Man Jewelry

Regardless of personal style most women have something in mind when they think of their engagement & wedding ring.  The same cannot be said for men.  Most men that I've talked to don't really have an opinion when it comes to choosing their wedding band.  Probably because, lets face it, the poor guys just don't have that many options.  Men grow up viewing jewelry as a chick thing so anything other a plain band can seem way to feminine for them.  My husband chose to go with a titanium band.  It made sense to him.  It was indestructible & inexpensive (which is good because he lost his first band in the lake and we're on #2 now).   I recently stumbled upon an etsy seller who makes wedding bands that are both beautiful & masculine.  Minter & Richter Designs makes stunning titanium rings, many featuring wood inlays, all made to order and fully customizable. You can even get a matching set for the two of you. 

You can wear it again. No, really!

Most of use have been bridesmaids & so most of us have bought expensive dresses we wore for one day and then let sit in our closets for a respectable length of time before toting them off to the thrift store. I'm guilty as any bride, so if my former bridesmaids are reading this, you have my full consent to get rid of the dress and reclaim the closet space already! But if you are a bride to be you are lucky because bridesmaid dresses have never been more fashionable or more affordable. Do your girls a favor by choosing a dress they can really wear again! Cocktail length dresses are fully acceptable & fully fashionable options today. Even better is that soft pastels, while still classic, are no longer the standard for wedding colors and more sophisticated hues are moving to the forefront. With the exception of some of the limes and oranges, these new bridesmaid colors will not only keep your lovely ladies happy but stand the test of time too!

Dresses by After Six & Lela Rose

Just one of the great dresses by Ann Taylor

Sophisticated colors by Jenny Yoo

Wear one of these dresses for the wedding and then wear it again at a Mad Men Season 4 party! Dresses by Jenny Yoo & Simple Silhouettes

Vera Wang Spring 2011

Now I don't usually go all gaga over designer duds.  I couldn't care less what label I'm wearing as long as the outfit works.  But I am a huge fan of Vera Wang!  If I have an idol it might be her.   She is truly talented.  Just when you think every thing's been done already, that there is no possible way to make a new & original dress, here comes Vera carrying a big ol' bag of talent!  Whenever I see one of her new bridal collections for the first time I always have this "Man, I would've never thought of that!" reaction.  Below is a look at her bridal collection for Spring 2011.  While it's not as jaw-droppingly different as her Fall 2010 collection it is none the less stunning.  The collection is pretty small, just 11 dresses, but is smartly planned & very detail focused.  She uses muted hues in addition to traditional whites & offers a range of silhouettes to suit any figure including the sheath, mermaid, & of course ball gown.  In keeping with her fall collection, texture reigns supreme with all gowns being very architectural in the way they are sculpted.  Features include multi-tiered skirts, vertical pleating, & a-symmetrical bodices, meaning that these gowns are not so much sewn as they are built!   The draping on the mermaid gown is particularly sublime & whisper light pastels like pale peach and washed out charcoal are safe colors for any complexion.  The collection is frothy and breathless, going off the theme of "fragile femininity".  Well Vera my dear, you've certainly left me breathless! 

A Beach Vacation in the No-Coast State

Sorry for the laps in blog posts recently! The hubby and I took the weekend for a short vacation and then I took Monday to recover from said vacation! We went camping on the beach on Lake Superior. We were there only a short time but it was a very exciting 16 hours! Our little strip of beach was an unofficial camping hot-spot, known mostly just to the locals. We met a few of them when we first arrived in the afternoon but by dusk, we had the place to ourselves. We spent the afternoon reading, cooking over a bon fire, collecting interesting stones, splashing in the cool water of the Great Lake. Our tent faced the glittering Duluth skyline, we had a nice fire of driftwood burning, and weather was fine... that is until, nightfall!

We knew a clouds were rolling our way but we'd hoped for a drizzle. We hoped wrong. We hunkered down in our trusty tent and watched out the wind as the tide came in closer and closer. A lull in the storm gave us enough time to get out and move the tent to higher ground as well as stoke the fire a bit. The remainder of the night we counted the thunder & lightening trying to decide if we should make a mad dash for the car and head to a motel! I was terrified & didn't sleep a wink. My husband snored away next to me. Dawn finally came and soon the rain stopped. We packed up our wet sandy gear into the car and headed off, but before we left we heard the beautiful call of Minnesota's state bird, the loon. Three of them had floated by to say "Good morning! Quite a night we had, wasn't it!"