REVIEW: A book about Southern hospitality and funerals

Here is how Pat Williams of the Conroe Courier in Montgomery County, Texas begins her review of BEING DEAD IS NO EXCUSE: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalf & Charlotte Hays:

"The first rule of funeral behavior for the women of the South, especially those near the Mississippi Delta, is that everyone must look good – both the dead and the survivors. The second rule deals with the amounts and types of food brought to the home following the service."

The remainder sounds like the book is an interesting read, filled with discussion, humour and history about the foods (and drinks!) and traditions of funeral-hosting in the South.

venus, officant and Life-Cycle Celebrant® at A Non-Denominational Ceremony

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Title: Book Reviews 2

I AM technically reviewing these books...

The first Book Reviews video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNwcFtcX128

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http://www.thinkingoflaughing.com
http://www.twitter.com/thewinekone

Title: Honda Accord Coupe Video Review - Kelley Blue Book

FOR MORE CAR VIDEOS & REVIEWS VISIT:
http://www.kbb.com/videos

2009 Honda Accord Coupe. While many Americans are familiar with the Accord Sedan, its fair to say not many could point out the Coupe if it passed them on the highway. Thats because the rakish Coupe looks nothing like its sedan counterpart, carved in sleek sheetmetal and hunkered low to the ground, the Accord Coupe could easily be mistaken for a high-priced German or Italian performance coupe. Fortunately for those smitten by the Accords good looks, its price tag is every bit as reasonable as the sedan, leaving consumers with one question, can I live without four doors? For more new car reviews, interviews and automotive news visit http://www.kbb.com today.

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Abella Studios Receives the 2010 Bride's Choice Award

We are extremely honored and proud to have received the 2010 Bride's Choice Award from WeddingWire.com.

The WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards ™ recognizes the top local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the Bride's Choice Awards are determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds. This year's winners represent the top five percent of WeddingWire's vendor community, which consists of over 100,000 local wedding professionals nationwide.

We would like to thank all of our past clients who participated in nominating us for this prestigious award. We truly appreciate all of the positive feedback and promise to continue to deliver the top-notch photography/videography services Abella Studios is known for.

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Title: Same Day Edit for Kristen & Damyan by Abella Studios - http://www.abellastudios.com - 973-575-6633

This is an astonishing video created for Kristen & Damyan on their Wedding Day this past weekend. The Abella Studios' Videographer captured special moments at the Groom's and Bride's Preparations, Ceremony and the couple's First Dance. Then, the editor created this absolutely amazing "same day edit" which was shown right after Dinner. The Reception was held at The Westmount CC, West Paterson, NJ. Abella Studios - abellastudios.com - 973-575-6633.

Title: Abella Studios - Wedding Videographers & Photographers NJ NY CT - Cocivera Post Ceremony Highlights

Wedding Video Post Ceremony Highlights created by Abella Studios - NJ Wedding Videography & Photography. http://www.abellastudios.com 973-575-6633 or 732-254-8000

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WEDDING: Howard Johnson Resort, near Disneyland, in Anaheim, CA

CONGRATULATIONS: Stephanie and Jason!
These two came all the way from Edmonton, Alberta Canada!

Quite often, couples decide to have their own little destination wedding in conjunction with a vacation trip to California. In some ways, i like these ceremonies the best because it is just the couple and the officiant, with no extravagant reception and no relatives dragging the bride and groom from place to place.

In these long-distance cases, i'm usually unable to meet with a couple in person before the wedding. Trust is a majour issue, and i do my very best to assure the couple i will meet their every need. Sometimes, a phone call or two is involved, although in this particular case, the first time i ever met or spoke to either the bride and groom, was 30 minutes before the ceremony! i work closely with each couple via email to make sure their ceremony is a true reflection of themselves and of their love. For example:

"We are here near Disneyland, which is a significant place, because it was a family trip to the Magical Kingdom, that helped shape Stephanie into the person she is today. When Jason brought her flowers that day in the grocery store, it was the beginning of a very special story of love and friendship that has endured. It has taken some time and work to return to California, but here they are on their trip of a lifetime. What better place to publicly declare their love and commitment to each other?"

Go here for PHOTOS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE MY WEBSITE: A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY.

venus, officant and Life-Cycle Celebrant® at A Non-Denominational Ceremony

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Title: Howard & Sara's Wedding Slideshow

This is a video slide show of old photographs of Howard and Sara. This was shown at their wedding reception in Moline, Illinois on October 20, 2007.

Title: Regis & Kelly talk Howard Stern wedding

See title.

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Surprise!

Surprise birthday party, that is. I have not yet had the opportunity to work on surprise birthday invitations, but thanks to working with a recent customer, I have two 5x7 inch designs to add to the website:




Right now, designs like this are settled into the "Your personal events" section of my website; For everything that is not necessarily wedding related, Christmas related, or baby related. This section includes birthdays and Bat Mitsvahs, moving announcements and First Communion save the dates.

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Title: Daughtry - No Surprise

Music video by Daughtry performing No Surprise. (C) 2009 19 Recordings Limited

Title: Surprise!

