tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9047556357658487032024-03-05T07:23:50.092-08:00ItsMichelleGLifestyle, Things I Love, Reviews, Beauty and Fashion! Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-27022335847428705702014-08-21T11:42:00.001-07:002014-08-22T09:13:55.186-07:00Bachelorette Shenanigans<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">am now literally weeks away from my wedding day! We are getting down to the wire and final preparations are under way. As I mentioned in the last post there is not much left to blog before the wedding. But I did want to write about my bachelorette party that happened this past weekend! </span></div></div><div><br></div><div>I had no idea what I wanted to do for my bachelorette party. I am a bride with a budget so a big extravagant bachelorette weekend away was a no go. Some lucky girls get to go to Vegas, Dominican Republic, Mexico and so forth but I only planned to be away for 1 night. I live so close to New York City but I have also been to NYC so many times that I just didn't feel excited about it anymore. Peter and his friends went to Atlantic City for his bachelor party 2 weeks before and I didn't want to steal his idea. Instead, I chose the next best thing, Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. It is essentially the same thing as AC, only elsewhere. I had always wanted to go to MoSun but never got a chance to go. So that is where we ended up! <br><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6LZCcbgd9WrgboQ8et87r49rYHTSqMzdqjb7cxyUBBCXoTG923NEGJo47zgxtXhNTZOU8PIqsC8QjkCL0J3SCpMTrVZ5GZsn848ytmsj2pXHVbWf-m7VQi1L0uC4KVrvGVN87x1neN_5/s640/blogger-image--1929245824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6LZCcbgd9WrgboQ8et87r49rYHTSqMzdqjb7cxyUBBCXoTG923NEGJo47zgxtXhNTZOU8PIqsC8QjkCL0J3SCpMTrVZ5GZsn848ytmsj2pXHVbWf-m7VQi1L0uC4KVrvGVN87x1neN_5/s640/blogger-image--1929245824.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVIRir7fzpVX3OqPJGi51TI_w0MpQWOkNiUBxBp74mvw2OIifRq_3b1X2J1kxamce65I937nsTQ8N9yKbOxmYJ2EJUeesGDmFNp1WCAatxmJtfMj-sFo2HawZUAxTg4ZRzm6CFPV6h2hU/s640/blogger-image-1822789024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVIRir7fzpVX3OqPJGi51TI_w0MpQWOkNiUBxBp74mvw2OIifRq_3b1X2J1kxamce65I937nsTQ8N9yKbOxmYJ2EJUeesGDmFNp1WCAatxmJtfMj-sFo2HawZUAxTg4ZRzm6CFPV6h2hU/s640/blogger-image-1822789024.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I have the best Maid of Honor ever (my sister!) who made it all happen. She contacted my girls, booked the hotel rooms, set up rides and coordinated everything. I was so grateful and happy that everything went off without a problem. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It ended up being 6 of us and we had a really great time!! The hotel, the food, the experience was awesome! I am so glad to have such awesome friends and family who came out for me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LJpU2nKEt1PorZ3bsMDInV6DjYEfdeK1LpFqNOZ1xR6a79gzNevNq6B0pSvqFMuWdiRweM8W_ZjOTNrrO69kcQ2NeNbYPJtqbE0j6ousFEwQLaeVDO67WKJhCYgbou670BdOGT287UN3/s640/blogger-image-1672727639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LJpU2nKEt1PorZ3bsMDInV6DjYEfdeK1LpFqNOZ1xR6a79gzNevNq6B0pSvqFMuWdiRweM8W_ZjOTNrrO69kcQ2NeNbYPJtqbE0j6ousFEwQLaeVDO67WKJhCYgbou670BdOGT287UN3/s640/blogger-image-1672727639.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjqL3_RqVP5jIidVMKKF_ZXpgt-6eEWm9dN_LXdBRCiU0G0Pwx_L2DCZb_TKPpXneTEJH26hHsQVbA2LeBnEfEkUhM0XdiOV4wKVB3Xkm7jIoLgkWoxziO4fnIm60bD3nZiApe5yV31lo/s640/blogger-image--1782381013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjqL3_RqVP5jIidVMKKF_ZXpgt-6eEWm9dN_LXdBRCiU0G0Pwx_L2DCZb_TKPpXneTEJH26hHsQVbA2LeBnEfEkUhM0XdiOV4wKVB3Xkm7jIoLgkWoxziO4fnIm60bD3nZiApe5yV31lo/s640/blogger-image--1782381013.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlMC_tJ00BWmojPu3PQSYy4w9VG1aRFiQp_pbOqUrjgp3rt5oJSDP9wfMnnQQnKoFSYJpLwjr2CQkUNlOeGjpY4mdDHIOFXvtS4l3zATvl2i_BY4v4uxH1zRMtNvOPI9BbL5jKSiXvyDN/s640/blogger-image--1923434581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlMC_tJ00BWmojPu3PQSYy4w9VG1aRFiQp_pbOqUrjgp3rt5oJSDP9wfMnnQQnKoFSYJpLwjr2CQkUNlOeGjpY4mdDHIOFXvtS4l3zATvl2i_BY4v4uxH1zRMtNvOPI9BbL5jKSiXvyDN/s640/blogger-image--1923434581.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Above I posted just a few pictures taken from the night. Thank you everyone who was part of it and made it so memorable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is most likely my final post before the big day! I can't wait to blog about the rest and share my actual day with everyone who reads. I will see you on the other side!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Michelle G</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">P.S. Only 22 days left! </div><br></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-89852714323421330842014-08-06T15:18:00.000-07:002014-08-06T15:19:00.027-07:0038 days left rant #boogsgetmarriedThere is no real focus of this post aside from some venting on my part. With only 38 days left until the wedding we are finishing up most of the last minute details. So many things to remember! As we get closer I definitely am feeling the pressure to get things done within a little bit of time.<br />
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The best thing that I ever did was not rush this entire process. I have lots of respect for the couples who pull this all together in a year or under but I am so glad that we didn't go that route. I wanted to enjoy our engagement and not feel pressured for time. But at this point I am also just anxious for it all to be over! Am I the only one feeling like that? I am almost more excited about the honeymoon to be honest lol! I consider myself to be pretty good at managing stress but boy has this past year been stressful! Between planning wedding details, moving in with Pete, adjusting to our new life, dealing with finances and ever changing schedules, being on top of the bridal party and everything else in between it's a wonder I haven't had a nervous breakdown (although I have been close). </div>
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So what's left at this point? This week we pick up my wedding ring from the jeweler on Saturday. I am so excited to see how it came out and I will be sure to post a picture. We also still need to apply for our marriage license, choose our ceremony music and finalize table placements since we are still receiving RSVPs. And of course all the balances owed to the florist, photographer/videographer and reception venue are all due on the same day ::sigh::. </div>
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I feel so anxious though. Anxious for the day to come, anxious to go on my honeymoon and anxious to know what we are doing moving forward. For the past year and half we have been in full wedding planning mode and our future after the wedding has been a big question mark mainly because we are first trying to get through this whole thing before adding more stressful decision making to our plates. We are planning to use this next year to really map out our life, find a suitable place to settle down and figure out what our future will look like. But since I tend to be a control freak just winging things has been hard for me since I always try to be 10 steps ahead. My goal for the next 38 days is to just "chill out" and not freak. Everything will get done and everything will be great the day of the wedding. </div>
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There is not much else to blog about before the big day although my bachelorette weekend is coming up next week. That will likely be my last post before the wedding day. Thank you everyone who has read my blog thus far and followed my little journey to the altar. I hope you will continue reading my blog. And if you leave me a link to your own blog I would love to read it too. Thanks again!</div>
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Til next post,</div>
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Michelle G</div>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-64740754549528060852014-07-07T22:52:00.001-07:002014-07-08T08:35:27.718-07:00Our Wedding Rings<div dir="ltr">
Time is flying by since June and my wedding is creeping up sooner and sooner as each day goes by. I sent out wedding invitations last week and have already started to get back RSVP's. I get so excited opening the mail to see those cute little response envelopes and guessing who it is from. But that is another post I will do soon. Today I am so happy to report that our wedding rings have been ordered/purchased. I really hoped to get this done last month but we just got done with it all yesterday. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Ring</span></div>
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I knew right away that I wanted a ring that would match well with my engagement ring because I would like to wear both of them together. So I decided that an eternity band would work best. I decided against an eternity band with diamonds all around because 1) I am told by many people that the stones on the bottom tend to fall out and need repair from hitting it against tables, opening doors and just every day wear and tear. 2) because if it has stones all around it you cannot resize it. So you are stuck with one size which if you gain weight or lose weight could become a problem. I chose to have my eternity band with half band of stones and bottom half just plain 14k white gold. I also wanted a very slim and tiny band that wouldn't take away from the engagement ring which is my bling bling ring (lol!). I started looking for what I wanted online and comparing prices. We are definitely on a wedding budget and had a certain number in mind of what we wanted to spend for both rings. As we looked in different jewelry stores it was pretty obvious I would either have to plunk out more money than expected or I had to choose something I wasn't crazy about. Enter my mother to the rescue! She has truly been amazing and came up with a wonderful solution. My parents have been divorced for some time now. However, on their 10 yr anniversary she got a beautiful diamond ring with lots of larger sized stones. Since she is no longer married and doesn't wear the ring she was so kind and thoughtful enough to offer to give me half of the stones in the ring to have my jeweler create an eternity band for me. This saved me lots of money because I just had to pay for the gold and the work to make it. Aside from saving lots of money this way, I was touched by the sentimental value of those stones and how unselfishly my mother gave me them. She will save the rest of the stones for my sister if she wants them for her own wedding or for another piece of jewelry. I love it. I am so excited to pick it up. I am so excited for my wedding!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is exactly what I was looking for. Something simple and very thin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2oTH9sP3VgQ45A-ty2IJM_WifnHs8Kln3CgVxdNn-lPKvvc3cyWBQNn7HXsGze-w3ON_zE3R5QyueuZuAprDz1TYOd-b9F6J9tsG82cHPtKcqfuK4O0_2JR3Sv4BEFtSO8DmCcSHHwcm/s1600/20140612_163722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2oTH9sP3VgQ45A-ty2IJM_WifnHs8Kln3CgVxdNn-lPKvvc3cyWBQNn7HXsGze-w3ON_zE3R5QyueuZuAprDz1TYOd-b9F6J9tsG82cHPtKcqfuK4O0_2JR3Sv4BEFtSO8DmCcSHHwcm/s640/20140612_163722.jpg"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is essentially what my rings will look like once its completed only slightly larger stones (thanks momma!) :) </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Peter's Ring</span></div>
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Peter debated for a while about what he wanted for his ring but he knew right away he didn't want any stones in his and wanted it on the plainer side. The first ring that we saw for him was a beautiful two tone ring with white gold inside lined with yellow gold and mil grain detail on the edges. But then he started leaning toward a solid yellow gold band on our second trip to look at rings and decided against any type of mil grain or textured finish. BUT THEN he saw a really nice white gold band with a brushed texture with polished white gold on the edges and I was sure he was going to go with that one. BUT THEN he changed his mind again at the last minute and ultimately decided to go with a simple white gold band. We pick it up in 2 weeks because it needs to be resized and polished. Once we pick it up I am planning to get it engraved with our first initials and our wedding date ♡</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete's ring will look just like this one.. 14K WG</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The wedding is so close. I will have so many things to discuss in the upcoming weeks as everything starts to really kick off. Thanks to everyone who has read my blog and followed my journey to the altar. I love blogging and hope to continue blogging about my life as a married woman! Only 68 days til that happens!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Til next time,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Michelle </div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-11599968288264442702014-06-12T17:38:00.000-07:002014-07-07T10:57:15.269-07:00My Bridal Shower<div dir="ltr">
