Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Green ideas from Mr. and Mrs. "Greene"



Jimmy and Elizabeth Greene were married July 17, 2009 at The Woodland Inn and Resort in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania (http://www.thewoodlandsresort.com/). This venue has breathtaking views and natural beauty. Elizabeth had told me about a few of the "Greene" and homemade ideas that she had incorporated into her Wedding and I thought they would be inspirational to other future Brides. Here is a little description of some of Elizabeth's ideas in her own words. We are waiting for her professional album...

"Our theme originated from the last name of my husband [to be], Greene. I chose a shade of green for my bridesmaids to wear and planned to be married outside in the woods at our venue. The idea for the centerpieces was to bring the outdoors inside to the reception and "Go Green[e]". I was inspired by a photograph from Martha Stewart's wedding magazine and my idea evolved creatively from there. After completing the craft I realized how special the personal touch would effect me and my guests. Special because it was impressive to be a homemade project done with my dad, mom, sister and husband. We gifted this unique centerpiece to one lucky guest at each table. The centerpieces made with wooden flowers will last a lifetime."


"My dad had cut and stained the bases. My mom, sister and I had put them together. Each had two candles (ikea) one in a glass hurricane (the dollar store) and one on a glass base (online purchase) a wooden watering can (Michael's) and two sticks (ikea) to hold our homemade table signs. Each centerpiece was decorated differently from the next with ribbon, hemp, rope (Michael's) and wooden roses (http://www.petalbypetal.com/). Instead of table numbers, we titled our tables on one side and on the other side had a fun fact about the title. For example, one table was titled 9th and Federal. The opposite side said "Jimmy and Elizabeth shared their first apartment together at these cross streets in the Italian Market." This was a fun way to get guests to mingle. Guests also enjoyed the centerpiece give-a-way. The DJ had a "hot potato" game where each table passed a set of keys, a champagne glass, and a napkin. When the music stopped, if you were left with the keys you were the designated driver. The glass meant you were in charge of getting drinks from the bar for your table and the napkin meant you won the center piece."

http://www.nurserymen.com/ is the website where we purchased our tree favors. This idea fit our theme perfectly. The favors read "As our love grows and prospers over the years, so too will this tree."


"Instead of a unity candle, Jimmy and I watered a tree. Our pastor made many scripture references to nurturing a tree. Our favors were tree seedlings with messages that said, "As our love grows and prospers over the years, so too will this tree."

Thank you Elizabeth for sharing some of your "Greene" ideas":-) We are looking forward to seeing your professional album.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Bridesmaids' Ball - Help fight Cancer

OK girls, here is that chance to break out
those old Bridesmaids' gowns that have been
stashed in your closet for years!
The Bridesmaids' Ball is a great way to show
your support for those with blood cancers.
Here are the event details...


When: Saturday, November 14, 2009 9 PM – 1 AM
Where: The Grand Hall at the Independence Visitor's Center

Why:Every five minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer, and every ten minutes someone dies from a blood cancer.

How: Through generous corporate sponsorships, the Bridesmaids’ Ball brings together a variety of industries to help raise critical funds and to show support for those living with blood cancers. The Bridesmaids’ Ball is put together by a wonderful group of volunteers and the generosity of our vendors.

Who:Young professionals in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. Live music by Split Decision.

For pictures of last year's Bridesmaids' Ball, click here.


http://epa.bridesmaid.llsevent.org/pages/index.cfm?PageID=51975

Monday, September 21, 2009

Therese Zulli and Ryan Allison Wedding



Therese and Ryan were married on November 15, 2008.
There was so much planning that went into creating their
beautiful day which is very evident in the details you are about
to see. From the amazing details with all her Wedding accessories
to the vintage photo booth from Classic Photo Booths
to the show-stopping and unforgettable surprise performance
by the Avalon String Band (Therese's brother is a Mummer)!
I would like to give special thanks to Ryan Estes
for providing the amazing photographs!


I love Therese's style and selection of jewelry.