Sputnik, the Space Age begins with a surprise!
from "To touch the stars" album

Original song from http://www.totouchthestars.com

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A Tree-Free Wedding with Crane and Co, Plus FREE Paper Samples!

Sometimes my wedding fulfills childhood dreams in unexpected ways.  I didn't really dream about getting married like a lot of little girls do, but there were certain things I wanted out of life.  For the longest time, I have been a huge fan of Crane & Co stationery.  I love the feel of it, the design of it, and the quality.  When I was younger, I wanted to be an adult and get a job, so I could buy lots of Crane paper!

When I got engaged and started thinking about invitations, I immediately went to the Crane website Wedding section.  Yikes!  Major sticker shock.  $1300 for just an invitation, reception card, reply card, and envelopes.  No directions card, accommodations card, or million other cards we needed to include.  So I put that dream away and started designing my own invitations.

When I started looking around for getting my invitation design printed, I discovered Crane Business Papers and Crane Lettra paper made specifically for letterpressing: Crane sells the same paper it prints on for its lovely stationery products in bulk to printing companies.  I could have a Crane wedding with my own invitation design, AND it would fit in my budget!  DREAM COME TRUE!  *Commence jumping for joy*

But let's get to the point:

A Tree-Free Wedding
Crane paper feels so good because it really is completely different from everyday paper: it's made from 100% cotton.  No wood fibers at all.  Crane paper doesn't even look at wood fibers.  It turns its paper nose up at wood fibers.  Crane paper is more like a dollar bill than regular paper.  Who doesn't want a wedding invitation that feels like money?

A Cotton-Free Wedding
What? Didn't I just say Crane paper is made from cotton? No cotton is grown for Crane paper: the paper is made from the fibers leftover when they pull the cotton from the plant and from trimmings from the textile industry. That means the leftovers from the t-shirt you're wearing right now could have made some paper.

InkJet and Laser Printer Guaranteed
Take a look at the Crane Business Papers website.  Several of their paper product lines will say "Inkjet and Laser Printer Guaranteed".  Some 100% cotton paper made by other companies will literally clog up your ink cartridge with little cotton fibers coming off the page.  Nope, not Crane & Co.  Before you start feeding pages through your home printer though, check that your printer can handle the thickness of the page.

Free Samples

Crane & Co will mail you a free swatchbook and samples of its business papers just by filling out this form:
http://www.neenahpaper.com/cranepaper/business/M06_S01.html

They sent me a physical swatch book, plus samples of every weight, color, and finish of the Crane's Palette line.  I highly recommend getting samples!  I tested a sample sheet with my home inket printer that turned out to be too thick for it to handle.  I saved a ton of money by waiting to order my paper until I had tested that I could actually use it.

Note: Nope, this is not a sponsored post.  I just love Crane paper a whole bunch.

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Title: Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility - Marriage to Juli

I think one of my favorite perks to marriage so far is the free food... haha

Title: DIY Eco-Chic Wedding Invitations

How to make unique earth-friendly wedding invitations that only look expensive. Download free wedding invitations templates and order premium supplies shown from http://www.formal-invitations.com

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Las Vegas Cowgirl Cookies

As part of the Vegas Bachelorette Survival Packs, I included some homemade cookie mix for the girls to take home with them: Vegas Cowgirl Cookies!


I was inspired by Bakerella's Cowgirl Cookie Mix Jars, which fit because everyone on the trip was from Texas! But of course I had to put a casino spin on them. "Vegas Cowgirl" reminds me of Vegas Vicky, one of the "Glitter Gulch" signs in Vegas:

(image source)

The recipe I used comes straight from Bakerella:
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms (I used my "casino mix": bags of red, white, and black from Michaels)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans


Start with smooth quart Ball jars, especially made for crafts. I found them in the "vase and jar art" section at Michaels: look for signs with sand art. Read Bakerella's post on how to layer the dry ingredients. To get the ingredients into the jars without spreading flour all over my kitchen, I made a makeshift funnel out of printer paper and tape.


To decorate the top of the jars, cut out squares of gingham fabric and add a strip of feather boa for a little Vegas flair. Here are my jars pre-flair:


I put the leftover m&ms in a tin, and made that part of the gift as well:


I hope the cookies turn out well!

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Title: CowGirl! Bull Riding at Gilley's in Las Vegas

Title: Kristy Lee Cook - Cowgirl - Las Vegas - 7-5-08

A very short clip of Kristy Lee Cook performing "Cowgirl" at the American Idol tour in Las Vegas on July 5, 2008.

*Note* My video quality isn't the best because a) I was busy watching the concert and b) my camera can only do so much from where we sat and I couldn't even get the screens that well most of the time. Oh well! I'm still happy about it. :)

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Wild Purple Bouquet Inspirations

I had a really clear vision for what I wanted when it came to the centerpieces for our reception, but I wasn't so clear on my bouquet. I basically handed pictures of things I liked to my florist, and said "Ummm something like this."

Looking at the pictures together now, the themes I see are some wild greenery and lots of different purples and types of flowers mixed together. They're also not perfect round bouquets, but more natural shapes. I liked bouquet wraps that let the stems peak out from the bottom; again a more natural look.

