Save The Date, at a Vimeo Near You.

This is so fun. Just when I thought I had seen all the wildly creative save-the-date ideas, my fabulous clients sent me this brilliant and adorable video.

It cuts down on waste, saves money & can be customized to reflect your personality:

Yumi & Barry - Save the Date from Barry Phillips on Vimeo.

Great job Yumi & Barry! www.vimeo.com

Spring Sale

Add Pleasure to Your Life

Originally posted on Your Bella Life

I truly believe that the most important piece of being healthy and losing weight is pleasure. Heart thumping, laugh out loud, crazy fun, deeply relaxing, wholly connecting, melting, oozing pleasure. As women, we are raised to put our needs last. To give our time, resources and energy to others, until we have nothing left. With most earthly pleasures stripped from our repertoire, the only delight that is acceptable to fill this pleasure void is food.

How many times do we really just need to take a break and revitalize ourselves and the first thing we think about is a pint of chocolate ice cream and a spoon?

Well, ladies it is time for a CHANGE!

We need to start doing things for ourselves if we expect to really serve others and, if we want to be healthy. When we start adding pleasure to our lives, we are no longer dependent on food as a source of self-love. And, we come to realize that a 10-minute back massage is a lot more effective at relaxing us than five chocolate chip cookies – not to mention it comes with out the guilt and the tummy ache.

For one week, try putting yourself first, instead of last. And, add some pleasure to your life!

Try the following:

1) Ten minute chair massage (only $10! That’s the same cost of a latte and cookie)

2) Manicure

3) Go for a walk – even just 5 minutes!

4) Instead of taking a “smoke break,” take a breathing break. Just walk outside, stand there and breathe!

5) Pick up a romantic novel and curl up on your couch with a blanket and a cup of tea

6) Turn off your phone and watch a few hours of really good TV, a favorite of Bella Life founder, Nitika Chopra,

7) Play with the animals at your local pet store

8) Meditate for ten minutes

9) Explore a new neighborhood

10) Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in months

11) Have your partner give you a foot massage

12) Take a bath and light candles

13) Stretch

14) Sing

15) Dance around your apartment

What else can you add? What can you do that will make you feel like the goddess that you are?

Adding pleasure to your life does not come without its challenges. You will feel some resistance, but push through. I promise it is worth it. When you add pleasure to your life, food will no longer hold so much importance and it will be easier to make healthy choices. Your life will be fun, fabulous and restorative. You will have renewed energy to be a better employee, a better friend, a better volunteer, a better mother, a better lover, a better you! So, get your pleasure on! It will be the most enjoyable health kick you have ever been on.

A spin on the classic ring bearer pillow..

A modern take on a traditional wedding essential. I found this out-of-the-box idea for your ring bearer by Paloma's Nest on Esty.

THE ORIGINAL Ring Bearer Bowl™ design from Paloma's Nest, creating a new tradition in weddings all over the globe!

This little white ceramic bowl is hand made and hand-stamped with the CUSTOM words of your choice, making it a true modern heirloom, simple and elegant.

This Ring Bearer Bowl™ has two little holes near the top rim, through which I have laced a silky cotton cord to safely hold your rings for your wedding ceremony. Also perfect for ceremonies without a ring bearer- the best man, maid of honor, or officiant can comfortably carry this little dish or keep an eye on it during the ceremony.

After the wedding, the cord can be tied into a loop or a bow, and the bowl can be used to hold jewelry, momentos or other treasures. (This cord can be easily switched out -by you- to another ribbon that coordinates with your wedding style)

The tiny Ring Bearer Bowl™ can also be hung by it's cord, on a wall in a special spot (next to your wedding photo would be nice), in a shadow box frame, or even on your holiday tree. It is sure to become a special piece in your home and passed to future generations.


Find more handcrafted modern heirlooms at Paloma's Nest.

S’more LOVE

These creative wedding favors featured at elizabethannedesigns.com are cost-effective and a huge hit with guests!

Customize your wedding favours to reflect things you love, places you've been or a special memory...


