How should the wedding cake

One of the most crucial parts of the wedding cake cutting ceremony, perhaps. If a wedding cake, wedding spectacular how much fun it is. A beautifully crafted wedding cake as a wedding stamp must hit both in appearance and taste. Wedding pastasında color is very important. Compatible with the groom and the bride's wedding clothes must be applied.

Best wedding dresses pictures

A Keepsake wedding by the sea.

Although I'm not quite ready to bid adieu to summer, Jenn's wedding at the Sea Cider Farm and Cider House has me yearning for hot autumn drinks and bracing sea breezes. The lovely bride wore Keepsake.

Photos: Jesse Holland

Bridesmaids gowns

Bridesmaids gowns

Bridesmaids gowns

Bridesmaids gowns

Bridesmaids gowns

The Art of Sabrage

Last week I had the double pleasure of enjoying the perfect pairing of champagne and chocolate at my favorite sweets store, La Maison du Chocolat. And at this event, the North American CEO of Christofle, Nicolas Krafft, demonstrated the technique of beheading a bottle of champagne with a gleaming saber.

A few years ago I planned a wedding with a dramatic sabrage demonstration. It's one of the most glamorous wedding moments I've witnessed. What a way to start off your welcome toast. And you can learn it on-line if you're brave enough to do it yourself!

Reprinted from Martha Stewart Wedding's Brides Guide.

Lace wedding dresses

Although lace is one of the oldest materials used in the making of wedding dresses, modern lace wedding dresses are anything but old-fashioned. The placement of the lace, as well as the amount, will influence the look and feel of the gown. However, even just a touch will add a romantic and traditional effect. Lace comes in a variety of price ranges, some of which are more expensive than others. If price is a concern, then simply choose a less expensive type, since all lace is inherently beautiful.

Group Photo Idea

Having a photographic record of everyone who attended your wedding is wonderful, but even the most diligent photographer may not catch an image of every single guest. And of those pictures, not many are likely to end up in your final album (some candids are just not meant to be showcased!).

When my clients are game, I love to capture a group pic, such as the one below (the guests flew in from all over the world!). The resulting photo is the perfect shot with which to end your wedding album, and it can also be converted into a beautiful thank-you note. How do we do it? The photographer and I gather everyone together right after the ceremony when all attendees are already in one spot.

How do you plan on remembering everyone who came to your wedding? (For mine, I kept everyone's RSVP cards and the sweet notes that were included.)

Reprinted from my article for Martha Stewart Weddings Bride's Guide. Photo by Karen Hill.

Leather Kindle Covers

Kindle covers (inside)

Done!

2012 photo shoot yesterday. Here I am (looking characteristically disheveled) with my amazing photographer Lisa and our stunning model, Meredith (styled by the incredible Amy). Thanks to everyone involved...can't wait to show off the new dresses!

Happy Hour: Royal 61

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz gin
- juice of half lime
- 1 oz creme de cassis
- 1 oz watermelon syrup*
- Champagne
- sugar for rimming (optional)

Mix all ingredients except in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar (optional). Top with Champagne.

Watermelon Syrup
To make watermelon syrup, mix 4 cups pureed seedless watermelon and 1 cup granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir while bringing to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Stirring occasionally, simmer until the mixture has reduced by one half in volume and becomes syrupy. Remove from heat to cool and then place in a glass bowl or jar, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps 5 days in the refrigerator. Makes 2 cups. (Watermelon syrup recipe and photo by National Watermelon Board, cocktail recipe by Yuri Kato) {Source: Cocktail Times}

Happy Hour: Sage Lady

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Absolut mango vodka
- 2 or 3 fresh sage leaves
- 3 cucumber slices
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 1/2 oz Cointreau
- Dash peach bitters

Muddle cucumber, simple syrup and sage. Shake with ice and fine strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a spanked sage leaf. {Source: Cocktail Times}

Sotheby's Important Jewels

Yesterday I had the distinct privilege of a private tour of the Sotheby's Important Jewels sale by Lisa Hubbard, Chairman of Jewellery for Sotheby's. Wow. What an experience. Over 500 jewels, each with the history of a prior owner. Turn of the century hair sticks, contemporary bangles and diamonds, diamonds, diamonds.
This is an amazing insider place to find that perfect dangle earring for your wedding, or a gorgeous engagement ring. Lisa shared with me that most jewelry sells at auction for about a third to a fifth of retail store value. Diamond prices are more normalized, but I think it's still really romantic to raise a paddle for a coveted bauble.

What's more, the consultants encourage you to try on, to browse, to ask questions and indulge. I tried on everything in sight -- a girl can dream!

My biggest "take away"? Some of these treasures are downright affordable. See for yourself at Sothebys. But the items I tried on, including the catalogue cover piece are quite "one of a kind".

"Tutti Frutti" bracelet, Cartier, circa 1928. Estimated at $200,000-$300,000

Platinum and diamond tassle earrings. I can picture these with a certain Vera Wang bridal gown...

For those of you doing your color, cut and clarity research: This 5.56 center stone is D color, Internally Flawless, Excellent Cut, Polish and Symmetry -- very rare and estimated at $725,000-$825,000. Perfection indeed!

The auction takes place tomorrow, September 20, 10am. Online bidding is an option... See you there!