I just wanted to do a quick blog post on my lovely bridal shower that was held this past Sunday June 8th. I had a great time with my friends and family. It was a beautiful day. Although it was supposed to be a total surprise, I managed to get my sister/MOH to let me know the date of the shower so that I could make sure I looked my absolute best! Everything else was a secret. I had no idea about the location, time or guests. </div>
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Peter dropped me off at a really nice restaurant for lunch and I was so excited to see all of my guests when I walked in! We mingled, we ate delicious food and cake and I opened some awesome gifts! Below I've posted a few pictures from the bridal shower! Enjoy :) Only 94 days left!! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMcTHGaAPyyiZ7K6cTTeBwIG0aocjkGlYojK8Ar7gi9gPRiYpGVypGMVkGM6G4-VUTtKAckZ6TbnJe_hl3fCrsEQi6B02Zp_XXmJt7kx9dOQv2ZBRhhLq9Gis87-eMHcrsI2_mgzTjPVa/s1600/20140608_115514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMcTHGaAPyyiZ7K6cTTeBwIG0aocjkGlYojK8Ar7gi9gPRiYpGVypGMVkGM6G4-VUTtKAckZ6TbnJe_hl3fCrsEQi6B02Zp_XXmJt7kx9dOQv2ZBRhhLq9Gis87-eMHcrsI2_mgzTjPVa/s640/20140608_115514.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me walking into the bridal shower...Pete is behind</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nhN1GrRHePxYe3iJXonHnJp3fwVHzx-O_npQESc5sjWoVQPZs0z1mYbxBHjsMrcAVMzxsoInWVj6K7tpPSF7w-tM0Z1HtnNbV8qyzDE-GFJL9fqdsVlEt1HE54kgthBqm8Qp9o29sBHx/s1600/IMG_208086151882298.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nhN1GrRHePxYe3iJXonHnJp3fwVHzx-O_npQESc5sjWoVQPZs0z1mYbxBHjsMrcAVMzxsoInWVj6K7tpPSF7w-tM0Z1HtnNbV8qyzDE-GFJL9fqdsVlEt1HE54kgthBqm8Qp9o29sBHx/s640/IMG_208086151882298.jpeg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Peter before he left me with the ladies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDFn6YlOxLNBqW6uf_uu1nrs5j8xO9fKeUJBgolcgpA-9cijTq4o1wvd9KcXEtG2pw8Kz9mAu7u44P39yjWQmoGSkEJMc4NW8RqPLpV4s4YLLeMXqiNfgzErhx9LoR_ZFLloPaPoZmXol/s1600/IMG_208202783931857.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDFn6YlOxLNBqW6uf_uu1nrs5j8xO9fKeUJBgolcgpA-9cijTq4o1wvd9KcXEtG2pw8Kz9mAu7u44P39yjWQmoGSkEJMc4NW8RqPLpV4s4YLLeMXqiNfgzErhx9LoR_ZFLloPaPoZmXol/s640/IMG_208202783931857.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you to my sister and mother for putting this whole day together for me! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDaEDrp_jVQnjGHMGCwrG9obGRebFdIVe3HAeBJgmEJ6-BJ2O_DF2GfeOHkYKLMGBp7x2zGF37XUt7NGR7RjjwNsNUUOJEWXUQStEixD41ts_oOfhTNMdDXIjQbovJ6LqBEVNjr8FPQUR/s640/IMG_20140609_104351.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These were the lovely bridal shower favors! So cute! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two cousins, me and my sister <3</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cake...simply delicious!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me!! <3 </td></tr>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-24994232485422604912014-05-26T17:08:00.000-07:002014-05-26T17:09:15.820-07:00Honeymoon Booked!Happy Memorial Day! I am very happy to have a day off from work today but still managed to wake up early. So I thought I had some good quiet time to share the good news! We booked our honeymoon!<br />
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Our wedding is now a little under 4 months away and we needed to get the ball rolling as far as our honeymoon planning. I have 2 weeks off after the wedding that I already scheduled off from work. I wanted to have a nice long break after all the prepping and planning was over. Originally, we had thought we would be going on a cruise to Bermuda but decided against it because we wanted to just enjoy one place and stay on land. Plus we were interested in going to an all-inclusive resort, where we would pay for everything upfront and not have to leave the resort or worry about food/beverage costs later on. </div>
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I love to plan trips. So as soon as we decided to do an all inclusive I immediately went online to find the best vacation package. I was looking for something affordable and nice in a good location and directly on the beach. We are on a budget as far as wedding savings so I had a certain price in mind that I knew we could not go over. After searching different websites, comparing prices, tweaking dates, changing our minds completely, and then some more searching and comparing I finally found us the perfect place... Montego Bay, Jamaica! I have only been to Jamaica once for a few hours during a cruise many years ago. So this will be a nice time to really enjoy the island once again and experience the beautiful white sand beaches. We will be staying for 6 nights at the Riu Montego Bay resort. We have stayed at other Riu resorts in the past and found them to be a really nice value. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Jamaican beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunn's River Falls- I hope Pete and I get to climb up it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The resort! Right on the beach like I need!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pools..I can't wait to be in them!</td></tr>
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Some quick tips that I have for planning a honeymoon:</div>
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1. Check up on weather patterns! - We knew ahead of time that September in the Caribbean is rainy/hurricane season so we took that into consideration when choosing our location. We found that compared to some other places, Jamaica was less rainy and has experienced the least amount of hurricanes. In reading other traveler reviews they mentioned that the little bit of rain experienced did not interfere with their vacation enjoyment. If your concerned about the weather during your honeymoon make sure you look for locations that have good/tolerable weather for the time of year you want. If the price seems too good to be true make sure it's not because of the season. </div>
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2. Look at all the options - I used the help of 3 different websites when researching vacation packages. I found that different websites have different deals and price points for the same hotels. I used Expedia, Orbitz and Priceline websites. I found that one of these sites offered better flights and accommodations for lower prices on the same exact vacation packages. Take the time to look at all the options and choose the best site to purchase your package.</div>
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The wedding is starting to get close... I'm very excited and even more so now that our wonderful romantic honeymoon is booked. I can't wait to share that in a future post! </div>
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xo,</div>
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Michelle G</div>
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Only 111 days to go!</div>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-72804681255274855432014-03-23T08:46:00.000-07:002014-04-17T07:18:05.187-07:00Planning Our Interfaith Ceremony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Pete and I began our relationhip one ofis the f Roman Catholic (with communion and confirmation pics to prove it) and Pete is Jewish (converted, bar mitzvah'd and all). Throughout the years of our relationship we have worked together to keep balance between relationship and religion. We always try to be respectful of both faiths. We spend most Jewish holidays with his family and Catholic ones with my family. So far it's worked out well for us.<br>
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When we got engaged we realized quickly that planning a ceremony would be a little different than what I had always imagined or expected. Growing up I always thought I would be married in church by a priest. I never thought I would marry someone who was from a different religion and so I had to come to terms with the fact that we could not get married in church by a priest. It bothered me a little bit at first but I got over it and now I am glad that we can do our ceremony at the same place as the reception. It makes it much easier for our guests who won't have to travel in between ceremony and reception. It will be a nice easy transition from ceremony to cocktail hour and then reception. </div>
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Finding a suitable wedding officiant proved to be a little tricky. This is a wedding so the most important aspect of it is the marriage ceremony. We wanted to find an officiant who would know how to blend both our faiths into one ceremony that reflected how we feel about eachother and reflects our religions without feeling too Catholic or too Jewish. We wanted a balance of the religions. The issue we found was finding an officiant who understood that. </div>
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Since I am pretty much the first in my group of friends to get married (same goes for Pete) we had no recommendations for an officiant so I had to scout one myself. I read weddingwire.com reviews for officiants near me. I found a few officiants and scheduled appointments to meet with each of them in person. The issue I found with many of these interfaith officiants is that 1. They either knew more about one religion and not enough about the other OR 2. Everything was too general/generic sounding meaning they didn't really touch on any religion's aspect at all. </div>
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Some tips for finding your officiant</div>
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1. Start early...the sooner the better. This allows for plenty of time to find the best fit and more likely the officiant still has that day open. This is a very personal and special moment. Make sure you find someone who takes the time to get to know you. Ask friends and family for recommendations if they have already gone down this route.</div>
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2. Meeting in person is a must. We met with 3 different officiants before choosing one. Make sure you feel comfortable and that they understand exactly what you want. If you don't feel a connection keep looking until you find someone who "gets you." Someone can look great on paper and on their website but then seem very different in person. Meet them, discuss your vision and make sure they know how to deliver.</div>
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3. Come prepared and know what you want (or at least an idea). The first officiant we met asked us what we wanted in our ceremony and we drew a total blank. We wanted an interfaith ceremony but had no idea how much or how little of each we wanted to include, did we want a unity ceremony?, did we want everyone to wear a yarmulke? , did we want to include hebrew prayers?, etc. So needless to say we came a little ill prepared for our first officiant meeting. Before you meet with anyone make sure you are first meeting with eachother and discussing these details. </div>
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4. Shop around for the right fit. This kind of goes hand in hand with meeting in person. Do not feel pressured to make a decision and book the first officiant you meet unless you feel absolutely sure this is the perfect officiant for you. We waited til we found someone who we felt comfortable with and who understood our vision. <br>
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When we met with the third officiant we were very happy that we found someone who understood what we were looking for and could easily piece together an outline of our ceremony that we thought worked well. This is what we came up with: </div>
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Rough Outline of The Ceremony </div>
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1. Groom walks down with both parents (Jewish tradition)</div>
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2. Bridal party walks down </div>
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3. Bride walks down with father only (Catholic tradition)</div>
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4. Opening remarks</div>
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5. Blessing of wine and hebrew prayers (Jewish)</div>
