Best Buy has a wedding registry with your name on it.

With so many things to do before your big day, how about making life a little easier when it comes to your wedding registry? Did you know that Best Buy now has a wedding registry?!? I KNOW!!

I’m a real fan of Best Buy. It’s been a long time since a store has the latest products that fit my lifestyle and me. I have a feeling it’s the same for you. So when you and your partner start to build your registry, think about what you really need and your lifestyle. Best Buy really has the best selection of things you may need for you home and if you need help setting up your new device, the geek squad is always available. Now that’s service!

So why Best Buy? Look, do you really need another set of sheets or dishes? I didn’t think so. Giving your guests your registry from Best Buy will assure you that you get what you want and need to continue to build your home. You will also get the items you are truly excited to receive. That great new camera (to use on your honeymoon), perhaps that fitness tracker (to help keep you fitness goals on track) and my personal favorite Bluetooth speakers so you can play your favorite tunes on beach days or outdoors.

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One of the key benefits to this registry vs others is “group gifting”. This means your guests will spend what they want, and you’ll get what you want. There is free shipping, which is an added bonus so no gift, no matter how big or small will get to you AND there is NO minimum PURCHASE required. That’s a win-win for everyone.

So when you’re looking for the best in products, best in sales staff, the best for you, look no further than…Best Buy!

 

Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Solange and Alan Ferguson did it their way…

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This past weekend Solange Knowles (now Ferguson) in her own “you won’t see me until you see me” way, broke the internet. Not by dropping her pants (Dear Anna (Wintour), What do you think of her now?) rather by elevating the fashion of weddings and wedding couture. Her #AllWhiteWedding theme kicked the idea that no one other than the bride should wear white, down Bourbon Street.

What made Solonge a beautiful bride? Let’s start with our first view of her in an unembellished cream gown with a matching, floor-sweeping cape by Humberto Leon for Kenzo. She accessorized her look with wide gold cuffs by Jill for Lady Grey and her hair needed no veil, as her crown was her gloriously beautiful natural hair.   Not to be out done, Alan Ferguson looked as handsome in a bone-colored Lanvin suit, and gold cap-toe shoe.

How many changes were there? Some estimate as many as six various white/cream-themed outfits were on display during the wedding weekend. So change as many times as she wants (and her pocketbook can afford). I

Who designed the show-stopping backless cape she wore riding the bike? The three outfits that set the internet on fire, designed by French designer Stéphane Rolland. Solange’s only conventional outfit was a calf-length dress with a slit high on the thigh from the Australian brand Ellery, worn to a pre-wedding event.

We don’t need no stinkin’ limo. The rose-festooned bike she used to arrive to their wedding venue (Marigny Opera House), was fun, festive and as her cape billowed behind her as they rode to the church. After all, that’s what a wedding is supposed to be – fun and doing it YOUR WAY.

Can we talk about the engagement ring? It is my favorite ring to date. It is a split band with asymmetrical diamonds on each end. It is as unique as the bride and I’m sure we’ll see engagement rings trending toward unique settings.

Photography is key to capturing these moments. Take the wedding portraits by Bronx-based photographer Rog Walker, showing the carefully posed wedding party in their all white attire. Again proving that this is not the ‘normal’ wedding portrait. How wonderful that the bridal party wore everything from dresses to pants. Let your bridal party be who they are, and wear what is comfortable for them. Make is classy, make it stylish and if fashion is your thing, make it fashionable.

Finally, in true New Orléans tradition, you march to music and have a real party down the streets to celebrate. This is the way you party. This is the way you get your guests ready for festivities that will seal the deal on the celebration.

Now, in full disclosure, Solange used to live in my Brooklyn neighborhood. I would on occasion see her and her well-mannered son Julez in the local coffee shop. If you haven’t seen their well-choreographed dance to Rae Sremmurd’s “No Flex Zone”, you must. Their Mother-Son dance was just too cute. It’s funny when you recognize a celebrity and the masses don’t. They didn’t recognize that this woman is a powerhouse in her own right, and nor as “Beyonce’s little sister”. To them, she was just a quirky black woman with a cute little boy. I think that’s why she moved to Brooklyn. To find peace and I think she did. I also think this weekend; she broke that mold for good and took her rightful place in the spotlight. She is her own woman…married and “One, with the one.”

So Congratulations to the Fergusons. Here’s wishing you a forever as magical as this past weekend.

Wedding Paper Divas Celebrity Invitation Style

Wedding season is here, and celebs are clearly feeling the love! With many recent star-studded engagements, Wedding Paper Divas experts used their vast design collecion to share their vision of our favorite celebrity couples and their upcoming nuptials. You can bring a bit of this Hollywood flare to your wedding celebration.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp

Wearing a girl’s engagement ring isn’t the strangest thing we’ve seen on Johnny Depp, and we predict his upcoming wedding to model Amber Heard will be an affair as unique as they are. For their invitation design, we see them going for something similar to this simply stated gold foil design. Metallics are a hot trend, perfect for that couple looking to add a touch of drama to any design.

Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross

If we take a cue from their lavish engagement party and her one-of-a-kind ring, we’re thinking Ashlee Simpson’s wedding to Evan Ross will be a vintage affair. This design perfectly illustrates the Modern Vintage trend, featuring classic shapes and patterns reinvented.

George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin

The shock that one of our favorite bachelors is off the market is still wearing off, but we’re already looking forward to what is sure to be a wedding to remember. We’re swooning over the emerald cut rock that the actor gave his British human rights attorney, Amal Alamuddin, and if it’s any indication, the nuptials will feel as stunning and classic as this powerhouse couple is.

Haylie Duff and Matt Rosenberg

This design from the new Marchesa collection (available exclusively at Wedding Paper Divas) is simply chic like the actress, singer and blogger, Haylie Duff. It’s sweet and feminine, but the dark undertones will also appeal to her entrepreneur fiancé, Matt Rosenberg. Whether it’s an outdoor summer wedding or an intimate wintertime affair, this design is perfect for any season.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher

After keeping their engagement (and pregnancy!) a secret for some time, Mila Kunis is finally sharing all the joyous news and we can’t wait to see what the bride-to-be and her actor fiancé Ashton Kutcher are planning for their big day. This design would be perfect for the couple, who is famous for their laid back style. It adds a touch of elegance and romance, but is still fun and playful.

Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl

The wedding of style icon and former reality star Olivia Palermo, who is engaged to her long-time boyfriend, model Johannes Huebl, is definitely one that every fashionista will be waiting for. Olivia recently revealed that she will be wearing a sleek dress (no ball gowns for this tastemaker!), which makes us think that the wedding will be romantic, feminine and timeless. This elegant design with just a touch of whimsy perfectly complements such a stylish occasion.

Gift ideas from food, DIY to instagram

Planning for your wedding and looking for unique gifts to give can cause a lot of stress. It doesn’t’ have to anymore because now there is a site, app or store for that. From food to pictures, you’ll be saying, “that was easy”.

Do you have a world-famous apple pie recipe or a brisket to die for? Are your friends always asking you to share your secret? Do you know a couple that loves to cook and you want to give them something special for their wedding day then look no further. Tastebook.com allows you to mix your recipes with photos of your own as well as hundreds from other food sites.  What a personalized gift, sounds pretty tasty to me. www.tastebook.com/

Summer may be coming a few months away, but your love for ice cream doesn’t have to wait.  I always wanted to mix my own brand and now I can with eCreamery.  Oh the smoothness of it all. http://www.ecreamery.com/

Are you the queen (or king) of DIY? The Silhouette Cameo looks like a printer but it uses a special blade to cut designs into paper, card stock or fabric.  Here’s to lots of time and creating your own wedding invitations. silhouetteamerica.com/

We’re all obsessed with Instagram and I’ll admit, some photos are really beautiful. If you’ve found some and want to print them into little printed photo books, stickers or t-shirt, head over to Printstagram. This is one of the coolest gift items to share your engagement process or the way you fell in love. http://printstagr.am/

If you love that picture and want it to be on a beautiful canvas that you can hang on your wall, Instacanvas  instacanv.as/ is your friend.

If you or your partner is a camera lover, the Photojojo Store is the store of their dreams. Everything from traditional lenses on our camera, to your camera phone there are some great real and gag-gifts available. I can say that my brother actually got one of these for me for Christmas. I use it daily and it really keeps my coffee hot. It’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever received and I highly recommend them. photojojo.com/store/

 

 

Watch NYFW LIVE….

 

 

I don’t remember a time when there wasn’t “interesting weather” during the February showings for NY Fashion Week.  The thing is, in the past, you had to slosh your way to either Bryant Park or now, Lincoln Center.  After hearing that the weather could be pretty difficult to deal with tomorrow and knowing that so many may not have access to attend, here is a list of shows that you WILL BE able to see from the comfort of your home (or office – shhhh).

Please remember that all of these shows are EST and while these are not all the shows, these are the ones that have agreed to have their show thus far.  For you happy brides, the ones in BOLD, I would highly recommend you view.  These designers are “ours” and you will see hints of what you may like see during Bridal Market OR others who just have dreamy dresses.

Enjoy and Happy New York Fashion Week.

 

Thursday, February 7

Nicholas K – 9:00 a.m.
Todd Snyder – 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
BCBG Max Azria – 10:00 a.m.
Richard Chai Love & Richard Chai Men’s – 11:00 a.m.
Timo Weiland Women’s – 1:00 p.m.
Tadashi Shoji – 2:00 p.m.
Candela – 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Sergio Davila – 5:00 p.m.
Concept Korea – 6:00 p.m.
Timo Weiland Men’s – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Kenneth Cole – 7:00 p.m.

 

Friday, February 8

Czar by Cesar Galindo – 9:00 a.m.
Project Runway – 10:00 a.m.
Carmen Marc Valvo – 11:00 a.m.
Noon by Noor – 12:00 p.m.
Nautica – 2:00 p.m.
Monika Chiang – 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Cushnie et Ochs – 3:00 p.m.
Rebecca Minkoff – 3:00 p.m.
Nicole Miller – 6:00 p.m.
Charlotte Ronson – 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Academy of Art University – 8:00 p.m.
ParkChooMoo – 9:00 p.m.