This uniquely embroidered and customized "tag" is
a sentimental keepsake that is stitched into
Therese's Bridal gown. The blue thread is a perfect
color choice to serve as the "blue" item to the traditional poem
"something old, something new..."



The brooch in Therese's hair is a beautiful way
to add a little sparkle.
Hair jewelry courtesy of A Beautiful Touch




















I love the mood that the votives create
on the placecard table.





Therese was a very crafty little Bride:-)
She painstakingly hot glued a few little crystals to each one
of these beautiful placecards.
I love the "lacey" and delicate look of them as
I was very impressed with all of her DIY ideas.
The calligraphy was provided by A Beautiful Touch.




Love is sweet.
The candy buffet is very artfully designed.
The difference in the style, size and shape of all the
glass vessels makes this creation not only
decadently delicious but aesthetically appealing to view.
A chocolate lover's dream.




How much fun is this! A vintage style photo booth
that allows Therese and Ryan's guests to strike a pose
...they can keep a set of pictures but must give the
Bride and Groom a set for their guest book.
Photo booth provided by Classic Photo Booths.







Wow, what an unbelievable surprise to have the
Avalon String Band show up and play a few numbers
(Therese's brother is in the band)!!




A spectacular ending to a picture perfect day.
Congratulations, Therese and Ryan!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

"This isn't Tuesday night" - NYC Curve Show

White Chantilly Lace camisole and boyshorts
by Claire Pettibone.


"This isn't Tuesday night!" I couldn't resist using this
rather comical statement as the title of this post.
A sales rep said this to me today in jest, to communicate
the way he felt about the products he was selling.
I definitely understood him.
He was talking about being "special".
And that, is what our lingerie department is all about.

So, with that being said, we just got back from a
very busy and productive day at the Curve Show in NYC
and have some gorgeous new pieces of lingerie for
Winter '09 and Spring '10. We carefully selected a
beautiful repertoire of Bridal and honeymoon lingerie
for our customers that will start shipping in
September up until May of next year.

Lace camisole and thong with silk insets and
ribbon embellishments by Claire Pettibone.


Today's selections include, an amazing collection of elegant
Bridal peignoir sets (which draws customers from the tri-state area),
camisoles and boyshorts/thongs, chemises, bustiers and pajamas.
Our favorite designers include Claire Pettibone, Jonquil, NK,
Flora Nikrooz, Betsey Johnson and Arianne.

Long and short Bridal peignoir sets by Jonquil.
Think elegant and glamorous..."old" style Hollywood!


Short Bridal sets that are very frou frou
for the girly girls:-)
Many Mother's of the Bride insist on a white set
which is very traditional. We have a nice selection
to choose from.


The pictures for these long peignoir sets do not do them
justice. Once you put a body in them they are stunning!

Lace and chiffon chemise and robe by Jonquil.


White stretch lace chemise with crisscross back
by Arianne.



We are incorporating new styles into
our Bridal line and emphasizing different materials,
fabrics and colors for the Honeymoon and
the happily there after:-)

Exclusive printed stretch lace and mesh
by Claire Pettibone.




Ivory stretch lace and silk camisole and
boyshorts by NK.




Ivory stretch lace and light pink silk camisole
and boyshorts by NK.




Ivory stretch lace and baby blue silk
chemise by NK
.



Silk chiffon and ivory lace chemises in
various colorways.

Love these chemises!! They are feminine, beautiful
and comfortable. They are also available in an ivory silk
with ivory lace. All four of these pieces will be in our
window display coming up in the next few months.

Sugar and SPICE!!! And everything nice:-)
I saved these ones for last...

Actually, now that I am thinking about it,
I am going to make a phone call tomorrow telling
my sales rep that, "Tuesday nights can be special too"!!!!
Life and "special" moments are what you make of them.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

On the way to Cape May - Congress Hall


Cape May Beach
Classic beach cabanas near Congress Hall
While vacationing in Ocean City, NJ this summer, I planned a nice day trip with my son to Cape May. Since I am always looking for ways to combine business with pleasure, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take an unguided tour of this charming Jersey shore Victorian town and then pay a visit to the historical and much talked about Congress Hall. With my three year old tot-in-tow, we headed off for a great day of adventure (photo above is courtesy of beachyinthecity.blogspot.com).

