typical psot-wedding tidbits you normally pick up in our family! Certainly give a new name to wedding gossip!

A Pocketbook? From huh to duh...

I had an interesting conversation today with an elderly lady in the elevator. It all started when I got into the elevator and pressed the button for my floor. With the usual polite smile you give people in the elevator that don’t look threatening or like a stalker, I smiled to her casually. She then made a very puzzling comment and said that you have a very unique pocketbook. Okay, I don’t quite know what she means, but when I was in school, a pocketbook was a small book, right? Well, I guess I must have missed out on the third definition of the word: a purse!

Who would’ve known a pocketbook is also called a purse? Was the lingo they used back in the 50s or 60s? Anyways, I didn’t want to offend her or question what she was referring to so I just smiled and said “thank you” – while scratching my head and wondering what the heck she meant. Now I know better! I guess it’s kind of like saying “pop” when you’re in Michigan, and soda when you’re in San Diego!

Beautiful Web

Have you met a rude person today, while at the mall, restaurant, or even just standing in the hallway waiting for the elevator? Rudeness. It's all around, and this weekend I realized why the Internet is so beautiful. Mainly, it allows you to cut through the crap of impolite people you meet while browsing at the video store. One of the first things I will be trying out is the service from Netflix, which allows you to rent DVDs through mail instead of going to the video store.

Let's Cook Italian!

To add excitement to my life, I've decided to learn how to cook Italian food. Perhaps I won't end up as a chef, but I am now cooking Italian at home. For inspiration, I have looked to the show "Every Italian" with Giada De Laurentiis. The recipes look so good and they don't look difficult.

Make a Wish

There are many things in life that we all wish for. Some wish for wealth and others wish for peace. while we all know that wishes are just wishes, making them a reality is also a wish within itself. Now, your're asking: what's the point, right? Well, when you don't wish for something at all, life just seems as if there is nothing hopeful to wish for. So,if one day you should bump into Aladdin's Lamp, what would you wish for?