Beautiful Bridal Hair Pieces

There is no escaping bridal frenzy this week as the Royal Wedding approaches! I am finally getting excited about it myself. I have been finding all kinds of amazing designers from England - from wedding gowns to gorgeous hair pieces and jewels (well not those jewels!) When I saw this flower fascinator I had to share - it's gorgeous!

Delivery on this beautiful Hair piece from order date 2/3 weeks or sooner. This piece will be packaged in a beautiful Alan Hannah branded gift box and dispatched by next day courier when ready to send. The item number is ME5001. I also converted the price to US dollars so the price to the US is 131.81! 

Win a Wedding Gown from Bonny Bridal

I am finding quite a few amazing giveaways to share with everyone! It's pretty exciting! Having a wedding costs A LOT of money! Saving here and there by entering and winning giveaways and contests allows you to put money in other areas - like a few extra honeymoon days!!! So, today I posted about the Etsy Wedding Diva $1000 Giveaway and now here is another amazing contest: the wedding gown of your choice from the Fall 2011 Collection by Bonny Bridal!

This contest is pretty easy to enter too! Just "like" Bonny Bridal on Facebook and then share your love story (must be 300 words). Anyone can enter this too - not just the bride! So, if you have a best friend or sister getting married you could SURPRISE her with the dress of her choice! Entry is through the month of April and then a live voting round will choose the ultimate winner. 

I am loving all these giveaways....and stay tuned because it's a new month - which means it's a new giveaway here on my blog too! I will be announcing it soon!!!

Cake pops are popping up all over!

Last week, I arrived back in Southern California from a trip to the Mexican Riviera. My first stop: Starbucks! To my utter surprise and delight, cake pops! Seriously? Oh yes. 

The plan was hatched to unveil these babies as part of their 40th year celebration! There is a cute little story on Starbucks blog where they talk about cake pops. I absolutely love the honesty about how hard these little babies are to make - I have tried and failed many times! So, if you haven't seen these in stores yet, here is the deal: 

You get three flavors:

Birthday – Vanilla cake and icing, dipped in pink chocolate and fun white sprinkles.
Rocky Road - Chocolate cake and icing dipped in dark chocolate, rolled in mini marshmallows and roasted almonds.
Tiramisu – Vanilla cake and Starbucks® coffee icing, dipped in mocha chocolate and topped with a chocolate coffee bean.

I have personally tried the Rocky Road and Tiramisu. The Birthday Cake must be the most popular! It is always GONE by the time I make it into my Starbucks! My favorite of the two, hands down: Rocky Road (but, it's my favorite ice cream, too!). The Tiramisu, they say, is made from Vanilla cake but, it's a flavored cake - not just vanilla. It was a little on the sweet side for me. All three pops are under 200 calories and they are just enough to have your cake and eat it too! 

Of course, my brain went straight to the price! I have seen some bakeries selling cake pops for $3.00 each! Starbucks has them priced at $1.50 each, 2 for $2.50 or 6 for $7.50. My thought was that cake pops are now affordable for wedding showers or even dessert stations at weddings! I have yet to ask my local store if you ordered even more if you could get a better price....but, it couldn't hurt to ask right? Even if the answer was no, the lowest price would be $1.25 each and I think that is pretty affordable! Have you tried them? What was your favorite flavor?

The Costco Connection

Do you think it's far fetched that Costco would jump into the wedding business? I am not that surprised - when it comes to throwing a big party I know that Costco is on my list to shop at. I will admit to even checking out the engagement rings while shopping at my local Costco - they have some pretty amazing rings!! This Princess Cut 1.5 carat ring is $3299.99

The Association for Wedding Professionals, says that a couple in the United States will spend $19,581 (between $14,686 and $24,476) for their wedding, not including the cost for a honeymoon or an engagement ring. If you are already married you probably already know that. Costs for a wedding add up - quick! So, Costco put out a call to their members and got (according to their article) hundreds of emails and letters about how brides and grooms used Costco services to save on their wedding. One bride even found her groom there (he worked there! haha). Other people sited their invitation prices. Their website states you save 25% off retail prices but, I still think you could get away with doing your own invites for less! 