This couple wanted their wedding favors to be:
*Something sweet because they are both sugar addicts
*Something chocolate because it is their most favorite treat
*Something interactive for their guests

Adorable. Individually packaged marshmallows featured the phrase “Oh happy day!”

www.chloeandreese.com

Green Choices for an Eco-elegant & Sustainable Wedding

When you consider there are over 3.5 million weddings each year in North America, you can see how the impact they have on the earth is significant. The good news is you have an opportunity to make a difference.

Looking for a "green" wedding planner? Or more fresh new ideas contact us at connect@blushaffairs.com

Below are a few of my favourite eco-elegant and socially conscience links:

Botanical Paperworks
An online retailer providing green biodegradable wedding invitations, paper, envelopes and gift favour boxes that are embedded with wild flowers that if planted will grow flowers in a garden or container.

Canadian Organic Wines
This site contains a list of Canadian organic wine vendors.

The Bride Project
This non profit organization was started in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and accepts donations of one-time used bridal gowns and accessories and resells them well below retail to raise well needed funds for various cancer research organizations in Canada. .

Bridal Garden - Sells Bridal Gowns for Charity
This organization is based in New York, New York and sells new and previously worn bridal gowns to raise funds for charity.

Rawganique
This online retailer offers organic hemp bridal gowns, suits for men and accessories. They also sell hemp table linens.

Eco Flora
Provides Toronto bride's fair trade or organic floral arrangements.

IS YOUR DIET SETTING YOU UP TO FAIL? 4 STEPS TO CREATING THE BODY OF YOUR DREAMS WITHOUT CRASH DIETING

Originally posted on Your Bella Life

If there is anything worse than the panic of realizing that you need to start losing weight for your wedding, it’s the debilitating pain of failure when you gain it all back after the celebration and the honeymoon are over. So many brides focus on looking thin and perfect for just one day and spend months in constant anxiety employing crash diets and punishing workouts to lose weight. Brides become frazzled and depleted on their wedding day. When the deadline has passed, the weight comes back like a Tsunami you cannot control.

I have been huddled on my couch many nights in the past shaking with tears of dismay berating myself for gaining the twenty pounds back that I lost. How could I have been so weak, out of control, and reckless? Now, I employ unique, cutting edge lifestyle strategies and nutrition concepts that have led me to lose weight and have complete confidence that I will never feel so defeated again. Through my company, The Breathtaking Bride, I am helping brides lose weight for their wedding and ensuring that they will never feel that unbearable pain of failure again. I am so excited to share with you some of my best strategies for losing weight for your big day and keeping it off forever.

Get Rid of the Deadline

Deadlines create WAY too much stress. Stress creates discomfort in our minds and bodies. When we have discomfort, we search for ways for relief. And the cheapest and easiest relief is rich, salty, sugary foods.

Lose the deadline and shift your focus on how to feel good everyday. Not only will you avoid having an absolutely miserable engagement, but you will be creating habits you can carry with you long after the wedding.

1)Exercise to relieve stress in the moment

2) Eat fruits and veggies to give you sustained energy

3) Stop eating when your hunger has subsided (not when you are full) to avoid feeling bloated and nauseous

Make Healthy Food Taste Good

People have this false idea that healthy food is bland and unsatisfying. Eating flavorful healthy food is not only incredibly satisfying and pleasurable when you are eating it, but you will also feel amazing afteryou eat it too.

Try these tips to make healthy food taste amazing:

1) Instead of going for diet foods (like low-fat frozen yogurt and 100 calorie snacks) eat real, organic whole foods, which naturally taste better and support weight loss.

2) Add delicious condiments to your veggies like sesame oil, tahini, salsa or chutney.

3) Don’t give up your favorite foods like burgers and fries. Instead of going to your favorite diner, make burgers at home with organic meat, a whole wheat English muffin, avocado and your favorite condiments. Try baked sweet potatoes (just pop sliced potato with olive oil in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes).

Stop Worrying About How You Want To Look, and Start Thinking About How You Want toFeel.

It is very easy to get caught up in how much you want your clavicles showing, or how tight you want your arms to be, but being so focused on form can actually prevent you from losing weight.