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6. Bible verse new testament (Catholic)</div>
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7. Unity ceremony (either sand or candle lighting)</div>
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8. Vows</div>
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9. Presentation of married couple</div>
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10. Break the glass (Jewish)</div>
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*We will also be marrying under a chuppah </div>
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I am really happy with what we came up with and it is a pretty well balanced ceremony without it being "too Catholic" or "too Jewish" for lack of better terms. Hopefully if you are reading this and planning your own interfaith wedding you can take use this as a starting point! :) But remember at the end of the day this is YOUR wedding ceremony...make sure it feels right and reflects your love. </div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Til my next post,</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Michelle</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">p.s. only 150 days left!!! </div>
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Happy 2014!! It is hard to believe it is already January and another year is here. I have so many things to look forward to this year. It is exciting, stressful, overwhelming and a little surreal sometimes to think I am planning my wedding but I am loving the ride. We took a break from doing any serious planning but now that the new year is here we are ready to get back into full gear! More on that soon...! <br />
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I have been wanting to do a blog post months ago but due to my moving to a new apartment and holiday stuff I had to push it back. Our engagement photos have officially been in for awhile but we are just recently starting to share them. We had such a nice time taking the photos and we got to meet and work with the photographer doing our wedding photos. It was a great time and we were lucky to get a picture perfect day. The weather, the sky, the breeze was just perfect. I can only hope we get an equally beautiful wedding day. </div>
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What we wore</div>
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For engagement photos our photography company suggested that we dress in complimenting outfits as if from the same catalogue without being too matchy matchy. In order to do that we bought clothes from the same store so that the colors and style would mesh well. Pete and I love the store Express and since they carry both men and women's clothes we picked outfits from this store for the photos.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a photo of our outfits! We chose classic fall colors like gray, black and camel.</td></tr>
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Michelle: Black Dress (H&M-old but Express literally had the <i>exact</i> same dress this season) , Cardigan (Express-old), Belt (Express), Bandolino boots (Macy's)<br />
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Pete: Black sweater (Express), Gray pants (Express), Black loafers (Journeys)</div>
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Our Favorite Shots</div>
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I expected to wait a few weeks before we got our proofs back but I was surprised that we got them back only 1 week later!! They came out beautiful and we are very happy with them!! Below I have posted a few of our favorite shots!! I'm planning to order a few prints to hang up around our apartment and we will also choose an image from the shoot to use on our save the date announcement.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the first shots of the day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite shot of us walking. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just you and me <3</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modeling like pros!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love <3</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cloisters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect end to a beautiful day <3</td></tr>
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XO,<br />
Michelle G<br />
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P.S. Only 255 days til the big day! </div>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-19211552335264516692013-11-25T14:40:00.001-08:002013-11-25T14:42:08.016-08:00Follow my blog with BloglovinMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-84597596408675453802013-10-12T23:07:00.001-07:002013-10-12T23:22:59.531-07:00I Said "YES!" (To the Dress)I am sitting here on Cloud 9 as I type up this blog post because today I SAID "YES" TO THE DRESS and I have officially found my gown!!! Oh the glory!!! I must admit that for me it was nothing like you see in the movies or on tv. No tears of joy, no crying mother, no dramatic gasps from my MOH as I walked out of the fitting room. I don't think I expected any of that to occur but it's funny how different things are in reality compared to what you envisioned in your head. <br />
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Today I attended a Maggie Sottero trunk show at <a href="http://www.bijoubridal.com/" target="_blank">Bijou Bridal</a>. I have been eyeing this wedding designer ever since I started browsing online for wedding dresses. I was excited when I learned that Bijou was hosting a trunk show today. So I made an appointment to attend and I'm so glad that I did because I found my dress! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bijou Bridal store in Paramus, NJ</td></tr>
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I loved the elegance of Bijou Bridal. I have gone dress shopping a few other times before but this is the first place that really felt like a bridal salon. It was a really big store, with gorgeous displays, soft colors and a really elegant feel. I believe this is their flagship location but they have a few other locations here in the States. I'm not sure if those are equally as large. Bijou also carries many different designers aside from Maggie Sottero including Casablanca Bridals (another great brand I like), Watters Bridal and Enzoani just to name a few others. <br />
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When I arrived at Bijou I already had an idea of what I was looking for. I've spent my previous wedding dress hunts trying on different kinds of dresses and deciding what I liked most. I tried different types of fabric (Satin, Organza, Taffeta, Lace, etc) as well as different silhouettes (A-line, Ballgown, Fit n Flare). <u><b>similar</b></u> dress so you can get an idea of what I chose. This is <b><u>NOT</u></b> the dress that I got (that's a secret til 9/14/14!). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different dress silhouettes. Photo from Pinterest.</td></tr>
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As I mentioned in a previous blog post I really like the fit and flare/trumpet silhouette. So when my appointment began I got right down to business looking for exactly what I wanted. I ended up trying on only 3 dresses in the whole store. This was not because they didn't have beautiful dresses but because I wasn't interested in trying on any dress that I didn't think could be "the one". I only wanted to try on dresses that had exactly what I was looking for. I ended up choosing a dress that I felt the best in. From head to toe I loved everything about the dress. It felt so fabulous being in it. Below I have posted a<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lauren dress by Maggie Sottero</td></tr>
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I can't believe I chose my dress! Things are starting to fall into place. I was so grateful to have my mother and my MOH there with me while I tried on dresses and especially since I found it with them. I'm also glad that the hunt is over with and I can keep focusing on the next plans to make without the added pressure of finding a dress. I am really looking forward to booking our wedding officiant next as we haven't done that yet. Hopefully that will be done by the end of this month and then I think I'll take a breather/break from wedding planning for the holidays. I hope you enjoyed this post! Til next time...</div>
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-Michelle G</div>
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P.S. Only 337 more days to go!</div>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-69283147850274723722013-10-07T15:51:00.001-07:002013-10-07T15:51:55.484-07:00My Bridesmaids<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcXTk9OrbN8G-_Fy_aTqrvtEEw3s3mV_Y7EAdDhWBNxVcCgdLy_ozaj_eQpHQa0_CdG9956lwONaqiUdyX537lD97Ziy9hD9BsUI99n93NgnW2iaHnLjmfZcfO7TlD9TWkeraFKJF8Tfi/s1600/bridesmaids-the-movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcXTk9OrbN8G-_Fy_aTqrvtEEw3s3mV_Y7EAdDhWBNxVcCgdLy_ozaj_eQpHQa0_CdG9956lwONaqiUdyX537lD97Ziy9hD9BsUI99n93NgnW2iaHnLjmfZcfO7TlD9TWkeraFKJF8Tfi/s320/bridesmaids-the-movie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I started out not even wanting a bridal party because Pete and I initially thought we were having a very small wedding. I thought I would just have my sister as maid of honor. But then we decided to have a bigger wedding and thought it would be nice to have a bridal party. So we decided on just 4 bridesmaids and 4 groomsmen. But that wasn't enough. We felt like we were leaving people out of such an important day. So we decided on 6 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen. I'm so glad that we are able to have such a great group of people who will be part of our wedding. This has been one of my favorite parts of wedding planning so far.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Fabulous Bridesmaids</span><br />
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I tend to keep my inner circle very small. So when I had to choose bridesmaids it was pretty easy for me to know who I wanted. I wanted people who love and support me and my relationship with Pete. I wanted people who knew me for many years and whose relationship with me has stood the test of time. I wanted people who I knew I would still be close with years after my wedding day. It is this handful of people who have remained in my life throughout it all and who I felt should stand up there with me on what is to be the most important day of my life so far. So here they are... my fabulous bridesmaids!!! :)<br />
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This is me and Jessica, my sister and Maid of Honor (MOH). I chose my sister because she's the closest to me and I couldn't imagine anyone else standing up there as MOH. It is a big honor and my sister is deserving of it. I know she will do a great job! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmen and me at the Britney Spears concert!</td></tr>
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Here's a picture with my cousin, Carmen. I also asked her to be part of my bridal party. We have many childhood memories and she is one of my closest cousins! We don't always get to see each other often but it's always a good time when we do. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica, me (blonde) and Laura during ! </td></tr>
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I also asked my other cousin, Laura to be a bridesmaid too. I am very lucky that I get to see her a few times a year especially during the holidays! I have watched her grow up into such a lovely young woman. She's always been there and I'm happy she will be there with me on my wedding day!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kristina & I at her rehearsal dinner!</td></tr>
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Kristina and I have been best friends since we were in Kindergarten. Even though she moved away and we grew up apart we always stayed in touch and visited when we could. She got married last year and I was part of her day. When I got engaged, I knew she had to be part of mine. Our friendship has lasted over 20 years and I feel confident it will last at least another 20! I'm so glad she will be a bridesmaid!</div>
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I have a lot of really fun memories with Carissa. We have been friends since 5th grade and even got to go to college together! She is someone who I know I can always have a good time with. We have been friends for a very long time and I'm glad we have so many fun memories to laugh about together.</div>