Sources (clockwise from top-left):
Sumptuous Plum from Martha Stewart Weddings
The Color Purple With Flair from Brides.com
Vineyard Purple from Style Me Pretty
Shades of Purple from Modern Bride Magazine (found here, here, and here)

*Update* See how the real bouquets turned out on my wedding day here!

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Title: Purple Look for Less Wet n Wild/120 color palette

▂ ▃ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇Description Box ¦ ▇ ▆ ▅ ▄ ▃ ▂
Hey everyone I hope you guys like this pink/purple & black look
I used the 120 color palette and the Wet n Wild lust palette.
Thanks so much for stopping by my channel don't forget to subscribe ;D

Follow me on twitter:
http://twitter.com/caddylove02
Add me on face book:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=100000847957232

Products Used:
120 color palette
Wet n Wild Lust palette
Nyx jumbo pencil in milk
Elf liquid black eyeliner
Jordana Lipstick in Lavender
Bliss Eyelashes #117

Title: Deep Purple - Call Of The Wild

Music video by Deep Purple performing Call Of The Wild. (C) 1987 The Island Def Jam Music Group

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Nice bridal shower invitation

This bridal shower invitation is the newest addition to the "simple cards" section. This section focuses on black ink only designs. The example below is this design printed on a raspberry colored card stock.




The wording could of course be modified to reflect a save the date, birthday, or other type of invitation.

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Title: Hot girl at a bridal shower aug 2nd 2008

just some clips of the gifts the soon to be sister in law. was a very nice party yesterday. other than the rain, it was nice =)

Title: Bridal Makeup | Includes Tips and Tricks

This look is perfect for those Brides that would like a "little extra something" for their make up on their Wedding Day. It's subtle, yet smokey. The colors chosen can be used with ANY SKIN TONE!

I hope you've enjoyed the look I've created here for your Special Day!

As an addition to this look, take advantage of BH Cosmetics' Discount ON ME! :)
Promo Code: BHCOSHOLIDAY
Valid until December 31st, 2010
10% off BH Cosmetics
Product Links: http://tinyurl.com/BHWeddingPromo

FACEBOOK FANPAGE: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Victor-Makeup-Artist/137054216805

EYES
MAC | Bare Study Paint Pot
MAC | Dangerous Cuvée Paint Pot
BH Cosmetics | 26 Color Neutral Shadow Pallete
MAC | Powersurge Eye Kohl
MAC | Feline Eye Kohl
MAC | Carbon Eye Shadow
MAC | #7 Lashes w/ Duo Adhesive

FACE
Make Up Forever | HD Foundation #110
Chanel | Translucent Universal Powder (with puff)
MAC | Sculpt (contour)
Laura Gellar | Blush & Brighten in Sunswept
Too Faced | By Candlelight (highlight)
MAC | Fix + Lavender

LIPS
Day:
MAC | Prrr Lipglass
MAC | Chromagraphic Pencil NC15/NC20
Night:
Jemma Kidd | Prep & Prime Lip
MAC | Half Red Pencil
Laura Gellar | Sweet Berry Lipstick

FTC Disclaimer: BH Cosmetics pallete was provided to me. All other products and tools were purchased by me. I am not affiliated with any of the companies used in this video. I reserve the right to my own opinion and have done so.

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ALTERNATIVES: To Exchange Rings, or NOT to Exchange Rings?

Tattooed 'rings' may be the best option for you, especially if you want to avoid the cost, convention, maintenance and/or discomfourt of wearing a wedding ring.

On left: from TATTOOED BRIDE blog, via Allebach Photography
On right: from MANOLO BRIDES via Leigh Miller Photography

Many people are led to believe (incorrectly, at least in California) that one must exchange rings as part of the marriage ceremony.  Not everyone likes to wear jewelry, even if it is your wedding ring. Do you work around electricity?  A metal ring may not be a good idea.  And what is a more permanent symbol of your love, than a tattoo?  You can't lose it, since you won't need to take it off to paint your house.  You also won't be able to take it off or throw it after an argument with your other half...  ;-|  

The act of tattooing rings to indicate betrothal or marriage is a fairly modern trend, but has gained popularity in recent times, especially in the UK and Europe. Ancient Egyptians would tattoo wrists and fingers to ward off illness and bad luck. Slaves' hands were sometimes tattooed to indicate ownership. Ancient Egyptian women have been found with tattoos on their bodies to promote fertility (from Ancient Egypt: Personal Ornaments website).

At a cost of about $100, tattooed wedding rings are an economical way to go, but may require some touch-up work down the line, especially as they fade and evolve with time.  The palm side of the hand is quite sensitive, pain-wise, and tattoos also tend to fade and blur faster on the palm side.

Check out these other tattoo wedding bands!

From WPIC website

 From TATTOOAHOLIC.com

If you seek a non-traditional wedding officiant, for your Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire, Ojai, Catalina Island, Ventura, Big Bear or greater Southern California ceremony, please contact venus, certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® for more information.

venus, officant and Life-Cycle Celebrant® at A Non-Denominational Ceremony

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http://support.runbox.com There are some great free open source software alternatives to Microsoft Exchange. Let us show you.

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