You must create change from the inside out. This starts with having a very clear understanding about how you want to feel in your body on your wedding day- not just how you want to look.

Sit or lay in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Picture yourself in your white dress just moments before you walk down the aisle.

Hold the feeling of being in your ideal body and let emotion pour over you.

Now invite others into your visualization. Picture your friends’ and families’ heads slowly turning to look at you. What do their faces look like? What you see in them should be a perfect reflection of how you feel.

Do this whenever you get a chance, and your body will naturally gravitate towards this state. All of the healthy habits you are creating will fall into place with far less friction.

Do Exercise You Enjoy!

When you put your body through intense stress from grueling workouts, it actually prohibits you from burning calories. The stress sends your body into “fight or flight” mode, flooding your system with the hormone “cortisol” – an evolutionary survival mechanism causing you to retain fat around your abdomen.

Working out should be all about creating happiness because being happy actually increases your metabolism! How many times have you gone on vacation, eaten a ton of rich foods, but actually lost weight? It happens to me all the time. Enjoying your workouts will raise your metabolism and keep stress levels low.

Loving your new outlook on exercise, you will want to continue working out long after you tie the knot!

1) Try dance, either in an organized class or buy a DVD (one of my favorites is the Luscious Belly Dancing DVD)

2) Pilates is a great way to tone and relax simultaneously

3) Join a work-out group in a local park. It is a great way to get fresh air, avoid gym crowds and meet new people.

Your engagement should be one of the most exciting times in your life, embrace this amazing opportunity to build a lifestyle and create the breathing body that you have always dreamed of.

Fundraiser for Kenya

Global Youth Network Toronto is hosting an incredible night of live music, comedy and prizes - Show your support by stopping in...


Saturday, January 29 | 8pm

The Loose Moose
146 Front Street West
Toronto, ON

Tickets $10 at door



Your support will help fund a team of 10 adults heading to Kenya for the month of March. The team will work in conjunction with Living Positive, a community based organization (CBO) that seeks to improve physical and psychological health and to develop the social and economic status of women infected and affected by HIV/AIDs and their families. Living Positive is dedicated to enriching the lives of orphans and vulnerable children suffering as a result of HIV/AIDs. Their mission is to alleviate the suffering of the HIV/AIDS infected and affected, by providing them with health care, education, income generating programs and rehabilitation. The goal is to make the woman and their families more independent, healthier, happier and stronger citizens.

The team is focusing on building a LIBRARY which is a HUGE dream of the organization and of bringing them books for the women and children so they can learn and go to school!

Global Youth Network is an international, grass-roots organization working to educate and mobilize young people towards making positive change. For more information or to make a donation visit, www.myglobalyouthnetwork.org Click on Donate Now and then the Canada Helps link - Select Kenya - Toronto Global Team (March)

meet felicity...

Vera Wang Spring 2011 collection makes me want to dance with glee. Lovely, feminine details and oh-so-pretty colors all around. Above, a beautiful mess – dusty purple strapless organza ballgown with charcoal gray sash, hand-cut petal embroidery with sequins on the bodice and organized chaos bunch of tulle for the skirt.

verawang.com

5 HEALTHY HABITS TO START IN 2011

I love these 5 HEALTHY HABITS TO START IN 2011 courtesy of sheknows.com

1 Keep an open mind
Think you have it all figured out? Think again. Gabrielle Bernstein, speaker, life coach and author of Add More ~ing To Your Life discusses how your mindset can affect your mood. "Pay attention to the negative thoughts you replay in your mind," she said. "Recognize how these thoughts lower your energy and overall life experience. Begin a practice of changing your mind by saying, 'I'm willing to see this differently.' This slight willingness will guide you to a new perception."

2 Learn to forgive
Holding a grudge is bad for your health. "Holding onto resentment keeps you stuck in the past and affects your state of mind in negative ways," Bernstein said. "Angry feelings weaken your thoughts, energy and physical well-being. When you forgive, you release negativity and open a place where happiness can come back into your life."