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Keisha and I have been good friends since high school days. She's awesome and has always been a good friend to me. I'm happy we have stayed friends after high school and that she will be part of my wedding day.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How I popped the question!</span></div>
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I posted a blog post previously about the Trash the Dress trend but there is another trend I am finding and it relates to your bridesmaids. More specifically, it relates to how you ask them to be part of your wedding day. If you browse through Pinterest, Etsy, Zazzle or other sites like that you might find an extensive list of "Bridesmaid invites" that come in the form of adorable note cards, jewelry, keepsake trinkets and other cute crafty ideas that all ask the same question.... "will you be my bridesmaid?" The point of it is to ask your bridesmaid in a more sentimental and thoughtful way rather then an email, call or text.</div>
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For example, one of my bridesmaids got married last year and wanted me to be in her bridal party. We were childhood best friends and she lives out of state. I received a package from her and when I opened the box it was literally a bottle full of sand and seashells with a "message in a bottle." When I opened the bottle and retrieved the small piece of paper it was a one liner inviting me to be a bridesmaid. Talk about cute!!! I had never gotten something like that or been asked in such a special way. I knew that I wanted to do something similar when my time came.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what my friend Kristina did for her bridesmaids! Message in a bottle! How cute is that!? </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of note cards I sent to my bridal party! </td></tr>
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When it was time to ask my bridesmaids I wanted to make it simple, sweet and to the point. So I decided to find a pretty note card that I could customize with ask each girl's name. I ended up ordering my note cards on Zazzle.com and I think they came out pretty cute. They are designed like an invitation and it has the wedding date along with my question. I haven't shared my wedding date with many people yet aside from immediate family. I thought this was a cute way of revealing the wedding date as well. Inside I wrote a nice message asking if they would be my bridesmaid. Short, simple, cute and to the point. Exactly what I was going for :) </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bridesmaid Inspiration</span></div>
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I know it is still super early for my bridesmaids to get their dress but that doesn't mean I haven't already been thinking of all the possibilities! I am planning to wait on choosing their dresses because I want to get my wedding dress first. But I've added a few photos from my personal wedding Pinterest board with some of my inspiration. In the beginning of my Pinterest pinning I felt like I was just pinning a mish mash of random wedding inspiration that had no theme. However, as I go back now and review my boards I have begun to see the patterns, the vision and themes. I can't even begin to rave about how useful Pinterest has been for me. </div>
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Hope you enjoyed this post! I have SO MUCH MORE in the works! I am going to a trunk show this weekend to keep looking for my wedding dress. Hopefully I will report back with some exciting news! Til next time<br />
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-Michelle G<br />
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P.S. Only 342 more days to go!<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-73449609596291199232013-09-10T10:34:00.000-07:002013-09-10T10:34:55.591-07:00Fort Tryon Park<div dir="ltr">
My previous post cast a spotlight on the vendor chosen for my wedding photos and video. Today's post is all about Fort Tryon, the park we chose to have our engagement photo session. First of all, I never ever thought I would be doing something like this! It's one thing to take a nice photo but quite another to be front and center in a photoshoot! I am so glad Pete will be there with me so we can have fun with it. </div>
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When we decided to do the photo session we realized we had to come up with a great location. Since we both really love nature and picnics we felt a lovely park would fit our personalities best. We debated between a couple of parks but it was our vendor, George Street, that suggested Fort Tryon Park. Fort Tryon Park overlooks the Hudson River and George Washington Bridge. I had never been inside that park although I have passed it by many times before. We looked up some beautiful engagement photos online done at that park and were blown away. It was the perfect choice. Since we both had never actually been in the park we decided to check it out. The park is so beautiful with amazing views of the river and bridge as well as gorgeous architecture and gardens. I am so glad we took the time really scout out the park for photo ops. We ended up having our own mini photo session. Below I posted some pictures from it. Enjoy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in the top right corner</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete's turn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete again</td></tr>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-75893345526420058592013-09-05T09:36:00.000-07:002013-09-05T09:38:21.057-07:00Vendor Spotlight: George Street Photo & Video<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Our wedding is almost 1 year away and I am starting to get really anxious to start all the wedding preparations. Up until now we have only set our date and venue. It felt silly to start planning everything so soon with well over a year before the wedding. But now that the 1 year mark is coming close I am finally feeling ready to really dig in and get the ball rolling. Time for the fun to begin! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken from George Street online portfolio</td></tr>
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Our wedding will be September 2014. September and October are 2 of the most popular wedding months so I knew we had to start the vendor search with photographers and videographers because they book up way in advance. I spent a nice portion of my summer nights researching all the preferred photo and video people my venue suggested. I also spent time stalking my married facebook friends to see what photographer/videographer they used for their weddings. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken from George Street online portfolio</td></tr>
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I had an idea of what I wanted my pictures and video to look like. I have really fallen in love with the photojournalistic approach and romantic poses. I wanted to make sure I chose a team that would give us exactly what we wanted. We will look back on these photos and videos for many years and so it was super important for us to make sure we get that. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken from George Street online portfolio</td></tr>
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My mother was the one who actually found the website to <a href="http://www.georgestreetphoto.com/" target="_blank">George Street Photo & Video</a> and sent me a link. It wasn't one of the suggested companies or one that I had found off a friend. George Street is a great company that works with couples all over the US. They have many offices and photographers and really offer a great service. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken from George Street online portfolio</td></tr>
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I was initially drawn to the beauty and quality of the work they did. I loved the angles, the clarity, the vision of the photographers. I watched some of the videos and was blown away by their work as well. They had what I was looking for. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken from George Street online portfolio</td></tr>
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Now George Street was not the first company I had fallen in love with. There were a nice handful of companies that I had listed as possibilities but their prices were astronomical and out of our price budget set for photo/video. So I was half expecting the same for this company but was pleasantly surprised to find that the prices were not just reasonable but totally in our budget! So I sent them an online inquiry to get more information. After speaking with a rep we were assigned a wedding coordinator to meet with and go over the packages and choose a photographer. We were given an online style assessment (which I took alone without Peter lol) prior to meeting so they can match us up to photographers who match our style preference. I thought this was a fabulous idea since I had no clue what my style was. Our coordinator, Natalie, showed us a few portfolios based off our results. We fell in love with the work of the second photographer we saw. (<a href="http://www.georgestreetphoto.com/76425133-2/" target="_blank">Erik G. portfolio</a> <---this is the photographer we chose! I love his work!)</div>
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Then we looked at the videos and agreed on adding video to our package as well. I love how they edit the videos to make it look like a movie or tv show lol. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihB8CAJKTNJugLgWL4xPkKe5JlO8SJRbDSEVuA8NEc9MZfy8baMKTqLupooFGUx74O9ntN4-vUb5W3OIWxJ8Aisfnzb5KHBHIUbaGfZWkHqUF62z2T7Gdcp2CgYo5NMWY5S83G9qaT3MfK/s640/blogger-image-223711437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihB8CAJKTNJugLgWL4xPkKe5JlO8SJRbDSEVuA8NEc9MZfy8baMKTqLupooFGUx74O9ntN4-vUb5W3OIWxJ8Aisfnzb5KHBHIUbaGfZWkHqUF62z2T7Gdcp2CgYo5NMWY5S83G9qaT3MfK/s400/blogger-image-223711437.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken from George Street online portfolio</td></tr>
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The package we chose included a free 90 minute photo session that we are planning to use for engagement pictures. I wasn't planning on doing engagement pictures but since it's included we figured why not? So that gives us a new project: prepping this photo session. I will save that for another blog post though.</div>
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Sorry if this got a little long and ranty but there is just so much to mention!! Hope you enjoyed! And look out for my upcoming posts! </div>
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xo,</div>
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Michelle G</div>
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PS: if you aren't already, follow me on twitter and instagram!! @itsmichelle_g</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-40209632935319043812013-08-13T10:16:00.000-07:002013-08-13T10:16:04.945-07:00Bridal Trend: Trash the Dress (TTD) - what are your thoughts?<div>
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I am nowhere close to finding my wedding dress. In fact, I am not really even planning on starting to look for it until sometime this fall but I have been reading up on the Trash the Dress (TTD) trend and had to write a post!<br />
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So just in case you are reading this and have no clue what I am talking about let me just briefly let you know about this growing trend. From what I have gathered online, it was started by a photographer in Las Vegas over 10 years ago but has only recently gotten popular in the last 5 yrs. Basically at another time after your wedding you stage another photoshoot where the bride wears her wedding dress again and purposely ruins it during the shoot. Some brides will jump into the pool or frolick around a beach. Others run around in mud and dirt, or shred it up. I have seen brides who threw paint on their dress and even a very controversial shoot where the bride burned her dress (while still wearing it!).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FYI I believe this is a photoshopped TTD which might be a good alternative</td></tr>
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From what I understand, the point of TTD is supposed to be a fun, different take on traditional wedding photos. It allows the bride to have fun with her dress, have different kinds of poses and change things up. One site I read said that it symbolizes your devotion to your husband since you can't wear the dress again. And as one former bride I know who has done a TTD shoot said "Since you only get married once its not like you will ever wear it again. So why not?". </div>
