Feature Sample Sale Dress | Grace by Amy Michelson

Grace by Amy Michelson is a Romantic Dress in Ivory Silk Organza over a Nude Lining . The Bodice is adorned in Gorgeous Alencon Lace
Size 8
Retails for $5400
Sample available for $2800

Wedding Cake Pops

Aren't these Cake Pops so Adorable? Bakerella does it again. Want to know how to make them yourself? Read the full story on the blog.

Halloween Cocktails

Just for grown-up goblins: Serve up a little black magic -- in the form of cocktails made with vodka that's as dark as night.

Ghost in the Graveyard
Serves 1
2 ounces black vodka
2 ounces creme de cacao or coffee-flavored liqueur
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Pinch of finely grated nutmeg, for garnish

In a glass, combine vodka and creme de cacao, and set aside. Place a scoop of ice cream in a highball glass, and slowly pour vodka mixture over ice cream. Garnish with nutmeg; serve immediately.

Screwed-Up Screwdriver
Serves 1
1/4 cup ice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice
1 1/2 ounces black vodka
1 black licorice twist, for serving

Place ice in a tall glass. Pour juice into glass. Pour vodka over the back of a cocktail spoon into glass so it sits on top of juice and creates a layer of black. Slice 1/4 inch off each end of licorice, and use as a straw. Serve immediately.

Berry Scary Martini
Serves 1
1 cup ice
1 ounce black vodka
2 ounces cherry juice
Fresh raspberries and blueberries, for garnish

Combine ice, vodka, and cherry juice in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass. Thread raspberries and blueberries onto a cocktail skewer, and place in drink. Serve immediately.

Bubbling Cocktails

Test friends' courage with this green experiment turned fizzy drink. The beverages (actually kiwi-based refreshers) look pleasingly poisonous in any glass, but chemistry flasks -- available online from lab suppliers for a few dollars apiece -- suit them best.

1. In a glass measuring cup, pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 cup sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved; refrigerate until cool.

2. Puree 2 cups packed mint leaves (1 small bunch) with 1/4 cup cooled syrup in a blender. Add 6 peeled, quartered kiwis, and blend until just smooth. Add remaining syrup.

3. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined fine sieve into a pitcher; discard solids. Stir in ice and 1 liter sparkling water or club soda. (For a cocktail version, add 1 cup vodka.) Pour into flasks, and serve with straws. Makes 8 drinks.

Great Cocktail Recipes and Photographs via Martha Stewart

Evite

I recently used Evite to invite guests to our Halloween Party we are hosting in Florida. It had been a long time since I used this service and I was amazed at the very talented designers they feature on this site. The art work is fantastic.

This is the one I chose for our party. I am going as Medusa this year.

Feature Sample Sale Dress | Laura by Rosa Clara

Laura by Rosa Clara is a magnificent dress made of exquisite macrame
Size 10
Retails for $4200
Sample available at $1,900

Top Ten Tips for an Outdoor Ceremony

Is there anything more beautiful than to have a ceremony in your own backyard? This was a shot we got during set up of a ceremony last weekend. I adore outdoor ceremonies but there is quite a lot of planning that goes into making it work well.


1. Always have a Tent on stand-by. ALWAYS!

2. Invite Guests 30 minutes prior to ceremony start time. It is challenging to settle guests when they are not in a house of worship - so don't fight it. Give them time to say hello to old and new friends/family.

3. Make sure you offer your guests a fun and refreshing beverage before service , non-alcoholic please!

4. Notify all neighbors in advance of wedding. A thoughtful note and bottle of wine go a long way. Your neighbor mowing his /her lawn during vows or kids splashing in a pool would be less than ideal.

5. Amplify. Amplify music and the service itself.

6. If Ceremony is outside , your Reception probably is as well- Your event team will need to adjust their load-in schedules so that this is complete prior to ceremony call time. This might mean some overtime charges but at least you won't see the band rolling in as your guests are seated.

7. Have bathrooms easily accessible to Ceremony. Rent if necessary.

8. Mow and spray for bugs the day before the Ceremony.

9. During Rehearsal, have your Bridesmaids and Mothers/Grandmothers walk down the aisle in the shoes they will be wearing on your wedding day. Wedges and flats are an outdoor girls best friend.

10. If driveway is anywhere near Ceremony site make sure your valet team stops cars or last minute deliveries before they can be seen/heard.

Pablo Neruda

Sonnet XVII

I do not love you as if you were a salt rose, or topaz
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
So I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Pablo Neruda

10 Ceremony Tips

1. READINGS: Always send copies of your readings to the readers in advance for them to practice. Have extra copies on hand during the rehearsal, and on the podium/table during the ceremony in a very large font.

2. RUNNERS: In a church ceremony where there are many aisles, lay and tape the runner down in advance of the ceremony. Block the aisle with garland and have guests escorted down the side aisles. It is a beautiful statement as guests arrive and assures a smooth procession.