3 Be grateful
Next time you feel overwhelmed and frustrated, take a minute to put things in perspective. No matter what your situation, it could always be worse. Choose to be grateful for your health, your home and your loved ones. Bernstein recommends making a gratitude list and reading it every morning for 30 days. "Focusing on gratitude activates an overarching sense of happiness and inner peace," she said. Check out this article for more ways to achieve optimal health and wellness this New Year.

4 Take a step back
As moms, wives, daughters, sisters and friends, we lead hectic lives. Start the healthy habit of reflecting on yourself and your goals to achieve inner peace. This New Year, Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP, professional coach and author of Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide recommends women ask themselves what they'll regret not pursuing in the coming year. "These goals should be 'self-authored' or 'intrinsic,' as opposed to goals that are adopted because you 'should' have them, or because they're easy to accomplish."

According to Miller, studies show that women are more unhappy than men for the first time in history. She believes that's due to the fact that few women stop and assess their goals. "It's been found that lack of pursuit and accomplishment of meaningful goals by your mid-40s is a sure ticket to regret and low mood," she said. Click here for more ideas on how to love yourself inside and out.

5 Get with the girls
Between chauffeuring the kids to school, working and maintaining a household, most women aren't left with much extra time for their girlfriends. According to Miller, that needs to change. "All women should be in a 'mastermind' group of proactive, positive women who meet regularly to share support, ideas and success," she said. "The 'tend and befriend' research from UCLA has found that women actually need other women on a biological level to feel connected and competent, and if you rigorously select a group that intends to help each other, you vastly increase your chances of success."

Set a monthly "date" with all of the influential ladies in your life. You can be budget conscience and throw a fabulous party by getting creative with your food presentation, menu and small touches like napkins, centrepieces etc...
I'm excited to share this 'Modern Safari' Girls Gathering with you by Celebrations at Home as I think it is perfectly suited to any Ladies Night.

Top Wedding Trends for 2011

With the beginning of the year kicking off the biggest wedding planning season, it is only fitting to let you in on the latest trends for 2011. According to Kate Aspen, One Wed and TheKnot.com, we’re in for more elegance, nostalgia and romance. Check out these pairing as this year brings…

1. The Return of Sophisticated Elegance
No more Converses and crazy cakes. It’s back to basics with simple elegance in 2011. Wedding decor will be classy and understated, with brides choosing modern designs over DIY accents. Scripted calligraphy, custom monograms, brides in pearls and classic wedding cakes embody this trend. (One Wed)

2. Grey is the New Black, Digging Deep Blue
We’ve moved from black to brown and now grey. Yes, grey will be the neutral IT color for 2011 weddings. Not gloomy anymore, shades of charcoal, dove, stone, oyster and shell will be incorporated into wedding color palettes. Paired with vibrant hues, it will really pop! In addition to groovy grey, navy (and other deep blues) will be popular for the coming year…thanks to Prince William and Kate’s royal wedding. (One Wed)

3. After Parties
It’s a day no one wants to end. And with the latest trend of wedding reception after parties, it doesn’t have to—well, at least not as quickly. Planning a post-reception after party lasting into the wee hours of the night with drinks, entertainment, dancing, and snacks is a fun way wedding guests can keep the celebration going all night long! While you’re at it, why not send guests home with a trendy cocktail favor? (One Wed)

4. The Redefined Princess
With a royal wedding around the corner, you can bet Kate Middleton’s going to alter what princess style is all about. Put away the ball-gown skirt because the new princess silhouette will be body-skimming but with a bold train. Add statement-making headwear like tasteful tiaras (seriously!) and cathedral-length veils. And you can count on sophisticated sequins and beading showing up on everything from the wedding dress to the floral arrangements and the wedding cake. (TheKnot.com)

5. Sultry Ballerina Style
From feathered headpieces and shredded fabrics to airy plumes and pale pinks paired with black, the look of the season is all about Black Swan, right down to an ambience where everything happens after 8 p.m. One idea we love? Romantic ceremonies by candlelight. (TheKnot.com)


For the unforgettable favour & gift ideas seen above visit: kateaspen.com

Happy New Year! by Never Alone