Although I have a GPS in my van, I opted not to use it. Instead I decided to enjoy a slow joyride through Cape May and soak up the sights and sounds of this visually stimulating town. Being a resident of New Jersey for nearly all my life and having an architectural background, I am not sure how I managed to NEVER visit Cape May! I have always admired the appeal and charm of Victorian period architecture with all the lacy gingerbread details, steeply pitched roofs, bay windows, wrap around porches, balconies and rainbow colored exteriors. When I decided to pull over and figure out where I was, I just happened to stop right in front of Congress Hall! Perfect!

The "pleasure" part of my trip consisted of my son and I leisurely strolling around and shopping on Washington Street and Beach Avenue. There were plenty of clothing, lingerie and gift boutiques, jewelry and toy shops, ice cream parlors, restaurants, etc. I even took a few moments to go into the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea to light a couple candles, and to admire the beauty within. The next few photographs are buildings that I saw in the surrounding area of Congress Hall. I think they capture the true feeling of Cape May quite beautifully. If you want to see more great photos, log onto this website, skyscrapercity.com and take a look. It gives an excellent representation of the eclectic architectural styles of the Victorian period in Cape May and and overall feeling of the romantic charm of this elegant little seashore resort.

The Inn at Cape May
The surrounding businesses on Perry Street
Love the pink paint and the lacy gingerbread trim!
Businesses on Washington Street
Plenty of shopping!


Hotels on Perry Street
I think that little piece of blue awning is Uncle Bill's Pancake House?!!!



Congress Hall


Ok, on to the "business" part of the trip:-)! When all the shopping and ice cream eating was complete, we took a tour of Congress Hall. I have only read about this exclusive seaside resort in elegant Wedding publications and have seen many gorgeous photographs. It has a relaxed but luxurious feel. It occupies an entire beachfront block that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. It is a perfect choice for couples looking for an elegant and romantic beach location to tie the knot.

Upon entry, what I found to be the most striking, and aesthetically appealing, was the mix of colors chosen for the interior walls. It changed from room to room from canary yellow to Tiffany blue to varying shades of brown, etc. The painted black and white checker board floor in the Grand Ballroom was another amazing decor standout. Just speaking from a color palette perspective, this historical building has PERSONALITY!


The next few pictures depict the color palette of the interior.
(photos courtesy of expedia.com)




The Brown Room
The "Gatsbyesque" cocktail lounge



The Grand Ballroom
Love the black and white checkerboard floor and Tiffany blue walls!
(The next two photographs of the Grand Ballroom
are courtesy of Faith West Photography).

The linens selected for this Wedding are fabulous!!!!!



Other standout features include the classic grand lawn in which many couples are married. The sweeping veranda, with wooden rocking chairs, is another location where Weddings and cocktail hour celebrations are held. Couples can also wed on Congress Beach if they so desire. The eclectic feel of Congress Hall is further exemplified by the nightclub in the basement. When I entered The Boiler Room, I got the feeling I was back in Manhattan in a trendy club in Soho. It definitely has a cool NYC vibe going on; original exposed brick walls, a stainless steel bar and adjoining tables, dark red lamps, cozy couches and low tables. I can only imagine the atmosphere when the lights are dimmed, and the music is jamming. Certainly a great place to continue the party and gather for after Wedding cocktails. The Boiler Room takes a very unexpected departure from the elegant surroundings on the upper floors but is really quite intriguing!



Congress Hall
Picture of the grand lawn, pool and veranda

(photo courtesy of www.fhlbny.com)


The Boiler Room
Manhattan style nightclub located in the basement
(photo courtesy of www.congresshall.com)


If you are newly engaged and considering a Wedding at Congress Hall, packages start at $126. per person. If you would like more information you can log onto their website at http://www.congresshall.com/. Or you may call them at 609-884-6553. It's a "shore" thing in Cape May!