March 10th, 2010
Many people feel they look their best with a little sun kissed color, but when I hear someone say that they are going tanning I must admit I cringe. Maybe it’s easy for me to say because I’ve never gone to a tanning booth (yes, I am from NJ and have never been to a tanning salon!) and I worked on a farm the summer that I got married so I had a bit of natural color on my wedding day, but seriously?…tanning for your wedding? Tanning beds have been bumped up to Group 1, the highest cancer-risk category, and are considered “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. A World Health Organization report finds that those who started using tanning beds before age 30 increase their risk of developing melanoma by 75%…hear it again, 75%! Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths. According to the report it may also increases the risk of melanoma of the eye.
Brides Magazine and Glamour both devoted pages in recent issues declaring that the fake bake is out! It’s clear that it’s a matter of when the damage will be visible as opposed to if there will be harm to your skin. So consider the fact that you are beautiful just as pale and pasty as you are! It is recommended that you apply sunscreen daily (at minimum SPF 15 to 30 is recommended in all seasons), even if you are trying to get a natural sun tan and keep in mind that there are lots of artificial tanners and bronzer options out there!
Don’t be fooled! Tanning beds are not “safer than the sun” and they won’t prevent you from getting a sunburn. The reason you only go in for a few minutes is because it IS so intense. If you do tan and you have no plans to stop (I know some people say they like how they feel after tanning), then you might consider taking up smoking as well or adding a sprinkling of asbestos to your cereal in the morning–what the heck! The bottom line here is: There is no bright side of tanning beds.
Tags: Love it/Hate it, skincare
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March 9th, 2010
I love these cupcakes! Style Me Pretty posts some of the most unique and beautiful weddings with fabulous details and this one is no exception. There is something just so darn cute about cupcakes in vintage teacups that I can’t get over it. If not for a wedding, then I think this would be fabulous for a bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, or your next get-together with friends. The Mad Hatter would most definitely have these cupcakes at his wedding! Click on the image below for a link to Style Me Pretty or check out more wedding details here!
Above: Cupcake photo from Style Me Pretty shot by Garbo Productions.
Tags: cupcakes, style me pretty
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March 8th, 2010
After watching the Oscars last night I decided that in my next life I’d like to come back as Sarah Jessica Parker’s Chanel dress. It was just too perfect. I would love to design a wedding inspired by the vintage-glam style and the soft yellow and silver palette! This image from The Huffington Post should fill you in if you missed it!
To see more images from last night’s red carpet check out The Huffington Post here.
Tags: Musings
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March 5th, 2010
Okay, so maybe it isn’t right to put a human being on my list of favorite “things”, but Linda at Rapunzel Salon has got to be one of my absolute favorites. When I moved to Vermont from New Jersey to go to UVM in 1996 I was sure that I was doomed when it came to maintaining my short, styley do. I did have a few great hairdressers in Burlington before I found Rapunzel, but I have had such a long relationship with Linda they seem like ages ago. After my first appointment I was hooked. Not only does she do a great cut, but she does amazing color. (I mean, I am naturally blonde and everything, but I’ve heard she does great highlights!) It’s a special relationship a gal shares with her hairdresser and Linda is pretty fantastic. If you are looking for someone to help freshen up your look you should give Michelle & Linda a shout at 802-658-7883 to get pretty. They’re located in Burlingtonon Center Street right next to the Daily Planet…well, actually they are left next to the Daily Planet and up the stairs as a true Rapunzel should be.
Tags: Alison's favorites
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March 4th, 2010
Gorgeous weddings don’t only happen in Vermont (I know, I know…it’s hard to believe!) and Style Me Pretty posts just about the prettiest weddings you ever did see. If you don’t already you should check in regularly to see all that StyleMePretty.com has to offer. Some weddings are so worth sharing that they deserve a link. I just can’t get this fabulous purple palette with peacock feathers out of my mind and the adorable details (like the locks…you’ll have to read it to see how truly adorable) and the absolutely beautiful couple. Click here to be enchanted. It’s kind of a twofer…you’ll see what I mean at the end. Enjoy!
Tags: style me pretty
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March 3rd, 2010
Kate Youlen of That’s Inviting thinks invitations are so much fun and she tells couples to think about the style of the invitation as it relates to the mood they are trying to set with their event. “I love sitting with brides/couples and pouring through paper and ribbon samples, putting together the perfect combination for that couple,” she said. Working with brides who are not local to Vermont is also fun, although it may take a bit more time as swatches are sent back and forth to get the perfect combination.
Since your invitation can set the tone for your event it deserves a little attention. According to Kate some couples don’t think about their invitation as really being an extension of their wedding because they are created so far in advance of the event. She believes that invitation suites do not have to break the bank, but a quality invitation helps your guests get excited about the event you are planning. Invitation suites often include additional enclosures informing guests of activities in the area, weekend events that may be associated with the wedding itself, directions, and accommodation & dining suggestions. Kate finds couples sending out invitations as early as six or more months before their wedding, depending on how far their guests have to travel, whether it’s a holiday weekend, and the size of their reception venue.
