PINK THINK

A little imagination goes a long way. Such is the pairing of custom design on the stunning Natalie Angela who saw this cloud of soft pink organza in her mind and went on the hunt for a pattern and fabric. The 1957 Butterick pattern below was her inspiration point. I love these vintage patterns and buy them often just to check out the dart and seam lines of the day (yes, they were slightly different back then).

The 'Pink Photos' as I call them were taken by San Francisco photographer, John Carmen whose work captures a scope of real and true detail.

Yes, the styles in the pattern below remind me of something worn by January Jones on Mad Men, my favorite show.

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We LOVE LOVE LOVE it ~ Philosophy Gives Love

We have long been in love with Philosophy, one of our favorite skincare, fragrance and beauty brands. Founded in 1996 and a favorite brand of dermatologists and plastic surgeons around the country, Philosophy celebrates living joyously and strives to inspire its customers to live a better life by being better to themselves.

In conjunction with the launch of their newest fragrance, Unconditional Love, Philosophy has announced philosophygiveslove.com.

What is philosophygiveslove.com? Launched on February 9th, 2009, philosophygiveslove.com is an interactive destination for philosophy girls to connect, interact and share with their loved ones through a variety of functionalities, including love songs, love notes, stories, a blog and more.

"We are told time and time again that our customers connect with Philosophy through our words and how our products make them feel. Our hope with this new web site is that they will have a new forum to be inspired, to share and receive love, and ultimately connect with one another," says Philosophy CEO Michael McNamara.

Philosophygiveslove.com spreads the love in so many ways...

o BLOG – Updated regularly by the Philosophy girl, visitors will be prompted to discuss and comment on unconditional love and other love-related topics.
o E-CARDS to share with friends and loved ones – Philosophygiveslove.com’s ecards give visitors the chance to send a quick note to loved ones.
o FACEBOOK connectivity with philosophy’s existing facebook page – Become fans of Philosophy and receive samples of unconditional love via the Philosophy facebook page.
o EMAIL OPT-IN to receive text messages and emails – Stay up-to-date on the latest brand news, deals, products and promotions.
o personally customizable LOVE STORIES – Submit your story of unconditional love via philosophygiveslove.com’s love “stories” page. Everyone who submits their love story will receive a free sample of the unconditional love fragrance.
o product & brand NEWS – Check out this regularly updated page to see what the press is saying about Philosophy’s unconditional love.
o “unconditional love” PLAY LIST – Philosophygiveslove.com features a rolling play list of iconic songs that inspire visitors to love unconditionally.


"Unconditional Love is a fragrance formulated to help inspire us to be loved and to give love," says Philosophy founder Cristina Carlino. "With philosophygiveslove.com, our goal is to move beyond the fragrance to provide our Philosophy girls with new, meaningful ways to share love."

A fresh, soulful, passionate fragrance, Unconditional Love was created to make a woman feel loved and cherished and to remind her that to love and be loved unconditionally is the greatest love of all. Available in spray fragrance, shampoo, shower and bath gel and firming body emulsion. $22-$40. Philosophy.com.

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Good Reads ~ SHE’S GONE BRIDAL!

What’s a girl to do when her BFF turns into a BFH (Bride from Hell) and is determined to take everyone down with her? Liz Razin is here to help, guiding bridesmaids through the nine stages of life with the bride to be…

According to the Bridal Association of America, 2.3 million brides plan the perfect wedding every year, while an average of 194 million bridesmaids deal with the demands they make. Now, one woman has stepped from the crowd to put these Bridezillas in their place. Her name is Liz Razin, author of SHE’S GONE BRIDAL! A 9-Step Program for Dealing with Your Bride from Hell, just published by Citadel Press.

“Dealing with today’s brides can be truly traumatic!” says Razin, who knows all too well the plight of the modern bridal attendant, having been a bridesmaid eight times and a maid of honor four. Like Razin, almost every bridesmaid called to duty has encountered a Bridezilla. GONE BRIDAL! helps women everywhere finally manage these demanding brides, while managing to keep their own sanity.

In SHE’S GONE BRIDAL!, Razin has designed a one-of-a-kind “Bridal Therapy Program” for anyone and everyone dealing with a bride-to-be. The nine stages she tackles include:
· Denial: Is she really marrying him?
· Diagnosis: Early detection of “bridezilla” behavior.
· Masquerading: Playing the part of “good” friend.
· Anger: Managing meltdowns without having to say you’re sorry.
· Transference: Reap the benefits of the bride without all the fuss!
· Fixation: Stop obsessing over her wedding!
· Family Therapy: There really is someone worse than your relatives.
· Catharsis: How to create wedding well-being on the big day.
· Withdrawal: What to do when the invitations stop coming.

Whether she’s the sister, cousin, co-worker or best friend of a bride, SHE’S GONE BRIDAL! is guaranteed to help anyone survive that long walk down the aisle. Filled with tips, tactics and tools, it's a great book that's also packed with lots of laughter for anyone pulled into marital madness!

Born in New York City to a talkative teacher and an iquisitive psychiatrist, Liz Razin inherited her mother's love of writing and her father's love of psychology. She honed her psychology skills at Tufts University and is currently a partner at a New York advertising agency. Her work has appeared in The Boston Phoenix, StuffNight magazine, and the Associated Press and she resides in New York City, dangerously close to Bloomingdale’s…where she gets many of her lovely bridesmaid dresses.

