Friday, June 26, 2009

Geoffrey and Nescel's Wedding in NJ


Geoffrey and Nescel had a beautiful wedding in Jersey City, NJ this month. The ceremony was held at a Catholic church in Jersey City and the reception followed in Parsippany at Knoll Country Club.

The bride and groom planned a stunning reception with lots of fun things for guests. By far one of the best things there was a photo booth that was manned all night by a photographer that helped snap a succession of 4 pictures, then printed out a copy for the guest and a copy of the 4 for the bride and groom's scrapbook. The guests could then leave a note for the happy couple by their picture to be cherished for years to come. (Being a scrapbooker, of course I got the biggest thrill out of that and wished I had thought of it for my wedding!!) :) I'm enclosing a set of 4 with my hubby, sister-in-law, and nephew that is too cute! There were hats, glasses and other props to make it interesting!

For any brides out there looking for unique wedding favors, Geoff and Nescel gave wonderful eco-friendly bags in their wedding colors. You can find something similar by doing google searches for "eco bags" or "wedding eco bags", etc. I also found a Facebook page of a vendor here: Ecobags.com. They are the coolest favors we've received in a long time because we actually USE them afterwards! (Thanks Geoff and Nescel!)

There were so many great things about this wedding in NJ. Family, friends and a beautiful new union. Congrats to them and we wish them the best!


Sunday, May 31, 2009

1 Year Anniversary Weekend in Asheville, NC

Jeremy and I celebrated our first year of wedded bliss last weekend in Asheville, NC. :) I can't believe it's even been a whole year already! For all you ladies that are rushing your weddings and planning, planning, planning...let me just say--slow down! It all goes so fast! Though you think you're ready to just have it planned and get it over with enjoy all the time you have for it is so short. And even more, enjoy your first year together.

Jeremy and I spent a Valentine's Day in Asheville right before our 2008 wedding and loved the city so much that we decided to go back for our anniversary. This time around it was beautiful sunny weather without the usual NC humidity and believe it or not, no rain until the very last day of our trip! We had a wonderful time.

We stayed at the Marriott Renaissance off Woodfin Street and could not have been more pleased. The modern tastes of the furniture and decorations were right up our alley and it was within WALKING DISTANCE to everything downtown! It was awesome! We hardly had to drive anywhere. In fact, the only places we drove to were Marshall, NC for horseback riding at the Sandy Bottom Trails and Grove Park Inn on Sunday for dinner. The rest was all within walking distance.

Our weekend was full of FOOD (that should come to no surprise to those that know Jeremy and I personally). We went downtown everyday and had delicious meals at different places. Some of the most mentionable spots were Green Sage Coffee House, Mayfel's, Chorizo and Bistro 1896. Now for dinner Jeremy and I splurged and went all out at two places Saturday and Sunday night. Saturday we went to Rezaz Mediterranean down in Biltmore Village and we both have to say that it was THE BEST food, service, atmostphere, etc EVER! We could not have been more pleased with this place. Everyone we asked in Asheville had great things to say about this restaurant and all urged us to go. So thank you Asheville!

On Sunday (our Anniversary) we woke up to breakfast in our room--just like the honeymoon! :) Next we went downtown to Sensabilities Day Spa for a couples massage with the best therapists around. Amy and Cameron were amazing. I had a hot stone massage that was to die for...seriously! These ladies really know what they are doing. The spa was so relaxing and everyone there was so pleasant and knowledgeable. No one even tried to sell us product...which is great! We just enjoyed our time and then went out for another stroll downtown to see some of the vendors on the street. We picked up a beautiful coral bracelet for my mom (to say thanks for babysitting our doggies) and a gorgeous torquoise necklace and earrings set from the very talented Gabriella Egan. Her jewelry is stunning. Check out her site...I'm sure you'll find something you have to have, too!

After being downtown for the better part of the day we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We exchanged gifts there (Jeremy had a beautiful set of sapphire earrings made to match my ring by Holland's Jeweler's) and then we were off! We decided to go to Grove Park's balcony restaurant called Sunset Terrace. It overlooks the city and in the background is a gorgeous view of the mountains. The view was spectacular and we recommend everyone go there at least for drinks if you can't stay for a meal. We toured the facility but weren't too impressed with the Inn side. The food was great; however, the service lacked a bit for what we were paying...and it didn't help that we were comparing it to the night before at Rezaz.