3. PROGRAMS: Remember you really only need to print one per couple. Have your planner or one of the ushers place a program on the seats of the participants in the procession so they have a copy once the arrive in their place.

4. REHEARSALS: Always have one - no matter how simple the ceremony. Remember Friday traffic especially in Summer and plan your timing accordingly. Always have readers practice .

5. BATHROOMS: Make sure your ushers know where they are , they will be asked. Why not donate some beautiful soap and lotion as well. Even if your guests don't use it the parishioners will enjoy it.

6. EYES ON THE BRIDE: I always tell my wedding parties that if they keep their eyes on the bride , they will be standing the right way.

7. LEAD WITH YOUR HEART: If you process down the aisle with your heart leading the way, you will be standing straight with shoulders back.

8. RECESSIONAL : Walk slow. Smile Big. Have a plan on where the Bridal Party will recess to if you are not having a receiving line. An automatic receiving line will form if everyone is not tucked away somewhere.

9. DIRECTIONS: Even if you have sent in advance, make sure you have copies of directions to reception available.

10. CLEANING: Make sure someone stays behind to pick up programs and other items left behind. This burden should not fall on the church. He/She can also bring any flowers you are not leaving at the church to the reception for you.

Congratulations to Liz and Don!

Liz spent a great deal of time crafting each detail of her wedding from the color concept of sky, grass and crisp white to the fabulous menu and wine pairing she and Don created. It was a gorgeous wedding!

A big thanks to a great group of event professionals: Catering--Corner Stone Catering, Floral- KD+J Botanica, Band-Perrone Brothers, Paper Details - Ceci New York, Wiley Valentine and Laura Hooper Calligraphy and these amazing photographs by Leslie Dumke Photography

Thank you for allowing us to be a party of the special day.

How do you know he/she is the ONE ?

Yesterday I was asked this question, and I immediately thought of this Poem/Story as the appropriate answer:

[ If you feel this way about someone- he/she IS THE ONE! ]

I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

I like you and I know why.
I like you because you are a good person to like.
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it's special
And you remember it a long, long time.
You say, Remember when you told me something special
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
you think it's important too
We have good ideas
When I say something funny, you laugh
I think I'm funny and you think I'm funny too
Hah-hah!
I like you because you know where I'm ticklish
And you don't tickle me there except just a little tiny bit sometimes
But if you do, then I know where to tickle you too
You know how to be silly
That's why I like you
Boy are you ever silly
I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you
I like you because you know when it's time to stop being silly
Maybe day after tomorrow
Maybe never
Too late, it's a quarter past silly
Sometimes we don't say a word
We snurkle under fences
We spy secret places
If I am a goofus on the roofus hollering my head off
You are one too
If I pretend I am drowning, you pretend you are saving me
If I am getting ready to pop a paper bag,
then you are getting ready to jump
HOORAY

That's because you really like me
You really like me, don't you
And I really like you back
And you like me back and I like you back
And that's the way we keep on going every day

If you go away, then I go away too
or if I stay home, you send me a postcard
You don't just say Well see you around sometime, bye
I like you a lot because of that
If I go away, I send you a postcard too
And I like you because if we go away together
And if we are in Grand Central Station
And if I get lost
Then you are the one that is yelling for me

And I like you because when I am feeling sad
You don't always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad
You can't stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things
It takes time

I like you because if I am mad at you
Then you are mad at me too
It's awful when the other person isn't
They are so nice and hoo-hoo you could just about punch them in the nose

I like you because if I think I am going to throw up
then you are really sorry
You don't just pretend you are busy looking at the birdies and all that
You say, maybe it was something you ate
You say, the same thing happened to me one time
And the same thing did

If you find two four-leaf clovers, you give me one
If I find four, I give you two
If we only find three, we keep on looking
Sometimes we have good luck, and sometimes we don't

If I break my arm, and if you break your arm too
Then it's fun to have a broken arm
I tell you about mine, you tell me about yours
We are both sorry
We write our names and draw pictures
We show everybody and they wish they had a broken arm too

I like you because I don't know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can't remember when I didn't like you
It must have been lonesome then

I like you because because because
I forget why I like you but I do
So many reasons
On the 4th of July I like you because it's the 4th of July
On the fifth of July, I like you too
If you and I had some drums and some horns and some horses
If we had some hats and some flags and some fire engines
We could be a HOLIDAY
We could be a CELEBRATION
We could be a WHOLE PARADE
See what I mean?

Even if it was the 999th of July
Even if it was August
Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
Even if it was no place particular in January
I would go on choosing you
And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again
That's how it would happen every time
I don't know why
I guess I don't know why I really like you
Why do I like you
I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you because I like you.

..thanks again Isha!!!