Junko Yoshioka: Designer Gown Spotlight

I first started following Junko Yoshioka's work when I saw Helen Hunt walk the runway in one of her gowns. Her designs are so beautiful - modern yet soft and romantic. Here are a few of my favorites from the Spring 2010 line.

"Aqua"

"Capri"

"Leah"

"Sage"

Photos Courtesy of Junko Yoshioka

Combs for a Cure!

As You Wish Wedding & Event Design has donated a Day-Of Coordination package worth $1200! Please come to the event, bring a friend, and buy a ton of tickets to support this amazing cause.

For the second year in a row, Pink Comb Salon is working together with the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation, Brides Against Breast Cancer and the Pink Envelope Project which all work together to fulfill dreams for metastatic breast cancer patients by holding our SECOND annual COMBS FOR A CURE!

WHAT IS “COMBS FOR A CURE?”
ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 11th, 2009 from 12:00pm until 4:00pm the staff at Pink Comb (dressed in PINK) will be dedicating their time to:
$25.00 Hair Cuts
$5.00 “Pink” Nail Polish Change
$5.00 “Pink” Eyelash Application
$10.00 10 Minute Mini-Make-over done by a Professional Make-up Artist

Local Businesses and New Jersey Wedding Vendors have also donated their services to be raffled off at the event. It is something you don’t want to miss!
…ALL proceeds will go through the PINK ENVELOPE PROJECT and are donated to the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation.

Don’t need a hair cut?! .. Just come by and enjoy this charitable event including refreshments, music, …and a chance to win great prizes!
It’s for a great cause! Don’t miss out!

*DONATIONS ACCEPTED*
PLEASE PROUDLY WEAR PINK!!!!!!

Inspiring Words!

In my long list of blog posts that I read and people that I follow on Twitter, something really hit me last month. Lara Casey posted about her catch phrase, "Get Excited and Make Things Happen." She challenged her readers to come up with their own. While I'm not sure that it qualifies as a catch phrase, there is one quote that motivates me each and every day. I was doing a site visit for a corporate meeting in the summer of 2006 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort. In the gift shop (which is AMAZING by the way) I saw a plaque with the quote: "Only she who attempts the absurd can achieve the impossible." I was blown away by those 10 words. The plaque was too heavy to take back on the plane with me during that trip, but I thought about it straight through my next visit a few months later. Because of that plaque, that following fall, I had started my business and it is now hanging on my office wall.

Tech Troubles Resolved!

Two weeks ago I was on vacation with tons of automatic blog posts scheduled. And up until the end of the trip, they were updating just fine. Until I decided to fiddle with it and somehow messed up some coding. I have finally fixed it and will be posting again starting tomorrow! There are a few really great posts in the works. Thanks for hanging in there during the technical difficulties!

Snorkels!

I don't go on any Caribbean vacation without my US Divers snorkel set. The quality is great and it comes with a compact bad that helps fit all of the pieces into your suitcase! Retailing for $69.97 at Sports Authority, it's an investment that you can bring on all future vacations.

Honeymoon Series: Culinary Honeymoons

I love the idea of a Culinary Honeymoon. Culinary Quests is a tour company that lets you explore a country by way of it's cuisine. There are tours through Italy, Greece, Portugal and Spain. Each day you are paired with a local chef who takes you to local markets where you can pick out fresh ingredients for the lesson of the day. Make dishes like penne strascicate, Tuscan meat ragu, pollo alla cacciatora, and ricotta cake with lemon and orange zest. Your mornings are usually filled with lessons followed by eating the lunch you prepared. Then, you have the afternoons and evenings to see the sites!

Honeymoon Series: Personal Travel Organizer

LL Bean is one of my favorite companies. From way back in the days of initialed school backpacks, their customer service is second to none. They have a ton of travel accesories, but the best is the personal organizer. It's perfect for toiletries. The built in hook makes it easy for storage in any hotel room. The organizer comes in four different sizes based on the length of your trip as well as seven different colors. The personal organizers range from $19.95-$39.95.

Buy Used!

Ideally, we only get married once. Many of the items you purchased for your wedding (bird cage, card box, ring pillow, etc) will never be used again. Rather than throwing them away, sell them. Before purchasing them, look to past brides who may be able to donate their gently used items to you for a fraction of what they paid or for free. Check with relatives, family, and friends. Also look to places like Craigslist, wedding message boards, and bridal barter websites. Bride Share is a new site that allows you to exchange goods and ideas to make planning a little easier on your wallet!

Honeymoon Series: Moleskine Notebooks

If you are anything like me, you like to plan trips and keep mementos. The Moleskine Notebook is the perfect way to do this! They have City Books which are a guide to each city as well as a place to keep items you have collected for years to come. They have US Cities, Asian Cities, and European Cities. Retailing at only $16.95, how could you not pick one of these up?

Moleskin also offers a ton of different planners, notebooks, and art books.

Honeymoon Series: Trunk Bay!

Trunk Bay on the island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands is one of the most photographed beaches in the world. And with good reason! It's absolutely breathtaking. You aren't limited to seeing Trunk Bay if you are staying on St. John. There is a daily ferry from St. Thomas to St. John. It's quick and easy. From there you can take a cab or open air bus through the winding mountains and see Trunk Bay from above before arriving. There is a set snorkeling trail that you can follow if you are new to snorkeling. All of your snorkel equipment can be rented on the beach. There are full service facilities near the beach as well. It's a beautiful way to spend the day while in the Virgin Islands!

One tip: If you are staying on the islands, check and see which days there will not be cruise ships in. This is a common excursion on most cruise ships, so you may want to pick a day when less ships are in port.