DIY Yummie: Baked Banana

With Rum-Spiked Crème Fraîche
Wrapped in their skins with butter and brown sugar, bananas can be placed over dying coals to be ready for dessert when you are.

Ingredients
10 large firm bananas
1/4 pound unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons dark rum

Instructions

1. With a sharp knife, slit the peel open on each banana. Carefully remove peel, reserving it.

2. Roll the bananas in the melted butter and then in the brown sugar. Return each banana to its peel.

3. Using lengths of kitchen string that have been soaked in water, tie each banana. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, blend the crème fraîche with the rum. Set aside.

5. Grill the bananas over low coals, turning frequently, for 15 minutes, or until heated through.

6. Remove the strings and peels from the bananas and serve them on individual dessert plates with some of the crème fraîche on the side.

Source: Colin Cowie

Happy Hour: The Tot (non-alcoholic)

Ingredients
6 large strawberries
1 scoop of ice
1 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce fresh orange juice
1/2 ounce grape juice

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth consistency.

2. Pour over cubes in a highball glass.

3. Garnish with candy or fresh berries.

Source: Colin Cowie

Happy Hour: Harvey Wallbanger

Ingredients
1 ounce vodka
4 ounces orange juice
1/2 ounce Galliano

Instructions

Pour the vodka and orange juice into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Stir. Float Galliano on top.

Source: Colin Cowie

Happy Hour: Fresh Pear & Ginger Juice (non-alcoholic)

Ingredients

8 ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
8 green apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 ripe pineapples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

Instructions

Pass the pear, apples and pineapple chunks and the ginger through a juicer according to manufacturer’s instructions. Chill.

Source: Colin Cowie

Happy Hour: Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic)

Ingredients
2 pounds plus 1/4 cup sugar
1 pound fresh ginger, shredded
1 pack compressed yeast
1 cup black raisins
2 lemons, juiced
60-72 white raisins

Instructions

1. In a large pot soak the sugar and ginger in 3 quarts water overnight. In the morning, bring the liquid to a boil and allow to simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Pour the liquid into a clean pail and add enough water to total 2 gallons of liquid. Add the yeast and black raisins. Cover the pail and allow to stand airtight overnight.

3. In the morning, through a strainer, add the juice of 2 lemons. Cover and set aside for 6 days. Do not stir.

4. Siphon and strain all but a few inches of the ginger beer into a clean pail. Discard the remaining liquid, ginger, and raisins.

5. Bring to a boil 1/4 cup sugar with 2 cups water. Add to the ginger beer and stir.

6. Pour the ginger beer into 10 to 12 750-ml bottles leaving 1 inch of air space at the top of each bottle. To each bottle, add 6 white raisins and cork tightly. When the raisins rise to the top, the ginger beer is ready to be served.

Note: Be careful, the corks may pop for the first few days while waiting for the raisins to rise. Place a towel on the cork when opening bottle. This is a non-alcoholic beverage.

Source: Colin Cowie

Happy Hour: Courvoisierpolitan

In the mid to late 1990s, the Cosmopolitan became the drink of choice among hip, savvy urbanites—or anyone who aspired to that status. Here’s a variation on the Cosmo with Courvoisier instead of the usual vodka—call it a Courvoisierpolitan, or CV Cosmo, for ­short.

Ingredients
4 ounces ­Courvoisier
4 ounces Triple ­Sec
4 ounces cranberry ­juice
6 ounces lime ­juice
Slices of orange peel, for ­garnish

Instructions
1. Chill 6 martini ­glasses.

2. Pour all the liquid ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into the glasses. Garnish each with a slice of orange ­peel.

Source: Colin Cowie

How to prom dresses

While there are a few features to look out for prom dress. This show features more beautiful and you both will cost you more at an affordable price. As you might care to count them all the more of these features can also be ignored.
1 - Prom dress when you make sure to include fashion colors.
2 - The most expensive dress may not be the most beautiful dress. Make sure you stop when you dress nice.
3 - To your face, eye, face, or even choose a round or flat depending on whether the outfit.
4 - Clothes when theres someone who wants you to be one of those people really make sure that your beautiful.
5 - Very fluffy say do not buy a dress. Could trip over.

Prom dresses

Prom dresses

Prom dresses

Prom dresses 2011

yellow prom dresses

Happy Hour: Blueberry Cosmopolitan

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Ketel One Vodka
1/2 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce runny honey
3/4 ounce blueberry juice

Instructions

1. Pour all ingredients into shaker. Shake and strain into martini glass.

2. Garnish with an orange twist soaked in Cointreau.

Source: Colin Cowie

Happy Hour: Brandy Alexander

This cocktail is just right if you’re looking for something a little decadent that’s rich and sweet. Its flavors are elegantly balanced and sure to cure your cravings.

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces brandy
1 ounce crème de cacao
1 ounce heavy cream
1 scoop crushed ice
Whole nutmeg

Instructions
Pour brandy, crème de cacao, and heavy cream into a mixing glass with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a 6-ounce cocktail glass and grate nutmeg over top, to taste.

Source: Colin Cowie

Happy Hour: Convertible

Ingredients
2 ounces Bacardi Rum
1/4 ounce Maraschino liqueur
2 ounces coconut milk
1 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
5 ice cubes

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients with ice and pour into wine glass.

2. Garnish with a lime twist.

Source: Colin Cowie