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So what do you think of this trend? Would you do it? I certainly can understand the appeal and reasoning behind the TTD trend. And it definitely does look very fun but this is a trend that I personally will be skipping and this is why: </div>
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1. I'm too sentimental: I still have the dress I wore in my Quinceanera (Sweet 15). My mom still has my baptism and communion dress. I come from a family who holds onto this type of stuff. For me, this is a very special dress that I want to keep perfect and show my children someday. It is sacred and important because of the commitment I made wearing it. To spend so much money on a beautiful dress only to purposely ruin it seems to be a waste of money and disrespectful to the sanctity of the dress (to me at least).</div>
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2. Unforeseen dangers: Maybe I am being a little pessimistic but I have read about the bride who <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/27/quebec-bride-drowned-while-taking-part-in-trash-the-dress-photo-shoot/" target="_blank">drowned wearing her dress</a> in the river or the one who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gy6f2jFLWg&feature=player_embedded&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D0gy6f2jFLWg%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded&has_verified=1" target="_blank">burned her dress</a> while wearing it. The possibility that my safety can potentially be compromised for a photo is a huge red flag!<br />
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Anyway, hope you enjoyed this post. The next few posts will be coming soon as we near our 12 month countdown to the wedding. I'm so excited and glad to know that this is just the beginning. <br />
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xo,<br />
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Michelle G<br />
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-54858421050821725562013-08-13T10:11:00.000-07:002013-08-13T10:11:14.400-07:00Blog Spotlight: CRAZYCOZYCHIC<br />
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<i><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>*Blog Spotlight*</b> </span></u></i></div>
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I am always looking for fun and interesting new blogs to read up on. I recently got into contact with a really sweet fellow blogger, Karen from Ireland. She writes about product reviews, tags, hair and more! Please take a moment to check out her blog and show some love! <br />
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<a href="http://crazycozychic.weebly.com/" target="_blank">http://crazycozychic.weebly.com</a> <---link to her blog! </div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-61232018536383835402013-07-09T13:00:00.000-07:002013-07-09T10:11:51.846-07:00Now what?I find myself asking this question all the time.."now what?" I'm pretty sure this was the first thought in my head right after I said "Yes" to Pete and called some immediate family members to share the good news. In my immediate circle of friends I'm the first one getting married. I'm also the first grandchild getting married. My childhood best friend got married last year and I flew in two days before to stand next to her as a bridesmaid. To be honest, I have never planned nor been around someone who was planning a wedding. So after those initial first moments of awe and excitement were over I realized that I was in over my head and totally overwhelmed. I always thought I would know exactly what I wanted and that I would have the entire wedding planned out by the <i>next day</i>. However, it's not the case! There is so much to consider that I could never just plan something in a day! I think it's so easy to get caught up in EVERYTHING at once and get really lost and burnt out. So I'm taking things one at a time. There are a lot of wedding planner guides available in bookstores and online but even with those guides I am feeling my way through this process and going at my own pace. We are about 3 months into planning and have set our wedding date and location. That's it. That's all I know so far. People ask me all the time if I've done this part or decided on that and all I can tell them is "I don't know yet," because it's the truth. I haven't gotten to that part yet because I don't want to jump around to different things. So now that date and location are set...<i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">now what?</i><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">What I'm using to plan my wedding</span></u><br />
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Ok so first I should probably start out with what I'm using to get my planning in gear. <br />
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First
thing I did when I started planning was buy a folder. I needed
something that I could use to hold onto important receipts, papers,
contracts, etc. and take around with me when I go to visit venues and
vendors. I also signed up for a few wedding websites like <a href="http://www.theknot.com/" target="_blank">The Knot</a> and <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/" target="_blank">Wedding Wire</a> to
help me stay up to date with current trends, ideas, inspiration and
venue choices. Just beware of the reviews for the venues. After
reading through a bunch of them I realized that almost every review is
written by a bride/groom who had their wedding at that specific location. So of course the
reviews will be biased because let's face it, they chose the place so of
course they are going to love it! Another website that I'm using is <a href="http://www.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a>,
which is an awesome website to buy handmade/original and really
creative stuff through independent vendors. I like going on this site
to browse through various different bridal decorations, invites, favors,
etc. You don't have to order from the site to find inspiration and get
ideas! I'm also using <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> to get wonderful inspiration for the wedding through pictures. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Next Steps...</u></span><br />
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<li>Vendors: My goal for <i>this summer</i> is to find and book some of my vendors. I'm planning to find a wedding officiant, DJ, and photographer/videographer. I have a few others on my list but these are the ones I would rather book sooner than later. </li>
<li>Workout/Diet plan: Because let's face it, we all want to look fabulous on our wedding day! I was doing so well but fell off the wagon last summer. I'm back on now and have been working out about 3-4 times a week for about 40-60 minutes doing moderate/high intensity workouts at home. I'm doing both cardio and strength training with hand weights. I'm debating on whether or not to officially join Weight Watchers but I'll probably just do it on my own. I will post a different day about the exact workouts/diets I'm doing. Also, Pete just joined a new boxing gym nearby. I'm so glad that we are both making an effort to get in shape for our wedding! <3 </li>
<li>Keep pinning: Since I'm still in the early stages of planning I am still open to ideas and gathering inspiration. I'm still very open to the many possibilities and this is such an important day that I want to make sure I plan every last detail. I've been using the Pinterest app on my iPhone to pin images that give me wedding inspiration or an idea that I want to use. </li>
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I think that about sums up where I am so far with everything. Which isn't too far but I have more than enough time so there's no need to rush. I hope my next post will have more fun details! Stay tuned!<br />
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-Michelle G <br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-60858723696032369942013-06-15T19:55:00.000-07:002013-06-15T19:55:06.370-07:00Let the wedding planning begin!!The past 2 months have been pretty crazy and hectic for me. I got engaged in April and ever since that day things have been a bit chaotic. Between work, traveling and trying to plan a wedding this is actually the first moment I've had to really blog about it. I've been toying around with the idea of blogging my wedding planning. I think I'm just gonna do it. I think it would be awesome to be able to look back at the whole process and have it as a nice memory. So here we go... blogging about my wedding planning adventures.<br />
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Pete and I waited about a week or so before we started with our wedding planning. Typical me even bought a special "wedding folder" so I could hold onto my notes, brochures, business cards and other important paperwork. The first thing we decided to do was come up with a guest list. We felt that the best way to figure out how big of a venue/reception hall we need is to figure out how many people we need to accommodate. This would also help us come up with a wedding budget. Since we both don't come from very large families we are able to keep the guest list down to closer family and friends. At this point, our list is about 125 guests. </div>
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The next step was finding a venue and choosing a wedding date. In order for me to continue on with the rest of the planning I needed a place and a date/time. The hardest part of this process so far was choosing the best place to have the wedding. There were pros and cons to consider. </div>
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<u>POSSIBLE WEDDING VENUES</u></div>
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Here are the places that we looked at for our wedding <3 Since Pete and I are having the wedding ceremony at the venue we need to make sure they have a nice place for it to take place. I only chose to look at 7 places because after awhile the prices are comparable and venues start to all the look the same. I narrowed it down to these 7 places and attempted to make a decision based on that. I was lucky enough to have found my venue amongst one of these 7 but had I not, I may have kept looking. Our wedding day is set: 9/14/14 at one of these lovely venues listed below!<br />
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The Clubhouse at Patriot Hills</div>
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<a href="http://www.patriothillsny.com/" target="_blank">http://www.patriothillsny.com</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7vSx0XQvX6nCegGXx6yZ-DRsy9nvi2uk7ohYwI8IaJ5oN9kGpHJeqaD0lI9cawlHtn5ynWr-8nQS8U-3gfHFM7zMhtyQlmUU4wo7ZHY7z0WRDuWQw0GUNHYWDZBC8y2c049Zocv6WHlU/s1600/patriothills.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7vSx0XQvX6nCegGXx6yZ-DRsy9nvi2uk7ohYwI8IaJ5oN9kGpHJeqaD0lI9cawlHtn5ynWr-8nQS8U-3gfHFM7zMhtyQlmUU4wo7ZHY7z0WRDuWQw0GUNHYWDZBC8y2c049Zocv6WHlU/s400/patriothills.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Clubhouse at Patriot Hills, Stony Point, NY</td></tr>
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The Nyack Seaport</div>
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<a href="http://www.nyackseaport.com/" target="_blank">http://www.nyackseaport.com</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFRMbnN3dwZr2y_eUHNiJyxdPMNPUnKIARMEFBKur6xFoXD1dXvfkPQUlLHCTSYpw73glmsZ7a1feOUl761LZe0JZp-UAus6aZfxU1VB1sVR_NwdB-STWD0w8MhfnqPcCVv4au1dnSiQd/s1600/nyackseaport.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFRMbnN3dwZr2y_eUHNiJyxdPMNPUnKIARMEFBKur6xFoXD1dXvfkPQUlLHCTSYpw73glmsZ7a1feOUl761LZe0JZp-UAus6aZfxU1VB1sVR_NwdB-STWD0w8MhfnqPcCVv4au1dnSiQd/s400/nyackseaport.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Nyack Seaport, Nyack, NY</td></tr>
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The Colonial Inn</div>
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<a href="http://colonialinnnj.com/" target="_blank">http://colonialinnnj.com</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARg86VWiQdxfqSxU31nuaAI86MDzy07XNNl37E4w1h0q3PpFH95njHtlGZyGNA_6bHQBSErBP_t1wDJa5AJDGCBAohOxRQPpcm3VhGwPrCjd2t-ud2N7Z5hBmePeLO3CFO4eVUOm3ywPa/s1600/colonialinn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARg86VWiQdxfqSxU31nuaAI86MDzy07XNNl37E4w1h0q3PpFH95njHtlGZyGNA_6bHQBSErBP_t1wDJa5AJDGCBAohOxRQPpcm3VhGwPrCjd2t-ud2N7Z5hBmePeLO3CFO4eVUOm3ywPa/s400/colonialinn.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colonial Inn, Norwood, NJ</td></tr>
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The Estate at Florentine Gardens</div>
