Category: Stuff We Love

There is a Disney heroine for every girl to relate to. At least on some level, right? While I’ve never run through a meadow, arms outstretched, singing to the great beyond about my lifelong dreams, as a young girl I strongly identified with Belle from Beauty And The Beast. She has dark doe eyes and brown hair, and she reads a lot. That’s all I needed in a kindred spirit.

In case you’re wondering how to express your love on Valentine’s Day: Love is chocolate. Just ask the Buddhist monks who make Intentional Chocolate™.
Intentional Chocolate™ nourishes both body and spirit.
Infused with the intention of health and well-being by experienced meditators—some of whom trained with His Holiness the Dalai Lama—Intentional Chocolate nourishes both body and spirit.

Our hot-off-the-presses Here Comes The Guide, Northern California book is now available in retail and online bookstores. No N Cal bride-to-be should be without this handy, portable reference, which features almost 100 new event locations and services. We may be biased, but we think it makes a great engagement gift. Hey, one guy even presented it to his hoped-for bride when he proposed to her!

The teachers at TWU are top Bay Area event professionals, many of them Certified By The Guide. With their expert advice, you’ll learn how to set up a realistic wedding budget, get inspired by the latest trends in wedding decor, and learn practical tips for saving money on your wedding. This is a fantastic opportunity for couples to get up close and personal with some of the best event pros in the wedding industry. Because class sizes are small, you’ll have time to ask questions and gain valuable knowledge on wedding planning.

My colleague Jolene has a husband whose singing voice is often compared to Michael Buble’s, but I try (hard) not to be jealous. I tell myself that with the advent of iTunes, I can instantly have Michael and my own husband to keep me warm. If your fiancé can only muster a few off-key karaoke tunes, you might want to invest in some music downloads to get you through the winter. And if you’re looking for wedding music inspiration, Michael Buble’s updated covers of standards like “Wonderful Tonight” and “The Best is Yet to Come” are guaranteed crowd-pleasers, and also get high marks for a first turn around the dance floor.

As Maid of Honor at my best friend’s wedding, I carried a Japanese parasol instead of the usual bridesmaid bouquet. I really loved this idea, because the bride was able to save money on her flowers and parasols look great in pictures. On top of that, it was a hot September day in Sacramento and these refreshing accessories provided a nice shield from the sun.

I’ve been watching Bride Wars previews at movie theaters for a few months now, so I’m really excited that I’m going to see it when it opens this Friday! I’m a big fan of both Kate Hudson and Ann Hathaway, and I hear the film features some gorgeous Vera Wang dresses. If you haven’t seen the trailer, take a look:

I’m obsessed with old movies. Those actresses from the 1930s and ’40s had their men wrapped around their fingers, didn’t they? Look at Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn: They usually played well-mannered, headstrong, fast- talking women who could make a man’s man like Humphrey Bogart stop dead in his tracks. When these dames entered a crowded room, everyone would break off mid-sentence and just stare.