We just got the news that one of our favorite local jewelry designers is having an earring sale!  Andrea D’Ambrosia’s site is filled with eco-friendly and one of a kind earrings that are perfect for bridesmaids, brides and rehearsal dinners!  Click on the image above and buy yours today!

I will be at the Aveda in Georgetown talking to brides about how to go green on your wedding day along with Adele Wechsler and Aveda.

Get a signed copy of my book and check out Adele’s new line!

Persephone from Polished Image & Style will be there to help you find your perfect dress as well!

Check out the details below!

Happy Planning!

OK – OK – they are not anything like the girdles some of us had to wear way back when. (Yes, it’s true – flight attendants did have fanny checks to make sure they had their girdle on!)  These new ‘helpers’ are really somewhat comfortable.  Many society mavens and regular (you and me) people now swear by Spanx, the moderately priced innovation of Sara Blakely, who has been widely credited with reintroducing girdling to the masses, thanks to comfortable fabrics; cheeky packaging; 100 different styles that reach as far up as the shoulder and as low as the ankle and eliminating the flabby overflow known as “muffin top”; back bulge, pear thighs, flat butt, and on and on.  There are plenty of celebrity endorsements, too! Oprah was an early convert (“Spanx really changed the way I wore clothes. … I’ve given up panties,” she once told her audience) and Gwyneth Paltrow owned up to wearing two pairs at a time after giving birth.  One of the funniest bits of comedy I’ve ever seen was in Wanda Sykes’ HBO special “I’ma be Me” where she discusses her love/hate relationship with Spanx…

Spanx for the Memory!

Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey, Jessica Alba all swear by high-tech power panties.  By Drew Friedman (As seen in the New York Observer)

Mom, mothers, and grandmothers – we all want to look our best during all the festivities and these wonderful things can help you do just that. The right fit can take up to 10 lbs off that body of yours and even if you are pretty trim, check your look from the back full length in the mirror…see anything that surprises you…dismays you?  Time for the Spanx!

Other brands?  Annette,  Sassybax (cute name), Miraclesuit (don’t we all need one?), Yummie Tummie…(way too cute), ASSETS by Sara Blakely (for you flat bottomed friends), and plain ole Wacoal.

Do you have back fat?

Try this one: Annette Diva Divined shaping slip

Or belly fat?

Give this type a chance: Miraclesuit.  They offer several styles – one of which is: Extra-Firm Control Strapless Body Briefer  (but straps do come with it  – AND it come in sizes from 34B to 42 DD

There is now even a line of Haute Couture Spanx at Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom’s.

It is suggested that those who find the neo-girdles uncomfortable are probably just wearing too small a size. “You don’t want to smash your butt; you just want to organize things.”

A woman stands up a little straighter when one wears shapewear. For instance, Assets by Sara Blakely could give you Mannequin Rear End. It won’t billow like it’s full of water. It just won’t move.

Forget the scenes from St. Elmo’s Fire and Bridget Jones’s Diary, of plump heroines being seduced and then summarily mocked by men who encounter their BIG Girl panties?  MOBs – you are dressing for the beginning, middle and end of the day/evening…not the ‘afterwards’.  Your spouse/significant other will just be pleased you looked so nice.  Don’t have one of those??  Who cares…you’ll be pleased for yourself, girl!

~Claudia Van Veen

“He’s got horrible teeth! Why hasn’t he gone to the dentist?”

Instead, you might say (in front of them both)  ”Boy, I think I’d better start working on getting these teeth whitened…maybe all of us should…just think of all the photos!…

…Wonder if the antibiotics (tetracycline) I’ve had to take are the reason my teeth have gotten so yellow? (You nor the groom smoke or ‘chew’ and you are wondering why his teeth are so yucky).  Wonder if I should have the dentist fix that gap I’ve been talking about for years!  And your dad’s teeth are horrible, too…

…Why don’t we see if we can go as a group and get a discount!”

Really, ask your dentist if he would do a group discount – some will.

What are your teeth whitening options & costs?