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<a href="http://www.florentinegardens.com/" target="_blank">www.florentinegardens.com</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbpa4PkpLYxWyA17rs67tHfaw1DF8KYSPZMHNuDKW2O_UpHSJvq80QtB3ZwmyxDFoAgwO6LBYbVw7ujL_r6dedS3xCy9S8EC1kC5RT5iz2h-xiQAMMD2m8QtXluPpyzkQTcGaiqWuB4Hl/s1600/florentinegardens.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbpa4PkpLYxWyA17rs67tHfaw1DF8KYSPZMHNuDKW2O_UpHSJvq80QtB3ZwmyxDFoAgwO6LBYbVw7ujL_r6dedS3xCy9S8EC1kC5RT5iz2h-xiQAMMD2m8QtXluPpyzkQTcGaiqWuB4Hl/s400/florentinegardens.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Estate at Florentine Gardens, River Vale, NJ</td></tr>
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Old Tappan Manor</div>
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<a href="http://www.oldtappanmanor.com/" target="_blank">http://www.oldtappanmanor.com</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4Ny0kDqo0F5GwR5CR57kd1Uo6Hk_5bHcCzmoy8ChpCE8JQzfxbcVeVSpLN43snVlEnz0cwTn-jQRtO5i3IyG2ElFkfnsvyS9_-KuDN2V2thb-WFTJJ_ZD6CCpOE-ZSqCy1Dd5SqlbBiS/s1600/oldtappanmanor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4Ny0kDqo0F5GwR5CR57kd1Uo6Hk_5bHcCzmoy8ChpCE8JQzfxbcVeVSpLN43snVlEnz0cwTn-jQRtO5i3IyG2ElFkfnsvyS9_-KuDN2V2thb-WFTJJ_ZD6CCpOE-ZSqCy1Dd5SqlbBiS/s400/oldtappanmanor.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Tappan Manor, Old Tappan, NJ</td></tr>
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The Tides Estate</div>
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<a href="http://www.thetides.com/" target="_blank">http://www.thetides.com</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYV89_J4804H4tWetTGf_eszbgFY_6rSgCEkFc5C1GTlUG-k_3u45oaBJfPBRA9MOj09Pg1w3ZzraT3VKLB-rb-AUgy_xpXhlOlQE0p7fVByYMQW5JzVNHJphZ7aN0Ksq1NTEMxmNCCgw/s1600/thetides.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYV89_J4804H4tWetTGf_eszbgFY_6rSgCEkFc5C1GTlUG-k_3u45oaBJfPBRA9MOj09Pg1w3ZzraT3VKLB-rb-AUgy_xpXhlOlQE0p7fVByYMQW5JzVNHJphZ7aN0Ksq1NTEMxmNCCgw/s400/thetides.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tides Estate, North Haledon, NJ</td></tr>
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View on the Hudson</div>
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<a href="http://www.theviewonthehudson.com/" target="_blank">http://www.theviewonthehudson.com</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The View on the Hudson, Piermont, NY</td></tr>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-71062381603425887442013-04-28T15:21:00.001-07:002013-04-28T15:23:05.544-07:00Engagement + Our Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Beyond excited and blessed to be able to share such a wonderful announcement. A few weeks ago I got engaged to my best friend, Peter. We are so happy and excited to begin this new chapter in our lives together. We have been through so much over the years and through all the ups and downs we have continued to make our relationship a priority. I love him so much and I am ready to see what our future has in store. </div>
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<b><u>OUR STORY</u></b></div>
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I met Peter one evening in a restaurant about 7 years ago. It was June and I was a few weeks into my summer break from college. I had been working all day taking care of kids. I was tired, messy and ready to spend my evening at home taking a nap. My 2 friends invited me to get dinner at one of our favorite casual spots. Since it was a casual hangout spot I didn't think to change my clothes (or put on more makeup). I just went looking like a total mess. </div>
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We got to the restaurant and sat down. As soon as our waiter came to take our order I regretted not changing or fixing myself up. As soon as I saw him I felt an instant attraction to him and I felt that I liked him right away. I looked at his name tag, it read 'Peter.' He immediately smiled and was very outgoing. He said hello to my girl-friend, Keisha. They happened to know each other from school. They small talked for a bit (while I tried not to stare at him) and then he took our order. From the get go I could tell he was really easy going, friendly and easy to talk to. I secretly cursed myself for not having changed my clothes, combed my hair and freshened up. Since when did this restaurant hire cute waiters?! When he started flirting with Keisha, I figured I didn't have a shot. So I just admired him while he served our food and refilled my drink. I never thought anything would ever come from this encounter. And nothing really did, but it was the first time our paths crossed and the first time we ever met. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sIBdDaD5Rb2DkeN7pt2GwA9HZ4BgV8yeyBYSFIe_Dm54PyeFrnFc_rLSGpmyn-g2fd_5qu8OqZK19OXspIVNiDkcYLiIR10ma8gm5_6Kb01oRQs7JgvWPQal5QQy3uCj0ZJTPIM3Icpm/s1600/HPIM1342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sIBdDaD5Rb2DkeN7pt2GwA9HZ4BgV8yeyBYSFIe_Dm54PyeFrnFc_rLSGpmyn-g2fd_5qu8OqZK19OXspIVNiDkcYLiIR10ma8gm5_6Kb01oRQs7JgvWPQal5QQy3uCj0ZJTPIM3Icpm/s320/HPIM1342.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete in his waiter uniform. This is basically exactly what he looked like the day we met. </td></tr>
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It might have been a few days or maybe a week later that I returned to the same restaurant with Keisha and another friend. It just so happened that Peter was working there again that day and we happened to get seated in his section again. This time I had come looking a bit more presentable. Of course he started flirting with Keisha but then he also talked a bit with me as well. He was so nice and friendly and I really liked him. Keisha wasn't interested but I sure was. At the end of our meal he left us a card with a link to his MySpace (this was back in the old days of social networking). I'm not sure if he left it for Keisha or if he left it for me but I took it and friended him on MySpace. I didn't think anything would come of this but I figured if anything maybe I could make a buddy to give me free ice cream lol. He messaged me right away that he recognized me from the restaurant and from there we started talking online, then on the phone until he asked me on our first date. As they always say...the rest is history!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & My Love</td></tr>
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He is my best friend. I can tell him anything and share everything with him. He loves me and accepts me. I can be myself with him. I feel safe and secure with him. He makes me laugh, he helps me with anything I need. If I have a problem, he is there trying to fix it with me. He loves me and he loves my family. He loves my dog too :) He is a wonderful person and I am so blessed that I met him. <br />
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<b><u>How Pete popped the question!</u></b></div>
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I have always said that I would never want a public engagement meaning I would never want other people to be present during such an intimate and special moment in your life. This is just my own preference. So places like a restaurant, sporting event or holiday parties are not my thing. Pete picked the best spot near our house to ask me to marry him. When the weather is nice, Pete and I love to go to our favorite little park to have picnics and just relax and enjoy nature. He took me for a walk to our favorite park and as we stood by our spot he had a guitar player come and start playing Bruno Mars "Marry You" in the background while he asked me. It was low key, private and sweet. The best part was that it was in our park at our favorite spot which made it very sentimental and thoughtful. Of all the places near my house, this spot was the most appropriate I think. And he did an amazing job picking out the ring!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf337N6xzLZ3g33g2cLHtuJ9m8P59ACEsyUiUQMVSHP4JaXK_KQXzHL-c1MNccTNEeWMFBJV5EOmOsjeqT4rCkUofGpU18VQOFyfH__FWrFzzMFuX4QYj-rmD34yG8aPVwtzxYzdqxp1MA/s1600/ringonit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf337N6xzLZ3g33g2cLHtuJ9m8P59ACEsyUiUQMVSHP4JaXK_KQXzHL-c1MNccTNEeWMFBJV5EOmOsjeqT4rCkUofGpU18VQOFyfH__FWrFzzMFuX4QYj-rmD34yG8aPVwtzxYzdqxp1MA/s1600/ringonit.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My gorgeous engagement ring! I love the personalized birthstone added underneath! Aquamarine <3</td></tr>
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I am just in the early planning stages of our wedding. I am overwhelmed but also very excited to plan this important day with Pete. I think I will be blogging alot more in the next few months as I make preparations for everything. I hope to be able to share my journey.<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Michelle G</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-25560082563240158512013-02-15T13:10:00.002-08:002013-02-15T13:10:32.155-08:00A Recent HilightHappy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone had a wonderful V-day! I am posting a day late but hopefully everyone is still in the loving spirit. Anyway, I have been quite the slacker when it comes to posting on this blog and that is simply unacceptable. I am going to try very hard to blog more regularly. I have been so busy since starting a new job that I barely had time to post. I was lucky enough to get out of work early yesterday for V-day and so I took advantage and enjoyed a lovely dinner with my boyfriend. Before we left, he picked me up and gave me my gift. My boyfriend usually always gives me jewelry for this occasion so I was surprised when he came into the house with balloons and a Steve Madden retail bag. I love Steve Madden shoes although I must admit that I do not own many. Nevertheless, I have been eyeing the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20target=%22_blank%22%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=hilight%20steve%20madden&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=hilight%20%2Caps%2C165&tag=itsm0bd-20&url=search-alias%3Dshoes%22%3ESteve%20Madden%20Hilight%20Sneaker%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=itsm0bd-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Steve Madden Hilight Sneaker</a> for awhile now. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hilight in black</td></tr>
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They are the sneakers with the hidden wedge in them that resemble an updated hi-top sneaker. I know originally these sneakers came out awhile ago from Isabel Marant for over $800 but over the past few months many other brands have come out with their own version of this design that are a bit more affordable. So I was really surprised when I opened the Steve Madden box and see these shoes! At first I wasn't sure if I would like them <i>on me</i> but once I put them on I was surprised at how comfy they were and how cute they look with a good pair of jeggings! Plus not to forget, if you are short like me<br />
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(5'2 and under) these sneakers elongate your legs and make you look taller and slimmer! They come in other colors but for me I love to buy things in classic colors like black so that I can wear them with a lot of different outfits. They function like a bootie but have the look of a sneaker and if you grew up in the 90's you will also love the retro hi-top feel of this sneaker. I plan on wearing these baby's all through Spring 2013! </div>
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What shoes will you be strutting in this spring? </div>
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Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-53434411558374631232012-11-08T12:57:00.000-08:002012-11-08T12:57:41.147-08:00Get Jessica Burciaga's signature look!One of my favorite models is Jessica Burciaga. She's been on the scene for awhile now. From what I know she gained popularity on Myspace (remember those day?!) and was featured on The Girls Next Door after Holly Madison discovered her on Myspace. Anyway, the girl is absolutely stunning and flawless! Recently, she's even begun to be compared to Jennifer Lopez. I found her Youtube channel (MsJessicaBurciaga) and although there are only a few videos and snippets, I found this awesome makeup tutorial featuring Jessica. Her makeup artist, Etienne Ortega, does an amazing job of showing us viewers exactly how he gets Jessica's signature smokey nighttime look. It is simple and glamorous. I have included the video below. Feel free to check out the video and don't forget to check out Jessica Burciaga's channel!<br />
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xoxo, Michelle G Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-71140095642343797372012-09-04T14:12:00.000-07:002012-09-04T14:12:42.321-07:00August 2012 Favorites!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am such a slacker when it comes to my YT channel! I haven't done a new video in a while so I decided to do an August Favorites featuring some of the products that I have been using this summer especially this past month! I'm posting the video below feel free to check it out and subscribe to my channel (it's free!).</div>
