Baby Shower given with love; round 1

Although I don't spend too much time planning showers, some have have been given with love for very special people in my life. One of them being my best friend Adrienne.

Adrienne and I met in elementary school. We immediately clicked and were inseparable from the first day of school. We both planned our lives out together. We promised each other that we would be each others maids of honor, our children's god mothers and share every special moment of our lives and fortunately it has worked out in that very same way!! When she first announced she was pregnant together we cried, we laughed and we immediately began to plan the long awaited baby shower. She decided early on that she would not find out the sex of the baby (yes I went off on her a few times, but had to respect her decision) so this made the color choices a bit challenging. Knowing that I would not let her down she gave me some leeway as to the decor and here's what I came up with...

Some of the details not shown here:

• Every guest received a home made cupcake along with a personalized note thanking them for joining in our festivities.
• The packaged cookies were shipped from California (Mothers brand) and assembled the night before the shower.
• The cake was a marble chocolate and vanilla cake covered with fondant, made by both Adrienne and I.
• Each table had a different name to it like, baby cry, baby Gomez, bottle feed, nursery etc.
• We also had a scavenger hunt with disposable cameras in which the guests had to photograph baby related items.

The baby shower was a huge success and the result was a beautiful bouncing baby boy!

Baby shower pictures by Leiani Prieto

Family photo by UDS Photo

Additional foot note: Adrienne is now carrying baby number 2. We have already began to plan a fun filled round 2!!

What to wear?

I find it interesting how some guests are really not aware of what to wear for a wedding. I ask myself, perhaps they have never attended a wedding before, or if they have attended one it was their cousin Jean's wedding back in 1971.

I found this suggestion list on a website and thought it would be nice to share.

Dress up for the ladies:

•Informal Daytime(meaning not Black tie)morning or early lunch event: Short dress or suit (business attire OK for morning weddings)
•Informal Evening (meaning not black tie)late lunch, dinner: Cocktail dress
•Semi-Formal Daytime: Short dress or suit
•Semi-formal Evening: Cocktail dress
•Formal Daytime: Short dress or suit. Hats and gloves optional.
•Formal Evening or Black-Tie: Long or dressy short cocktail (beading, bling accessories, wrap, high heels)
•Ultra-formal or White Tie: Long gown, extra glitz (furs, diamonds, etc.)

Do'and Dont's for the ladies..

•I find it totally ridiculous when a guest wear white or ivory so please, don't wear white because it competes with the bride. There are plenty of other colors available.
•Don't wear black or sequins during the daytime unless the event goes into the evening.
•Don't worry about wearing the same colors as the bridesmaids or mothers. You can't possibly coordinate with everyone in the wedding party.
•Do wear something feminine and appropriate, out of respect for your hosts. Club wear, overtly sexy clothing (strapless, see-through, etc) doesn't belong at a wedding. If you have to ask if it's appropriate, it probably isn't.
•Don't wear opera-length gloves (to top of arm)or any gloves in my opinion, with anything but sleeveless or strapless gowns.
•Do take off gloves to eat or drink (why wear them in the first place??).
•Do use good judgment if the invitation doesn't specify the formality of the event. A pastel suit or soft floral dress for daytime or a little black dress for evening (after 6 p.m.) should be appropriate enough.

Wedding gear for the gents..

•Informal Daytime: Dress shirt and pants, preferably a sports jacket.
•Informal Evening: Suit (not necessarily a tie)
•Semi-Formal Daytime: Suit
•Semi-Formal Evening: Dark suit
•Formal Daytime: Dark suit and tie
•Formal Evening: Tuxedo (if invitation states "black tie") or dark suits if women wear short dresses.
•Ultra-formal Evening or White Tie: White tie, vest and shirt.

Do's and Don'ts for Him

•Don't try to get cute with a tuxedo. A black tux with white shirt and black bow tie is the best way to go. If "Creative Black Tie" or "Texas Formal" or some sort of other vague formal description is used, then going with a tux and black shirt, no tie, might be acceptable. Also, trendier cities like Los Angeles and New York might be more accepting of breaking with tradition.
•Do wear a dark suit, with a tie if the wedding is after 6 PM, and doesn't say "Black Tie."
•Don't wear a tuxedo during the day time, regardless of the formality of the event.
•Do use good judgment if the invitation doesn't specify the formality of the event. A dark suit and conservative tie will make you look elegant and fit right in!

Courtesy of www.about.com

Hottt weekend for weddings!

The media (and Vera Wang) must have been going crazy this past weekend with so many celeb weddings and events going on.

We all know that Chelsea and Marc tied the knot in a high end wedding which can easily be translated into an upscale production in New York. Chelsea wore a beautiful dress by famed designer Vera Wang while Marc, Bill and all groomsmen wore an elegant suit by designer Christopher Bailey. A very stunning and elegant Hillary Clinton wore a beautiful designer gown from Oscar de la Renta. The flowers included shades of lavender and carried the traditional monochromatic design by renowned florist Jeff Leatham. The wedding was said to be of royalty caliber.

We then learned that Alicia Keys and her beau, Kasseem Dean better known as “Swizz Beatz” tied the knot on a private mansion in Corsica, overlooking the mysterious Mediterranean Sea. Alicia also wore a Vera Wang Dress while Swizz Beatz wore a white jacket tuxedo by designer Tom Ford.

Last but not least reports say that rapper T.I. better known as Clifford Harris and long time girlfriend Tiny (real name Tameka Cottle) also tied the knot and in the very beautiful sunny weather of Miami (I agree the weekend was stunning and full of love). Reports say their ceremony was held on a private mansion on Star Island, however, a close insider advised that the actual ceremony took place on a lavish and exclusive mansion in Homestead, Florida (about 45 minutes south of South Beach). Guests lists included Usher, Jermaine Dupree and Rihanna – which held a concert in downtown the same night. The couple and friends then went on to celebrate their after party at Cameo’s on South Beach!