 

Saturday, February 9

Ruffian – 9:00 a.m.
Marissa Webb – 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Lacoste – 10:00 a.m.
Jill Stuart – 11:00 a.m.
Son Jung Wan – 11:30 a.m.
Louise Goldin – 1:00 p.m.
Mara Hoffman – 2:00 p.m.
Rafael Cennamo – 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Herve Leger – 3:00 p.m.
Katya Leonovich – 4:00 p.m.
Alexandre Herchovitch – 6:00 p.m.
Alon Livine – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Monique Lhuiller – 7:00 p.m.
Venexiana – 9:00 p.m.

 

Sunday, February 10

Nina Skarra – 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Lela Rose – 11:00 a.m.
Hood by Air Runway – 12:00 p.m.
Tracy Reese – 2:00 p.m.
Trina Turk – 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Custo Barcelona – 3:00 p.m.
Diane von Furstenburg – 4:00 p.m.
Joanna Mastroianni – 5:00 p.m.
Vivienne Tam – 5:00 p.m.
Patrik Ervell – 6:00 p.m.
David Tlale – 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Ralph Rucci – 8:00 p.m.
Emerson by Jackie Fraser-Swan – 9:00 p.m.

 

Monday, February 11

ICB by Prabal Gurung – 9:00 a.m.
Mathieu Mirano – 9:00 a.m.
Carolina Herrera – 10:00 a.m.
Pamella Roland – 1:00 p.m.
Ohne Titel – 1:00 p.m.
Hernan Lander – 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
KaufmanFranco – 3:00 p.m.
MM6 Maison Martin Margiela – 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Betsey Johnson – 5:00 p.m.
Reem Acra – 6:00 p.m.

 

Tuesday, February 12

J.Crew – 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Steven Alan – 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Badgley Mischka – 10:00 a.m.
Vera Wang – 11:00 a.m.
Jenny Packham – 1:00 p.m.
Adeam – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Naeem Khan – 2:00 p.m.
Dennis Basso – 3:00 p.m.
Sophie Theallet – 5:00 p.m.
Vantan Tokyo – 7:00 p.m.
The Blonds – 9:30 a.m.

 

Wednesday, February 13

Bibhu Mohaparta – 9:00 a.m.
Brandon Sun – 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Michael Kors – 10:00 a.m.
Nanette Lepore – 11:00 a.m.
Rachel Zoe – 1:00 p.m.
Jeremy Scott – 1:00 p.m.
J. Mendel – 2:00 p.m.
Leather Japan – 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Milly by Michelle Smith – 3:00 p.m.
Falguni & Shane Peacock – 5:00 p.m.
Anna Sui – 6:00 p.m.
Clover Canyon – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Zang Toi – 7:00 p.m.
Michael America – 8:00 p.m.

 

Thursday, February 14

Calvin Klein Men’s – 2:00 p.m.
Calvin Klein Women’s – 3:00 p.m.
Ch by Carolina Herrera – 7:00 p.m.

 

 

 

Redken creates messy knot for Bottega Venenta Milian 2013 show

Redken Consultant Guido created a low, messy knot for a hairstyle that was ultimately very feminine at the Bottega Veneta Spring 2013 show yesterday. It was as pretty, wearable and delicate as the light, floral collection itself – done-up and styled, yet loose and wispy as if a few pieces had fallen out as this woman went about her day.

“The look at Bottega today is very soft and pretty, center-parted with a dry texture and loosely knotted with a fewwisps that escape. The inspiration is a little 70’s and also Victorian.”

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Create the Look:

Roughly blow-dry hair with a diffuser.

Create a clean center part and apply powder grip 03 mattifying hair powder at the roots, and then gently backcomb random pieces.

Gather hair into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck and tie with elastic.

Backcomb the ponytail with a boar-bristle brush, twist into a low messy chignon and pin with a few pins; leave some wispy pieces out of the style in front.

Finish with powder refresh 01 aerosol hair powder/dry shampoo particularly around the crown for added dry, airy texture.

Redken Guido works magic for Jil Sanders Milian 2013

Redken Consultant Guido created a rich, simple style with a low ponytail for Jil Sander’s first womenswear collection in eight years yesterday in Milan. The overall look was pure, pristine, and serene, exuding a sense of what Guido called “a modern sensibility.”

“Its hard to wear hair this straight down sometimes, but with this pony it becomes more of a look. And this pony’s a bit more styled than your usual tight low pony, as dropping the elastic down gives it more softness and a different feel. It’s also fun to see super straight hair in a way that sort of makes it new again. Overall, I think the look is very pure and has a modern sensibility, but it’s still sexy at the same time.”

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Create the Look:

Apply satinwear 02 prepping blow-dry lotion to damp hair and blow-dry straight one section at a time.

Create a clean center part.

Flat iron hair until stick straight.

Gather hair at the nape of the neck (covering ears) and secure tightly with elastic, then slide elastic down the hair about an inch.

Apply shine flash 02 glistening mist for a light all-over shine.