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Enjoy! ;)</div>
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xo, Michelle G</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-65959884977437446962012-09-02T18:17:00.001-07:002012-09-02T18:17:49.042-07:00Yankees vs. Orioles <div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnpSkJAc1Pry2AN65sKSJdlLnlADuXYpKrnmhZ-4gxcX6oIVKOlXNi5_QgPii371X2bLHxec_Ksc-gZsxMV02h9ct5QhSdXK_4M9snERFk-v34gZIek4YLQ21Lw8jGhXw4rRE4cjifF-P/s1600/yanks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>It's hard to believe that I have lived less than an hour from the Bronx my whole life and have never attended a Yankees game. Sports are not really my thing and even though everyone in my family has been to a Yankees game I have never managed to actually go to the stadium and see one myself. This past Labor Day Weekend I finally got a chance to go to a game! There's really no point to my post just that I'm excited that I finally went lol. It was a great day and I really lucked out with where I sat. I blindly bought these Yankees tickets without knowing anything about how the seating was. Not only did I have a pretty decent seat but lucky for me I got to be in the shade too! Being that it was over 90 degrees that day being in the shade made a big difference! Lastly, the Yankees won 4-3 against the Orioles in a really good game. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my seat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reppin the Yankees! Me & Pete</td></tr>
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Anyway, that's pretty much it. Like I said there really is no point to this post aside from sharing my Yankees experience lol. Hope everyone enjoys their LDW!<br />
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xo, Michelle GMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-44054232756933501512012-07-22T14:11:00.000-07:002012-07-22T14:11:34.251-07:00REVIEW: Maybelline Color TattoosMaybelline came out with "Color Tattoos" a few months ago. I have seen the color tattoos featured in a number of hauls but only now just picked up my very first one. I opted for the "Bad to the Bronze" color because it is a safe color and I know I am more likely to use it rather than the purple or green one. They come in an array of 10 different colors though. <br />
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So I basically just picked it up without knowing much about the product. In looking up more information about the color tattoos I found out that it a cream gel eyeshadow that is long lasting. Maybelline advertises that it has 24 hour intensity with vibrant color that doesn't fade. We shall see! <br />
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My first impression is that these are very much like the MAC Paint Pots. I own a few of the paint pots which is why I wasn't in a big rush to buy the color tattoos. They both essentially do the same thing. They start off as cream eyeshadows that dry into a nice powder form. I'm not a big fan of cream eyeshadows by themselves but I do use them as a base color from time to time. The consistency of the color tattoos and paint pots are pretty similar. I didn't notice a big difference in how they felt. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBLnRmqXS-7dOVps6ZSKAOBJidfd3Z0fqRJhj8s0urd8ITLgUrAy-DxoJqK-NLbEkqz3tSD8mNyCagZ_SexRYmQJ8eUzbY4xw9VUdPakgnYSu5V2r8yq7aOKihW3tA4s6R3B-IJJ0ltKS/s1600/colortattoo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBLnRmqXS-7dOVps6ZSKAOBJidfd3Z0fqRJhj8s0urd8ITLgUrAy-DxoJqK-NLbEkqz3tSD8mNyCagZ_SexRYmQJ8eUzbY4xw9VUdPakgnYSu5V2r8yq7aOKihW3tA4s6R3B-IJJ0ltKS/s320/colortattoo.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad to the Bronze color swatch! Very shimmery!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The one big thing I am interested in testing out with this product is their 24 hour intensity claim. Now as I mentioned before if I use a cream eyeshadow I usually use it as a base for another similar color. I find that it helps make the powder eyeshadow stick better (especially when using loose pigments). It also helps to build up the color to look more vibrant. For the color tattoos I wanted to do a 24 hour color challenge to see just how intense the color looks after I have worn it 24 hours. Unfortunately, the pictures I took of my eye throughout the day did not come out very well :( But I did keep on my eye-makeup for 24 hours (slept with it on and everything!). Using an eye primer, the color tattoo stayed in place for 12 hours without it looking faded or creasing! I also rubbed my eye and there was no residue on my finger. After a full night's sleep (24 hours later) the tattoo was looking a little faded but it was still on with no creases.<br />
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To sum it up: <br />
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Pros: Easy to find in drugstores, affordable, lasts long without creasing as advertised.<br />
Cons: Limited colors compared to MAC paint pots, tend to look a little dry <br />
Would I repurchase? Probably not unless I really needed one of the bright colors for a base. However, it is a decent cheaper alternative to the MAC paint pots. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAP3CRpMPxg-OV3lY4TDmdjd49gYtZJs3SRLE-FVKu5vUAZH2T4Kld3ff3XbrtXnmkJm_J7n_JWuK3iyIqymtYi1qviF04Qa9ejTxNuqkWnstGlo8Fr17hyphenhyphent-6f4HhJSOtyrIo_0zi1Ng/s640/blogger-image--1143772451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-25553918105889402302012-07-06T17:50:00.001-07:002012-07-09T21:03:02.703-07:00REVIEW: Salmon Concealer & Treatment by Eve Pearl <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodyv_vr2JdU7QQQqzzsSokpOILI4op3CyNh1AjgApG4V75HNubm1sTr4K0tPfloAy_U9svVWZkHx10-Tld654KQOR72M-QH-EOdXPohHfj_TCo1F0ZOC2Z1iKSltUJf5HwsRRWCIFDYFa/s1600/ep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodyv_vr2JdU7QQQqzzsSokpOILI4op3CyNh1AjgApG4V75HNubm1sTr4K0tPfloAy_U9svVWZkHx10-Tld654KQOR72M-QH-EOdXPohHfj_TCo1F0ZOC2Z1iKSltUJf5HwsRRWCIFDYFa/s200/ep.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <3</td></tr>
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For the past 2 weeks I have been using a brand new concealer made by Eve
Pearl. It is called the Salmon Concealer & Treatment. According
to the Eve Pearl website, the concealer uses the pinky/peach or "salmon"
color to neutralize the dark blue undertones that are found under your
eye. The concealer is also safe for sensitive skin because it has no
harsh fragrance, parabens, or oil. It is also cruelty free :) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRIbesI0_oh4TxC0IgYsLQj42tsi3hGnyauIJS49fvYgcAlilZ0dOzJqXkcnl6rw85oZbNHnKUTXdQNHs0kdK8FYtNkEtWO4vv0Qg84xUtCicHN73yA3XgNa9KAxLig8eQ_ZKxHM5rwou/s1600/salmon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRIbesI0_oh4TxC0IgYsLQj42tsi3hGnyauIJS49fvYgcAlilZ0dOzJqXkcnl6rw85oZbNHnKUTXdQNHs0kdK8FYtNkEtWO4vv0Qg84xUtCicHN73yA3XgNa9KAxLig8eQ_ZKxHM5rwou/s400/salmon.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon Concealer with mirror compact in Medium </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have been looking for a good concealer for over a year ever since they discontinued my favorite drugstore concealer. I have tried so many concealers this year like Maybelline, CoverGirl, Almay and L'Oreal. No matter what I never had enough coverage and I could still see dark circles under my eyes. I decided I needed to look into investing money for a better quality concealer. I had tried the Salmon Concealer at an Eve Pearl booth during IMATS and loved it so much. It had been sold out that day though. I decided that if I was going to invest in a good concealer I would try this one first since I already knew how good it was. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq20XuRSZsySmUbAjbxVMJzPnvGNEHxcpXtcZgfU6d0VoCfgPqYlz3SjiGvomTOe4pZidbORs6I35vCb_uk0aAJgrjy20g1NGYaH3nnRvQlunhYtOVEPwcybmrnvd6WjnAr8k3FJbe8b4-/s1600/darkeyes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq20XuRSZsySmUbAjbxVMJzPnvGNEHxcpXtcZgfU6d0VoCfgPqYlz3SjiGvomTOe4pZidbORs6I35vCb_uk0aAJgrjy20g1NGYaH3nnRvQlunhYtOVEPwcybmrnvd6WjnAr8k3FJbe8b4-/s320/darkeyes.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dark under eye circles in various light</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d88BP2uN3EKHL54SGhRm3EBbtUbh5K-vgGshZpA_YXJb-_A2ryYuWg8HoWMxsAKCFdCIgvqmqHrO57GLmudgvNomA5fas4C-lxjVXLp3pjsLaT1qR7L3inTq_G0C3h0SIYASNMbdyujM/s1600/lighteyes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d88BP2uN3EKHL54SGhRm3EBbtUbh5K-vgGshZpA_YXJb-_A2ryYuWg8HoWMxsAKCFdCIgvqmqHrO57GLmudgvNomA5fas4C-lxjVXLp3pjsLaT1qR7L3inTq_G0C3h0SIYASNMbdyujM/s320/lighteyes.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My under eye circles after using the Salmon concealer and a translucent powder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am so happy with this concealer! It leaves no trace of under eye
darkness when applied
correctly. It is suggested you tap it on under your eye with the tip of
your ring finger rather than
rubbing it in. This tapping method also allows you to build the
coverage you need while blending the concealer into your skin for a
seamless look. The texture of the concealer is very creamy and almost
feels like a moisturizer for your eyes. After you put on the concealer
you should make sure to set it with a translucent powder as shown in the
picture above.<br />
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To sum it up:<br />
<br />
Pros: Great coverage, safe for skin, <br />
Cons: Not readily available in stores, expensive<br />
Would I repurchase? YES!!!<br />
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Check out the Eve Pearl website for more info on the concealer and also check out the rest of the makeup line! <br />
<a href="http://www.evepearl.com/products/concealers-salmon/" target="_blank">http://www.evepearl.com/products/concealers-salmon/</a><br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-55129382432166694582012-06-19T18:47:00.000-07:002012-06-19T18:50:55.653-07:00Tips for Growing Thicker, Fuller Hair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWY5B519jJkETGbGF8CYiWn-7QsEd5Dwj74gvNrF0tX72T62cKJTXU8Kl1srcYwFPqg5bnrSWA1Mr5Go0ZELtUs7nJyy2ahcWjuUVJS8PJ4vwhltGE4il7NdpY5RWhhmCgdIzxn1bJ5b6/s1600/hair.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is no secret how much I loathe my hair. It is really thin, fine, limp, and lifeless. I would trade hair with just about anyone really. I went to the dermatologist to see if there was anything that could be causing me to lose hair or if there was a medicine they could give me that would help me grow back my hair. The doctor told me there was nothing wrong with me and that the texture of my hair had changed. Fine, thin hair is my new hair texture and I am just going to have to learn to deal. (Bummer!). There are some products that I have become familiar with that have helped my hair appear fuller and thicker as well as helped me grow more hair. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichIgJzPKnPvkJ3TIt_bBM-3NVia4j3VY3N3EpBa8LoRAIcF0ZVFT9ZW181EfxhhKC90OgkuD426vExECwP2WHOPETiXhJIl7OBomwWFtSB2Mtl3vQerdSAPfJl2FOAuGGB8OnPNE9ghFE/s1600/bigsexy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichIgJzPKnPvkJ3TIt_bBM-3NVia4j3VY3N3EpBa8LoRAIcF0ZVFT9ZW181EfxhhKC90OgkuD426vExECwP2WHOPETiXhJIl7OBomwWFtSB2Mtl3vQerdSAPfJl2FOAuGGB8OnPNE9ghFE/s320/bigsexy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>Big Sexy Hair Products</u></b>: I have been using Big Sexy Hair shampoo, conditioner and root pump for the past 2 years. I really like these products because they help give my hair volume, especially the root pump! The root pump is put in your damp roots and then you blow dry your hair for mega volume! Sometimes the products can be a bit pricey but I have been able to find them at Marshalls or TJMaxx for reduced prices. In general, I always buy volumizing hair products but if you are interested in a specific brand you can try these! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO08gC1NZASi6PGWgnErw5bi1gZ3B5VcqvyQ36ShzJqHWL3GfVDUHDmbKPscxqtHsI0YheeA8N5P2Mz0i4Xq1uQzAIAFY3jZCaMs5wIDW3mQ4xNpSWiXy-6_qKBp1glz6Jw-Y-WyPg-PSa/s1600/10547587-1319727437-58126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO08gC1NZASi6PGWgnErw5bi1gZ3B5VcqvyQ36ShzJqHWL3GfVDUHDmbKPscxqtHsI0YheeA8N5P2Mz0i4Xq1uQzAIAFY3jZCaMs5wIDW3mQ4xNpSWiXy-6_qKBp1glz6Jw-Y-WyPg-PSa/s1600/10547587-1319727437-58126.