Still be YOU...

Being married is a wonderful thing and the idea of two becoming one is great... BUT, I'm finding that many women are losing themselves after they become married. What's up with that? Yes, it's a new journey with many wonderful things to share... there will be lots of sharing... sharing your body, sharing your space, sharing your time, sharing your energy, sharing your money, sharing your goals, sharing your dreams, sharing your food, sharing your bed etc... a whole bunch of sharing will take place... so all mean & stingy people, this may not be the venture for you LOL.

With all this sharing taking place, if you find that you are slowing sharing yourself away, and who you are as a person or individual is depleting and vanishing, then you should slow up and put things in perspective.

Marrying the love of your life does not mean you disappear or take a back seat. Marriage is the coming together of two individual hearts, sharing the same love for each other and cultivating their individual dreams, goals and vision to create a strong united foundation and a lasting legacy... one on which both individuals will still be recognized and accounted for.



It's not God's intention for you to get lost in your marriage... he wants you to shine just as bright as you did before the marriage, only now the light will be brighter & stronger because it's now two lights shining as one. He wants you to still soar, still pursue greatness, still take time out for yourselves, still do the things that makes you happy, the things that define you, the things that you are passionate about. He still wants you to be you... only better because now he has provided a life partner to support you in all your endeavors (granted it's within reason, lol).

So ladies, if you feel yourself slipping away... STOP... RE-ADJUST... RE-ALIGN, RE-FOCUS and RE-CHARGE. Now that you have done so, you may proceed.
Don't allow marriage to be the end of YOU... instead it's the beginning of a BETTER YOU. Knowing who YOU are makes all the difference.
Don't forget about YOU and lose YOU along this beautiful journey... take YOU with YOU for the ride! YOU will be glad YOU did... and so will your husband ☺



Until next time,
Smile, you're on camera ☺

Bling... a girl's best friend.

It's a known fact that ladies love accessories... especially if they BLING!
Like all the other factors, searching for the right accessories for your big day is just as important.
On my wedding day I wore a gorgeous pair of Showstopper Sterling silver plated Earrings with Swarovski crystals and glass stones by Badgley Mischka.
These over-sized dangles were ornate yet sophisticated... so of course there was no need to further bedazzle myself with a necklace... my earrings & headpiece were already doing the talking.

All that was left to complete the look was a delicate bracelet... so I shopped around and fell in love with this Star Light Star Bright Bracelet by Nicole Miller... a beautiful fourteen karat gold plated bracelet with Swarovski crystals... the perfect match for my earrings. The only problem was that it was gold plated... and gold was not a part of my accessory scheme. *Le sigh*


So I painfully passed up the idea of the Nicole Miller bracelet and kept searching.
At one point I had forgotten about the bracelet because I was back to focusing on more important things concerning the wedding and before I knew, it was the day before the wedding and I still did not have a bracelet... YIKES!
I decided to run to David's Bridal to see what I could find and low and behold there it was... A simple, yet sophisticated piece that caught my attention... SOLD!


Headpiece, check... Earrings, check... Bracelet, check... I was set. The look was clean and sophisticated and made the right amount of statement that was needed.

Ladies, ensuring that your accessories compliment not only the dress but also each piece is very important. Make sure that you pick pieces that are not dated. Make sure that your color/tone & stone selection are in sync.
Diamonds are not the only precious gem out there that will have you looking beautifully accessorized. There are so many other choices... Swarovski, crystals, pearls, rhinestones, black stones, Czech stones, silver plated/gold plated combined with any of the above stones. Studs, clusters, dangles, whether clip-on or pierced. You can even get funky with it and throw some COLOR in the mix. Think outside the box & make your earrings your "SOMETHING BLUE"... Endless possibilities & guess what? THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

Find what makes you shine and go for it!


Until next time,
Smile, you're on camera ☺

Your HEADPIECE should have a voice.

I always knew that I never wanted to wear a veil on my wedding day because I was never a conventional girl so why start now. Besides, I was having a morning wedding, in a garden/gazebo and was not convinced that a veil was the option for the occasion. Don't get me wrong now, I think veils are beautiful and they come in so many beautiful styles... and it serves its purpose... just not on me.
So, with that said I definitely had to search for a headpiece that had "KEESHA" written all over it... and like my heels... the search was on.

I first started looking at the Tiger Lilly's collection... GORGEOUS! I had selected my piece and saved the image and so forth so on. It was set...


until I decided to browse www.etsy.com and found the site of my dreams http://www.etsy.com/shop/FeathersandFrills?ref=top_trail">http://www.etsy.com/shop/FeathersandFrills?ref=top_trail


All my plans of purchasing my couture headpiece from Tiger Lilly went up in smoke and out of the smoke came my genie, FEATHERS & FRILLS. The site had me written all over it... a modern day vintage lover.
Actually in the words of Krystle, the owner of such a great site with such FAB pieces, Feathers & Frills is a "Vintage Inspired Lovelies for the modern bride and glamor girl! Each piece is handmade with love using only the highest quality materials and attention to detail. The Feathers and Frills stylista has an eye for modern design and an affection for old hollywood glamour!" NUFF SAID.

I had a found my dream headpiece, the "Whitney-crystal rhinestone comb" and the order was placed immediately. My package arrived in less than 2 weeks and to my surprise, it was beautifully boxed with a hand-written THANK YOU CARD from Krystle... or course I cried (As if), LOL.
Take a look for yourself and tell me if you wouldn't cry too.