You have to have flowers too...and Costco has you covered on that! They have money saving packages! Prices include shipping (but you have to add sales tax!)

40 Piece Wedding Collection fir $749.00 includes:

• 1 Bridal bouquet
• 1 Maid of Honor bouquet
• 4 Brides Maid bouquets
• 1 Toss Away bouquet
• 2 Mothers petite hand-tie
• 12 Corsages
• 12 Attendant boutonnieres
• 6 Centerpieces  (vases not included)
• 10 Rose Petal buds

20 Piece Wedding Collection ranges from $349.99 - $429.99 includes: 

• 1 Bridal bouquet
• 2 Brides Maid bouquets
• 1 Toss Away bouquet
• 6 Corsages
• 6 Attendant boutonnieres
• 3 Centerpieces  (vases not included)
• 1 Rose Petal bud   

9 Piece Wedding Collection for $229.99 includes:

• 1 Bridal bouquet
• 2 Brides Maid bouquets
• 2 Corsages
• 4 Attendant boutonnieres 

And what would a wedding be without a bridal gown? Costco also sells wedding gowns via 

Kirstie Kelly. I have never seen or even heard of one these special events being held at my local Costco....but if you have or if you have been to one LEAVE A COMMENT! I want to know how it went! Special events are held at Costco locations - complete with:



• A private, salon-style fitting area with three-way mirrors and experienced bridal consultants
• Six exclusive styles of gowns in sizes ranging from 2 to 24
• Samples of each dress to try on, with multiple sizes per sample
• Limited selection: Only 108 gowns will be available at each Special Event
• This is a cash-and-carry purchase; buy it when you see it
• Fingertip- and cathedral-style veils will be available
• Appointments are recommended; go to Costco.com and search “wedding dress.”
• Savings start at 40 percent of retail



Check Costco's event schedule to see if this might be your perfect fit! This wouldn't be my cup of tea for a wedding but, I have to admit, I do see the cost savings on using Costco for some wedding things! What are your thoughts?

Push Cakes by Meringue Bake Shop

I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for someone to come out with these...and now I have found some worthy of sharing! I actually read about this new sweet indulgence about a year ago. I couldn't find any more information on them and the bakery I read about never promoted them. A friend of mine had a link to this local bakery on her Facebook page that I noticed the other day. I loved their logo and of course can not help checking out local sweet spots so, off to Meringue Bake Shop I went! They are based in Anaheim, California and the first thing to catch my eye... Push Cakes! There they were...these little tubes filled with yummy layers of cake and frosting! I made sure to ask if they could be shipped before sharing them with you and yep, they sure can be! These would be so cute to add to a dessert station! I predict they will be the up and coming thing (you heard it here, first!)

Can we talk about flavors? Oh for the love of cake! 

• Orange Crush* - Orange crush cake/Creamsicle buttercream
• Queen of Hearts* - Red Velvet cake/Cream Cheese buttercream
• Happy Birthday* - Vanilla confetti cake/Vanilla Confetti buttercream
• Birthday Cake - Vanilla cake/Chocolate buttercream/Sprinkles
• Sweet and Salty - Vanilla cake/Salted Caramel buttercream/Caramel
• AFCB - Yellow cake/Caramel/Peanuts/Chocolate buttercream
• Black & White* - Chocolate cake/Vanilla buttercream/Chocolate Flakes/Gold Glitter
• Tea Time* - Vanilla cake/Lemon buttercream/Sparkling sugar/Fresh berries in season (raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries)
• Groovy* - Vanilla rainbow cake/Frosting of your choice (not available in mini size)
• Fauxstess* - Chocolate cake/Creme/Chocolate buttercream
• Girls/Boys - Vanilla cake/Strawberry or Blue Raspberry buttercream/Sprinkles/Glitter 
• Spring Break - Vanilla cake/Graham cracker crust/Keylime buttercream
• Pink Lady* - Lemonade cake/Raspberry buttercream
• Campfire - Graham cracker cake/Chocolate buttercream/Toasted Marshmallows 
• Pina Colada - Pineapple cake/Coconut cream buttercream
• A Kid Again - Yellow cake/Cookie Dough/Peanut Butter buttercream 
• Southern Belle - Coconut cake/Coconut cream buttercream

I am going to hunt down Meringue Bake Shop in person and get my hands on some of these and I promise to report back! I just love that they are different and I know they are going to be all the rage! If you want to read more about them you can join PushCakes on Facebook and of course contact them regarding shipping! 

