Every Girl Needs A Sole Mate

We have been waiting to find this product for so long! I knew it had to exist ( some smart woman out there was sure to invent them). and now they are here!!

Have you ever been walking outside and the heel of your favorite shoe got stuck in the grass or in the grate on a sidewalk. You not only risk twisting your ankle you usually end up tearing apart the heels on your favorite shoes! Well not anymore!!

We now carry the perfect antidote to that problem. It's called the Solemates High Heeler and it will save you from ending up face first in the grass in your favorite silk dress that is only dry cleanable. They are only $12.00 for a clear pair and you can transfer them from shoe to shoe. I bought my first pair the very first day we put them out in our store! Can't wait to use them!

Amelishan Isn't All About Weddings!

We're about baby's too! And when we found out that Megan, our Merchandising Manager was pregnant we were so excited. Megan has been with us for 2 years and has played such an important role in our family here. And she is so happy to be starting her own little family! We just had her Baby Shower and I wanted to share some of the photos with you all. I love all of the blue and brown gifts which are going to go in her Blue and Brown baby's room! (Yes, it's a boy!)
She's due in October so when you see her congratulate her! She's the cutest little glowing pregnant person I've ever seen!

And A Good Sale Was Had By All

We all know how excited women are at a sale! Let alone a sale that involves finding one of the most important dresses of your life. Congratulations to all of our lucky Brides who found their dream dress at our Annual Tent Sale. As well as to all of the Bridesmaids, Mother's, and everyone else that found the perfect dress at the perfect price for their special occasion. I can't tell you how happy we were by the response we got this year at our Tent Sale. Everyone was so excited with their deals that they were squealing with delight at the cash register. I love that! It is very possible to have a dream wedding on a dream budget! We have decided to keep our clearance room open through the middle of August to accommodate all of the bargain shoppers out there right now. But shop early, things are literally flying out the door!

Seal The Deal For An Engagement!

While I am not really all for superstitions I was very curious when I came upon a recipe for a chicken dinner called "Engagement Chicken" in my 2004 subscription of Glamour. It caught my eye as I read about a Glamour editor who made the dinner for her then boyfriend, and a few weeks later he popped the question! She then (thinking it was pretty catchy) dubbed this recipe Engagement Chicken. Supposedly it is a recipe that a man imagines his future wife making and he might look at you in a new light after that. As she passed the recipe along to all her hopefull friends, rings started popping up on fingers everywhere.

My eyes widened as I read, I had been dating my now husband for 7 years at that point. (We were high school sweethearts!) I really wanted to get married, I was ready, and we had talked the subject to death. It just never seemed to happen. So, I decided to try the recipe. Why not? What would it hurt?

I made the recipe exactly as it read, potatoes and asparagus included. (Why take risks?) We sat down at my little kitchen table in my apartment and he began to eat. I watched him with curious eyes. He loved it. He'd never tasted anything so good before! I laughed to myself, knowing the little secret that he would never find out!

5 weeks later he proposed! I laughed, was it a coincidence? I eventually told him about the famous recipe for getting women engaged and he laughed and told me I was crazy! He had already decided on a ring at that point. Oh well, better to seal the deal right?

The recipe was brought up again when my Mom was telling one of our customers about the Chicken. She had been waiting years for a proposal, and she told her the funny story. Well, she definately wanted that recipe so I found it online and printed it off wishing her luck. She came back about 2 months later ring on hand ready to shop for her Bridal Gown. I laughed. It was such a foolish thing and yet it proved its magic.

I decided that more women should know about this magical recipe. But use it with caution, it truly works!

Married? Every now and then when I really want something done around the house I dig up this recipe and pop it in the oven. Works every time!!

Engagement Chicken
1 whole chicken (approx. 3 lb.)
2 medium lemons
Fresh lemon juice (1/2 cup)
Kosher or sea salt
Ground black pepper
Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Wash chicken inside and out with cold water, remove the giblets, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander until it reaches room temp (about 15 minutes). Pat dry with paper towels. Pour lemon juice all over the chicken (inside and outside). Season with salt and pepper. Prick the whole lemons three times with a fork and place deep inside the cavity. (Tip: If lemons are hard, roll on countertop with your palm to get juices flowing.) Place the bird breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn it breast-side up (use wooden spoons!); return it to oven for 35 minutes more. Test for doneness—a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 180 degrees, or juices should run clear when chicken is pricked with a fork. Continue baking if necessary. Let chicken cool for a few minutes before carving. Serve with juices.

GOOG LUCK!!

The Perfect Rehearsal Dinner Outfit

There has always been much debate on what to where to your rehearsal dinner and how formal you want to get. But the decision is totally up to you! I have always believed that weddings are such a special occasion and the Bride is going to be in every photo imaginable, so why not look your very best? I love that their are so many options out there and now you don't have to look much farther than the Bridal Salon that you purchased you bridal gown at.

We know it's been talked about for years, and we all thought people were just fibbing. But now the way they are designing bridesmaids dresses they can be used for absolutely any special occasion and no one will even know the difference. I have heard over and over again brides say " Oh I love this dress, but it just won't work for all of my bridesmaids" or for whatever reason. I say, if you love it, buy it for yourself and wear to your rehearsal dinner. I am all about women showing their feminine side and I want to see Brides shine for all of their wedding events. And the rehearsal dinner is no exception.

The key to making sure that no one even makes a comment that you are wearing a "bridesmaid dress" (SHHHH) is making sure your accessories tell the right story. Choose an open toe nude heel, for one they make you look taller and leaner, and they will keep your look from becoming too made up. (Beauty should look effortless, no matter how long it took you to look like that!)