• Implants – we are talking money here! Time, as well –$1,250-$3,000 each, but the total cost can escalate to $15,000-$30,000 DentalResources.com.
• Crowns- (also called caps) cost $500-$3,000 a tooth
• Composite resin and porcelain veneers –  So, do you have bridges?  Then, as you probably are aware, with time your natural teeth change color from the bridge color.  With either of these permanent solutions, all your teeth will be the same color.  Traditional porcelain veneers are about .5 millimeters thick, and cost around $500-$1,100 each; the Lumineers® brand is.2 to .3mm thin (like a contact lens) and runs $700-$1,300
• Opalescence whitening cost: $500 (fronts of all teeth)
• Britesmile whitening cost: At dental offices, prices vary around the country. At BriteSmile centers, $600; $399, if payment is made in advance
• Drugstore – Toothpaste maker’s whitening strips - $23 – $46 (depending on how yellow they are)
• If money is a factor and you want to ‘go green’ about the yellow – then here’s a little tip:   Make your own whitener at home (Click here)l Cost?  $2-$5

Ok – so this takes care of the teeth issue and brides really do need to have beautiful white teeth – they are the star of the party and everyone will be looking at their smile.  But his teeth are important too!

(And wouldn’t it be nice to hear “she gets her smile from her mother”!)

Don’t forget to sign into our blog post about the $250 giveaway in March- let us know why your mom is the best!  Click here!

Happy Holidays,

Claudia Van Veen

Okay – you know the drill already from all of your friends’ children’s weddings…you are going to have to spend or redo or fix up the wardrobe!  Not just for the wedding but for the rehearsal dinner, the engagement party, the showers, etc.  Of COURSE, you are going to lose weight, get your teeth whitened, get a mini face-lift, have a tummy tuck but how about NEW FEET?  If you are under 55 or so, you probably will be fine for a few hours in high heels…but if you are not and you feel like you just have to wear your “big girl”, “going-out-on-the-town” ,“your legs have to look good” shoes…then what are you going to do about your inability to actually wear those type shoes for more than the 10 minutes it takes to walk into the front door and sit down?   How on earth are you going to DANCE in heels? Even if you don’t plan on dancing, your daughter’s new husband will be obligated to ask you to dance at least one time and probably his father as well.

If you, like most of the women out there, don’t want to spend over $100 for a pair of shoes that feels a little bit roomy and has some platform cushioning, place a Dr. Scholl’s instep for sandals/open toe heels in them.

However, if you are willing to spend more for your feet, then here are a couple of wonderful shoes.   This Cole Haan shoe has NIKE AIR Technology in the heel and forepart for cushioning and comfort and also happens to be a fully dyeable silk.

Or check out this entire line of shoes created out of necessity by a diabetic woman desperate for fashionable shoes (Dana Davis).

Both brands of shoes are available at Nordstrom’s. Wish I’d known about these shoes when Katie got married– that way I wouldn’t have had to cart a second pair of shoes with me everywhere!  Wanted to tell you about this now since we are getting into shoe sale season. See you next week!  Have questions?  Ask away!

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Claudia Van Veen

Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Invitation: Wedding Paper Divas
Bouquet: Martha Stewart
Cookies: Epicurious
Gown: Ulla Maija
Hair: Pip Pip and All That
Parasol image: Green Wedding Shoes
Place setting: Style Me Pretty

Changes in the season can play nasty “tricks” on your skin. “Treat” yourself to a facial that is natural and great for your skin. Refresh yourself at the spa at MINT in Adams Morgan, Washington, DC. I just had the Seasonal Facial last week and it was wonderful. What a treat! Shirin Rahmatollahi, the licensed aesthetician hand crafts the nourishing masks she applies during the treatment. She utilizes all natural organic ingredients. The seasonal facial is made with ingredients such as pumpkin, cranberries, nutmeg, and honey. This express 35 minute treatment includes your choice of a scalp massage or extractions. If wedding stress has got you down, then go for the scalp massage – Shirin gives one of the best massages I’ve ever had.  Click on the pumpkins above to get to Mint!

Enjoy!

Tara