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Mitchell Strength Super Strong Daily Treatment</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Paul Mitchell Strength</b></u>: I did a YT video about the Paul Mitchell Strength Super Strong hair products. These products are designed specifically to help strengthen, smooth and repair hair. When I noticed a lot of fallout in the shower and on my bed pillow, </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I started using the shampoo, conditioner and liquid leave in treatment. I noticed within the first 2 weeks that my amount of fallout had significantly decreased! I was so excited!! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQq6Hr6KP2H_ikQeSlTwd7Q1IJd7vV73uX1sLdqa72xGeHTBajl7o_hmg3KlVEyu0DELvBbC4wQAe7pYThLhpTPf2ss05f3eZ1_Ydy2OHlKsQBC1f9X_tNAQu9F5ml4PZMT4uXFj0Ytd1/s1600/nioxin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQq6Hr6KP2H_ikQeSlTwd7Q1IJd7vV73uX1sLdqa72xGeHTBajl7o_hmg3KlVEyu0DELvBbC4wQAe7pYThLhpTPf2ss05f3eZ1_Ydy2OHlKsQBC1f9X_tNAQu9F5ml4PZMT4uXFj0Ytd1/s1600/nioxin2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nioxin Scalp Treatment 2</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Nioxin Scalp Treatment (#2)</b></u>: This was another shampoo/conditioner and leave in foam treatment I used as well. This treatment (#2) was specifically for natural fine hair that is noticeably thinning. There are different numbers for different hair textures. The treatment helps to repair the hair shaft from inside out using a combination of vitamins for the scalp. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*One thing about the foam leave in serum is that too much will make your dry hair feel greasy!*</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMN7CcYrrywyQQCQn-CcUQ1NytaJzFlouZTz2jeQnHXDtVwsopf0N3ZmbtyLZsZZoY7Z4Sm9VYHLASwJ1v7QtVXl925g1pVb9jLrcMeGJYu7WOGa5xSCb3KLaxatcWcX1R3VFDAbk2CKm/s1600/nubianheritage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMN7CcYrrywyQQCQn-CcUQ1NytaJzFlouZTz2jeQnHXDtVwsopf0N3ZmbtyLZsZZoY7Z4Sm9VYHLASwJ1v7QtVXl925g1pVb9jLrcMeGJYu7WOGa5xSCb3KLaxatcWcX1R3VFDAbk2CKm/s200/nubianheritage.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nubian Heritage Grow & Strengthen Treatment Masque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <b><u>Nubian Heritage Grow and Strengthen Masque</u></b>: I use this before I wash my hair. I wet my hair and then coat it in this hair masque for 15-30 minutes before I take my shower. It helps condition my hair and leaves my hair feeling soft and looking shiny. It says it helps to grow and strengthen by stopping breakage. I try to use this masque at least 1-2 times per week. You can find it at Target in the ethnic hair product aisle. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTLyCVENFAmZ_vKqGch-oCCJUgiVXzyBtVpSQsWoHyiMIL59_mao0bSIgCZGmFjXvfvUQuot6znli2zRVwmi7acMCgOC_I9xd3KKlSnl6uzzCHIGS3Q1_E_bpZiQhG2ERwrSiIYu9ntkq/s1600/rogaine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTLyCVENFAmZ_vKqGch-oCCJUgiVXzyBtVpSQsWoHyiMIL59_mao0bSIgCZGmFjXvfvUQuot6znli2zRVwmi7acMCgOC_I9xd3KKlSnl6uzzCHIGS3Q1_E_bpZiQhG2ERwrSiIYu9ntkq/s200/rogaine.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rogaine/Minoxidil</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <u><b>Minoxidil a.k.a. Rogaine</b></u>: I use 2% Minoxidil on my hair every time I wash it. After I towel dry my hair I add 2 full squirts of the Minoxidil all over my scalp. I have had the most success with this and have experienced increased hair growth within 4 weeks of using it! There is Minoxidil with a higher percentage but those are often marketed for men. I would be hesitant to use a stronger percentage of Minoxidil because of possible side effects including increased body hair. The only downside of using Minoxidil is that <u><b>once you start you can't stop</b></u>. If you start Minoxidil, grow back hair and then decide to stop taking it, all the hair you grew will eventually begin to fall out. I know this from personal experience. I was using Minoxidil for awhile about 3 years ago and had grown hair. I decided after some time that I didn't need to use it anymore because I had grown hair. Within a year I realized I had lost most if not all the hair I had grown. I was devastated! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWY5B519jJkETGbGF8CYiWn-7QsEd5Dwj74gvNrF0tX72T62cKJTXU8Kl1srcYwFPqg5bnrSWA1Mr5Go0ZELtUs7nJyy2ahcWjuUVJS8PJ4vwhltGE4il7NdpY5RWhhmCgdIzxn1bJ5b6/s1600/hair.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWY5B519jJkETGbGF8CYiWn-7QsEd5Dwj74gvNrF0tX72T62cKJTXU8Kl1srcYwFPqg5bnrSWA1Mr5Go0ZELtUs7nJyy2ahcWjuUVJS8PJ4vwhltGE4il7NdpY5RWhhmCgdIzxn1bJ5b6/s1600/hair.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left Pic: My hair after using Minoxidil Right Pic: My hair 6 months after stopping Minoxidil</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In January of this year, I started using Minoxidil again on a regular basis and I grew back a significant amount of the hair I had lost. So I will have to continue to use this treatment to maintain my hair growth. I am nowhere near to having a full head of thick, gorgeous Kim K hair but it's fuller than it was! *One side effect is a tender scalp that tends to get a little itchy sometimes. However, an itchy scalp is a small price to pay for having a little more hair on my head.* </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Uq36zbfT7xvHTbh1mHybDTeR8ULBhBNyAkPRU4JVm4yUtQkA976mRPPptEK2tRgGO2AtHfuC1f1OqlHTwrxd-ffunqnN3D_aIIYAxF8db9Ef5ZCoPM5OG9WPa_P4z3rmpUfuIFnuC_wz/s1600/biotin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Uq36zbfT7xvHTbh1mHybDTeR8ULBhBNyAkPRU4JVm4yUtQkA976mRPPptEK2tRgGO2AtHfuC1f1OqlHTwrxd-ffunqnN3D_aIIYAxF8db9Ef5ZCoPM5OG9WPa_P4z3rmpUfuIFnuC_wz/s1600/biotin.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biotin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Biotin</b></u>:
I was introduced to Biotin by a hair dresser who cut my hair. She
suggested that I try taking it because she heard from other clients that
it was good for hair. Biotin is basically a water soluble B-vitamin
that promotes healthy hair, skin and nails. It increases hair
elasticity which helps to stop breakage/fall out. It helps make your
hair shiny and healthy. In addition, it also helps your nails grow
faster and stronger. It also helps make your skin look healthy and
clear. I won't get into a long scientific paragraph because you can
research it more if you are interested. <a href="http://whynot1.hubpages.com/hub/Biotin-For-Hair-Growth-Youthful-Skin-and-Strong-Nails" target="_blank">Here is a useful article I found online.</a>
I get my Biotin at CVS, Walgreens, etc. You can find it in most
drugstores where they sell natural supplements and vitamins. It is also
a reasonable price; not expensive. If you have any hesitation or
questions I would contact my dermatologist to make sure it is safe for
you to use. However, I have not had any problems taking this
supplement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your hair growth and care!!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-xo, Michelle G</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904755635765848703.post-12039848191177387952011-09-15T13:09:00.000-07:002012-07-06T12:12:21.539-07:00My Favorite Eyeliners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For anyone who is looking to try a new eyeliner or looking for a different one I made this post with some of my favorites. I mainly only use black color eyeliners so everything featured is in that color. But these brands all have different colors you can buy as well. Enjoy! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyFJGWtc7F6chhvRJLy177Rqne_5QFdren20KvfUT2s_eIiYWYFeZhj_G70OAO4wfc3UZo3y_ZdR7QuaBVZ_AnaNHd99wWfUqdktjBXE8qmlJvmAYR6yEy4UC7UGUXKAirX81AH9orfQG/s1600/blacktrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyFJGWtc7F6chhvRJLy177Rqne_5QFdren20KvfUT2s_eIiYWYFeZhj_G70OAO4wfc3UZo3y_ZdR7QuaBVZ_AnaNHd99wWfUqdktjBXE8qmlJvmAYR6yEy4UC7UGUXKAirX81AH9orfQG/s1600/blacktrack.jpg" /></a></div>
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M.A.C. Fluidline in Blacktrack</div>
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This is my favorite gel eyeliner and I have tried alot of them. I find that the M.A.C. Fluidline is really creamy and therefore goes on really smoothly. It's also my go to eyeliner if I'm planning on being out all day and night and need an eyeliner that is going to last throughout the day without reapplying. I've tried drugstore brand gel liners that worked well but they dried out relatively fast compared to the Fluidline. I've also tried other professional brand liners that in my opinion smudged easily and didn't go on as well. Since M.A.C. is considered a professional brand the price is a bit more than you would pay for drugstore brand gel eyeliner but its a better product and it lasts a long time. Plus when compared to other similar professional gel eyeliners I believe M.A.C. is on the lower price end (around $15). I use this product when I'm lining my upper lash line. I put a little bit on the outer half of my lower lash line for when I want a more dramatic or smokey effect.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqS_0GuUQoCOAERNGjwI0Pvp_VHApnboMjVDTgABvQWtDX-uUA4xnksewK2D9ljykhLcwIP4qe353p05Jh2axwwOekm9Dz0S89PfB86FJdOyLZtVDI16KtdulTA8F07AHnM6UUgvw0IYd/s1600/lorealliquidintense.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263px" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqS_0GuUQoCOAERNGjwI0Pvp_VHApnboMjVDTgABvQWtDX-uUA4xnksewK2D9ljykhLcwIP4qe353p05Jh2axwwOekm9Dz0S89PfB86FJdOyLZtVDI16KtdulTA8F07AHnM6UUgvw0IYd/s320/lorealliquidintense.bmp" width="320px" /></a></div>
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L'Oreal Linear Intense Felt Tip Eyeliner in Black Mica</div>
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Hands down the best liquid eyeliner I have ever used is L'Oreal Linear Intense. The one thing to remember is to make sure you are getting the one with the felt tip. Liquid eyeliner is tricky to put on and it definitely takes a certain amount of practice before you can actually venture out of your house wearing it. I have tried a bunch of different liquid eyeliners and I found that the easiest ones to use are the ones that you use like a pen or pencil. It gives you more control of the tip so that you can draw a more precise line. The felt tip also is very flexible making it easy to line up close to your eyelashes and bend enough as you draw your line. The first time I ever got this liquid eyeliner I got the one with the felt tip and it was great. L'Oreal also makes a Linear Intense with a brush tip. I once made the mistake of buying that one by accident and it was the worst thing ever and a total waste of money. I found the brush to be flimsy and it was impossible to make an even line. I like this Linear Intense eyeliner more than other brands. Also being that it is a drugstore brand the price is reasonable (around $8-9). I use this eyeliner when I am lining my upper lash line especially when I want to do a winged eyeliner look or cat eyes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8dxTzeJXzmfbZcGP35dkjfQ2pGrskkaHitdNtpRe-AAQs37wXKzHo_a75wLknZisdkTfIVY83-OP7sn25tnWFkJcrj-ZbmSb7NdXTMegjHMBfq2khAtq082EPp7bRB-i_udhr_2_zl21/s1600/udzero.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195px" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8dxTzeJXzmfbZcGP35dkjfQ2pGrskkaHitdNtpRe-AAQs37wXKzHo_a75wLknZisdkTfIVY83-OP7sn25tnWFkJcrj-ZbmSb7NdXTMegjHMBfq2khAtq082EPp7bRB-i_udhr_2_zl21/s200/udzero.bmp" width="200px" /></a></div>
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Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Zero</div>
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I have mentioned this same eyeliner in a previous post. It remains one of my favorite pencil eyeliners ever because it is creamy and seriously glides on super easy. It's probably one the more expensive side for just a pencil liner but I've mentioned before that you can usually get one or a mini one when you buy one of the UD eyeshadow palettes. If you choose to buy it alone it is a bit pricey (around $18). I use this to line my lower lash line. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15jA2p1j91kqx2CQM-xopYRPiIB1JzxAIfVNXSYXGLwW0Bn_IP91K0CsvSD50MgV5ZnGJRgn9i2I3F2RXnDRZ5zp0P5SmlsLzkLd-5sanzR06EwDANPZS4iOheV7eex824dlDSJZdJrwV/s1600/rimmel.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15jA2p1j91kqx2CQM-xopYRPiIB1JzxAIfVNXSYXGLwW0Bn_IP91K0CsvSD50MgV5ZnGJRgn9i2I3F2RXnDRZ5zp0P5SmlsLzkLd-5sanzR06EwDANPZS4iOheV7eex824dlDSJZdJrwV/s200/rimmel.bmp" width="200px" /></a></div>
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Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Jet Black</div>
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If you want a good eye pencil that is not as much money than I also suggest trying out the Soft Kohl Kajal eye pencil from Rimmel which is available in most drugstores (around $3-4).</div>
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</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551008551660317378noreply@blogger.com0