SHE’S GONE BRIDAL! $12.95. Click here for a list of retailers.

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PHOTOGRAPHY SPOTLIGHT: ELISA CICINELLI

Check out the stunning and touching work of San Francisco Bay Area photographer Elisa Cicinelli. Here she has photographed Caroline and Chris who chose to have their destination wedding at the beautiful Harvest Inn in Napa Valley. 'I just love the wink Caroline gave Chris during our shoot' says Elisa.

DETAILS Ceremony: St. Helena Catholic Church, Deborah Fradelizio, Coordinator

Reception: Harvest Inn, St. Helena, CA, Shana Goldberg Event Planners: A Savvy Event, Emarie & Kelly Ceremony Music: Benny Be Music, Ben Brussel Band: Ever Music Group, Steven Emerson Florist: Calistoga Florist, Michael Thomas Cake: Torino Baking, Julie Durkee Caterer: Alex’s Catering, Rolando Mafnus Hair & Make Up: Maria O’Reilly

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BLACK AND BLUE

SOURCE

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GREAT GOWNS FOR THE BITCH IN YOUR LIFE

If I had more time this is what I'd be doing believe it or not--designing dresses for my little 6 pound 3 ounce bitch. She already has a bridal gown (custom designed by me of course) but no fiancee in sight. These dresses from The Doggie Clothesline might just fit her and I'm contemplating the pink. If you're a small dog lover like I am, Doggie Clothesline is a candy store and you're the proverbial kid. Check out their day time dresses with matching sun hats. They're adorable . . .

Piccalina does go out nights so the gold is definately a possibility. Which do you like . . .?

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How Do We Thank Thee....

We have been on hiatus for a brief time, but we still have to give love to those who still gave WU love... Thank you and take a look at these fine peeps!

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YOUR GOWN: 5 WAYS TO GO GREEN

Adele Wechsler

Have you any idea the impact the production of clothing and textiles has had on the environment? Welll check this out: In the UK alone according to 2006 statistics, clothing and textiles contributed in producing up to two million tons of waste, 3.1 million tons of CO2 and 70 million tons of waste water. Whoah! Time for a reality check: Have we become so used to fast food, fast technology and now fast fashion that we've created a manufacturing monster like this? No wonder designers are turning to sustainable fabrics and labor friendly alternatives to produce their creations. Welcoming it as an opportunity rather than limitation is making for some incredible designs as well as global partnerships. Going Green can mean many things . . . . READ MORE . . . . .

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WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

Lace and cotton Georgette. Combined they make a luscious combination. The 'Mira' dress is part of the Dioresque series, a capsule collection of dresses redolent of the 1950s era. A halter top in Chantilly lace sits atop a full gathered skirt.

This dress could easily go semi-formal or less formal depending on accessories. A fingertip veil paired up with gloves would put it into the former category while fascinators, hats and cage veils the latter. Here, the model is going somewhere in-between and looks like she might be opting for a restaurant or small garden wedding.

If you want to see more gowns like this check out my site http://www.amyjotatum.com/. Also, if you want to place an order or simply talk about this gown call me 415.258.8204. I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Weddings Unveiled Spring, 2009 Teaser

We couldn't resist offering you a tiny little sneak peek at the Spring, 2009 issue of Weddings Unveiled, which hits newsstands next week. From sunny yellow to deep aubergine and every shade in between, the issue is all about color. With gorgeous fashion, brilliant editorials and more than 30 pages of amazing real weddings... look for it in the hands of stylish brides everywhere on April 1st!


Cover, photographed on location at the Charleston Tea Plantation.

Page 32. Images courtesy of retailers.

Page 42. Images courtesy of retailers.

Pages 51 & 52, from the editorial Rainbow Bright. Bouquets by Janie Medley Flora of Janie Medley Flora Design.

Page 64. From the real wedding feature of Ann & Shawn. Photography by Amy Martin.

Page 71. From the real wedding feature of McKenzie & Gary. Photography by Paul Johnson Photography.

Page 80. From the real wedding feature of Anna & Nathan. Photography by Belathee Photography.

Page 86. From the real wedding feature of Brook & Josh. Photography by Holland Photo Arts.

Page 95. From the real wedding feature of Mabel & Charlie. Photography by Jessica Purvis.

Page 102. From the real wedding feature of Sarah & Michael. Photography by Mary Basnight.

Page 110. From the real wedding feature of Lindsay & Ashton. Photography by David Schwartz.

Page 117. From the real wedding feature of Tina & Alex. Photography by Ryan Joseph.

Pages 127, 138 & 139 from the editorial Spring Fling, photographed on location at The Charleston Tea Plantation.

Page 154. Necklace by Alan Anderson, available at Carole Tanenbaum.

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Simply Bloom Photography Short Film Session ~ Lacey and Justin

When Christine and Vania from Simply Bloom Photography in Alabama sent us Lacey and Justin's "Short Film" session, we couldn't wait to share their incredible images. Simply Bloom defines their unique style of photography as "Modern Vintage" and Lacey and Justin's "Short Film" session embodies everything that definition implies. The hair & makeup, the car, the bouquet, the clothes, the shoes and of course the spectacular photography... we love it all! To see more of Simply Bloom's inspired imagery, visit their website at http://www.simplybloomphotography.com/ or their blog.

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