As opposed to the very formal, black & white engraved invitations of the past, invitations are now very colorful and very unique. Couples are not afraid to choose bold colors and make a statement with their invitations. As a graphic designer Kate can assist with all of your invitation needs including menus, favor tags and signage (like the Candy Bar sign below)! Visit Kate’s website to find out more about how That’s Inviting can help make your wedding more inviting! Here are a few sample photos of her creations…I love the Wildflower Seed Packet favors in the bottom left hand picture (I did the flowers for that wedding so I may be biased, but I LOVE them!).
DIY Tips from Kate: Be unique…Search for high quality/thick paper for your invitations. If you can’t print on the thick paper, print on a lighter sheet and layer them. Layers can add a pop of color, or simply frame your invitation. Keep in mind that making your wedding invitations may seem fun at first, but be very realistic about your abilities and your time.
I’d like to thank Kate for sharing her advice! Do you have any invitation questions or issues you need help with?
Tags: DIY, invitations, Vermont products
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March 2nd, 2010
If you watched the Olympics you saw a lot of identical green bouquets at the podium. A friend asked me yesterday if I knew what the flowers were and while I replied, Yes, I didn’t realize just how interesting the Olympic journey for these flowers actually was. There are several articles about the bouquets and the creators, June Strandberg and Margitta Schultz , but the best article I found on the blooms (on The Christian Science Monitor by the way) explains the complex floral hoops that need to be jumped through to get a bouquet approved by the committee. The bouquets were not only locally made (at a pace of 80-150 bouquets per day), but they were organic and put together by women who participate in a non-profit program for women emerging from troubled pasts. Flowers used in the bouquets included green spider mums, hypericum berries, leather leaf, monkey grass loops and aspidistra leaves (the broad leaves that were folded along the edges). Read more about the Olympic flowers and all that went into making them here.
Image from Just Beginning Flowers in Surrey, BC.
Tags: flowers, olympics
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March 1st, 2010
Timing is everything. When I stopped by the Vermont Vows & Well Wed offices to grab a few copies of the newest issue and mentioned to Krista Washburn that I was working on a vintage-glam inspired winter wedding for a friend like a super-heroine of ribbon & décor she pulled a variety of gray and silver ribbons, buttons and feathers out of her many bins of fabulousness to generously share with me.
Being a DIY bride and an artist, Melissa had most of the details figured out before we even met, so I jumped in to help add some finishing touches. There were several creative hands on deck handling the details. The bride’s mother not only made her wedding dress, but she made super cute hand muffs for the bride and her attendant adorned with her grandmothers’ (yep, both grandmother’s) vintage crystals. One of my favorite details from her day has got to be her favors–hand crocheted snowflakes which were made by a friend!
Congratulations to Melissa & Shawn on a beautiful wedding created by so many loving hands!
Tags: Feature Weddings, Vermont Weddings, VT Vows
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February 26th, 2010
Flashbags are one of my weaknesses and since they are having a 20% Off SALE until Sunday, 2/28 and re-introducing one of my favorite artists it’s as good a time as any to give them a shout out as one of my favorite things. If you’re not familiar with Flashbags they basically take recycled newspaper and transform it into fun art that you can carry around and put your wallet & cell phone in. I wish I had a different Flashbag for every day of the week, but so far I only have three! My first bag, a large tote, features a design by Local Wisdom, which I use as my “briefcase”. It’s a picture of a woman with flowers for hair and the quote, “every woman has a season to be in bloom,” so it seems appropriate enough to me! Kathleen of Local Wisdom consistently creates charming & unique images with her collages and quotations that I find pretty irresistible. (Aside from the beautiful bags I buy her cards all the time. Greeting cards are another weakness of mine!) Check out a selection of Local Wisdom Flashbags here and get yourself something pretty. Ali and Laura will take good care of your order! You can also create a custom Flashbag with your own artwork or photography or surprise someone with their very own piece of wearable art! (P.S. To see a selection of cards by Local Wisdom on etsy click here.)
Tags: Alison's favorites, flashbags, Vermont products
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February 25th, 2010
If there is one thing on my mind today it has got to be SNOW! After shoveling about 12” of it yesterday it’s hard to get off my mind (or my back!). Knowing that no two snowflakes are alike and then looking at the massive accumulation of those flakes it is pretty darn impressive. Then, when I think about the fact that Wilson Bentley discovered this amazing fact in my town of Jericho, Vermont it somehow feels even more awesome and breathtaking. We’re pretty snowflake oriented in Jericho, but who can blame us?! There are some things that are too incredible to ignore. Check out some of his original photomicrography images here.
“Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind.”
-Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, 1925
Original slide image by Wilson Bentley
Tags: Musings
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