All in all, though it was a great dinner, great company and and great 1st year anniversary! I highly recommend all you "mountain wedding seekers" out there to take a look at some of the places I've mentioned and let us know if you have other places you enjoy frequenting on your trips to the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Summer Bikini-Body Ready



Are any of you out there freaking out about having to get in a bathing suit in the next few weeks?! I am! Jeremy and I have our 1 year anniversary (so soon, right?!) creeping up on us the weekend of Memorial Day. We have planned a short trip out of town to celebrate (the rest of the moolah is going to housing stuff, yay!!) and of course, we will be by a pool at some point. So...aside from the obvious need to self tan so that I don't scare all the little children by the pool with my ghastly coloring I need a little help with the leg and thigh department! :) So, I have enlisted the troops!

I am currently using Clarins High Definition Body Lift from ankles to waist to help with circulation and tightening up the thigh area. I have found over the years that this product also helps to reduce the look of spider veins, too. It by no means gets rid of them...just helps to make them look less pronounced. This product is awesome if you're going out in a skirt or shorts and need that immediate tightening effect, too!

In addition to the Clarins product I am seriously contemplating giving Bliss a go at my "problem spots". I have seen these items in stores like Sephora, Nordstrom and Ulta for years but never ventured out to try them. What do you all think? Has anyone out there given them a whirl and are they worth the money? I'll be so happy to hear from you! Here they are:

Fat Girl Slim and Fat Girl Sleep

Monday, April 27, 2009

Wilmington Wedding

Last weekend Jeremy and I got to go to a beautiful small wedding in Wilmington, NC. My friend, Teresa (suite mate in college) married the wonderful Dan in a small church in a field of flowers. It was gorgeous! Bridesmaids wore various dresses of green and the bride wore a simple, elegant white dress. The reception was held at Porter's Neck Country Club with food, dancing and painting...yes, painting! Teresa had the awesome idea to have a room set up with paint, brushes and canvases for the guests to paint pictures and messages for the bride and groom. Of course, she announced at the reception, "Be nice everyone, these are going to go up in our new house!" Somehow, I think the one that said something ugly about UNC will get painted over or "accidentally" thrown away, though! :) So much fun! We wish them the best.

Here are a few of the pictures I took as well as a link from her photographer (that was super awesome, btw) Dana Hawley. Enjoy...we did!

(taken by me, isn't she beautiful?!)







(the bride and groom for their entrance and first dance!)







(Jeremy and I at the reception)







(the art room)

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Spring and Summer 2009 Trends

New Spring and Summer looks are all over the runway these days. We are so excited for the beautiful colors and the hot new looks! Check out this picture and info from Harper's Bazaar:

Anyone out there that loves the drama...don't fret, you can still have drama without dark, heavy shadows!

More to come soon on colors for the summer and what to do with different skin color shades!

Have a great day glam girls!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Bobbi SALE!!!


Just thought I'd share this! I went ahead and secured my Platinum Shimmerbrick. :) (Like I need ANOTHER one.)

Review of Maybelline Foundation and Mousse Blush and the Covergirl Lip Stain

So I tried the Maybelline foundation and it actually works very well! I mean, it's not Chanel, Bobbi or even MAC for that matter...but it'll do the trick if you're looking to spend less and still get a quality foundation.

The Mousse Blush was alright. It looks great initially when you put it on but I found that the first day I wore it, it blended down so much that within a few hours I had no color. The next day I layered the mousse with a powder blush over top and it lasted my whole work day. It was a great color, too!

The lips left a little more to be desired. I used the pen which is the stain but it felt really dry coming out. It also turned a lot darker on the lips after it sat for the 2 minutes recommended. I layered the gloss over top and that toned it down a bit but I still found that it came off when I ate. It's nice for work because I only have to touch up the gloss every now and then but if you want something that REALLY stays all day...this isn't it.

I hope some of you found that helpful! I'll keep dabbling on my Wal-mart and Target escapades (because it's so much fun) and let y'all know what else I find out there!