Keep your jewelry from looking too formal, skip the rhinestones for this look and turn to a mixture of beautiful colored stones and pearls. Hair should also look effortless, if you wear it down sweep some back to frame your face and make sure it has a natural body to it. If you like your hair up, sweep it back and tie a loose bun or twist in it. Make sure you leave some strands out or you risk looking like a stern librarian!

Now's the time to wear the color that you loved but your bridesmaids refused to wear! Or if you want a more elegant look order the dress in black or a gorgeous champagne. If you are traveling for a destination wedding purchase a dress in a jersey fabric. It's wrinkle free so you can literaly take it out of your packed suitcase and throw it on for the rehearsal.

Done right you will stand out amongst everyone at the rehearsal, and you should, your the Bride. Your look should be effortless, so don't think into styling too much. And remember it's a good investment because you can wear the same dress to your friends wedding 2 months later!!

Where to Donate your Bridal Gown or Prom Dress

Since we are full swing in the middle of Wedding and Prom season I am getting a lot of phone calls about where to sell or donate bridal and prom dresses. (We are all watching our pocket books a little closer now a days!)
As far as selling there's always ebay, although with an overflow of discount bridal stores also selling on ebay, prices are going way down. If you have a couture bridal gown, weather it be new or gently used you can take a trip to Chicago's bridal consignment store White Chicago. Here you can drop off your bridal gown to be sold by trained bridal consultants. It stays there for 3 months and I believe you get 40% if it sells.

Donation to me is the best way to make an impact and be able to make some money come tax time. All donations are tax deductible and if you end up shipping the dress, shipping is also tax deductable. Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation is a wonderful place to donate your new or used bridal gown. They will take all donations and go around touring in different states to sell the gowns to hopeful brides. We have made donations to Making Memories for 3 years and it is an easy process and since everyone is touched in some way by the disease, also a fulfilling donation.

There are many other ways to donate your bridal gown and make it count towards a good cause. The Bridal Garden in New York takes donations of new and used bridal gowns with the profits benefitiing the children of New York. Again a great tax deduction for you and a great way to give to others at the same time.

If you have a prom dress to donate I recommend the Sista Pride's Princess for Prom. It runs right out of Milwuakee by The Boys and Girls Club and is for a wonderful cause!

And I know you all want to hang on to those wonderful Bridesmaid dresses from the 80's and 90's but let go and make room in your closet for other things. If you think that no one would want or use a tacky dress, think again! Many Highschool Musical and Theatre departments are happy for these kinds of donations. They work perfectly for plays or musicals set in different eras, or they alter and change them to look completely different. Call your area schools to find out if they are in need, this is also tax deductable if they have a form for you to fill out.

We get calls all the time about where to sell gowns or what to do with bridal gowns when a wedding is canceled and the dress is new and unaltered. In that case it's a wonderful opportunity to take an unfortunate situation and make it into one that benefits many.

Harley Davidson Wedding Show

Lights, Cameras, Fashion

We just had the wedding show at the Harley Davidson Museum put on by the Wedding Planner and Guide and it was a blast. First of all I have never been to the Harley Museum, and although I have never been into motorcylces, I was thoroughly impressed! Whoever designed the venue and museum did a great job. They mixed industrial, with modern, and added a touch of chic to come up with an amazing location for parties and weddings, as well as for everyone that is crazy about Harley's.

The wedding show itself was a huge success and it was great to see everyone play up the Harley colors and theme and mix it with the elegance of bridal fashions. We decided to add a little playfulness to our booth for this show with the use of the Harley black and orange and then adding the top color of the season PINK!

I think everyone that came to the show was relaxed because of the atmosphere that was made from the venue. And everyone stayed a bit longer than normal to chat up what fashions are hottest right now.

I was so excited to see what the Fashion Show would look like. We had our veil designer make some amazing new one of a kind veils and headpieces specifically for this show and I couldn't wait to see how the model worked those and our dresses on the runway. (Last minute change, the day before the show our model was changed! So it was a bit stressful to refit her the day of, but I loved how she worked the runway! She was amazing and so nice.)

The fashions shown for the night were a mix of couture and traditional bridal. We wanted to introduce the new look for 2010 in a way that knocked peoples socks off, and show off the new cage veils that are so hot right now. Of course we had to celebrate the Harley traditions as well, so we introduced the newest fashions with touches of Black, Orange, and off course a bit of Pink!

The Fashion show went off without a hitch, (that's without talking about the behind the scenes craziness!) The music and beat was perfect for the theme and attitude of the show, and the models strutted their stuff like there was no tomorrow! We saw color, ruffles, flirty bridesmaids, and simplistic bridals. I felt like I was in New York watching the fashion shows during Fashion Week.

The bridal industry is blowing up for 2010 with amazing colors, couture fit gowns, and elegant but laid back wedding themes. We love that people are focusing on the happiness of the day and not getting caught up in making it all "perfect". Brides want a dress that fits their personality and it doesn't matter if it's the newest trend or not. Bridesmaids are wearing their dresses again, (Yes, you better believe it!) and the men are looking less made up and more handsome than ever.

The Harley Bridal Show gave us a glimpse into the trends and fashions of 2010, not only for gowns, but in table trends, journalistic photography, and the newest way that brides are stepping back and letting things happen. The Industry is abuzz with excitement of the upcoming season, and we can't wait to see it all come together!