It's all about the Blue Box....

On my goodness! Here is a fun giveaway that just "popped" up....and guess what? It's called a Pop Up Giveaway! How cute! So, check this out...it's such a tease! How about some Love, Kisses (Norman Love Style) and something in a little Blue Box for Valentine’s Day??? 
Ummm...yeah FOR SURE!!! 

What’s in the little blue box??  Check here tomorrow!! Enter the giveaway on Thursday, February 10th (that's tomorrow, folks!). What do you have to do to enter....easy....

You’ll need to Subscribe to WED (for NearlyWeds) which is a new online magazine for brides. They just launched their carbon-neutral and socially connected magazine! It's kinda fun...the magazine has direct links into their little "Wed Town" society where brides can chat it up about their big day or about what they are reading in the magazine! 

Or...if you are a wedding vendor Subscribe to WedBiz Journal (for wedding vendors) and either LIKE them on Facebook or retweet this giveaway info tomorrow — so get ready!! I will be trying my luck for the little blue box (hey, I love them too).

BHLDN by Anthropologie - Launch date: Feb 14th

Be You. Be Loved.

That is the new tag line for BHLDN

I love it.

On the heels of JCrew debuting its bridal line, Anthropologie is now throwing their bridal veil into the ring! On February 14th, Anthropologie is debuting its new bridal line: BHLDN. Right now you can get just a little peek into what they will be offering on their website (hints of rich fabrics, lace, feathers). I know people do not like background music while surfing but, I found the background music to be soothing while watching the slideshow of teaser images! The song is called  "What are we waiting for" by the icelandic group Amiina. 

Don't expect your pocketbook not to get dinged....retail prices for the brand range from $1,000 to $4,000 for gowns and $200 to $600 for event dresses. Yowsa. Later in the year, BHLDN plans to offer decorations to round out their bridal collection and I am really looking forward to seeing what they have to offer! The plan is to carry everything from cake toppers and lanterns, to DIY-type items that are already made, as well as more aspirational items like candelabras and mouth-blown glassware! I can only imagine the beauty of these items! Just one more thing to look forward to on February 14th....

Pay It Forward Day

I got an email a couple of hours ago telling me it was National Pay It Forward Day...so I did a little research because this theme ties in perfectly with the giveaway I am doing this month!

I informally dubbed this giveaway my "pay it forward" giveaway...and guess what? It's starting to work out! People are signing up for the giveaway and telling friends about it...that is REALLY cool!! That, in itself is paying it forward, I think! So, I found the website for Pay It Forward Day - I wasn't aware there was a "national day". It looks like their annual date is April 28, 2011. Their website states though that "every day can be a pay it forward day" so, it looks like David Del Mundo has December 1st as his National Pay It Forward Day! He has 604,846 people attending today....err...make that 604,847! :) I agree....there doesn't have to be a "national" day to do a random act of kindness for another...we are presented with opportunities every day we wake up!  So, let's keep the chain going...

Deals and Steals

Times are tough out there! So many times I hear people saying they are trying to cut costs on their wedding and/or honeymoon. Well, I have good news for you if you are a bride on a budget! Even if you thought you couldn't have some of these things - like a wedding planner, candy buffet, photo booth...well I am thrilled to tell you might be able to add these special "extras" to your wedding day without breaking your budget! How? Read on...


There is an online auction going on now with all kinds of goodies still without bids and rock bottom prices! The auctions are ending in 2 days...so either people are waiting till the last minute to bid OR people are not aware these goods are up for auction! Either way, I think you still might find a great deal on some wedding items! 


Invitations
There are 20 listings for all kinds of invites available! My favorite invitation offer was this one:

175 Letterpress Invitations valued at $1800 - Current Bid $210

Wow! What an amazing price for this kind of invitation! 

Right now, that is LESS THAN $1.20 each!