OK, now that you have stopped crying yourself, I have taken the liberty of showing you a few of Krystle's pieces. Whether you want flowers, feathers, crystals, rhinestones or a combination. Her pieces are custom-made to order and you won't be disappointed.
Adored-Bianca deco glamour crystal headpiece-


Garbo bridal feather hairpiece-


Cordelia-vintage glamour crystal rhinestone and silk headpiece or sash-


Adored-Lana vintage glamour crystal rhinestone and silk headpiece-


Lillian-old hollywood double crystal rhinestone comb-


dahlia floral chrystal rhinestone-


Evangeline- bridal feather hairpiece with vintage rhinestones-



Well my lovely brides-to-be, don't go crazy thinking you can only wear a veil on your wedding day. WRONG! Gone are the days!
Play it up, glam it up, spruce it up... think FABULOUS, think DIVA, think OLD HOLLYWOOD GLAM, think SOPHISTICATED, think CLASSY, think MODERN. And all my VEIL WEARING LOVELIES, you too can do the above along with your veil. You can wear the veil at the ceremony and then change off into another headpiece for the reception... one that will have you walking around like the bell of the ball (which you already are) times ten. It's your day... there are really no rules... just be FABULOUS.. whichever way you choose!
(Feathers & Frills is also featured in Martha Stewart's Wedding Magazine 2011).

Until next time,
Smile, you're on camera ☺

Breakfast or Dinner... which will it be?

Weddings are fun... whether they are done in the morning, mid-day or evening.
Tony & I decided that we wanted to have a breakfast/brunch wedding for many reasons... the main reason is that we both love breakfast. The idea of having bacon, eggs, omelets, pancakes, waffles, quiches, fruits, croissants, coffee, tea & mimosa to top it off was heaven to us. And by the time the celebration had started it would have been a little pass lunch time, so hey, throwing in some chicken wings, wild rice and a few other choice items was a plus.

Another reason, was the fact that breakfast weddings are more affordable than evening weddings... when you think of catering for 172 people, we had to think cost effective... and that we did. Don't forget that you are paying per head for a plate & a plate can start anywhere from $65 & up... now you do the math (yea, think on that)... It's never too late to elope (LOL, just kidding) ☺

And finally, we were having an ALL-WHITE PARTY in the night. We wanted to have the party so we could also get the chance to celebrate with our families & friends that were not able to be at the wedding (some of which are still upset at us... but this too shall pass and we still love ya'll)☺


It was also something else to look forward to. Our wedding started at 9am, ended at 2pm, everybody went home (some of us went to the mall, LOL), rested and at 11pm we all headed out to Tempo Lounge to celebrate some more... can you say POST WEDDING PARTY!


We had such a GRAND TIME! The party was in high gear and everyone was looking quite FAB in their ALL-WHITE attire (granted some wore black as well, LOL). The venue was very art deco, styled with white sheer drapes, chandeliers, hanging beads, white couches, canopy beds & bar stools. We couldn't have asked for a better way to cap off a day filled with celebration of families and friends... from sunrise to sunset.


So when planning your wedding, think of all the elements that's a compilation of you and your boo... time, place, head-count, colors, music, venue etc. In the end, it should be a decision that you both will not regret. Get creative and think outside the box, make the day a memorable one, one that will be the talk on the lips of everyone who attended for years to come. We've been asked to throw an anniversary party every year because of the fun that we all had on our wedding day... hmmm, something to think about don't you think?




Until next time,
Smile, you're on camera ☺

Lace, Cotton or Nude?

As you know right after a wedding comes the honeymoon. Some people may not be able to go away for their honeymoon right after the wedding for many reasons... like work, family obligations, financial set backs, not ready yet or for whatever other reasons might exists. In any case, whether you go away or not the fact of the matter is that there will be some sort of SEXUAL ACTIVITY taking place. Quite expected after the hell you just went through to say "I DO!" Lol.

So ladies, now that you are aware that you will be engaging in some extra-curricular activities (lol), whatever shall you wear?
Well, first thing's first. Find out what your man likes. Some men are not fans of "LINGERIE" at alllll!!! HUH??? Yup! Whatever the reason, now is not the time to psycho analyze your man and try to give him therapy for what you may think is a problem... in fact, some women can't stand them either.

So if your man happens to fall in the above category then figure out the next best option that both you and him will enjoy (no sweat off your back)... they're so many choices out there.

Some men find "LOUNGE WEAR" very sexy... and who can blame them. It's comfort at it's best. Not only are you providing him with the "NAUGHTY-BUT-NICE" look but you get to be comfortable while doing it. Your choices includes, boyshort sets, cami & boyshort sets, sleep shirt, sleep tee w/matching undies and so much more.


And then we have the lovers of the "NAKED BODY!" And that's all he wants to see. If that's the case, then you will have no problem packing for your trip if you're planning on traveling for the honeymoon (lol). In fact all you may need is your hand luggage which should include the essentials: your makeup bag, toothbrush, a sexy heel and your flat iron! ☺

Well my lovelies, here are a few sites that you can visit if you are in need of a few things...

http://www.victoriassecret.com/

http://www.fredericks.com/

http://www.agentprovocateur.com/

http://www.aerie.com

http://shop.azaleasnyc.com/

http://www.herroom.com/

http://www.barenecessities.com/

Until next time,
Smile, you're on camera!