To make things a little easier (this is a big post!) I have listed all the items available by State and am highlighting a few of my favorites. Even if you are not planning a wedding, there are great deals to be had! You might be planning an anniversary, vow renewal, corporate event or even a birthday party! I am keeping my eye on a couple of the photography auctions - not for a wedding but, for my annual family pictures! The deals are just amazing! Also, check the end of this post because I listed items that are available ANYWHERE!


Arizona
Phoenix
Tucson

California
Los Angeles/OC
San Diego
San Francisco Bay Area

I have been watching (and already bid on) this candy buffet service! 

I would use it at my daughters next birthday party! 

The current high bidder better watch out...

I am planning to bid again before this closes! 

It has a value of $500 and the current bid on it is $110!

Another AHH-MAZING deal is in San Francisco! Just Cake is offering a wedding cake valued at $1200! The current bid is $235! Do you know how lucky you would be to win this? Just take a look at their website. Your jaw will be on the floor - just like mine!

Colorado
Denver
Other areas

I am keeping my eye on this photography session! The photographer is based in CO but is willing to travel to CA, NV, AZ, UT, NM, WY, NE for this session at no additional cost! 

The package is worth $400 and the opening bid is $75.00

Florida
Central Florida
Miami & South FL


Georgia
Atlanta


Hawaii 


Illinois
Chicago

The best deal in Chicago! A photo booth package worth $1100 The current bid is at $160! Are you kidding me? That is AMAZING. Since going to an event that had a photo booth, I am pretty much under the impression that EVERY event MUST have one! This package gives you 6 HOURS of photo booth fun, someone to run it and a DVD of all the pictures taken. WOW.

Indiana
Indianapolis

Kentucky

Maryland
DC/Baltimore


Massachusetts


Michigan


Minnesota
Minneapolis


Missouri
Kansas City
St. Louis


Nevada
Las Vegas


New Jersey


New York 


North Carolina


Ohio
Cleveland
Cincinnati 
Columbus


Oregon
Portland 


Pennsylvania 
Philadelphia


South Carolina


Texas
Dallas
San Antonio


Washington
Seattle


Wisconsin


Wyoming


There are also 65 auctions listed in the "Anywhere" category! You can bid on items like:
A Wedding gown - valued at $1000 with a current bid of $370, A Brooch Bridal Bouquet - valued at $800 with an opening bid of $70 and this Etsy Wedding Package - valued at $109 with a current bid of $45 (I have my eye on this one!)

Blissful Wishes Ball

Last night, I attended the Blissful Wishes Ball at the fabulous Ebell Wilshire Theater in Los Angeles. This was a magical evening, filled with many memories and lots of fun! If you are located in or around the Los Angeles area prepare to be delighted by some of the wedding industries most creative, talented artists!

The gala was a fundraising event for Wish Upon a Wedding, a national organization that grants wedding wishes and vow renewals for brides and grooms who are terminally ill or facing life altering circumstances. I was asked to represent Bonny Bridal at the gala - which I was thrilled to do! It was a night filled with inspiration and tons of fun...all for a worthwhile cause.

Here's a picture at the beginning of the evening - that's me on the right and my "date" Jodi on the left. The "theme" for the evening was GLAMOUR & ROMANCE of the Hollywood Silver Screen - I sure think Jodi got it right! She looked amazing! (My hubby wants to extend a SPECIAL thanks for going with me - he was thrilled he didn't have to get dressed in a tux in our 90-degree weather!).

We walked the red carpet to the entrance and received our complimentary champagne cocktail courtesy of Barefoot Wines and Bubbly. They had this Blissful champagne creation...such a pretty color!

The grounds of the Ebell were magically transformed! Music was being performed by the Del Lago Trio (sweet music to my ears), there was a cigar rolling station ( had my husband known about that - he might have donned that tuxedo in our heatwave!) and I couldn't help but think of my mom when I saw the chocolate fountain station from Orange County Chocolate Fountains. My mom had a saying "Eat dessert first!" and when I saw this amazing set up BEFORE dinner, I sort of felt her there with me...a little angel on my shoulder. Oh! I can't forget to mention the photobooth that was set up! SO MUCH FUN! The people from Shutter Booth were awesome. The guy working it was super nice and friendly - I am now a firm believer that every special event should have a photobooth! Check out our funny little pictures:

Here are some additional pictures I captured from the night:

There are certain things that happen in an evening that you will remember forever. One of those funny moments was when Jodi and I read the menu for the evening. We were asking each other what certain things were - or how they were pronounced! It was so funny. I still could not tell you what most of these creations were but, I can tell you they were definitely creations that melted in your mouth! 

We had a very eclectic table group! I enjoyed talking with many of them! To my surprise, someone I had met during the cocktail hour was seated at our table. Her name was Ngoc Nguyen and she is the creative director and principal consultant for Skybox Event Productions. What a wonderful lady and so fun to talk to! She promised to help me find Alice Hu (someone I have been wanting to meet) but, unfortunately I never found her. I got sidetracked working on this post hanging out at Sky Box's website and then blog. You really need to check it out - my favorite, by far, was the Twisted Tea Party! Sitting next to Jodi was Lindsey Sinatra, owner of A Wish and a Whisk. Her creations are above and beyond anything I have ever seen! Check out this cake - yes it is a CAKE - that she created for the closing of the 20 year world tour of The Phantom Of The Opera in Los Angeles. Amazing. Finally, we ended the evening talking to Paula Dulan Estes from Petalos di Pauli. Paula specializes in Eco-friendly event invitations, greeting cards and more. I will have to spend more time talking about all of these lovely ladies! 

In closing, I would like to thank Bonny Bridal for the amazing opportunity to spend an evening getting to know more about Wish Upon a Wedding. I was moved when I heard the stories from founding member Liz Guthrie and President Sasha Souza. I was thrilled to see a slideshow of the first wedding wish granted by the Southern California chapter (Bonny donated the wedding gown to the bride!) and I was so happy to get to know the ladies I introduced you to above! I look forward to sharing some more of this magical night - I actually have a giveaway coming up from the silent auction held to raise funds - courtesy of Bonny Bridal so stay tuned for that! I urge everyone to check out Wish Upon a Wedding! They have a live auction going on now where you can get amazing deals on items you will need for your wedding - why not do some good by buying goods and services you are going to need anyway? It really is going to a great cause! 

Here's a picture of us at the end of the evening....it was a GREAT time!

Cake Pops

I am totally in love with cake pops! I actually ordered some from My3lilcupcakes to give out as "Thank You" favors at my daughters 4th birthday party! It seems like they are gaining in popularity too! When I first heard about Cake Pops it was while reading a blog that mentioned Bakerella. I fell in love with these little guys from there. Bakerella focuses on fun and easy baking. You will find recipes, desserts, decorating and lot's of directions on how to do it yourself....like these:

Which you can turn into this....

Pretty cute huh? Do you want to attempt these? The recipe and directions can be found here! So, I bet you can imagine how excited I was to get an email from Williams-Sonoma telling me that Bakerella was doing a book signing and demonstration at their South Coast Plaza (Orange County, Calif) store on October 11th! If you want to see if Bakerella will be in your area - check the schedule here!

Bid for Good!

Wish Upon a Wedding has their auctions live right now here! You can bid on hundreds of wedding related items (even if you are not planning a wedding a lot of these items can be used for any other event types!). I just love that the money raised is going to a good cause! They have items available in specific areas or you can find items that are available anywhere! Check out these goodies:

Item #1004

100 Custom Wedding Programs from Wire Grass Weddings

Value: $220.00 - Opening auction bid is $45.00

Item #1022

50 Custom Destination Wedding Passport Invitations from Hip Ink

Value: $750.00 - Opening auction bid is $35.00

Item #442

Your choice of Bonny Bridal gown from any collection from Bonny Bridal

Value: $1000.00 - Opening auction bid is $300.00

Item #326

Custom Bridal Aisle Runner from The Original Runner Company

Value: $550.00 - Opening bid is $75.00

Item #168

Etsy Wedding Package donated by Emilie Duncan Event Planner

Value: $109.00 - Opening bid is $25.00

There are so many more wonderful items on this auction site! I hope you will all run over there right now and bid for good! :) You might get a great deal AND you will know your money is going towards a worthy cause!